My MG4 Trophy is Dangerous. And other Rants

[Buster72]

So how are you going to get proficient if you don't use them?

I meant becoming proficient at driving the car first. And then I will use them I will use them one at a time.
Reason I say this is that on my current car which has many of the driver assistance systems, I hardly use any of them.

 

[amdmad]

Adaptive cruise is OK,its the other cars on motorway that's the problem. If cars moved to the left when overtaking at a safe distance and notjust cut in, my MG wouldn't brake as much.

 

[DGinUK]

So how are you going to get proficient if you don't use them?

Morning Everyone

I think the driver assistance features are ok, not perfect (my old VW t-roc was very good but still had its gremlins).

maybe we should make some headings for each assist and then bullet point the gremlins, we can then forward them on or tick them off when they get tweaked?

 

[bowfer]

I meant becoming proficient at driving the car first. And then I will use them I will use them one at a time.
Reason I say this is that on my current car which has many of the driver assistance systems, I hardly use any of them.

You’re going to get fed up doing a ‘pre flight check list’ every time you drive the car, switching stuff off.

 

[Ron61]

Hi All,

If you want to buy a car with a really flakey automated system get a Tesla, MG are just playing at it.

Tesla cars involved in 10 of the 11 new crash deaths linked to automated-tech vehicles

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows the deaths included four crashes involving motorcycles.

fortune.com

Personally I prefer the Mk1 autopilot me!!!!

Ron.

 

[Buster72]

You’re going to get fed up doing a ‘pre flight check list’ every time you drive the car, switching stuff off.

That maybe the case. But I will understand it more when I get my car.

 

[Quidgebo]

I’m really confused when reading this thread.
My trophy has been OK so far with lane keep assist and TJA. Doesn’t enable until speed is 35+ so safe on little country lanes.
Motorway, big A roads handle fine. Common complaint is the braking for gentle bends or how quickly it slows if a car take the gap in front. Forget to signal and it thinks you’re wondering and not changing lane - or wet roads or unclear markings confuse where it thinks the lane markings are…

The car is not going to handle cornering, hills and traffic on A roads generally - yet it’s not designed to do so.

 

[bowfer]

I’m really confused when reading this thread.
My trophy has been OK so far with lane keep assist. Doesn’t enable until speed is 35+ so safe on little country lanes.
Motorway, big A roads handle fine. Common complaint is the braking for gentle bends or how quickly it slows if a car take the gap in front. Forget to signal and it thinks your wondering and not changing lane or wet roads or unclear markings confuse where it thinks the lane marking are…

The car is not going to handle corning on A roads for me - it’s not designed to do so.

What you’re describing isn’t LKA.
It only deals with keeping you in lane, not braking for you or holding gaps.
Sounds like you’re confusing ACC (active cruise control) with lane keeping.

 

[Quidgebo]

I’m referring to “TJA” mode so just Acc with Lane Keeping Assist together.

 

[lsb777]

Personally, I rarely use cruise control in my current EV and would only really consider using on a long uninterrupted motorway journey, there doesn't seem much point using on smaller A-roads and definitely not on bendy roads as it's not designed for much more than a shallow bend.

 

[Rolfe]

Holy thread necromancy, Batman!

 

[Jonoffun]

Personally, I rarely use cruise control in my current EV and would only really consider using on a long uninterrupted motorway journey, there doesn't seem much point using on smaller A-roads and definitely not on bendy roads as it's not designed for much more than a shallow bend.

I understand there is a recall notice and also a software update correcting this KIL (Keep in Lane) issue. Also the Brighton MG4 is taking the bookings for the software update from 17th July onwards. Because they don't offer a curtesy car I have had to wait until Sept 4th and book into Crawley

 

[Alb]

Holy thread necromancy, Batman!

A mere trifle.
On one of the other clubs I look after I had someone reply to a post that was 14 years old

 

[Rolfe]

A mere trifle.
On one of the other clubs I look after I had someone reply to a post that was 14 years old

Personally, I rarely use cruise control in my current EV and would only really consider using on a long uninterrupted motorway journey, there doesn't seem much point using on smaller A-roads and definitely not on bendy roads as it's not designed for much more than a shallow bend.

I've never had any sort of cruise control before, couldn't really see the point of it. I started to use ACC on my MG4 when a passenger who likes cruise control asked me if the car had it. I found it quite effective in playing follow-my-leader on a single-carriageway A road, but I'm not sure how much I would use it in that mode, as I think I drive more smoothly than the car does in that situation.

On a bendy A road (is there any other sort?) without a car in front it scared the pants off me because I could see the bend coming and wanted to slow down, normally I'd have had my foot off the accelerator, but the car just barrelled on. I think it's just as easy (and smoother) to drive the car normally than to tab down the ACC speed then back up again.

I've tried it on the motorway once and I think I would use it again. The car is very forward-going, and it's a bit too easy to find yourself going quite a bit faster than you meant to, which isn't good for economy, or indeed for the cleanliness of your driving licence.

 

[DBedford]

Well whenever I finally get my car, I am not going to use any of the driver assistance settings, or as few as the system allows until I have become proficient at using them.

How can you become proficient in their use, if you’re not going to use them?

 

[lsb777]

Holy thread necromancy, Batman!

Sorry for adding to the thread. Didn't realise it would be taken in this way.

 

[Rolfe]

I was only joking! Not intended to be a criticism in any way.

How can you become proficient in their use, if you’re not going to use them?

I think that was answered in post 21.

 

[Ian Key]

Sorry for adding to the thread. Didn't realise it would be taken in this way.

Don't worry about it. You'll find a lot of the comments on this forum are tongue in cheek with the odd wind up thrown in.

 

[Jonoffun]

ACC is very good on any modern car. Where you have to be careful is to trust the car to brake hard when it needs to and not be tempted to half intervene. I have let the car do almost an emergency brake from 68mph on the motorway and it really was scary to trust it - but it worked. The worst time is to have the car accelerating to the set speed, the car in front has stopped and it is just out of sight of the detection system, especially if you have it set to one space rather than three. So you are accelerating when you can see the traffic is stationary ahead, the key is not to tap the brakes in fear- then the ACC system is disengaged, it is almost fatalistic driving. You either have to trust it or never trust it. But using ACC on the M25 is pure joy, stop,start, crawl, speed up, slow down - just so relaxing.

Having re-read this, I would not rely on the car stopping itself, it is too scary and if it did fail you are going to have a bad accident. ACC is good for cruising on the motorway and stop and starts in traffic, but approaching stationary cars and relying on it when you are travelling at speed is too risky. It was white knuckles when I did it once and I do not know why I trusted it, I would not advise relying on it with hindsight and I would not do anything that reckless again!

 

[Rolfe]

I have the deepest sympathy with you, having to drive on the M25. (The only thing worse was having to drive to these places before they built the damn thing.) My old Fiesta once overheated on the M25 on a sunny day, in the roadworks that went on for years while they widened it to the width their consultants told them to build it to in the first place. I had to be rescued by the guy in the yellow rescue van.)

I can well imagine ACC would be good in that situation. (Wouldn't TJA be even better?) But out on the open road it feels jerky to me, compared to my own driving. It also scares me witless coming up to sharp-ish corners that I can see and it can't.