I'm bemused...

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Taffy
Posts: 45
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2017 12:46 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby Taffy » Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:47 am

TheInsanity1234 wrote:
Personally, what I would prefer would be a speed limiter. Something I can set to say, 80 on a motorway, and then just use the accelerator to adjust my speed as needed, but safe in the knowledge I won't accidentally speed up and find myself overtaking everything in sight.


The Renault Zoe has both cruise control and a speed limiter. For most purposes I much prefer the speed limiter for exactly the reasons you mention. I am controlling the speed at all times, but it won't let me accidentally wander above the set speed, but I am still free to do so if the need should arise.

ancient
Posts: 179
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 4:03 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby ancient » Tue Mar 20, 2018 12:36 pm

Taffy wrote:
TheInsanity1234 wrote:
Personally, what I would prefer would be a speed limiter. Something I can set to say, 80 on a motorway, and then just use the accelerator to adjust my speed as needed, but safe in the knowledge I won't accidentally speed up and find myself overtaking everything in sight.


The Renault Zoe has both cruise control and a speed limiter. For most purposes I much prefer the speed limiter for exactly the reasons you mention. I am controlling the speed at all times, but it won't let me accidentally wander above the set speed, but I am still free to do so if the need should arise.

The Nissan Pulsar similarly has speed limiter and cruise control. I rarely use the speed limiter.
If I am on a street where 20mph is sensible, I use CC to keep that speed. This allows me to cover the brake and so react that much more quickly if there is a need to slow/stop.
If I am on a motorway or dual carriageway where a constant speed is appropriate (70 or 50 in roadworks etc), using CC and adjusting speed with the wheel buttons does not (IME) give me RSI - although I do have to pay attention to what is going on around (and I think adaptive CC means to most people 'I don't need to pay attention'); CC does not remove that requirement. CC keeps me in full control of the speed, I can use the buttons to change the setting slowly (and smoothly) or I can use the brake, the clutch or another button to remove drive to slow more drastically. I can also use the accelerator to increase speed smartly if the need arises (such as if the vehicle I have nearly completed overtaking, wanders into my lane). The speed limiter removes that option as well as removing the option to remain poised over the brake pedal.

TheInsanity1234
Posts: 544
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:03 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby TheInsanity1234 » Tue Mar 20, 2018 2:22 pm

ancient wrote:
Taffy wrote:
TheInsanity1234 wrote:
Personally, what I would prefer would be a speed limiter. Something I can set to say, 80 on a motorway, and then just use the accelerator to adjust my speed as needed, but safe in the knowledge I won't accidentally speed up and find myself overtaking everything in sight.


The Renault Zoe has both cruise control and a speed limiter. For most purposes I much prefer the speed limiter for exactly the reasons you mention. I am controlling the speed at all times, but it won't let me accidentally wander above the set speed, but I am still free to do so if the need should arise.

The Nissan Pulsar similarly has speed limiter and cruise control. I rarely use the speed limiter.
If I am on a street where 20mph is sensible, I use CC to keep that speed. This allows me to cover the brake and so react that much more quickly if there is a need to slow/stop.
If I am on a motorway or dual carriageway where a constant speed is appropriate (70 or 50 in roadworks etc), using CC and adjusting speed with the wheel buttons does not (IME) give me RSI - although I do have to pay attention to what is going on around (and I think adaptive CC means to most people 'I don't need to pay attention'); CC does not remove that requirement. CC keeps me in full control of the speed, I can use the buttons to change the setting slowly (and smoothly) or I can use the brake, the clutch or another button to remove drive to slow more drastically. I can also use the accelerator to increase speed smartly if the need arises (such as if the vehicle I have nearly completed overtaking, wanders into my lane). The speed limiter removes that option as well as removing the option to remain poised over the brake pedal.

This is fine when you have a CC that allows adjustment in fine increments, as it means you can find the sweet spot in allowing you to just maintain a reasonable distance from the car in front, but in the Yeti, the increment adjustment isn't that fine, so I'm always catching myself slowly creeping up behind a car, so I click down, and then I start losing ground and the car behind is gaining, so I click up, and the whole cycle goes on all over again. It's a minor inconvenience, and I know it's not the end of the world, but it is probably the kind of problem RGCC (Radar Guided Cruise Control - I dislike calling it Adaptive Cruise as it makes it sound like it's cleverer than it is) is designed to solve. It just removes the need to constantly adjust CC in small increments to maintain a safe braking distance.
Also the speed limiters discussed here are not a 'hard' limiter like one finds in minibuses or HGVs where once set, you cannot exceed them. The speed limiters we're discussing here are more like 'soft' limiters, as in they will prevent you from exceeding a speed you set, but just pushing down on the accelerator firmly will allow you to exceed the limiter, suitable for overtaking etc.

ancient
Posts: 179
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 4:03 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby ancient » Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:17 pm

TheInsanity1234 wrote:This is fine when you have a CC that allows adjustment in fine increments, as it means you can find the sweet spot in allowing you to just maintain a reasonable distance from the car in front, but in the Yeti, the increment adjustment isn't that fine, so I'm always catching myself slowly creeping up behind a car, so I click down, and then I start losing ground and the car behind is gaining, so I click up, and the whole cycle goes on all over again. It's a minor inconvenience, and I know it's not the end of the world, but it is probably the kind of problem RGCC (Radar Guided Cruise Control - I dislike calling it Adaptive Cruise as it makes it sound like it's cleverer than it is) is designed to solve. It just removes the need to constantly adjust CC in small increments to maintain a safe braking distance.
Also the speed limiters discussed here are not a 'hard' limiter like one finds in minibuses or HGVs where once set, you cannot exceed them. The speed limiters we're discussing here are more like 'soft' limiters, as in they will prevent you from exceeding a speed you set, but just pushing down on the accelerator firmly will allow you to exceed the limiter, suitable for overtaking etc.

I've had CC like that. With a bit of experimenting, I found that the down shift and the up shift were not identical increments. To get a finer shift, it was possible to click (for example) down twice and up once, which took you to slightly above the speed of a single down shift. It might have been the other way around and your system may differ, but it's worth experimenting on a suitably clear road (with no surprise horizons nearby ;) ).

TheInsanity1234
Posts: 544
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:03 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby TheInsanity1234 » Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:44 pm

ancient wrote:
TheInsanity1234 wrote:This is fine when you have a CC that allows adjustment in fine increments, as it means you can find the sweet spot in allowing you to just maintain a reasonable distance from the car in front, but in the Yeti, the increment adjustment isn't that fine, so I'm always catching myself slowly creeping up behind a car, so I click down, and then I start losing ground and the car behind is gaining, so I click up, and the whole cycle goes on all over again. It's a minor inconvenience, and I know it's not the end of the world, but it is probably the kind of problem RGCC (Radar Guided Cruise Control - I dislike calling it Adaptive Cruise as it makes it sound like it's cleverer than it is) is designed to solve. It just removes the need to constantly adjust CC in small increments to maintain a safe braking distance.
Also the speed limiters discussed here are not a 'hard' limiter like one finds in minibuses or HGVs where once set, you cannot exceed them. The speed limiters we're discussing here are more like 'soft' limiters, as in they will prevent you from exceeding a speed you set, but just pushing down on the accelerator firmly will allow you to exceed the limiter, suitable for overtaking etc.

I've had CC like that. With a bit of experimenting, I found that the down shift and the up shift were not identical increments. To get a finer shift, it was possible to click (for example) down twice and up once, which took you to slightly above the speed of a single down shift. It might have been the other way around and your system may differ, but it's worth experimenting on a suitably clear road (with no surprise horizons nearby ;) ).

I don't drive the Yeti often enough these days to have the time to experiment, but if I do get a car equipped with CC I'll be sure to have a play with it while it's quiet.

The best solution I've found is to switch off the CC, follow a car for 3 seconds to make sure you're following without gaining or losing ground, and then set the CC to that speed, but then you find in about 3 seconds the car in front has changed their speed so you have to faff about cancelling, and then trying to reset at a sweet spot again. It's just easier to set it to indicated 55 in roadworks (just about the only time I use CC) and then overtake everyone else at a GPS 53, as they all seem to drive at indicated 50, meaning a real speed of approximately 47ish.

But of course, if I ever end up in a situation where I'll be doing a lot of motorway driving, I'll get an autobox, radar cruise, and then just set it 80 and let everyone else in front of me dictate how fast I should be going (yes I know, that's not very advanced :P)

ancient
Posts: 179
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 4:03 pm

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby ancient » Tue Mar 20, 2018 5:54 pm

I met a delivery driver (delivered my Prius a few years back) who told me about the time he delivered a car with radar-adaptive cruise (gave a 'safe' distance between you and the car in front). He said he set it to keep its distance, then some time later the motorway slowed due to congestion, then sped up and slowed again (as it does) the CC worked perfectly, adjusting distance for the speed (dunno myself, never used one) then he reached his junction and steered onto the deceleration lane. Much to his surprise, the car accelerated sharply to 70mph! A panic moment of "WTF?" and then he found the brakes (in time not to go straight over the red lights). An easy thing to forget, when the car appears to be doing just what is needed and you stop worrying about the speed / gap etc.

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jont-
Posts: 1522
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 7:12 am
Location: Herefordshire

Re: I'm bemused...

Postby jont- » Tue Mar 20, 2018 5:58 pm

ancient wrote:I met a delivery driver (delivered my Prius a few years back) who told me about the time he delivered a car with radar-adaptive cruise (gave a 'safe' distance between you and the car in front). He said he set it to keep its distance, then some time later the motorway slowed due to congestion, then sped up and slowed again (as it does) the CC worked perfectly, adjusting distance for the speed (dunno myself, never used one) then he reached his junction and steered onto the deceleration lane. Much to his surprise, the car accelerated sharply to 70mph! A panic moment of "WTF?" and then he found the brakes (in time not to go straight over the red lights). An easy thing to forget, when the car appears to be doing just what is needed and you stop worrying about the speed / gap etc.

Better than the BMW test driver (when they were developing the system) who got out of the car in a traffic jam only to see the car trundle off without him when traffic started moving again :lol: I think most systems won't start from 0mph now without someone pushing the throttle to start it.


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