lt8d

Hi all,

I'm in the process of shopping for a new car and was wondering if anyone with the Acura watch/advance package could comment on how well the adaptive cruise control and lane assist features worked? Is it worth the $1700 dollars. Does anyone here use them on a regular basis? Does it do a good job of keeping the vehicle in the lane?

chickdr

the best answer is to take one out for a test drive and see what you think...

kipsy

i think so. it will most likely be included soon as Toyota and other makers are including the safety package at no cost (highlander, etc).

included adaptive cruise is nice and the auto steering is great - although a reminder pops up so you don't forget to pay attention

I bought it on a 2016 when the 2017s were out so it was basically free

Gadgetjq

Both are great for those who don't enjoy driving or tend to be inattentive behind the wheel.

For the most part, I leave both features turned off. Here's why:

I find myself always anticipating the adaptive cruise, changing lanes a little sooner than I normally would just to prevent it from doing what it's designed to do, slow down approaching the rear of another vehicle. After slowing the system 'does' maintain a set following distance from the vehicle in front of you, which is fine, but it takes some time trying to find that distance so there's a lot of gentle on/off the throttle that would be absent if your own eye/foot coordination was controlling the skinny pedal. Then there's the hard application of brakes if another vehicle suddenly moves into your 'space.' Most drivers would simply let off the gas, maybe mumble something under their breath, and set a new following distance. The adaptive cruise thinks you're going to hit that car so applies the brakes...sometimes hard. Your passengers think you've gone bonkers. So, it's not particularly useful in highway traffic and on the open road with little traffic, well, you don't really need it.

Lane assist works well once you've turned the annoying beeping off. It doesn't like you clipping apexes when turning and will try to gently pull you back into the center of the lane as you're enjoying that sweeping turn, planning to exercise the engine a little on the exit. Probably not an annoyance for most drivers but I don't want the car fighting me when I'm trying to take an efficient line through a turn. But here's why I've turned it off for long trips. The RDX tracks very very well at highway speeds. So well that you don't often need steering input but the lane assist thinks you're falling asleep and a light on the dash will tell you "Steering Input Needed." So, you have to wiggle the wheel an almost imperceptible amount and the lane assist turns back on. That happens a lot. Lane assist also turns itself off any time there's a break in lane lines. At an exit or cross street it's off (with "Steering Input Needed" displayed). In the end, it feels to me like this technology has been pushed out a little ahead of prime time.

Both systems look good on paper but the reality is underwhelming.

Cheers

lt8d

Thanks for the input. This was more thorough then I could have imagined.

kareshi

It is better to have it.

Comfy

Basically we don't like the system micromanaging our driving habits. But it would be useful if you are really tired and sleepy to help you out ( in which case you shouldn't be driving at all anyway). But hey you can show it off to your friends, neighbors, and poor cousins. .

Skidoor

Good post, perfectly explaining why I would never want or use those features. Technology is nice but sometimes reaches too far to be practical. . I was thinking this morning about how in the hell a self driving car will be able to get me out of my driveway, negotiate a tricky left turn from a stop sign onto a very busy 4 lane city road with a center turn lane, merge over when clear, and hit the gas at an advanced green turning left and not run over the dog running across the street? Or when you see a big slowdown ahead and want to change lanes NOW to avoid it. Might as well just drive the damn thing.
Give me a break.

kipsy

some people embrace new technology, some fight it.
basically the option was free in my case, and i do like the adaptive cruise control, thats about it.
the lane change warnings - i like it for the other drivers in the house

kipsy

this option is now standard on toyota highlanders

Doobiewah

I find them very helpful, for the most part, during those times when I'm extremely tired, driving long distances or when you get distracted (and I'm not talking something stupid.....).

I also have come to really appreciate the adaptive cruise control. We have the same safety suite on a '17 Ridgeline.

Like others have said, to each their own. I find them useful for many situations. There is a slight learning curve so that you can truly take advantage of what they do and how they do it. Until then, they might mildly annoy you. Once over that hump, you don't really even notice them at all until and unless they activate. They certainly won't make you a better driver; however, they may help prevent an accident.

Himecraig

Acura's suite of safety systems combines camera and radar technology in order to sense the road and roadway objects within a certain proximity to the vehicle. As a result, you'll be alerted of potential issues that you might not have noticed otherwise. In certain situations, the system(s) can intervene to help avoid or mitigate the severity of a possible collision.
(1) random google search.
-----------------

Years ago I was backing up a construction truck and tipped over a 5gal bucket and my coworker jokingly yelled 'that coulda been a little kid!'
That stuck with me thru the years.

No big deal for me since the safety suite can be turned off and does not violate my sense of a true driving experience...besides our RDX is more of a highway roadtrip roller and not something I feel the need to toss thru the turns.
money aside i believe the features will save us from harm and was the overriding factor for our purchase.

BC01191980

Safety features should be standard

Especially if you are paying a premium for a luxury brand

thoiboi

General statement is general. That's not how brand marketing/ pricing works. You're paying the premium for the name, not necessarily the EXTRA safety features.

kareshi

That's true.

There's one scenario that I have been wondering if the safety feature may not be desired. With lane assist on and if you need to turn the wheel to avoid something suddenly, it may try to steer you back, even though it's light and you can still override the car with force, it may not be as effective with the safety feature off.

Gadgetjq

So true and some of the tech in this car is amazing. I'm especially happy with the "Collision Mitigation Braking System". That's one bit of magic that's certainly going to save lives. Airbags are technology and save lives, heck toss seat belts and anti-lock brakes in there too, all great. Rear view cameras, parking assist, bring it on. It's when the tech like automatic cruise (not to be confused with regular cruise control) just seems to be taking over for common sense or puts me in danger of being rear ended that I start searching for the off switches.

Cheers!

Himecraig

Im old enough to remember early talk about seat belts being a violation to our rights and that I will burn or drown to death if trapped and strapped!

when I first initiated our RDX safety suite and navigation I joking wondered to my wife if I deviate the route would the car take over lol!
Wasn't that a movie...HAL the computer ?

kurtatx

Depends what you use it for. Honestly, for a long range tourer, it's worth the adaptive cruise and lane keeping assist. Over short distances, the sudden speed up and slow down of the ACC is actually pretty annoying.

Skidoor

Do you have to manually disable lane keep assist and ACC every time you go for a drive if you don't want it to kick in? Or is it a set-and-forget setting?

Doobiewah

You have to turn each feature on separately. You can leave the main switch on and they will be ready every time you turn the vehicle on, or you can turn the whole thing off. Even when 'available' per the dash, you have to turn the LKA on. The ACC just needs setting if you leave the main switch 'on'. I usually only turn both on when I take longer trips and from there, I activate or deactivate each feature as needed.

dirleton

Even with ACC you can still just use "regular" cruise mode.

Himecraig

I was impressed to read the ACC has low speed follow.
Haven't tried yet and not even sure how to set...
but saw first hand how convient the feature was in a Tesla creeping along during rush hour before the bay bridge toll plaza.

Skidoor

What? It can creep you along in a traffic jam or very slow moving traffic?? Now THAT is something I'd like !!

Himecraig

i would like to believe so also...but that's the funny part that I'm learning about Acura, what the publications say and mean to me differ.
I had to Google low speed follow and am pretty sure it only read at 25mph or above but not so sure since everything I've been told was 45mph or above.
this car truly confuses me.

Kelv00n

Everything Gatdget said above is correct, but it's all about how you view and use the tech. I use both ACC and LKAS all the time and I love both. But I use them knowing their limitations very clearly. For example, while ACC is active, if a car tries to cut in front of me and I have anticipated that, I will either brake the way I would without ACC on, or I would hit cancel and let the car slow down if it's safe to do so. But mostly, I press slightly on the accelerator pedal. Let me explain. While you're pressing the gas pedal, the ACC goes into some kind of standby mode and you have full control of the vehicle's speed. If you let go of the gas, ACC takes over again. So, it's possible to modulate the gas pedal ever so slightly that by stepping on it slowly, you're actually not pushing the engine and can actually shed speed. Think of it as another way to disable ACC but, unlike with braking, ACC will come back on automatically the minute you let go of the gas. The foot modulation is not something that must be done with precision either; some practice and it becomes easy.

LKAS, I have found working well at times, and at other times, not working much at all. So I mostly use it as a backup arm muscle so I don't have to grip the wheel with too much effort. Combined, both systems make long distance driving less tiring, and that's pretty much how you should look at them. We're still far from fully autonomous driving, contrary to what Tesla says.

As for low speed follow ACC, unless it's in the 2017 (I haven't checked), my 2016 Advance doesn't have it (ACC turns off below 45 or so if I recall). I know for a fact that higher up models like the 2016 RLX had it as part of ACC, but not the RDX. Model differentiation and all that. It will trickle down soon, if it hasn't already for 2017. I did want that, but it wasn't offered when I bought mine a year ago.

Skidoor

I'll start paying attention when Acura technology can prevent transport trucks from bumbling along at 55 MPH for miles in the left lane, "supposedly" trying to pass someone but not actually doing so.