I don’t think this is an automation issue. Towing is one thing that can stress the vehicle cooling system. Even if you have a tow package with an upgraded radiator and a transmission cooler, those are both usually behind the air conditioner condenser. So the vehicle cuts off the AC when the coolant temperature rises, in part to take the (relatively small) load of the compressor off of the engine, but also to allow cooler air to hit the radiator. Otherwise the air flowing through the condenser will be hotter than the ambient air temperature when it hits the radiator. I suppose having a tow vehicle that greatly exceeds your needs might never have an issue with this.
Quoting myself for context and paging @Eonwe.
Something I forgot to mention.
Federal law for late model vehicles also requires that the screen shift to displaying the backup camera within some very short time after the transmission is selected to reverse. I think it’s 1/2 or 1/4 second. Functionally instant for a human.
And the backup camera has priority over the nag screen. So if you’ll be backing away from being parked, start the engine, engage Reverse and the nag screen is gone and does not return. If you were going to be able to drive forward from the parking spot, just select Reverse for a second, then Drive, then drive off. The nag screen is long gone.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I understand that airbags make that not a good idea.
We have two teens who need to be hauled around with their friends. My wife’s family often come up from Taiwan to join us on vacations.
Everyone hates minivans but the ability to stow away the third row makes it usable.
There are several of his driving practices that I think are not a good idea, but that’s the way it goes. I don’t get a vote.
It watches the driver.
It’s not the passage of time, it’s tracking the driver. If it goes off a lot, the driver is probably not as attentive as the car thinks the driver ought to be.
Because not everyone wants to talk to their car. It makes me very uncomfortable. I almost never talk to my phone, either.
The screen is actually cheaper, that’s why all the manufacturers moved to it. Buttons have become a premium feature on household appliances like washing machines, too. They know that people like buttons, but don’t want to pay for all the extra wiring.
As for fiddling with climate control… Does no one else set it cooler when it’s heating, and warmer when it’s cooling? It seems extravagant to cool my car’s cabin to 65 degrees. And I’d probably find it slightly chilly in summer short sleeves. But wearing a winter coat, anything warmer is really uncomfortable. And we have a big chunk of the year with variable weather, where i don’t know whether I’ll be heating or cooling the car tomorrow. So i mess with my knobs and buttons (old car) all the time, and I’m happy to have knobs and buttons.
Maybe I won’t replace my 13-year-old dumb car.
Mine is annoying because it fights you to keep you dead center, The only time I regret turning it off was coming back from a driving power trip to the west coast. Coming back I’m driving on a central Oregon county road with my family. Then I woke up on the other direction’s lane with a big fuckin’ rig barreling down on us.
I am currently driving a 2013 Impala. I really don’t want to have to adjust to all the bells and whistles that come with a new car so I am delaying a bit.
I have been in enough of these new cars to understand the changes but I still like my placid little old car.
Actually I am waiting for my town to finish digging up the streets before I spring for a new vehicle. Our roads are like a war zone for now.
I used to be bugged by that screen too, but now I ignore it and within 5 seconds it disappears automatically.
I like the infotainment console, all it requires is a quick tap to turn on/ off features. 2020 Subaru OB guess I’m used to it.
Otoh the adaptive cruise control is abused by my SO. They drive exclusively using it. I’m certain it’s what caused the rear brakes to wear out prematurely.
Adaptive cruise works really well with EV and PHEV vehicles though. The electric motors handle the speed changes very smoothly and fluidly, with little-to-no-wear on the brakes.
I’m glad to hear it, but the problem is the effect of adaptive cruise control on MY brakes while driving in the presence of morons.
Which is to say, I’m sick of running across clusters of cars that are all slowing down, very possibly because they’re all using ACC and nobody is making an attempt to drive their vehicle efficiently. Their ACC slows them down, the person behind them has their ACC slow them down and it causes a big knot of gnarled traffic. I see it all the time and occasionally get stuck behind them because of the separate problem of people having no idea what the left lane is for.
I’m hoping for automated cars ASAP because people are driving worse and worse. They aren’t paying attention, they’re allowing the newer fancy features to drive them rather than actively driving the car through the automation, and a lot of people are just plain unaware of what’s happening around them as they drive.
I’m sick of sharing space and oxygen with these people. I use the left lane to pass and then I move over. I’m happy to move for people who want to drive faster - I watch for them and plan my movements. If I use my cruise control, I’m still driving the car through that tool, not letting it take over and mentally checking out. I’m convinced many traffic problems are induced by poor driving skills, not just volume, and that some of the “gee whiz” features in modern cars often make it worse.
Ah, the classic complaint, summed up well by Carlin:
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
I often ascribe to it as well. Well, I still mostly agree, but yes it’s subjective, and if I had a fix to stupid, inattentive people, I do have somewhat higher priority targets than driving. But I’d love to see efficient and safe self-driving vehicles where I could use that time to read, relax and get stuff to drive, especially with my annual+ 630 mile drives to my folks.
TBC, I’m not insulting or belittling your situation @Llama_Llogophile - just that I’m working in the spirit of the thread, of ways to educate and take advantage (if desired!) of car features, rather than a Pit thread, where I’d rant about them.
I first heard that while creeping along in rush hour traffic. The traffic came to a full stop. Everyone was going the same speed, zero. It was nirvana.
Reminds me of another - You are not stuck in traffic, you are traffic.
And hybrids too as they use regenerative breaking.
I’d say it depends on the hybrid - some of the mild-hybrids with minimal dedicated electrical motors do absolutely fine on the slowing down part, but struggle on the smooth return to speed. They are not Bad in any way, but somewhat different than the performance of full hybrids or BEV/PHEV where both directions have the EV motors smoothing the way. Again, very much depends on the hybrid not to mention where you’re driving. The faster you go, the more oomph you normally need from the electrical system for best performance.
[ in case some people aren’t familiar with the distinctions in hybrid type - admittedly MOST hybrids commonly seen are the mid-point hybrids ]
A common feature on mid-range and above cars in the European market are automatic folding side-view mirrors. That is when your shut off the car the mirrors fold back out of the way which is handy when parking on narrow streets. Is this feature common at all in the North American market?
I don’t know how common, but not rare. I feel as though I first noticed it on pricier - likely European - brands/models. Over the past couple of years it seems to be becoming more common. Of some use as parking lot spaces keep getting narrower.