Ford Safe & Smart Package - What are your Thougths

[mmburr88]

As this is my daily, I purposely sought one out with this package. I use adaptive cruise on the regular (yes, you can even get it with 6sp), the auto wipers are nice, as is the auto high beam. 2019 for whatever reason doesn't include BLIS in the package, but 2018 and 2020 seem to do so. You can adjust the distance for adaptive cruise to whatever distance you are more comfortable with.

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[13razorbackfan]

As this is my daily, I purposely sought one out with this package. I use adaptive cruise on the regular (yes, you can even get it with 6sp), the auto wipers are nice, as is the auto high beam. 2019 for whatever reason doesn't include BLIS in the package, but 2018 and 2020 seem to do so. You can adjust the distance for adaptive cruise to whatever distance you are more comfortable with.

Its weird they show as separate options on the 2019.

 

[Avispa]

Some observations from someone late to S550s, heck GPS in the car....lol. The wife has two later model vehicles, one of which is a replacement for a Nissan Titan truck that got demo'd last year, so I've driven with most of this stuff. Front and back parking sensors get a big thumbs up. I have no depth perception and these really do help fit me in a parking spot. Ditto backup cameras and the vehicle path projection on the screen. Blind spot warning, good idea. They have stopped me from a bad lane change from time to time.

Side clearance sensors and lane change assist? Wife and I both hate em and turn em off. They warn you when you already know your situation, and they don't STFU after the initial warning. They're backseat drivers and just as annoying.

So if the S550 had em, I wouldn't refuse to buy the car.

 

[lacanteen]

Ok, Here is another question to complicate things, would you trade down to a 4-banger if that was the only car available? My local dealers only have EcoBoost with all of the features I want but I'm just not sure I can give up performance of a GT

A 2018+ Eco with A10 will surprise you if your 17 GT is stock. No Coyote growl but shit stopping boost.

I also have the S&S package and use everything except lane keeping.

 

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

I really like the safe and smart package on my '18. In 2018 the blind spot monitoring came as part of the safe and smart package. Anyway, the adaptive cruise control is adjustable to 4 distance settings: Close to far from the car in front of you. The biggest issue with using adaptive cruise is when cars cut you off. Some cars will slam on the brakes, the tuning on the Mustang is nice, in that it will gradually slow you down when a car cuts you off, rather than slam on the brakes. I like to keep a long distance between me and the car in front of me to reduce rock chips. The lane keep assist has multiple options: warning only, or warning and automatic correction, or off; you can also adjust how hard it shakes the steering wheel. The auto steering correction could have been turned off in the car you drove. I have the lane correction turned off, but warning on. And, use your blinker, that's what it's there for. The auto high beams are a very nice feature and work very well. I have never had a situation where they stay on when they should have turned off. Also, the front collision avoidance is nice, and it can be adjusted to 3 sensitivity levels. Auto braking can be turned on or off, so you can set it so you just get a warning. I have the auto brake on in addition to the warning, but have never actually had it brake for me.

Overall, yes, I really wanted the safe and smart package and it is worth the money, to me. I don't count on any of the features to keep me safe, but they are a very nice backup and IMO work very well.

 

[Bikeman315]

No Coyote growl

That's enough for most of us. The current EB is awesome but I wouldn't move to it just for S&S.

 

[lacanteen]

That's enough for most of us. The current EB is awesome but I wouldn't move to it just for S&S.

On that we can certainly agree, however, the OP was worried about giving up performance. There were improvements starting with MY 2018 that I was pointing out. Even a 2018+ GT would be vastly better than a stock 2017. JMHO.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Overall, yes, I really wanted the safe and smart package and it is worth the money, to me. I don't count on any of the features to keep me safe, but they are a very nice backup and IMO work very well.

That may be the case right now, but I think you'll gradually start relying on them at least to the point where your own reactions to changes in external conditions will be neither as prompt nor as good.

It's the way allowing yourself to delegate driving tasks to the electronics works.

It may be part of how we're going to be conditioned - brainwashed - into accepting autonomous vehicles.


Norm

 

[Bikeman315]

On that we can certainly agree, however, the OP was worried about giving up performance. There were improvements starting with MY 2018 that I was pointing out. Even a 2018+ GT would be vastly better than a stock 2017. JMHO.

I'm just not sure I can give up performance of a GT

Yup, missed that part. If that's what he is concerned about, the new EB will be just fine for him.

 

[Bikeman315]

It's the way allowing yourself to delegate driving tasks to the electronics works.

You mean like traction control and anti-lock brakes? Every car has electronics and more are coming. It's up the the driver to stay alert and not delegate to them.

It may be part of how we're going to be conditioned - brainwashed - into accepting autonomous vehicles.

Norm, I love your paranoia. Of course, you could be right. Oh great, now i'm getting paranoid!!!!!!

 

[ManyfordsnoMustang]

When we were looking at a Fusion Energi in 2014 I test drove a few different versions and stayed away from the Titanium package as all those features startled me. Eventually my daughter bought a 2016 Fusion Energi Titanium that even parks itself (talk about an option that still freaks me out) and after driving it a few times I really learned to appreciate those optiuons. The nice thing is you can turn these things on or off. I drive with them on all the time now. Doesn't mean I'm any worse of a driver, just means I have some extra protection/warnings as we are all human and have our moments of DOH!

As for GT vs EB, that's pretty much a personal choice as well. I tried many a variations including some GT350s, all great cars with different strengths. I for one just wanted the pull and sound of the V8. The EB really impressed me though, a great car.

 

[11GT50]

That may be the case right now, but I think you'll gradually start relying on them at least to the point where your own reactions to changes in external conditions will be neither as prompt nor as good.

It's the way allowing yourself to delegate driving tasks to the electronics works.

I agree. I don't necessarily have an issue with electronic driving aids and I think they can be very useful. They just shouldn't take the place of the driver doing their part to operate the vehicle safely. Unfortunately- even with the best intentions- I think this shift can happen subconsciously and many people don't ever realize it takes place.

 

[Bikeman315]

I agree. I don't necessarily have an issue with electronic driving aids and I think they can be very useful. They just shouldn't take the place of the driver doing their part to operate the vehicle safely. Unfortunately- even with the best intentions- I think this shift can happen subconsciously and many people don't ever realize it takes place.

This........
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_hypnosis

 

[Norm Peterson]

You mean like traction control and anti-lock brakes? Every car has electronics and more are coming.

I could even add those two to the list. TC lets you get away with a near-nonexistent level of throttle modulation skill, and even ABS (arguably the most mature "driver assistance" to date) not only doesn't always get it right, you're also actively encouraged to learn a braking technique that's exactly the wrong thing to do with the pedal should the ABS ever go offline (wheel sensors do fail from time to time).

Just so you know, I've lost the ABS on my Mustang at a track day. The top two and three of the top four lap times happened with ABS inop. You don't need ABS under the vast majority of driving situations, up to and including driving that's far harder than any street driving you would ever intentionally do. Think upward of a full g of deceleration.

It's up the the driver to stay alert and not delegate to them.

I think we can both accept that the mfrs give no more than "lip service" to that concept. And you can't get to a skill level, let alone maintain it, if the electronics artificially hold you back.

But you don't just have to take my word for it; there is at least one track day instructor who has all but completely stopped instructing because cars these days are not only fast but too good at (normally) covering for driver mistakes and the driver ends up not learning as much as he should. Grassroots Magazine, recent issue that I don't have handy.

Norm, I love your paranoia. Of course, you could be right. Oh great, now i'm getting paranoid!!!!!!

It's human nature to take the easy way out, and the mfrs sure aren't going to tell you that they know full well that that's what's going to happen as more people opt for making driving as easy and undemanding as possible.

Question - on a long highway trip do your thoughts automatically turn to using cruise control? If so, think how ingrained you've allowed that attitude to become. Think beyond that, on how far out of your comfort zone you might be without it.



BTW, it's not paranoia unless it never happens . . .


Norm

 

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