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The new Menace.

Passion, instruction, buying, care, maintenance and more, any form of vehicle discussion is welcome here
stevensfo
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Re: The new Menace.

#324622

Postby stevensfo » July 8th, 2020, 4:49 pm

bungeejumper wrote:I agree with Mike4 that a lot of tailgaters simply don't realise they are doing it. It's just become a habit to them to hassle and hustle the car in front, and they don't mean it particularly aggressively. Which is no consolation to anybody, really.

France has long been a haunt for young women driving small cars at reckless speeds in town. (The old "Papa/Nicole" Clio ads seemed to have been adopted as an aspirational behaviour on the other side of the Channel.) But at least the French know that they'll get hammered by the law if they get caught using a mobile phone at the wheel. Not so in our area, where I've lost count of the times I've seen young women nattering away happily on their handsets while within two yards of my rear bumper. Not even room to brake so as to let them get past me.

Speaking of which, I have a vague recollection that it's an offence to brake ostentatiously in an attempt to scare off a tailgater. You don't get much sympathy from your insurance company either if a shunt should result. :( So by all means touch the brakes, but remember to floor it at the same time. The elderly drivers I see in automatics around here appear to have no problems with pushing both pedals at once. ;)

I draw the line at giving way to a police car, though, unless it's on blues and twos. Suspicious behaviour, as my son in law (a chief inspector) informs me. Highly likely to be drunk.

BJ


You should come down to Italy, where I once remarked to a colleague that it seems 'obligatory' to use a mobile phone while driving. Yes, it's illegal, but the police are too busy doing random checks at the roadside - which, given their recent IT upgrades and number plate recognition software, can be done automatically. I see almost every day women with children not strapped in, reversing while chatting on the phone, trucks negotiating small village roads while the driver discusses his evening meal on the phone. It's got to the point now where I stop my car and do a Basil Fawlty impersonation. I don't give a damn about the driver, but why put their kids at risk?

Which no doubt gives them another excuse for phoning someone.

Steve

Mike4
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Re: The new Menace.

#324623

Postby Mike4 » July 8th, 2020, 4:50 pm

stevensfo wrote:
dealtn wrote:
stevensfo wrote:...and am very happy to stay behind a large truck and listen to my audiobooks, comedy shows etc.


I prefer to have an unimpeded view of what's ahead of me than the back of another (large) vehicle.



My earlier post said that I 'respect distances.'

I have been in a few accidents due to cars going too fast, too close, not looking etc. Never a large truck.

Actually I feel safer. It's like being in snow and having a bloody great snow plough in front of me.

Steve

I agree.

If I'm following a large truck I keep far enough back so A) I can see properly and B) any car behind wanting to overtake me and the truck can slot in front of me before tackling the truck, instead of needing to get past both of us in one go.

dealtn
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Re: The new Menace.

#324625

Postby dealtn » July 8th, 2020, 4:55 pm

Mike4 wrote:
stevensfo wrote:
dealtn wrote:
I prefer to have an unimpeded view of what's ahead of me than the back of another (large) vehicle.



My earlier post said that I 'respect distances.'

I have been in a few accidents due to cars going too fast, too close, not looking etc. Never a large truck.

Actually I feel safer. It's like being in snow and having a bloody great snow plough in front of me.

Steve

I agree.

If I'm following a large truck I keep far enough back so A) I can see properly and B) any car behind wanting to overtake me and the truck can slot in front of me before tackling the truck, instead of needing to get past both of us in one go.


A large truck on the motorway has a speed limit of 60mph. Why not just overtake it at 70 mph, within the limit, and safe, rather than travel slower than 90% of cars and add to the journey time?

stevensfo
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Re: The new Menace.

#324626

Postby stevensfo » July 8th, 2020, 5:02 pm

dealtn wrote:
Mike4 wrote:
stevensfo wrote:

My earlier post said that I 'respect distances.'

I have been in a few accidents due to cars going too fast, too close, not looking etc. Never a large truck.

Actually I feel safer. It's like being in snow and having a bloody great snow plough in front of me.

Steve

I agree.

If I'm following a large truck I keep far enough back so A) I can see properly and B) any car behind wanting to overtake me and the truck can slot in front of me before tackling the truck, instead of needing to get past both of us in one go.


A large truck on the motorway has a speed limit of 60mph. Why not just overtake it at 70 mph, within the limit, and safe, rather than travel slower than 90% of cars and add to the journey time?


60 mph? :-) Oh sure. On which planet? What's so terrible about adding a bit to the journey time? What's the journey time? I go from A to B and want to arrive at B feeling relaxed. Life's too short.

Steve

dealtn
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Re: The new Menace.

#324630

Postby dealtn » July 8th, 2020, 5:14 pm

stevensfo wrote:
dealtn wrote:
Mike4 wrote:I agree.

If I'm following a large truck I keep far enough back so A) I can see properly and B) any car behind wanting to overtake me and the truck can slot in front of me before tackling the truck, instead of needing to get past both of us in one go.


A large truck on the motorway has a speed limit of 60mph. Why not just overtake it at 70 mph, within the limit, and safe, rather than travel slower than 90% of cars and add to the journey time?


60 mph? :-) Oh sure. On which planet? What's so terrible about adding a bit to the journey time? What's the journey time? I go from A to B and want to arrive at B feeling relaxed. Life's too short.

Steve


https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

Er, on this planet, in this country, and it used to be even lower.

I have a family member who is employed by Highways England in their "Lorry" section. There is almost 100% compliance with all laws by Lorry drivers. With the technology now available, and the downside risk of losing your livelihood, nearly all such drivers are compliant, and better drivers than most car users. I suspect you dispute this.

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Re: The new Menace.

#324631

Postby Mike4 » July 8th, 2020, 5:18 pm

dealtn wrote:
Mike4 wrote:
stevensfo wrote:

My earlier post said that I 'respect distances.'

I have been in a few accidents due to cars going too fast, too close, not looking etc. Never a large truck.

Actually I feel safer. It's like being in snow and having a bloody great snow plough in front of me.

Steve

I agree.

If I'm following a large truck I keep far enough back so A) I can see properly and B) any car behind wanting to overtake me and the truck can slot in front of me before tackling the truck, instead of needing to get past both of us in one go.


A large truck on the motorway has a speed limit of 60mph. Why not just overtake it at 70 mph, within the limit, and safe, rather than travel slower than 90% of cars and add to the journey time?


Because I'm not driving a car. Nor am I on a motorway!



dealtn
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Re: The new Menace.

#324634

Postby dealtn » July 8th, 2020, 5:23 pm

Mike4 wrote:
dealtn wrote:
Mike4 wrote:I agree.

If I'm following a large truck I keep far enough back so A) I can see properly and B) any car behind wanting to overtake me and the truck can slot in front of me before tackling the truck, instead of needing to get past both of us in one go.


A large truck on the motorway has a speed limit of 60mph. Why not just overtake it at 70 mph, within the limit, and safe, rather than travel slower than 90% of cars and add to the journey time?


Because I'm not driving a car. Nor am I on a motorway!


Fair enough. I assumed we were talking about motorways where overtaking within the speed limit is easily achieved using the additional lanes available.

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Re: The new Menace.

#324642

Postby AF62 » July 8th, 2020, 6:00 pm

Can't say that it is any better or worse than before.

On motorways I simply dial up an acceptable speed on the cruise control and forget about it. The cruise control is adaptive and takes care of what is in front, slowing or accelerating as needed, and I generally ignore anything behind me. However if someone is tailgating too close I just use the function to increase the distance between me and the vehicle in front and then go back to forgetting about them.

Equally in 20mph limits, again, just stick on the cruise control and forget about it - although that probably isn't what the designers of those schemes intended.

Arborbridge
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Re: The new Menace.

#324643

Postby Arborbridge » July 8th, 2020, 6:03 pm

AF62 wrote:Can't say that it is any better or worse than before.

On motorways I simply dial up an acceptable speed on the cruise control and forget about it. The cruise control is adaptive and takes care of what is in front, slowing or accelerating as needed, and I generally ignore anything behind me. However if someone is tailgating too close I just use the function to increase the distance between me and the vehicle in front and then go back to forgetting about them.

Equally in 20mph limits, again, just stick on the cruise control and forget about it - although that probably isn't what the designers of those schemes intended.


I use my cruise control much of the time. It was intended for motorway driving, I'm sure, but I find it really useful to make sure one's speed does not run away in lower speed limit areas too.

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Re: The new Menace.

#324649

Postby Mike4 » July 8th, 2020, 6:20 pm

Arborbridge wrote:
AF62 wrote:Can't say that it is any better or worse than before.

On motorways I simply dial up an acceptable speed on the cruise control and forget about it. The cruise control is adaptive and takes care of what is in front, slowing or accelerating as needed, and I generally ignore anything behind me. However if someone is tailgating too close I just use the function to increase the distance between me and the vehicle in front and then go back to forgetting about them.

Equally in 20mph limits, again, just stick on the cruise control and forget about it - although that probably isn't what the designers of those schemes intended.


I use my cruise control much of the time. It was intended for motorway driving, I'm sure, but I find it really useful to make sure one's speed does not run away in lower speed limit areas too.


Me too, I use it constantly and when borrowing a vehicle without it, I miss it terribly.

One annoying feature of mine though is 20mph is the minimum vehicle speed at which it will work. Try to set it to 19mph or less and nothing happens - vit will not accept the setting. Similarly if I get it set to 20mph in a 20mph zone then apply the brakes, it will not re-engage and speed up to 20mph. Most annoying.

DrFfybes
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Re: The new Menace.

#324667

Postby DrFfybes » July 8th, 2020, 6:59 pm

Mike4 wrote:
One annoying feature of mine though is 20mph is the minimum vehicle speed at which it will work. Try to set it to 19mph or less and nothing happens - vit will not accept the setting. Similarly if I get it set to 20mph in a 20mph zone then apply the brakes, it will not re-engage and speed up to 20mph. Most annoying.


I've just bought a new car, well, new for us - ie somthing made in the last decade.

In this case a 2016 Avensis which has a lot of toys, several of which seem so configurable that I can't beilieve many people use them, and certainy not safely.

However, it has cruise, but also a speed limiter, which can be set as low as 20. Sadly it also has an electric handbrake, although there was little choice of avoifding it.

Paul

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Re: The new Menace.

#324673

Postby stevensfo » July 8th, 2020, 7:22 pm

DrFfybes wrote:
Mike4 wrote:
One annoying feature of mine though is 20mph is the minimum vehicle speed at which it will work. Try to set it to 19mph or less and nothing happens - vit will not accept the setting. Similarly if I get it set to 20mph in a 20mph zone then apply the brakes, it will not re-engage and speed up to 20mph. Most annoying.


I've just bought a new car, well, new for us - ie somthing made in the last decade.

In this case a 2016 Avensis which has a lot of toys, several of which seem so configurable that I can't beilieve many people use them, and certainy not safely.

However, it has cruise, but also a speed limiter, which can be set as low as 20. Sadly it also has an electric handbrake, although there was little choice of avoifding it.

Paul


I remember arriving in Manchester airport about ten years ago and renting a car (Europcar?) that was on the roof of the multi storey car park, driving a few times around the car park, then back to the guy to ask "Where the &^@! is the handbrake?"

We drove around Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and back to Manchester, and I don't think I ever sussed out how this new fangled monstrosity worked. I just used to try and park somewhere level, pressed a button and prayed.

My car today has one but I've learned how to use it now. I think. :-)

Steve

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Re: The new Menace.

#324674

Postby AF62 » July 8th, 2020, 7:27 pm

Arborbridge wrote:I use my cruise control much of the time. It was intended for motorway driving, I'm sure, but I find it really useful to make sure one's speed does not run away in lower speed limit areas too.


That is where I use the speed limiter function rather than cruise control. Foot on the floor to zoom away from the lights and then the power drops away as we reach 30 and stay there.

DrFfybes wrote:Sadly it also has an electric handbrake, although there was little choice of avoifding it.


So does mine - it works fine so why the dislike.

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Re: The new Menace.

#324695

Postby DrFfybes » July 8th, 2020, 9:10 pm

AF62 wrote:
DrFfybes wrote:Sadly it also has an electric handbrake, although there was little choice of avoifding it.


So does mine - it works fine so why the dislike.


Because rather than being conveniently located in the middle of the car within easy reach, it is under the dashboard in front of my left knee which requires me to put the car in neutral, release the clutch, move my leg, lean forwards and press the button. So now I sit at the lights with my foot on the brake dazzling the poor sod behind at night. Also when pulling away it is extremely slow to auto-release which means a lot of clutch slippage, and the hill assist doesn't hold long enough to press the button, lean back, then get the car in gear.

Paul

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Re: The new Menace.

#324719

Postby Arborbridge » July 8th, 2020, 11:00 pm

AF62 wrote:
Arborbridge wrote:I use my cruise control much of the time. It was intended for motorway driving, I'm sure, but I find it really useful to make sure one's speed does not run away in lower speed limit areas too.


That is where I use the speed limiter function rather than cruise control. Foot on the floor to zoom away from the lights and then the power drops away as we reach 30 and stay there.

DrFfybes wrote:Sadly it also has an electric handbrake, although there was little choice of avoifding it.


So does mine - it works fine so why the dislike.


I have a speed limiter, but can't get on with the feel of it. Prefer cruise control, but I guess it's all personal.

Arb.

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Re: The new Menace.

#324730

Postby servodude » July 9th, 2020, 1:36 am

DrFfybes wrote:
AF62 wrote:
DrFfybes wrote:Sadly it also has an electric handbrake, although there was little choice of avoifding it.


So does mine - it works fine so why the dislike.


Because rather than being conveniently located in the middle of the car within easy reach, it is under the dashboard in front of my left knee which requires me to put the car in neutral, release the clutch, move my leg, lean forwards and press the button.


Hired a Camry once on holiday
- it was an automatic which had the "parking break" as a pedal where the clutch should be
- bloody muscle memory!

- sd

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Re: The new Menace.

#324731

Postby AF62 » July 9th, 2020, 6:18 am

DrFfybes wrote:
AF62 wrote:
DrFfybes wrote:Sadly it also has an electric handbrake, although there was little choice of avoifding it.


So does mine - it works fine so why the dislike.


Because rather than being conveniently located in the middle of the car within easy reach, it is under the dashboard in front of my left knee which requires me to put the car in neutral, release the clutch, move my leg, lean forwards and press the button. So now I sit at the lights with my foot on the brake dazzling the poor sod behind at night. Also when pulling away it is extremely slow to auto-release which means a lot of clutch slippage, and the hill assist doesn't hold long enough to press the button, lean back, then get the car in gear.

Paul


Ah I understand - your car has a rubbish version. With mine I virtually never have to touch it.

I pull up to the lights and stop and it comes on when I take my foot off the brake pedal - and keeps the brake lights on so those approaching from behind know I am stopped.

I pull away and it instantly disengages - although the release point is configurable through the in-car menu.

Arrive at my destination and stop and it fully puts the handbrake on, so no brake lights.

Hill assist works well, but if you are not happy relying on it then you can use it like a manual handbrake by pulling the switch up, and it is situated exactly where a normal handbrake would be so that is easy.

So I would suggest the issue is not electronic handbrakes themselves, but the implementation of them on the car you bought.

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Re: The new Menace.

#324732

Postby AF62 » July 9th, 2020, 6:27 am

Arborbridge wrote:
AF62 wrote:
Arborbridge wrote:I use my cruise control much of the time. It was intended for motorway driving, I'm sure, but I find it really useful to make sure one's speed does not run away in lower speed limit areas too.


That is where I use the speed limiter function rather than cruise control. Foot on the floor to zoom away from the lights and then the power drops away as we reach 30 and stay there.

I have a speed limiter, but can't get on with the feel of it. Prefer cruise control, but I guess it's all personal.

Arb.


I find cruise control to be good for driving where I am not stopping although the speed may vary up and down with traffic conditions - the cruise control being adaptive.

The speed limiter works well in stop start conditions in town and is useful to stop you accidentally exceeding the limit and leaves you able to concentrate on the road and not the dial.

Counter intuitively it often means I am travelling faster than the other cars as I can just plant my foot in the carpet as I exit a roundabout or set off from the lights without fear of exceeding the limit.

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Re: The new Menace.

#325439

Postby gadjet » July 11th, 2020, 5:46 pm

Hi Paul

Are you prepared to tell us exactly which car you have purchased so that we know to avoid that model ?

Sue

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Re: The new Menace.

#326016

Postby DrFfybes » July 14th, 2020, 11:36 am

Toyota Avensis.

It is not a good feature, and not well implemented. I have found if I press the clutch down I can reach the button, but it isn't in an accessible position. There are a couple of other things that are poorly done - the seat back adjuster is a lever and ratchet rather than a wheel, I like the seat 1 click further reclined than MrsF, and it is difficult to adjust one click. The auto door lock at 10 mph won't turn off, despite what it says in the manual. This means if the passenger gets out and wants to get a coat from the back you have to unlock the doors you didn't want locking in the first place. The auto dip mirror can be turned off, but cannot be manually dipped, and for me it does not dip soon enough at night. The USB and power socket are in the centre armrest under a cupholer, requiring the lid to be slid back into the open position to get into it and then the cupholder moved (the lid slides back then tilts up afterwards, rather than a normal hinge). Apart from needing a mirror to even see the sockets buried on the front face of a black hole, the lid won't slide back if the rear seats are down and there is a large load in.

On the plus side there is an "aux" socket, so having found MNrsF;s walkman in the house move I can now play my mix tapes again :)

Regarding the earlier post about the electronic handbrake illuminating the brake lights - this is IMO plain wrong and should not be allowed.

Firstly I can press the pedal if I'm stopped and need to warn someone approaching from behind, and once they are 8 feet away and stopped there is no need for me to shine 3 bright red lights in their face.

Secondly a lot of cars have their brake lights surrounding their indicators, and in bright weather it masks the indicator, especially if it is a white lens with an amber bulb. Lit brake lights makes it harder to spot hazard lights as well as indicators.

Thirdly, if someone is stopped in a layby and their brake lights are lit or light up, it is a hint they are NOT parked, and likely to move. On an auto (which most cars are now) brake lights coming on are a strong hint the car is being put into gear, if the lights stay on anyway that information is lost. No brake lights is a pretty good hint they are parked whether the engine is on or off.

Paul


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