Anyone Own A Vehicle With Stop & Start Technology? Looking For Opinions

fmdog44

fmdog44

Well-known Member
Location
Houston, Texas
I was driving next to a new tuck today for several stop lights and i heard his truck start at every light. I thought it would be very annoying. Now I read Ford plans to install this technology in every vehicle and some auto makers will not include the option of turning it off. How well do your temperature accessories work with the engine shut off?
 

Funny this came up, we were looking at new cars and was test driving one that has this feature. Sweetie was driving and the salesperson did not mention what to expect. She thought the darn engine had died and went back to the dealership. I guess it is okay and may save gas, but sweetie didn't like it so we are still looking. I still have not got use to to the battery being located in the trunk. Newer cars are designed so you can not work on them yourself, not fair!
 
I’ve got one. Doesn’t bother me one way or another. With mine, I can choose to turn it off. I have a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
 

Both of our cars have it. My 2013 Mercedes has a disabling button, the 2019 GMC SUV has no way to disable. I think it’s annoying. Especially when you just get to a red light, engine quits and the light changes.....ugh.
 
My 2017 F150 has it. You can disable it. It never bothers me, and it disables itself when the outside temperature goes above 90°F.
 
Own one ? No.....drove one for a weekend, was waiting on tires !! Believe it or not for an F-150....the dealer loaned me the new car. I did not like it at all.........nor the backup camera , or the [electric] parking brake, or the fact that I had to talk to the car.......I'll keep my 2002 Ford, at least for now.
 
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I didn't realize that it could be turned on and off.

I've wondered about the technology ever since the grand opening of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in my area. I was waiting outside the restaurant listening to the cars caught in the traffic jam constantly starting and shutting off as they inched along for over an hour before finding a parking spot or just giving up.

The new more complicated vehicles make me think that I should start leasing a new vehicle every three years or keep my current vehicle forever and ever, amen!!!

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Had several. Pain in the butt.

Always turn it off, and only select it on in virtual gridlock conditions.

Just in case you think I'm a luddite, I use intelligent cruise and assisted parking all the time!
 
My wife's Mercedes has it and she had it disabled. She didn't like it from day 1 and I didn't either.
 
Mrs. L's car has it and although it's a pain, it doesn't operate very often. Living as we do in the country, there's not much start - stop motoring. Cars with Stop-start technology have heavy duty starters and batteries.

The one thing we definitely don't like is the semi-autonomous braking. It's easily confused by overhanging bushes or sudden dips in the road. One day when we were returning from the market garden with a box of vegetables on the back seat, the car suddenly braked and the veges ended up all over the car! We took the car back to the dealer, who could not find a fault, but several others have reported the same problem in rural areas.
 
I suppose this feature would be handy for someone who is constantly caught in heavy rush hour traffic....might save a few cents in wasted gas while waiting for traffic to begin moving. However, for most people, I would think this would be more of a Nuisance than anything....plus the added wear on the vehicles electrical and starter systems will probably lead to added repair costs that will negate any fuel savings. IMO, half the "features" being added to new cars is a waste of money...I fully believe that "simpler is better".
 
Capt Lightning said:
....The one thing we definitely don't like is the semi-autonomous braking. It's easily confused by overhanging bushes or sudden dips in the road. One day when we were returning from the market garden with a box of vegetables on the back seat, the car suddenly braked and the veges ended up all over the car! We took the car back to the dealer, who could not find a fault, but several others have reported the same problem in rural areas.
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Wow, that's interesting! I have a 2018 Ford Edge Sport and it was dinged in the safety ratings of CR because it only has a warning light/alarm, no emergency braking system. I live in the city and it's only when we go on very long driving trips that I'm on rural roads.

If my Sport had the auto emergency braking and it stopped due to a false alarm on a rural road, I'd have been totally confused as to why!

In 2018 there were fewer cars with stop/start engines. Mine doesn't have it and I wanted it that way. When I was researching what to buy in 2016/2017, I decided it was a negative feature and eliminated models that couldn't disable the feature.

On some cars, as pointed out by several folks above, it can be disengaged. On others it can't. GM went pretty heavily into the "can't disengage" camp, from what I read.
 
I wonder with the new additions not popular with some if buying used vehicles will increase. There is a dealership in Houston that offers 100,000 miles drive train warranty on all of it pre-owned rides.
 
We've already had something similar for many years - it's called a "Hybrid." The gas engine only works after a certain speed & when idling, only the electric motor is working, right?
 

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