Pointless feature (in car or elsewhere)

[Smiffy]

Been driving a new Beamer. It comes with Lane Departure Warning. I can understand the logic, but I dont think it works very well. I have deliberately changed lanes and it will light up. I have changed without indicating (or standard BMW driving mode), it lights up. Sometimes on country roads, it will still light up even when I am in the lane. I am not sure how it works. Also nervous about giving it control to move steering away automatically. Finally turned it off today..

Anyone got any pointless features in car or otherwise

Lane departure (or lane keeping warning) is brilliant. It's fitted to the latest Peugeots and could (could) save yours, or somebody else's life. So it has to be a good thing.
A motorcyclist down this was was killed when a woman coming the opposite way fell asleep at the wheel. If her car had had lane departure/keeping warning, he would possibly (possibly) still be here today.
Under 40mph it won't work (to avoid it keep going off around town).
Indicating? It won't go off.
Like all of the newer safety features, you should be able to turn it off within the main vehicles settings menu if you don't want it.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Oil level monitors that replace a dipstick. What was wrong with having a dipstick?

I thought they had them behind the wheel?.....Mostly seen in BMW's

 

[Mudball]

I thought they had them behind the wheel?.....Mostly seen in BMW's

The new BMWs dont have any dipstick.... takes away a small part of the driving experience..

 

[Bunkermagnet]

The new BMWs dont have any dipstick.... takes away a small part of the driving experience..

I know, I was referring to inside the car

 

[Robster59]

This is the old Features v Benefits situation. Manufacturers believe they have to put more and more into their products to make them seemingly more attractive.
That's why I like my GoKart. Stop/Go and faster/slower are the only controls I have and need.
It's like adverts for shampoo which says something like "contains hydrobirocurosomething" without saying what it is or what it does but it's a big name so people believe it must be good.

 

[nickjdavis]

I had a look at the forthcoming Peugeot 2008 on Saturday....apparently it has a feature to assist driving in stop start traffic. You "simply" turn the feature on and the car will automatically sense the car in front and drive itself, breaking and accelerating as necessary to maintain position behind the car in front.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I had a look at the forthcoming Peugeot 2008 on Saturday....apparently it has a feature to assist driving in stop start traffic. You "simply" turn the feature on and the car will automatically sense the car in front and drive itself, breaking and accelerating as necessary to maintain position behind the car in front.

I have this on my car, a Skoda. They call it adaptive cruise control. You can set the speed and then the distance to the car in front. I use it in contraflows, set to 50mph and then it just tracks the car in front assuming it stays at 50mph or under. If it goes over then you sit at 50, if they go under then the car remains a fixed distance behind. I will also use it when driving on the M6 in The Lakes where it is fairly empty and can rest my leg as well.

Outside of those times I am not a fan as it can only judge based on what it in front or slightly within the V, cricket term . It does not see cars joining on slip roads, cars indicating to pull in your lane, slow moving traffic up ahead that is way below your speed. In effect, it does not anticipate, it can not look ahead too far. For me it exposes the problem of blending autonomous cars and standard cars on the same roads. Not sure a blend will work too well although I am not privvy to the tests that I am sure are happening so maybe this is being resolved.

I would not get too excited about this as an option, it is one I barely use and would certainly never pay extra for it.

 

[Hacker Khan]

I have this on my car, a Skoda. They call it adaptive cruise control. You can set the speed and then the distance to the car in front. I use it in contraflows, set to 50mph and then it just tracks the car in front assuming it stays at 50mph or under. If it goes over then you sit at 50, if they go under then the car remains a fixed distance behind. I will also use it when driving on the M6 in The Lakes where it is fairly empty and can rest my leg as well.

Outside of those times I am not a fan as it can only judge based on what it in front or slightly within the V, cricket term . It does not see cars joining on slip roads, cars indicating to pull in your lane, slow moving traffic up ahead that is way below your speed. In effect, it does not anticipate, it can not look ahead too far. For me it exposes the problem of blending autonomous cars and standard cars on the same roads. Not sure a blend will work too well although I am not privvy to the tests that I am sure are happening so maybe this is being resolved.

I would not get too excited about this as an option, it is one I barely use and would certainly never pay extra for it.

I think the Peugeot stop start in traffic is different from basic adaptive cruise control. As for adaptive cruise control an an alternative view from me. I have it on my car and to be honest I'd want it on any car I have in the future. Yes you can't use it all the time, but I do use it a lot on motorway driving where I just set it to a speed and off it goes, I've gone 30 or 40 miles without having to break or accelerate myself, never had any problems with it.

 

[USER1999]

Traction control. All it seems to do is turn a light on on the dashboard. As far as I can tell it does nothing else. My wheels still spin, and my car goes sideways as a result. I have 3 settings. They are all the same. BMW and Merc, both.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Cars are full of pointless stuff.

All we need is Bluetooth to connect the speakers to our phone and let the phone apps do the rest.

I am looking forward to the new speed limiter thing, means I can focus on driving safely and not have to look away from the road as often.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

Indicators on a BMW. I mean what's the point? They never seem to be used.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

In the modern era, the most poinltess item is an accerater pedal....you can only do walking pace in most even slightly built up areas without cameras going off.

 

[Rooter]

Traction control. All it seems to do is turn a light on on the dashboard. As far as I can tell it does nothing else. My wheels still spin, and my car goes sideways as a result. I have 3 settings. They are all the same. BMW and Merc, both.

On the BMW press and hold the traction button for ten seconds (this shuts the traction completely off, opposed to you thinkig it has with one little push) and then tell me the system does nothing! LOL

 

[Mudball]

Cars are full of pointless stuff.

All we need is Bluetooth to connect the speakers to our phone and let the phone apps do the rest.

I am looking forward to the new speed limiter thing, means I can focus on driving safely and not have to look away from the road as often.

Already here.. Carplay and Android Auto....

 

[USER1999]

On the BMW press and hold the traction button for ten seconds (this shuts the traction completely off, opposed to you thinkig it has with one little push) and then tell me the system does nothing! LOL

I have driven rear wheel drive cars for the best part of 35 years, way before TC was available. I often drive my wifes Z3Mcoupe, with 321 bhp, and no aids at all. I would be quite happy without it in my Z4 or my Merc.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Already here.. Carplay and Android Auto....

That is what I said.

 

[Lump]

I have driven rear wheel drive cars for the best part of 35 years, way before TC was available. I often drive my wifes Z3Mcoupe, with 321 bhp, and no aids at all. I would be quite happy without it in my Z4 or my Merc.

Oh come on, your not a driving god.
Drive sensibly and driving aids aren’t needed.
Pressing on a bit when it’s cold and damp in a RWD car with no aids is asking for it. With years of experience of driving RWD you’ll have learnt that.

 

[harpo_72]

Don’t have the tc or stability system turned off and have an accident.. insurance might be compromised.

 

[Imurg]

Speed bumps
Most of them are either too small, too big or too far apart so they dont serve the purpose of keeping traffic at a steady speed.
There's a set near here that are perfect.
Up to 30 mph (30 limit) you barely feel them. Over 30 and it feels like someone's reaching in and ripping your spine out!
Another set, another 30 zone, has 3 on a road nearly a mile long. They are so huge that you cant go over them at more than about 10mph or you'll leave half your car behind.
You then have 1/3 of a mile to speed up and slow down again...obviously designed by a muppet

 

[harpo_72]

Any form of nav, apple play etc ... just needs a screen and phone connection.
Best options ... heated steering wheel, hot/cold seats and climate app ... everything else isn’t an option just std.
Unnecessary
auto main beam ... they have a will of their own on JLR product!