[ob2ob2]

I did a test drive on a new model recently, which has adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist with steering, self-steering parking, ...etc, those driver assistant functions. They seem to work fine during the test drive, but not sure how practical in real life.

If you own a car that has those driver assistance functions, could you share with me what is it like in real life? Do you use them whenever you have a chance? or did you use them a few times but feel frustrated, don't use them after a few months?

[Cilonen]

I had the lane keeping, collision warning, and blind spot warning options on my previous 320.
When I bought the 530, I only kept the blind spot warning as the others just got on my nerves!

The lane keeping buzzed far too often on most roads (esp B roads where the size of the car meant it was always near the centre line).
The collision warning reacted when it felt like, and would throw errors in fog, low sun, reflected light off buildings, etc....

The blind spot warning is useful, if a little cautious, and a godsend if you have a bad neck!

Hope this helps!

[Johnny Grabble]

If you parallel park a lot and you are no good at it, the park assist is a boon. My wife has it on her car.
For me personally, as for the other stuff, it's black and white. Either I'm driving or I'm not. It's an IAM thing.

[JLR1969]

I really liked active cruise and used it a lot, especially on motorways

[Notechy]

Originally Posted by Cilonen

I had the lane keeping, collision warning, and blind spot warning options on my previous 320.
When I bought the 530, I only kept the blind spot warning as the others just got on my nerves!

The lane keeping buzzed far too often on most roads (esp B roads where the size of the car meant it was always near the centre line).
The collision warning reacted when it felt like, and would throw errors in fog, low sun, reflected light off buildings, etc....

The blind spot warning is useful, if a little cautious, and a godsend if you have a bad neck!

Hope this helps!

I am broadly in the same territory. On my F31 and G30 I keep turned off the lane keeping; I might put it on if I was to drive more tired than I ought. Blind spot warning, a great safety device and on G30 can adjust sensitivity. Collision warning gave me occasional unwarranted surprises on F31; on G30 may already have saved me several hundred pounds and hassle when it stopped me "dead" when doing a low speed manoeuvre round a truck when I possibly misjudged the width of this new car.

Not tempted by acc, though some people like it a lot.

Advanced parking - still trying it out.

[ob2ob2]

360-camera: Often I find the multi-storey car park a bit tight for my car, and my current car only has the reverse camera (which is helpful, to a degree). Does the 360-camera actually help? At a T-junction, does it help to see farther traffic from both sides?

HUD: I find it distracting during my test drive, I kept moving my eyes to the speed projected by the HUD. Maybe it takes a while to get used to. If you have HUD in your car - is it true that soon you find it "blends in"?

[MrPogle]

Originally Posted by ob2ob2

HUD: I find it distracting during my test drive, I kept moving my eyes to the speed projected by the HUD. Maybe it takes a while to get used to. If you have HUD in your car - is it true that soon you find it "blends in"?

Yes. It didn't take long and I'm old. I imagine people brought up on Playstation driving games find it entirely intuitive.

[Notechy]

Originally Posted by ob2ob2

360-camera: Often I find the multi-storey car park a bit tight for my car, and my current car only has the reverse camera (which is helpful, to a degree). Does the 360-camera actually help? At a T-junction, does it help to see farther traffic from both sides?

HUD: I find it distracting during my test drive, I kept moving my eyes to the speed projected by the HUD. Maybe it takes a while to get used to. If you have HUD in your car - is it true that soon you find it "blends in"?

I was nervous re HUD on F31 but I positioned it low and quickly git used to it. No hesitation in getting it on my G30.

Still getting used to my 360 camera, but certainly useful for alingning in marked parking spaces.

[danorman777]

I like the HUD, especially with traffic sign recognition. Didn't take long to get used to it.

I use active cruise on another car and is useful but watch out for people who cut in the space it leaves as it can be a bit coarse then.

[Balster]

The Adaptive Cruise Control is brilliant on motorways, makes those unbearable journeys to the in-laws 200 miles away 'slightly' more bearable. The blind spot monitoring has saved my bacon a few times too.

[CeeTee]

I have HUD on my 2016 535d and it is marvellous, and even more so when using the sat nav.
So clever, no reflections, you don't need to dip your head/eyes, I thoroughly recommend it.

[Gordon4499]

Originally Posted by CeeTee

I have HUD on my 2016 535d and it is marvellous, and even more so when using the sat nav.
So clever, no reflections, you don't need to dip your head/eyes, I thoroughly recommend it.

Completely agree - I was a bit cynical about this but have to say its excellent and would definitely tick this option again.

[ob2ob2]

Although BMW is a driver's car, but has anyone actually use the self parking function daily?

[shiner]

HUD is so brilliant it should be a standard feature on ALL cars.

[Balster]

Originally Posted by ob2ob2

Although BMW is a driver's car, but has anyone actually use the self parking function daily?

I've used it twice in 3 years, with a BMW salesman showing me how it works. Everytime I've tried, it never finds the obvious empty spot when I drive past it slowly and indicating.

[ob2ob2]

Often some lorries has a small speed sign like 68 or 60 (or whatever number). I saw some people reviews on a recent new model (not BMW), said the car picks up the speed sign at the back of the lorry, and put on that speed limit, prevented the overtake.

Has your car's speed sign recognition picked up the small speed sign on back of a lorry?

[CeeTee]

You simply cannot rely on the speed recognition feature. It does work most of the time, but when your licence depends on being certain of the speed limit it is not foolproof.
I have the self parking feature. I never take my car where it is likely to need to fit into a tight parking space therefore have never used it!
Got a Mini for that sort of town centre nonsense!

[ob2ob2]

If you have the optional active LED array headlamp - do you notice the difference?

How does it compare to the Xenon headlamp + active cornering headlamp?

Can you really tell that your headlamp opened a "gap" for the oncoming traffic or the car in front? Are you using the main beam most of the time, and no one ever flash at you?

[Martin2C]

Originally Posted by ob2ob2

If you have the optional active LED array headlamp - do you notice the difference?

How does it compare to the Xenon headlamp + active cornering headlamp?

Can you really tell that your headlamp opened a "gap" for the oncoming traffic or the car in front? Are you using the main beam most of the time, and no one ever flash at you?

Yes, you have (partial) main beam on so much more, which means visibility is much improved and you can see them tracking cars, especially when it's really dark. The std Xenons only have one bulb, which is partly blocked off to give you main beam, so it isn't quite as bright on main beam as the Adaptive LEDs.

The std LEDs aren't anywhere near as bright, I had them on a 3 Series I hired on holiday last year and they were disappointing, so go for Icon LEDs on the latest cars is my advice if you don't want it to feel like a step back from Xenons.