Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stever

I'd love a backup cam, especially on this Grand Caravan. If it was going to be a long timer in the fleet, I'd go price aftermarket ones. (Can you have a fleet with one car in the family?)

bwia

abacomike said:

bwia said:

Technology has come a long way and I'm loving it.  Night vision is something I would really like but I'm sure that would be an expensive option. 

By the way this was a voice activated post from my Samsung Galaxy S5

Funny, it doesn't sound like you!!!  

LOL--I wish I had the technology to play it back; which reminds of a blind guy who once applied for a job. (He has some sort of audio machine that can read and write mail. No Braille needed.)

Anyway, he arrived for the job interview a little early and since I was the committee chair we chatted while we waited for the others. Suddenly, this blind guy wants to go to the bathroom and asks me to take him. I walked him to the bathroom door but he wanted me to guide him to the bathroom stall.

No problem except his zipper got stuck and I had to help him out of his predicament. And after he was finished, guess what? he voided on his shoes and asked for my help cleaning his shoes and tidying up for the interview. Needless to say, he did not get the job.

driver100

fezo said:

What strikes me as odd is adding options on a $70,000 car, but to each his own I suppose.

Options are an easy way for car companies to make extra bucks. Just make something that everyone wants and needs, into an option. But, you would think for $70 thou, a car could complete with shipping and mop n glo.

driver100

bwia said:

abacomike said:

bwia said:

Technology has come a long way and I'm loving it.  Night vision is something I would really like but I'm sure that would be an expensive option. 

By the way this was a voice activated post from my Samsung Galaxy S5

Funny, it doesn't sound like you!!!  

No problem except his zipper got stuck and I had to help him out of his predicament. And after he was finished, guess what? he voided on his shoes and asked for my help cleaning his shoes and tidying up for the interview. Needless to say, he did not get the job.

Glad no one walked in at the wrong time........you may have had some explaining to do.

It is probably discrimination not to hire someone just because they pee on their shoes.

driver100

stever said:

I'd love a backup cam, especially on this Grand Caravan. If it was going to be a long timer in the fleet, I'd go price aftermarket ones. (Can you have a fleet with one car in the family?)

I didn't think I would actually pay to have a back up camera, but the 535 came with one - if you ordered the right model. Now, I wouldn't want to be without it....it is one of the best inventions ever.

I am sure they are available from several sources, but just a quick look at Best Buy and they have one for $80 that seems to be quite satisfactory, better one's are more like $200. But for $80, it gets a 4.1 out of 5 from 30 customer reviews.

Best Buy Back Up Camera Kit

I think they will be pretty well standard on most cars for 2015.

stickguy

they either have to make back up cameras standard, or stop designing cars with massive blind spots.

My 2000 TL has nice big windows and a low trunk (and rear headrests). You can actually see what is behind you.

Our 2013 RDX? Might as well paper over the back windows for all the good they do when trying to back up. So in something like this, I would not go without a cam.

stever

Too bad I couldn't hook one into my Garmin. And add the dash cam at the same time. Don't ask for much do I?

Looks like the requirement kicks in for the 2018 model year. (USA Today link)

Mr_Shiftright

I think it depends on the car you drive... I mean, a rear view camera on a Mini or Fiat Pop? er....no. But on the new "chopped top" look they seem to be inflicting on us...probably yes.

I'm of a mind that the best lane avoidance device for some drivers would be a guardrail, or a semi truck's air horn---you get an audible warning, and it's FREE!

I like the night vision option and would pay for that, as might most of us who have reached...cough, cough...a certain age.

I don't want anybody, or any thing, braking my car for me, not no how, not never.

ray80

I currently have two vehicles with backup cam. One is in rearview mirror (small square) and has audible alarm function. the other is nuch larger view on screen that had about everything else when cam not in use. Smaller one seems better to me in that that larger one appears to be wider angle (should have the warning like side mirrors due, 'oblects closer then appear' )

stever

A backup warning noise saved me from hitting a bollard in a rental Buick one time. Couldn't see it through the back glass because it wasn't all that tall. I wouldn't mind having both the camera and some warning beeps.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

I think they will be pretty well standard on most cars for 2015.

I thought big government is requiring them as of 2015 or 2016.

graphicguy

It never ceases to amaze me how far the cars with the "nannies" have come. Everyone here knows I have a soft spot for Acuras.

In addition to 4 wheel steering, driver sports adjustments for the drivetrain, etc, the advanced models come with this....

Lane Keeping Assist System
*
Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow
*
Blind Spot Information System
*
Parking Sensors front and rear
*
Tire Pressure Monitoring System with Tire Fill Assist (the car "beeps" when you've filled up the tire to the correct pressure)
*
Collision Mitigation Braking System
*
Road Departure Mitigation System
*
Vehicle Stability Assist

Not sure how I feel about all that. But, I don't think car manufacturers are going to go in the opposite direction on this.

BTW....with it becoming much more difficult to have an accident, shouldn't our insurance bills be going down?

stickguy

Well some if those are nannies, and some are aids. Like your rear yew mirrors. Do you consider them nannies? The camera and sensors to me are just extensions of your mirrors. Ditto for blind spot monitors.

Now, systems that take over control? Those are nannies!

stever

The Tire Fill Assist would be nice - I was thinking it was just Nissan that had that.

driver100

Why we need backup cameras:

Each year an estimated 210 people are killed and 15,000 injured in backover crashes. Most of these accidents occur in parking lots or driveways, and involve children or the elderly.

Some random facts:


The NHTSA issued a proposed rule to require all light vehicles to have rearview cameras by the year 2018.

The rule -- which would be final in 60 days -- would start phasing in on May 1, 2016 models and be at 100% May 1, 2018.

Many automakers, responding to consumer demand, have gotten ahead of the regulation by putting standard or optional cameras on new models as they are redesigned, even on their smallest, most economical cars.

The cost per vehicle to equip the remainder will be $132 to $142 for a complete system, $43 to $45 to add the camera to a vehicle that already has an adequate display screen

ab348

stever said:

A backup warning noise saved me from hitting a bollard in a rental Buick one time. Couldn't see it through the back glass because it wasn't all that tall. I wouldn't mind having both the camera and some warning beeps.

I've never driven a car with a backup cam so I don't know how useful it is. But my Buick has the sensors and I love them. Backing into parking spots is a breeze with them.

stever

My brother has a Richard Ride (but it's a 2013 and not as pretty a color). He tows a popup and the backup camera is great for that, especially for matching the trailer to the towing ball. His cam is extra nice since it shows you what direction your F-150 will be going as you turn the wheels.

abacomike

@ab348‌ said:

"I've never driven a car with a backup cam so I don't know how useful it is. But my Buick has the sensors and I love them. Backing into parking spots is a breeze with them."

I have both front/offset front and back/offset back sensors that not only beep but also there are two interior arrays of LED lights that get brighter and change from yellow to red as you get closer to an object.  One set is on top of my dashboard in the center and the other set is located in the upper rear of the cabin just above the rear window.  I also have the rear back up camera with lines of different colors that twist to denote where the car is headed.  There is also a small image of the car in the right lower part of the NAV screen that also alerts you to objects. 

I agree with you, ab348, that the sensors are much better than the backup camera for backing up.  Down here in FL, most parking is straight in against a parking stoop.  My car also has below bumper sensors which alert you to the proximity of the parking stoops - great feature as I can avoid scraping the underside of the front bumper.

I rarely use the backup camera image except when in a parking garage - it has a wide angle lens which gives better visibility of oncoming cars coming down the parking lanes.

The new car has that new surround view system that shows all 4 positioning points of your car in proximity of other cars in other lanes as well as front and rear.

I believe that the 2015 has been engineered and designed with what I call OVERKILL safety features.  Luckily, on the Mercedes, you can manually disable just about every safety feature including blind spot monitors, Lane tracking, accident avoidance systems, all exterior cameras, etc., in the settings system.

When these auditory alert systems alarm you, you don't know which safety feature is alerting you.  That's why I shut off many of them.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

stever said:

Please take our survey:

What safety technologies do you want in your next car?

(I know y'all won't be able to resist posting in here, but please take our survey too. )

Good survey.  Results should be interesting.

Edmunds is emailing me surveys asking about couples making car decisions. Guess they are reading my posts about my wife.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

well, nothing is free. if they make the stuff standard, the price goes up for everyone. So, if there are really people that don't want it, making it optional works out the best.

I'm one of the ones who doesn't want it, especially if it jacks up the price of the car. Some of my vehicles don't even have airbags.

oldfarmer50

cdnpinhead said:

If all of this crap worked flawlessly for 10-15 years, I might be interested in some of it.

The reality is that it will fail and people will have been forced to pay extra to have something that doesn't work.

Oh boy.

Exactly. A few years ago one of our bus driver's was driving a Chevy Suburban school bus. Someone cut her off and there was a collision. The air bags failed to deploy and her bus aide was injured.

Recently I read that among GM's many problems was defective airbags on Suburbans.

The bus aide hit the district for a big worker's comp settlement.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

The side effect of all these safety features is illustrated in the Infiniti commercial where the guy driving is an oblivious moron who depends on the car to save him from his abysmal lack of driving skills...

I mentioned that a few days ago.

oldfarmer50

"...I don't want anybody, or any thing, braking my car for me, not no how, not never...."

Here, here!

stickguy

well, other than the power assist and ABS, right? No one is complaining about ABS that I can tell!

Mr_Shiftright

ABS is fine---still my foot on the pedal. I tell ABS what to do, not vice-versa.

What I *really* need in the MINI is a PERISCOPE---what with all these SUVs the size of houses in front of me, I am a prisoner to this...this WALL I'm driving behind....I have to react to their brake lights...so yeah, a periscope, definitely, so I can look over their roofs.

roadburner

Two of my cars lack ABS and one of them has manual steering- and it's one of my favorite cars to drive. The sweet spot is my Club Sport; ABS and limited slip, but NO traction/stability control.

oldbearcat

abacomike said:

oldbearcat said:

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:

Jay Leno's turbine car being driven in a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2A5ijU3Ivs

I attended a presentation on the Chrysler Turbine Car on the University of Cincinnati campus back in the 60's. Two Chrysler engineers did a dog and pony show with the car to my engineering class. I was really impressed with the car. If I remember correctly, they said it made 120 HP - with a flat torque curve - so it performed pretty good for the day. I loved the color scheme it had, and, bought a 67 Barracuda notchback coupe with the black vinyl top and turbine bronze body. It was a beautiful little pony car, but, a reliability nightmare. Really enjoyed the Leno video - thanks for posting it.

Regards:
Oldbearcat

Hey, Oldbearcat, thanks for posting your experiences with Chrysler engineers at the U. Of Cinncinati.  Nice to hear from you!

Thanks. I lurk here a lot - enjoy the stories and comments. Just did the survey too. I recently purchased a 2015 Mazda CX-5 AWD Touring that's got a lot of the nanny electronics on it. Then I get in my stock 48 Chevy and my undivided attention is required to get somewhere successfully.

Regards:
Oldbearcat

explorerx4

My Fusion has rear parking sensors and camera. I still managed to bump into a snowbank last winter. I thought the warning was for one side, but it was for the other. My wife's Escape has sensors front and rear, plus a camera. It also indicates which corner is causing the warning.
I could have used that.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

My Fusion has rear parking sensors and camera. I still managed to bump into a snowbank last winter. I thought the warning was for one side, but it was for the other. My wife's Escape has sensors front and rear, plus a camera. It also indicates which corner is causing the warning.
I could have used that.

When I first put the 535 into reverse there is a warning buzzing noise - I guess to tell me the camera is on. Then it rings if I am near a car, even though I know where I am steering and it is clear.

Maybe we have so many warning devices we will be confused and still hit something.

The opposite to the Infinity commercial is the Audi commercial...for people who like to drive themselves.......

36 Second Audi Commercial

houdini1

oldbearcat said:

abacomike said:

oldbearcat said:

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:

Jay Leno's turbine car being driven in a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2A5ijU3Ivs

I attended a presentation on the Chrysler Turbine Car on the University of Cincinnati campus back in the 60's. Two Chrysler engineers did a dog and pony show with the car to my engineering class. I was really impressed with the car. If I remember correctly, they said it made 120 HP - with a flat torque curve - so it performed pretty good for the day. I loved the color scheme it had, and, bought a 67 Barracuda notchback coupe with the black vinyl top and turbine bronze body. It was a beautiful little pony car, but, a reliability nightmare. Really enjoyed the Leno video - thanks for posting it.

Regards:
Oldbearcat

Hey, Oldbearcat, thanks for posting your experiences with Chrysler engineers at the U. Of Cinncinati.  Nice to hear from you!

Thanks. I lurk here a lot - enjoy the stories and comments. Just did the survey too. I recently purchased a 2015 Mazda CX-5 AWD Touring that's got a lot of the nanny electronics on it. Then I get in my stock 48 Chevy and my undivided attention is required to get somewhere successfully.

Regards:
Oldbearcat


What do you think of the Mazda so far? Plus, you need to post more !

sterlingdog

driver100 said:

sterlingdog said:

driver100 said:

The survey says would you purchase this option if it cost $100 to $500. I'd take them all if they were $100....for $1000 I'd have a car with every safety device on the market. For $500 each, $5000 total, I would choose more carefully.

I find most surveys don't really ask the right question.

And, I don't think the safety devices are a conspiracy to rid ourselves of less affluent consumers.

They could have done the survey with one question: We know that you would like all of the safety features, but would you be willing to pay for them?

Richard

Of course NOT!

I would definitely pay for lane change warnings and a rear camera. Everything else is good to have, but I would pay up to $1000 for a package to have all of them. I think I did have to buy a tech package for the new MB that came with a bunch of other stuff like keyless start etc that did cost a few $1000. Not much point in buying a luxury car without all the basic new toys - I'd probably never resell it again.

I think that my rear camera was around $800 and my rear bumper sensors were about $500. Not a bad bill when you realize that they may keep you alive and well. I'm pretty fortunate on the lane change business. First, the outside mirrors are huge, plus the driver's side has a small inner mirror which allows you to see blind spots. I really, really like that.

Richard

sterlingdog

imidazol97 said:

Here's a car with looks AND and unusual naming system. It's a cB7. Since Cadillac is using CT6 for it's new rear wheel drive sedan, this article in a GM discussion caught my eye. And it's CANADIAN/French. Felini sounds like a pasta. But there's nothing limp about this puppy. See video at end.



Notice the long hood


Video. Click to view
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PZLHCzmcPW8

Looks like the Batmobile of the comics era.

Richard

sterlingdog

snakeweasel said:

roadburner said:

The side effect of all these safety features is illustrated in the Infiniti commercial where the guy driving is an oblivious moron who depends on the car to save him from his abysmal lack of driving skills...

You noticed that too. If that is your typical Infiniti driver I will steer clear of them if I see them on the road. 

Amen! Can't stand that commercial. Even with rear camera and sensors, I still turn around and look all ways.

Richard

sterlingdog

graphicguy said:

sterlingdog said:

driver100 said:

The survey says would you purchase this option if it cost $100 to $500. I'd take them all if they were $100....for $1000 I'd have a car with every safety device on the market. For $500 each, $5000 total, I would choose more carefully.

I find most surveys don't really ask the right question.

And, I don't think the safety devices are a conspiracy to rid ourselves of less affluent consumers.

They could have done the survey with one question: We know that you would like all of the safety features, but would you be willing to pay for them?

Richard

Excellent point, Richard.

How's the truck doing?

Truck is doing great. Thanks for asking. Bed liner goes in Monday. Honestly, I haven't been so excited about a vehicle since I drove my '89 Lincoln Town Car out of the showroom. I was also very excited about one other vehicle, my '97 Tahoe. When you feel this good, you know that you made the right choice.

Richard

sterlingdog

graphicguy said:

It never ceases to amaze me how far the cars with the "nannies" have come. Everyone here knows I have a soft spot for Acuras.

In addition to 4 wheel steering, driver sports adjustments for the drivetrain, etc, the advanced models come with this....

Lane Keeping Assist System
*
Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow
*
Blind Spot Information System
*
Parking Sensors front and rear
*
Tire Pressure Monitoring System with Tire Fill Assist (the car "beeps" when you've filled up the tire to the correct pressure)
*
Collision Mitigation Braking System
*
Road Departure Mitigation System
*
Vehicle Stability Assist

Not sure how I feel about all that. But, I don't think car manufacturers are going to go in the opposite direction on this.

BTW....with it becoming much more difficult to have an accident, shouldn't our insurance bills be going down?

Excellent point! I'm going to ask my agent about this.

Richard

sterlingdog

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

well, nothing is free. if they make the stuff standard, the price goes up for everyone. So, if there are really people that don't want it, making it optional works out the best.

I'm one of the ones who doesn't want it, especially if it jacks up the price of the car. Some of my vehicles don't even have airbags.

Some of YOUR vehicles don't even have seatbelts.

Richard

sterlingdog

oldbearcat said:

abacomike said:

oldbearcat said:

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:

Jay Leno's turbine car being driven in a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2A5ijU3Ivs

I attended a presentation on the Chrysler Turbine Car on the University of Cincinnati campus back in the 60's. Two Chrysler engineers did a dog and pony show with the car to my engineering class. I was really impressed with the car. If I remember correctly, they said it made 120 HP - with a flat torque curve - so it performed pretty good for the day. I loved the color scheme it had, and, bought a 67 Barracuda notchback coupe with the black vinyl top and turbine bronze body. It was a beautiful little pony car, but, a reliability nightmare. Really enjoyed the Leno video - thanks for posting it.

Regards:
Oldbearcat

Hey, Oldbearcat, thanks for posting your experiences with Chrysler engineers at the U. Of Cinncinati.  Nice to hear from you!

Thanks. I lurk here a lot - enjoy the stories and comments. Just did the survey too. I recently purchased a 2015 Mazda CX-5 AWD Touring that's got a lot of the nanny electronics on it. Then I get in my stock 48 Chevy and my undivided attention is required to get somewhere successfully.

Regards:
Oldbearcat


Though we appreciate your lurking here, we are really glad that you chimed in for us. Hope you enjoy that new vehicle.

Richard

sterlingdog

explorerx4 said:

My Fusion has rear parking sensors and camera. I still managed to bump into a snowbank last winter. I thought the warning was for one side, but it was for the other. My wife's Escape has sensors front and rear, plus a camera. It also indicates which corner is causing the warning.
I could have used that.

I'm driving a new Fusion this weekend until they finish with my truck on Monday. It certainly is a smooth ride with nice interior appointments.

Richard

nyccarguy

abacomike

nyccarguy said:

Enjoy, Bradd.  Gorgeous car - great color!

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

Too cool! Congratz!

28firefighter

Great color, Bradd!  Congratulations!

qbrozen

Really pretty blue

driver100

graphicguy said:

nyccarguy said:

Looks great GG.

I tried for a better angle, but the color just doesn't do it justice. That blue is really nice in your picture.

dino001

Very nice. Welcome to Subaru Select Club. Well, my membership expired, but I think everybody should try it. I recommend it to anybody, who is open to try something else than Honyotanisscheford. Safest brand on the market - arguably, of course, but IIHS data don't lie. The color is similar to WR Blue on my former 2003 WRX, so you know I love it. Slightly darker, still lively, but classy.

mako1a

Motor Week did a review this week of Subie and praised how well the new dash panel works (radio,nav,elex) compared with previous versions. Also praised the AWD which you'll enjoy this winter in CT. Being in the South I've always heard CT has 2 seasons...winter and the 4th of July. Congrats on the shiny new car.

houdini1

Congrats and Happy New Car Day NYC. Car is beautiful. Enjoy.

imidazol97

nyccarguy said:

Congratulations. Nice looking car and a great looking color.

henryn

I agree, great color. I'm really tired of silver, black, and white, and that is a beautiful color.

stickguy

the mazda 3 we would have bought yesterday (if people would ever come buy my old cars so I have room!) was a darker shade of blue, but similar. Much sharper than the usual see of gray. Deep crystal blue Mica