Modern Vehicles

[JAGI410]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

RE: New features. A few years ago we rented a Mercedes C300 at the Nashville Airport. I was handed the keys and directed to space b-43. I was hip to the key fob to open the trunk and doors. Then after 10-15 minutes trying to start the car I found the owners' manual in the trunk! Who knew I had to have my foot on the brake to start the car even though it was in park? I think they all work that way now.

My 84 Chevy van has 2 keys, one for the doors and one for the ignition. I don't have to apply the brake to start it or even shift into gear. However I do need to press the gas pedal has 3-5 times before it starts

Regardless of where you sit when it comes to vehcile bells and whistles, the advancements made in the past 5, 15, 50 years are nothing short of amazing. Hell at one point cruise control was innovative. Now it can adjust following distance and speed. Once intermittent wipers were revolutionary. Now they will sense rain and turn on automatically. It's crazy.

[redir]

Originally Posted by glepore

See, I drive cars from the mid 90's by choice-I like german luxury cars, and the mid 90's were a sweet spot - cars that were about quality and the driving experience, before they became about "features".

Me too. My '94 E420 is on it's last legs right now and I'm already looking for something similar. I just missed a beautiful '95 SL500 with only 64k on it and not a spot of rust.

I will say though that I do like the back up cameras.

[glepore]

Back up cameras are lifesavers, actually. I long ago made the acquaintance of a gentleman who backed over his young son because he was on a tricycle below the level of his trunk and immediately behind the car. Cynical me says they're standard now because of liability. I have no bone to pick about the cameras or the parking sensors. Its the overall nature of the screens and displays being constantly active and the only means of control of many features.

[JAGI410]

Backup cameras are great, and easily retrofitted into older cars. I've seen them as low as $40!

[BikeNY]

Originally Posted by redir

Me too. My '94 E420 is on it's last legs right now and I'm already looking for something similar. I just missed a beautiful '95 SL500 with only 64k on it and not a spot of rust.

I will say though that I do like the back up cameras.

Where were you a few months ago? I sold a '97 SL500 for my mom, 44k miles and immaculate!

[Jaybee]

If you use the backup camera as a blind spot assist for the area you can't see in conjunction with your mirrors then its remarkably useful. The bigger your vehicle the more true this is.

If you stare at it and use it as your sole source of information about what's behind you, then you are missing the point.

[Gsinill]

Originally Posted by glepore

See, I drive cars from the mid 90's by choice-I like german luxury cars, and the mid 90's were a sweet spot - cars that were about quality and the driving experience, before they became about "features".

Originally Posted by redir

Me too. My '94 E420 is on it's last legs right now and I'm already looking for something similar. I just missed a beautiful '95 SL500 with only 64k on it and not a spot of rust.

Make that mid 80s to early 90s for MB.
Noticeable difference between my '86 SDL and my '95 E320 wagon, mostly in regard to the quality of the interior.
W123/W126 IMHO probably the best "regular" cars ever built, with the W126 being more refined.

Just got back from a trip to Germany, rented an Audi S5 at the Munich airport.
Nice car but way too many gimmicks to the point of annoyance, especially for something that is supposed to be a sport sedan.
I do have to admit though that the adaptive cruise control is a rather amazing piece of technology.
Set it once I got on the Autobahn and didn't have to touch a pedal for the next 60 miles despite on and off speed limits and fairly heavy traffic.

As mentioned by others, LED headlights and auto high beam are 2 on my "I like" list.
Top of "do not like": engine sound enhancement feature!
Wish list for all US market cars: auto turn signal feature

[redir]

Originally Posted by BikeNY

Where were you a few months ago? I sold a '97 SL500 for my mom, 44k miles and immaculate!

Dang! '97 is the year they had all the bugs worked out too.

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by Climb01742

....One other thought. Self-driving cars won't need headlights, right? They'll 'see' by other means. But imagine in the future, self-driving electric cars silently driving through the night sans headlights? In that case, they'd 'need' lights not for the car but for us, outside the car, to see it. Crazy world ahead.

We'll eventually be where you get in your car and input your destination...then your car will talk to every other car within a mile or so and they will coordinate movement for seamless merging, intersections that don't need stop signs, and travel at highway speeds while touching bumpers...

Cars with drivers will be restricted to "car lanes" and be virtually uninsurable....

Sort of like that scene in the Will Smith "I, Robot" movie....;-)

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by Climb01742

One other thought. Self-driving cars won't need headlights, right? They'll 'see' by other means. But imagine in the future, self-driving electric cars silently driving through the night sans headlights? In that case, they'd 'need' lights not for the car but for us, outside the car, to see it. Crazy world ahead.

Nope, self driving cars still need headlights. They'll still need to see lane markers and read signs, amongst other things, which can't be done with radar or lider.

[Ken Robb]

[QUOTE=BikeNY;2467829]I think all cars have worked that way for like 20 years!



My 2004 BMW didn't nor does my 2007 MINI Cooper S. OTOH Maybe similar cars with automatic transmissions would have required foot-on-brake to start. My MINI does required depressed clutch to start. If you have a happy clutch I guess you are screwed.