"Gordon McGrew" <RgEmMcOgVrEew@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:6m4e42tm1vvaa38a2f3jco3tluvsqu5j7c@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:01:28 -0400, Charles Lasitter
> <spoof@address.com> wrote:
>
>>It seems that if you want really good safety features with a Honda,
>>you've got to go out and spend big bucks for a bunch of stuff you may
>>not want or need, and I think this is unfortunate.
>>
>>I've got an '05 Accord LX, which I like, but it seems that the best
>>safety features aren't available unless you drop the big change for the
>>EX 6-cyl.
>>
>>I'd love to get an EX i4 with:
>>
>>Traction Control
>
> Buy an extra set of wheels and switch between winter tires and summer
> tires. You will have all the traction control you need.

No, it's *not* the same thing.

>>Stability Control
>
> Not sure if I would like that or not.

Have you tried it? The best systems are the ones that allow some sideways
movement *cough* and bring you back into line gently and without slapping
your wrists.

BMW manage it, at least in the UK.

Mercedes, Lexus - don't. Indeed I believe the Mercedes car rings your
mother to tell you how naughty you've been...

>>Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
>
> How is this different from ABS?

EBD takes over where the rear brake force valve left off. It compensates
for weight in the car and allows greater rear braking effort, which can and
does shorten stopping distances. One of the great compromises in car design
is how to set up the brakes. For optimum braking, the valve that reduces
rear braking effort should be set such that all four wheels are at the point
of locking up at the same time with the same pedal effort from the driver.
Manual systems are set up to be close to this (with a margin for error) when
the car is one up, with some standardised conditions such as weather, tyre
design and pressure. When you're five up plus luggage, the rear wheels
could be braked rather more so.

EBD takes care of this for you. It also takes care of unusual pressure
differences, say, a front tyre being low in pressure and / or a rear being
unusually high in pressure.

>>Emergency Brake Assist, and also,
>
> If you mean something that helps you slam on the brakes, I'l pass. I
> don't need a computer to second guess how much brake pressure I want
> to apply.

No, it doesn't quite work like this. They are set up very well. It
monitors what you're doing and if it thinks you really mean to stop quicker
than you are doing so, it takes over.

If you accelerate firmly and then punch the brake pedal, it increases the
force applied. That combined with ABS and EBD can make the difference
between hitting the child that runs out in front of you and not.

99.9% of people, 99.9% of the time, won't trigger EBA.

>>DRL
>
> Turn your headlights on.

Different bulbs, different reflectors...

>>4-wheel disk brakes (items not available on my '05 LX)
>
> Surprised that Honda is still using drum brakes on the Accord.
> Anyway, I don't think these add much to safety.

That may depend on where you live and how the car is driven. Driven five up
in hilly terrain I can see how you'd want the greatest safety margin
possible.

>>But it looks like I'd have to also end up paying for XM radio, dual zone
>>climate control, glass roof, etc., etc ... whether I need them or not.
>>
>>I think the revamped i4 has plenty of horsepower for most dedicated
>>stick drivers, unless you happen to be hauling a carload of large adults
>>or something.
>>
>>Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative few thousand
>>extra dollars, or am I alone in this?

I can see their use. Personally, I'd get somebody else to pay for them, and
I'd buy the car used.

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"SoCalMike" <Mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:CqednZlkYcxz8NfZnZ2dnUVZ_uidnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> John Horner wrote:
>> The SE is a pretty nice unit. I test drove one a few days ago. The new
>> Camry nose is damn ugly,
>
> i think that has to do with "pedestrian safety", big in europe.

I still maintain that PAR would be much prettier... pedestrian avoidance
radar... :-)

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"SoCalMike" <Mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:CqednZlkYcxz8NfZnZ2dnUVZ_uidnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> John Horner wrote:
>> The SE is a pretty nice unit. I test drove one a few days ago. The new
>> Camry nose is damn ugly,
>
> i think that has to do with "pedestrian safety", big in europe.

I still maintain that PAR would be much prettier... pedestrian avoidance
radar... :-)

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"SoCalMike" <Mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:CqednZlkYcxz8NfZnZ2dnUVZ_uidnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> John Horner wrote:
>> The SE is a pretty nice unit. I test drove one a few days ago. The new
>> Camry nose is damn ugly,
>
> i think that has to do with "pedestrian safety", big in europe.

I still maintain that PAR would be much prettier... pedestrian avoidance
radar... :-)

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"JXStern" <JXSternChangeX2R@gte.net> wrote in message
news:uaal42dqmohhe21m0ghe69scls0s99j5ch@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:01:28 -0400, Charles Lasitter
> <spoof@address.com> wrote:
>>Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative few thousand
>>extra dollars, or am I alone in this?
>
> I'm happy with my ABS, wish I didn't have to shell out for air bags,
> and not entirely convinced on some of the other hifalutin features.
>
> Marketing-wise, it's hard for a manufacturer to put safety features on
> just the high-zoot models, so they put them on only the high-zoot
> marques instead. Until stuff gets really cheap like ABS has.
>
> I'd also like back the $50 or so it costs me for the cruise control,
> which I've never used and probably never will, and really, who does?


All the time. In the UK.

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"JXStern" <JXSternChangeX2R@gte.net> wrote in message
news:uaal42dqmohhe21m0ghe69scls0s99j5ch@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:01:28 -0400, Charles Lasitter
> <spoof@address.com> wrote:
>>Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative few thousand
>>extra dollars, or am I alone in this?
>
> I'm happy with my ABS, wish I didn't have to shell out for air bags,
> and not entirely convinced on some of the other hifalutin features.
>
> Marketing-wise, it's hard for a manufacturer to put safety features on
> just the high-zoot models, so they put them on only the high-zoot
> marques instead. Until stuff gets really cheap like ABS has.
>
> I'd also like back the $50 or so it costs me for the cruise control,
> which I've never used and probably never will, and really, who does?


All the time. In the UK.

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"JXStern" <JXSternChangeX2R@gte.net> wrote in message
news:uaal42dqmohhe21m0ghe69scls0s99j5ch@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:01:28 -0400, Charles Lasitter
> <spoof@address.com> wrote:
>>Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative few thousand
>>extra dollars, or am I alone in this?
>
> I'm happy with my ABS, wish I didn't have to shell out for air bags,
> and not entirely convinced on some of the other hifalutin features.
>
> Marketing-wise, it's hard for a manufacturer to put safety features on
> just the high-zoot models, so they put them on only the high-zoot
> marques instead. Until stuff gets really cheap like ABS has.
>
> I'd also like back the $50 or so it costs me for the cruise control,
> which I've never used and probably never will, and really, who does?


All the time. In the UK.

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"Charles Lasitter" <spoof@address.com> wrote in message
news:1rua42h6j5g1c355i2j1jes7ogm7t6j5hk@4ax.com...
> It seems that if you want really good safety features with a Honda,
> you've got to go out and spend big bucks for a bunch of stuff you may
> not want or need, and I think this is unfortunate.
>
> I've got an '05 Accord LX, which I like, but it seems that the best
> safety features aren't available unless you drop the big change for the
> EX 6-cyl.
>
> I'd love to get an EX i4 with:
>
> Traction Control
> Stability Control
> Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
> Emergency Brake Assist, and also,
>
> DRL
> 4-wheel disk brakes (items not available on my '05 LX)
>
> But it looks like I'd have to also end up paying for XM radio, dual zone
> climate control, glass roof, etc., etc ... whether I need them or not.
>
> I think the revamped i4 has plenty of horsepower for most dedicated
> stick drivers, unless you happen to be hauling a carload of large adults
> or something.
>
> Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative few thousand
> extra dollars, or am I alone in this?


It's something that has been happening for an age and I suspect it will
continue to do so.

Thinking back to the introduction of ABS into "ordinary" cars in the UK, it
was for a long time reserved for the luxury or sporty ends of the
specification scale. It took a long time (five years) for it to be standard
across most Contour / Accord / Mondeo sized cars, some manufacturers adopted
it before others of course.

It wasn't quite the same with airbags, these literally arrived overnight in
1993 / 1994.

I don't believe it'll change. Such "value added" features are great margin
improvements. You don't think it actually costs 60% more to build the
sporty model compared to the base one do you? <g>

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"Charles Lasitter" <spoof@address.com> wrote in message
news:1rua42h6j5g1c355i2j1jes7ogm7t6j5hk@4ax.com...
> It seems that if you want really good safety features with a Honda,
> you've got to go out and spend big bucks for a bunch of stuff you may
> not want or need, and I think this is unfortunate.
>
> I've got an '05 Accord LX, which I like, but it seems that the best
> safety features aren't available unless you drop the big change for the
> EX 6-cyl.
>
> I'd love to get an EX i4 with:
>
> Traction Control
> Stability Control
> Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
> Emergency Brake Assist, and also,
>
> DRL
> 4-wheel disk brakes (items not available on my '05 LX)
>
> But it looks like I'd have to also end up paying for XM radio, dual zone
> climate control, glass roof, etc., etc ... whether I need them or not.
>
> I think the revamped i4 has plenty of horsepower for most dedicated
> stick drivers, unless you happen to be hauling a carload of large adults
> or something.
>
> Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative few thousand
> extra dollars, or am I alone in this?


It's something that has been happening for an age and I suspect it will
continue to do so.

Thinking back to the introduction of ABS into "ordinary" cars in the UK, it
was for a long time reserved for the luxury or sporty ends of the
specification scale. It took a long time (five years) for it to be standard
across most Contour / Accord / Mondeo sized cars, some manufacturers adopted
it before others of course.

It wasn't quite the same with airbags, these literally arrived overnight in
1993 / 1994.

I don't believe it'll change. Such "value added" features are great margin
improvements. You don't think it actually costs 60% more to build the
sporty model compared to the base one do you? <g>

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"Charles Lasitter" <spoof@address.com> wrote in message
news:1rua42h6j5g1c355i2j1jes7ogm7t6j5hk@4ax.com...
> It seems that if you want really good safety features with a Honda,
> you've got to go out and spend big bucks for a bunch of stuff you may
> not want or need, and I think this is unfortunate.
>
> I've got an '05 Accord LX, which I like, but it seems that the best
> safety features aren't available unless you drop the big change for the
> EX 6-cyl.
>
> I'd love to get an EX i4 with:
>
> Traction Control
> Stability Control
> Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
> Emergency Brake Assist, and also,
>
> DRL
> 4-wheel disk brakes (items not available on my '05 LX)
>
> But it looks like I'd have to also end up paying for XM radio, dual zone
> climate control, glass roof, etc., etc ... whether I need them or not.
>
> I think the revamped i4 has plenty of horsepower for most dedicated
> stick drivers, unless you happen to be hauling a carload of large adults
> or something.
>
> Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative few thousand
> extra dollars, or am I alone in this?


It's something that has been happening for an age and I suspect it will
continue to do so.

Thinking back to the introduction of ABS into "ordinary" cars in the UK, it
was for a long time reserved for the luxury or sporty ends of the
specification scale. It took a long time (five years) for it to be standard
across most Contour / Accord / Mondeo sized cars, some manufacturers adopted
it before others of course.

It wasn't quite the same with airbags, these literally arrived overnight in
1993 / 1994.

I don't believe it'll change. Such "value added" features are great margin
improvements. You don't think it actually costs 60% more to build the
sporty model compared to the base one do you? <g>

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

 

"Gordon McGrew" <RgEmMcOgVrEew@mindspring.com> wrote:

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 07:33:04 GMT, "DervMan"
<dervman@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>> Buy an extra set of wheels and switch between winter tires
>> and summer tires. You will have all the traction control you
>> need.

> No, it's *not* the same thing.

>>> Stability Control

>> Not sure if I would like that or not.

> Have you tried it? The best systems are the ones that allow
> some sideways movement *cough* and bring you back into line
> gently and without slapping your wrists.

It's the implementation of some of these systems that I'm
not sure about.

Ideally, I'd like for the car to wait for some slippage to
occur before taking action. If it automatically jumps in
based on settings from the factory and OE tires, shocks,
suspension, etc., I think that could be undesirable.

If it waited for an error condition to occur, then you could
upgrade various things to improve cornering ability, and the
system wouldn't cut you off based upon the abilities of the
stock setup.

>>> Electronic Brakeforce Distribution

>> How is this different from ABS?

> EBD takes over where the rear brake force valve left off. It
> compensates for weight in the car and allows greater rear
> braking effort, which can and does shorten stopping
> distances.

News you can use. I didn't know where it focused most of
its efforts.

> One of the great compromises in car design is how to set up
> the brakes. For optimum braking, the valve that reduces rear
> braking effort should be set such that all four wheels are
> at the point of locking up at the same time with the same
> pedal effort from the driver.

> Manual systems are set up to be close to this (with a margin
> for error) when the car is one up, with some standardised
> conditions such as weather, tyre design and pressure. When
> you're five up plus luggage, the rear wheels could be braked
> rather more so.

> EBD takes care of this for you. It also takes care of
> unusual pressure differences, say, a front tyre being low in
> pressure and / or a rear being unusually high in pressure.

Thanks for this analysis!

>>> Emergency Brake Assist, and also,

>> If you mean something that helps you slam on the brakes, I'l
>> pass. I don't need a computer to second guess how much brake
>> pressure I want to apply.

> No, it doesn't quite work like this. They are set up very
> well. It monitors what you're doing and if it thinks you
> really mean to stop quicker than you are doing so, it takes
> over.

What I have read is that in emergency braking situations,
the average / untrained driver starts out by first not
applying enough pedal pressure (underbraking) and then
later in the stopping sequence when they're really scared
they overcompensate in the other direction (overbraking).

Ideally you would like optimal braking from start to finish
of the braking event.

http://tinyurl.com/mn9ry

The vehicle has sensors to determine the emergency braking
situation, and boosts breaking effort at the front end of
the event for the shortest possible stopping distance.

> DRL

>> Turn your headlights on.

> Different bulbs, different reflectors...

And the wife gets an $11 insurance discount every six months
for having DRL on her Subaru ...

>>> 4-wheel disk brakes (items not available on my '05 LX)

>> Surprised that Honda is still using drum brakes on the
>> Accord. Anyway, I don't think these add much to safety.

> That may depend on where you live and how the car is driven.
> Driven five up in hilly terrain I can see how you'd want the
> greatest safety margin possible.

>>> Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative
>>> few thousand extra dollars, or am I alone in this?

> I can see their use. Personally, I'd get somebody else to
> pay for them, and I'd buy the car used.

Well, here's an interesting discovery for me. Beginning in
2007, Honda includes so many of these features standard that
the single "VS" (vehicle stability / traction) option for
$650 gets you EVERYTHING.

I'm going to post a Camrey LE vs Honda EX comparison because for the
money, if safety is important, I think it's provocative.
+-----------------------------------------+
| Charles Lasitter | Mailing/Shipping |
| 401/728-1987 | 14 Cooke St |
| cl+at+ncdm+dot+com | Pawtucket RI 02860 |
+-----------------------------------------+

 

"Gordon McGrew" <RgEmMcOgVrEew@mindspring.com> wrote:

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 07:33:04 GMT, "DervMan"
<dervman@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>> Buy an extra set of wheels and switch between winter tires
>> and summer tires. You will have all the traction control you
>> need.

> No, it's *not* the same thing.

>>> Stability Control

>> Not sure if I would like that or not.

> Have you tried it? The best systems are the ones that allow
> some sideways movement *cough* and bring you back into line
> gently and without slapping your wrists.

It's the implementation of some of these systems that I'm
not sure about.

Ideally, I'd like for the car to wait for some slippage to
occur before taking action. If it automatically jumps in
based on settings from the factory and OE tires, shocks,
suspension, etc., I think that could be undesirable.

If it waited for an error condition to occur, then you could
upgrade various things to improve cornering ability, and the
system wouldn't cut you off based upon the abilities of the
stock setup.

>>> Electronic Brakeforce Distribution

>> How is this different from ABS?

> EBD takes over where the rear brake force valve left off. It
> compensates for weight in the car and allows greater rear
> braking effort, which can and does shorten stopping
> distances.

News you can use. I didn't know where it focused most of
its efforts.

> One of the great compromises in car design is how to set up
> the brakes. For optimum braking, the valve that reduces rear
> braking effort should be set such that all four wheels are
> at the point of locking up at the same time with the same
> pedal effort from the driver.

> Manual systems are set up to be close to this (with a margin
> for error) when the car is one up, with some standardised
> conditions such as weather, tyre design and pressure. When
> you're five up plus luggage, the rear wheels could be braked
> rather more so.

> EBD takes care of this for you. It also takes care of
> unusual pressure differences, say, a front tyre being low in
> pressure and / or a rear being unusually high in pressure.

Thanks for this analysis!

>>> Emergency Brake Assist, and also,

>> If you mean something that helps you slam on the brakes, I'l
>> pass. I don't need a computer to second guess how much brake
>> pressure I want to apply.

> No, it doesn't quite work like this. They are set up very
> well. It monitors what you're doing and if it thinks you
> really mean to stop quicker than you are doing so, it takes
> over.

What I have read is that in emergency braking situations,
the average / untrained driver starts out by first not
applying enough pedal pressure (underbraking) and then
later in the stopping sequence when they're really scared
they overcompensate in the other direction (overbraking).

Ideally you would like optimal braking from start to finish
of the braking event.

http://tinyurl.com/mn9ry

The vehicle has sensors to determine the emergency braking
situation, and boosts breaking effort at the front end of
the event for the shortest possible stopping distance.

> DRL

>> Turn your headlights on.

> Different bulbs, different reflectors...

And the wife gets an $11 insurance discount every six months
for having DRL on her Subaru ...

>>> 4-wheel disk brakes (items not available on my '05 LX)

>> Surprised that Honda is still using drum brakes on the
>> Accord. Anyway, I don't think these add much to safety.

> That may depend on where you live and how the car is driven.
> Driven five up in hilly terrain I can see how you'd want the
> greatest safety margin possible.

>>> Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative
>>> few thousand extra dollars, or am I alone in this?

> I can see their use. Personally, I'd get somebody else to
> pay for them, and I'd buy the car used.

Well, here's an interesting discovery for me. Beginning in
2007, Honda includes so many of these features standard that
the single "VS" (vehicle stability / traction) option for
$650 gets you EVERYTHING.

I'm going to post a Camrey LE vs Honda EX comparison because for the
money, if safety is important, I think it's provocative.
+-----------------------------------------+
| Charles Lasitter | Mailing/Shipping |
| 401/728-1987 | 14 Cooke St |
| cl+at+ncdm+dot+com | Pawtucket RI 02860 |
+-----------------------------------------+

 

"Gordon McGrew" <RgEmMcOgVrEew@mindspring.com> wrote:

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 07:33:04 GMT, "DervMan"
<dervman@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>> Buy an extra set of wheels and switch between winter tires
>> and summer tires. You will have all the traction control you
>> need.

> No, it's *not* the same thing.

>>> Stability Control

>> Not sure if I would like that or not.

> Have you tried it? The best systems are the ones that allow
> some sideways movement *cough* and bring you back into line
> gently and without slapping your wrists.

It's the implementation of some of these systems that I'm
not sure about.

Ideally, I'd like for the car to wait for some slippage to
occur before taking action. If it automatically jumps in
based on settings from the factory and OE tires, shocks,
suspension, etc., I think that could be undesirable.

If it waited for an error condition to occur, then you could
upgrade various things to improve cornering ability, and the
system wouldn't cut you off based upon the abilities of the
stock setup.

>>> Electronic Brakeforce Distribution

>> How is this different from ABS?

> EBD takes over where the rear brake force valve left off. It
> compensates for weight in the car and allows greater rear
> braking effort, which can and does shorten stopping
> distances.

News you can use. I didn't know where it focused most of
its efforts.

> One of the great compromises in car design is how to set up
> the brakes. For optimum braking, the valve that reduces rear
> braking effort should be set such that all four wheels are
> at the point of locking up at the same time with the same
> pedal effort from the driver.

> Manual systems are set up to be close to this (with a margin
> for error) when the car is one up, with some standardised
> conditions such as weather, tyre design and pressure. When
> you're five up plus luggage, the rear wheels could be braked
> rather more so.

> EBD takes care of this for you. It also takes care of
> unusual pressure differences, say, a front tyre being low in
> pressure and / or a rear being unusually high in pressure.

Thanks for this analysis!

>>> Emergency Brake Assist, and also,

>> If you mean something that helps you slam on the brakes, I'l
>> pass. I don't need a computer to second guess how much brake
>> pressure I want to apply.

> No, it doesn't quite work like this. They are set up very
> well. It monitors what you're doing and if it thinks you
> really mean to stop quicker than you are doing so, it takes
> over.

What I have read is that in emergency braking situations,
the average / untrained driver starts out by first not
applying enough pedal pressure (underbraking) and then
later in the stopping sequence when they're really scared
they overcompensate in the other direction (overbraking).

Ideally you would like optimal braking from start to finish
of the braking event.

http://tinyurl.com/mn9ry

The vehicle has sensors to determine the emergency braking
situation, and boosts breaking effort at the front end of
the event for the shortest possible stopping distance.

> DRL

>> Turn your headlights on.

> Different bulbs, different reflectors...

And the wife gets an $11 insurance discount every six months
for having DRL on her Subaru ...

>>> 4-wheel disk brakes (items not available on my '05 LX)

>> Surprised that Honda is still using drum brakes on the
>> Accord. Anyway, I don't think these add much to safety.

> That may depend on where you live and how the car is driven.
> Driven five up in hilly terrain I can see how you'd want the
> greatest safety margin possible.

>>> Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative
>>> few thousand extra dollars, or am I alone in this?

> I can see their use. Personally, I'd get somebody else to
> pay for them, and I'd buy the car used.

Well, here's an interesting discovery for me. Beginning in
2007, Honda includes so many of these features standard that
the single "VS" (vehicle stability / traction) option for
$650 gets you EVERYTHING.

I'm going to post a Camrey LE vs Honda EX comparison because for the
money, if safety is important, I think it's provocative.
+-----------------------------------------+
| Charles Lasitter | Mailing/Shipping |
| 401/728-1987 | 14 Cooke St |
| cl+at+ncdm+dot+com | Pawtucket RI 02860 |
+-----------------------------------------+

 

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:01:28 -0400, Charles Lasitter
<spoof@address.com> wrote:

>It seems that if you want really good safety features with a Honda,
>you've got to go out and spend big bucks for a bunch of stuff you may
>not want or need, and I think this is unfortunate.
>
>I've got an '05 Accord LX, which I like, but it seems that the best
>safety features aren't available unless you drop the big change for the
>EX 6-cyl.
>
>I'd love to get an EX i4 with:
>
>Traction Control

ive had this in a van for the last 5 months. Might be ust chrysler's
system, but it doesn't work too well for me, still get a loud tyre
squeal if I floor it to merge traffic. Nowadays I just turn it off
when I start the car.

>Stability Control
>Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
>Emergency Brake Assist, and also,

i HATE this. Teach proper braking practice, not compensate for driver
inadequacy. i remember a few news stories from the UK a few years
back, where these kicked in uneqpectedly. guy tapped hi brakes because
he saw a speed camera ahead, just to chek his speed (as we all do) and
the thing did an emergency stop, causing a 3 car accident (car was
turning at the time). There were another case or two as well.
Until the car can sense the situation around it (not easy or
praticable) it should NOT have overriding command of motive systems.
Thats just plain common sense.

>
>DRL

see your headlight switch - wire the first stop, so it'll also be
triggered by the ignition. if key's at II, lights are on - much better
than that stupid way saturn has of working off the handbrake -
friend's vue has its DRL going off every time he stops 9its a manual,
and he is n a hilly area, and drives properly, with handbrakes at
lights etc) volvo did it right years ago. if you use your regular
lights for daytime running, you don't need all the lights and
reflectors etc. just run from the ignition.

>4-wheel disk brakes (items not available on my '05 LX)
>
>But it looks like I'd have to also end up paying for XM radio, dual zone
>climate control, glass roof, etc., etc ... whether I need them or not.
>
>I think the revamped i4 has plenty of horsepower for most dedicated
>stick drivers, unless you happen to be hauling a carload of large adults
>or something.
>
>Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative few thousand
>extra dollars, or am I alone in this?

i wouldn't. I've not even a big ABS fan. i guess the problems is that
mostly these featurse are not set up as 'emergency' but as
'cautionary'. So they're on be default, and set to activate much too
soon. Of course, there are SOMe safety features I'd love to see
introduced into the UK thats been standard elsewhere for years. REAR
fog lights, for instance. Oh, and seperation of brake and turning
signals. removal of turning signals from being buried in with
headlights (see certain neons, and current crown-vics for instance.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no luddite 9in fact, quite the opopsite) but i
do know where technology should not be substituted for driver
shortcommings. instead of whacking more tech on, hold the drivers to a
higher standard.

>+-----------------------------------------+
>| Charles Lasitter | Mailing/Shipping |
>| 401/728-1987 | 14 Cooke St |
>| cl+at+ncdm+dot+com | Pawtucket RI 02860 |
>+-----------------------------------------+

 

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:01:28 -0400, Charles Lasitter
<spoof@address.com> wrote:

>It seems that if you want really good safety features with a Honda,
>you've got to go out and spend big bucks for a bunch of stuff you may
>not want or need, and I think this is unfortunate.
>
>I've got an '05 Accord LX, which I like, but it seems that the best
>safety features aren't available unless you drop the big change for the
>EX 6-cyl.
>
>I'd love to get an EX i4 with:
>
>Traction Control

ive had this in a van for the last 5 months. Might be ust chrysler's
system, but it doesn't work too well for me, still get a loud tyre
squeal if I floor it to merge traffic. Nowadays I just turn it off
when I start the car.

>Stability Control
>Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
>Emergency Brake Assist, and also,

i HATE this. Teach proper braking practice, not compensate for driver
inadequacy. i remember a few news stories from the UK a few years
back, where these kicked in uneqpectedly. guy tapped hi brakes because
he saw a speed camera ahead, just to chek his speed (as we all do) and
the thing did an emergency stop, causing a 3 car accident (car was
turning at the time). There were another case or two as well.
Until the car can sense the situation around it (not easy or
praticable) it should NOT have overriding command of motive systems.
Thats just plain common sense.

>
>DRL

see your headlight switch - wire the first stop, so it'll also be
triggered by the ignition. if key's at II, lights are on - much better
than that stupid way saturn has of working off the handbrake -
friend's vue has its DRL going off every time he stops 9its a manual,
and he is n a hilly area, and drives properly, with handbrakes at
lights etc) volvo did it right years ago. if you use your regular
lights for daytime running, you don't need all the lights and
reflectors etc. just run from the ignition.

>4-wheel disk brakes (items not available on my '05 LX)
>
>But it looks like I'd have to also end up paying for XM radio, dual zone
>climate control, glass roof, etc., etc ... whether I need them or not.
>
>I think the revamped i4 has plenty of horsepower for most dedicated
>stick drivers, unless you happen to be hauling a carload of large adults
>or something.
>
>Would anyone else buy these safety features for a relative few thousand
>extra dollars, or am I alone in this?

i wouldn't. I've not even a big ABS fan. i guess the problems is that
mostly these featurse are not set up as 'emergency' but as
'cautionary'. So they're on be default, and set to activate much too
soon. Of course, there are SOMe safety features I'd love to see
introduced into the UK thats been standard elsewhere for years. REAR
fog lights, for instance. Oh, and seperation of brake and turning
signals. removal of turning signals from being buried in with
headlights (see certain neons, and current crown-vics for instance.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no luddite 9in fact, quite the opopsite) but i
do know where technology should not be substituted for driver
shortcommings. instead of whacking more tech on, hold the drivers to a
higher standard.

>+-----------------------------------------+
>| Charles Lasitter | Mailing/Shipping |
>| 401/728-1987 | 14 Cooke St |
>| cl+at+ncdm+dot+com | Pawtucket RI 02860 |
>+-----------------------------------------+