Electronic driving aids - love, hate or indifferent?

[gbb]

As I drive for economy, many aids don't get used.
Heated seats, lovely but the draw on the electric system must make a difference to fuel consumption.
Air con, ditto.
Cruise control, niice on a long journey but I tend to engage, disengage dependent on terrain. No point (for me personally)in maintaining 60 mph up a hill, which bring increased fuel consumption. I will switch it off at the foot of the hill, feather the throttle, lose some speed but maintain better fuel economy.

Its all a bit anal but its what I do, doesn't bother me.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Heated steering wheels ? Good if you've got Reynauds I guess, but otherwise ?

Self parking, why, this is for people who can't drive ?

Re Auto parking.

Never had or used this.

My guess is that it would be great for older people who start to stiffen up as they age and may have lest neck twisting ability to look over their shoulder.

Not everyone is young, amazingly flexible and able to replicate that infamous Exorcist scene. 😁

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

As I drive for economy, many aids don't get used.

I try to, too

 

[Mike_P]

As I drive for economy, many aids don't get used.
Heated seats, lovely but the draw on the electric system must make a difference to fuel consumption.
Air con, ditto.

IIRC tests have shown having windows open in hot weather at speed results in air drag that causes more fuel to be consumed than using air con.

 

[Profpointy]

Your handbrake shouldn't illuminate the brake lights, mine doesn't (Skoda Superb). I pull up at lights using the footbrake, pull the handbrake switch, release the footbrake, and I can see the brake light glow extinguish behind me.
It annoys me too when people in front stand on the brakes for 3 full minutes, burning your retinas out. And that's pretty much ubiquitous, I'd say over 80% of drivers can't be bothered with a handbrake now.

Yes that's really common now isn't it! People obviously don't do that mental checklist any more, the one they teach you on the driving lessons where you go "Before I set off: It's dark / wet, so I need my lights on, it's raining, so let's put some wipers on" etc. People just jump in and go.

And I think the DRLs and the lit dash unintentionally contribute to the driver's cosy reassurance that their lights are on. Plus other passing motorists don't give "the flash" any more, again DRLs contributing to that practice going the way of the dinosaur. Not all tech is good.

That's an "automatic feature" that's just asking for trouble as it is clearly going to fool a great many people that the lights are on when they're not. It would likely fooled me if I'd not read this thread.

 

[fossyant]

IIRC tests have shown having windows open in hot weather at speed results in air drag that causes more fuel to be consumed than using air con.

It's one thing I insist on now, even the little Aygo we got for daughter/son has it. It's so much better at this time of year leaving it on to de-humidify the car, stops windows steaming when you've got damp people in the car.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

It's one thing I insist on now, even the little Aygo we got for daughter/son has it. It's so much better at this time of year leaving it on to de-humidify the car, stops windows steaming when you've got damp people in the car.

We've always left a/c permanently on all year round.

 

[Mike_P]

Its particularly good for icy weather - I scrap the outside of the windows - get in, start the engine, air con on and heated widows,m and its very quickly ok to drive whilst others have left their engine running while seemingly having gone indoors for a mug of tea; suspect the current advice not to do that will not be heeded

 

[Gunk]

We've always left a/c permanently on all year round.

That’s what you should do, it demists the windows and the lubricant is in the coolant so the pump wont Seize up

 

[Gunk]

Tesla have different profile setting for each driver. It knows who the driver is from the App on their phone. It adjusts all the settings I know to each driver, not just seat, steering wheel and mirrors

My 3 series convertible did that 20 years ago, each key changed the AC setting, radio station and electric seats.

 

[slowmotion]

As I drive for economy, many aids don't get used.
Heated seats, lovely but the draw on the electric system must make a difference to fuel consumption.
Air con, ditto.
Cruise control, niice on a long journey but I tend to engage, disengage dependent on terrain. No point (for me personally)in maintaining 60 mph up a hill, which bring increased fuel consumption. I will switch it off at the foot of the hill, feather the throttle, lose some speed but maintain better fuel economy.

Its all a bit anal but its what I do, doesn't bother me.

Do you turn the wipers off under motorway bridges?

 

[CXRAndy]

I run my AC when it's needed and once a week. I always try to switch it off 5 mins from home to dry the condenser. This reduces the chance of mouldy smells developing

 

[Alex321]

Tech I would like to see?
Something which prevents phone use by a driver, including hands free. Hands free but talking on the phone? It still takes away concentration.

There is no real possibility that might be implemented, because even if they make such use illegal (unlikely), there is no way the car can tell whether it is the driver or the passenger, particularly if using it hands-free via the car speakers/microphone.

 

[slowmotion]

Oh Joy!

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/t...es-over-taillight-software-glitch-01668881476

 

[Gunk]

There is no real possibility that might be implemented, because even if they make such use illegal (unlikely), there is no way the car can tell whether it is the driver or the passenger, particularly if using it hands-free via the car speakers/microphone.

Apple have a feature to stop an iPhone being used whilst driving, shame no one uses it.