Featured CR on Driver Assist Systems

Yes, TSS 2.0 cannot be upgraded to TSS 3.0 as far as I know, just like TSS 1.0 couldn't be upgraded to TSS 2.0.

However, this seems to be changing. Apparently, Toyota now has OTA updates with TSS 3.0. Perhaps TSS 3.0 can even be upgraded to TSS 4.0 when the latter arrives.

 

I got the Outback because at a few months old, and 4400 miles, it did not have something the owner wanted. I've already made that expensive mistake, and will not repeat it.

The 2016 Camry the Outback replaced had absolutely nothing in terms of ADAS. Not even the dynamic cruise control. Except for the more passive systems that are on all the time, I am not using Subaru's systems on my daily drives.

Without truly effective driver monitoring and engagement systems, I think these systems are risky to have on the road for the general public. We are only hearing about the events involving Teslas because those generate the clicks. The others likely aren't getting notification of when their systems are involved in a crash in real time, if at all. Do crash investigators know all the models that could have such systems?

 

I doubt we are seeing other makes involving in similar crashes. Owners are easy to report anything suspicions to NHTSA. I did so with my 2009 Corolla in relation to steering.

Tesla has really messed up autonomous driving by calling it so while it is not and almost totally eliminating driver monitoring. The lack of collaborative autonomous/driver control is also creepy and not the right way of doing things.

 

Tesla may do OTA but I could buy several generations of Toyotas with a current CR better rating than Tesla's using the money I saved by not nuying Autopilot/FSD.

I could trade in or sell my '19 Rav4 hybrid for a loss of $4k for what I bought it for. Compared to $15k that gives me maybe 2 generations of improvements in hardware and software. And lots of years of full warranty coverage. And no worry about what hardware is Elon's flavor of the month....

 

Exactly, Mike! Toyota rules!

 

There is nothing magical about OTA updates. Of course, adding OTA software change capability might create security problems if hackers find a way to mess with it. OTA updates of cell phones and other connected devices have a spotty history of going bad at the worst possible time, thus spawning the term "brick" for a cell phone that did not upgrade properly and became as useless as a brick.

I have a background in system design, systems programming, networking and computer security I hold CCP and CSP certifications from the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP) . OTA upgrades are a great idea, but ONLY IF DONE PROPERLY. It's very dangerous to release untested control software to devices such as cars when operated by amateurs under the cover of a "beta" release. If there are ANY unexpected glitches the operator is likely to be unprepared to respond promptly and properly.

I've watched a handful of videos posted by tesla customers who are "beta testing" their cars on roads near me. They don't have a list of known flaws to avoid. They don't have advance information on what to avoid. They don't have a way to predict the car's reaction when a unique situation is encountered.

There was an 8 car accident caused on the Bay Bridge last Thanksgiving day when a Tesla using the just released software for "full self-driving mode" apparently decided to pull over and park in the breakdown lane. Best guess was that the car "thought" the person had stopped paying attention to what the car was doing. Unfortunately, there was no "breakdown lane" for it to stop in. Equally unfortunate, there were cars close behind it when it hit the brakes and stopped in the fast lane. 9 people injured because the software logic was faulty and untested.

That should never, ever happen with a properly designed and tested system. Anyone who claims that their critical control systems should be beta tested by amateurs in a random live environment should be held personally liable for every injury and any property damage.

 

I've used BlueCruise on my Mach-E for 10 months and 19,000 miles. It has worked pretty well for my 55 mile one way commute. It deactivates about 5 times, usually where there is construction, poor lane markings, or when I need to exit. It's really easy to activate, just hit the cruise button on the steering wheel when you get to the speed you want or you can hold the + until you get to your desired speed. Once you hit it, it will veer to the right and then back to the left to center itself. So only activate it when no cars are beside you. I haven't had any phantom braking. It works with glasses and sunglasses. Driver monitoring works great. My previous car was a Leaf that had ProPilot. That system deactivates 2-3 times as much on the same trip. Probably had 3-4 phantom braking events in 3 years. That system was better than Toyota in 2019.

 

It is time for you to upgrade from your Subaru to a modern car.

 

Yet for an unmodern car, CR says its ADAS is better than your Prime's.

 

That is why I've been planning to upgrade to a Gen 5 Prius Prime with TSS 3.0+.

It has to be modern in the sense that it has 9 or 10 out of 10 from CR for the capabilities of its ADAS. (See my ratings list above.)

Buying cars now is like buying smartphones in the previous decade. They quickly got outdated in a year or two; so, you would have to have upgraded them every other year to keep up with the technology. However, these days smartphone improvements are incremental at best. I expect the same thing to happen with cars in the next decade when ADASs mature.

 

The latest, brand name smart phone is no where near the price of even an entry level car. I'm intending to keep the Outback for 10 years.

The other metrics CR tested are also important. Keeping driver engaged, Clear when safe to use, and Unresponsive driver are measures of how safe the design is for everyone on the road. For the first and latter, Toyota did not improve between TSS 2 and 3. Their Clear when safe to use rating dropped from 4 to 2 out of 10.

 

By then, it will be the Outdatedback if not already now.

 

Hard to think of it as not modern since Toyota owns a good chunk of it - and some share platforms.
That said, and I agree after having a subscription and finding such a bias, CR gets 1.75 Stars
Consumer Reports Reviews - 32 Reviews of Consumerreports.com | Sitejabber

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You don't need to run into an emergency situation to know whether you have collaborative steering.

In Toyota's TSS 2.0, the integration of the human steering and machine steering is seamless, and you don't know who is steering the car. How does it feel in a Tesla? Do you have to fight with the car if you want to provide steering input or there is a response delay to your steering input?

 

So, Tesla does not have collaborative steering. This is not good and something not I would be OK with it.

Tesla's autopilot is not any closer to Level 3 than Toyota's TSS 3.0, except for how it is hyped.

 

I don't have any confidence that human reporting rates in other makes comes anywhere close to Tesla's automatic reporting rates, not matter how easy it is to go find and use NHTSA's website. That just isn't human nature.

 

How likely is someone to admit to a crash investigator that they were using ADAS at the time? Will the investigator know to ask for that car model?