macnab

Does anybody on the board own a car with this option? I have a few questions about it.
1. Can this react faster than a driver with good reflexes? Can it apply panic braking when needed?
2. Can it be left engaged all the time, even when you don't want a set speed?
3. Can it detect a pedestrian in the road? An animal?
4. Might it apply the brakes at a time when a good driver would change lanes to avoid abrupt braking which could cause a tailgating collision?


I'd like to hear any first hand comments about it which you can share.

blue-impala

I don't have this option, but a computer will always have better reaction time than a human.

As for panic braking, this is what the Chevrolet web site states "Crash imminent braking – Another Chevy first: Radar technology detects a possible crash threat and alerts the driver. If the driver does not appear to react quickly enough or doesn’t react at all, this feature intervenes to apply the brakes in an effort to avoid the crash."

Personally, I would never solely rely on all these systems. It's just a matter of time before there is an accident and the driver will try to blame the vehicle because he thought it was the vehicles job to keep from getting in a accident. Then the lawsuits will fly.

macnab

I agree with you. I'm trying to get a sense of whether it might really prevent a collision in day to day driving or if it's just introducing a new kind of unpredictability in the car's behavior.


Look at my question #4. I'm sure we've all overtaken a slow vehicle with a clear lane to the left and waited a little longer than we should have to make the lane change (but still not an unsafe maneuver). Could we find the car in a panic stop just as the lane change is to begin? I'm sure we can think up a lot of scenarios where we don't want braking but the computer does.

sledge.impy

It is a cruise control. . Not pedestrian control.
There should be no pedestrians on a high way.

sledge.impy

The owners manual is here.
http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...2k14impala.pdf

56_kruiser

It has settings to determine the distance you want to stay behind a car. As you approach the car, it starts slowing down, and you don't get close to the car.

The pre -collision (not sure that is what they call it) is supposed to identify an immenant collision, as the manual states, and apply the brakes if you don't within some fractions of a second, or something. But of course, many different things can affect how effective it is. I look at it as a 'possible' save on a misadventure, but certainly would hope to never need it.

Disclaimer: I have those options on a Lexus, and a Mercedes (which I'm trading in on an Impala that will also have them), so other than small amount of test driving on the Chevy, my experience from which to draw is not based on the Chevy.

macnab

Kruiser, I'm eager to hear what you think of it.

56_kruiser

Sure, but be aware, I'm a fan of adaptive cruise. I had it on the Mercedes I traded on the Impala (which also has it); and we have it on my wife's Lexus RX 350.

So, after seeing your interest in what I thought, I made a point of driving it to test and seeing how it goes on the Impala. This is based on one 50 mile round trip drive; some use in 40mph in city, down hill; and of course the technology in general per my other cars.

I will say that on the Impala, the cruise is not as accurate as my Mercedes was. I suspect that may be due to the Impala being a lot larger and heavier. My Mercedes was the E350 Coupe.

The Impala has controls similar to the Lexus. There is a button on the steering wheel that you can set the 'gap' between you and the car in front of you. There are 3 settings. The far gap is likely too far for anyone's liking. The middle setting is what I use.

One thing I like about using this cruise, is that it sort of enforces keeping distance from the car in front of you. The closest setting is maybe OK, but closer than I like. But then, it's not as close as a lot of idiots drive on the road

I found that the Impala (I have the 2LZ) has a feature I didn't expect, which was on the Mercedes. I'm not sure if this is because of the adaptive cruise, or if all of the Chevy's cruise controls have this feature. That is, it has a braking feature. It is an attempt to keep you at the set speed, even if going down hill. I have only tested it a couple times so far. I have a fairly steep hill I drive often, and tested it there. The speed limit is 40; cruise was set on 40; it coasted up to 44 before applying the brakes, but it did apply them and slow me back to 40. (JFYI...the Mercedes had the same thing, and as noted earlier, the cruise was more accurate, even in this feature).

Speaking of accuracy, I find that on my car, it will run minimum of 1, and often 2 MPH higher than the cruise is set. Not sure if I should have the dealer look at it or not. Don't know if they can calibrate it.

Important: One thing to be aware of with this type of cruise control: if you are approaching a car that is driving slower, and you want to change lanes; let's say another car in the left lane passes you, slowly, and you change lanes behind him. If he is moving just barely faster than you, the car will let off the gas to slow down in order to maintain the gap. If the slot you moved into behind the car that passed is small (ie another car relatively closely following him), your rear end might possibly be in for a bump. They won't be expecting you to change lanes in front of him in the 'fast lane', and then slow down.

With that in mind, interestingly, I find that the adaptive cruise serves to keep me more alert (which I think is a good thing). I need to pay particluar attention when changing lanes. I have gotten in a habbit of noticing if I am coming up on a slow car, and planning my lane change. If I happen to not be paying as much attention, after a bit I'll wonder why I'm driving at 60 MPH in a 75 MPH zone...of course, the car has slowed to maintain distance from the car in front.

One of the things I like about adaptive cruise is not having to constantly disengage it, then resume, due to all fo the various speeds people drive.

Now, I'm sure there are others that wouldn't like it; don't want to mess with it; certainly won't pay for it.

Hope this helps you decide which camp you would be in.

56_kruiser

It is my understanding that the car will only panic stop if you are approaching a car or something in front of you that the 'program' has determined a possible crash. My Impala has pre-crash warning. There's a red light about 3" wide and 1/2" tall in the front of the dash board (not really noticeable) which will flash along with a loud multiple beep if you are approaching a car too fast. Then if still approaching, or you don't react in some amount of time ( I suspect a fraction of a second), and still approaching, it will apply the brakes (if you have collision avoidance).

LIke I've said, it's gone off a couple times on me, but never gotten to the brakes. This too, some people may find annoying. The first time it went off on me, I about soiled my britches, and didn't know what it was. After a few seconds I figured it out. The second time, there was a car slowing to turn right, and I was coming up on him fairly quickly, but knew he would be out of the way...but the system didn't, so it alarmed.

I had same thing on the Mercedes, and it didn't have the red light. When it determined I was closing in too fast, it did a mild tripple beep, and tightened my seat belts. Would apply brakes if I didn't respond quick enough. I experienced that 1 time in teh 2 years I had the car.

56_kruiser

Well, I've posted a couple times on this for you, but still a couple questions you had. I should have done all this in one post. Anyway...couple more answers in blue below.