Who actually likes the driver aids on newer vehicles? (3 Viewers)

[gus-lopez]

as my windows were open, I was not being dynamically efficient

only modern gizmo I need is Cruise control the rest are all garbage, they add complexity, cost and are all expensive nightmares when they fail.

This^^

I’m up for all and any help I can get. I don’t really get why you wouldn’t want help driving. I miss the car’s driving aids when I’m in the van. I’m reminded of Douglas Adam’s quote:



So, synchromesh, power steering, ABS, automatic choke OK. Stop start, collision detection, lane detect, automatic hazard lights bad

Of course, he also said:


So maybe it’s because the newer assists just don’t work as well.

If paying attention you shouldn't need any help. If you do you really shouldn't be driving.

I think switching off stop start in built up areas ought to get you a fine. It's put on for a reason to reduce urban pollution and reduce fuel use.

Oh and driving in first and second gear between stops isn't adding to the emissions pollution along with nonsensical artificially low speed limits.

If these driver aids make people signal before changing lanes or overtaking cyclists then I am all for them.

As the police always said"if the road is empty there is no need to indicate changes of direction "

There is currently good and bad in this modern stuff and I'm sure that it'll get sorted as the technology matures.
I like my 360 degree camera that makes it a doddle to park perfectly or to manoeuvre tight spaces. It also tells me if someone is in my blind spot by flashing a warning on my mirrors. If I have signalled when someone is in my blind spot it also give a loud beep.

I like stop start, full stop.

Lane assist can be a pain. It would be better if it only actuated on main dual carriageways.

Smart brake support goes unnoticed but it could save my or someone elses life.

Radar cruise control allows you to set the minimum distaance between you and the car in front. (Wish some others had this, pesky tailgaters)

Collision prevention speaks for itself. It beeps first and will brake if ignored. Only annoyance is it beeps when I pull out of a junction/roundabout as someelse is just passing. The timing of this is adjustable but I'd rather leave it saving my life than back it off to the point where it just lets me brake my legs.

There's lots of other stuff but my number one hate is the trend towards putting everything on touchscreens. This is not the least bit ergonomic and I hope this trend will be reversed when people get over the fad. Unfortunately the manufacturers push this because it saves on wiring to switches and is therefore cheaper.

And all and any type of touchscreen if used when the vehicle is in motion is still illegal.
"Tail gating only occurs when people do not move back in to the farthest lane to the left"

The cars behind you

As above. No need if road empty.

Always thought you had to use the handbrake for a hill start.

True.
As an aside on a spanish driving test it is an instant fail if you use the handbrake if stopped on a hill by parked vehiclesand there is oncoming traffic. Meant to ride the clutch.

 

[Janine]

I always indicate if it affects other road-users’ decision making. Otherwise it’s known as pigeon-signalling i.e. only the pigeon sees it.

My biggest gripe is lazy indicating on traffic islands - right hand signals left on too long and not signalling left to exit the island. It’s hardly rocket science.

 

[Jane And Rog]

...and why have they started putting touch screens in cars, surely that's got to be a major distraction ? I can reach across to my analogue heating control or tuner without taking my eyes off the road ?

So, I think this is badness. Touch screens replace a lot of physical switches in cars and make cars cheaper to produce: less assembly, simpler supply but much more distracting and difficult to use when driving. Blame Elon Musk for this downgrade in our lives :-(

 

[Jane And Rog]

gus-lopez are you just speaking for yourself? Don’t you think all these driving aids might help others?

 

[funflair]

That’s strange Lenny HB, mine has hill hold for definite and it works very well

I don't think he has got round to treading the manual yet

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[jerryz]

before I retired i travelled a lot around the world by air but often had to have rental cars at destinations , they were always the latest models and were full of Gizmos, lane assist auto headlights , rain modes, touch screens ,satnavs , radars , cameras , blah blah this that and whatever ,, sorry I like simple cars , comfy, good handling auto or manual , cruise , and bleeping parking sensors and folding mirrors thats it ,, and NO touch screens , they are a distraction, complex and clunky I like total control not the computer or some crummy sensors , same with 4x4 no gadgets all manual please so I can fix it in the desert , jungle or anywhere

same with motorcycles , KISS

 

[Folkranger]

"Tail gating only occurs when people do not move back in to the farthest lane to the left"

I assume this is tongue in cheek

 

[DT]

Hate lane assist. In our little car it grabs the wheel as you come back across a white line on a dual carriageway. Plus on out Volvo the camera went pop and it cost £1k to replace

 

[G-RMPS]

Hate lane assist. In our little car it grabs the wheel as you come back across a white line on a dual carriageway. Plus on out Volvo the camera went pop and it cost £1k to replace

Ditto. Hired a car in Spain and found this really scary. It's like the car is stuck in grooves on the road.

 

[Rapides]

99% of the time I remember to, but I observe that a huge proportion of drivers these days don’t under any circumstances. Spain has made it mandatory now to indicate all the time & I wish it were the same here.

I like all the extras on my Skoda and Ducato now, but was weary before getting them. The only one I don’t like is the adaptive cruise control, but that’s me being untrusting. In theory it’s a fantastic safety feature.

Love adaptive cruise control on our Ford Pima, hate the lane warning thing and always disable it first thing after starting the engine.

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[Puddleduck]

My car constantly told me to hold the steering wheel - as it is an adapted car with hand controls it doesn't recognise I was holding the wheel but not where it expects me to as one hand was on the accelerator / brake lever and the wheel and the other on the steering knob (aka suicide knob).

I found a lot of the bells and whistles to be a distraction and would have liked to disable them.

I'm not driving at the moment as I don't think I am safe.

 

[Folkranger]

Hate lane assist. In our little car it grabs the wheel as you come back across a white line on a dual carriageway. Plus on out Volvo the camera went pop and it cost £1k to replace

If you signal it leaves you alone

 

[nicholsong]

Hate lane assist. In our little car it grabs the wheel as you come back across a white line on a dual carriageway. Plus on out Volvo the camera went pop and it cost £1k to replace

I think that is why manufacturers like to fit all these gizmos. Same in habitation area with electric beds, awnings, sunblinds etc. All more to go expensively wrong.

 

[Pausim]

As the police always said"if the road is empty there is no need to indicate changes of direction "

If I can see people not signalling then the road isn’t empty, so they should be signalling changes of direction.

 

[Roby2008]

Pleased to say the cars stop start stopped working when it was 18 months old and the battery gone off its peak, car & battery now 12 years old and it's never worked since.

Ducato stop start is flipping dangoues with the 9 speed auto, it doesn't have hill hold like the Comformatic had. So if on a steep hill you lift your foot off the brake to start the engine and you start rolling backwards.

I turn off the SS on hills and steep exits and use the handbrake like a manual.....

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[Roby2008]

I always indicate if it affects other road-users’ decision making. Otherwise it’s known as pigeon-signalling i.e. only the pigeon sees it.

My biggest gripe is lazy indicating on traffic islands - right hand signals left on too long and not signalling left to exit the island. It’s hardly rocket science.

You will love Germany then, the only signal you use on a roundabout is the one to exit

 

[The Wino]

I turn off the SS on hills and steep exits and use the handbrake like a manual.....

Why? Mine works perfectly well

 

[ED O'DARAC]

I don't have any aids on my old van but recently hired a brand new transit with the full package. After two days of driving around I can say I am not a fan of these so called advances. I really disliked the stop start, I could see that shortening the life of the starter, battery and probably the whole engine. Lane assist is a joke, if you cant steer between the two lines on the road you shouldn't be driving. I agree that phones are distracting when driving so why is the massive screen in the middle of the dashboard ok? Sat nav, phone, radio etc etc, all displayed at the same time. Finally the self activating wipers, is it too much effort to reach out with a finger to the stalk and switch them on and off manually?? GRRRR

100% agree. Old style (non-adaptive) cruise control is my only must-have.

 

[Norfolk Nige]

I have to say that driving with hand controls I love all the driving aids in my car. When you are using your right hand for the accelerator and brake all the time it is not so easy to use indicators, lights, wipers so the auto versions really do help. Adaptive cruise control is also a real bonus as it means you can relax your arm.

 

[Tude]

I don't have any aids on my old van but recently hired a brand new transit with the full package. After two days of driving around I can say I am not a fan of these so called advances. I really disliked the stop start, I could see that shortening the life of the starter, battery and probably the whole engine. Lane assist is a joke, if you cant steer between the two lines on the road you shouldn't be driving. I agree that phones are distracting when driving so why is the massive screen in the middle of the dashboard ok? Sat nav, phone, radio etc etc, all displayed at the same time. Finally the self activating wipers, is it too much effort to reach out with a finger to the stalk and switch them on and off manually?? GRRRR

I said the same thing about the massive screen on a Tesla you can’t operate your phone for anything but on the Tesla everything is on the huge screen!!

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[JaG]

Hates on our new vehicle:
Lane Assist - dangerous to say the least. Pulls you over when sometimes there is a vehicle on the inside. I think I can manage to keep between two lines. If not, I am obviously too tired, or too old.
Auto parking - the day I cannot park between two vehicles will be the day I give up driving
Multi buttons on steering wheel - push this one, slide that one. Totally distracting, especially those actions that can only be done while driving.
What I like:
Voice control - when it recognises my voice an does not do the total opposite of what I asked for. Apologised to many it has rang when I wanted someone else.
Speed limiter - use it a lot as it allows me to concentrate on driving, especially on motorways. No chance of going too fast.
Adaptive Cruise control - now and then. Useful when the motorway is not too busy as it keeps you away from the vehicle in front yet brings you back up to speed when pulling out and overtaking but, do I really want to go back to set speed?
I would be more than happy to go back to wind up windows, indicators on a dash mounted knob and hand signals.

 

[Mike Rivers]

I wouldn’t be without cruise control. Use it all the time abroad with motorhome. Car wise, the only thing I really find annoying is adaptive cruise control where your vehicle will never get close enough to any vehicle to overtake it!!

 

[Mleabon]

Can’t see how lane assist is a problem. Don’t go out of the lanes and indicate before changing lanes and you don’t know it’s on the vehicle.

It's just annoying.

 

[Mleabon]

Stop start can be dangerous if you are say coming into a roundabout. Stopping, engine turns off. The car you were waiting for turns off and wasn't indicating so you can go. Then the engine takes a second to start and you're stuck just over the white line waiting for it to start when another car is coming. I always turn it off.

 

[Richardcamper]

I don't have any aids on my old van but recently hired a brand new transit with the full package. After two days of driving around I can say I am not a fan of these so called advances. I really disliked the stop start, I could see that shortening the life of the starter, battery and probably the whole engine. Lane assist is a joke, if you cant steer between the two lines on the road you shouldn't be driving. I agree that phones are distracting when driving so why is the massive screen in the middle of the dashboard ok? Sat nav, phone, radio etc etc, all displayed at the same time. Finally the self activating wipers, is it too much effort to reach out with a finger to the stalk and switch them on and off manually?? GRRRR

My thoughts entirely with my new VW T-Rock!!!

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[gus-lopez]

gus-lopez are you just speaking for yourself? Don’t you think all these driving aids might help others?

If you need all that assistance you really shouldn't be driving.all it does is encourage people to lose concentration put on make up,make phone calls,text ,etc,instead of applying 100% concentration on driving.

You only have to see people walking and using a phone to realise they cannot even manage that so certainly shouldn't be doing it whilst driving.

 

[Roby2008]

Why? Mine works perfectly well

it's a technique that works for me, everyone is different...

 

[French Charlie]

I don't have any aids on my old van but recently hired a brand new transit with the full package. After two days of driving around I can say I am not a fan of these so called advances. I really disliked the stop start, I could see that shortening the life of the starter, battery and probably the whole engine. Lane assist is a joke, if you cant steer between the two lines on the road you shouldn't be driving. I agree that phones are distracting when driving so why is the massive screen in the middle of the dashboard ok? Sat nav, phone, radio etc etc, all displayed at the same time. Finally the self activating wipers, is it too much effort to reach out with a finger to the stalk and switch them on and off manually?? GRRRR

Oh I am so with you on this one. Most of the these so called driver aids require a degree in computer sciences to operate. I have found a cure; spend a bit of time on the online driver's manual and turn them all of. I know that I am an analogue man in a digital world, but I do not care.

 

[Críostóir]

My BMW had auto lights and dip-switch, pivoting headlights, linked to steering and rain sensitive wipers.
I never touched the lights switch, dip beam or wipers in 5 years.

It was a bu&&er getting used to my next car, without all those features.

I had a 335d which was loaded with Gizmos. Including blind spot warning, adaptive headlights cruise, collision warning, HUD. and so on.. Enjoy driving the manual motorhome, but I wish I could have some of them in her..

 

[V and B]

Our previous car had collision detection. On a couple of occasions the brakes went on for no reason whatsoever, making me feel very panicky as i didnt realise what was happening. Luckily we were on quiet roads at the time, but after that was worried it could happen on a busy road.

It was possible to turn it off by through through several pages on the computer screen, but just reverted back on again next time the engine was started, so too much hassle to do it each time.

Dislike stop/start too but at least it's just an easily accessible button to turn it off.

As we all have different likes, it would be so much better if we could permanently turn off the bits we don't appreciate.

No collision protection on present car, and I feel a lot safer!

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