Quote:
Originally Posted by ArchJR
I try to think of the active steering as the safety system BMW intended, not the autonomous mode we wish for. In that regard it lets me relax a bit on highways and some B-roads, but I never assume the car will steer itself through intersections, unclear lane markings, and certainly not roundabouts.
On the fuel efficiency front, it is unfortunate that the car accelerates towards the selected speed to close a gap even if I can see traffic ahead slowing for a red light. I would also change lanes on a highway to maintain speed without the system, while with ACC I tend to slow down with traffic in my lane and then change lanes and waste fuel getting back up to speed. It will be along time before these systems anticipate traffic ahead and in multiple lanes to pilot an efficient course.
The ACC is the best implementation of the tech I've experienced for one reason. When I change lanes and get behind a car that is traveling faster than I am, even if I am too close to that car, my car does not brake. It might flash a red warning. In other cars - Audi, Toyota, Mazda - I have had the car brake hard when I change lanes close to another car going faster, which invites a collision from the car behind me in tight traffic. I guess this is one concession where BMW lets us drive like BMW owners.
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I generally agree. I think the lane assistant seems to have a learning function. When I first got my 530e it seemed to make the car careen between the left and right edges. Now (almost six months later) it seems to stay in the lane pretty well. HOWEVER, it is not something I would completely trust. But if I turn it on, but still drive the car, it has two virtues: it keeps me generally where I want to be and it reminds me (by slightly resisting my turn on the steering wheel) to use my turn signals.
While the ACC is not perfect, it is much better than the version I had in my 330e and better than most of the competition. I use it often in local traffic (here in greater Phoenix local traffic means mostly 45 mph four lane roads). But there certainly are limitations that we should be aware of. The roundabout noted above is a good example; the car will likely think the way is clear since the car in front appears to have turned; another would be a four way stop sign (one gets to the second car at the stop sign; when the first car leaves it appears that you are free to go and the ACC wants to move you forward when you need to wait for other cars to proceed). But, IMHO, these are circumstances that we should be able to anticipate.
I think the ACC and HUD are a terrific combo. I would not buy a car without both. But they are not perfect. I wish that BMW put the blind spot detector in the HUD and when driving using the ICE, I wish that the rev counter would be in the HUD as well. But these are minor desires.