Ok - so this applies to the MDX and RLX so far only http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs...5V301-9796.pdf

I don't have CMBS but I do have FCW which presumably interprets similar data....usually wrongly. I have changed it to shortest distance setting to minimize this. It has gone off when the car is approaching a bridge and sometimes when I am already normally braking coming up to a stop. What worries me is CMBS also getting it wrong, and then being rear ended by some unsuspecting near tail gater. We all sometimes brake early but lightly to give the idiot behind more chance to get on his brakes.....but how will CMBS behave? Seems in the MDX and RLX there are such problems. And these issues will only get more and more significant as we go further and further down the road of letting cars do everything for us. Sure CMBS also uses radar, not just the camera, but nevertheless, the scope for error is still there.

 

People may disagree with me, but I'm not sure all this tech is ready for prime time (to include CBMS, FCW, lane departure assist, and adaptive cruise). I think the best measures for vigilance and defense is a watchful driver. This type of tech implies letting the car do some of the driving detail, and it lends a false sense of security to the driver. I also would be concerned about how much it'll be to repair these systems should they fail in the future after the warranty has run out. As for my needs/wants, I really want none of it.

 

I don't know why you would need your car to tell you how close you are to the car in front of you! The only feature I find necessary and useful is the blind spot indicator. I have everything else turned off.

 

^^
yep, i agree with Narnia and erdoc! I would have preferred if Acura had a base SH-AWD package...i would have bought that instead but had to settle for SH-AWD Tech. I turn off pretty much anything that beeps at me, except for the blind spot monitoring system. The forward collision warning is way off. sometimes the car senses a shadow from a bridge overpass and it beeps at me... wtf? LOL!

 

I agree that there is room for improvement, but they cannot sit on this technology in the lab waiting for it to be perfected. You loose market share that way.

The systems work reasonable well for me, and I find them useful. The econo rental that I have been driving for the last week does not have any of these features and I really miss them especially ACC on the long highway drives.

If the FCW gives me a valid warning once in a thousand times (my inattention) and prevents a collision then it will have been worth the other 999 times when it flashed a useless warning.

 

I have Multivex mirrors on the TL so there are no blind spots to the rear. I rented a Ford Focus recently and it had convex mirrors as part of the side view mirror assembly (made like that from the factory). I actually prefer a mirror like that vs blind spot monitoring with a light indicator.

 

Yeah - I think the Fords' mirrors are pretty nice. I like blind spot monitors but even those can discourage shoulder checking vigilence, and the sensors have their weaknesses. I turn everything else off - LDW, FCW to minimum (off generates a warning light). LKAS works very well within obvious limitations and can make highway driving in strong sidewinds or persistant camber more pleasant. It's actually more useful I find than cruise control in terms of fatigue reduction. But I would happily ditch the heated windshield (pointless), heated rear seats, touch screen, LDW, LKAS, tire inflate assist, brake hold, AHA, for something substantial like SHAWD. But the cost of all this electronic stuff is cheap compared to drivetrain things. I'd keep the heated steering wheel though :-)

 

Dropped off my MDX today for a new windshield, and they told me the software update for the CMBS is out, so they are performing that as well. Asked if the same would apply for the TLX, but he said there is nothing listed about the TLX, so perhaps the calibrations/settings were different.

For both vehicles, I have seen the brake warning flash a handful of times when driving under an overpass or something like that, but actual braking was never triggered in any of those situations.

 

I've never used Acura's ACC but on Mercedes (they call it distronic) it works GREAT

and I mean great... stop and go heavy traffic to cruising at 85 mph on the freeway.

So that's ready for primetime at least.

 

The TLX ACC does just as well. Will come to a complete stop behind the car in front of you and start up when the traffic begins to move. But you do have to decide to trust it.

 

The gravel spraying up from all the potholes we had this winter really messed up my windshield.

Mr Hyde, why did you have your windshield replaced, was it cracked? Which dealer replaced it, and what did it cost?

 

My wife was hit by a soccer ball while driving past a field. She was in the left lane of the Bronx River Parkway, so she was moving at a pretty good clip when it occurred.

It was a direct hit right in front of the driver, and the whole windshield was smashed, but we are very thankful that she held it together, and didn't swerve into the concrete barriers as it is a very narrow roadway with no shoulders.

I actually went to the Rallye Acura after Safellite cancelled on me twice due to what I eventually found out is a backorder. Rallye had a windshield in stock, but since I went directly to them instead of Safelllite who has an arrangement with my insurance company, I had to pay up front. I was very quickly reimbursed by my insurance for 100% of the cost minus a new set of $25 wipers.

The windshield was $1050. Labor (subcontracted out) was just over $300. With tax, the total was just over $1500.

I am not sure what the base model MDX windshield costs, but I am sure it is less, and there could be an aftermarket version of it as well. Having said that, I much prefer OEM glass, and if in the same situation again, this time I will go straight to Rallye who were such a relief after dealing with Safelite.

Safelite never even called me once to let me know what was going on despite multiple promises, and they were impossible to get on the phone. To add insult to injury, they also sent multiple emails to confirm appointments while never even having the windshield in stock. Big thumbs up to Moon, and Matt at Rallye service, and a big thumbs down to Safelite.

 

Some might not agree and its kind of funny but the LDW and FCW system on my 2014 Accord which i traded in for my TLX was far more accurate. No false alarms, LDW was very responsive and the best part, volume of the alerts was higher than the TLX warnings

 

That's awful, thank goodness your wife wasn't injured!

I'm surprised you had a bad experience, I've used Safelite many times and have always found them to be reliable.

Rallye is my dealer as well. Their service dept. is great but I find them very expensive, so for routine stuff I use indy shops.

Sorry to hijack this thread!

 

I have noticed a peculiar thing about the collision mitigation braking alert as of this week. They're repairing a surface street and in one area put a large....sheet of metal on the road? I'm not sure exactly what you call it, but they're clearly doing some work.

If I happen to be in this lane at the time and go over it (the TLX straddles it) the CMB light/warning goes off briefly....it's kind of strange. Avoiding that lane for now, but not sure if the radar is getting bounce back from the metal plate or something?

 

I've had my TLX for about a month. In all fairness, the owner's manual does warn about using the ACC in heavier traffic, but holy shit! The ACC braked hard in moderately heavy traffic and I'm lucky no one was following closely behind me. I will not use ACC anymore unless I am out on the open highway.

ACC can be put into conventional mode by holding down the distance button before hitting the SET button. You'll see it indicated in the MID. The owner's manual mentions this on page 86, but it's not clear that you must hold down the button prior to engaging the cruise control.

 

Ten months of experience and I find it great in heavy bumper to bumper highway traffic that is crawling along. It's all about learning its strengths and weaknesses. Once you know them it is an effect driving aid.

I experimented with putting it in traditional cruise control mode but that did not last long. ACC is not perfect but beat traditional hands down.