Just something else to jack up the prices for people who shouldn't be driving anyway.

I hope Ram posts the Hemi 8 Speed 4x2 numbers soon, and I hope it is 23 so Chevy can't claim best MPG.

"it will cause the seat to vibrate on the side you are wandering toward"

Great.

More annoying useless non-work feature garbage that we don't need.

I am with Jim Boy on this one. Only good thing it will do is make the idiots who do not use thier turn signals use them now, maybe....

Thats all I need is the seat jiggling my sore hemroids going down the road.

Can you turn off the butt buzzers?

From NBC News...New Cadillac safety feature will have your butt buzzing

“Vibrating alerts also may help drivers who do not hear beeping alerts due to hearing loss or competing noises, and may be preferred by drivers and passengers who might be annoyed by beeps and shut crash avoidance features off,” Kiefer said.

“The last thing we want is for drivers to turn off features with safety benefits.”

Confirmed in a GM press release.

“The last thing we want is for drivers to turn off features with safety benefits.”

http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/cadillac/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2012/Mar/0327_cadillac_safety.html

You can't turn it off? Wow! Another reason not to buy GM. Butt buzzers.

Thats all I need is the seat jiggling my sore hemroids going down the road.

LOL, gotta love this one.......... I think it will make you sh... your pants....

@Dave Why would you buy that option then want to turn it off? Just skip that check box and save some money.

Stop freaking out guys. There is always a disable feature. I am sure with a 10 minute stop at the dealer they can adjust this just like they can disable the door locks when the transmission is put in gear, etc.

Similar systems have been around in German cars for years. I haven't realy heard any serious complaint about the systems being uncomfortable but most who have had it like knowing that some jackass (probably in a 6 inch lifted truck) is 16 inches over his/her line in the road and they need to move over or else risk getting hit. It is especially handy in town where there are lots of motorcycles and bikes that like to ride up through traffic on the right side.

That said I bet this is only part of a trim package for the GMC Denali so maybe something like 10% of the trucks will actually have this feature on it.

Will it come standard on Denali? Almost undoubtedly. What about LTZ or the new High Country trim? Probably. Also probably going to be optional on LT, I'm guessing. Add all those up, and that's a hell of a lot more than 10%.

Now with that said, you can turn it off, right? It seems that GM always has more electronic junk that can be turned off. Case in point: ESC/traction control. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think GM's the only one that has an "OFF" button.

Their mpg chart seemed to have left out the new diesel offering by Ram, like the 5.3L V8 it is also "coming soon" and will spank all of the gas powerplants in fuel efficiency.

I have to admit that I am kinda over the new Sierra and Silverado, I really do not think they're going to turn out to be all that great. What's the latest on the new Colorado and Canyon? When are they projected to be available?

Vibrators built into the seats?

More proof that GM trucks are for women.

This is why I want to buy a shelled-out work truck without all this mess so I can actually, like, you know, PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD WHEN I'M DRIVING AT ALL TIMES!

@Liam
And that goes for any brand...

Usually people don't have the option of not checking the box, because most people buy off the lot.

The good news. Seat buzzers are optional on the SLT.

Driver Alert Package
$845
Includes lane departure warning, forward collision alert and safety alert seat.
Ultrasonic Front & Rear Park Assist

Is it an optional or trims higher than SLT? Who knows?

If the buzzers can be disabled but it is a hassle where you have to shut it off each time you enter - that would be a pain in the butt!

This is a good way for GM to cheat people buying off the lot out of another $845. of their hard earned money.

@ Paul:

This is optional equipment, as you stated before. If someone does not want it in their vehicle, they can either ask for a different vehicle, or not buy it off the lot.

Our Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, said, "Americans have the right to be stupid," or something to that effect.

Is it cheating them out of their money if they're too stupid to speak up?

(This is why I would personally order a new vehicle off the "build-your-own" section of the manufacturer's website. I understand, though, if this is not for everyone.)

And I don't want to say that $845 isn't a lot of money, but let's say they're buying a brand-new $40,000 truck (say, an SLT with a few options, nothing too fancy). 845 out of 40,000 is barely 2%. If someone is well-off enough to purchase a brand-new truck, are they going to put much thought into saving 2%?

Don't misunderstand me, though; I am agreeing with you. This is quite unnecessary equipment for any driver worth his (or her) salt, and it would be a hassle to turn off every time. But I have to disagree with your comment about GM "cheating" their buyers--it is up to the buyer to decide whether they want this or not.

I'm sure many girls and/or women may like this feature.

"Shake ya ass, but watch yourself
Shake ya ass, show me what you workin with..."

Subaru has a lane wandering system that also monitors tailgating, and adaptive cruise control that will compensate for traffic speed.
The argument that this will work better for those with hearing impairment is troublesome. The ability to hear is a requirement for a driver's licence.

@Lou: I think you're right about the hearing requirement, but bear in mind that one can be hearing impaired and still hold a license.
Case in point, myself. I'm 95% deaf in my left ear (the best way to describe it would be if someone were shouting from the other end of a long, empty hallway...I can still hear what's being said, and it's not muffled at all; I just have to concentrate harder), and this is common knowledge in my (small) town, but I had no problems getting a license.

I wouldn't say I'm a terrible driver (of course, no one thinks they're a bad driver), but all the scrapes I've gotten into were in no part related to my hearing impairment. They were all just me being a dumb kid, not paying attention.

...Which brings me to the most distressing part of this new technology: it just makes it easier for drivers not to pay attention.

They keep adding crap like this every year and it adds to the price whether you realize it or not with very little or no benefit. First its $845 here. Then it's another $1000 for somethign else. Usually crap like this starts out as optional. Then it becomes standard equipment. For the Caddie buyers it is standard equipment on every trim except for the bare bones model. Wake up.

I wonder how many drivers will try to find a way to disable that particular device or will simply ignore it? While I do agree that signaling a lane change is safer, it also becomes more frustrating in heavy traffic as too many drivers intentionally close up on the car in front of them if they see you signaling to merge. Beyond that, many, many drivers don't signal their lane change anyway or if they do, not until they're already halfway across. End result--no real safety benefit.

Worse, in the worst-case scenario of a driver half-asleep drifting into another lane (or drunk) the haptic system might have the exact opposite effect and startle the driver into a sudden maneuver that would threaten control of the vehicle. Many is the times I've seen a car or truck hit the rumble strip on the shoulder and twitch violently back into their lane and in some cases crossing the center stripe before stabilizing again. With a loaded pickup in particular, this could be quite hazardous to the driver and anyone around them.

Parking hazards, blind-spot warnings, backing alerts--all good reasons for the system; lane drift? Not so good.

While were talking about turn signaling. Why is it that everyone who drives a lifted truck does not bother to signal? It really drives me crazy

If it is an optional piece of equipment and you don't like it, don't buy it.

Vehicles are becoming loaded with lots of passive equipment, so I wouldn't worry. The trend seems to be global.

I would like to know if it was developed with logic to sense an overtaking manouvre.

Also if you are driving within your lane it shouldn't affect you.

How many times have you seen people on their smart phones wandering down the road. This system might save your life and you wouldn't even know it.

For those who think this is just some option you can ignore, I can see some politicians or government agency forcing BUTT BUZZERS on everyone in about 10 years.

You don't have butt buzzers? No new vehicle for you! Or they will penalize the automakers by giving them poor safety scores if they don't have butt buzzers installed installed as standard equipment.

TPMS used to be options, too, now it is required by the NHTSA, and we all know how annoying and useless those sensors are now.

@David (re: your response to Paul): There's one problem with your discussion of custom-ordering your car or truck--it is now impossible to order A' La Carte; you have to equip your car based on trim packages that the manufacturer feels people will want. As an example, you cannot buy a single Ford today without Sync and its higher-end cousin MyFordTouch, neither of which I want because they are based on a software system I abhor--yet the cars and trucks, up to a point, are otherwise decent (though I would never intentionally buy one new.) Essentially, the option is NOT an option if it is in every package but the bare minimum--as Denver Mike puts it, STRIPPER--model. You don't want a feature, you're forced to remove it yourself and eat the wasted cost. You want just a single feature off the next-higher package? You have to eat the cost of the higher package--you don't even get the option of adding it yourself due to a different wiring harness needed that is also a part of that higher package.

@Dave, LOL at butt buzzers. Does Bob like butt buzzers in his truck? I wonder.

Gm sales more pickup because better quality,ford only better to advertise a product only look better on paper..

GMC BUTT BUZZERS and a whole host of other crap we don't need: required by the NHTSA in 10 years. You heard it here first.

Now this is the kind of ground breaking technology us truck guys were hoping for from GM!! Forget everything else, this is what I've been hoping for for years! We don't want a half-ton diesel, a tailgate step, a quality interior, etc. We just want butt buzzers!!

Ford will be introducing some new technology on the 2015 F-150 that will make the truck driverless on the highway. Steering and braking, lane changing will be done by the computer. It will be like an Auto Pilot.

Wow...another useless garbage 'feature' to justify bloating the price. More stuff to break I guess.

=) I'm sure it'll work great when it's new though! =)

I'd like to hear more about the engines. As the owner of a 99 Chevy Silverado with 170k miles on it, I can attest to the fact that the powertrain is is about the ONLY thing Chevy trucks still have going for them.

I have replaced or at least had problems with pretty much every switch, knob, latch, light, motor, bell, whistle, and doodad on that thing but the engine (hell, the entire drivetrain with the exception of the G80 in the rear diff that exploded and took the rear-end with it) still runs and drives more or less flawlessly.

I'm on my third fuel pump and the the tank straps have rusted to dust (almost lost the tank once!) before I replaced them, but the thing still starts on the first crank when it's -40F below outside.

The bedside fenders have almost completely disintegrated to rust and there is a hole in the floorboards of my truck that is approximately 8 inches wide and at least as long, but still the thing soldiers on...

Some days, I wish it would just die so I could go buy a new truck, but most of the time I'm happy to just rattle along in it. It gets the job done.

@Mike L.
A driverless car is already in the making. I remember seeing on the news a report of a special needs person who was taken to a Burger King drive thru for a meal.

It worked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car

I am concerned that more and more of these nannies will be added to vehicles and eventually become standard. The high end stuff tends to get if first and it trickles down from there.

I remember when vehicles could be started "in gear" auto or manual without any nanny stopping that event.
We now have door chimes, seatbelt chimes, lane change chimes and buzzers, back up sensors, lane change sensors, drift sensors, ABS, stability control, traction control, adaptive cruise control, tail gating avoidance, rear end crash avoidance, hit the brake to start or get out of park etc.

Here is a "new" approach - how about driving competency re-evaluations, screening, and testing?
For most people, the most complex and potentially lethal task we perform is driving.
I'm all for re-testing/recertification every five years to keep one's licence.
I have to prove my competency in my profession every year, why not driving ?

From some of the comments I'm reading there is some push back to this idea.

Our grandparents drove rudimentary vehicles. I would think that they would say the same about the vehicles we drive.

Why do you need a radio? Why do you need an automatic, aren't you smart enough to change gears or are you just lazy, etc.

Vehicles are evolving just like some of us.

Where is Bob? or Michigan Bob? How does this play into his hero Howie Long making fun of the man step or the heated steering wheel ?
I guess he is too busy deliberately swerving all over the road in his new truck to bother posting ;)

maybe that is why gm sells more vehicles

@Lou
I think we will have to accept them. Society is gradually being dumbed down or smartened up, I don't know.

This started a couple of hundred years ago with the industrial revolution.

The reality is we like the lifestyle we have, but for every upside there has to be a downside.

We love our computers and smartphones etc, but there are apps being made that are used in hospitals for smartphones to assit in a diagnosis.

I think we can't do much and only go for the ride.

We are the ones who make all of this possible.

Come on come on
Feel it feel it
Feel the vibration
It's such a good vibration
It's such a sweet sensation!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eSN8Cwit_s

Was it Dave that asked if you can shut the trac/cnt-stabilitrack syst off? and the answer is yes you can, at least on the current trucks you can, all you have to do is hold the button down for a few seconds and it is shut down, and the yellow lights tell you it is off, and as far as the seats telling those who do not use their turn signals? well it would be a waste of $ for me, because I am in the habit of using them even when I pull out of my driveway, so they would last forever as I will never be needing them, but I can just see the people having a little too much fun, going from lane to lane to be able to use their "seat vibrators"!!!

Believe it or not, Michigan Bob is an actor and the star of the Geico Money Man commercials. He is made of money litterally. Bob will have no issue paying a little more and is looking forward the vibrator. Go Bob go!

Here's some of Bob's latest work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiXZwKFlG4w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj8qdmYB_qQ

Bob is made of money he can afford anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F-z6v96VsQ

ARE YOU MADE OF MONEY?

Chances are you’re not, but our newest created character (the Geico money man portrayed by Michigan Bob) is and he’s here to remind you that you don’t have to be made of money to save with GEICO.

http://www.dcpproductions.net/case-study-money-man/

Thanks, Bob!

No thanks... Just let me drive the damn thing. All these technologies do is create a generation of bad drives who become dependent on it. Yet another needless tech option driving up the cost of these trucks

Is Michigan Bob really the Geico money man? lol.

Best V-8 fuel economy with less torque and when equiped with super low 3.08 gears and tiny tires. Now get the 3.73s that you will need to move 11.500 pounds (well sorta move it, GM and some other people have differant views on being able to tow) and watch all your mileage go to hell in a handbaskit.

The seats? Man if the rumble strips aren't enough, then forget it. What's next? Something to read your pulse and notify people you are dead but autopilot keeps it going?

The driver awareness system is already on many vehicles the new part is instead of just a back up beeper or camera it will also have the sensors tell you if you are too close to a vehicle beside you by vibrating the seat when they are in your blind spot, if you are backing out of a parking spot and vehicle approaches fast or close from any direction (it will vibrate on the side of the approaching vehicle), and you can test it out now if want on the Cadillac. You can turn off the vibrating system on the Cadillac and my understanding is you will be able to on the truck. It does not go off randomly or unexpectedly when you are driving along and is not overly sensitive. It doesn't notify you of lane drifting unless you are travelling over 35 mph and then if you cross a lane and no signal is on it will vibrate where you crossed the lane and is gentler and not as intrusive as when you ride on a rumble strip. Try it out... it's not so bad, I was pretty skeptical before my test drive, now I don't think I'd even turn it off.

I sell new Chevy trucks and I hated the idea at 1st but after using it i LOVE IT... it's a GREAT feature and one that may save a LOT of lives from Drowsy or texting/distracted drivers!

I sell new Chevy trucks and I hated the idea at 1st but after using it i LOVE IT... it's a GREAT feature and one that may save a LOT of lives from Drowsy or texting/distracted drivers!