If I didn't know it was there, nothing ever would have occurred to me.
But then again I'm the guy who didn't know if the Legend that I had for 14 years had leather seats or not.
Some people, mostly on other sites, have occasionally said (mostly just as a little annoyed utterance) something like "Well, that's DBW for you." I usually didn't understand what they were talking about, but I guess usually it was some possible lack of total driver control; sometimes it was musing about possible defects in their cars.
The only thing I notice that may be relevant is how
smooth the car is -- "refined," if you pardon the cliche -- yet still with plenty of response, road-feel, and car-feel. A combination like that is nothing to sneeze at. I decided against a Lexus (at the time it was the ES300) because of lack of those latter things. (I also didn't find it so "refined" either, but that's another story.)
BTW here's a nice piece about DBW that I found on Edmunds.com. It's a few years old, but what the hey:
Why Drive-by-Wire?
By Karl Brauer
Date Posted 11-29-2000
Each year the automobile gets just a little bit more refined as new technology replaces old. It started with "luxuries" like electric start and hydraulic brakes and continues today with direct injection, yaw control, and drive-by-wire.
Those first two items were the subjects of previous Innovations, but drive-by-wire has yet to appear in this column's Web pages. However, as a technology that already graces the C5 Corvette, Acura NSX and Toyota Tundra, it's one you can expect to see on an increasing number of new vehicles.
Like so many of today's technologies, drive-by-wire is primarily a response to tightening emission standards. As with fuel injection and integrated engine controllers, drive-by-wire systems improve engine efficiency while cutting vehicle emissions. They do this by replacing clunky and inaccurate mechanical systems with highly advanced and precise electronic sensors. Currently, drive-by-wire applications are being used to replace the throttle-cable system on newly developed cars like the models already mentioned.
These systems work by replacing conventional throttle-control systems. Instead of relying on a mechanical cable that winds from the back of the accelerator pedal, through the vehicle firewall, and onto the throttle body, drive-by-wire consists of a sophisticated pedal-position sensor that closely tracks the position of the accelerator and sends this information to the Engine Control Module (ECM). This is superior to a cable-operated throttle system for the following reasons:
1. By eliminating the mechanical elements and transmitting a vehicle's throttle position electronically, drive-by-wire greatly reduces the number of moving parts in the throttle system. This means greater accuracy, reduced weight, and, theoretically, no service requirements (like oiling and adjusting the throttle cable).
2. The greater accuracy not only improves the driving experience (increased responsiveness and consistent pedal feel regardless of outside temperature or pedal position), but it allows the throttle position to be tied closely into ECM information like fuel pressure, engine temperature and exhaust gas re-circulation. This means improved fuel economy and power delivery as well as lower exhaust emissions.
3. With the pedal inputs reduced to a series of electronic signals, it becomes a simple matter to integrate a vehicle's throttle with non-engine specific items like ABS, gear selection and traction control. This increases the effectiveness of these systems while further reducing the amount of moving parts, service requirements and vehicle weight.
Many of you may be saying, "Sure, this sounds great in theory. But what if the "wire" in my drive-by-wire system, um...breaks?" In other words, what if an electronic malfunction disrupts the flow of information between the throttle position sensors and the ECM? Could give a whole new meaning to the term "sticking throttle," couldn't it? The reality is that, just like fuel injection and ABS, a drive-by-wire system is only as good as the programmers and manufacturers who design it. While the first generation of fuel-injected cars had its share of technical gremlins, the fuel system of the average 1999 model is far more accurate, and dependable, than any carburetor-equipped vehicle from 20 years ago. Because drive-by-wire technology was first used on military aircraft over 10 years ago (except it was called fly-by-wire back then), you can be assured that its reliability under less-than-ideal conditions has been tested. It is now used on everything from industrial equipment (like Caterpillars) to cutting-edge ground-assault vehicles (like the upcoming Grizzly Tank).
Speaking of airplanes, many of today's jets use fly-by-wire technology for turning and braking, in addition to throttle control. Could the same thing eventually happen to cars? Could a simple joystick someday replace our steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal?
Naaah. That'd be like suggesting that someday cars will be able to drive themselves without any driver input...
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