535i Loaner

[robg]

Not to hijack this thread with more Tesla talk...

But this is actually one of my nitpicks with the Model S. I get what they were going for (the car should be smart enough to serve the driver without unnecessary steps), but I don't think they're quite there yet. Adding a start/stop button would add a lot of flexibility without asking much more of the driver. Hopefully they'll add an "accessory mode" via a software update accessible via the screen. Or maybe by tapping the Park button.

Originally Posted by ZBB

There is no start/stop button in my Tesla... No keyhole either...

If the key is inside the car, the car is ready to drive once I sit down, step on the brake and put it into gear (either R or D). It powers down when you put it in park, get out and close the door. Accessories (displays, audio, A/C) come on when you open any of the passenger doors (but not the back hatch...).

About the only situation that this doesn't work is if you want to let people wait in the car while you run in to get something. The car and accessories shut down when the driver gets out and closes the door -- even if the key is in the pocket. My wife had to pop her door open just a bit in order to keep the A/C running and listen to music

[robg]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

But according to Musk Math, the model S is cheaper than walking!

Ha- just before reading this thread i was engaging in some Musk Math by playing with the Tesla configurator and calculator. that's some good stuff they're smoking in California! Must be rubbing off cause I find myself engaging in some crazy rationalizations and "cost saving" calculations. Among other things, I like how they factor in the federal (and state) tax credits but leave off sales tax (and even a place for you to add it yourself).

[Alan]

Originally Posted by ZBB

There is no start/stop button in my Tesla... No keyhole either...

If the key is inside the car, the car is ready to drive once I sit down, step on the brake and put it into gear (either R or D). It powers down when you put it in park, get out and close the door. Accessories (displays, audio, A/C) come on when you open any of the passenger doors (but not the back hatch...).

Wow that is pretty cool ... I am sure that car has many other cool features that other cars don't.

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by ZBB

There is no start/stop button in my Tesla... No keyhole either...

If the key is inside the car, the car is ready to drive once I sit down, step on the brake and put it into gear (either R or D). It powers down when you put it in park, get out and close the door. Accessories (displays, audio, A/C) come on when you open any of the passenger doors (but not the back hatch...).

With the auto shutdown, this actually makes sense. Just put it in gear, and it starts.

What was so wrong with a key to start.

Oh, and the radio plays and the lights stay on until you lock the car. Or maybe they shutdown in a couple of hours.

[Pinecone]

Actually the turn signal setup that people complained so much about in the Bangled 7 series, isn't annoying at all.

WRT the error message, if it is smart enough to tell me to push the button, why isn't is smart enough to know I DID that and turn off the stupid message?

[bren]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

Oh, and the radio plays and the lights stay on until you lock the car.

I HATE that. It will also turn off if you push the button a second time; just don't have your foot on the brake.

I learned to accept the new "digital" shifter because it'll throw itself into park when you push the engine-off button (I have a habit of trying to exit PRND cars with the shifter still in D.)

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

What was so wrong with a key to start.

Lets look at the evolution of this.

Originally cars had an ignition switch and hand-turned starter cranks. They didn't even have keys.

Then keys were added to the ignition switch to drop theft.

Then the starter crank was replaced with a motor. For a while, the key/ignition switch and starter switch were separate.

Then the ignition switch and starter were combined -- twisting the key to turn the car on/of. Accessory mode came later -- allowing you to not start the engine, but use the 12V accessories to keep the radio on.

As for keys, we started getting remotes to unlock doors in the late 80s. By the mid 90s, the remotes started getting integrated into the key. By the early 2000s, the remotes started adding RFIDs so that the remote was used as the key instead of a physical key -- so Start/Stop switches started to make a come back.

Its just evolution.

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

Actually the turn signal setup that people complained so much about in the Bangled 7 series, isn't annoying at all.

I've always liked that setup. It was a little odd at first since it was just so different. But I quickly adapted -- within one drive of my stepdad's 7er. We've now had multiple cars with those stalks.

Interestingly, most other automakers have now adopted the basic feature (so if you do a lane change signal, you get 3 flashes minimum. But they still have the stalk stay up/down for the full signals, then pop it down after the turn...

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

Oh, and the radio plays and the lights stay on until you lock the car. Or maybe they shutdown in a couple of hours.

My wife's MINI does that too. Very annoying -- but it does turn off within ~20 min (BMW has long had a 20 min delay on accessories -- my E46 did that so as not to drain the battery if you leave the trunk open or something). Bren is correct that a 2nd push of the start/stop button with the foot off the brake will turn it off, so I've gotten used to doing that.

It is interesting to see how different makes treat accessory mode after the engine is turned off with the keyless ignition feature. We've now had 3 cars with it:

BMW/Mini -- Keep audio on until car is locked. AC off with car.

Cadillac/GM -- Audio on until you open any door. AC off with car.

Tesla -- Audio / AC on until you close the last passenger door. Comes back on if you open any of the doors (rear liftgate excluded...).

[Rob]

If you hold the stop button for three seconds, I think it shuts everything down on the MINI and BMW system. We don't have either car anymore, so I am going from memory . . .