I've noticed an easily-overlooked benefit of full-speed-range DRCC: When it stops you behind the car in front of you, you don't have to sit with your foot mashed on the brake! iPad ? Pro
You too must have noticed that a fairly high amount of pressure on the brake pedal is needed to keep the Prime from creeping. I don't remember my 2012 PIP displaying the same characteristics. .
Wow I don't know that, so no manual braking needed when using DRCC? Some things I read imply that manual braking might be needed when traffic suddenly stops and DRCC reacts too slowly and slams on the brakes.
DRCC reacts pretty well IMO. It'll also warn you when it can't keep up with the situation. I was using it at night on a downhill portion of Highway 41 inside of Yosemite. Person in front of me was a real chicken on the curves, and i was tired of playing footsies with the Gas pedal and brake. The DRCC worked admirably and took me down to crawling speed, though on occasion the hairpin curves would cause it to release but a warning and beep let me know I was in control from that point. Let's put it this way, I really liked this feature, especially since it's speed range is so broad. Other DRCC systems only work till about 25 mph or so (I've read). Also adjusting the distance it keeps is a great feature. Especially since it's speed related.
Its main limitation I've seen is roads that curve. It's pretty clear from its reactions that its radar is looking more directly ahead than in the direction of travel. iPhone ? Pro
I have actually tested it and experienced all the behaviors described, incl using it on a 1 or so mile 2 lane windy road on my commute, and i have become very accustomed to DRCC already, to the point when i drove my wife's car to work a couple weeks ago i was wondering why the car wasn't slowing down in heavier traffic ... however, while i use it like @alexcue, those use cases make me nervous, plus, when detecting oncoming vehicles i observed slowing behavior until it realizes it's not really in front of you. On fwy, DRCC is great, on 2 lane curvy highways, not so much and use with caution
Interesting thought there. My impression is "hmmm, maybe so, now that you mention it." That hasn't really stood out as such, but perhaps so. iPhone ? Pro
I tried using it on my commute home tonight. I5 traffic was very heavy with lots of complete stops. It didn't work too well way too jerky compared to my own driving. I could see how it would work well with gradual slowing though.
I had the luxury of experiencing drcc with traffic going from 70 to 0 very quickly. It did not handle it well. I no longer wait for DRCC. Most of the time I can see further ahead and react earlier than drcc, but drcc can react more quickly than I can. It is perfect for my long trips. I find something big to follow and just steer.
The ol' staple, "know your limits," certainly applies in any sort of driving, and with all of TSSP, I can see that knowing those systems' limits is also valuable. Also, as we all realize and agree, all aspects of TSSP are primarily intended as safety backups. As always, you have to stay alert. More confident and relaxed, definitely, but you're still "in the driver's seat," in every sense of the phrase. Strictly speaking though, DRCC and auto-high-beams are a little different in that they are addition capabilities entirely, and in that sense, not a safety backup system strictly speaking. Still, point being, whether your car has no cruise control at all, ordinary constant-speed cruise control, or DRCC, the concept is the same: Stay alert, and if the car isn't behaving correctly, be ready to intervene. So, knowing when TSSP will not work as well, and thus when to be especially "ready to intervene," strikes me as especially important, and takes practice. For example, I've noticed that changing lanes with DRCC on, I often have to nudge the accelerator a bit right after making the change to keep the drivers behind me from getting annoyed. iPhone ? Pro
