1. Home
  2. Car Maintenance
  3. Toyota losing the plot?
  4. Page 2

Toyota losing the plot?

Dunno. Rental market?

Some folks that instantly hire cars don't have time to learn a new method for driving, or any other thing beyond basic controls.

There used to be this thing about the standard of training, that in an emergency it would (with insurance, license and the owner's permission) provide you the skills to move / drive someone else's car?

How would you quickly move a strange car like an EV from, say, the path of an oncoming train*, or something laden with technological iDrive complexity?

  • Answer, That's a promised fireball - run away as quickly as you can!
Reply to
Adrian Caspersz
Loading thread data ...

Less than 17% of Americans know how to drive a manual. Americans are starting to see manual gearbox as a security option, it defeats car jackers.

Reply to
Peter Hill

TBH I think those days are past. In any car there's a certain amount of familiarisation:

- How do you start it? Key in lock, fob in slot, RFID card, push button?

- Handbrake? Lever, foot pedal, button? Electric handbrake?

- Gearbox? Manual stick, auto stick on the floor, steering column lever, widget on the dash?

- Reverse? Where do you put the gear lever? Do you have to do something else to engage an interlock (push down, pull collar, etc)?

- Lights, wipers, etc

- How to open the petrol cap

Even on a bog standard ICE hire car I've been caught out by things like how to engage reverse.

Not to say you couldn't figure those out with maybe 10 minutes practice, but I wouldn't want to do that in a split-second emergency.

Theo

Reply to
Theo

I remember picking up a hire car many years ago. In the dark. Middle of winter in the North of Scotland. Couldn't find the light switch. Went back to the hire desk at the airport, but they'd gone home. Before the days of mobile phones.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News

On my first trip to the US, I picked up a Ford Escort. I couldn?t get the ignition key to turn. At the time, I owned an Escort so I was familiar with the UK version. After awhile, one of the assistants spotted I was having problems and came to help.

There was a button on the steering column you needed to pull. I tried to explain we didn?t have those in the UK. He was convinced we had cars without steering wheels.

On later trips, I picked various other cars. I never saw a similar button again.

Foot operated handbrakes yes, funny buttons no.

Reply to
Brian

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.