Luddite,
I've noticed a major change in recent years with the increasing use of more sophisticated electronics to control the vehicle and the manner in which it is driven has lead to more disclaimers and warnings in the user handbooks and more fail safes being introduced into the vehicle to stop the 'innocent or just plain stupid' driver doing something stupid. I'm just looking a getting another Mercedes and this one has 'stop/start' of the engine when stationary. I was surprised to read the warning and necessary fail safes against getting out the car whilst in a engine stop/start cycle with the engine stopped and the car left in automatic drive ! As the car may restart and move off of its own accord!!!!!!!!!!! The number of warnings of injury etc.in the handbook becomes almost farcical, so it must be addressing the quick to litigate US market.
You start to wonder at the power drain from using all the accessories eg the heated neck scarf has a warning it may not work due to power drain of other accessories or during its use in the engine stop/start cycle, even the Sat Nav has its own internal battery (that needs replacement from time to time)which may lead to it not working...................One does question some of the progress made and the direction it has taken.
