Carmakers spending billions on technology drivers don't want or use

[Angeldust]

I like my cars without all the extra crap either. I like how my VZ has the minimal amount of crap. I like the VF but I would be extremely weary of the electrical crap failing all the time. If I could have a I would have ordered a base model with absolutely no options like power mirrors or windows etc, just v8 and manual (sadly this was phased out in the VX commo, before I was able to have a budget for a new one)

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

From the article:

"The report showed Gen Y drivers were even less convinced, with at least 20 per cent of owners claiming there were 23 measured features that they didn’t want in their next car, specifically technologies related to entertainment and connectivity systems."

This bit surprised me tbh. As for why:

"In many cases, owners simply prefer to use their smartphone or tablet because it meets their needs; they’re familiar with the device and it’s accurate,” JD Power driver interaction and HMI research executive director Kristin Kolodge said."

It does make sense. I'd prefer if I could just get my smart phone on a touchscreen on the dash. So you can use Google maps, torque, music.

Problem is people would use it for texting, and twitface so a car mode would need to be implemented.

[XG_Falcon]

I'm all for new technology in cars as long as it is safety oriented.

I have a feeling I would have died a long time ago if my boss didn't have traction control, stability control, ABS, brake assist and all the other systems designed to keep dodgy drivers alive fitted as standard to the work van

[Wretched]

I am all for new technology being put into cars. Some of it is amazing and others not so much.
Much of the safety technology whilst handy, has been misunderstood by the motoring public. Many rely on it instead of using it as it was intended, to assist. For example blind spot monitoring. I have driven a number of cars with it and enjoy it, a quick glance in the mirror just prior to a head check reveals a car in blind spot. It won't stop me from doing a head check but it can help me with an immediate response.
Same with rear cameras and bumper sensors, you should know the car you're driving and it's dimensions but these help in case of unknown or unseen obstacles.

Pointless technology for me is things like stop start right now. Unfortunately this due to the stupid emissions regulations that are being enforced on car makers (along with pedestrian safety for design).

We need to also understand that technology is also the advances in chassis and body materials, tyre advancements, braking, engines, everything. So people need to also not confuse technology with "gimmicks."

[csv8]

Wretched..I agree with you..that stop/start is so annoying..

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by XG_Falcon

I'm all for new technology in cars as long as it is safety oriented.

I have a feeling I would have died a long time ago if my boss didn't have traction control, stability control, ABS, brake assist and all the other systems designed to keep dodgy drivers alive fitted as standard to the work van

Don't forget...the car full of all that stuff that the "dodgy driver" is in command of is most likely protecting you as well.

In the pre-ABS and stability control days, plenty of "dodgy drivers" would panic, slam on the brakes, and slide straight into you as they speared out of control across the road.

It's not just the cars occupants that benefit from these advances...we all do in one way or another.

[SB076]

If the car makers are spending billions, you can bet they have spent millions on market research to justify there decision. Whether we like it or not we (car enthusiasts) seem to be in the minority, most buyers are not interested in Kw, Torque, 0 - 100 times, RWD etc. They want gadgets and they dont care if they dont use them. Take mobile phones as an example, how many people keep upgraded there phones, do they use even half the functionality of the old phone? I suggest not but they still upgrade and the reason why they believe the new one is better as it has more gadgets

I was given a Volvo as a hire car a little while ago and it had cameras in the front windscreen to prevent collisions with pedestrians (I wasnt game enough to try it, but if it works and saves a few lives than its great) No doubt in few years the tech will be improved and will become standard on more cars

Edit: I suggest the gadgets that sell are not safety related, but more gimmicks, but that's what the people want

[XG_Falcon]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Don't forget...the car full of all that stuff that the "dodgy driver" is in command of is most likely protecting you as well.

In the pre-ABS and stability control days, plenty of "dodgy drivers" would panic, slam on the brakes, and slide straight into you as they speared out of control across the road.

It's not just the cars occupants that benefit from these advances...we all do in one way or another.

Yeah, that's true. Riding as passenger while my boss drives is always a white-knuckled drive but I feel a bit better knowing the safety systems are in place.

It also reminds me there must be a lot of these dodgy drivers boosting around at speeds beyond their skill level, so your comment is relevant here

[chopstar87]

I am all for Tech in cars and I use most of the tech in my car a lot.

Heated and cooled seats - use this feature most days
Heated / cooled Cup holders - use them a lot and its great to keep my water bottle cool on a road trips.
Heated Steering Wheel, I use it a lot in winter, it gets down to 0 here a lot in winter and its warm before the end of my street most times.

Adaptive Cruise control, I use it all the time when on the highway and some times around town.

Yes, my car has a 8.4inch touch screen, that has a lot of controls on it, but there is actual buttons for a lot of functions as well, and stereo can be fully controlled by the buttons on the steering wheel, so no need to remove hands from the steering wheel to change Media type or radio station and etc.

Plus the system will read out or display text messages (only shows the text message when stationary) - will only read it out when the car is in motion. also it has quick reply function, so when vehicle stationary you can select from a list a quick reply to a text message, so no need to take phone out of your pocket to check at any stages and of cause the Bluetooth for calling is great like most cars these days.

Front and Rear sensors are great to have in a car with the size and shape of the 300, and the reverse camera is required for this car in my eyes, as it does has really poor rear view visibility. Blind spot monitor are handy, you still check but there always that assistance there to help, again helps due the C-Pillar of the 300 creates a MASSIVE blind spot.

But one useless thing is the DVD player via the touch screen in the centre, doesn't work when moving and I have never once thought of using it as DVD player, even thou the sound thru the 19 speaker HK stereo would be epic. also the auto parking, not sure if I would use it that often other then showing people that my CAN do it, so it could be more of show off factor, but again, some people cant park to save themselves!

So in my eyes, I like and use the tech in cars... I know some wont but when it came to falcon failing sales in the past, one concern at one stage was it was missing massive amount of tech compared to competitors, they did bring some tech to the car with the FGX but it was too late by then and still is missing the things people wanted.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

There would be very few on here that would snub technology that improves the driving experience (forced induction, damping technology, aerodynamic tech etc). The bone of contention though is with fluff technology that adds zero to the driving experience and to safety.

Fluffy technology! do elaborate bit more on this, would like to hear your reasoning on this.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

The most useless dumb invention was engine auto stop-start technology. I wonder which idiot ever thought of that....

When I heard about it I thought what's this new BS gimmick, but I drove a Mazda 6 with it and it works really well.

70% of Fords will have it by 2017 apparently
http://www.dailytech.com/Ford+Says+7...ticle33934.htm


and yes I imagine the Battery would be a pricey one.

[2011G6E]

As said above...the staggering, wildly huge majority of buyers don't care about the "driving experience" beyond "Does it get good fuel economy?", "How many cylinders?" (For QLD where rego jumps sharply the more you have), and "Is it comfortable?".
I've said before that when we bought our G6E that i asked to see under the bonnet, and the salesman said I was honestly the first person in months he had served who asked to see under there on any car.
And enthusiasts still think people are worried about 0-100, RWD versus FWD, and how much power it has.

Given the increasingly-policed roads, it's no wonder people want a nice place to sit and cruise along in with plenty of gadgets.

[TheSneakiness]

Let's use this equation.

Increase in technology in cars = increase in accidents due to inattention and inexperience

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Let's use this equation.

Increase in technology in cars = increase in accidents due to inattention and inexperience

Got stats to prove?
Could also be a lack of driving skills, more cars on the road, road quality, inattentive drivers, lack of car maintenance.
Going to be hard to prove but keen to see the results.

[Crazy Dazz]

What bugs me, is not the new features, but the stupendously complicated technology attached to things that used to be simple.
Cars have had radios since I was a kid. You could toss them out buy e better one, etc. Only now it has to be integrated into some whizz-bang console that will cost thousands to replace.
Power windows, not exactly high-tech. Pushy switchy, window goes up, window goes down. But no, now have to be controlled by a hidden computer.
Cruise control and brake lights. Used to be you a little push-switch on the brake pedal to fire your stop lamps, and the same switch disconnected your CC. Now I have a couple of modules that look like they belong on the space-shuttle, stop-working for no apparent reason, and are beeping expensive to replace. WHY?
Airconditioning? On-Off, and a fan. What more do you need?

I have no problems with ABS, EFI, or any other systems that obviously require computers and greatly improve the cars, but I just don't see why everything else has to become so complicated.

One of the problems, and it happens in other areas too, is that manufacturers need to keep adding stuff to enforce obsolescence and keep selling new cars, but they are struggling to come up with enough new toys.

Also, their problem in trying to target younger more techno-savy buyers, is that they're just not switched on enough, and they're not necessarily bringing the right features at the right time.

[aussiblue]

My problem is that while I love new technology I am one of those with "Zombie Fingers" (see http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/n...eens/index.htm) and I get no response from touch screens so they need to go; nothing worse than trying to drive banging away at a screen on the dash that won't respond.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Let's use this equation.

Increase in technology in cars = increase in accidents due to inattention and inexperience

or

increase in car tecnology is the reason for the reduction in the road toll.

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

There is no fallacy. They aren't a driver aid, they do however aid in increasing complacency behind the wheel.

If I can parallel park an XF wagon with no power steering into a spot not much bigger than 6 metres in length, parking sensors aren't a must.

ever backed up to a trailer/caravan etc using a reversing camera? makes a sometimes awkward job an absolute doddle. no requiring a 2nd person, or having to hop out and check, or getting close and then man handling the trailer over.... just back it up right under the hitch....

these things might not get used every day, but they do have some uses that once experienced, make you really appreciate them. same with parking sensors etc in underground car parks associated with high rise apartments etc.

as for 'they increase complacency behind the wheel', this is a standard line wheeled out by all the oldies whenever new technologies are mentioned.

Originally Posted by EDManual

That just makes people rely on technolgy instead of their brains.

People just get dumber and dumber with all this stuff.

more examples of standard come backs older generations use when this topic comes up. there is no evidence to back it up. having technology in cars doesn't mean you have to use it, but on the off chance you do need to, its there.

[Olbucko]

I hate the electric handbrakes that are being fitted to some cars now, I sometimes have to drive a Kia Carnival, pedal on the floor, release it with a lever hidden under the dash, or the latest Commodore which has a dinky little lever on the console which puts the hand brake fully on or off, nothing in-between, and it wont work unless the ignition in on, the simple old fashioned lever on my Territory is so much better and simpler to use.

[Trump]

Originally Posted by trublu

Fluffy technology! do elaborate bit more on this, would like to hear your reasoning on this.

Oh its quite simple actually. I class any tech as fluff if it provides zero improvement to the driving experience or zero improvement to safety without introducing complacency in the driver.

For example, any of the myriad phone/entertainment/connectivity tech items I call fluff, heated seats and steering wheels are fluff, self closing tailgates are fluff, adaptive cruise is fluff (due to introducing complacency) as is AEB.

Originally Posted by Wretched

Got stats to prove?
Could also be a lack of driving skills, more cars on the road, road quality, inattentive drivers, lack of car maintenance.
Going to be hard to prove but keen to see the results.

There wouldn't be many stats as tech heavy cars have only recently filtered into the mainstream. The full effect of such a massive deployment of these types of cars is yet to be determined.

Originally Posted by prydey

or

increase in car technology is the reason for the reduction in the road toll.

ever backed up to a trailer/caravan etc using a reversing camera? makes a sometimes awkward job an absolute doddle. no requiring a 2nd person, or having to hop out and check, or getting close and then man handling the trailer over.... just back it up right under the hitch....

these things might not get used every day, but they do have some uses that once experienced, make you really appreciate them. same with parking sensors etc in underground car parks associated with high rise apartments etc.

as for 'they increase complacency behind the wheel', this is a standard line wheeled out by all the oldies whenever new technologies are mentioned.

You are right, improvements in automotive technology has reduced the road toll. But the distinction needs to be made, the sorts of technology that has produced a lower road toll is stuff like engineered crumple zones and passenger restraint systems (seat belts and ther pretensioners, airbags), collapsible steering columns and the like.

I have never towed a caravan (I feel dirty just thinking about it ), but yes I have towed a trailer with a camera equipped car. It was a myopic experience trying to use a small screen fed by fisheye lens camera imagery. I reverse a trailer more effectively without a camera.

It may sound like a standard line for alleged Luddites, but people like you and me and some of the forum membership use our better judgment and can appreciate something without letting it diminish our faculties whilst driving. Sadly, a large majority of the population isn't able to make such a distinction.

[Trump]

doppleposten

[The Yeti]

Pft apps n stuff most of the new fords of had over the last ten years didn't even have working AC, power Windows or central locking, why would I be concerned with in car wifi

[foxtrot3]

Originally Posted by mik

just my 2 bobs worth , i reckon some of the safety stuff has made a huge dfference, and i think no driver would want to be without it, disc brakes , anti lock brakes imo was/is still the biggest boon to safety in the last 100 years other than the seat belt, probably stability control to a lesser extent.
as for alot of the other electronic stuff, it probably has its place, but things like lane warning , on the mirrors , i would much rather do the budgie and screw the neck around to see where traffic is rather than rely on warning light on the mirror, maybe im old fashioned, and im not real big on the screens having controls on them ,
i prefer the old knob or dial i can grab and hear go click without taking the eyes off to scroll through options, by the same token controls on the steering wheel i do like.
One thing i do miss is the old dip switch for the high beams, its the dinosaur in me .

Hi. And they can make heater controls 3 big knobs, 1 for heat 1 for fan and 1 for air and to demist a front window just turn each knob hard clockwise. no need to look at a picture on a radio to see where the air is coming from. Cheers MD

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

Oh its quite simple actually. I class any tech as fluff if it provides zero improvement to the driving experience or zero improvement to safety without introducing complacency in the driver.

For example, any of the myriad phone/entertainment/connectivity tech items I call fluff, heated seats and steering wheels are fluff, self closing tailgates are fluff, adaptive cruise is fluff (due to introducing complacency) as is AEB.



There wouldn't be many stats as tech heavy cars have only recently filtered into the mainstream. The full effect of such a massive deployment of these types of cars is yet to be determined.



You are right, improvements in automotive technology has reduced the road toll. But the distinction needs to be made, the sorts of technology that has produced a lower road toll is stuff like engineered crumple zones and passenger restraint systems (seat belts and ther pretensioners, airbags), collapsible steering columns and the like.

I have never towed a caravan (I feel dirty just thinking about it ), but yes I have towed a trailer with a camera equipped car. It was a myopic experience trying to use a small screen fed by fisheye lens camera imagery. I reverse a trailer more effectively without a camera.

It may sound like a standard line for alleged Luddites, but people like you and me and some of the forum membership use our better judgment and can appreciate something without letting it diminish our faculties whilst driving. Sadly, a large majority of the population isn't able to make such a distinction.

You make a good dinosaur.....

[Trump]

Originally Posted by trublu

You make a good dinosaur.....

I am a tech head by nature, but when it comes to being at the helm of a 1.5t metal projectile, the only tech I want to see is that which protects the life of my passengers and myself.

[reds89]

Bring back vacuum wipers.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

I am a tech head by nature, but when it comes to being at the helm of a 1.5t metal projectile, the only tech I want to see is that which protects the life of my passengers and myself.

whilst much of the 'tech' in cars doesn't add to the driving experience or safety, you shouldn't automatically assume that it will make cars less safe or drivers less attentive. whilst its true that these things have the potential to distract, it doesn't make them dangerous, or make drivers lazy or complacent automatically.

[TheInterceptor]

Originally Posted by arronm

Ask people who have reversed over their children what they think of reverse sensors and cameras.....................

Ohhh. So it's for bad parents who don't know where their kids are therfore run them over. Now I see!

[deluxe_]

Too many dinosaurs who just aren't switched on with technology.

[Sabantien]

When I read " at least 20 per cent of new vehicle owners in the US have never used half of the measured technology features fitted to their cars" what I really see is "over 80 percent of new vehicle owners in the US use more than half the measured technology features fitted to their cars", making it a non story.

I quite like the tech myself.

ABS - well, when I hit the anchors in my 1990 car without it, it just kept going, albeit with a screeching of tyres. My cars with ABS stopped.

Stop Start - I don't have it, my girlfriend does. I don't find it to be a problem. By the time my foot reaches the accelerator from the brake the engine has started. Some days in traffic I think it saves a heap of fuel.

Reverse camera/sensor - not necessary, but really handy. In my old Pathfinder, I could see exactly where the ends of the car were, it was easy to park. Sometimes a short pole behind the spare tyre would get me though. Corolla had those horrible drop off curves at the front and back, hard to judge the distances. In my Falcon, I can see where the car starts and finishes, but the dipping side mirror to see how close I am to the gutter is nice, the beeps letting you know something/someone is there if you have turned your head to look in a different spot, and the camera so you can see exactly how much room you've got, and I often use it to fit in parking spots, to back right up to the line. Necessary? No, but I like it.

Auto-dimming mirror - Love love love it.

Cruise control - best thing ever.

Power/memory seat - nice to have, it's good getting my seat back in the perfect spot at the touch of a button.

Bluetooth - don't often make/take calls, but handy if I need to while driving.

I don't want touch screens, I also like a button I can feel. It influenced my choice of stereos when I put one in my old Corolla. I also like USB ports for plugging in a USB stick with my entire library of music on it.

[Trump]

Originally Posted by prydey

whilst much of the 'tech' in cars doesn't add to the driving experience or safety, you shouldn't automatically assume that it will make cars less safe or drivers less attentive. whilst its true that these things have the potential to distract, it doesn't make them dangerous, or make drivers lazy or complacent automatically.

On the surface no, tech won't make cars less safe to drive. However, the carmakers are catering to the lowest common denominator...