strange people in Alyesbury

Botus

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I just went via Sytner High Wycombe (a BMW garage) to Aylesbury.

Last time I was at the BM dealer (one of the biggest going... so they tell me) they didn't have a single car with ACC (active cruise), this time they had 4 in the place, a £140k 7 series, a brand new Alpina, some disgusting jelly mould 6 series tank, and a 530e. And then a brand new M5 without it !!!

Bemused that they are starting to get a few and how it isn't standard fit on a 5 series or bigger, I was mentioning its in stark contract to my local Merc dealer where nearly every vehicle has Distronic plus (even the B class stuff).

Then by chance I walked through the main Merc dealer at Aylesbury and out of 25 Merc's in the forecourt not a single car had it. They must be a strange bunch up there !
 

Mr Filipov

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Unfortunately this id due to the leasing business in this country. Everyone wants the badge for cheap and is scared of the price increase when starting to add options and packages.

This is why there are so many bare bones cars kicking about. Go to the likes of Germnay and you will be hard pressed to not find a car in the exact spec that you want. Fully optioned cars are a rarety in this country whoch is a great shame.

It was a couple of weeks that I saw a 7 series on auto trader that disappeared within 2 days. That thing had every single box ticked including individual paint.

As far as Mercedes goes there are highly specced cars but they are on the market for such a short time that unless you’re looking and ready to buy there and then you just don’t stand a chance to even find them.
 

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As Mr. Filipov says, leasing and PCP have effectively killed off option fits on high end brands, people are going for the badge not the content.
 

Rory

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As Mr. Filipov says, leasing and PCP have effectively killed off option fits on high end brands,

I think that's a good thing - having to 're-buy' the options every time you change car is somewhat insane.

Mate of mine switched to from MB to Lexus quite a few years ago over this.


ACC is standard on all but the entry level Golf - didn't realise it was rare on 'premium' models.
 
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Mr Filipov

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I think that's a good thing - having to 're-buy' the options every time you change car is somewhat insane.

Mate of mine switched to from MB to Lexus quite a few years ago over this.


ACC is standard on all but the entry level Golf - didn't realise it was rare on 'premium' models.

It is only a good thing if you want to buy a bog standard car. You’re spoilt for choice then. Start looking for something with specific options and you could be looking for months. Adaptive lights on a BMW are a rare sight, likewise on Audi. BMW even charge another level on top for the high beam assist as well.

The smaller, so to speak, companies are including more and more kit as everyone else is doing so as standard. The Golf is in a segment with a lot of koreans, japs, fords, frenchies etc and it’s a lot more competetive at that level due to cost of car, or affordability if you wish to look at it this way.

Step up to premium saloons and everyone goes to the likes of BMW, Mercedes and Audi as they have established their names. That is what they are currently living off of, as people will just go out and buy them. Lexus for example are a but limited on engine choices, they don’t even do a diesel. That is not a bad thing, but it’s not what the market here wants.

And yes I do think a lot of the stuff should be standard in this day and age as tech is becoming cheaper by the hour, but unless people refuse to buy the cars nothing will change.
 
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Botus

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the proliferation of Distronic plus at my local dealer made me think Merc had started to fit it as std. But the Aylesbury dealership confirms that as rubbish.

A bigger concern is the M5, I remember reading the lead development engineer telling one of the UK car mag guys, they will offer ACC because a traffic jam reminded him even the proper cars get stuck. He had spent the day playing, then got snarled up with Sunday traffic on the coast road in California and realised he couldn't even relieve the stress of the traffic jam by admiring the view out the window. So you can imagine my shock when every mag in the UK post misleading photos in the magazines with ACC fitted (yet the cars they all tested never had it and as std they do not come with ACC). On an 80 k car ! when its std on a 15k golf, and available on a ford for £500

Anyway the weekend took the number of physical BMs with ACC I have seen from 3 to 8.... quite remarkable when it became available in 2007 and was on my 335d

 

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Distronic would be virtually the last option i would want on a car, i had nothing but trouble with active cruise control on an Audi which was never resolved. Other options which are a waste of money are lane assist, blind spot assist,
 
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Botus

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lane assist and blind spot waste of time ACC essential

VW active cruise plays up for everybody when you or others nudge the bumper, you clip it back in (very firm press and it clicks back in place... but never looks like it ever popped out, which is what catches everyone out) then it works after lock to lock a few times... but it is rather rudimental even on the latest top end stuff (e.g. the new toerag, I was reading about it in Car mag I'm reading now). The BM version is light years ahead of the Merc one, with VW about 20 decades back from that

If I was transport minister all Lorries would have to have it before the end of the year
 

Woody123

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I’ve used ACC once. It’s not my cup of tea, it wouldn’t bother me not having it.. maybe a lot of people choosing a company car think the same I don’t know


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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I'm in 2 minds about ACC. It can make for an easier time on motorways but it can also be a pain when approaching a car in lane 2 that's going just a little slower than your cruise setting and the car just subtly slows down to match the car in front. Before you know it you're traveling slower than intended.
 

alexanderfoti

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WRT Distronic plus, I love it. Have it on both cars and use it nearly every journey.

Its especially good when travelling in jams at 20+ mph as you just creep along.

I would love to have a 222/217 with Stop/go assist..... If you understand its limitations, its a very useful thing.


I also agree with the options thing. I always keep an eye out for CL63s as per my last look, and there a surprising number without distronic (which was one of 3 options available on the CL63!)
 

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I have pilot assist in the XC90 and at first wasn’t sure but after our annual trip up North at Easter I’m won over - the A9 is a pig of a road and it just took all the stress out of the experience completely...
 

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I'm also a big fan of distronic, once you get used to how they work it makes for very relaxing modern day driving
 

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It is only a good thing if you want to buy a bog standard car. You’re spoilt for choice then. Start looking for something with specific options and you could be looking for months. Adaptive lights on a BMW are a rare sight, likewise on Audi. BMW even charge another level on top for the high beam assist as well.

The smaller, so to speak, companies are including more and more kit as everyone else is doing so as standard.
……….

And yes I do think a lot of the stuff should be standard in this day and age as tech is becoming cheaper by the hour, but unless people refuse to buy the cars nothing will change.

That's what I meant really - while people continue to load up their cars with options, which are tremendously profitable for manufacturers, then the situation will continue.

In the US, options tend to be bundled into packs - it's happening a bit with MB UK with Premium and PremiumPlus packs. One advantage is that more cars can be held in stock by dealers as there's less risk of an orphan car due to it having the wrong options fitted. We're stupid here as we'll cheerfully wait 6 mths for delivery - US buyers won't.
 

Chrishazle

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When I first saw the title of this thread I thought - hang on a minute, my daughter and SIL live in Aylesbury, and they're not strange!!

Then I thought about it a bit more, and decided that's maybe why they live in Aylesbury - and fit in there quite well!!:):):)
 
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Botus

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...when approaching a car in lane 2 that's going just a little slower than your cruise setting and the car just subtly slows down to match the car in front. Before you know it you're traveling slower than intended.


yes this is an issue, and seems to be becoming worse. Never once noticed this in the BM, now I get it al the time in the Merc.
I suspect its related to traffic density and the fact everyone is driving to save money.

However, off the motorway its a god send, use it within 200m of leaving the house and do 80% of driving with it on
 

alexanderfoti

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yes this is an issue, and seems to be becoming worse. Never once noticed this in the BM, now I get it al the time in the Merc.
I suspect its related to traffic density and the fact everyone is driving to save money.

However, off the motorway its a god send, use it within 200m of leaving the house and do 80% of driving with it on

I don't get it, is the problem that your car is detecting the car ahead on another lane?
 

flowrider

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yes this is an issue, and seems to be becoming worse. Never once noticed this in the BM, now I get it al the time in the Merc.
I suspect its related to traffic density and the fact everyone is driving to save money.

However, off the motorway its a god send, use it within 200m of leaving the house and do 80% of driving with it on
I prefer to drive my car myself around town, using distronic in that scenario is an accident waiting to happen. IMO.
 

alexanderfoti

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I prefer to drive my car myself around town, using distronic in that scenario is an accident waiting to happen. IMO.

I use it around town too. Its really very predictable and used as an aid, your always driving. You get good feedback in the dash as to what it sees etc.

My passengers can't tell when I'm driving with it.
 

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