new cars
in this technologically advancing society i fear the new generation of drivers will be missing the thrills and joys of driving! its the cars with all their high tech gadgets and their isolation from the road that is now the norm. back up cameras, automatic transmissions, push button ride selections: sport, economy, luxuries etc. power everything from steering to autonomous driving. silent cars with large computers and efficient engines. BORING!! GIVE ME A 1960s Alfa GTV manual shift and let me loose!
Imo new cars are very distracting to drive, large touch screens with menus for basic functions like radio and heat/ac. I can work the buttons and knobs without taking my eyes off the road. Most of the safety features are good but make the driving experience very numb, no road feel. They are heavy and isolate you from the outside, most have poor visibility due to thick pillars and panels, darkened windows, back up cameras are need and they are helpful no matter. I do enjoy my older cars a lot better, cheaper on maintenance and repair too.
Had a couple of rentals (Acadia & Carnival) on our last vacation to transit between the airport and where we were staying. My first exposure to lane keeping, collision warnings and even rudimentary driver assistance. I was quite happy to return to my 'dumb' vehicles when I got home!
My 2020 Honda Passport has all that stuff. I turn a lot of it off under normal conditions since I find it more invasive than helpful. (these systems are not perfect yet) One feature that I have to admit that I have grown to like is adaptive cruise control. I found myself using it a lot when I was driving all over the country this past summer for the naked bike rides. While it was great in light traffic, it is a pain in the ass if the traffic is heavier. It tries to hold a distance that allows other drivers to cut in between me and the car in front of me then it hits the brakes so I turn it off when the traffic is heavier. One feature that I absolutely hate is Auto Idle Stop. The thing that shuts the engine off when stopped. I almost wrecked the car the first day I had it. I was waiting to turn right on to a highway, when i saw an opening I hit the gas to merge in. Well, there was a second delay that caused me to pull out right in front of the oncoming car. Fortunately, it was one of those rare drivers that was actually paying attention. There is a button to shut it off, but it automatically defaults to on when the car is started. I did not want to risk forgetting to turn it off so I connected a timed relay box that simulates pressing the button 5 seconds after the car starts. The system can be turned back on by pressing the button but now it defaults to off.
There are a lot of times that I miss my old Mustang Gt convertible with the 6 speed manual
There are a lot of times that I miss my old Mustang Gt convertible with the 6 speed manual
Never drove a stick, but I liked my old VW EOS convertible so much that when it was time for another car, I bougt a 5 year old EOS. Wouldn't normally buy a car more than 3 years old, but the EOS model was discontinued.
I have admit I like some of those new gadgets on new cars. The rear back camera and collision avoidance helps a lot in my high sitting Cherokee, but when I start missing the road on a good day I jump in my Vanderhall. The only thing missing is the manual transmission. You can feel the road, hear the engine and there are no help from the car (or you may say autocycle) except electric assist steering.
I have admit I like some of those new gadgets on new cars. The rear back camera and collision avoidance helps a lot in my high sitting Cherokee, but when I start missing the road on a good day I jump in my Vanderhall. The only thing missing is the manual transmission. You can feel the road, hear the engine and there are no help from the car (or you may say autocycle) except electric assist steering.
My son's van which used to be my wife's has a backup camera.
Only problem is that you will hit something while still in the yellow area.
I've never had the privilege of driving a Kombi. (All rear-engined VW transporters are known as Kombis in Australia regardless of the body configuration - there's even a Kombi Road alongside the old VW plant). My understanding is they had a feature known as lane departure assist that was enabled in windy weather! ;-)
The backup cameras are a fantastic safety device IF, and I repeat IF you use it as an assist with your mirrors and looking back. I can't count the number of times I have seen someone back up in front of an oncoming car because their eyes were laser focused on the back up camera and totally oblivious to anything else. It is called "Situational Awareness" folks. Any pilot can tell you that
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