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Is Lane Keep Assist ready for prime time and worth the upgrade?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by robsnyder20, Mar 19, 2016.

  1. robsnyder20

    robsnyder20 Active Member

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    Question for Gen4 Owners, is lane keep assist worth it to step up from the Two ECO? I drove a couple Prius's from the dealers lot and noticed that the lane keep assist didn't work all that great so I maybe didn't follow everything right or do something right to activate it properly but does it steer itself somewhat decent? I saw some Acuras on Youtube literally steer itself down a highway around a curve for an extended time, thats why I asked.

    I can get a pretty good deal on a lesser model but personally I would LOVE to get the tech package on a three but if LKA's not quite ready for prime time perhaps I should save some money. I work the night shift and live about 30 miles to home so I am thinking that this driver aid could be worth its price in gold for me, should I have any issues (Never been in an accident, knock on wood). Thanks for your input fellow owners and if someone could be so kind and post a demo, I would really love that too.

    Also, if you all have any input or thoughts on how well emergency braking works, I would love to hear that too. I just wished it would save you from an accident at a little better city speeds since from what I understand it will stop you up to 18MPH which really isn't all that fast.
     
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The Gen 4 does not have Lane Keep Assist. It is now Lane Departure Alert w/ Steering Assist.

    "Whoa, whoa whoa, what the heck is the difference?", you ask?

    Lane Keep Assist (LKA) is exactly as you described and was available on the Gen 3 Prius (2010-2015). It actively adjusts the steering wheel to keep you in the centre of the lane (and thus the semi-autonomous capability of driving itself around a wide bend on the highway). You can actively feel the electric motor moving the steering wheel.

    Lane Departure Alert w/ Steering Assist (LDA w/ SA) is a more passive approach. I guess there was some feedback on the annoyance or disconcerting feeling of the car constantly adjusting the steering wheel. So what Toyota has done, is give you a lane departure warning system with audible feedback. But if it detects that you're near the edge and about to cross the lane markers, it'll nudge you back. It's a more laid back and passive approach, waiting for you to get close to the edge before reacting.


    PCS w/ Pedestrian Detection has two speed reduction modes. It'll reduce the speed by up to 25 mph (40km/h) for larger objects (so it will stop the car if you were travelling below 25mph or it will reduce the impact speed by 25mph if you were going faster than that.)

    The pedestrian detection speed reduction is 18-19mph. (30km/h).
     
  3. robsnyder20

    robsnyder20 Active Member

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    Thanks Tideland Prius for answering my questions above. Would be interested in what owners thought of their ATP or touring models with these features included. It is a bit of a bummer that they ditched lane keep assist and went with Steering assist but can understand due to potential lawsuits and such.
     
  4. I'mJp

    I'mJp Senior Member

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    LKA and Steering assist IMHO only asset is the alarm that goes off when you get into the line without a signal.

    Haven't had my gen 4 long enough to say anything about steering assist.

    I used LKA for 4 years on my gen three in all of my 1300 - 1500 mile trips from Ma to FL or AR and back.
    On these 24 hour (one way) trips it's good to have something letting you know that fatigue is setting in, time to pull over.
    Of course you should notice fatigue before hand, having an alarm is extra.

    The assist part has never done anything for me.
     
  5. Zojja

    Zojja Active Member

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    I would agree that it is probably good for fatigue or if you just generally have a habit of not paying attention (I hope not).
     
  6. 'LectroFuel

    'LectroFuel Senior Member

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    The lane lane departure alert with steering assist works really well for me. On the most sensitive setting, the beeping is too much for me. I kept on the second setting and it still works great. It does read little patches of paved road or imperfections of the road sometimes as a lane marker, so it beeps at those times.

    It's a great thing to have when you always drive at night.;)

    As for emergency braking, the car stops at any speed (I think) to avoid or lessen the crash. Under 18 miles mph, it stops for everything including people.

    The emergency braking occurs when I'm in my garage because I have things like bikes and stuff in front of my car. Sometimes I get to close and it stops me. It is jarring, but it saves you from a new scratch on your new car. Overall from my experience, the emergency braking works great, too.

    Parking assist it really cool and works most of the time. You still have to watch out though. Sometimes, if the parking spot is way to small, it still thinks it can park in it. So just look for a parking space you can fit in.
     
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  7. ATHiker

    ATHiker Senior Member

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    Good to learn more about this.

    For me the bottom line is that I have zero confidence this will nudge me back into my lane. Just playing around with it -- sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. And that assuming the lines are well marked on the road.

    Since it will beep at you if you change lanes without using your turn signal, it would be a good feature to inspire safer driving. That is about it, IMHO.
     
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  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Keep in mind that this is ICS (Intelligent Clearance Sonar) and not PCS (Pre-Collision System) that is stopping you in the garage. They're two separate systems (one is sonar-based and the other is radar-based).

    ICS is only available with the PCP (along with JBL Audio, IPA and Safety Connect)
     
  9. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

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    But if park assist requires me to decide if the spot is big enough it is essentially useless. Park assist should be able to assess and assist in parking in spots I consider small.
    What happens if the spot is really small? It starts parking in and then what happens?
    If the IPA is intended to help only on huge/ regular parking spaces then not much of a value add to me... ;)
     
  10. ATHiker

    ATHiker Senior Member

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    IRC, the sensors will let you know if you have enough space to proceed automatically.

    My issue is a matter of confidence-- trust, really.

    The car wheel will be turned automatically but as you give it the gas to move into your spot, the proximity sensors will be chirping wildly if you are close to the cars around you -- suggesting you back off.

    Rather than be decisive and power into my spot, I chicken out.

    Perhaps I need to practice some.
     
  11. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

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    Maybe one should simulate it with big boxes simulating cars or friends' cars with somebody watching from the outside and giving feedback on how much space really is there.
    My sensors on the 3 for examples are quite conservative, and will beep constantly when there is at least another good 20cm of space.
    The sales person told me the IPA is a capable to park in spots leaving no more than 50cm in total front and back of the car. Which means 25cm and should be about the same as the sensors I have today.
    There are surely geometrical constraints to how close you can park a car in a spot.
     
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  12. 'LectroFuel

    'LectroFuel Senior Member

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    If the parking spot is really small, it will try to park in it.

    You should be the judge on if your car can fit in a parking space. IPA is only trying to help you, not get into the smallest of spaces
     
  13. KMaletsky

    KMaletsky Junior Member

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    Just got a 2016 Prius Four two weeks ago with all the accessory packages. LDA seems to work very well, I'm pleased with its ability to see the lines even when the visibility or condition of the paint on the pavement is marginal. With the Four and the HUD, it's quite convenient for me to see it and react (or not if there's nothing to worry about).

    To be honest, I've never actually felt the steering assist. I've crossed over plenty of lines and I have the steering assist enabled in the menus. Manual says that it might detect if the steering wheel is "not firmly gripped" and activate the assistance in that case. Also says that the assist will happen if the wheel hasn't moved in a while, I guess I could test that on a curving road if there's nobody around.

    It sure doesn't seem like my Four would drive itself down the middle of the lane if I took my hands off the steering wheel on the freeway. Of course I haven't tried to do just that at freeway speeds... Have other, more courageous 2016 Prius owners tried to see just how far the car will steer for you at highway speeds?
     
  14. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    The LDA on mine doesn't seem to react until I have crossed the line, it then beeps and gives a little light nudge on the wheel.
    The Adaptive cruise control was a little scary at first. I pushed the lever up and held it to increase the set speed and it went wild, I had accidently set the speed very high, not knowing it went up in 5 mph steps. I tried again later in the journey after I realised what I had done before, this time just nudging it up or down to the speed limit as it changed. I nudged it down as I went into a 40 mph zone from a 50mph (two steps) and as traffic slowed to a stop at some lights, the car stopped, then when the lights changed and traffic moved on, the car just followed with no input from me, well impressed, no feet driving ;o)
     
  15. I'mJp

    I'mJp Senior Member

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    In my 1012 prius it would go up / down by fives, but in the new 2016, only by ones. Must be a new US thing.
     
  16. Zojja

    Zojja Active Member

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    You can adjust the sensitivity on the LDA assist. Mine was off at first, I had to turn it on.
     
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  17. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    Thanks for that Zojja, I didn't realise it was adjustable, must have missed that one when I was scrolling through.
    Some of the menus scroll further down than I thought, I couldn't find how to add the extra hour on to the clock for British summer time yesterday, even though I had set the clock once 2 days before, it was further down the menu, Doh !
     
  18. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    automatic braking and adaptive cruise control are far better reasons to get upgraded system... AEB is very good in new Prius, far, far, far better than the previous system and one of the top systems available.

    It is actually able to do a full stop from at least 70kmh as tested in RX for EuroNCAP... it also works at all speeds, so it will always help out no matter what is the speed.

    It is very, very good system... previous system was just barely better than warning.
     
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  19. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    From JNCAP:



    They aced all JNCAP tests in new Prius... actually page is informative for everyone, test goes up to 50kmh for stationary and 60kmh for moving target, plus it shows other cars - ones with simpler yet still excellent TSS C, Prius with TSS P and then older models which had very expensive system that could barely stop at any speed -
    JNCAP|予防安全性能アセスメント -

    You can check other manufacturers as well. For example before this year, Lexus systems were far worse than TSS C or P and we $2k in cost... except in LS, that had a good one since 2014. Honda is fine only in system introduced few months ago, Subaru's EyeSight has been good for 2 years, Mazda's is still not up to par.
    JNCAP|予防安全性能アセスメント
     
  20. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    It is good enough that I'm waiting a year for a Level 2 ECO with the announced, automatic braking. So a salesman from the local Toyota dealer called and said he could get a Level 3 with ATP for the same price as a Level 2 ECO. I thanked him but said I'll wait.

    Bob Wilson