[Leavenfish]

Fully specked out with all the safety options, things look impressive.

I am wondering though...if it is all a bit too much? Let me explain. Yes, people don't pay attention like they should so 'more' would seem to be 'better'...kinda hard to argue. But...can it all be a bit too much? I guess you can always look upon it as one does insurance...hopefully you will never need it (in which case you are just out the $$$) but should you...nice that it's there.

I DO like the rear cross traffic feature...handy when backing out of a parking spot with all those F10's and such parked around you. Every auto should have that...except the really tall ones I guess who can see everything. The CX3 however is just not that tall, so it needs it.

Other items - forward collision avoidance. If one is careless, one is careless, you can only do so much for peoples stupidity so...let the car stop itself. Nice if it works as advertised. The little red icon lighting up in the side mirrors is nice enough. I personally like Honda's 'lane watch' where you actually get to see what's there, but the little red things are nice enough.

So, are these safety features there in part due to what would otherwise be called 'design flaws'?

I mean, as regards the CX-3, the rear window IS small. The side view mirrors ARE smallish. The thicker rear pillars and sloping rooflines make for the dangers 'safety features' are there to 'correct'. Forward collision could be said to be there because people grow increasingly careless...what all the tech in the cockpits and with bluetooth and their phones they seem to absolutely have on and IN VIEW at ALL TIMES as...heavens forbid...they might miss the latest tweet from Taylor Swift and take their eyes off the road and miss that traffic has been backing up for some reason.

I think a large chunk of this stuff is there to protect us from ourselves and mask what would certainly have to be considered design flaws without them...with them, the skeptical among us might argue are there to negate all the deaths...and resulting lawsuits which would hit the automakers for tilting toward what could be seen as increasingly unsafe designs.

Just something I've been thinking about...thoughts?

 

[okhick]

I prefer Mazda's blind spot monitoring to Honda's lane watch. I guess you can argue that a full image is better than a warning light, but Mazda's placement of the light at the corners of the mirrors would seem more likely to catch your attention than a screen below your line of sight in the dash center with no accompanying audio warning. The nature of Honda's system means it only works on one side and that's a big disadvantage.
I could imagine a larger constantly running spit screen that would allow eliminating both blind spots and outside mirrors all together. Back that up with a radar controlled audio warning that sounds if you put your blinker on with someone behind/ beside you and that will be a thorough system, but it would need to be in addition to a navi/info screen instead of interrupting those functions.


New tech features are introduced as extra cost options, but often become standard as manufacturing costs decrease and government mandates increase.

You are seeing the genesis of the autonomous car in these nanny devices, so get used to it. Autonomous steering is not so far from autonomous braking. Cars can parallel park themselves already. How long till control of all but destination is left to radar connected digital devices running electric motors and servos? Or what the heck, maybe the government will want some say in that too if they think there are too many people there already or if there is something there they would rather you did not see. (paranoia?)

It seems safety and order come at the cost of personal freedom and responsibility. Big brother marches on.

Whether we like it or not is irrelevant. It will happen. The speed of it is the only question.

 

[Leavenfish]

I prefer Mazda's blind spot monitoring to Honda's lane watch. I guess you can argue that a full image is better than a warning light, but Mazda's placement of the light at the corners of the mirrors would seem more likely to catch your attention than a screen below your line of sight in the dash center with no accompanying audio warning. The nature of Honda's system means it only works on one side and that's a big disadvantage.

One can just push a button before looking to shift right...and can keep the latewatch camera on...didn't think it stayed on but a salesman corrected me and...it did. And switching the eyes a bit to the right has to be better than turning your head to see the right side mirror...in my opinion.

Not having one on the left side...I would not consider that a "big disadvantage", they do have the extra...longer part of the mirror on the left side so you can see very well what is coming upon you. A mirror is anyone has really ever needed there unless one is in the habit of turning before looking. Now, my girlfriend likes to have her left mirror where she can see HER car...which is kind of pointless, but some people do that.

Also, I do agree about the nanny state stuff. I 'think' all cars are going to have to have a backup camera. I believe I have read that lots of toddlers are ran over by mistake...but I don't have kids. Why should I be forced to pay for something like this?

 

[Cuzlarry]

Levon fish,I don't think you will ever get the cx,3 you complain about to much really....

 

[Leavenfish]

Levon fish,I don't think you will ever get the cx,3 you complain about to much really....

Non constructive comments...but if that's all you got...

Really it's tied for the HRV in my eyes...with the Crosstrek close enough behind that I need to try it again. The CX3 has more positives in my opinion over the HRV...but also more negatives.

I'm in no hurry to decide...so....I watch all the comment for each and wait.

 

[CXIII]

While i like the positive points i'll have to admit the concerns do tend to spark my interest more since knowing what it doesn't do well is at times more important in delving into.

 

[Leavenfish]

While i like the positive points i'll have to admit the concerns do tend to spark my interest more since knowing what it doesn't do well is at times more important in delving into.

Agreed...even little things like how the center console cup holder (most people are right handed) are UNDER the armrest. What genius thought that up!? I could always flip the armrest back when I need a sip...but it's down right likely to be an irritating thing day to day.

 

[Cuzlarry]

I doubt it,it would be irrating.when you have a drink keep arm rest up.....

 

[Cuzlarry]

PS I'm a lefty

 

[Leavenfish]

Agreed...even little things like how the center console cup holder (most people are right handed) are UNDER the armrest. What genius thought that up!? I could always flip the armrest back when I need a sip...but it's down right likely to be an irritating thing day to day.

So I wonder...what do others think about the armrest and the use of the cupholders in day to day, real world driving? I believe just the Touring and Grand Touring have it standard.

It doesn't quite belong in this thread, but the only other thread I've seen seems to deal with the lack of an armrest in the base model.

 

[CX-ME]

Levon fish,I don't think you will ever get the cx,3 you complain about to much really....

>


Earlier this year I had a hard time choosing between HR-V, Crosstrek, and CX-3 as well. AWD vs FWD. CVT vs a real engine. etc

Other than deciding on having a real engine and AWD the other primary deciding factor was the i-Activ safety tech. The Crosstrek only has forward collision and back-up camera. The HR-V has half of a lane watch system and a back-up camera. The CX-3 has a full suite of safety via the i-Actv Tech Package. I wish I didn't need to go all the way up to the Grand Touring to get that package though as it turns out I'm overall quite pleased with all the rest the GT offers for my needs. (And yes the back storage area is tiny, but I didn't do anything reckless like have children. They would be strapped down to the roof if I did. )

Advanced safety features are currently not a government incursion into my life, but rather an assist to my already-vigilant driving. As a reminder, I live in NYC metro region which contains an alarmingly large population of:

--newcomers from foreign lands who have neither learned to drive there nor here; some of whom are driving here uninsured, without licenses, and without naturalization papers--- some of whom drive 10-20 miles under the speed limit at all times-- and so on;

-- an abundance of dotage-bound senior citizens who should either no longer be driving or else should stay in Florida full time;

-- women at or over the age of menopause who feel they should come to complete stops before making a turn or a lane change;

-- young machos who weave through traffic without signaling at high speed; and

-- enormous parking lots in big box strip malls featuring people who speed down lanes to get to an open slot or to get to the next big box store.

Cuz Larry can probably chime in on a few of these and more. Right, Cuz?


So, I know a lot of you are just plain folks who toss nickels around like they were manhole covers and are trying to justify your tightwad style with a lot of 1984-ish Big Brother nonsense.
Big Brother (AKA the NSA and CIA) is watching you via your emails and phone calls, not via Smart City Braking. But do get rid of the seat belts in your cars while you;re at it. The were a government regulation after some true rebels raised their voices.

 

[Cuzlarry]

Cx me is correct there are to many drivers that have no clue on driving,so the safety features are all welcome..

 

[Leavenfish]

Cx me is correct there are to many drivers that have no clue on driving,so the safety features are all welcome..

Forward collision doesn't help the issue of 'other drivers', mostly just people in a car not paying good attention to what is going on in front of them...playing with their phones, etc... but I agree to some degree 'more is better'.

My main thought though is that the safety features are more and more there to 'make up' for things like the sloping rear quarters trend and the tiny rear windows trend...so they are there to some degree to make up for what the car makers themselves are doing...as otherwise the cars themselves become less and less safe.

 

[okhick]

. "So I wonder...what do others think about the armrest and the use of the cupholders in day to day, real world driving? I believe just the Touring and Grand Touring have it standard.

It doesn't quite belong in this thread, but the only other thread I've seen seems to deal with the lack of an armrest in the base model."



There are so many larger issues that go to my satisfaction with ownership that cup holders and arm rests are a small blip on my radar.

I rarely use cup holders, but my wife and son do, slopping their sticky drinks on door panels and console. I get to dispose of the half empty cups and clean the goo.

Maybe I'll ban food and drinks in the car entirely (I can only dream of such power)

Arm rest? Yeah I guess I prefer to have one over not, but I'm not going to agonize over its shortcomings. It's absolutely trivial as compared to a car's dynamics , seat comfort and noise levels,reliability, resale , etc. There are plenty of differences in those qualities in competing brands that those bigger issues will be the basis on which I chose.

I suppose ,all important things being equal, I would chose the car with best cup holders and console but what are the chances of all else being equal?

 

[anchorman]

What this car needed was the electronic parking brake of the CX5. That would have allowed the gear selector to come back and the cup holders to go forward where they should be. Only a robot can get a drink located backwards of the length of the arm. Once the cup holders go forward they could put a box with a proper two person arm rest instead of this tacky Walmart accessory compromise. The box is a much needed storage area as this car is sadly lacking in that respect. You can maybe get away with a pop can (soda can to you guys) but a bottle or a tall cup is a pita that stands a chance of getting knocked over or slung out when it keeps making contact with an elbow.

I use the front cup holder to store my iPhone as there is nowhere else. To do that I've run the wire under the console and out through a 12mm hole which can easily be covered with the rubber insert. I'll try to post up some pictures. See here http://www.cx3forum.com/forum/interior/2833-mobile-phone-solution.html

With regard to the safety features, of course they are all good but van drivers and truck drivers have to what we all used to do - use our eyes, bend our necks and make damn sure it's clear. I feel a bit too mothered by all this clobber and I wouldn't rely on it 100% anyway.

 

[Leavenfish]

-- women at or over the age of menopause who feel...


es.

Yeh...this is kinda going to discount anything else you might say in some peoples minds. Just sayin'...

 

[DebbieinNorCal]

I really didn't want the i-activesense as I thought that it would be thoroughly annoying, but in my location, I would have to wait weeks to get the GT without it so I caved. So far, the only thing I have turned off is the LDW. Nothing else is too obnoxious. I don't see it as a big brother type of thing at all; it's just a matter of personal taste.

 

[Clementine_Ruby]

I 'think' all cars are going to have to have a backup camera. I believe I have read that lots of toddlers are ran over by mistake...but I don't have kids. Why should I be forced to pay for something like this?

I don't have kids, but I don't fancy running over someone else's. Of all the safety features this is probably one that I do think is important. This will be my first car that has a reverse camera. The safety pack was of little interest to me, for the price, I'd rather just pay attention.

When I'm not changing gears my hands are on the wheel, even on long commutes. The lack of armrest doesn't bother me, and again I'm not shelling out the $400+ it is here in Australia to get one.

It's all personal preference

 

[Leavenfish]

I don't have kids, but I don't fancy running over someone else's. Of all the safety features this is probably one that I do think is important. This will be my first car that has a reverse camera. The safety pack was of little interest to me, for the price, I'd rather just pay attention.

When I'm not changing gears my hands are on the wheel, even on long commutes. The lack of armrest doesn't bother me, and again I'm not shelling out the $400+ it is here in Australia to get one.

It's all personal preference

If I am not mistaken in 2016 it is a law in the US that all autos have to have a backup camera...because so many people don't check and have backed over their kids. Makes you wonder how we survived to adulthood, doesn't it... It's better than not having one I guess...but something of little practical importance to me/my situation so it's just something I have to pay for because someone...somewhere thinks I should have. Sigh...

If you have an AWD I can see the armrest not being so important. Those of us who do not like to have to 'roll our own gears', kinda like to kick back and enjoy the ride probably do like the armrest more. I think in the US it is standard on all but the lower trim.

I actually tried to 'abuse' the arm rest since it looked so flimsy and more like an afterthought when the salesman was not in sight...basically tried to fall on it with my right arm and muscle it to see how much give there was... but it held up nicely. Just hate how it is over the cupholders which I would use every single day on my long commute.... Like someone opined, an electronic break like in the CX5 and slight redesign of the center console would have done wonders for the practicality.

I do think the point of so many of the safety features is to...protect us from ourselves. Particularly in this day and age when we have all our 'devices' we are tempted to play with while driving, not so much from other drivers as we would like to believe. I know that is a debatable point, but I really would be interested in seeing accident data from say 20 yrs ago vs today...I think we are our own worst enemies when we get behind the wheel. I further think that when we to some degree 'enable' carelessness by tricking out an auto with so many different 'safety devices' for that reason (and as I mentioned, the sloping rooflines, the smaller windows, etc) it's kind of a sad state of affairs. Hence the reason for the thread

 

[Cuzlarry]

I think all the safety features are good, love the back up camera.... Gives you distance I'm getting the gt without the other so will be good