automotive tech gibberish

[Mike Mercury]

Forty different names for automatic emergency braking, 20 different names for adaptive cruise control

The names car companies use to describe their high-tech features sound like gibberish.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/29/1...mes-aaa-report

If you’ve bought a new car recently, perhaps you’ve noticed it has a bunch of new, high-tech features with gibberish-sounding names like “Distronic Plus with Steering Assist,” “Multi-terrain Monitor,” or “Person warning with Citylight braking function.” That’s because as cars get smarter and safer, the list of brand names that automakers use to describe these semi-autonomous features is getting longer and more ludicrous. And this can ultimately prove dangerous to drivers.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) surveyed 34 car brands sold in the US with advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, and found that automakers have gone overboard in their naming conventions. There are 40 different brand names used to describe automatic emergency braking, 20 different names for adaptive cruise control, and 19 terms for lane-keeping assistance.

In addition to the aforementioned offenders, some of the more outlandish ones include “LaneSense Lane Departure Warning Plus,” “Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert,” and “Intelligent Around View Monitor.”

Rather than using standard phrases to describe these features, automakers are opting for buzzy, market-tested terms that create more confusion that clarity, AAA says. “It is very difficult for a consumer to know what is on their car and generally have an idea of how it works,” said Greg Brannon, AAA director of automotive engineering and industry relations.

These safety features are usually bundled together into packages of options that generally get their own flashy brand name as well. That’s why you get systems with names like AcuraWatch, Ford’s Safe and Smart Package, Honda Sensing, and Mazda’s i-Activsense. Most sound like jargony nonsense, but some, like Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot or Nissan’s ProPilot Assist, can be dangerously misleading if drivers fail to grasp what is being sold to them.

Most sound like jargony nonsense.

“When you ask consumers about what they think that system is capable of, 40 percent of Americans believe that a system called ProPilot or Autopilot has the ability to drive the car by itself,” Brannon said.

This is happening at a time when ADAS is becoming more prevalent in new cars. At least one ADAS feature is available on 92.7 percent of new vehicles available in the US as of May 2018, AAA reports. Not only are these high-tech systems within financial reach of many new car consumers (about $1,950 for the average ADAS bundle), they also have the potential to avoid serious crashes.

Tesla has recently made the move to release quarterly reports on the safety of its Autopilot system. In its first report, Tesla said that it registered “one accident per 3.34 million miles driven in which drivers had Autopilot engaged.” In the second report, the automaker confirmed that accidents on Autopilot went up to one per 2.91 million miles during the last quarter.

Tesla doesn’t include any more detail than that, though. It doesn’t describe any common traits between these crashes, or where and when they typically occur. The company also doesn’t offer any insight into how often its drivers disengage the system, which has become a go-to statistic in the autonomous vehicle industry.

These systems are undoubtedly a good thing. Cars that prevent crashes and help mitigate some of our worst impulses as drivers can go a long way toward reducing the amount of traffic fatalities every year. But in naming these features, the automakers have prioritized marketing over clarity, Brannon said. “Anything they’re working to market, they’re looking for differentiation of their product, and trying to describe it in a way that creates excitement for consumers,” he said. “But in doing so they’ve caused a good bit of confusion.”

[mrvette]

90% of them systems are basically worthless to anyone paying attention, and not on their damn cphone.....

[DAB]

and just who granted to AAA (who has never made a single car or truck) the right to say what things should be called?

Roadside Assistance? bah! "you'll have to call a local tow company to get the flat changed, we'll reimburse you later, get a receipt."

[TripleBlack]

A few weeks ago I would have jumped into this thread deriding this all as nanny crap that was useless. We had a 2014 Acura RLX (the big ungainly sedan you probably have never even seen in the wild). It had a blind spot warning feature but they were visual and audible only... no steering feedback. I liked it fine and kept it on all the time. But it also had a frontal collision warning that would flash a big warning on the dash: "BRAKE" in huge letters. It frequently gave false warnings on the open highway when driving into the afternoon sun. It also flashed often as you started to pull around a car if you were a little close, creating a dangerous situation if another car was approaching in the lane you were pulling into.

In early December, I turned a very large buck into venison sausage with the RLX. It was totaled so we started looking at new vehicles and my first questions about the cars were always if I could disable the nanny features especially since now the collision warning and become collision avoidance, an idea I detested. Same for lane departure warnings... too much room for error in my mind.

So now we have a 2019 Acura RDX, the compact SUV and it has all the nanny stuff you can imagine short of auto pilot like the Tesla. 5 years has made a huge difference and so far all the features work better than advertised.

The blind spot warning works pretty much the same but adds a brief 'shudder' of the wheel (steering by wire) if you start to change lanes as a car is passing. It's not intrusive or enough to cause a change in direction but acts as a reminder.

There's also a "Lane Keeper" feature that when activated by a steering wheel button will slightly nudge the wheel to keep you centered in well marked lane. It's not a "hands off the wheel" thing but I've quickly grown to like it both in heavy traffic and on the open road.

It also has adaptive cruise which will attempt to maintain the speed you set but will slow down if you are closing on a car in you lane. I'd hated that idea based on my experience with the collision warning but it works fine now.

To much info but had been thinking about sharing my experience with the new car. I would never have thought I would actually advocate these features but I'm finding they work well for me. I think the key is, they can enhance your attention but certainly don't replace it.

As always, your mileage my vary and definitely lower in CA.

[Black94lt1]

I know this is unrelated but on the topic of consistency, I wish all the manufacturers would put automatic headlights on everything and also link them to the wipers. The number of cars I see running around with no lights on or the ones with the old school style daytime running lights (new Hondas) with partial headlights but no tail or other lights is a huge safety concern.

The best I can determine is all these cars have dash lights on when I drive by them so the drivers are clueless that they are invisible to other drivers. This combined with the fact that the drivers may be coming from a GM or other vehicle that had automatic headlights. This is especially true of the Hondas as the partial power headlights allow them to drive well after dark without the realization that they can't be seen from behind.

[04 commemorative]

Originally Posted by TripleBlack

A few weeks ago I would have jumped into this thread deriding this all as nanny crap that was useless. We had a 2014 Acura RLX (the big ungainly sedan you probably have never even seen in the wild). It had a blind spot warning feature but they were visual and audible only... no steering feedback. I liked it fine and kept it on all the time. But it also had a frontal collision warning that would flash a big warning on the dash: "BRAKE" in huge letters. It frequently gave false warnings on the open highway when driving into the afternoon sun. It also flashed often as you started to pull around a car if you were a little close, creating a dangerous situation if another car was approaching in the lane you were pulling into.

In early December, I turned a very large buck into venison sausage with the RLX. It was totaled so we started looking at new vehicles and my first questions about the cars were always if I could disable the nanny features especially since now the collision warning and become collision avoidance, an idea I detested. Same for lane departure warnings... too much room for error in my mind.

So now we have a 2019 Acura RDX, the compact SUV and it has all the nanny stuff you can imagine short of auto pilot like the Tesla. 5 years has made a huge difference and so far all the features work better than advertised.

The blind spot warning works pretty much the same but adds a brief 'shudder' of the wheel (steering by wire) if you start to change lanes as a car is passing. It's not intrusive or enough to cause a change in direction but acts as a reminder.

There's also a "Lane Keeper" feature that when activated by a steering wheel button will slightly nudge the wheel to keep you centered in well marked lane. It's not a "hands off the wheel" thing but I've quickly grown to like it both in heavy traffic and on the open road.

It also has adaptive cruise which will attempt to maintain the speed you set but will slow down if you are closing on a car in you lane. I'd hated that idea based on my experience with the collision warning but it works fine now.

To much info but had been thinking about sharing my experience with the new car. I would never have thought I would actually advocate these features but I'm finding they work well for me. I think the key is, they can enhance your attention but certainly don't replace it.

As always, your mileage my vary and definitely lower in CA.

Thanks, that is what I am thinking of buying.....or the MDX

[TripleBlack]

Originally Posted by 04 commemorative

Thanks, that is what I am thinking of buying.....or the MDX

We got the "Advanced" package which has a very nice HUD. Can't get that on the A-Spec. Looked at a White A-Spec with red interior and loved it but loved the HUD more. Also got the SH-AWD package... definitely drive one with that and toss it around a bit. The torque vectoring (I know... more nanny stuff) works great.

V6 is no longer available in the RDX - Don't know about MDX - Didn't look at them as didn't really need a 3rd row. Mileage so far on the RDX isn't impressive despite the 10 speed trans and the turbo 4. Our RLX had the V6 and routinely got 30+ on the highway at 75mph using mid-grade or premium.

The RDX is fast off the line but 60-80 is more labored - it misses those two extra cylinders. PM me if you want more thoughts on the RDX.

Had it been just for me, I'd have gone with the Audi Q5 but the RDX makes better use of it's inside space and my wife felt it was a too cramped for her liking. No... wait... I'd have waited for the A5 Sportback.... 4 door hatch. But happy with our choice.

One big negative on the RDX... No Android Auto support yet. It was promised in mid-2018 but still waiting. The MDX and other Acuras have it although the all have the old Acura "infotainment" systems which is feeling very old.

Sorry, went from the post topic...