Cars becoming too 'user friendly' ?

[keystonedriving]

The less gizmos on cars, the less there is to go wrong.  They are only really there for marketing purposes.  About the only one I find useful is cruise control.  It saves a lot of wear and tear on my right ankle during a long journey.  The rest I could probably do without.  A heated front screen would have its attractions, mind.

 

I certainly qgree that the Ford 1.4 diesel is a lousy engine.  I had to drive a Fiesta with one earlier in the year and the turbolag was awful, foot down and the power arrived two or three seconds later.  Mind you, the rest of it wasn't great, either.

[Ben90]

It's easy to draw a line between the types of in car features: those that help you to drive better, and those that do the driving for you.

 

Parking sensors front and rear = great! I'm still doing the work but the machine remains subordinate and purely as a passive warning system.

Automatic parallel parking = not great -let me operate the car I bought!

 

Same goes for anything where the car takes over control. It's useful sometimes for safety reasons such as ABS, but they should stop there.

 

Just be glad that thanks to our litigious society we will probably never have a world of driverless cars, i doubt manufacturers want to take that risk as any accidents that happens on the roads will be their fault and it would be very unlikely to make the driver liable as there wouldn't be one!

[Mr Ree]

Auto wipers

Auto lights

Hill start assist (although I didn't realise I had this until it was pointed out yesterday)

Clutch in to start

Voice control for audio, nav, phone and climate

Cruise control

Stability control

anti lock brakes

Auto dim mirror

Auto stop

Take me home lights

Tyre deflation detectorsdetectors

Parking sensors

Reversing camera

Love anything that makes my journey easier!!!!

 

Where's George when I need him. :think:

 

Feel a bunnfight coming on.

 

No mention of DRL's, or 'winking' foglights there Slidey. 

Edited 23 December, 2013 by Mr Ree

[thingy]

Re clutch to floor to start; can be a helpful safety feature.

Maybe there's a micro switch on the pedal lever/arm that can be adjusted so as to only press the pedal three quarters of the way down, just check that it fully dis-engages the gears if adjusting the switch.

If your like me driving a manual gear box, I don't press the clutch right to the floor when starting or changing gear.

[Ootohere]

I was watching while being a passenger in with an expert driver demonstrating a car, (salesman about 23 years old)

left foot braking and giving it welly in the quattro with S-Tronic (DSG.)

 

I pointed out to him that as he was braking and accelerating that the engine was actually having the power cut to the engine.when both pedals are pressed.

 

DRL's,

 i love them now in the Snow, Sleet, Rain and poor visibility. especially on a Citroen DS 3, so bright coming up behind you.

Leaves no doubt what is going to pass you then pull in without indicating and right in front spraying you and leaving no safe stopping distance,

and then nothing on to the rear as the white car goes away up the road almost invisible.

they have amazing road holding surely.

(the ones with pink roofs are nice, the family can have pink as the theme at the drivers funerals.)

 

Cornering DRL's

Go out if beside the indicator, so that the indicator is visable.

 

Cornering Fog lights,

come on and mask the Indicator on some cars,

at least you get some idea the driver is doing something, even when no indicator is used.

 

george

 

I have now fitted this winter my aid for 'Visually Impaired driver' who needs Cornering Fog Lights at junctions

regardless of if required or not, or dazzling others or not.

Just to help light their way, since they could not see too well with only dipped beam and sidelights.

(wired to only come on below 30 mph and when the dipped beam are on, how could that annoy anybody?)

Actually i will never flash them at anyone, just use them to light up the area for DS3's being pulled out of ditches.

[Yeti_Man]

At work we have a 1.4 tdi Fiesta which is a canny little car but im struggling to drive it how i want.

First all i freaked out slightly when the hill assist kicked in, sat on the brakes in gear, wanting to roll down the drive to help someone help get out..the car stayed put. Not a new revelation i know but making worse drivers (say if your first car or whatever)

Short shifting, its a very jerky diesel engine if you rev it out so normally change low down-ish to smooth it out (ot try) on bring the clutch back it kangaroo's like it cutting the power to the engine, not sure why it does that but its annoying

Hell and toe pretty much impossible, have to hold the accelerator down for a split second to even get it to react, i know diesels are rather numb but this one takes the biscuit.

The whole idea of putting the clutch down to start it, im sorry but your not realising your car is in gear then maybe get into the not so hard habit of checking, i know we've all done it once or twice but the shock of lunging forward normally gets you to rethink.

Do people write to car manufactures and complain that their car is hard to drive or something? Can you please make the car incredibly numb and make it do the hard work for me..its making very lazy drivers!

FFS just learn how to drive properly, will ya?! Bring that French buzz box of yours down here and I'll show you just what a 'Fiesta diesel' can do if driven properly. Merry Christmas btw.

[oil]

Most cars have the clutch to start. I40 I rented recently had it along with Hill hold.

Rolling back would be a test failure.

I did it twice on my only test 47 yrs ago and examiner told me to put it in gear, then duly passed me!  But that was back in days of hand signals, remember those?

 

Hill hold is a great idea saves the clutch plates.

[slider]

Where's George when I need him. :think:

 

Feel a bunnfight coming on.

 

No mention of DRL's, or 'winking' foglights there Slidey. 

OH!, i've got DRL's, but no winking fog lights.

 

I do have a fog light switch 'though!

[Guest BigJase88]

Re clutch to floor to start; can be a helpful safety feature.

Maybe there's a micro switch on the pedal lever/arm that can be adjusted so as to only press the pedal three quarters of the way down, just check that it fully dis-engages the gears if adjusting the switch.

If your like me driving a manual gear box, I don't press the clutch right to the floor when starting or changing gear.

Yup exactly the same as me

Almost have to disconnect my hip to push it right in

[Mr Ree]

JIMNY time George! 

 

Don't come more basic than that, but oh how I miss mine . :'(

[Johnno92]

Can someone explain what your meant to write on the insurance claims form when your park assist fails and parks your car halfway up a lampost.. 

 

This is why I'm starting to dislike new cars, because of all the gimmicky stuff that they come with.. Most of it's not needed, half the time it doesn't work properly and how much cheaper would new cars be without it all..? 

 

The only time I've ever known Tyre pressure sensors to go off is when the sensor is broken.. I've never found flicking the little switch below a rear view mirror so arduous that I've wanted it to do it itself.. 

Likewise I've never driven a car in the dark and been so bemused by the lack of light that I've needed the headlights to come on for me, and auto wipers sound great until you get a bad stone-chip, and a rather more substantial replacement bill than it otherwise would have been..

 

Brake assist really worries me though, It's great in concept as it can react quicker to events such as children jumping out into the road.. But how complacent will drivers become when they believe their car will brake for them..?

[silver1011]

I use very few of the features on my car, but I make sure each and every one is turned on (especially exterior lighting) just to wind up the old grumps out on the road!

[Mr Ree]

Can someone explain what your meant to write on the insurance claims form when your park assist fails and parks your car halfway up a lampost.. 

 

This is why I'm starting to dislike new cars, because of all the gimmicky stuff that they come with.. Most of it's not needed, half the time it doesn't work properly and how much cheaper would new cars be without it all..? 

 

The only time I've ever known Tyre pressure sensors to go off is when the sensor is broken.. I've never found flicking the little switch below a rear view mirror so arduous that I've wanted it to do it itself.. 

Likewise I've never driven a car in the dark and been so bemused by the lack of light that I've needed the headlights to come on for me, and auto wipers sound great until you get a bad stone-chip, and a rather more substantial replacement bill than it otherwise would have been..

 

Brake assist really worries me though, It's great in concept as it can react quicker to events such as children jumping out into the road.. But how complacent will drivers become when they believe their car will brake for them..?

 

Now you will do for me chief!! 

 

You are now officially a member (no. 3) of the grumpy owld farts club.

 

The 'auto dip mirror' is possibly my favourite on the most hated list. 

Totally unnecessary, and doesn't dim the glaring DRL's and winking fog lights enough either.  :moon:

Edited 23 December, 2013 by Mr Ree

[Mr Ree]

I use very few of the features on my car, but I make sure each and every one is turned on (especially exterior lighting) just to wind up the old grumps out on the road!

 

 

That'll be me, George and now JOHNNO too! 

 

The fight and arguments against all this crappy unnecessary insane trendy technology snowball is gathering pace!  :sun:

Edited 23 December, 2013 by Mr Ree

[Phil-E]

Now you will do for me chief!! 

 

You are now officially a member (no. 3) of the grumpy owld farts club.

 

The 'auto dip mirror' is possibly my favourite on the most hated list. 

Totally unnecessary, and doesn't dim the glaring DRL's and winking fog lights enough either.  :moon:

 

And for me the auto dimming mirror is one of my favourite things on the car!

 

Yes you can flick the switch to dip the mirror but it's very on or off whereas the auto mirror is progressive and adapts to varying light etc.

 

I guess that shows that a lot of these features are marmite and subjective.

 

Phil

[slider]

Ok, let's just do away with all driver assist gizmos. I'm sure a one time some young gun claimed servo assist brakes, radial tyres or,God forbid, power steering, took away all driving skills and enjoyment, not to mention made the whole thing more dangerous.

Heaven forbid that you had to try to explain to the insurance company that you had pranged your motor because your new fanged disc brake engaged so abrupty that you went into a skid.

Edited 23 December, 2013 by slider

[trundlenut]

I really like the auto dimming mirror too and I find auto lights very handy and cruise too, which is why I retrofitted the last two.

 

Auto wipers could be better, most of the time they are OK but sometimes they get their knickers in a twist.

[silver1011]

That'll be me, George and now JOHNNO too! 

 

The fight and arguments against all this crappy unnecessary insane trendy technology snowball is gathering pace!  :sun:

 

All the pace of a three-legged race

[Johnno92]

Now you will do for me chief!! 

 

You are now officially a member (no. 3) of the grumpy owld farts club.

 

 

 We should start a Briskoda flat earth society..  Reminds me of the BBC's Grumpy Old Men.. Loved that show..

 

Servo-assist brakes and power steering serve only to amplify a force the driver has already input, they don't think for the driver.. And of all the technical innovations that have impacted motoring I'm not sure the auto-dim rear view mirror has been quite as significant as radial tyres..

 

The thing that gets me with DRL's is why do they only operate on the front..? Sidelights and headlights both operate front and rear, why not Daytime Running Lights..? 

In the event that you are driving in dimming light or poor weather conditions, if the car in front has sidelights on they are much more visible from behind than if they were only running with DRL's.. This is not helped by the fact many drivers appear to think their sidelights are now redundant if their car is fitted with DRL's.. 

 

Why not just make it mandatory to have sidelights on rather than force manufacturers to include another set of lights that only make the vehicle more visible from the front..? 

 

Aren't them winking fog light things just a poor mans version of adaptive headlights..?  :p

[gadgetman]

There is only one Mr Grumpy.

[Mr Ree]

All the pace of a three-legged race

 

 

Even though you talk utter crap sometimes, I do actually still quite like you. 

[Mr Ree]

There is only one Mr Grumpy.

Oh no there isn't! 

[Mr Ree]

I really like the auto dimming mirror too and I find auto lights very handy and cruise too, which is why I retrofitted the last two.

 

Auto wipers could be better, most of the time they are OK but sometimes they get their knickers in a twist.

Agreed. Love c/c as it actually serves a physical purpose on a long tiring run.

Edited 24 December, 2013 by Mr Ree

[Aspman]

Can someone explain what your meant to write on the insurance claims form when your park assist fails and parks your car halfway up a lampost.. 

 

You'll always be in control of the throttle and brake with park assist. Car will do the rest. Therefore you're technically in control and it'll always be your fault. Simples.

[Ootohere]

I am Grumpy, but that has nothing to do with what lights 'Special People' need or think they need.

But, Happy not to live on the Dark Side of the moon, where car lights need special enhancement for use on the road.

Or that place driving in town where there are hidden dangers and need a Single Fog light to help the visually impaired see.

 

Power Steering, Brake assist etc are great things,

But to say that it is just what input the driver does in incorrect.

Speed asfusted assistance, City Button, Disability Assist settings and VAGCOM can be set for less assistance.

Brake Assist can be re-set, and XDS settings etc.

 

Now used cars are being bought, and new cars collected from dealers and owners have no idea what settings have been ticked.

People worry about 1 click door unlocking and yet the cars Important Steering & Braking and Lighting Setting have not been checked or reset to Fatory Settings.

A previous owner can have these to any setting, less or more assistance and often far off from the factory setting.

Drivers complain of wooly steering and lack of feeling then find it has Extra Assistance set, if they ever find out,

sme just go re set the Tyre pressure or moan about how bad a car feels.

 

Rust and Corrosion is not the likely need to scrap a car anymore.

It is Electrics and faulty Electrics.

Built in obsolescence by Manufacturers, Wiring Looms and connectors run beside Water Drains etc,  

Rubbish seals at doors, and between panels. Hidden Wiring and difficult to replace electronic parts..

 

How many are driving older cars with the Air Bag now out of date, Brake Fluid that has never been changed and Electronic Steering and Hand Brakes hows life expectancy is pretty limited.

 

Those with New cars with Bulbs & Lights faulty in only a few miles and still driving like that for weeks can hardly be trusted to check their own tyre pressures, 'We have a TPMS',  or even consider maintenance other than a Annual Service possibly and a MOT if required.

Many never read the Owners Manual or understand the features a vehicle has.

ABS, EBC, CAN Bus, DPF, CR,ESP, ASR, EDL, HBA,HHC,TPM, just for starters on a basic car.

 

george