Buying a T6.1 with or without ACC

[TripleBee]

And don't forget, when you rely too much on those systems, will you be aware enough if they fail?

What in heavy rain, when the road lines aren't visible? You rely on the system to keep the lane. You get bored, look around you, not noticing the van doesn't recognise the lines, and doesn't turn. Will you react fast enough to correct the steering without oversteering?
Acc: you drive 100kmh, the car in front slaps on his brakes, at that moment your ACC sensor resets, so it doesn't work for 3 seconds. Are you ready to brake yourself?

Yes, the human being can be distracted too, but you should always be aware of what you are doing. Once you rely too much on the systems, you will start to neglect your own driving skills.
I hold my heart when drivers won't be able to drive their cars theirselves in a safe way anymore when the systems fail. And it's already bad on a lot of drivers without those systems.

Once again: my humble opinion. Not throwing rocks at all of you.

 

[Matty]

Not for me. Had it in my previous car did go for it on the beach

 

[Matty]

*didn't

 

[Wild Bob]

Hi guys,

I am planning on getting a T6.1 and due to stock being very limited now, is getting one without ACC a deal breaker?

The last offer in CH with ACC has, 9inch screen & digital dashboard which I dont really need. 1500 CHF of extras that I dont really need. Damm... The offering is limited :S

Number one option for me

 

[Bellcrew]

It definately would be a dealbraker for me if it had ACC.
That thing never reacts like I react in the same situation. Away goes your defensive driving style. When you are approaching a red light, and there are cars in front of you, the ACC will just keep driving until it reaches the set distance, and then start braking. I would have long lifted my foot of the accelerator to let the friction slow down my van, with most of the times having a green light when I arrive, and never have to brake.
The same for cars in front of you turning off the main road, the ACC will slam on the brakes where I would just steer a little to the left or right to pass that vehicle without the need to brake.
And for lane keeping, it is just like an annoying passenger grabbing your steering wheel and pulling the wheel when you just want to avoid a pothole in the road, crossing the line.
Just normal CC should be standard in a campervan. ACC, lane and side assist as option, but NEVER as standard. Some people still can drive their selves.
What happens when someone hits your bumper on a car park? Your ACC sensor is adjusted, and will stop working, as will other functions nowadays.
When someone hits my bumper, worst case would be a smashed parking sensor, but I will still have my CC.

But that is just my humble opinion.

If the cars are stopped at the red light the ACC will not see them it only reacts to moving vehicles.
The ACC can be cancelled at any time by the press of a steering wheel button, please yourself and use it when you think it will be an advantage.
Whilst there are some quirks once the driver understands the system it is a substantial improvement on blind/stupid cruise control that we have all experienced over the years, probably.

 

[kurienp]

The ACC is a driving support system and the driver is expected to be aware. As many people before have said - heavy traffic and long drives, ACC is excellent. I use it in town as well. As long as you know it's limits, it will support you and make driving safer. You have a safety tool, you need to learn to use it within its limit.

 

[TripleBee]

The major drawback of ACC is, you can't just have the CC function working. It is all or nothing.
If I could turn on the CC, but disable the A from time to time, I might consider having ACC.
For long highway trips I could see the use for ACC, and some other times too, but not all the time.
I'd use CC more than ACC. As long as that is only available as ACC and not divided in ACC and CC, I don't see the use for me.

You guys may take that option, I am not judging you, I just say it doesn't work for me in it's current state.

 

[Swissian]

The major drawback of ACC is, you can't just have the CC function working. It is all or nothing.
If I could turn on the CC, but disable the A from time to time, I might consider having ACC.
For long highway trips I could see the use for ACC, and some other times too, but not all the time.
I'd use CC more than ACC. As long as that is only available as ACC and not divided in ACC and CC, I don't see the use for me.

You guys may take that option, I am not judging you, I just say it doesn't work for me in it's current state.

I don’t know for sure about the T6, but on the T6.1 you can do this. I actually expect you can do this on the T6 also.

 

[Swissian]

If the cars are stopped at the red light the ACC will not see them it only reacts to moving vehicles.

I don’t think that’s true. My T6.1 will see the car stopped and slow to a stop.

 

[GraemeSmith]

Definitely go for Adaptive Cruise Control if you're planning lots of long journeys. I use mine all the time, and it's just as useful on A roads as it is on motorways. There's a safety benefit, and there's a reduction in the mental load you use, which means you can either drive further, or arrive less fatigued. And of course if you suddenly become a driving purist and decide you don't like these newfangled aids you can always choose not to use it!

I'm sure other folks will say you don't need it. But then again, you don't really need parking sensors or reversing cameras or electric windows/sliding door - but boy are they useful and convenient!

If VW are standardising it now, you will probably lose out on re-sale through not having it as well...

One extra thing to take into account: The T6 (and maybe earlier models) uses something called engine coasting to save fuel. So if you back off the throttle on the motorway, then then the gearbox disengages (if it's auto) and the vehicle goes into coast mode to save fuel. If you have ACC engaged, then it won't engine coast in the same way because the ACC is usually on and off the throttle to maintain a set speed. So fuel economy will be a little lower when using ACC, although I've not seen any figures to quantify this.

 

[Blue Yonder]

I have ACC and would not be without it. If never had then you would not miss so not a deal breaker. With ACC you do need to become acquainted with how it affects braking and cornering when engaged and then adapt how you drive accordingly. Once you have done this then ACC plus DSG adds to the relaxed driving experience both on highways and country lanes too.

 

[theosmonds]

Our T6.1 has it and I think it's fantastic on motorway journeys. My previous vehicles all had standard cruise and it was always a faff unless the motorway was practically empty. To the point that I never used it. It was just easier to just drive the car without it. So I wasn't expecting to get on with acc but having done a couple of trips (our only ones before lock down) and played around with it I'm very impressed. For me, having the automatic braking makes it far more useful than standard cc plus the ability to alter the distance between vehicles. Makes for a relaxing drive.

 

[Alain]

The ACC and DSG combo is great, especially when doing miles on the highway. The whole point about a California is having a relaxed ride in-between camp sites, and the ACC really helps in that regard

Also, you'll get Front Assist (emergency braking) too, which did intervene two or three times in the four years I have my 2017 Cali. I'm pretty sure I could have handled the situation without this function too, but it's reassuring that the car will avoid a potentially dangerous situation, even if the driver isn't paying attention.

 

[TripleBee]

even if the driver isn't paying attention.

This worries me the most. Since when would you not pay attention while driving?
If people want those features to not having to pay attention anymore while driving, take the bus.

I see enough people not paying attention on the road. And then it's us who do pay attention to avoid confrontations. Too bad those people just ignore the fact they are dangerous.

If I can't pay attention anymore while driving, I will either stop driving or stop for that day.

 

[willwander]

This worries me the most. Since when would you not pay attention while driving?
If people want those features to not having to pay attention anymore while driving, take the bus.

I see enough people not paying attention on the road. And then it's us who do pay attention to avoid confrontations. Too bad those people just ignore the fact they are dangerous.

If I can't pay attention anymore while driving, I will either stop driving or stop for that day.

You can still have ACC and pay attention, it’s not mutually exclusive. Maybe you’d like it more if you had a DSG.

 

[Alain]

Because

This worries me the most. Since when would you not pay attention while driving?
If people want those features to not having to pay attention anymore while driving, take the bus.

I see enough people not paying attention on the road. And then it's us who do pay attention to avoid confrontations. Too bad those people just ignore the fact they are dangerous.

If I can't pay attention anymore while driving, I will either stop driving or stop for that day.

Ok I should rephrase 'even if the driver isn't paying attention' to 'even if the driver didn't see it coming'. That's what I meant.

If the driver in front of you suddenly brakes, a computer will always be able to detect this potentially dangerous situation quicker than you can. So why wouldn't you want this feature? Also, with ACC you'll always be at a safe distance from the driver in front of you, there's no possibility to tailgate when it's turned on.

Back in the days when ABS and ESP were introduced, there where lots of drivers who claimed they didn't need this, using the same arguments. Would you buy a car without ABS or ESP? Just hypothetically of course, since all new cars nowadays have this installed.

Road accident fatalities in the EU dropped from 50000 a year to 25000 in the last 20 years. Yet the number of cars on the road keeps increasing. Do you think it's because drivers nowadays drive better and safer than before? No, it's because of technological advancements, not only in the way cars are built but also in electronic aids. And that's the reason things like ACC, lane assist etc. will be mandatory in a few years time. Just like seat belts, ABS, ESP, daytime running lights, etc are mandatory nowadays.

Mobility and transport

EC Transport Home page

ec.europa.eu

 

[Neilos]

Not sure it would make or break a deal for me but I was pleased ours has it because I’ve had it for the last 7 years on my golf and I used to drive 500miles a week minimum for work and found and ACC very good especially when on single lane A or B roads with slow moving traffic. Just set the ACC and let it maintain the distance. That was part of my regular commute with farm traffic or HGVs doing 40.

Normal cruise control in this country is almost of no use. So rarely are the roads clear enough. Unless you want to sit with the lorries or be constantly flicking it on and off.

ACC is not perfect though and although I like it, I often flick it off and lift off the gas, or cover the brake as and when. I don’t trust it entirely.

I have it with manual in my golf and DSG with the van and it works really well with DSG. Still good will manual but better with DSG.

I do think for a camper van where long trips are inevitable ACC is nice to have. My wife will not use it, and it doesn’t seem to reduce her enjoyment from the van so I’d say don’t let it be the primary thing.


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[john eagle]

The decision is entirely yours but remember this, you cannot retrofit ACC. Keep that in mind when taking the decision.

What’s ACC

 

[kurienp]

What’s ACC

Adaptive Cruise Control - ACC. Monitors the vehicle in front and adjusts the speed and can come to a halt as well.

 

[Cali Phillip]

I like it, took a while to get used to it, agreed it does over react a times but given the complexity of the task I feel it does a good job.
I often use it in Highland Scotland at night as I figure it might see the deer jumping out from the verge and react before me, even with led lights which are a great addition to night driving.

 

[ddgp]

Bought the car with ACC and the whole lot... Was in stock so offer was not available. What it really makes is the 80L tank

 

[Swissian]

Bought the car with ACC and the whole lot... Was in stock so offer was not available. What it really makes is the 80L tank

We should do a red Cali meet then?


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[westfalia]

We should do a red Cali meet then?


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@sapto has had a few meets in the past.
Posted here

California Club Meet - VW Bus Meet in Lucern Switzerland: Updates

There is going be a small VW Bus meeting on the 22nd of September (7pm) at the Ace Cafe (http://www.acecafeluzern.ch) next to the city of Lucerne. Great place to have a chat, eat something and get to know more Cali owners all over Switzerland (most of us speak English. At least we try :) )...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[sapto]

@sapto has had a few meets in the past.
Posted here

California Club Meet - VW Bus Meet in Lucern Switzerland: Updates

There is going be a small VW Bus meeting on the 22nd of September (7pm) at the Ace Cafe (http://www.acecafeluzern.ch) next to the city of Lucerne. Great place to have a chat, eat something and get to know more Cali owners all over Switzerland (most of us speak English. At least we try :) )...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

It has been awhile and last meeting was in summer 2019. Hope we can soon do something similar down here (beside: Today I saw quite a few Calis heading Pragelpass/Muotathal. Anyone from here?)