Atkinson engine and CVT

[Skyrider]

If you need a reminder you are not concentrating on driving.

[Sezlez]

If you need a reminder you are not concentrating on driving.

LOL! Very true. My missus will like that one 

[ColinS]

If you need a reminder you are not concentrating on driving.

Are you saying, hand on heart, that you have never drifted over the speed limit?  With the possible "zero tolerance" being adopted by police forces throughout the country there may well be a lot of points going on licences.

[Skyrider]

If you need a reminder you are not concentrating on driving.

Are you saying, hand on heart, that you have never drifted over the speed limit?  With the possible "zero tolerance" being adopted by police forces throughout the country there may well be a lot of points going on licences.

Speed drift is easily avoided, set the cruise control to the speed limit. No annoying bleeps required and the accelerator still works if required.

[ColinS]

If you need a reminder you are not concentrating on driving.

Are you saying, hand on heart, that you have never drifted over the speed limit?  With the possible "zero tolerance" being adopted by police forces throughout the country there may well be a lot of points going on licences.

Speed drift is easily avoided, set the cruise control to the speed limit. No annoying bleeps required and the accelerator still works if required.

Cruise control is crap in traffic that is forever changing speed.  Give me the limiter any day.  I only use cruise control on motorways and long stretches of quiet dual carriageways.  Horses for courses.

[Jocko]

Speed drift is easily avoided, set the cruise control to the speed limit. No annoying bleeps required and the accelerator still works if required.

My last car had cruise control and I used it constantly for that very reason.
My works van had a speed limiter, and the only time it offered any resistance to the accelerator pedal was when it was engaged. And that resistance wasn't at the same place every time. Going down a hill, set at 30 mph, it would offer resistance immediately. Going up hill, set for 70 mph, it didn't offer resistance until pedal was well down. It only offered resistance when the set speed was reached.

[Skyrider]

In the Jazz there is no resistance to the accelerator, it just doesn't do anything, it feels disconnected.

[Kenneve]

I will not be using the limiter again, at least I know it works (very crudely). I find cruise control far easier to use.

I would never use mine. Controlling your speed is part of controlling your vehicle. If you can't maintain your intended speed or don't have an intended speed you shouldn't be behind the wheel. It's not difficult to do and it shouldn't take more than an occasional glance at the speedometer. A competent driver can tell whether they are slowing down or speeding up even if they don't know the actual speed. A good driver can use anticipation to work out when the vehicle speed is likely to change due to conditions and can pre-empt it by lifting off or applying more power.

Whilst I agree with your sentiments regarding maintaining a set speed, I find there are many drivers on the road who have no idea how they are driving. Very often, the driver in front of me is continually varying his/her speed, usually down, even on an open road, without traffic, for no apparent reason, which means i am having to make adjustment to my cruise control to suit, or be forced to overtake to maintain pace.
I must admit I tend to use cruise control wherever possible, even in urban areas, where conditions permit.
On the motorway, if you set your speed to 70, there is virtually no chance of over speeding, since the actual speed according to my satnav is only 67/68 mph.
Oh yes, don't get me started on 50 mph roadworks, where some drivers again for no apparent reason, choose to travel at 40 mph or less!!

[Skyrider]

I almost always use cruise control on a 30 mph main road near me, but I know that the speed camera van is sometimes lurking out of sight around a bend!

[andruec]

I will not be using the limiter again, at least I know it works (very crudely). I find cruise control far easier to use.

I would never use mine. Controlling your speed is part of controlling your vehicle. If you can't maintain your intended speed or don't have an intended speed you shouldn't be behind the wheel. It's not difficult to do and it shouldn't take more than an occasional glance at the speedometer. A competent driver can tell whether they are slowing down or speeding up even if they don't know the actual speed. A good driver can use anticipation to work out when the vehicle speed is likely to change due to conditions and can pre-empt it by lifting off or applying more power.

Don't all those comments apply equally to cruise control?

It's not about ability its about convenience.

* Cruise control is allowing the car to maintain the speed because you know there'll be no need to vary it for a long time. Yes, that's convenience.
* Speed limiters prevent you doing something that don't trust yourself not to do. That's making up for lack of skill or concentration.
* Speed limit alarms are there to remind you of something. That's a fallback for when you get careless or sloppy.

Whether a good driver would use any of these is debatable but I'd argue that they might use CC knowing that it helps rest their leg and hip muscles thereby avoiding cramp and ensuring that when it finally becomes necessary to adjust the vehicle's speed manually they have the best physical control possible.

[andruec]

If you need a reminder you are not concentrating on driving.

Are you saying, hand on heart, that you have never drifted over the speed limit?  With the possible "zero tolerance" being adopted by police forces throughout the country there may well be a lot of points going on licences.

Yes, I can. I am, frankly, anal about it. I don't stare at the speedometer though because that isn't necessary. Also as I've already said I do on occasion exceed the speed limit (albeit only very rarely) by a large and deliberate margin. But 'drift' over it? No way. Never. It's a matter of pride.

I also don't slow for corners any more than I have to, would be horrified if I had to use my brakes to adjust my speed on a bend and whilst I typically drive motorways in lane one with the CC Set to 60mph I drive through roadworks at 50mph - usually in lane three slowly overtaking everyone else. It's a funny ol' world.

[mikebore]

I will not be using the limiter again, at least I know it works (very crudely). I find cruise control far easier to use.

I would never use mine. Controlling your speed is part of controlling your vehicle. If you can't maintain your intended speed or don't have an intended speed you shouldn't be behind the wheel. It's not difficult to do and it shouldn't take more than an occasional glance at the speedometer. A competent driver can tell whether they are slowing down or speeding up even if they don't know the actual speed. A good driver can use anticipation to work out when the vehicle speed is likely to change due to conditions and can pre-empt it by lifting off or applying more power.

Don't all those comments apply equally to cruise control?

It's not about ability its about convenience.

* Cruise control is allowing the car to maintain the speed because you know there'll be no need to vary it for a long time. Yes, that's convenience.
* Speed limiters prevent you doing something that don't trust yourself not to do. That's making up for lack of skill or concentration.
* Speed limit alarms are there to remind you of something. That's a fallback for when you get careless or sloppy.

Whether a good driver would use any of these is debatable but I'd argue that they might use CC knowing that it helps rest their leg and hip muscles thereby avoiding cramp and ensuring that when it finally becomes necessary to adjust the vehicle's speed manually they have the best physical control possible.

I think a case could be made that automatically controlling the speed of the car to the applicable limits enables the driver to use more CPU on other aspects of driving.

[Jocko]

That's a fallback for when you get careless or sloppy.

I don't care what anyone says, no driver out there NEVER gets careless or sloppy. Not even the likes of Alonso, Hamilton, Senna or Schumacher. Whether it be down to a momentary lack of concentration, tiredness, boredom or a stressful situation, every one of us had had a lapse, however insignificant. If you have ever exceeded the speed limit, unless you have done so deliberately, you have been careless or sloppy. That, "exceeding the speed limit", may just be the moment you trigger the camera or speed gun

[andruec]

I will not be using the limiter again, at least I know it works (very crudely). I find cruise control far easier to use.

I would never use mine. Controlling your speed is part of controlling your vehicle. If you can't maintain your intended speed or don't have an intended speed you shouldn't be behind the wheel. It's not difficult to do and it shouldn't take more than an occasional glance at the speedometer. A competent driver can tell whether they are slowing down or speeding up even if they don't know the actual speed. A good driver can use anticipation to work out when the vehicle speed is likely to change due to conditions and can pre-empt it by lifting off or applying more power.

Don't all those comments apply equally to cruise control?

It's not about ability its about convenience.

* Cruise control is allowing the car to maintain the speed because you know there'll be no need to vary it for a long time. Yes, that's convenience.
* Speed limiters prevent you doing something that don't trust yourself not to do. That's making up for lack of skill or concentration.
* Speed limit alarms are there to remind you of something. That's a fallback for when you get careless or sloppy.

Whether a good driver would use any of these is debatable but I'd argue that they might use CC knowing that it helps rest their leg and hip muscles thereby avoiding cramp and ensuring that when it finally becomes necessary to adjust the vehicle's speed manually they have the best physical control possible.

I think a case could be made that automatically controlling the speed of the car to the applicable limits enables the driver to use more CPU on other aspects of driving.

A fair point. I think if limiters (or at least alarms) could be set automatically there would be more value to them. Although I never 'drift' off my target speed I am sometimes uncertain about the speed limit (one reason I like  the fact the Jazz displays it on the dash) and signs can be hidden by foliage as indeed they are on one route I'm being forced to use at the moment. An audible notification of an upcoming limit would be helpful. However I maintain that if you need your car to warn you about speed drift or to prevent you exceeding your intended limit then some personal training is required.

[andruec]

That's a fallback for when you get careless or sloppy.

I don't care what anyone says, no driver out there NEVER gets careless or sloppy. Not even the likes of Alonso, Hamilton, Senna or Schumacher. Whether it be down to a momentary lack of concentration, tiredness, boredom or a stressful situation, every one of us had had a lapse, however insignificant. If you have ever exceeded the speed limit, unless you have done so deliberately, you have been careless or sloppy. That, "exceeding the speed limit", may just be the moment you trigger the camera or speed gun

Nope. Most speedometers overread by at least 10%. If your speedometer is reading 50mph you will probably only be doing 47mph. In order to exceed the speed limit you need to let the needle 'drift' to nearly 55mph. Any driver that allows that to happen is not competent.

And to trigger any kind of police action (or to get a photograph taken) you need to be going so fast that your speedometer is reading 60mph. Any driver intending to drive at 50mph that manages to trigger legal action is utterly incompetent and deserves everything they get.