good afternoon,
Don't forget that we are in 2022 and the world is progressing and in the future there will be flying vehicles.
A science screen or not is a design and therefore the price accordingly. In any case, I'm comfortable with a touch screen.

Hi,

TCU-(transmission control unit) or transmission control unit is an electronic component that is increasingly used in automatic transmissions in recent years. As the name suggests, just like the ECU (Engine Control Unit), the TCU is a computer designed to control a mechanical component (the transmission in this case). The calculations are based on various inputs that the TCU receives from other components. A mechanical or hydraulic component can then be activated.

If you buy a top of the range car you get Sat Nav through the touch screen with a three year subscription included for live traffic updates and other premium services, excluding speed cameras and alerts which requires an additional subscription.

If you buy a middle of the range car the Sat Nav package is an additional £800 plus an additional subscription if you want the speed cameras and alerts.

The salesperson said a lot of customers don’t bother with the Sat Nav packages, because you can plug your phone into the touch screen and it mirrors your phone, so you can use the Sat Nav app on your phone through the touch screen.

Just think of how many potential issues there are having your car touch screen mirroring your phone.

Just to note, I went into a Ford Dealership first and enquired about having a new Ford Fiesta, I was told that Ford have closed the order book, so I have the choice of two that were ordered by other people who got fed up with waiting for delivery and cancelled their orders, but the cars will still be made to the specification the original customer ordered and cannot be altered despite the cars having not yet been built. Then she told me the prices £22,500 and £23,500 which was when I quietly moved on as I was thinking more low to mid-teens after the part exchange, which is doable.

Apparently wiring harnesses, touch screens and other electrical equipment for many car manufacturers are made in Western Ukraine and the war is stopping many car and van manufacturers from being able to build vehicles.

Also, as noted above I’m a cheapskate and need to raise the bar into the higher end of the teens, to sixteen or seventeen after the part exchange and a touch screen and Sat Nav is more of an essential than I thought being a man who sticks his Sat Nav on the window, though I can talk to it. 

I was told in the dealership that some new vans are being quoted with delivery in twelve months from when the order is placed.

I feel sure that this has implications for driving licenses. How long would it be until drivers who rely on these aids become unable to use a car with conventional controls, be they with a manual or an automatic gearbox?

I imagine it will become  like driving tractors or steam traction engines is now. Once there are not enough vehicles of that type to make maintaining test centres etc worthwhile,  it will be dropped, and you will be allowed it under another test.

So now for example while  there is a tractor only test you can do at 16,  most folk do  not, so  right now if you have a normal car license (manual gearbox) passed in a ford escort, or a more modern equivalent,  you can use it to allow you to hop into the cab of a tractor and tow 30 tonnes (weights for tractor towing~) or fire up  a steam traction engine (but not a road roller for which there is another test) and rumble off at 5mph burning coal or wood (but not in a low emission zone or on a motorway!! ).

If you want to to drive a minibus, or tow something behind a car however, because that is a common use, or , that is more tightly controlled.
I see no issue.  Eventually I expect driving the occasional  ICE car will be permitted to folk who only passed a test in an electric one if they feel the urge to do so.

Mike

We've had some miserable weather in my area of the world for the last few weeks with the commute both to and from work in either sudden downpours or thick to moderate fog and yet again the number of drivers driving around without their lights on (specifically rear lights) astounds me! Today has been no exception with thick fog blanketing the commute to Stevenage and a count of at least 25-30 cars on the 15 mile journey with no rear lights on! 

I don't understand why daytime running lights aren't also applied to the rear lights of cars too? 

That is one of my pet hates.

Volvo brought day light running lights to the UK several decades ago with lights front and back, however these days lights on new cars are more about making a design statement than practicalities. 

I can’t see it mentioned above, Volkswagen are putting “real” buttons back on their steering wheels.

As the name suggests, a steering wheel is a circular control that is turned by the driver to get the vehicle to go in the right direction, it is something that the driver should be using intuitively without looking at it, which was quite possible until they were festooned with controls that should be on the dashboard.

www.topgear.com/.../volkswagen-bringing-back-real-steering-wheel-buttons

Sparkingchip said:

more about making a design statement than practicalities.

That's very true Sparkingchip ! 

Can't remember which make they are but there's one car that has the indicator light in the centre of a circular rear light which is completely useless as you just can't see an orange flashing light in the centre of the red rear lights when they're switched on. And why does a car need six lights on the front? And what are those ridiculous 'Knight Rider' style rear lights all about? 'Style over substance' comes to mind!

And don't get me started on the piercingly bright and blinding headlights that some cars now have too.  "Yup as long as I can see where I'm going I don't care that I'm blinding all other road users!"