Who actually likes the driver aids on newer vehicles?

[TinaLes]

Traded our 6 year old BMW in and picked up new Seat Ateca Auto yesterday & drove it home, very impressed thus far, but its full of gadgets, plus a big "infotainment" screen.
I was given an owners manual, plus an A4 instruction page on how to set up The Seat App on our I phones.
Apparently you need to set up The Seat App & register it to the car, needing to input The Vin Number and Model to get half the gadgets in the car to operate, like door mirror folding plus loads of other things I do not know about yet like self park maybe.
I drove it to the supermarket this morning, and its already telling me on the screen that it needs to download a software update, but it cant as we haven't registered the phone, or our home E-mail Address with it yet. Then another instruction appeared "Check Safe Lock Setup" "Use Drivers Manual" well I am a bloke, I don't read manuals unless forced to, then the wife reads them out slowly, whilst I sit and have a fiddle with the controls.
It has 3 different speedo screens, I found them all from pushing buttons on the steering wheel trying to adjust the DAB radio to select & scroll radio stations.
It reads road signs and beeps if I go 2 miles over the speed limit, it has adaptive cruise control with lane assist, but I have not driven on a motorway yet, so not used.
I have decided that I will buy a box of fancy cakes, take it back to the dealership, hand over our I phones and let them try & set the damn thing up, it even alerts the emergency services if involved in an accident, of GPS location, my name, probably next of kin etc!
I also reckon it would dob me in for speeding also, as everything like time recorded at last stop, start time & mileage since start, average speed & MPG is all recorded on the screen for all to see.
I have yet to discover loads of stuff like blind spot monitoring, anti collision Radar, but it sure is a giant learning curve, tech has certainly moved on in the last 5 years I guess.
Even more annoying that I still cant get a decent DAB signal in The Vans Double Din Apple Play all singing/dancing heap of Pioneer Crap Radio, where as this car has found what seems like 60/70 radio stations, inc Radio Punjab & Islam!
LES

 

[AllesP]

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 dislike lane assist and and also stop start, so does my husband. I always turn off the start stop. I do like the build in sat nav although we always use a map as well. While one of is is driving the other navigates.

 

[maison]

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

Mine too.

 

[The Wino]

2 years ago I had to scrap my 20 year old Renault Scenic and I invested in a new MG electric. No regrets at all about that. But I did find a whole battery of tech that I didn't even know existed. I have changed some of my driving habits, but I wouldn't go without any of the new gizmos. I don't use cruise control because it uses so much more fuel, but I love a flashing light in my wing mirror to warn me of something in my blind spot. And 360° cameras for parking...YES!!! Wish I had it on my Rio 320. I am in the process of gizmo-ing my Rio!!

I did read a story a while ago about someone who turned off lane assist and automatic braking but then had an accident. His insurers refused to pay up because they said he had removed important safety features from the vehicle.

The original Renault Zoe had an NCAP rating of 5. But last year the same vehicle scored bottom of the scale because it had not had electronic safety gizmos added over the intervening years. Whether you like them or not, many of the newer "driving aids" count to the NCAP rating of the vehicle. So we have to get used to them!!!

Which MG have you got has it been good?

 

[ToGoldlyBo]

Which MG have you got has it been good?

I have the long range ZS. I am loving it. It is a pleasure to drive. It is comfortable. It has gizmos!!! Obviously, you have to change some habits about driving mentality, particularly in terms of range but a couple of weeks ago I went to Bute which is 360 miles for me. I regularly go down to Dartmoor which is 220 miles. I don't struggle with range anxiety! And I do, when my horns are poking out, love leaving ICE Jags, Porsches and Aston's (I live near JLR) standing at the traffic lights while I zoom off silently into the distance. Obviously it has not got the luxury of some expensive electric cars. But my neighbour had an electric Jag for a while. Lovely lovely car, but because of its weight, only did half as many miles as my MG on the same size battery!!

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[The Wino]

I have the long range ZS. I am loving it. It is a pleasure to drive. It is comfortable. It has gizmos!!! Obviously, you have to change some habits about driving mentality, particularly in terms of range but a couple of weeks ago I went to Bute which is 360 miles for me. I regularly go down to Dartmoor which is 220 miles. I don't struggle with range anxiety! And I do, when my horns are poking out, love leaving ICE Jags, Porsches and Aston's (I live near JLR) standing at the traffic lights while I zoom off silently into the distance. Obviously it has not got the luxury of some expensive electric cars. But my neighbour had an electric Jag for a while. Lovely lovely car, but because of its weight, only did half as many miles as my MG on the same size battery!!

Our son has just got a secondhand Hyundai Kona EV. It's pretty nippy and should save him £1200 a year in diesel once he gets on the EV tariff. So far he's very happy with it.

 

[ToGoldlyBo]

Our son has just got a secondhand Hyundai Kona EV. It's pretty nippy and should save him £1200 a year in diesel once he gets on the EV tariff. So far he's very happy with it.

I have dual tariff electricity and a 4 KW solar array, so running the car on electricity from home is very economical indeed

 

[Abgs]

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

Mine doesn't seem to have hill hold either - 22 plate 9G auto. Tis most annoying compared to the Mercedes based van we had before.

 

[funflair]

Mine doesn't seem to have hill hold either - 22 plate 9G auto. Tis most annoying compared to the Mercedes based van we had before.

Does it have an electric/automatic handbrake?

 

[Larrynwin]

Traded our 6 year old BMW in and picked up new Seat Ateca Auto yesterday & drove it home, very impressed thus far, but its full of gadgets, plus a big "infotainment" screen.
I was given an owners manual, plus an A4 instruction page on how to set up The Seat App on our I phones.
Apparently you need to set up The Seat App & register it to the car, needing to input The Vin Number and Model to get half the gadgets in the car to operate, like door mirror folding plus loads of other things I do not know about yet like self park maybe.
I drove it to the supermarket this morning, and its already telling me on the screen that it needs to download a software update, but it cant as we haven't registered the phone, or our home E-mail Address with it yet. Then another instruction appeared "Check Safe Lock Setup" "Use Drivers Manual" well I am a bloke, I don't read manuals unless forced to, then the wife reads them out slowly, whilst I sit and have a fiddle with the controls.
It has 3 different speedo screens, I found them all from pushing buttons on the steering wheel trying to adjust the DAB radio to select & scroll radio stations.
It reads road signs and beeps if I go 2 miles over the speed limit, it has adaptive cruise control with lane assist, but I have not driven on a motorway yet, so not used.
I have decided that I will buy a box of fancy cakes, take it back to the dealership, hand over our I phones and let them try & set the damn thing up, it even alerts the emergency services if involved in an accident, of GPS location, my name, probably next of kin etc!
I also reckon it would dob me in for speeding also, as everything like time recorded at last stop, start time & mileage since start, average speed & MPG is all recorded on the screen for all to see.
I have yet to discover loads of stuff like blind spot monitoring, anti collision Radar, but it sure is a giant learning curve, tech has certainly moved on in the last 5 years I guess.
Even more annoying that I still cant get a decent DAB signal in The Vans Double Din Apple Play all singing/dancing heap of Pioneer Crap Radio, where as this car has found what seems like 60/70 radio stations, inc Radio Punjab & Islam!
LES

The phone app link is handy , I have it on my Sportage and when as usual I have left the car and “did I lock it” hits me , the app links remotely to confirm ok plus it shows you car location when you lose it

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[Janine]

I forgot to turn my lane assist off this morning. Coming up the overtaking lane on the bypass, I physically wasn’t able to return to the nearside lane, after overtaking a slow moving lorry, without indicating

This is an unnecessary distraction, in my opinion.

 

[funflair]

I forgot to turn my lane assist off this morning. Coming up the overtaking lane on the bypass, I physically wasn’t able to return to the nearside lane, after overtaking a slow moving lorry, without indicating

This is an unnecessary distraction, in my opinion.

There must be something in settings as that is far too intrusive IMO if not take it back to the dealer it’s not right.

 

[Yorick]

Cruise control and lane assist are vitally important when you need to nip to the fridge for a beer.

 

[nicholsong]

Cruise control and lane assist are vitally important when you need to nip to the fridge for a beer.

Then the car manufacturer could be done for conspiring to aid drinking and driving.

 

[Yorick]

Then the car manufacturer could be done for conspiring to aid drinking and driving.

Ooh. I was being silly

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[nicholsong]

Ooh. I was being silly

And you did not spot that I was adding to the silliness?

 

[georgio]

Daughters got 9ne of them new volvo,s and if you yawn it tells you to pull in for a coffee.

 

[Garfields]

I like most of the gizmoes on our car now I have got used to them. Even the lane assist
Took a while to get the various setting to my liking though.

 

[dazandandrea]

Daughters got 9ne of them new volvo,s and if you yawn it tells you to pull in for a coffee.

And being a volvo it will no doubt have the motorbike colision radar turned to maximum.
( bikers will get that)

 

[Guigsy]

I went to a gravel cycle race yesterday in the Chilterns. Torrential rain the night before and all through the morning. The car park was a field. The entrance gate on to the road was a quagmire at the end. Lots of cars sliding around and a few need a push. A rear wheel drive Transit got stuck (probably because it didn't have a lot of weight on the back). I turned on Traction+ on my Ducato based motorhome and, with the judders through the cab as it kept grabbing the brakes to stop the spin, it drove me straight out. Yay for driver aids.

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[Ian Bosman]

I agree. Just when cars had become reliable mature technology they introduce computerised electronics. The brands with the most electronics become the most unreliable. I drove my new Masda home from the showroom and it went wrong as I reached my drive and started playing with the tech. Had to call them out and they said it was my fault that I had the radio on too long.

You cannot have the radio on too long in my opinion, a daft notion IMHO

 

[carolyn]

My first experience of lane assist was today on a hire car and I didn’t really like it. I didn’t need to fight it or anything but it confused me for a split second as I’d overtaken on a pretty empty dual carriageway and hadn’t indicated that I was pulling back in I confess. No one else about and I was way ahead. I thought briefly there was something wrong with the wheel , then it clicked.

It also did it amongst some of the many roadworks . Turned it off. We had a long way to go and it was getting on my nerves.

 

[dunnah01]

Is there an aid that the driver themselves isn't already better at?

 

[WillH]

Speed limiter and automatic handbrake are both great.

 

[Guigsy]

Is there an aid that the driver themselves isn't already better at?

There's no aid that a driver... that's paying attention... isn't already better at*.

The problem is that even the best of us can be caught with our guard down.


*Except ABS, brake assist, traction control, stability control...

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[gus-lopez]

You cannot have the radio on too long in my opinion, a daft notion IMHO

as far as I am concerned it is a distraction on par with using a obie phone or speaking with passengers.your attention is compromised

automatic handbrake are both great.

but not good when activated at speed.

 

[The Wino]

Is there an aid that the driver themselves isn't already better at?

Depends what driver you've talking about obviously. We do all though I think have an overestimated sense of our abilities I can think of lots of posts on here about other drivers not being very good and hardly any saying they aren't a good driver!

 

[Dolmen]

Is there an aid that the driver themselves isn't already better at?

Of course there isn’t. I know I am a very competent drivers, possibly the best driver on the road judging by the standard of others, there is nothing technology can add to my basking in that certain fact.

 

[tonyidle]

Depends what driver you've talking about obviously. We do all though I think have an overestimated sense of our abilities I can think of lots of posts on here about other drivers not being very good and hardly any saying they aren't a good driver!

The difference is that a "good driver" is one who enjoys driving, thinks about what he/she is doing, and wants to improve. The alternative is a driver who takes no interest, regards driving as a chore, and rarely considers others using the road.

 

[Yorick]

I've got a Dacia Duster 4WD with the stop start malarkey.
Not much use on the road.

But when I'm going over tricky stuff in wild terrain, I often stall it. But the engine fires itself up immediately. I love that

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