For Driver-Assist system enthusiasts
I am very interested in all these new Driver-Assist systems on newer vehicles. ( My 2018 Mazda CX-9 has full Radar Cruise and Lane Keeping Assist.). I am always frustrated that on our Mazda forums almost no one talks about (Or I guess even uses) these technologies.
And even most of YouTube Car reviewers seem to mostly ignore them or lump them all together without actually testing them. And even some testers seem to not really understand the difference between the Speed Control systems like Radar Cruise Control, and the Steering Control systems like Lane Keeping Assist.
Heres my thoughts and questions.
Radar (Adaptive) Cruise Control (The system that keeps you a set distance from the vehicle in front of you.). This tech has been around for 8-10 years or so, the only new thing is the "Full" ability (the Ability to bring your car to a complete stop and automatically re-accelerate as the vehicle in front of you does. In my Mazda experience it works pretty good but it could be better. Its problems are that it cannot See far enough ahead, meaning it continues holding the set speed until it gets closer to the traffic ahead, then needs to brake harder than I naturally would. (A normal driver would ease off on the gas pedal and coast toward the stopped traffic.). I think this is a common problem with all Radar Cruise Controls on all vehicles as many of them use the same components.
My main Radar Cruise Control complaint (Which again I believe is common to all manufactures (except Tesla?), is that once your vehicle comes to a complete stop (and the brakes hold automatically), unless the traffic in front of you moves within 3-4 seconds, the system times out", forcing you to then "resume" when the traffic starts moving again.
I believe that this should be a user setting, allowing it up to 2-3 minutes before it times out in other words it wouldnt keep requiring you to "resume" at every red light, but would behave much more automatically (Tesla Like??)
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) heres where the confusion starts. First of all, all of these Lane Keeping systems are almost (or completely) separate from the Radar Cruise. On my Mazda (and other vehicles I've tried), you can turn the LKA off and still use the Radar Cruise; they are 2 separate systems (except for maybe Tesla).
Lane Keeping Warning systems old technology boring make noises when you cross over the lanes most users hate this and leave it off.
Lane Keeping Assist systems - current technology - senses when you approach (or go over) a lane, then actually lightly steers your vehicle back toward the middle. I have driven some of these and they tend to ping-pong you from one side to another. In my Mazda, it works fairly well when I cross a centerline (drivers side), but seldom works on the right side edge of the road. They do not tend to work under about 35mph.
Lane Centering (Lane Trace, Pro-pilot, Pilot Assist, Super Cruise, etc.) the interesting new technology that I WANT. Tracks the lanes and steers your vehicle, keeping you smoothly in the center of your lane. Looks like Toyotas new TSS 2.0 (on the new 2019 Rav 4) will have it. All of these systems pretty much make you hold on to the steering wheel often (which is OK). In my brief experiences with these systems (using them with the Radar Cruise), they really do take most of the work out of driving.
Again, heres where the frustration comes in, how do you find out which is best? Consumers Report just did a review on 4 vehicles with this tech and named the Cadillac Super Cruise the best, but I would never buy it since (as far as I know), it only works on mostly freeways (which I seldom use). I would want a system that works on any (lane marked) road (like Tesla). Here are the important questions Id like to know about every available system (that even Consumers Reports didnt answer)
Radar Cruise how long will it stay engaged when youre fully stopped?
Radar Cruise what is the minimum speed you can set it at?
(This is important Mazda does a great job of allowing you to set it at any speed (if youre going under 19 mph, it sets it to its minimum of 19).
Lane Centering Does it work while in stop-n-go traffic? (or only above a certain speed (like 37mph).
Lane Centering When is Mazda going to offer it?
Final Comment In almost all these systems the Lane Keeping systems automatically stay on and automatically start working again after you pass a certain speed (like 37mph) you never have to RESUME - begging the question why do you always have to keep RESUMING the Radar Cruise after being stopped for more than 4 seconds - doesn't make any sense to me!
I am very interested in all these new Driver-Assist systems on newer vehicles. ( My 2018 Mazda CX-9 has full Radar Cruise and Lane Keeping Assist.). I am always frustrated that on our Mazda forums almost no one talks about (Or I guess even uses) these technologies.
And even most of YouTube Car reviewers seem to mostly ignore them or lump them all together without actually testing them. And even some testers seem to not really understand the difference between the Speed Control systems like Radar Cruise Control, and the Steering Control systems like Lane Keeping Assist.
Heres my thoughts and questions.
Radar (Adaptive) Cruise Control (The system that keeps you a set distance from the vehicle in front of you.). This tech has been around for 8-10 years or so, the only new thing is the "Full" ability (the Ability to bring your car to a complete stop and automatically re-accelerate as the vehicle in front of you does. In my Mazda experience it works pretty good but it could be better. Its problems are that it cannot See far enough ahead, meaning it continues holding the set speed until it gets closer to the traffic ahead, then needs to brake harder than I naturally would. (A normal driver would ease off on the gas pedal and coast toward the stopped traffic.). I think this is a common problem with all Radar Cruise Controls on all vehicles as many of them use the same components.
My main Radar Cruise Control complaint (Which again I believe is common to all manufactures (except Tesla?), is that once your vehicle comes to a complete stop (and the brakes hold automatically), unless the traffic in front of you moves within 3-4 seconds, the system times out", forcing you to then "resume" when the traffic starts moving again.
I believe that this should be a user setting, allowing it up to 2-3 minutes before it times out in other words it wouldnt keep requiring you to "resume" at every red light, but would behave much more automatically (Tesla Like??)
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) heres where the confusion starts. First of all, all of these Lane Keeping systems are almost (or completely) separate from the Radar Cruise. On my Mazda (and other vehicles I've tried), you can turn the LKA off and still use the Radar Cruise; they are 2 separate systems (except for maybe Tesla).
Lane Keeping Warning systems old technology boring make noises when you cross over the lanes most users hate this and leave it off.
Lane Keeping Assist systems - current technology - senses when you approach (or go over) a lane, then actually lightly steers your vehicle back toward the middle. I have driven some of these and they tend to ping-pong you from one side to another. In my Mazda, it works fairly well when I cross a centerline (drivers side), but seldom works on the right side edge of the road. They do not tend to work under about 35mph.
Lane Centering (Lane Trace, Pro-pilot, Pilot Assist, Super Cruise, etc.) the interesting new technology that I WANT. Tracks the lanes and steers your vehicle, keeping you smoothly in the center of your lane. Looks like Toyotas new TSS 2.0 (on the new 2019 Rav 4) will have it. All of these systems pretty much make you hold on to the steering wheel often (which is OK). In my brief experiences with these systems (using them with the Radar Cruise), they really do take most of the work out of driving.
Again, heres where the frustration comes in, how do you find out which is best? Consumers Report just did a review on 4 vehicles with this tech and named the Cadillac Super Cruise the best, but I would never buy it since (as far as I know), it only works on mostly freeways (which I seldom use). I would want a system that works on any (lane marked) road (like Tesla). Here are the important questions Id like to know about every available system (that even Consumers Reports didnt answer)
Radar Cruise how long will it stay engaged when youre fully stopped?
Radar Cruise what is the minimum speed you can set it at?
(This is important Mazda does a great job of allowing you to set it at any speed (if youre going under 19 mph, it sets it to its minimum of 19).
Lane Centering Does it work while in stop-n-go traffic? (or only above a certain speed (like 37mph).
Lane Centering When is Mazda going to offer it?
Final Comment In almost all these systems the Lane Keeping systems automatically stay on and automatically start working again after you pass a certain speed (like 37mph) you never have to RESUME - begging the question why do you always have to keep RESUMING the Radar Cruise after being stopped for more than 4 seconds - doesn't make any sense to me!