Does the "pedal feel" of a car affect your driving style?

TheHelix0202 · 27th December 2020, 22:14

Good day, my brethren! So I recently got my permanent driving license as some of you already know. I somehow convinced my dad to let me have a short spin in the Rapid (which is a petrol, by the way). He reluctantly let me. And no, I did not crash it, if that is where you think this is leading to.

I was pretty pumped to be able to get behind the wheel of a German car for the (not-so) first time in my life (I had already maneuvered it in parking lots before).

I hopped into the driver's seat with trepidation, and wore the belt. Pressed the clutch in, slotted the slick shifter into 1st and moved off. After just a few moments, I had this uneasy sensation that only worsened as I picked up the pace.

The clutch was more or less light, but it did want to be engaged fairly quickly -- which was to be expected, as I had read about this in our official review from way back in 2011. But it did feel good modulating it while braking.

The brakes? I have no complaints about them, they are brilliant. The pedal has just the right amount of play and brings the car to a halt without any fuss at all.

And now comes the worst bit.....the A-pedal, or the gas pedal. This one, I just could not bring myself to like it. It was very light and did not give me confidence at all. The car picked up speed better than I expected, and I felt as though I would mash the pedal to the floor unintentionally at any given moment.

The only other car - albeit a stationary one - that had a lighter gas pedal was the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz that I once sat in during a showroom visit a long time back, so I do not even have first hand driving experience with that car's accelerator pedal to compare with. In short, the Rapid's pedal felt lifeless to me. (It should be noted that I only hit a top speed of 40 KMPH in 4th gear, near BEML gate. This might not be an issue when I'm flooring the pedal out on the highway though).

The footwell was not too comfortable either. The pedals were all offset to the left side by a small margin, and my gas foot was placed at a slightly awkward position.

Off topic, but what made matters worse was the obnoxious armrest at its "up" position (dad would not let me drive with it set down- his city habit, although he would not know better, being shorter than me, the perils of having longer arms) and the steering wheel's initial adjustment. I fixed the latter shortly though.

All in all, it was not quite the pleasant driving experience I was hoping it to be, and I ended up finishing the rest of the drive with nervousness. I even forgot to slow down over a few rough patches on the road - something I had never done before, even in the driving school cars. Heck! The MS Ignis and Dzire proved to be more comfortable and "fun to drive" compared to this thing, at least in the city, in my low driving experience. When it comes to pure "mechanical fun", then the old 800 is what I like the best.

So the point of this thread, gentlemen, is to ask you this- does pedal "feel" play a role concerning the way and mannerism in which you drive a car - the question only becomes more relevant when you consider both the petrol and the diesel versions of the car in question - or is it just placebo on my part, and I just need to get "used" to it? Or are all newer and powerful cars built this way? My dad chalks it up to my imagination and would not hear anymore of it. I just need confirmation that I am not going insane. Help a newbie out, wouldn't you?

YD14 · 27th December 2020, 23:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

Good day, my brethren! So I recently got my permanent driving license as some of you already know.

Congratulations!

Wishing you millions of happy miles on the road. Lest something really bad happens, I too will get my permanent DL in a few week.

Quote:

So the point of this thread, gentlemen, is to ask you this- does pedal "feel" play a role concerning the way and mannerism in which you drive a car - the question only becomes more relevant when you consider both the petrol and the diesel versions of the car in question - or is it just placebo on my part, and I just need to get "used" to it? Or are all newer and powerful cars built this way? My dad chalks it up to my imagination and would not hear anymore of it. I just need confirmation that I am not going insane. Help a newbie out, wouldn't you?

Lately I have become the sole driver of our Swift Dzire because my father wants me to have as much experience as possible before he lets me drive alone. This has given me enough time to think what my feet are actually doing to control the car. I hope this helps.

Our car has a very good response to the A-pedal when engine is in its power band (1500 rpm and above) it does exactly what my right foot tells it to do. Under 1700rpm and going uphill, it doesn't matter if the pedal is floored or half depressed the response is the same. Below 1100rpm even on flat roads there is little response. It's more of a engine characteristic of not so good low end rather than the A-pedal. My suggestion to you is to take the car out on some good roads and get a experience of the whole rev range of the car, then only some verdict can be passed on it.

I have a problem of my own too. It is about the brake pedal. It's almost impossible to get the correct braking force in this car. Depress the pedal slightly and it leads to very minimal reduction in speed, but increase the pressure on the pedal even a bit and the brakes just grab very hard, giving a jerk to all the passengers. I have tried different things but haven't been successful in modulating the brakes correctly. The problem is more evident while going downhill. I have not driven many cars. So my simple question is, 'Is this how brakes behave in every car?'

Slightly off topic:
The clutch I believe is alright, unless my numerous stalls have done any damage to it. I still struggle with the clutch when going uphill in crowded and narrow streets. Starting from a complete stop and then moving at walking pace is alright but, slowing down from just-lifted-foot-off-clutch pace to walking pace while going uphill, without stalling the car, is still a far fetched dream for me. It pains me more as my friends who I sometimes go on short drives with can do hill starts without handbrake. Most of the drivers in the hills can drive uphill like its flat road but even after 4 months of driving I still struggle to modulate the clutch.

TheHelix0202 · 27th December 2020, 23:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by YD14

Congratulations!

Wishing you millions of happy miles on the road. Lest something really bad happens, I too will get my permanent DL in a few week.

Thank you! Good luck to you too!

Quote:

Originally Posted by YD14

Our car has a very good response to the A-pedal when engine is in its power band (1500 rpm and above) it does exactly what my right foot tells it to do. Under 1700rpm and going uphill, it doesn't matter if the pedal is floored or half depressed the response is the same. Below 1100rpm even on flat roads there is little response. It's more of a engine characteristic of not so good low end rather than the A-pedal. My suggestion to you is to take the car out on some good roads and get a experience of the whole rev range of the car, then only some verdict can be passed on it.

I have driven a diesel Dzire, and I think I can concur with your observations (is your car a diesel too?). I think you make a valid point, it seems I may have to drive more in various scenarios to come to a proper conclusion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by YD14

I have a problem of my own too. It is about the brake pedal. It's almost impossible to get the correct braking force in this car. Depress the pedal slightly and it leads to very minimal reduction in speed, but increase the pressure on the pedal even a bit and the brakes just grab very hard, giving a jerk to all the passengers. I have tried different things but haven't been successful in modulating the brakes correctly. The problem is more evident while going downhill. I have not driven many cars. So my simple question is, 'Is this how brakes behave in every car?'

Hmm, this may have to do with just the Swift (and the Dzire). The brakes on this car are notorious for their sharp bite, so it is not a problem with your style of driving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by YD14

Slightly off topic:
The clutch I believe is alright, unless my numerous stalls have done any damage to it. I still struggle with the clutch when going uphill in crowded and narrow streets. Starting from a complete stop and then moving at walking pace is alright but, slowing down from just-lifted-foot-off-clutch pace to walking pace while going uphill, without stalling the car, is still a far fetched dream for me. It pains me more as my friends who I sometimes go on short drives with can do hill starts without handbrake. Most of the drivers in the hills can drive uphill like its flat road but even after 4 months of driving I still struggle to modulate the clutch.

Maybe the trick is to hold the clutch just above its friction point and give a jolly good dab of gas. I like to modulate the clutch close to it and as I had practiced this for quite a bit, I do not have too shabby of a control over the clutch.

Turbohead · 28th December 2020, 07:52

Congrats on getting a license! It's the most liberating feel ever!

ABC pedals react differently in different cars. I learnt driving in a Vento and I love how the pedals feel. I hate how my brother's Grand i10 responds despite having a lighter clutch. For most people, it's the exact opposite thanks to the heavy and long travel clutch of the Vento.

It's all about getting used to. Chances are, you would prefer to drive a car which is most familiar to you. Maybe after you drive the Rapid extensively, you may not like other cars at all. When you learn to drive, forget all the regular stereotypes such as A is supposed to be better to drive than B. You will only notice such differences after gaining sufficient experience behind the wheel.

Relax and take time to master the art of defensive driving. It'll help you in the years to come!

Happy driving!

TheHelix0202 · 28th December 2020, 09:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Congrats on getting a license! It's the most liberating feel ever!

Thanks! It indeed is!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbohead

It's all about getting used to. Chances are, you would prefer to drive a car which is most familiar to you. Maybe after you drive the Rapid extensively, you may not like other cars at all. When you learn to drive, forget all the regular stereotypes such as A is supposed to be better to drive than B. You will only notice such differences after gaining sufficient experience behind the wheel.

Well said! Hopefully, my mind changes after driving the Rapid for a longer time

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Relax and take time to master the art of defensive driving. It'll help you in the years to come!

Happy driving!

Will do! Thanks!

IshaanIan · 7th October 2021, 13:53

Pedal weight doesn't really affect my driving style it just might take some time to adapt to. However pedal response definitely does. A car with crisper throttle response feels more engaging and inspires confidence to rev match however a car with delayed economy tuned throttle response relegates me to a more sedate driving style. I too felt the rapid's ergonomics to be a bit off. I did not like that my knee constantly scraped the center "waterfall" console. Unfortunately this is the case with most cars these days.

27th December 2020, 22:14	#1
TheHelix0202 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,248 Thanked: 3,380 Times	Does the "pedal feel" of a car affect your driving style? Good day, my brethren! So I recently got my permanent driving license as some of you already know. I somehow convinced my dad to let me have a short spin in the Rapid (which is a petrol, by the way). He reluctantly let me. And no, I did not crash it, if that is where you think this is leading to. I was pretty pumped to be able to get behind the wheel of a German car for the (not-so) first time in my life (I had already maneuvered it in parking lots before). I hopped into the driver's seat with trepidation, and wore the belt. Pressed the clutch in, slotted the slick shifter into 1st and moved off. After just a few moments, I had this uneasy sensation that only worsened as I picked up the pace. The clutch was more or less light, but it did want to be engaged fairly quickly -- which was to be expected, as I had read about this in our official review from way back in 2011. But it did feel good modulating it while braking. The brakes? I have no complaints about them, they are brilliant. The pedal has just the right amount of play and brings the car to a halt without any fuss at all. And now comes the worst bit.....the A-pedal, or the gas pedal. This one, I just could not bring myself to like it. It was very light and did not give me confidence at all. The car picked up speed better than I expected, and I felt as though I would mash the pedal to the floor unintentionally at any given moment. The only other car - albeit a stationary one - that had a lighter gas pedal was the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz that I once sat in during a showroom visit a long time back, so I do not even have first hand driving experience with that car's accelerator pedal to compare with. In short, the Rapid's pedal felt lifeless to me. (It should be noted that I only hit a top speed of 40 KMPH in 4th gear, near BEML gate. This might not be an issue when I'm flooring the pedal out on the highway though). The footwell was not too comfortable either. The pedals were all offset to the left side by a small margin, and my gas foot was placed at a slightly awkward position. Off topic, but what made matters worse was the obnoxious armrest at its "up" position (dad would not let me drive with it set down- his city habit, although he would not know better, being shorter than me, the perils of having longer arms) and the steering wheel's initial adjustment. I fixed the latter shortly though. All in all, it was not quite the pleasant driving experience I was hoping it to be, and I ended up finishing the rest of the drive with nervousness. I even forgot to slow down over a few rough patches on the road - something I had never done before, even in the driving school cars. Heck! The MS Ignis and Dzire proved to be more comfortable and "fun to drive" compared to this thing, at least in the city, in my low driving experience. When it comes to pure "mechanical fun", then the old 800 is what I like the best. So the point of this thread, gentlemen, is to ask you this- does pedal "feel" play a role concerning the way and mannerism in which you drive a car - the question only becomes more relevant when you consider both the petrol and the diesel versions of the car in question - or is it just placebo on my part, and I just need to get "used" to it? Or are all newer and powerful cars built this way? My dad chalks it up to my imagination and would not hear anymore of it. I just need confirmation that I am not going insane. Help a newbie out, wouldn't you? Last edited by TheHelix0202 : 27th December 2020 at 22:24.
	(5) Thanks

28th December 2020, 07:52	#4
Turbohead Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,421 Thanked: 6,097 Times	re: Does the "pedal feel" of a car affect your driving style? Congrats on getting a license! It's the most liberating feel ever! ABC pedals react differently in different cars. I learnt driving in a Vento and I love how the pedals feel. I hate how my brother's Grand i10 responds despite having a lighter clutch. For most people, it's the exact opposite thanks to the heavy and long travel clutch of the Vento. It's all about getting used to. Chances are, you would prefer to drive a car which is most familiar to you. Maybe after you drive the Rapid extensively, you may not like other cars at all. When you learn to drive, forget all the regular stereotypes such as A is supposed to be better to drive than B. You will only notice such differences after gaining sufficient experience behind the wheel. Relax and take time to master the art of defensive driving. It'll help you in the years to come! Happy driving!
	(2) Thanks

7th October 2021, 13:53	#6
IshaanIan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Hyd Posts: 3,749 Thanked: 7,719 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (7)	Re: Does the "pedal feel" of a car affect your driving style? Pedal weight doesn't really affect my driving style it just might take some time to adapt to. However pedal response definitely does. A car with crisper throttle response feels more engaging and inspires confidence to rev match however a car with delayed economy tuned throttle response relegates me to a more sedate driving style. I too felt the rapid's ergonomics to be a bit off. I did not like that my knee constantly scraped the center "waterfall" console. Unfortunately this is the case with most cars these days.
	() Thanks