Is the Advanced Technology (AT) package worth it?

After 57 months with a 2010 Prius Five without the ATP, I am looking forward to picking up my 2014 Prius Five with ATP this afternoon. I can parallel park; however I really wanted the DRCC. I would have held out for the DRCC on my first one (bought in Oct '09 right before the sudden acceleration nonsense hit), so when this opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it.

Having driven many different manufacturers' versions of DRCC (Distronic, ACC, EyeSight, etc.), I'm excited to finally have one to call my own. And, given the amount of highway driving I do (over 21k/year on the Prius, which doesn't count the thousands of miles I put on other vehicles), it's going to be a Godsend!

 

But doesn't that then make you follow the speed of the vehicle in front of you? I guess that would be better than having to hit the brake to turn off cruise until it's safe to pull into another lane and forces a safer following distance.

 

It is a safety feature, meant to protect the distracted driver. Unfortunately it encourages people to drive distracted.

 

That's kind of my thought too, but I wouldn't mind trying it out sometime.

 

Few years back I had reason to drive two different Prius courtesy cars from my dealer.

My car is an ATP, the loaners were not.

While it was interesting to drive cars with cloth seats and no moonroof, I found that I missed my version.

The missing higher quality audio, no navigation and no PCS was always on my mind. I recall telling passengers that I missed my car, and can tell you quite honestly I feel safer with that full time radar that works with our version of the DRCC. Don't buy any of the distracted driver stuff, it is a genuine safety feature showing up on many cars.

I rarely use the parking guidance system when I am alone in the car, but have often used it when poor visibility caused by a car load of people with wet clothing on a cold dark night can sometimes cause side windows to fog. In those cases using the side scan feature can be handy.

It all works as it should and meets expectations. Anyone buying the car and deciding on which package to purchase simply has to decide on their own what is important to them. Some will criticize a feature no matter what, cars are very much a personal thing and I say to each their own.

enjoy, Roland

 

I contrast it to VSC. The one time I can remember VSC activating and beeping at me, I took it as a strong hint that I was driving too fast for the road conditions. I slowed down and started to pay close attention to the car. It turned out to be a punctured tyre. The point is that I did not think "I can continue driving the same way -- VSC will take care of me."

When I read posts of owners with DRCC and LKA, I get the uncomfortable feeling that those features are being used as crutches for inattentive driving. A driver with DRCC and LKA yapping on the phone while driving on the highway will not be as safe as someone without the safety features, and without the distraction. And before I hear any libertarian claptrap, let me remind these drivers that they share the road with others. An unsafe driver endangers others.

 

I like to think I pay attention and move over far before the DRCC would slow me down because I was getting close to the vehicle in front of me. I can just see the guy next to me with the phone stuck in his ear not paying attention paying even less attention. I don't know that it makes people more inattentive, but I think it may make inattentive people even more so. Hard to tell yet because it's just not an option on most cars on the road.

 

I believe some of this discussion still revolves around a misperception that DRCC is a tool for those that are inattentive. It is not the case that regular cruise control was used by myself at least as a reason to nod off behind the wheel on long road trips... maybe a good way to let you move your right leg to a different position on a long drive, perhaps a way to temper any temptation to go over the speed limit in areas when you know conditions tempt you to go faster. DRCC just made it better when traffic conditions became a little heavier, on multilane highways where speeds of the pack change a little too often for regular cruise, but you still wish to, or need to drive with that right leg a little bent to relax the knee or something. Personally, I know I am the prime safety system in the car, and may pay more attention when my foot is off the peddle.

ABS, VSC, DRCC.... sure, we didn't have that stuff before. There wasn't air bags and dashboards were just metal walls to bash yourself into if a crash happened, crumple zones, hah.... good drivers don't need any of that stuff right?

I think that all drivers are safer because of these improvements and don't think that we will see hugely significant reductions in traffic fatalities caused by driver error of some sort until they day that all vehicles are autonomously driven, if that ever happens. Not expecting to see that in my driving lifetime though, thank god (grin)... I enjoy driving and pay attention.

Roland

 

I anticipate lawsuits from owners with DRCC involved in accidents. It's just too easy to blame the DRCC rather than admit the driver actions were the cause.

 

Sadly, some will likely try that route. Guess it will be the same sort that say they backed into a wall or ran over a child because it didn't show up on their rear view camera. Some people still do take their responsibility seriously when driving, and view new tech as a welcomed improvement over what came before.

Roland

 

This is a small step towards fully autonomous vehicles. The technology will have an overall effect of reducing traffic accidents, even if it does promote inattentiveness.

Modern commercial airplanes make extensive use of automation, and it has made flying much safer despite the inattentive pilots. While automation has been the cause of some disasters, more often the cause of a disaster is the result of pilot error, and not an automated system.

I'd like to use DRCC to draft behind a semi truck on long stretches.

 

My 2012 Plug In Advance has all the ATP items other than lane keep assist and parking assist. I could have purchased the base model for less, but learned years ago, more options are best. Most new cars today all have power windows, keyless door locks, satellite radio, and mandated safety items as standard equipment. Who would want to go back to yesteryear? Items like HUD, DRCC, and PCS are added safety items that make my daily drive safer. At 64, I've never had a at fault accident, and I haven't become complacent or distracted because I have those features. I welcome technological advances, especially safety items. I remember when seat belts were optional items on cars. Just because cars had seat belts, laws were enacted to force people to use them. I'm sure the same discussions took place then.

 

I can certainly appreciate the advances made and how well these systems work. Since I've never driven a car with those new safety features, I can't comment on whether I'd like them or not. But bottom line is dollars. The difference between the Two and the Three for me was a no brainer. $800 roughly, and I get the display audio with navigation. To me, that was worth it by itself. As for the Five, I saw no reason for the 17" wheels. While nice, it increased my cost at the pump as well as buying snow tires. Yes, they look better. Although I would prefer the SofTex seats. and the LED lights and fog lamps

I still can't believe I bought a car with a power driver's seat though. I probably would have bought the Five had there been any available without the moonroof package. I can see paying a few extra bucks for the power seats, SofTex, dimming rearview mirror. But the moonroof was a killer. When I bought the v was selling very well, and almost every dealer had loaded up the Fives with moonroof. At that point, gas mileage went out the door and I started to look at other cars. Today, they are discounted by as much as $3,000 at the dealer down the street.

 

I'm sure there were a lot of arguments touting the ability to use cellphones to call 911 in case of accidents, etc., and while I don't know how many accidents are caused by texting, etc., there are undoubtedly some even though the cell has probably saved a number of lives in accident situations. DRCC "should" help avoid accidents by inattentive drivers and I think it's a decent safety feature. All I'm saying is I'm not sure it's worth the price to upgrade to a Five to get it. If it is that useful, then it should be standard or an option on all models.

I'm a very attentive driver. My wife will tell you I'm not a conversationalist when I'm driving, so I'm not sure what DRCC would do for me. I'm constantly using the mirrors to see who is around me, I move over in plenty of time to pass a slower driver (even though I rarely go more than 3 mph over the limit unless that's the traffic speed) and I'm not sure I'd like being slowed down by the guy in front of me. I "think" I prefer cancelling CC to be ready to move into the next lane to pass when traffic warrants it and then resume CC. I can see the advantage of DRCC for those who just want to use CC and let the car decide when it's safe to pull out to pass, etc. Or they just don't mind going a little bit slower without having to adjust the CC setting, etc.

Like I said, I'd like to try it, maybe before I trade up in a few years. I've been in plenty of traffic situations where it would have been a nice to have feature. Still not sure if it's worth the price of admission at this point.

 

I agree, it would be nice to try, not to pay for. It's certainly at the high end of the price spectrum now.
As for Prius gas mileage, which is more to the point. I've always used cruise control in the past, because it was easy, and it didn't cost gas mileage. In my Prius, I can always get better mileage here without using cruise control. The 17" tires are another negative.

 

I agree with the comments above about the drawbacks of the 17" wheels. If I end up with a Prius V, I will trade the 17" wheels for 15".

I'd also skip the moonroof since I would rarely use it in Oregon, and it adds weight, reduces the aero profile of the roof, and reduces frame rigidity.

Power seats should also be dropped. I don't know why anyone would prefer to slowly position their seat when a lever can position the seat in under a second. The only way power seats make any sense is if it has memory for multiple drivers and auto-adjusts when the driver unlocks the car. The Prius doesn't have that, so I maintain that power seats are dumb.

The last thing I'd skip is headlight washers. It seems like a gimmick. I have never been in a situation where I wished I had headlight washers. If there is snow covering them, I'll brush it off.

 

Well now, if we are going for convenience I want the car to recognize the driver and adjust all the mirrors and the seat. A massage would also be appreciated.

 

I personally find power seats far easier to adjust than the manual ones. Unfortunate that Toyota doesn't offer the memory seats, which cost-wise is very inexpensive.

 

Maybe something that will happen sooner than you think,... even if you are just kidding.

Health monitoring seems to be all the rage now with new smart phones and fitness bands etc. Car makers will likely start looking at more than they do now in terms of a glazed unblinking warning as a Lexus or Mercedes tracks eye movements... or lack there of. They could easily adopt to identify individuals and not only change seat and mirror positions, but radio and sat nav preferences.

When I was a lot younger, I owned a couple of Mercedes S class cars.... look at some of the stuff they have in their current models for a taste of what is likely to trickle down to the average car.

Although it all may be largely just a new advance in terms of planned obsolescence to get people wishing to upgrade as they do with cell phones now, it is likely all for the better as roads get more crowded.

Roland