Nanny Auto Devices

Al

Joined
Jun 8, 2002
Messages
20,178
Location
Elizabethtown, Pa
Have any of you who once hated Nanny Devices like auto braking, adaptive cruise, etc grown to like them?

I certainly have. When I bought my '18 I wanted nothing to do with those features. Partly (I suppose) bc I was from the old school that the more it has on it the more at it is to fail ($$$) the other is that I felt that I knew better than the nannygadgets.

I changed bc I realize if it breaks it will be covered under warranty (I buy extended warranties). Second is I now really appreciate how good the devices work. If a deer runs out on you it will hit the brakes before you even see the deer. Also it will attempt to avoid it. I guess I am not totally set in my ways..lol
 
This topic has been discussed multiple times on this forum. Here is the bottom line. There are many on here that are apparently superior drivers and never have or never will get in to an accident. Therefore they are of an added complexity and expense not needed.
 
I avoid driving my wife's car for this reason. :) The older I get, the less I'm allowed to accept change.
 
I never understood why people call them "nannies". It's like calling guard rails or traffic lights "nannies". Honestly, it's annoying. My daughter works as a nanny and believe me, it's a lot harder job than keeping a car between the lane markers.
 
I really like the adaptive cruise control in my wife’s Corolla Hybrid. It has a button on the steering wheel with three distance setting choices to select from.
 
Adaptive cruise is a huge improvement over the basic cruise control. I appreciate it the most. Blind spot monitors are great if they are included in a HUD. I find the amber warnings in the side mirrors redundant. With the warning in the HUD it saves me that step.

Auto braking is faster than a human. I’ve had it activate a couple of times and it was faster than me and I’m no slug.

Rear cross traffic alert is great in crowded parking lots when backing out of a space.

If these systems save you from even a minor parking lot bump they have paid for themselves already.
 
I wouldn’t call adaptive cruise a nanny feature, it’s far FAR superior to regular cruise control…. At least it’s useful if there is other traffic. And I’ll never own a car without a backup camera again. That being said I have a very take it or leave it attitude to the rest.
 
I instantly liked adaptive cruise. The highway here is mostly flat with a few humpy hills that make 18 wheelers lose 5-8 MPH which they then regain. I don't mind sitting behind them while they take these hills, vice playing "leap frog" only to give that position up again later.

I remain not a fan of either ABS or traction control. I can do better in the snow. I shouldn't have to pick "snow mode." Stability control, done right, I can accept.

Lane departure "help" with the steering wheel getting more power assist to return to what it feels like center is disconcerting on a dark, rainy night. Makes me feel like I'm on black ice. Turned it off driving home from the dealer and that's where it stays.

I don't like what cars have become sight-line wise where they need backup cameras. Turning sharp right while backing into a parking space I have to watch all my mirrors, and the screen, and the straight shot out the back window. Lots of contorting! All the camera is good for is parallel parking and taking every last inch between my bumper and the obstacle behind it.
 
I’d call a seatbelt chime a nanny, and i’m not sure if anyone liked ‘em?

On the rare occasion that i use cruise in our modern car the stupid lcd tells me to pay attention. Do i really need a reminder? I think it does the same thing on the backup camera when in reverse.

Those nannies i can do without!
 
All those electronics work great in a nice 70 degree lab, take them out in the slush and salt of the real world and not so much. People are just now finding out the increased costs of vehicle repair and maintenance such as TPMS sensors etc. Used to be an older car got condemned due to a major running gear failure. On the horizon is major electronic failures taking the place of mechanical.
 
The main reason I purchased the 2021 Honda HRV Sport AWD was because this model does not have none of that extra stuff ....If I would have purchased the EX model it had the lane change push button start and appative cruse control... I like it simple and I keep my eyes on the road too...I am 68 years old... :D
 
This topic has been discussed multiple times on this forum. Here is the bottom line. There are many on here that are apparently superior drivers and never have or never will get in to an accident. Therefore they are of an added complexity and expense not needed.
I'm not among them. However, I dislike nanny systems because they actively prevent "sporty" driving. I don't need brakes slammed on when I'm coming up on a slow vehicle I'm going to pass. Yet that's exactly what happens in the Honda Accord.
 
All those electronics work great in a nice 70 degree lab, take them out in the slush and salt of the real world and not so much. People are just now finding out the increased costs of vehicle repair and maintenance such as TPMS sensors etc. Used to be an older car got condemned due to a major running gear failure. On the horizon is major electronic failures taking the place of mechanical.
Pretty sure I've heard that FUD for years. While there is truth in it, I'm not sure that it's true. Sure, for "exotics" or luxury cars. But run of the mill cars that 100k per year got made of? Seems like it's still rust, transmission or crash that spells the end.

Maybe after it hits the BHPH lot that such repair cost do outweigh value... but it's usually a bit on the old side at that point.

Just my opinion but most new car buyers are 5 and done. They aren't the ones who will see the problems. Maybe the used car buyers, but again, buy something common, and most mechanics will be able to spot & repair the issues. Well the good ones anyhow.
 
This topic has been discussed multiple times on this forum. Here is the bottom line. There are many on here that are apparently superior drivers and never have or never will get in to an accident. Therefore they are of an added complexity and expense not needed.
Spot on as I simply don't trust the garbage regardless of how advanced it claims to be. I see lots of people relying on backup cameras, lane assist, etc. instead of actually looking for themselves as in over both shoulders to make a move. I wouldn't have a very modern car unless all of that could be disabled. I don't even trust or rely on cruise as my eyes/feet work just fine. I'm likely a bit more observant than many drivers due to now being totally deaf and it pays to watch everything around to not be caught off guard. I will say that whatever moron(s) came up with the stop/start needs to be choke slammed as that is the most idiotic/unsafe 'feature' I've ever seen on any vehicle. Yeah let's save 2 nanograms of fuel while degrading the starter, battery, etc. in the process.
 
I guess it all depends upon how well such features are implemented. For example, I give Mazda very high marks. The adaptive cruise control on my CX 5 works very well and the HUD shows when the Blind Sport Monitoring system is working. I have the lane assist feature set to just vibrate the steering wheel a little and the HUD shows when I am crossing the lane markings.

My Jaguar on the other hand isn't so great. It doesn't have an HUD. The BSM doesn't show the icon in the mirrors until the approacing vehicle is almost parallel with my rear bumper. The cruise control works nicely but doesn't have the adaptive feature. And the lane keep assist is WAY too sensitive and since I drive on narrow mountain roads all the time and constantly am "out of my lane" the crazy thing was trying to nudge the steering wheel all the time. I disabled the feature. And sometimes the parking assist warning goes off if I am waiting at a stoplight while facing east or west and not really close to the car in front of me or behind me. I think the angle of the sun reflecting off of the other vehicles gives a false trigger. Well, at least it doesn't have Lucas electrical components.
 
Adaptive cruise makes texting and driving easier. Same with auto braking. Just pop into the slow lane and text away. If traffic stops AB will save your bacon hopefully if those behind you are on the ball as it's a slam the brakes on stop. Texting, facetime, farcebook and watching TV on your phone is the modern priority, not actually driving a vehicle. Lets not forget posting highway crashes to Farcebook while driving past the scene.
I have that crap turned off in my '20 Traverse now. Ever had auto braking kick in for the invisible man crossing the road? I have, good thing I wasn't bringing home a pizza.
Lane alerts are too close to for proper lane changes, and one gets numb to alerts from guard rails, rain spray and plow mounds.
Pretty soon they will be giving drivers licenses to Mr. Magoo.
 
Mainly I wondered if anyone had CHANGED THEIR MINDS
From two weeks ago? :)

I am looking at cars from the 30's thru the mid 60's.

Only really loving power brakes on heavy cars and a heater and AM radio.

Don't want no tech.
Ever since I noticed ABS doesn't work in the slushy snow.

Ever since Hill Holder almost killed me backing down a icy hill.

Ever since traction control would not let me get up my hill

Ever since Stop/Start doesn't let me pull out into busy traffic

Ever since the Heater/ AC Icons are so small they make me run off the road trying to make a small adjustment

Ever since he ECU saves all driver inputs before an "event"
 
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