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Best features to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 8:43 am
by vanman

Re: Best fetures to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:01 am
by GTR1400MAN
That was interesting. The only one I didn't know existed was cooling seats (I've had heated in the past but rarely used them).

My bike has semi-active suspension.

Some bikes now use IMUs to provide anti-wheelie, cornering ABS and a form of the torque vectoring mentioned in the article for smoother cornering. No-one has added brake assist or auto braking. I wouldn't ride one given the negative comments I've seen from car drivers of false activations! :o

Re: Best fetures to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:04 am
by dvenman
Cooled seats are useful up to a point. However, leave the convertible top down in Utah on a 40+ celcius day for 45 minutes while you go and have lunch, and the cooling won't touch the heat of the black leatherette seats...

I had to use a towel over the seat to be able to drive comfortably!

Re: Best fetures to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:41 am
by angus
Of those, the ones I find most useful are heated steering wheel, power tailgate (especially if a well aimed kick activates it) and head up display.

I've only activated the anti-collision once, when someone had parked opposite a side road and I did a slalom around it. The ensuing bells and red warning lights rather took me by surprise

Re: Best fetures to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:32 pm
by waremark
Not much attention there on the myriad choices you would be facing if ordering a new 911!

I am about to order a Jaguar F Pace with a heavy load of optional toys. Do I want 'JaguarDrive Control with Adaptive Surface Response''? Does anyone know what this would do? It does not appear to affect suspension settings, and my guess is it is only about deep mud and pretty irrelevant to all normal use. It only costs £165.

Further described:

Adaptive Surface Response (AdSR) constantly monitors the car's environment and adjusts the appropriate motor and brake settings. AdSR works at all speeds to support you in adverse weather and across challenging surfaces.

Re: Best fetures to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 9:40 am
by vanman
Interesting, what I look for in a car all be it second hand.

1. What is like to drive, handling, steering and ride. Is it entertaining to drive.
2. How economic is it, not just mpg but servicing costs reliability etc.
3. What power has it. say 80 to 150 bhp.
4. What is the 0 to 60 time. At least better than 12 secs.
5. How much will it cost to tax.

What I do not want, but will probably get. :evil:

1. Infomat system.
2. Good sound system.
3. Traction control. hazard awareness (camera, display whatever) Bloody beeps for everything.
4. Heated, seats, mirrors, windscreen (may be useful), steering wheel, gear knob etc.
5. Stop flaming start, I know you can turn it off, but the battery, starter etc will cost a fortune to replace.
6. Lane decipline (more beeps, nudges on steering wheel)
7. General electronic interference.

Thankyou I feel better. :soap:

Re: Best fetures to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:51 am
by janetwise-griggs
That Adsr thing in Jaguars is useful if you drive on snow or gravelly roads. I think it's what used to be the "snow button".

Re: Best fetures to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:39 pm
by martine
vanman wrote:...
5. Stop flaming start, I know you can turn it off, but the battery, starter etc will cost a fortune to replace...

I have Stop/Start on both my Focii, I leave it switched on and it's not caused any reliability problems and one has 75000m so far - except I reckon the battery needs replacing in one of them - but it is 6 years old so not surprising really.

Re: Best fetures to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 3:02 pm
by jcochrane
Stop start cuts in all the time on my car. I don't mind this if in London or in a hardly moving traffic jam. The silence is quite relaxing and soothes away some of the frustration from lack of progress. However I'm not so keen on a good country drive, so like it turned off on these occasions. Same applies to the auto hold.

Re: Best fetures to look for when buying a new car.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 3:49 pm
by jont-
jcochrane wrote:Stop start cuts in all the time on my car. I don't mind this if in London or in a hardly moving traffic jam. The silence is quite relaxing and soothes away some of the frustration from lack of progress. However I'm not so keen on a good country drive, so like it turned off on these occasions. Same applies to the auto hold.

I can just about tolerate stop start on a manual where you can defeat it by putting the clutch in when you're about to go. On an automatic it's just downright dangerous, since it's completely unpredicatable how its going to behave and there's no equiavlent temporary override.