On Mon, 21 Sep 2015 20:49:27 +0100, NY wrote:

I'm baffled that people can ever manage to reverse without lowering the
mirrors when the only reference points are lines/kerbs at ground level
rather than waist high hedges or walls.

Can't explain how I did it but I could put the Disco II into the
middle of a parking space parallel to the lines in pretty much one
smooth reversing movement. 10+ old car, no fancy tilting mirrors.
B-) Had to see the lines to start with but once out of view just
knew where they were.

Can't say I can do the same in the Freelander 2 yet, I always seem to
end up on the skew. It's almost as if the steering is non-linear,
near straight ahead requires a larger movement of the steeering wheel
for given amount of road wheel movement that it does approaching full
lock.

Auto parking brake seems to "just work", provided you drive how I
think people are taught to drive these days. That is the parking
brake only applied when actually parked or actually required for a
hill start.

Stopped on the "flat" in traffic or at lights/junction you put it
into neutral and release the clutch, holding the car on the foot
brake. Not that you should hold the car on the clutch but for a short
pause when already in 1st/2nd just keep the clutch pressed. Why
bother selecting neutral and releasing the clutch? 'Cause if you
don't and you are on a hill the car won't engage the GRC and you will
roll when you release the footbrake. B-)

I have found it a bit sluggish to release, say when you are trying
grab a gap when joining a busyish main road with the traffic doing
60+. But you just pre-empt the start by 1/2 a second.

--
Cheers
Dave.