Opinions on ACC on manual car vs DSG?

[Exeterj]

My vRS DSG and the wifes manual scout doesn't have ACC, but i was pleasantly surprised to be given a manual combi O3 elegance as a hire car for a few days work around Edinburgh. It basically had all the options that our cars don't but didn't have the ones ours do, so although a very familiar drive and place to be, was good to try a few other options out - but mostly the ACC.

 

Due to the motorway mileage i do, i would have possibly liked ACC if i'd spec it and not got an ex-demo vRS so was interested how well it works. I found on the motorway it was pretty good and but the problem i found was in traffic on the bypass and on the A roads i was having to change down and up gears a lot, which seemed to negate the benefits of the ACC in this situation (although it seemed to kick back in again), but thus thought it would probably be good on my vRS with the DSG.

 

Was just wondering how people with either manual or DSG find it?

[GoneToBeemer]

Great system I think, especially on a long trip or after a hard day! Works really well with lane assist too.

My personal view is that you'll only get the best out of ACC with a DSG box - pointless on a manual in my opinion!

[pipsyp]

I have ACC on a manual Golf GTD.

Its ace...I really do like it but I probably wouldnt pay several hundred £ to have is as an option...came standard on the Golf.

The DSG is a little more advanced in that it can come to a full standstill and go again all on the ACC....whereas a manual deactivates and tells you to brake when you get below a certain threshold or get too close to something in front because of breaking. You then have to resume it once back up to speed....but thats no chore.

I find the speed limiter function more useful to be honest.....if I am driving in an unknown area or somewhere thats a bit of a hotspot or I know I am likely to creep into high speeds I set the limiter accordingly and hey presto the car goes no faster.....it even brakes the car for you on downhill sections so you can keep peddle to the metal and it simply will not speed. Its such a good idea.

The only annoying thing is that whilst it remembers the previous set speed, it doesnt stay active so you have to switch the mode and resume it each time you drive the car.

Whats also great is if you find you need to breach the set limit.....put your foot down as so to trigger the "kickdown" switch (even the manuals have it)...the car temporarily disables limiter and it comes back in once you drop back below the set limit.

One annoying thing with the ACC is that even on the closest distance setting you end up with some considerable space between you and the car in front.....ive founs on the M25 where most people will take a car sized gap as a lane change oportunity I find im constantly being cut up by those people...sure the car works it out and drops back accordingly (most of the time) but it becomes a bit tiresome after a while and wouldnt happen if driving under manual control (and safely that bit closer to the car in front).

Worka great on roads like the M40 where between the M25 and M42 you can often sit in the fast lane for a few miles with nothing much in front of you.

Edited 25 November, 2015 by pipsypreturns

[flybynite]

It is my first car with ACC although I have had cruise control on my machines for ages. It is the first car I have driven much time in with DSG also.

 

There is no doubt that ACC and DSG work really well together, it is just very fluid and I genuinely find it useful. it makes cruise control usable in medium traffic.

 

Having had cruise on a few manuals there are lots of times that I have had to take it out because of traffic, when ACC would have been useful, but when I think of it how many times did I end up changing gear as a consequence, probably not many.

 

If I had a manual I would still spec it, because it does give standard cruise a bit of flex in traffic but I would probably spec a DSG just to get the best out of the ACC as personally I find the combination pretty useful.

[Gromle]

I love the ACC and Dsg combination.

You can drive pretty far without touching the pedals.

[JonesyJ666]

what is ACC?

[flybynite]

what is ACC?

Adaptive Cruise Control 

[GoneToBeemer]

I have ACC on a manual Golf GTD.

Its ace...I really do like it but I probably wouldnt pay several hundred £ to have is as an option...came standard on the Golf.

The DSG is a little more advanced in that it can come to a full standstill and go again all on the ACC....whereas a manual deactivates and tells you to brake when you get below a certain threshold or get too close to something in front because of breaking. You then have to resume it once back up to speed....but thats no chore.

I find the speed limiter function more useful to be honest.....if I am driving in an unknown area or somewhere thats a bit of a hotspot or I know I am likely to creep into high speeds I set the limiter accordingly and hey presto the car goes no faster.....it even brakes the car for you on downhill sections so you can keep peddle to the metal and it simply will not speed. Its such a good idea.

The only annoying thing is that whilst it remembers the previous set speed, it doesnt stay active so you have to switch the mode and resume it each time you drive the car.

Whats also great is if you find you need to breach the set limit.....put your foot down as so to trigger the "kickdown" switch (even the manuals have it)...the car temporarily disables limiter and it comes back in once you drop back below the set limit.

One annoying thing with the ACC is that even on the closest distance setting you end up with some considerable space between you and the car in front.....ive founs on the M25 where most people will take a car sized gap as a lane change oportunity I find im constantly being cut up by those people...sure the car works it out and drops back accordingly (most of the time) but it becomes a bit tiresome after a while and wouldnt happen if driving under manual control (and safely that bit closer to the car in front).

Worka great on roads like the M40 where between the M25 and M42 you can often sit in the fast lane for a few miles with nothing much in front of you.

Agree with the distance part - the closest setting is not close at all, and it widens as you get a bit faster too!

Don't know if you've ever driven a Merc with ACC, but you can get almost bumper to bumper!

[skyjawa]

.ive founs on the M25 where most people will take a car sized gap as a lane change oportunity I find im constantly being cut up by those people...sure the car works it out and drops back accordingly (most of the time) but it becomes a bit tiresome after a while and wouldnt happen if driving under manual control (and safely that bit closer to the car in front)

 

 

It was all going well till then!  Both our Octavia and my BMW when set on shortest distance are more than close enough, especially to take over from the car doing the work to you deciding you need to intervene.  Any closer is NOT safer whether under manual control or not.  Don't forget you are supposed to be 2 chevrons from the car in front (but this never happens any more).  So yes, you just have to deal with idiots jumping in the smallish gap.

 

Other than this minor gripe, ACC is brilliant - albeit both of ours are auto, not sure I'd bother on a manual and stick with normal.

[pipsyp]

It was all going well till then! Both our Octavia and my BMW when set on shortest distance are more than close enough, especially to take over from the car doing the work to you deciding you need to intervene. Any closer is NOT safer whether under manual control or not. Don't forget you are supposed to be 2 chevrons from the car in front (but this never happens any more). So yes, you just have to deal with idiots jumping in the smallish gap.

Other than this minor gripe, ACC is brilliant - albeit both of ours are auto, not sure I'd bother on a manual and stick with normal.

Id beg to differ....much of the time the car on the closest setting tends to "dwardle" for want of a better description and leaves the sort of gap between you and the car in front that people behind you start thinking "why wont this prat just pull over". Its usually a bit more than two car lengths. Certainly not all that consistent from my experience anyway.

I wouldnt argue its safe to leave at least two car lengths between you and the car at front at speed but the ACC tends to leave gaps which are not entirely appropriate for the driving speed or conditions at hand.

I have mine set to sport too. Its pretty good at picking up the pace when a car pulls in and it tries to get up to speed but as soon as it registers the next car it behaves accordingly.

I dont know if the car is clever enough to take temperature and other conditions (i.e is the rain sensor activated) to determine how far it chooses to hang back but I doubt it does.

Its clever tech but it isnt perfect like most things. Wouldnt really want to be without it but again I wouldnt pay several hundred £ for the priviledge

Edited 26 November, 2015 by pipsypreturns

[Gabbo]

I have ACC on my manual & I love it.

Its much better than manual cruise control where you constantly have to cancel/resume or change the speed up & down.

Especially if you do a lot of motorway miles you would find it invaluable.

Particularly in the diesel which has plenty of torque I find I rarely have to change gear (plus changing gear you would have to do anyway with manual cruise also)

 

Of course if you have a DSG it is even better in that you can use it for driving in traffic.

However, for me its a separate choice.

If you like ACC, take it irrespective of the gearbox.

[Gabbo]

Id beg to differ....much of the time the car on the closest setting tends to "dwardle" for want of a better description and leaves the sort of gap between you and the car in front that people behind you start thinking "why wont this prat just pull over". Its usually a bit more than two car lengths. Certainly not all that consistent from my experience anyway.

I wouldnt argue its safe to leave at least two car lengths between you and the car at front at speed but the ACC tends to leave gaps which are not entirely appropriate for the driving speed or conditions at hand.

 

Leaving a gap is always safe, its the cars too close behind you that causes the problems.

However, I agree with your point with traffic in the UK.

I think this is just part of driving in Britain these days... Too many people, too many cars, everybody in a rush & a lot of people who dont give 2 s..ts about anybody else.

 

I always dread driving home to UK.

Driving through Europe is a joy in comparison.

[Exeterj]

Thanks for the replies - as I probably thought the DSG only makes the experience better (now i'm annoyed not having it! :'( ) - only 2-3 years / 80k miles before I can think about speccing it on the next motor!

 

I think i'd have found it better on the manual if I'd got more motorway miles in with it, but the bypass around Edinburgh vary's between 70mph and 10mph in the space of a few miles at times, and the A roads to the borders were fairly busy so fair amount of up and down the gears.

 

Did take me a while to stop messing with the wrong stalk though, as my basic CC in not on a separate stalk.

[Gabbo]

Did take me a while to stop messing with the wrong stalk though, as my basic CC in not on a separate stalk.

 

This is also a plus for me of having ACC over CC.

I was hoping they would move it to the steering wheel like some of the other VWs but no sign of it yet for Skoda..

[Iamholam]

This is also a plus for me of having ACC over CC.

I was hoping they would move it to the steering wheel like some of the other VWs but no sign of it yet for Skoda..

Yes partly why I wish I had specced ACC is the very poor controls on the "light" stalk. Keep trying not to flash traffic when turning on the CC and the "cancel" function is useless because of this.

[vRSAnt]

I have ACC on a manual Golf GTD.

Its ace...I really do like it but I probably wouldnt pay several hundred £ to have is as an option...came standard on the Golf.

The DSG is a little more advanced in that it can come to a full standstill and go again all on the ACC....whereas a manual deactivates and tells you to brake when you get below a certain threshold or get too close to something in front because of breaking. You then have to resume it once back up to speed....but thats no chore.

I find the speed limiter function more useful to be honest.....if I am driving in an unknown area or somewhere thats a bit of a hotspot or I know I am likely to creep into high speeds I set the limiter accordingly and hey presto the car goes no faster.....it even brakes the car for you on downhill sections so you can keep peddle to the metal and it simply will not speed. Its such a good idea.

The only annoying thing is that whilst it remembers the previous set speed, it doesnt stay active so you have to switch the mode and resume it each time you drive the car.

Whats also great is if you find you need to breach the set limit.....put your foot down as so to trigger the "kickdown" switch (even the manuals have it)...the car temporarily disables limiter and it comes back in once you drop back below the set limit.

One annoying thing with the ACC is that even on the closest distance setting you end up with some considerable space between you and the car in front.....ive founs on the M25 where most people will take a car sized gap as a lane change oportunity I find im constantly being cut up by those people...sure the car works it out and drops back accordingly (most of the time) but it becomes a bit tiresome after a while and wouldnt happen if driving under manual control (and safely that bit closer to the car in front).

Worka great on roads like the M40 where between the M25 and M42 you can often sit in the fast lane for a few miles with nothing much in front of you.

 

Reading this with interest even though I don't have ACC

You believe a single car gap is even appropriate to drive on a mway at speed ?

 

I will leave that to our discretion, I'm not here to troll over this point - just that I do think there is some truth in the 2 second rule, which at anything above 50mph definitely is more than a car length.

 

If people are stupid enough to cut up such a small gap ( and presumably maintain it) let them, they are taking the risk of accident.

 

According to this site, http://www.drivers.com/article/1126/, its 6 car lengths. That seems quite a lot even for me, but its apparently the facts. Maybe ACC is trying to teach us something !

[pipsyp]

Reading this with interest even though I don't have ACC

You believe a single car gap is even appropriate to drive on a mway at speed ?

I will leave that to our discretion, I'm not here to troll over this point - just that I do think there is some truth in the 2 second rule, which at anything above 50mph definitely is more than a car length.

If people are stupid enough to cut up such a small gap ( and presumably maintain it) let them, they are taking the risk of accident.

According to this site, http://www.drivers.com/article/1126/, its 6 car lengths. That seems quite a lot even for me, but its apparently the facts. Maybe ACC is trying to teach us something !

I think you and others are taking my point a little too literally.....i know all about two car lengths and two second rule Ive been driving long enough... my point being that on roads like the M25 that are v busy and where the majority frankly drive and cut lanes like wnakers that the car leaves such a gap that these people take advantage and use it. Its a safe gap to be running behind someone by...will easily fit a car but then that person is nose to bumper between you and the car in front...mor certainly put you in a position thats not so safe.

Because the cars always trying to maintain the right distance and is v lazy in its approach to accelerating to close a gap as it increases (even in sport) it opens you up to such punishment. Driving normally you can generally tell when people are going to do this....the appropriate squidge of throttle usually prevents this happening....the car dwardling along on ACC does not.

Its just one v minor area where ACC isnt so wonderful but I like it otherwise. On less busy roads where people dont drive like clowns and dont move into roadspace they shouldnt be using its fine.

Edited 26 November, 2015 by pipsypreturns

[Exeterj]

Am I right in thinking the ACC actual adapts the min distance to your speed ? Hence motorway fast lane speeds result in long gaps vs 40mph on a roads your only a cars length or so away - I actually thought on the a roads I needed to back it off a bit.

[Dempsek]

I love the ACC and Dsg combination.

You can drive pretty far without touching the pedals.

+1

With a DSG you can can use it around town when traffic is flowing.

[Gromle]

Am I right in thinking the ACC actual adapts the min distance to your speed ? Hence motorway fast lane speeds result in long gaps vs 40mph on a roads your only a cars length or so away - I actually thought on the a roads I needed to back it off a bit.

It adapts to speed. The higher the speed, the bigger the gap is.

[jthyssen]

I also like the ACC to the extend that I'll likely never buy a car without. I also quite like the Front Assist because it saved me from rear-ending another car on the motorway at 40-50mph :/

But ACC is not perfect in all types of traffic and there are some situations it cannot handle.

I will still occasionally apply the throttle to close a gap in some situations.

I would say I use the ACC more than 75% of my driving time.

[pipsyp]

I also like the ACC to the extend that I'll likely never buy a car without. I also quite like the Front Assist because it saved me from rear-ending another car on the motorway at 40-50mph :/

But ACC is not perfect in all types of traffic and there are some situations it cannot handle.

I will still occasionally apply the throttle to close a gap in some situations.

I would say I use the ACC more than 75% of my driving time.

That is a v valid point....you can still squeeze the accelerator and close gaps as necessary.

[vRSAnt]

To be honest I didn't get the car to do miles in it which is the driving situation that ACC would really benefit me ( I dont commute far and the car came with plenty miles and my plan is definitely not to run it up early and kill all its value anyway)

 

The cars still very much a novelty for me, ACC and lance control sounds nice to have though.

I've got my diesel car and cruise for just sitting in and doing long distances at dialled in speed (though not adaptive).

 

I understand where you are coming from pispyreturns, there will always be people like you described though

but I think its better to let them be dickheads (there cars probably aren't even very powerful in my experience hence the overcompensation factor).

 

Fortunately I don't drive so much of places like that (m25) so I guess I'm a bit spoilt that I don't experience the cut up crew so badly which can obviously tarnish your driving experience

Edited 27 November, 2015 by vRSAnt

[skyjawa]

I think you and others are taking my point a little too literally.....i know all about two car lengths and two second rule Ive been driving long enough... my point being that on roads like the M25 that are v busy and where the majority frankly drive and cut lanes like wnakers that the car leaves such a gap that these people take advantage and use it. Its a safe gap to be running behind someone by...will easily fit a car but then that person is nose to bumper between you and the car in front...mor certainly put you in a position thats not so safe.

Because the cars always trying to maintain the right distance and is v lazy in its approach to accelerating to close a gap as it increases (even in sport) it opens you up to such punishment. Driving normally you can generally tell when people are going to do this....the appropriate squidge of throttle usually prevents this happening....the car dwardling along on ACC does not.

Its just one v minor area where ACC isnt so wonderful but I like it otherwise. On less busy roads where people dont drive like clowns and dont move into roadspace they shouldnt be using its fine.

I was determined not to rise! But come on, how much later do you get to your destination? To let these fools (and I'm frequently on a very busy m25, m42,m6 etc) pull into the gap left and the car slow down to accommodate the new distance and it happen again, really it might cost you a few minutes. That over driving too close and potentially having an accident and being even later as a result.......

Its not a fault of ACC, its a fault of the selfish, disrespectful, agressive and too close driving this country now suffers from.

Edited 27 November, 2015 by skyjawa

[skyjawa]

Double post

Edited 27 November, 2015 by skyjawa