Anyone have a car with Intelligent Speed Assist/how is it?
Discussion
I’ve got a friend with a new car coming in September - but I remember a lot of noise being made about the intelligent speed assist system being compulsory on all newly launched cars from 2022 and all vehicles from 2024. Does anyone actually have a car with this in it, and has it had a notable impact/how annoying is it hahaha
Driven a couple of hire cars with it and found it inconsistent and unreliable, this was on the continent mind. Also found when on country roads other aids like lane departure tried to force the car into oncoming traffic or cyclists.
I think the technology isn’t good enough to be mandatory.
I think the technology isn’t good enough to be mandatory.
Unless it's a completely brand new model it's unlikely to have the "compulsory" system, as it was for new type approvals in 2022. Cars are typically type approved a good few months before you can buy them, and sometimes years when approvals get extended.
Oh and if it does have it, then it will almost certainly be terrible as the tech just doesn't work yet.
I was driving my wife's car today, which only has the limit display, not "assist", and it decided the limit was 120mph at one point!
Oh and if it does have it, then it will almost certainly be terrible as the tech just doesn't work yet.
I was driving my wife's car today, which only has the limit display, not "assist", and it decided the limit was 120mph at one point!
We have it on one of ours and i tuen it off, once i was on the motorway in Sweden and it read the speed limit of the road going over the motorway! 
It slammed on the anchors much to the surprise of the guy behind
I’d imagine in town with varying 20/30 limits it might be useful though.
It slammed on the anchors much to the surprise of the guy behind
I’d imagine in town with varying 20/30 limits it might be useful though.
Kerniki said:
We have it on one of ours and i tuen it off, once i was on the motorway in Sweden and it read the speed limit of the road going over the motorway!
It slammed on the anchors much to the surprise of the guy behind
I’d imagine in town with varying 20/30 limits it might be useful though.
I haven't got it, but I was in France recently and they have a lot of 90/50 km/h signs on motorway slip roads, it would be "interesting" if you're quite happily doing 130 and it decides the limit is now 50!It slammed on the anchors much to the surprise of the guy behind
I’d imagine in town with varying 20/30 limits it might be useful though.
They also have signs like a 50, with a plate below specifying only when it's snowing/icy, or only for lorries, etc.
Also in Spain where they have, for example, a junction warning sign with a 50 limit on the same post, so the limit only applies until you're past the junction only and there's no derestriction sign - the "intelligent" system will presumably think the lower limit still applies.
Unless of course it uses GPS and a database too, but that's got its own problems!
I had lane assist in a company pool car, that was pretty dodgy when it came to roadworks with cones directing you across lanes at a slight angle, you could overcome it easily but it was still disconcerting at times
I've got it and it's terrible. The fundamental requirement for any system which purports to assist with the speed limit is that gets the speed limit right every time. Full stop. But it doesn't.
It's far too easily fooled by signs on slip roads, adjacent service roads etc. Once or twice it has read the limit as being those max speed labels in km/h you sometimes see on the back of foreign trucks and coaches. Worst of all, at some places it just pops up with the wrong limit for no reason at all. There's a spot on the A24 with no signs, junctions or anything where it does this every time.
In short another idea dreamt up by politicians where the average capability of the tech across the industry isn't able to deliver. At best it's a useful guide but if you let it act as an input to the cruise control then it won't be too long before you'll regret it.
It's far too easily fooled by signs on slip roads, adjacent service roads etc. Once or twice it has read the limit as being those max speed labels in km/h you sometimes see on the back of foreign trucks and coaches. Worst of all, at some places it just pops up with the wrong limit for no reason at all. There's a spot on the A24 with no signs, junctions or anything where it does this every time.
In short another idea dreamt up by politicians where the average capability of the tech across the industry isn't able to deliver. At best it's a useful guide but if you let it act as an input to the cruise control then it won't be too long before you'll regret it.
I remember when this technology was first introduced & wondered what the potential consequences would be. Just from the few posts above, it seems it is almost unworkable & in many cases, downright dangerous!
I will continue to drive cars without this feature or have it disabled - if people CBA to drive by themselves, just get the train.
I will continue to drive cars without this feature or have it disabled - if people CBA to drive by themselves, just get the train.
It really can’t work 100% of the time, as sometimes the signs can’t be in the correct position, they also sometimes read the stickers some commercial vehicles have stating their max speed in a red roundel.
The display only is useful, especially if you think you missed a sign in an unfamiliar area, however it controlling the speed really does need turned off.
I don’t mind steering assist, AEB etc., but you have to be aware of them and know when to drive/steer through them and not rely on them like Homer Simpson. Some applications are better than others though.
The display only is useful, especially if you think you missed a sign in an unfamiliar area, however it controlling the speed really does need turned off.
I don’t mind steering assist, AEB etc., but you have to be aware of them and know when to drive/steer through them and not rely on them like Homer Simpson. Some applications are better than others though.
Yes, mine displays the speed limit which seems to be part camera part GPS. It is only about 80% accurate, but fortunately not connected to the actual car speed control. (Volvo)
I do have adaptive cruise - brilliant. I turn off "lane assist" but use "pilot assist" frequently and it is very good. Difference is lane assist just tries to warn/keep you in the lane, whereas pilot assist dynamically steers you in the lane, and works with adaptive cruise - excellent for long motorway journeys.
I do have adaptive cruise - brilliant. I turn off "lane assist" but use "pilot assist" frequently and it is very good. Difference is lane assist just tries to warn/keep you in the lane, whereas pilot assist dynamically steers you in the lane, and works with adaptive cruise - excellent for long motorway journeys.
mr rusty said:
Yes, mine displays the speed limit which seems to be part camera part GPS. It is only about 80% accurate, but fortunately not connected to the actual car speed control. (Volvo)
Mrs H has the same in her Golf - probably one in every 3 or 4 times I use the car (tends to be on longer journeys) I notice it's got a speed limit wrong.As you say, very glad it's advisory only...although one road it advised me was a 40 when it was actually a 30 with average speed cameras.
Had it on a 21 Honda Jazz, it was useless.
Regularly confused 50 with 60 on the M11 from the signs, and thought the speed limit on the M25 from the slip road I regularly use to be 40mph as it couldn't read the national sign.
I get better results as to what the limit is from the limits shown on the satnav. They are sometimes out of date, but at least the system knows when the limits change from your gps position rather than having to look out the window for a sign.
Regularly confused 50 with 60 on the M11 from the signs, and thought the speed limit on the M25 from the slip road I regularly use to be 40mph as it couldn't read the national sign.
I get better results as to what the limit is from the limits shown on the satnav. They are sometimes out of date, but at least the system knows when the limits change from your gps position rather than having to look out the window for a sign.
Thanks for all the input guys - really useful and appreciated 
I’m mainly worried about the compulsory speed limiting system rather than the speed limit display - my e-tron has adaptive cruise linked up to the sign recognition and it’s great 90% of the time - but I’m very glad it’s not the final word on my speed. Annoying to hear that it seems to come on every time you restart the car.
Out of curiosity what counts as a new type? Would a facelift of an existing vehicle count - for example we’ve got a Q7 with the PCP expiring in March 2024 (before the cutoff for all models needing this system I think), ideally we’d get the facelift but if that comes with ISA we’ll probably just buy out the old one.
I’m mainly worried about the compulsory speed limiting system rather than the speed limit display - my e-tron has adaptive cruise linked up to the sign recognition and it’s great 90% of the time - but I’m very glad it’s not the final word on my speed. Annoying to hear that it seems to come on every time you restart the car.
Out of curiosity what counts as a new type? Would a facelift of an existing vehicle count - for example we’ve got a Q7 with the PCP expiring in March 2024 (before the cutoff for all models needing this system I think), ideally we’d get the facelift but if that comes with ISA we’ll probably just buy out the old one.
johnjamesjack said:
Thanks for all the input guys - really useful and appreciated
I’m mainly worried about the compulsory speed limiting system rather than the speed limit display - my e-tron has adaptive cruise linked up to the sign recognition and it’s great 90% of the time - but I’m very glad it’s not the final word on my speed. Annoying to hear that it seems to come on every time you restart the car.
Out of curiosity what counts as a new type? Would a facelift of an existing vehicle count - for example we’ve got a Q7 with the PCP expiring in March 2024 (before the cutoff for all models needing this system I think), ideally we’d get the facelift but if that comes with ISA we’ll probably just buy out the old one.
There's no easy way to tell when it is a new type really. Sometimes what appears to be a new model can be an existing type if it's similar enough. And manufacturers may also choose to fit the system anyway, even if they don't technically need to. It's not actually a requirement in the UK to have ISA anyway, so any vehicles with it just have it because they're "EU" spec.I’m mainly worried about the compulsory speed limiting system rather than the speed limit display - my e-tron has adaptive cruise linked up to the sign recognition and it’s great 90% of the time - but I’m very glad it’s not the final word on my speed. Annoying to hear that it seems to come on every time you restart the car.
Out of curiosity what counts as a new type? Would a facelift of an existing vehicle count - for example we’ve got a Q7 with the PCP expiring in March 2024 (before the cutoff for all models needing this system I think), ideally we’d get the facelift but if that comes with ISA we’ll probably just buy out the old one.
The good thing with VAG vehicles is there's usually an easy way to change the coding to default to off or something like that.
Sy1441 said:
One of my directors recently got a Lexus delivered which has it. You have to turn it off every time you get in the car. It also has a feature that keeps telling you that your eyes are not on the road lol, again this needs to be turned off each time you start the car.
Can you disable it with a strategically placed sticker?I've learned that on new BMWs you can press and hold the button on the dash to turn all systems off in one go. Quite helpful as none of them are worth leaving on. The brake assist gets flummoxed by parked cars, the lane assist tries throwing you into hedges and the speed limit assist often picks up roadworks signal so tries to tell me the speed limit is 10mph on the motorway.
What I worry about it not so much turning it off on my cars, but the car in front crawling along at 10mph because they don't know how to override it. That creates quite a pressured scenario.
What I worry about it not so much turning it off on my cars, but the car in front crawling along at 10mph because they don't know how to override it. That creates quite a pressured scenario.
The radar assisted adaptive cruise control and lane assist on my Ford Kuga is brilliant. I can join the motorway and stay in lane keeping up with vehicles in front and the car takes care of the steering with just a light touch on the steering wheel to show I haven't fallen asleep. It leaves a generous safe braking distance but easily copes with vehicles cutting in. Accelerator and braking is taken care of and the car will come to a complete halt behind a stationary queue of cars. The adaptive cruise control is good enough to use on A roads and in urban traffic. In slow moving traffic queues it will attach itself to the car in front until getting to the front of the queue. Does take some believing.
On the other hand I don't trust the BMW Mini camera based adaptive cruise control so much.
On the other hand I don't trust the BMW Mini camera based adaptive cruise control so much.
PositronicRay said:
Sy1441 said:
One of my directors recently got a Lexus delivered which has it. You have to turn it off every time you get in the car. It also has a feature that keeps telling you that your eyes are not on the road lol, again this needs to be turned off each time you start the car.
Can you disable it with a strategically placed sticker?Happened with internal condensation on winter mornings after being parked outside overnight.
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