Whitebird, I forgot to add the automatic headlight feature also for those that are too stupid to turn on their lights when it gets dark. I also live in Florida and this is something I've noticed a lot over the past 2 years. There are more and more people driving without lights these days and it makes you wonder.

The government and insurance lobbyists are actually pushing the manufacturers for these features. If you keep telling people that they aren't capable of doing something as simple as turning on lights, eventually they'll believe you. The "twilight sentinel" feature for automatic headlamps was a luxury item found only on high end cars. Over the years, this feature has run its way down to the masses.

The same is happening with back up cameras. Years ago, it was a very expensive "option", but the new Mustang, Challenger and Chargers and many others come with the display screen already installed and I think the camera is standard. I could be wrong on that though. So, what is a "convenience" on the higher end cars will become standard on all vehicles over time.

 

You sure the auto transmission put it into FIFTH gear for going DOWNhill? Fifth gear would speed the car up - low gears for going down hill and employing engine braking.

 

The backup camera thing is coming sooner than you might expect. The government has mandated that all passenger cars manufactured after May 1, 2018 must have a backup camera as standard equipment. Light trucks are due to follow two years later.

 

I have not encountered this on the mustang, but yes, even some autos will roll back if the hill is steep enough. My Focus used to do it, but only on steep hills and it was an automatic. Wife's Nissan is the same way, rolls back slightly on hills before giving it some gas.

Hill Start Assist reduces wear on the clutch. I have no idea what it does for an automatic. I drove manual's for years until I got sick of bumper to bumper traffic and leg cramps and back issues from continuously changing gear. The Automatic in the Mustang is pretty awesome. Selectshift for the Win.

 

If you have a modern automatic (not one of the slush boxes of old) and you roll back more than an inch or two even on the steepest hill while moving your foot from the brake to the gas... what are you doing that takes so long - sending a text between brake and gas? Simple inertia will keep the vehicle from rolling in the half second it takes to get on the gas.

 

The M6 only has hill start assist bro!

 

Fifth gear is a lower gear. We have 6 speed transmissions

 

Yeah it locks out 6th. It holds gears longer too when up shifting. If you are going down a hill it will engine brake if you tap the brakes or if you get going fast enough. The feature is called "hill assist" btw, so you are correct but no, not hill start assist. I love this feature of my auto especially when you are merging on the highway

 

Actually the feature that modifies shifting for hills is called "grade assist". There is "grade assist" for automatics and "hill start assist" for manuals.

 

All of these electronic Features ( yea right ) are terrible. It takes all the learning out of driving. Also the Fun. Case in point. My Girlfriend has them all in her Infiniti. She is lost when she gets into a car that does not have them. Like the electronic parking assist. Well get use to it and get into a car that does not have it and you will crash the car. When you have Brake assist. You get use to not looking out the window all the time and when you get into a car with out it Yep you guessed it you hit or crash a car. All of these things suck unless you just use a car for transportation and I know everyone on this sight does not do that.

 

I know hey! I had a brand new BMW for work this week, and i was LOST with all the gadgetry. The goddam shifter was a frikkin christmas tree, with buttons and crap. My coworkers Q50 was even worse! it knows where the road lines are and guides him

 

Kinda sorta somewhat almost slightly related to the topic......

You know what I miss? I miss the high beam button on the floor that was operated by your left foot. Back in the day you could flash your brights without loosening your streering wheel grip, plus it freed up your right hand when reaching for a beer.

Seriously....how many old farts here remember that "feature"?

 

I'm old . My 1991 F150 has the button on the floor

 

My '13 has all the electronic goodies and I enjoy them. But, I still know how to operate manual stuff and do so whenever I drive my '65 Corvair or wife's '03 Miata.

 

Yep. So does my 83 F150.

 

Nice to hear about the old F150s. I have a 93. Sorry for the thread jack