Help with New Car Technology

gluepot

gluepot

Striker
I had to move someone's car today. It was a brand new Lexus.
Please take into account I drive an old banger.
So I got the "keys", but I was told just had to put the black round thing next to a button.
... but that's ok so far.....
It was a hybrid as well so I was confused as there was no engine noise when the engine switched on.
It was all button pressing and fannying around.
There was no hand brake.
Eventually someone helped me to work it out I I managed to drive the car about 50 yard.
I parked it up but I left it unlocked as I could not work out how to lock it, I saw a load of messages flashing up on the dash.
I admit I'm not very good with technology but jesus I felt so inadequate.

Has anyone else suffered a similar situation with not being able to understand the new controls???
 


gluepot said:
I had to move someone's car today. It was a brand new Lexus.
Please take into account I drive an old banger.
So I got the "keys", but I was told just had to put the black round thing next to a button.
... but that's ok so far.....
It was a hybrid as well so I was confused as there was no engine noise when the engine switched on.
It was all button pressing and fannying around.
There was no hand brake.
Eventually someone helped me to work it out I I managed to drive the car about 50 yard.
I parked it up but I left it unlocked as I could not work out how to lock it, I saw a load of messages flashing up on the dash.
I admit I'm not very good with technology but jesus I felt so inadequate.

Has anyone else suffered a similar situation with not being able to understand the new controls???
Click to expand...

Are you my dad?
 
No, but I am a bit of a techy anyway. But to be honest thing kind of thing is exactly why I have repeatedly said people should be retested every so often. There is no hiding the fact that cars have changed over the years as have the roads. I passed 15 years ago, I learnt in a little Clio that's only tech was electric windows, now I drive an XC60 with cruise control, speed limiter, built in sat nav, etc etc on roads like motorways that I was not allowed to drive on and smart motorways that didn't exist.
 
Iballistic George said:
Why didn't you just get your husband to do it for you
Click to expand...
Actually when I was trying to drive it and I couldn't work out how to take off the handbrake off, the car refused to move, I was blocking the road, so the MILF in a X5 got out and drove for me... but even she struggled. Talk about embarrassing. She had to google how to take the handbrake off, I didnt have my phone with me at the time or I might have tried that.
 
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The height of chic and sophistication in the 70s was reclining seats.

Not the slight , ergonomic tilty thing of today. Needless to say my Ford Cortina had them - fell almost flat to the back seat creating a wonderful bonking arena.

The only protrusion was the gear stick and one was liable for surprise , yet mildly titilating,rectal intrusions as you thrashed around on a cold winters night , safe in your steamed up hotbed of disco driven lust.
 
gluepot said:
Actually when I was trying to drive it and I couldn't work out how to take off the handbrake off, the car refused to move, I was blocking the road, so the MILF in a X5 got out and drove for me... but even she struggled. Talk about embarrassing. She had to google how to take the handbrake off, I didnt have my phone with me at the time or I might have tried that.
Click to expand...

If it's anything like the electronic handbrake on mine just pull away and it automatically disengages.
 
gluepot said:
I had to move someone's car today. It was a brand new Lexus.
Please take into account I drive an old banger.
So I got the "keys", but I was told just had to put the black round thing next to a button.
... but that's ok so far.....
It was a hybrid as well so I was confused as there was no engine noise when the engine switched on.
It was all button pressing and fannying around.
There was no hand brake.
Eventually someone helped me to work it out I I managed to drive the car about 50 yard.
I parked it up but I left it unlocked as I could not work out how to lock it, I saw a load of messages flashing up on the dash.
I admit I'm not very good with technology but jesus I felt so inadequate.

Has anyone else suffered a similar situation with not being able to understand the new controls???
Click to expand...
BMW owners cannit even work indicators marra so you aint alone
 
gluepot said:
I had to move someone's car today. It was a brand new Lexus.
Please take into account I drive an old banger.
So I got the "keys", but I was told just had to put the black round thing next to a button.
... but that's ok so far.....
It was a hybrid as well so I was confused as there was no engine noise when the engine switched on.
It was all button pressing and fannying around.
There was no hand brake.
Eventually someone helped me to work it out I I managed to drive the car about 50 yard.
I parked it up but I left it unlocked as I could not work out how to lock it, I saw a load of messages flashing up on the dash.
I admit I'm not very good with technology but jesus I felt so inadequate.

Has anyone else suffered a similar situation with not being able to understand the new controls???
Click to expand...
I borrowed a merc the other day and couldn’t work the handbrake or start it
 
gluepot said:
I had to move someone's car today. It was a brand new Lexus.
Please take into account I drive an old banger.
So I got the "keys", but I was told just had to put the black round thing next to a button.
... but that's ok so far.....
It was a hybrid as well so I was confused as there was no engine noise when the engine switched on.
It was all button pressing and fannying around.
There was no hand brake.
Eventually someone helped me to work it out I I managed to drive the car about 50 yard.
I parked it up but I left it unlocked as I could not work out how to lock it, I saw a load of messages flashing up on the dash.
I admit I'm not very good with technology but jesus I felt so inadequate.

Has anyone else suffered a similar situation with not being able to understand the new controls???
Click to expand...

When I picked my car up from Leeds, i hadn’t a clue how to drive it. Put it in to drive (via side stork) instead of reverse and very nearly took it thru the showroom window.

Took about 10 minutes to get used to, now it’s so much easier than a normal car, most things are taken care of automatically and it’s so much more user friendly. Just driven to the whiskey distillery in Girvan Scotland and back today, 8 hour round trip and barely feels like I’ve driven.
 
Dave Herbal said:
I borrowed a merc the other day and couldn’t work the handbrake or start it
Click to expand...
Eventually I (with the help of the MILF) worked you had to press an innocent looking button/control marked "P". which was hidden amongst numerous other buttons
Joe Public said:
When I picked my car up from Leeds, i hadn’t a clue how to drive it. Put it in to drive (via side stork) instead of reverse and very nearly took it thru the showroom window.

Took about 10 minutes to get used to, now it’s so much easier than a normal car, most things are taken care of automatically and it’s so much more user friendly. Just driven to the whiskey distillery in Girvan Scotland and back today, 8 hour round trip and barely feels like I’ve driven.
Click to expand...
Thats probably where I went wrong. should have necked a bottle of scotch first!! Then it would have been easy
 
Some of the tech like auto handbrake and adaptive cruise control is class. But as another poster said, at least 50% of the tech is pointless and you use it about twice before it becomes a pain or not relevant at all. Actually I’d say even the adaptive cruise control I hardly use anymore.

The automatic parking (park assist?) I’ve never seen anyone use.
 

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