RE: BMW 5 Series: Review

[tankplanker]

hornetrider said:

The M5 hasn't been a manual in the UK since 2003

It has in some markets: http://www.pistonheads.com/road-tests/bmw/driven-b...

[hornetrider]

tankplanker said:

hornetrider said:

The M5 hasn't been a manual in the UK since 2003

It has in some markets: http://www.pistonheads.com/road-tests/bmw/driven-b...

I knew the E60 was available as a manual in the US but had no idea about the F10 - thank you

[je777]

CoolHands said:

je777 said:

I don't know how the tech works, but 'steering for itself on a motorway', apparently for up to 30 seconds - aren't a lot of people going to see that as 'just enough time to check that text'?

Most modern VAG etc now have lane assist. They read the white lines and keep you in lane by automatically adjusting the steering.

So, yet another thing that will encourage the stupid not to concentrate on what they're doing.

I am a very average driver, but I can't think of a time when I have accidentally strayed out of my lane.

I think a lot of people will use this as a 'reason' not to have to look where they're going.

Maybe this should also only be available if linked to auto-braking as well - after all, that worked out fine for that guy in the Tesla.

[tankplanker]

Oddball RS said:

The first comment is just daft, the auto option doesn't suit the smaller capacities so well (Most popular), and then to agree with wanting autos only, but I want a manual M5 in the follow up comment................ wtf?

If I bought a M5 I'd be buying it as I want to drive it quickly and have a sense of engagement with the car. I bought a previous model of 5 series (which was about as powerful as the new 520D) because I wanted a big wafty family car. The two roles are not the same at all and I expect different things out of both cars.

My Volvo is auto as it is a big family car that is meant to be relaxing to drive, my MX-5 and my Golf R are manuals as I want to drive those but ultimate speed doesn't matter as they are for the road, my Indy is a sequential manual with flat shifting paddle shift as its faster and that matters to me when on the track.

My old 5 series, despite having an older, poorer, auto box was perfectly fine for normal driving. It even had a manual model if you really wanted to have more control. The latest ZF 8 speed auto is an amazing gearbox, it should only ever be in the wrong gear if the manufacter fked up with the program for the gearbox or the driver doesn't understand how to use an autobox's kick down and plan ahead to do so.

[CoolHands]

Re: je777 Funnily enough my sister doesn't like it as if you try and change lane without indicating e.g. on motorway, it actively resists you as it tries to get you back in lane, and you have to overcome it! (new VW tiguan)

I had to look up how to disable it in the options menu for her.

[VGTICE]

CoolHands said:

Funnily enough my sister doesn't like it as if you try and change lane without indicating e.g. on motorway, it actively resists you as it tries to get you back in lane, and you have to overcome it! (new VW tiguan)

I had to look up how to disable it in the options menu for her.

I'm not sure if you're serious.

[Robert-nszl1]

I wonder if it's the same self drive/ lane monitoring system that Tesla uses.....didn't that fail and end up killing some poor chap? I seem to remember a lorry being involved that 'confused' the system. Who is at fault if it fails in some way?

[hornetrider]

VGTICE said:

CoolHands said:

Funnily enough my sister doesn't like it as if you try and change lane without indicating e.g. on motorway, it actively resists you as it tries to get you back in lane, and you have to overcome it! (new VW tiguan)

I had to look up how to disable it in the options menu for her.

I'm not sure if you're serious.

?

Seems a reasonable statement to me unless I'm missing something obvious.

[rare6499]

Great car no doubt but 66 thousand pounds in this spec. Holy moly.

[tankplanker]

hornetrider said:

?

Seems a reasonable statement to me unless I'm missing something obvious.

You should be indicating when changing lanes unless the motorway is completely clear.

Robert-nszl1 said:

I wonder if it's the same self drive/ lane monitoring system that Tesla uses.....didn't that fail and end up killing some poor chap? I seem to remember a lorry being involved that 'confused' the system. Who is at fault if it fails in some way?

The Tesla system at that time did not require any driver input once activated, meaning a lot of Tesla drivers including that one paid no attention to their driving, I think he was watching a Harry Potter DVD?

I think recent changes to the Tesla autopilot mean it works like the BMW and Volvo systems in that you have to move the steering wheel every thirty seconds otherwise the autopilot beeps and turns off. Now you could still not be paying attention with the new setup but it is harder to completely tune out.

In my Volvo, which is similar to BMW's system the lane keeping is connected to the radar cruise control so it'll keep you in the lane and a sensible distance behind the car in front. In fact the shortest distance is much greater than the distance the average motorway driver keeps. Obviously at present all auto pilots only look one car ahead for when to brake, a good driver will be looking several cars ahead so might be as safe as the auto pilot with a smaller gap.

[Alucidnation]

Many adaptive cruise control distance settings will change the gap in front dependent on the speed you are travelling.

[CoolHands]

hornetrider said:

VGTICE said:

CoolHands said:

Funnily enough my sister doesn't like it as if you try and change lane without indicating e.g. on motorway, it actively resists you as it tries to get you back in lane, and you have to overcome it! (new VW tiguan)

I had to look up how to disable it in the options menu for her.

I'm not sure if you're serious.

?

Seems a reasonable statement to me unless I'm missing something obvious.

Yes I'm serious. It operates over 40mph and has a symbol to indicate when it is active. Which is on any road where white lines are visible both sides as that's how the camera picks it up.

If you're u try and drift into next lane (eg to overtake) it tries to steer you back into your existing lane as it thinks you're drifting. So you have to 'overcome' it and in a sense force it to go where you want. It's a hard thing to describe but when you're driving you can feel it.

You don't get it if you indicate. Or you can disable it in the menu settings but you have to do that to each time you get in the car.

[VGTICE]

CoolHands said:

hornetrider said:

VGTICE said:

CoolHands said:

Funnily enough my sister doesn't like it as if you try and change lane without indicating e.g. on motorway, it actively resists you as it tries to get you back in lane, and you have to overcome it! (new VW tiguan)

I had to look up how to disable it in the options menu for her.

I'm not sure if you're serious.

?

Seems a reasonable statement to me unless I'm missing something obvious.

Yes I'm serious. It operates over 40mph and has a symbol to indicate when it is active. Which is on any road where white lines are visible both sides as that's how the camera picks it up.

If you're u try and drift into next lane (eg to overtake) it tries to steer you back into your existing lane as it thinks you're drifting. So you have to 'overcome' it and in a sense force it to go where you want. It's a hard thing to describe but when you're driving you can feel it.

You don't get it if you indicate. Or you can disable it in the menu settings but you have to do that to each time you get in the car.

Since when changing lanes without indicating became "reasonable" or the norm? I see that happening everyday but I don't remember if and when HC changed to account for that.

[HardMiles]

Kambites, it's not the cpu chips that weigh loads, but it'll likely have over 2 miles of cables running through it. Strip that guff out and weigh it...

[hornetrider]

tankplanker said:

You should be indicating when changing lanes unless the motorway is completely clear.

And if the motorway is clear? It forces you to indicate anyway, which is st. I'd also say sometimes there's no need to indicate, such as returning to L2 after overtaking etc. Plenty of scenarios in fact which I can't be bothered to type but we all know.

And to have to reset it each time you get in?! fk that.

[tankplanker]

hornetrider said:

And if the motorway is clear? It forces you to indicate anyway, which is st. I'd also say sometimes there's no need to indicate, such as returning to L2 after overtaking etc. Plenty of scenarios in fact which I can't be bothered to type but we all know.

And to have to reset it each time you get in?! fk that.

I really doubt that the majority of time she uses this system the motorway is completely clear and more than she doesn't use her indicators when she should be. Pushing the indicator to trigger the three flashes of the indicator is hardly time consuming or difficult. It resets itself as you are meant to be indicating when changing lanes.

[CoolHands]

VGTICE said:

Since when changing lanes without indicating became "reasonable" or the norm? I see that happening everyday but I don't remember if and when HC changed to account for that.

Thanks I now know I wasted my time replying

[Vroom101]

tankplanker said:

hornetrider said:

?

Seems a reasonable statement to me unless I'm missing something obvious.

You should be indicating when changing lanes unless the motorway is completely clear.

Don't say that on the Advanced Driving forum - they managed to have a whole thread discussing the matter . Some said you didn't need to indicate if the maneuver doesn't affect another road user, others disgreed. From what I've observed, traffic police rarely indicate if returning to the lane to their left, so perhaps there is something to it. Something to do with the fact that you are expected to return to that lane, so the use of the indicator is spurious. Anyway, don't BMW drivers shun the use of indicators as a rule as it is?

Speaking of BMW drivers, has anyone seen the TV advert for this car? The driver 'Scott' (it says his name on the dash display ) appears to be a stereotypical PH company director type. As soon as I saw it, the word 'Tw*t' entered my head.

[VGTICE]

CoolHands said:

VGTICE said:

Since when changing lanes without indicating became "reasonable" or the norm? I see that happening everyday but I don't remember if and when HC changed to account for that.

Thanks I now know I wasted my time replying

Oh how snowflake of you. Just because it's your opinion doesn't mean you're right. Tell me what would happen if you tried changing lanes without indicating during driving test?

[mcbook]

VGTICE said:

Oh how snowflake of you. Just because it's your opinion doesn't mean you're right. Tell me what would happen if you tried changing lanes without indicating during driving test?

My driving instructor told me (granted, this was 15 years ago) that indicating was not required when returning to the left lane of a dual carriage way, following an overtake. Completed the same manoeuvre on the test with no mention of it on the results sheet.