Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P)

What features are included?

 

..........for a $500 increase in Msrp on non ATP / Non touring models that is

But yeah it's well worth the minimal cost increase I believe. I paid the extra money to get those features (plus the Moonroof and HUD) on my 2016 via the Advanced tech package. I use all the features daily! I feel they make driving safer and more enjoyable. The insurance companies seem to think so too

 

Most, if not every, function can be disabled if you so choose. Most are set through the vehicle information menus. Auto high-beams has a button on the knee panel. LDA has a steering wheel button but can also be disabled in the menu, I think. The steering assist can be disabled separately from the warning.

DRCC can be "downgraded" to standard cruise control, but this must be done every time you switch the system on. You use a long press of the on/off button instead of the normal short press. I'm not aware of a way to disable DRCC by default.

All that said, the systems are very unobtrusive and I would recommend leaving them fully enabled. While I don't rely on them for safety, I will appreciate any that they provide in a moment of need.

 

I don't have TSS but have all the same safety features in our Outback. I do turn off the lane warnings whenever I drive on twisty/curvy roads as I prefer to "clip apexes" which means I cross or touch inside pavement lines with regularity and the audible tone warnings get real old, real fast. Default is "on" so it has to be turned off again after every engine restart.

FWIW

 

I also toggle back and forth based on the road I am going to take.

 

They're all standard on even the base Australian models - and, yes, I use them all the time.

Automatic High Beam is set by putting the High/Low beam stalk into "HIGH" position, and it automatically works out (very well) whether you need High or Low beam. Around town, I leave it in LOW, though.

 

Not that I've found - but anything is possible. Maybe if I had Headlights on manual, the Auto High Beam might not work - haven't tried it, and it's nearly midday now here, so I'll have to wait till it's dark.

 

I'll rate each feature out of 10:

Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist: 7/10 - works well, but they shouldn't have even have the steering assist because it barely steers the car. I want the car to actually swerve back into the lane. I like the feature though. It warns you when the car thinks you should take a break from driving.

Automatic High Beams: 10/10 - Works VERY well. The headlights (high and low beams) work very well and are bright. The automatic high beams recognize an oncoming car instantly (and instantly switches to low beams). I love it.

Dynamic Radar Cruise Control: 10/10 - Also works very well. The car doesn't overreact when someone cuts you off. Maintains speed and follows cars really well.

Pre-Collision System: 11/10 - This can save people's lives. It brakes for you when you're about to hit something. It works in my garage all the time. It stops the car when I'm about to hit the wall.

I rate the whole system 10/10. I'm happy Toyota is trying to make TSS-P standard on all their cars. There are settings to turn all this stuff off.

 

Yes - that's odd - here in EU there is an auto high beam button on the knee panel. This remembers it's setting when powered off/on. If it is off, the high beam push on the stalk works as normal, if it's switched on, then you still need to push the stalk to activate the high beam mode, but it then decides itself when to switch high beam on/off after that.

 

I found it - it's near to the HUD & VSC switches. And, oddly enough, it was OFF. But the Auto High Beams were working fine - in AUTO mode, at least. I haven't gone for a drive since turning it ON. Interestingly, the only reference to in the manual is on Page 20 where there is a diagram of the dashboard and switches.

I'll test it and report back.

 

You don't have a partner do you? My wife sometimes stabs randomly in that area (or hits it with her knees, as she is short and has the seat really far forward!) when reaching for the power switch. On occasion I come back to various permutations of HUD settings/Auto headlights after she's been driving.

 

No, sadly not any more. Only 2 dogs, and they've yet to go for a ride in the new car - much to their annoyance. I have a back seat cover which I fit which they sit on, and I need to modify it slightly for the different spacing of the seat belt holes.

 

Yes, generally speaking. The camera recognizes tail lights ahead of you. Though if it thinks they're far enough ahead it will use the brights.

 

I like all the features. I do wish the Lane Keep Assist were more robust. It doesn't kick in until I've already crossed the lane line by about 12 inches. But that's fine. At least I know the limitations. Everything else seems to work well although I haven't driven at night to see if my auto brights work.

Pros? These things will help me from wrapping my car around a tree or worse. I think I got a discount on my insurance too.

Cons? I can't think of any.

 

Yes, they dim, just like an oncoming car. It also recognizes the back of cars, too. That's why so many people leave on the Auto high beams all the time.

Same with me. It also recognizes cracks in the middle of the road as a lane marker, so sometimes, it just gets annoying.