Been away for a few days ( and another 1000 miles) and saw this thread.
I specifically specced Distronic on my car.
To me it is the single most significant safety improvement of the last decade and I wouldn't be without it.
It is not a simple case of whether you have the ability to keep your distance, this sort of patronising argument inferring some level of inferiority/superiority of other drivers if you have it or not is stupid in the extreme. I always find it amusing when people comment from a position of ignorance, either having never tried it or not taken the time to get the best out of it.
If any of the following situations has ever happened to you then Distronic would have been a useful asset:
Momentarily distracted on a fast road (motorway etc.), cars brake in front and you have braked more aggressively than normal to bring the situation under control;
Driven in fog or driving rain, spray where visibility has been impaired and found yourself peering into the murk (very fatiguing);
Found yourself in a queue of overtaking vehicles and noticed your speed has crept up and beyond your normal cruising speed;
Been in heavy traffic (stop/start, slow down/speed up) where cruise is useless and you are constantly covering the brake and accelerating.
All of the above can be very tiring.
As with any new technology you will benefit from understanding how it works and learning how to use it. I have done over 20k so far, most of which with Distronic engaged, it is truly fantastic. You can easily maintain smooth progress by feathering the throttle or disengaging the system in anticipation of what is going on ahead, you just need to learn how to get the best out of the system. It also has the facility to vary the 'distance' between you and the car in front, this is another useful variable to control the system and maintain smooth progress (I increase the distance in heavy traffic and reduce it when traffic is flowing).
Following a friend on a long journey up the M6 in heavy rain, we arrived at our destination. His eyes were on stalks, he was stressed and fatigued, this is where Distronic really comes into its own, I was relaxed and in control throughout.
Rather than being a detriment to concentration, it is more a case of reducing fatigue. I find I am far more aware of what is going on around me as I can concentrate my attention in other areas around the car rather than over focussing directly in front. (This is subtle deviation but has profound affect on your awareness and fatigue levels). In this way rather than causing you to nod off, I found the opposite effect as I am able to concentrate for longer periods due to reduced fatigue.
Due to the expense, I can see why some people might not get value out of the system but you cannot deny the value of the system.
Personally I intend to keep my car for some time, it is a family car and I would expect to do 200k in it probably 50:50 between town and dual carriageway driving and on this basis, to me, it is no brainer.
I expect this sort of system to become cheaper and more readily available on other cars in the future and I am confident that people will start to see and understand its true value. I look forward to this as if all vehicles have such a system fitted I would expect our roads to become much safer and traffic to flow much better.
Personally, I cannot understand why all vehicles that are used for long-distance, high speed travel on our roads do not have this system fitted (eg. trucks and coaches), it would surely reduce accidents and deaths from rear end shunts.
From my point of view - Highly Recommended.
Regards, Neil
It is the same with ESP and ABS etc. Owners of old MBs (or other car brands) know you don't need those if you are a good driver.
