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Reversing into a parking spot, I noticed that the reversing camera on the car provides a mirror image exactly like a rear view mirror...thought that was rather clever !
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It would be very confusing if it didn't.
I can switch mine to a mode for hitching up to trailer so it's looking down on the bumper/tow-ball as you reverse (not that I have a tow bar). But you can judge distance to an object looking down from above the rear of the car so to speak.
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My Yaris has a basic one, but I was impressed by an Astra whose lines change depending on steering lock and then changes to a forward looking one on selecting first.
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The default mode for my reversing camera, it draws the lines and shows where you'd reverse into. This is for helping reverse into a perpendicular parking space (i.e. car park). It can be switched to a mode to help with parallel parking where it tells you how to steer and draws blocks around/over cars etc.
The other two modes are a wide eyed view for reversing out of a space - you can see more to left/right of vehicle. And hitching up to a trailer/caravan.
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How did we ever manage without...
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>> How did we ever manage without...
>>
It was easy when cars had rear windows as opposed to the letterboxes they insist on fitting now - and then try to obscure with head restraints.
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>> It was easy when cars had rear windows as opposed to the letterboxes they insist
>> on fitting now - and then try to obscure with head restraints.
>>
Or even when cars had corners you could see rather than guess where they are.
Confession time though, I have just received my new company car which comes with Parking Assist, the really lazy way out :-)
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I prefer mirrors, I have the latest new fangled ones, they are heated!
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Have Park Assist or whatever funky name it is given on the B Class.
Have used it 0.0 times
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>> Have Park Assist or whatever funky name it is given on the B Class.
>>
>> Have used it 0.0 times
>>
Used it in wife's Tiguan a few times (she's never used it). It's pretty terrifying as it appears to skim the car in front when it's parallel parking itself. You've got to be careful nothing's coming towards you too, as the front swings out sharply at the start.
The front and rear sensors are much more precise than I expected - you can get within an inch of objects. However they're bleeping and flashing like mad in tight spaces and when it's dark it's difficult to figure what's going on - a camera (ideally "overhead" area view) would be much better. It's odd we don't get reversing cameras more here - been standard on many US cars (and all SUVs, including Tiguan there) for years.
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I had it on the V40 - used it once - just to play with it...
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I have used it just once to play, the other thing to bear in mind is to keep your hands away from the centre of the wheel, when it spins it doesn't hang about
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I prefer sensors. My camera gets smeared by rain and blinded by sun and the fish-eye effect can take you closer to items at the side than you expect.
Maybe upmarket versions are better?
Anyway my four or more previous cars had sensors that were very effectve and intuitive to use in all conditions. Along with good old eyesight and spatial awareness of course.
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>> I prefer mirrors...
Luxury...
:-(
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>> >> I prefer mirrors...
>>
>> Luxury...
>>
>> :-(
>>
Cheer up, they are cheaper to fix than a rear ended camera.
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Mirrors are fine and I've driven very large vans with no rear-view mirror and only door mirrors. However sensors or cameras can make it easier.
As for costs, mirror assemblies for my car are over £200 a side while a pattern replacement camera unit can be had for £100.
Having said that I will probably go and snag a mirror on something while I am busy watching the camera.
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I once used mine to see how close I was to the parking bay line at the rear (you have to select reverse to activate it). The car that had pulled in behind me promptly reversed. I didn't hang around to see if they hit anyone.
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...my X1 has something called "Limit Assist".
When enabled, and in conjunction with the speed limiter function, it gives a dashboard warning when the speed limit changes (according to the SatNav Data), and a single flick of the up/down switch will adjust the speed limiter immediately to that new speed (no need to explicitly and manually set the speed).
Entirely undocumented (at least in my manual) is the fact that it is also linked to the front windscreen camera, normally utilised only for "imminent" collision warnings, and it recognises speed limit signs, most noticeably temporary ones, which are out of step with the SatNav data.
It occurred to me that, though the SatNav data was showing original road speed data through roadworks, prominent temporary 30mph signs were being recognised, and the limit assist functioning accordingly.
I've since confirmed it empirically.
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I've got traffic sign recognition on my car. Instead of relying on the sat nav data, like your BMW it recognises road signs.
But it can get things wrong. Pass a 20mph sign angled towards you but on a side road and it will think it's 20mph. In a supermarket car part it once thought the limit was 80mph - it must have seen an 80kph sign on the back of a foreign truck parked there or simply lost the plot.
On VW group cars, getting the traffic sign camera is a cheap way to then get high beam assist and lane assist which can both be enabled via VCDS or similar. You just need the camera and it's only about £90 with traffic sign assist.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 27 Jun 18 at 23:05
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I went to the VW plant in Germany during a trip last year. One activity, which didn't cost much (€7 IIRC, may have been €8) was a pre-booked test drive in a "state of the art" big SUV thing, in advance.
I thought it would be a 5 minute pootle round the grounds but no, it was the best part of 30 minutes of me driving it round local public roads. Not sure I really got the most out of it due to language barriers.
Impressive tech but I wasn't persuaded to buy one...
(I also went on a buggy thing up the tower where new cars are delivered to, that was fun. Here it is www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxsRwopheXk ))
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>> ...my X1 has something called "Limit Assist".
>>
>>
>> Entirely undocumented (at least in my manual) is the fact that it is also linked
>> to the front windscreen camera, normally utilised only for "imminent" collision warnings, and it recognises
>> speed limit signs, most noticeably temporary ones, which are out of step with the SatNav
>> data.
My Jazz has two speed limiters, among its gadetery, one can be linked to the speed sign reader so that the car matches the speed limit. The speed limit is also displayed on one of the dashboard displays. I don't use the limiters, I prefer cruise control. These electronic gadgets are no longer exclusive to the rich and famous.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 28 Jun 18 at 07:36
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>> These electronic gadgets are no longer exclusive to the rich and famous.
>>
...and they're especially useful on those budget cars where the luddite owners refuse to use them.....
;-)
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But aren't many electronic "aids" taking us back to the bad old days of inbuilt obsolescence? A chip or bit of software that costs the manufacturer buttons on the production line can cost the owner many pounds in diagnosis and repair in the car's later years.
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>> These electronic gadgets are no longer exclusive to the rich and famous.
All were optional on my M140i. Irritatingly, each of this bits I'd want were bundled in with two or three I didn't. So I mostly didn't bother. Upgraded the stereo, nav and suspension and added bum warmers, and that was it. Although with hindsight, I wish I'd gone for the Comfort Pack (PDC and cruise control)
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Yeah, should’ve gone for a Merc DP, “comfort†comes as standard on those...
;-)
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;-)>> Yeah, should’ve gone for a Merc DP, “comfort†comes as standard on those...
>> ;-)
>>
...as does the false sense of superiority........
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It’s more of a real sense of serenity.
;-)
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Mine does serenity to a point, but no other car I've had has ever been able to make me smile after 20,000 miles of use like this one can.
On a good road, with that engine howling away, I can forgive it almost anything. It's such a shame it's replacement is going to be another "me too" all-wheel-drive four pot.
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>> It’s more of a real sense of serenity.
>> ;-)
Its only 4/6ths of serenity.
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...it's more like senility....
;-)
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Yeah, how is that going, still taking the pills?
;-)
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...who are you?......And what are you doing in my kitchen?
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Shouldn't you be at the Edinburgh Woollen Mill shopping for some new beige outfits?
;-)
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....nothing good has ever come out of Edinburgh......
;-)
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There are a few roads. :-)
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>> Oh I dunno, couple of things maybe...
>>
The dugout? I guess so, somewhere to get back to early when you are losing.
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That was the Weegies. They're good at that sort of thing, painting some lines on a bit of grass and so on. Keeps them out of bother.
Edinburgh is more about the major breakthroughs in science, medicine and maths etc.
;-)))
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>> >> These electronic gadgets are no longer exclusive to the rich and famous.
>>
>> All were optional on my M140i. Irritatingly, each of this bits I'd want were bundled
>> in with two or three I didn't. So I mostly didn't bother. Upgraded the stereo,
>> nav and suspension and added bum warmers, and that was it. Although with hindsight, I
>> wish I'd gone for the Comfort Pack (PDC and cruise control)
>>
Cruise control is easily and cheaply (under £150) retrofitted if you want it...take a look on Babybmw.net to see if there’s someone near you who can fit it. Mine came with parking sensors as standard, and I just assumed it’d have cruise. Every new BMW I’ve ever had came with it. But not this one...though it does now,
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I am very surprised a BMW 1 series (Especially a 140i) does not have cruise control as standard.
My first car to have cruise control was mark IV Golf GTI 1.8T in 1999, I added this as an option as I did to the Passat that replaced it. All cars I've had since have had cruise as standard. Didn't use it much on the Mondeo because I thought the ergonomics were poor.
Not fussed on the steering mounted buttons for ACC on the current VWs. I prefer the Audi and Skoda separate stalk.
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You can have ny cruise control if you like. Never used. Would swap for sunshine roof.
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>> You can have ny cruise control if you like. Never used.
No motorways in Norfolk.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 29 Jun 18 at 09:00
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Yes but Norfolk isn't permanently gridlocked. Surprised you have a use for it down there.
I've tried to like and find a use for Cruise Control. Used it on motorway and France , Just don't get the point of it. It just sees so much easier to keep your foot on the pedal and adjust the speed in accordance with what is front of you. I always switch it off after a while.
I think last time I mentioned this I was told that I needed the new fangled cruise control that automatically kept station with the the car in front. Well I've got that now and it still seems pointless. I can do that without any help.
Do wish I had ordered the sun roof though
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My sunroof has been open every day for nearly two months now. Love it, wouldn't want to be without one. I'd actually really like a convertible, but it's quite tricky getting an estate version !
I do use cruise, particularly in the interminable 50mph restrictions on the M6, dead easy to adjust if required with a flick of the stalk. Also, if I'm heading up to Scotland, anywhere north of Preston you can leave it on for hours sometimes without needing to adjust it. France too.
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>> I've tried to like and find a use for Cruise Control. Used it on motorway
>> and France , Just don't get the point of it. It just sees so much
>> easier to keep your foot on the pedal and adjust the speed in accordance with
>> what is front of you.
The point is its not easier or more comfortable to keep your foot on the pedal OR adjust with what is in front of you. Its much easier with cruise control, specially on a French motorway.
I am going north of Oxford next week as I do every month. I shall probably get about 35 miles of cruise control there and 30 back. Thats an hour where my foot isn't anchored in one place.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 29 Jun 18 at 13:59
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"The point is its not easier or more comfortable to keep your foot on the pedal OR adjust with what is in front of you. Its much easier with cruise control, specially on a French motorway."
For you that may be true.
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For everyone that is true, simply choosing to use manual accelerator control all the time does not make it easier or more comfortable. Physically and logically it isnt.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 29 Jun 18 at 14:21
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it isn't more comfortable but it isnt less comfortable either . You have to put your foot somewhere and mine is as happy on the accelerator as it is on the footrest. It just isn't an issue for me. It's just not a problem. I'm driving down to Gatwick this afternoon, I doubt that I will at any time be tempted to switch on CC.
Do feel free to carry on using yours though. I really dont mind.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Sun 1 Jul 18 at 13:03
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Like lots of things, each to his own - My 328 didn't have cruise, but it had a superb engine and equally good chassis. , then the V40 came along with its superb engine and superb active CC -The 320 did - old fashioned on/off type as does the current 335. My bike has it and I rarely use it. It's never a deal breaker for me.
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>> I think last time I mentioned this I was told that I needed the new
>> fangled cruise control that automatically kept station with the the car in front. Well I've
>> got that now and it still seems pointless. I can do that without any help.
>>
We can all do the things motoring gadgets do for us without any help but we all choose ways to make it easier / more relaxed.
I have said, since I passed my test in 1972 I din't need a car to change gear for me, but now that I have one I like it, I still don't need it but I like it.
Same is true of
Electronic handbrake
Auto lights
Auto Wipers
Adaptive Cruise control
Auto dipping mirror
etc
All a matter of choice, for those who choose them the point is that they like it. You don't , fair enough, if we were all the same life would be very boring.
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I'm sure you are right commerdriver. For the most part I like gadgets and all those you list I find useful apart from CC. It's oblviously a personal thing but it does seems to be feature that you either find useful or don't. For those that like it that's great but try as I might I just cant find a use for it. It literally does nothing for me.
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I use my CC all the time, even round town. It's just another switch to turn on and fof, takes no thought whatsoever and is entirely routine and automatic.
Around town I started using it because it's essentially one less thing to keep monitoring and gives a smoother ride for all.
On the motorway it helps me maintain an appropriate speed, again with acceleration and deceleration happening in a smooth style. You can often tell when people are using the pedals as they overtake then slow down.
I missed it in the last car and it is virtually a must-have for me (but as said above, most cars of the sort I buy would have it now as standard)
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>> I'm sure you are right commerdriver. For the most part I like gadgets and all
>> those you list I find useful apart from CC. It's oblviously a personal thing but
>> it does seems to be feature that you either find useful or don't. For those
>> that like it that's great but try as I might I just cant find a
>> use for it. It literally does nothing for me.
>>
It is entirely your choice if you would rather flap your foot up and down continually on a lever rather than touch a button occasionally. :-)
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If you are flapping you foot up and down continually when you drive ON I can see that some sort of automation would be helpful, if nothing else than for the comfort of your passengers.
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>> If you are flapping you foot up and down continually when you drive ON I
>> can see that some sort of automation would be helpful, if nothing else than for
>> the comfort of your passengers.
>>
The torque converter smoothes it out, and after the lock up clutch engages the transmission is in too high a gear to feel it. If I was not using CC of course which is unlikely. I was using it on a 30 mph urban A road this afternoon.
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I was going to ask "what's a gear?" but I suppose my car has one. Just the one though... :-)
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>> I was going to ask "what's a gear?" but I suppose my car has one.
>> Just the one though... :-)
>>
The "gear" was for the gearstick twiddlers that use century old technology and don't understand the various automatic transmissions available. Mine is a CVT.
This may help.
youtu.be/4OSDw-uyP98
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They don't seem to call mine CVT so I guess it is truly a single gear rather than continuously variable.
www.greenoptimistic.com/electric-cars-gears/#.WziJI9JKhhE
(WHile mine is only fully electric for the first forty miles or so, when the dino juice engine kicks in it is only providing power to the electric motor which is still the one which drives the wheels).
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>> They don't seem to call mine CVT so I guess it is truly a single
>> gear rather than continuously variable.
>>
>> www.greenoptimistic.com/electric-cars-gears/#.WziJI9JKhhE
>>
>> (WHile mine is only fully electric for the first forty miles or so, when the
>> dino juice engine kicks in it is only providing power to the electric motor which
>> is still the one which drives the wheels).
>>
So electric cars are not good enough to do without an ICE backup. I think I will wait until the charging infrastructure is in place, charging takes five minutes, and a charge lasts for at least 500 miles of any driving conditions.
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>> So electric cars are not good enough to do without an ICE backup.
Isn't that how subs work? :-)
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>> >> So electric cars are not good enough to do without an ICE backup.
>>
>> Isn't that how subs work? :-)
>>
Yes, diesel electric or nuclear steam, but there are other systems in use. They make rubbish road vehicles though! :-)
The 224 one ton lead acid batteries are a bit of a problem on the road.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 1 Jul 18 at 09:54
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Thread drift alert....!!
We've been here before and I thought we'd accepted that while electric cars aren't for everyone, for some people they work well.
For instance, the type of car I own is known as a range extender and as such has the best of both worlds. In my case nearly all of my day to day motoring is electric but occasionally I use the ICE on longer trips. maybe once a month or less. I've owned it for 11 months now and put about 20 gallons in, albeit only having done a bit over 4000 miles overall.
But surely it's not news to you that there are fully electric cars which do not have an "ICE backup" as well? :-)
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We've been here before and I thought we'd accepted that while electric cars aren't for
>> everyone, for some people they work well.
Come on you must know by now they need to cover every single persons conceivable scenario or they'll be a total disaster ;)
>>
>> For instance, the type of car I own is known as a range extender and
>> as such has the best of both worlds. In my case nearly all of my
>> day to day motoring is electric but occasionally I use the ICE on longer trips.
>> maybe once a month or less. I've owned it for 11 months now and put
>> about 20 gallons in, albeit only having done a bit over 4000 miles overall.
Ampera? How's it going with it, enjoying it?
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It's fine, I enjoy driving it for the quietness, and Sport mode is fun from a standing start. It'd be good if it was a bit bigger (boot and rear seats) but most of the time that's not a problem. The servicing is a bit of a pain, it isn't expensive but only selected Vx dealers can do it (and maintain the warranty - 7 years on drivetrain and battery). No road tax and no congestion charge of course, and the insurance was only a few quid more than the old Focus I got rid of.
There were only about 1200 ever sold in the UK so it gets a few puzzled looks sometimes.
I suppose I could easily work out how much it saves me on fuel but if I were to offset that against the cost of purchase it wouldn't amount to much.
It has suited me for the year I've had it, and it's value has, I believe, has gone up slightly in value to boot. I do have plans for some serious mileage across Europe in the coming year or two so it may not be a keeper, or maybe we will so a short term upgrade of the second car for that. The Ampera is fairly economical on petrol - 45 mpg min for me, as even using the ICE it gets assistance from regenerated electricity.
As you may have seen on other threads I tend to be what is known as an early adopter of new technologies. So I'd call this pretty much a first generation and there will undoubtedly be huge technical advances over the coming years but on the other hand there isn't' a lot of expensive stuff to go wrong that isn't in the warranty and the build quality seems really good so I could end up keeping it till at least it's 7 years old (which is only another 4 years).
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Cheers, i did fancy but they look a bit small. I've got an estate at the moment and it's quite handy. So it might be a choice for a second car.
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>> So electric cars are not good enough to do without an ICE backup. I think
>> I will wait until the charging infrastructure is in place, charging takes five minutes, and
>> a charge lasts for at least 500 miles of any driving conditions.
It will come, of course, but I think you will have shuffled orf to that P.O.s mess in the sky before it happens.
Try not to worry about it.
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BP have just bought a national charging network. Guess they've seen the writing on the wall.
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The "gear" was for the gearstick twiddlers that use century old technology and don't understand
>> the various automatic transmissions available. Mine is a CVT.
>>
CVTs are about the same age, the first ones were designed in the late 19th century iirc.
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>> I think last time I mentioned this I was told that I needed the new
>> fangled cruise control that automatically kept station with the the car in front. Well I've
>> got that now and it still seems pointless. I can do that without any help.
Yes, but you are lucky.
Us non-Norfolk types have to make do with a total of five digits on each hand.
You Norfolketeers have seemingly unlimited numbers of fingers, very useful for manipulating the complex controls on a car.
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>> You can have ny cruise control if you like. Never used. Would swap for sunshine
>> roof.
>>
Bit of a cost difference!
I was amazed cruise control wasn't standard on wife's 2015 Tiguan. Nearly missed it as the one in the showroom had it and the salesman told us it was standard. This is on a car that had sat-nav standard.
It's a bit of a faff to use though. In my old Merc it's just a single stalk and any function can be done with just a single nudge. There's no indication it's engaged though, which has caught me out a couple of times when I've sped up after using it in roadworks at 50 and then found the car didn't keep slowing down when I next needed it to.
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The VW controls on the steering wheel of current cars is not as intuitive to use as the stalk on Audis, Skoda and some previous model VWs. Not sure what SEAT use. I feel you need to glance at the buttons on the VWs although I'm sure I'd get used to it.
On the Skoda when you have cruise control on (adaptive on some) then pull stalk towards you and you speed up 1mph. Press the SET button on the end and it decelerates 1mph. Flick up/down and the increment/decrement is 5mph.
With the adaptive cruise, reduce the speed and the car will break. Cars without adaptive cruise that I've had don't slow down when you reduce the cruise control speed.
Distance to the car in front is set with a control on top of the stalk - move one way and it increases gap and push it the other and it decreases. It's spring loaded so remains in the middle position.
I didn't think I'd like adaptive cruise control because I wasn't sure I'd trust it. But it's great. Read road ahead and use the stalk to reduce speed, change gap, etc. And mine will even steer too.
ACC is also handy in traffic jams with the car following the one in front - Skoda call it traffic jam assist.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 29 Jun 18 at 14:41
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"With the adaptive cruise, reduce the speed and the car will break." That has to be a bit worrying/ Maybe you mean brake? :-)
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The short lived SEAT had adaptive cruise; it was controlled by a stalk on the left of the steering wheel.
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My car does not have adaptive CC although in other markets it does. One thing I discovered by holding a button too long (it is not in the handbook) is the CC not only adjusts in one mph steps but also if you hold the up or down buttons for a couple of seconds it jumps to the nearest ten mph and then in ten mph steps. Handy for A road and motorway limit changes.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Fri 29 Jun 18 at 16:42
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I'm surprised at some BMWs etc. not having CC as standard. Even the 2-year old basic spec Citroen C3 we bought for our son has it, and a speed limiter!
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BMW - Things you suddenly realise... - rtj70
