"marshknute" (marshknute)
07/09/2019 at 12:02 • Filed to: None
4
10|
"marshknute" (marshknute)
07/09/2019 at 12:02 • Filed to: None | 4
| 10 |
Apparently I was 1mph short of hitting my Renault Kadjar’s official top speed of 126mph. I was just trying to hit 200kph (ended up seeing 201), and didn’t realize until afterwards that I was just 1mph short.
Anyway, here were some of my takeways from the Autobahn:
It’s extremely civilized and orderly, because German drivers’ lane discipline is phenomenal
The sections with speed limits are all in sensible locations (cities, sharp bends, interchanges, etc)
90% of people going 100+mph are in Mercedes wagons (usually 4-cylinder models, not AMGs like you might expect)
Most people cruise between 130-150kph (81-93mph) in the unlimited zones, even though they’re allowed to drive faster.
Everybody drives a German car, or a German-owned subsidiary (Skoda, Seat, Opel)
Everybody obeys the speed limit; even the wagons going 100+ slam on the brakes when the speed limit returns (as opposed to just coasting gently down to speed)
My biggest takeaway, though, is how much of a difference the engine/transmission combo makes. Last year I rented a diesel/auto XC60 (182hp/295lb-ft), which just felt slow AF at any speed and REFUSED to rev. This time I had a much less powerful manual/petrol Kadjar (129hp/151lb-ft), and OMG what a HUGE difference. So much peppier, faster and fun, despite being an otherwise boring crossover with comparably less power/torque than the Volvo.
MonkeePuzzle
> marshknute
07/09/2019 at 12:17 |
|
you ARE the traffic?
CalzoneGolem
> MonkeePuzzle
07/09/2019 at 12:21 |
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TRAFFIC’D!
WilliamsSW
> marshknute
07/09/2019 at 13:02 |
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The
reason
why
they
slam
on
the
brakes
when
they
hit
a
speed
zone
is
because
there
are
a
lot
of
speed
cameras.
That,
and
they’re
German
so
rules
must
be
followed.
I got a ride from a coworker from Luxembourg City to Dusseldorf a few years ago in a new Passat wagon (!). 200kph on a 2 lane road with cars doing 120. He was HARD on the brakes when trucks pulled out to pass...
Cé hé sin
> WilliamsSW
07/09/2019 at 13:13 |
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Overtaking on an Autobahn is exciting and not in a good way. The right
lane is full
of trucks which aren’t even allowed
to reach their 90
kmh limiters (their limit is 80 in Germany) while any further lanes could be populated by perfectly ordinary
cars going double (or much more than double
) that. You’d want to be really careful pulling out into faster lanes....
duurtlang
> Cé hé sin
07/09/2019 at 13:22 |
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Depends on the speed your going, how crowded it is and how many lanes there are. Doing 200 with only 2 lanes when it’s crowded is just stupid. When it’s calmer, there are more lanes or the speed difference is lower it’s absolutely fine. You simply need to be aware of your surroundings and look ahead (and in your mirrors) .
2 lanes, truck ahead and a tall Toyota doing 11 0 on the right lane? It might move to the left without checking the mirrors, so be very alert.
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WilliamsSW
> Cé hé sin
07/09/2019 at 13:35 |
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Yeah, I wasn’t comfortable at all with that. It’s not the speed itself, but the speed differential with the traffic next to you.
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WilliamsSW
> duurtlang
07/09/2019 at 13:37 |
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Agree with all of that. And I would add that a car in the right lane might see you, but not process the speed difference until it’s too late.
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duurtlang
> WilliamsSW
07/09/2019 at 15:08 |
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Exactly. However, when you’re used to the German Autobahn you will be more cautious. I have to admit though that back when I wasn’t that experienced I misinterpreted speed a few times as well.
You drive 130, which is the max speed elsewhere, and you see someone in your mirror. He's far away, so you decide to overtake. He might be faster than you, but because you're doing 130 it will take a while before he's directly behind you? Right? Sure, in most of Europe. Wrong in Germany though.
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WilliamsSW
> duurtlang
07/09/2019 at 15:22 |
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Yeah, the guy driving in my story was a German national driving his own personal car.
I was constantly worried about a non-German misinterpreting our speed and cutting too closely in front of us.
facw
> marshknute
07/10/2019 at 17:33 |
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That’s why we got a BMW last time I was there:
Only a 318i, but it was at least able to break 200kph.