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

[Express]

I love technology.

I get a lot of enjoyment out of cars with it as well as cars that are just bare bones.

Any electronic help with safety in mind is a no brainer and as far as I’m concerned any of the other stuff that adds to comfort, enjoyment and ease of use doesn’t hurt either.

I just hope as the driverless car draws closer the manufacturers have the foresight to ensure there is a button for me to press so I can tell the computer to do a controlled burnout while I sit back sipping on a latte from the auto coffee machine they’ve thoughtfully installed.

[Stefan]

WTF is wrong with journos, these days.

Headline: Cars have technology drivers don't want"

Story: 20% of drivers don't use a cars technology.

OK, so therefore 80% DO use the technology. That is a pretty significant majority last time I checked..

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by arronm

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

True, the truth here is that a child under 1m tall cannot be seen behind a reversing VF Commodore sedan because of the height of the bootlid.
I think some people confuse good driving skills with grace of God chance that no child has yet stepped behind them while reversing.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

True, the truth here is that a child under 1m tall cannot be seen behind a reversing VF Commodore sedan because of the height of the bootlid.
I think some people confuse good driving skills with grace of God chance that no child has yet stepped behind them while reversing.

We are going to fit one in our Triton with the canopy now we have grandkids and neighbours kids running around the place. The rear windows are almost black "privacy glass" from the factory. Then there is another window at the front of the canopy, and the rear window itself of the canopy, all tinted. Look in the rear view mirror and you're looking through three layers of tinted glass...you simply cannot see much even in bright daylight in the rear view, and you can only see so much in the side mirrors.
Reversing cameras on modern cars given the way they're designed are one of the best safety fitments around. Again it's nothing to do with "skill", it's because you are just covering somewhere you cannot see.

[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.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by deluxe_

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

yea thats it. Its the car buyers fault they don't use a lot of this useless crap the manufacturers put in their cars.

The manufactures could never have miss red the market

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

yea thats it. Its the car buyers fault they don't use a lot of this useless crap the manufacturers put in their cars.

The manufactures could never have miss red the market

I think the general consensus here is that one person's useless crap is what another may consider useful.

Some think fuel injection is useless, some think ABS is, there are even others who think the electric start is pointless when the crank handle did the job just fine.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

yea thats it. Its the car buyers fault they don't use a lot of this useless crap the manufacturers put in their cars.

The manufactures could never have miss red the market

Its funny how people on here have been banging on that the Falcon didn't have the tech like a Chrysler has and that you could buy a base model small car with tons of tech (which is BS).

[TheInterceptor]

Originally Posted by deluxe_

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

I'm 22, technology has reached the point where truely useful things have been invented and improved to a point where such items like cruise control, brakes, ABS are fantastic. But. Because we live in a consumerist society, manufacturers need to come up with new crap to lure people into buying their crap. Especially if it's specialised crap and you need to take it back to the dealer to get it fixed which everybody knows will cost a fortune! One example. My Subaru Outback versus 2015 outback. Windscreen for my car $280 odd. Windscreen for new outback, $2200 because of the eyesight crap that it comes with and the meticulous fitting otherwise it will wreak havoc on the car by auto braking at random and such things.

These days we still see cars from the 80's tonking about. 20-30 year old cars. In 20-30 years time from now, any new car built now is not going to be getting around purely because of the amount of electrics that will go wrong.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

I'm 22, technology has reached the point where truely useful things have been invented and improved to a point where such items like cruise control, brakes, ABS are fantastic. But. Because we live in a consumerist society, manufacturers need to come up with new crap to lure people into buying their crap. Especially if it's specialised crap and you need to take it back to the dealer to get it fixed which everybody knows will cost a fortune! One example. My Subaru Outback versus 2015 outback. Windscreen for my car $280 odd. Windscreen for new outback, $2200 because of the eyesight crap that it comes with and the meticulous fitting otherwise it will wreak havoc on the car by auto braking at random and such things.

These days we still see cars from the 80's tonking about. 20-30 year old cars. In 20-30 years time from now, any new car built now is not going to be getting around purely because of the amount of electrics that will go wrong.

Some new technology can be costly when first introduced but usually drops considerably when mass produced, this has been proven beyond doubt.

[deluxe_]

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

I'm 22, technology has reached the point where truely useful things have been invented and improved to a point where such items like cruise control, brakes, ABS are fantastic. But. Because we live in a consumerist society, manufacturers need to come up with new crap to lure people into buying their crap. Especially if it's specialised crap and you need to take it back to the dealer to get it fixed which everybody knows will cost a fortune! One example. My Subaru Outback versus 2015 outback. Windscreen for my car $280 odd. Windscreen for new outback, $2200 because of the eyesight crap that it comes with and the meticulous fitting otherwise it will wreak havoc on the car by auto braking at random and such things.

These days we still see cars from the 80's tonking about. 20-30 year old cars. In 20-30 years time from now, any new car built now is not going to be getting around purely because of the amount of electrics that will go wrong.

That's fine because once a car hits its 10-15 year age, it becomes quite useless. The lesser the old cars roaming our streets the better for for us drivers, less eye sore going around.

[malazn mafia]

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

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

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

The batteries for those cars are damn expensive too, around 2x the price of the regular starting batteries.

[sexyxe]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

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

I take it you're not familiar with the reasons then? Not a stab, just a question.

Gives a better fuel economy/hour when living in a city. Allows car makers to have 'dirtier' cars while the engine is running as your are not polluting during the idling times.

Seeing as how majority of high end euro cars now have that built in, and importantly with the ability to turn it off, I see that as a positive.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

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

Its like Electric power steering. Just for Fuel economy and complete rubbish.

[Sprintey]

Interesting responses so far. I think we can agree most of the safety stuff is welcomed over the years?

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."

[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.

[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.

[neverready3]

Everything we buy has more tech whiz bang stuff then we realy need just look at our phones and TV s , so cars aren't much different. not that we need it all.

[EDManual]

I hate all the technology myself.
One of my mates drove a new mercedes, went into a median strip with just enough room (another car stopped there in front) and the car wouldnt go at the speed he wanted as there was a car in front also in the median strip, with cars coming from the right... Auto braking. What a joke.
That just makes people rely on technolgy instead of their brains.
I must say a lot of the time, I pull fuses on my cars to get rid of ABS and Traction control as well as Stability control. (mainly on dirt roads).

People just get dumber and dumber with all this stuff.

I drove a few cars reguarly with reverse cameras and reverse beepers, and you quickly rely on this. Then get back into a car without, and you have lost some skill.

[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)

[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

[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.

[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

[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..

[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

[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.

[TheSneakiness]

Let's use this equation.

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