Hi all, May be a silly question - but would a Prius on the interstate with lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control both on in effect drive itself? How does the cruise control work in heavier traffic? Will it slow and even stop the car if necessary? And would the lane keep assist keep the car in lane around turns, etc? Thanks
LKA drives like a drunk driver, bouncing from side to side, steering back and forth until it eventually exits the lane when the angle is too steep for the slight, bump, correction. LKA disables when you take your hands off the wheel and when the lane lines are faded or interrupted. You probably won't make more than a half mile on a straight road and less on one that has turns. I recommend that you refrain from climbing in the back seat with your lover, while driving an AT-equipped Prius, unless you're seeking an exciting ride in an ambulance.
As for radar cruise, it'll slow the vehicle, but warn you below a certain speed (I believe 25mph) that you need to take over. I don't have experience w/ an impending collision, so can't suggest that it will completely stop the vehicle (it might). Either way, the car is not intended to be completely autonomous.
I think that the highlighted portion of your response is an EXTREME OVERSTATEMENT. (Perhaps there is something wrong with your car). I find that the LKA action is pretty mild, and you always need to apply some force to the steering wheel. I have never had it over-correct as you describe. However, you are partially correct about the faded lines - it can be a PITA with those lines - particularly with the "beeping" as it recaptures the lines. Operation in the rain also seems marginal. In general, I usually use it on well maintained Interstates (like the NYS Thruway).
I've found that the DRCC works great in heavier traffic (at least above 25mph). The biggest problem in those cases is that it generally leaves a greater space between you and the car ahead that others frequently jump into the space. When that happens, and the new car is very close, the car will rapidly brake (even creating a hazard for any car tailgating you). When working properly, it is great!! However, according to the NHTSA, a few drivers (including me - 7 times in 20Kmiles) have experienced a false triggering of the system where it "Thinks" that there is a vehicle immediately in front, and slams on the breaks. However, Toyota refuses to acknowledge the problem.
I suppose my answer didn't provide adequate context, although the seminal post did. I appreciate how LKA notifies a driver of a lane excursion. I use it on both of our ATP equipped Prius V's during long drives and count LKA as an added safety feature. My earlier response was to a question about using LKA to self-drive the Prius. I stand by my answer to that question. With no steering input from the driver and ignoring the warning beeps, LKA steers like a drunk driver. It doesn't hold the car in the middle of a lane like I would require for "self-steer." Instead, LKA beeps when the car starts to exit the lane, getting the drivers attention, and lightly nudges the car back into the lane. Without driver control, this process will repeat, until, eventually, the angle of a lane excursion is too steep to be overcome by the LKA nudge. This is the same in both of our ATP-equipped Prii. LKA is great for what it was designed to do (add an extra layer of safety), but LKA is not a self-steer system.
