SWMBO in the passenger seat has that effect on me. 
5 Likes
My hybrid has as many driving aids that you can shake a stick at. However you can switch some of them off.
For example the heads up display and lane control on the motorway with adaptive cruise control is actually brilliant. In addition the blind spot warning is also extremely useful, with the roadside warning and massage function on the driver seat all great aids. But on A roads or rural roads lane control is a complete nightmare, so I switched it off and only use it on motorways.
I don’t find the slow collision braking when doing turns a problem. But the forward collision warning does sometimes come on when cornering on left hand turns, which is a little annoying.
Like most things in life we adapt to new processes and accepting driving aids is something that I have come to accept and can see their benefits.
When I was younger if you had asked me to drive an automatic I would have said never I love to drive my car. Roll the clock forward and now I would not go back to driving a manual drive.
Obviously the new tech does remove some of the fun out of driving, but imo it does improve road safety, so it cannot be a bad thing.
I’ve never driven cars as recent as 2024, but these intrusive ‘safety aids’ sound frankly horrifying. For as long as I’m allowed to, I intend to stick to earlier and simpler vehicles for my remaining driving career. My two diesel vans (2013 Vivaro for bigger loads and 2015 Berlingo as daily driver) suit me fine and both have plenty of life left in them. I’ve had plenty of sporty cars in the past (MX5, Porsche, Alfa Romeo), but vans are just SO useful.
1 Like
My favourite work van 
.
1 Like
I can see that for motorway driving it’s probably all very useful, however my work driving is mostly twisty A roads and rural roads and it drives me MAD 
. Additionally, I switch the ignition off and on so many times per day it would be soul destroying to reset things each time; if we could reset and it remained when the ignition was switched off that would be brilliant!! That said, each vehicle I use for work has multiple drivers and I would think we would probably all like the car set up in slightly different ways… 
.
I’m sorry Dave, but they are anything but intrusive. If you have never used them/driven with them how can you comment.
You are of course allowed to assume, but should perhaps go try before making comments on things that you have not experienced. Rant over 
If you remember, I didn’t claim personal experience, but, based on the problems described in Mrs V’s post, I said " these intrusive ‘safety aids’ sound frankly horrifying", which they do.
I agree you did not state personal experience. You have made your comments based on others.
What I suggested is that you go experience them. You may have a different view and you may not, but at least you will have confirmed any view that you may have on personal experience.
At the end of the day it is up to you and I respect your view. However I have owed and driven a car with this tech and as I said imo honest opinion having used it, it is not intrusive.
I’ve moved from a manual to auto box version of the same car and yes that technology improves and suits the car better (and modern multi gear autos are probably now more fuel efficient than manuals). The surround cameras and parking sensors are useful in the too small parking bays we have, plus the radar warning of nearby movement when reversing is also useful in modern cars with limited rear vision. The rest I’d rather not have.
What concerns me most is how far we have already come down the autonomous car route. All these so called safety features are computers attempting (not always successfully) to do what an alert driver should be doing anyway.
The result being that the average driver is becoming less and less alert expecting a computer to take resposibility for his and more importantly my safety.
3 Likes
I have to agree that going to fully automate cars also scares me. My current car does drive itself in adaptive cruise control and lane control but you have to keep your hands on the steering wheel or it gives you a warning about keeping control. Would I trust this fully absolutely not, but on a long motorway drive it useful.
As it stands the level of tech for me does provide significant benefits, but to take the next step is for me a long, long away.
Also depends which make / model of car I would assume as my own car has similar tech and is not as hysterical as the works cars - that said I do not use my own car like works cars so…who really knows? 
.
1 Like
I’m much happier with vehicles that can be fixed with spanners rather than with laptops, so I don’t like the way things are going, either with cars or bikes. Things in general, not just vehicles, that can’t be maintained and repaired by a reasonably intelligent user without special equipment are not the right way to go in my opinion. Too late to stop it now, though.
3 Likes
We have a 2020 Renault Clio Mk5 (my wife loves her Clios, this is number 5 over about 20 years!), and it seems to be just in that perfect spot for us - it’s petrol, it has a real spare wheel, satnav built in, reversing camera with sensors front and back and multi-speed intermittent (non auto) wipers which leaves us in control of when to wipe.
It does have traffic speed warning, lane assist, active braking and following distance as well as stop start function, but these are all switchable and stay off if done through car settings.
We leave stop start on and lane assist (which is quite a gentle reminder) but these both have dashboard switches and can be isolated if and when we want.
It suits us, just enough assistance without interference. 
3 Likes
Back to the original subject… how about this for a customised electric city car
Custom suspension, slammed as the young ones might say, plus nice wheels and a bit of custom paint?! Imagine how congestion would reduce if everyone drove these in the cities… although even there a bit more range and speed would help.
Video here - it looks so good out on the road (is the film speeded up??), and I had to laugh at the “Too Fast” road sign.
1 Like
That’s so ugly it’s cool .
2 Likes
Notice they charged spare batteries in 1905 to give a better range. Apparently with the spares they got just over 650 miles. Not improved much in the last 100 years.
4 Likes
At an exhibition in Aberdeen in 1840, Scottish inventor Robert Davidson first showed an electric vehicle to the public.
I think Ewen McGregor on The Long Way Round said something like, “Scotland, inventors of the modern world… you’re welcome”!! Or maybe that means we’ll get the blame!!
3 Likes
It looks very like a BMW Isetta bubble car.
1 Like