Summary of 2021 Ford Mustang Changes: There’s good news and bad news

[Gregs24]

Just because you want to use it in the rain and haven't had a problem yet still doesn't make it right. It may have just made you lucky so far. This is not the place to be using that particular technology.

Boldface mine; wet normally qualifies as slippery . . .




Norm

If you stop using CC in the wet you would never use it in the UK !

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[Norm Peterson]

We will have to agree to differ on other car technology, but the world will move on with or without you.

What I am particularly afraid of with so many of these new automotive '"assist" technologies is that the world is moving toward the "lose it" end of "use it or lose it" almost as fast as it can. I'm afraid I can't make that sound like a good thing.

I know what not having daily practice at one particular driving skill has cost me since retiring. I'm pretty sure I could get it back, but it'd take too big of a change in my daily routine for too long to get all the way back to where I once was. Those who come into driving with all these aids won't even be able to grasp what might be possible as an unassisted driver.


Norm

 

[Norm Peterson]

If you stop using CC in the wet you would never use it in the UK !

You really need to understand that I don't ever use it over on this side of the pond as it is. Like, no matter how favorable the driving conditions for using CC might be. Sunny, not a cloud in the sky, no traffic, and a straight road for as far as the eye can see, and I still wouldn't use it

At this point, I'd have to refer to an Owner Manual just to find out how to use it and where its controls might be located. I doubt it'd be very difficult, but as it amounts to useless knowledge for my driving I don't even need to know those things.

I'm not making any of that up.


Norm

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

In the rain is one of those times you should not be using CC. Whether or not it's the "active" kind.


Norm

Why so? Its better because you are going at constant speed without throttle? If you don't use CC you could accelerate and break traction from throttle tire spin slippage, and oversteer. When you are going at a constant speed that won't happen. I guess if its the radar cruise control it might not be good, but I don't see how using CC is a bad idea, since you are going at a constant speed and wont suddenly unsettle the car

 

[Norm Peterson]

Why so? Its better because you are going at constant speed without throttle? If you don't use CC you could accelerate and break traction from throttle tire spin slippage, and oversteer. When you are going at a constant speed that won't happen. I guess if its the radar cruise control it might not be good, but I don't see how using CC is a bad idea, since you are going at a constant speed and wont suddenly unsettle the car

CC can't tell what the conditions of the moment are, and if it was resuming speed after your car had slowed significantly because the reason for the slowing down had been resolved it could easily be trying to push more power to the drive tires than they could hold. IOW, you catch up to a car being driven much slower than you, and he turns off or pulls into a breakdown lane. You either hit 'Resume' or the ACC hits 'Resume' for you . . .

Seriously, you're supposed to be a good enough driver that you can avoid doing things that could snap the car loose no matter how powerful it might be. If you can't maintain a constant speed within no more than a couple mph either side, and control your throttle inputs to amounts as small as necessary - all by your human self - why can't you?

But you don't have to take just my word for it. I suggest you take your argument up with any OEM; they all say not to use CC/ACC either in the rain specifically, or indirectly under the "slippery" catch-all.


Norm

 

[Michael_vroomvroom]

If you stop using CC in the wet you would never use it in the UK !

I belive the problem, or at least one of the problems, with cruise control in the wet/rain is what it will do if your car starts to hydroplane. I have some experience with that since I took a basic "safe driving course" not long after I got my Mustang at the start of the year (and plan to take the "advanced" course once it becomes available after this covid-19 stuff, even though I, as all other drivers, know I'm better than the average driver. ;-)

If the car starts hydroplaning there are three things you need to do, as immediately as possible:

a) let go off the gas.
b) do some very quick manoeuvres with the steering wheel. Really quick. Much quicker than I imagined. The course was worth it for this alone.
c) keep your foot off the brakes.

You can't do a) if you have cruise control enabled.

 

[Onlyone]

I love CC. I use it every time I drive it. I obviously don’t use it unless the road is dry. I have the ACC in my Jeep and love it. I wish my Mustang would have had it.

 

[Mustangpursuit]

I got all the bells and whistles and I am happy with my GT/CS and will maybe put the FP pack on it to be close to Mach 1 power and already have some suspension upgrades.

a Jet Fighter grey GT/CS would look nice the GT/CS each year gets limited colors and often just the normal ones, not the nice rare colors.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I'll leave you luddites to your reinforcing conversation on this one

No return flame intended, Greg, but “Luddite" is rather antagonistic word. But I get it. I'm not opposed to new technology simply because it is new technology, but I absolutely do believe that just because it is new isn't nearly enough reason to embrace it if you’ve already got a good way of doing what it would do. As illustration, if I couldn’t hold a constant speed within ±10 mph of a target speed on the highway, I’d most likely be in favor of CC (the jury would still be out on ACC).

It’s one thing to hand off a task that you flat-out can’t manage in real time by yourself to the appropriate technology. EFI as a general technology is the poster-boy example here. Pretty much all benefit, no downside (I’m not going to get into things like how tuning for emissions can still get in the way of tuning for drivability, because that’s not an inherent downside of EFI itself).

CC, ACC, HSA, and a number of other driving assistances are not in the same category, as they intentionally seek to replace the driver for tasks that he should be able to fully manage without any help. Each of them distances the driver just a little from the business of driving as he uses it. And that means as a driver you’re losing something in the process, whether that be in terms of reaction time, physical coordination, or something else.



I really don't mind being prompted to think about these things. If nothing else, it helps me understand myself a little better.


Norm

 

[shogun32]

you're supposed to be a good enough driver that you can avoid doing things that could snap the car loose no matter how powerful it might be. If you can't maintain a constant speed within no more than a couple mph either side

I drove 580 miles non-stop in the dead of night (10pm to 7am) primarily along I-85 2 days ago in my F150. There were 2 major wrecks along the way with wild spinouts resulting in missing rear wheel and other damage. One was single-car, the other was a 3-car. Conditions were dry clear and where the 3-car was patches of damp with low-hanging fog.

I used CC only sporadically the entire length - when I needed to stretch, to eat, to yodel with my head outside like a dog. (kidding on the last one) and for about a solid hour while I paced a FedEx truck hauling ass. But most of the time 'active driving' was perfectly comfortable and natural.

Maybe people who reach for the CC at the drop of the hat don't have the ergonomics correct?

 

[Norm Peterson]

Maybe people who reach for the CC at the drop of the hat don't have the ergonomics correct?

Quite possibly.

I'm thinking here that the higher you set the seat cushion height, the more chair-like your driving posture becomes, and the greater the amount of ankle flex you'd have to use for the relatively small amounts of throttle needed for steady-state cruising. That could explain a lot of any long-drive comfort and throttle modulation issues people might be having.


Norm

 

[Bikeman315]

So still discussing a technology whose modern roots started before any of us were born (late 1940's).

Norm, my seating position is just fine. On a long trip I will make occasional adjustments but it has nothing to do with CC/ACC of any other technology in my car. I have and use it because I like it and find it useful. I am also very careful when I use it (no rain, etc.). It doesn't negatively impact my abilities as a driver. Not one iota. If i felt it did, I would stop using it.

But as you said in an earlier post we just look at some technology differently and that's OK. I consider myself to be an excellent driver and also enjoy some of the new tech that makes my car more enjoyable. You believe that the use of some of this new tech makes one less of a driver and would prefer cars not to have them.

Well, for whatever its worth, that is not happening. Our vehicles are virtually computers on wheels and that is only going to get worse and not better. That's why I bought my V8 when I did.

 

[Mustangpursuit]

For over 20 years I am thankful of the ACC option, since I live in a area with traffic on highways so it helps safely keep my car at an exact distance from the car in front of me and not need to push buttons or touch brake to deal with it and resume etc.

I even use cruise control in rain and snow for many years and had no ill effects. (setting it to proper safe speed for the environment, not speed limit)

 

[Cobra Jet]

Some of the reasons vehicles are coming with all these nannies year after year isn’t because “we” want them - it’s because it’s being crammed down everyone’s throats by the NHTSA and the Feds. They are mandating that Vehicle Manufacturers must have ABC and XYZ safety features in place for year X.

Whatever happened to metal dashboards, non-collapsible steering wheels and nearly shatter resistant glass that would knock some sense into someone after hitting (insert object here).... LMAO

My prior 2016 S550 that was a Buy Back didn’t have the reverse sensing nannies; when I had my 2018 replacement built to the same specs as my prior 2016, due to what was now “current mandated” safety features, the 2018 came with those reverse sensing nannies in the same option package that never had it prior years. I could care less about the features - sure it’s there, but not for my liking.

The one thing I’m not liking about newer vehicles becoming more software/hardware oriented is that we are not getting any systematic updates as users. Meaning, sure if you have a “computer” or a mobile device, the manufacturer of that device is obligated to send out software revisions every so often - where “we” accept the updates so our computer or devices run as efficient as possible or so that glitches are repaired. This is not true with a vehicle (exclude Tesla) unless the Owner happens to bring it in because of XYZ complaint.

Why Automotive Manufacturers are not obligated to do the same - even AFTER a Warranty period has expired is behind me.

I’m not talking about “SYNC” updates... I’m talking about actual necessary module updates during an owner’s lifecycle of that vehicle that affect performance, functionality and other aspects of the vehicle related to DRIVING (not music or user friendly shit).

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