Highway driving discussion

[TLC]

I’m looking for feedback on how well the LC handles highway driving. All models come with Adaptive Cruise and Lane Trace Assist, but in particular I wonder how well those work to make for a comfortable ride and reduced fatigue. Also, how is the cabin noise with the stock tires? No dealerships will let me test ride a LC on the highway so this is impossible for me to learn in a test drive.

My wife and I like to do a 2000 mile road trip a couple times a year. Day one we typically travel 1000 miles in about 16 hours of driving. (We switch back and forth as driver so we don’t tire). Our current road trip vehicle is a 2017 Pacifica. The Pacifica has Lane Edge Warning (where it gently nudges you back into the lane if you’re close to the line) and adaptive cruise control which both go a long way to make a comfortable ride. The cabin is fairly quiet, but you do get noise from the tires on the road.

The features I’m most excited about in the LC is the Lane Trace Assist and Traffic Jam Assist. Has anyone driven long highway miles in a vehicle with Lane Trace vs Lane Edge Warning?

 

[wedemmoez]

Lane trance and lane edge are very similar. The LC also has lane centering if you’re in adaptive cruise that will keep you in the center of the lane as long as you have a hand on the wheel.

I’ve used it on my Tundra for several trips between Dallas, Houston and Austin.

 

[amyflagstaff]

I’m looking for feedback on how well the LC handles highway driving. All models come with Adaptive Cruise and Lane Trace Assist, but in particular I wonder how well those work to make for a comfortable ride and reduced fatigue. Also, how is the cabin noise with the stock tires? No dealerships will let me test ride a LC on the highway so this is impossible for me to learn in a test drive.

My wife and I like to do a 2000 mile road trip a couple times a year. Day one we typically travel 1000 miles in about 16 hours of driving. (We switch back and forth as driver so we don’t tire). Our current road trip vehicle is a 2017 Pacifica. The Pacifica has Lane Edge Warning (where it gently nudges you back into the lane if you’re close to the line) and adaptive cruise control which both go a long way to make a comfortable ride. The cabin is fairly quiet, but you do get noise from the tires on the road.

The features I’m most excited about in the LC is the Lane Trace Assist and Traffic Jam Assist. Has anyone driven long highway miles in a vehicle with Lane Trace vs Lane Edge Warning?

My husband has driven two longer highway trips this week using CC and Lane Tracing Assist. He was quite impressed with the systems. We drove hilly, curvy roads and flat straightaways. Husband emphatically said he could drive long trips without discomfort or fatigue.

 

[TLC]

Lane trance and lane edge are very similar. The LC also has lane centering if you’re in adaptive cruise that will keep you in the center of the lane as long as you have a hand on the wheel.

I’ve used it on my Tundra for several trips between Dallas, Houston and Austin.

Is it true that with Lane Trace Assist, you don’t really need to steer? The vehicle just does the steering for you?

 

[wedemmoez]

Is it true that with Lane Trace Assist, you don’t really need to steer? The vehicle just does the steering for you?

Correct, you just need to keep a hand resting on the wheel otherwise the car will yell at you.

 

[landerson119]

Lane trance and lane edge are very similar. The LC also has lane centering if you’re in adaptive cruise that will keep you in the center of the lane as long as you have a hand on the wheel.

I’ve used it on my Tundra for several trips between Dallas, Houston and Austin.

I just took a long trip, could not be more pleased with all of the assist features. I sat with crisscrossed legs most of the interstate trip. Mountains, traffic, curves you name it. The car handled it all with ease.

 

[shwazz714]

I daily drive my LC and 3 days a week I commute 25 miles each way down the freeway from north county San Diego to downtown.

Once on the freeway I through on adaptive cruise control and just let the car do the rest. It breaks, speeds up, helps steer and in traffic it does a really good job too.

I do think there’s a decent amount of road noise as you’d expect from a big boxy car - mine has the fe stock roof rack which I thinks amplifies it. If you turn music up it’s not that bad, but I wouldn’t classify the cabin as quiet at highway speeds, esp if you’re not listening to music or anything.

I’m sure luxury crossovers would be more quiet, but then you give up other aspects that the LC outperforms them in.

 

[Stalactically Gupid]

My wife has a highlander with all this stuff. I came from a Grand Cherokee Overland Diesel with some of this stuff. I never cared for the LDA, LTA, and other stuff on the highlander, because 99% of my driving was the jeep. But now that I have a LC, it took a couple of thousand miles and 4 400-mile trips to get comfortable with it and this last 400 mile trip, I was really enjoying it. It is loud at highway speeds, but I found that If I am on an empty highway for long stretches, I retract the side-view mirrors and that cuts down on some wind noise (I also have the port-installed roof rack).
Something I have noticed, with ACC, the vehicle decelerates so gently as you approach traffic, that sometimes you don't realize forget you are no longer going 75, but perhaps now doing 68 - And after following for a couple of miles, you realize you are not at speed and then move over and pass.
The one function I am not using is the PDA Proactive Driving Assist function. I don't care for the way in which it brakes and steers on curves.

 

[chrisholly]

It drives amazing on the HWY! Love all the technology! I have a Tundra with some of that stuff. I don't really like the lane keep assist. Seems like you have to fight it when changing lanes sometimes. Love the Proactive Driving Assist! Was just telling my wife before we got the Land Cruiser that I miss that in my tundra. Helps so much when cruising at 80 0r 85 and you come into a corner. It will slow you down in those corners and then pick back up on the straight away.

 

[deftkillerstu]

I have a love/hate relationship with PDA. I don’t like it for in town driving as I think it brakes too frequently even with sensitivity set to low. I think it’s better suited for highway driving.

 

[BigMF]

Something I have noticed, with ACC, the vehicle decelerates so gently as you approach traffic, that sometimes you don't realize forget you are no longer going 75, but perhaps now doing 68 - And after following for a couple of miles, you realize you are not at speed and then move over and pass.

This is the thing I hate most about the ACC on any vehicle. You don't realize you've slowed down until you realize you've been doing 45 in a 55 zone for the last 10 minutes because the guy in front of you is going slow and you had it on ACC.

 

[Impatient]

I don’t think there is a single piece of technology that you can turn off that I have left on. I use the regular rear view mirror. I don’t like adaptive cruise control. I turned off all the assistive stuff. The features are interesting but if you’re older and accustomed to regular driving, they are somewhat annoying. Totally understand that it is probably a generational thing.

 

[tkmoto]

I don’t think there is a single piece of technology that you can turn off that I have left on. I use the regular rear view mirror. I don’t like adaptive cruise control. I turned off all the assistive stuff. The features are interesting but if you’re older and accustomed to regular driving, they are somewhat annoying. Totally understand that it is probably a generational thing.

I second this. I deactivated as many features as possible the second I got mine.

 

[EOD Guy]

Just finished a 700 mile trip......... I didn't think I'd like the self driving assist mode as it was like having to fight it when changing lanes. Once I figured out how the system is supposed to work, It is fantastic! In the beginning I was trying to drive the old way, one handed, easing into the lane change etc........ once I figured out to commit and just steer into the lane change vs ease, it was a lot better. Don't know how I even drove a car before HUD, that is the single best improvement do-dad, I've ever used! The speed and map directions right in front of your eyes vs glancing over is amazing. I do not like the rear seat belt warning at all and now I know why the rear seatbelts were buckled when I drove it off the lot (basically fools the system).

Over all very happy!

 

[solidbrix]

Just finished a 700 mile trip......... I didn't think I'd like the self driving assist mode as it was like having to fight it when changing lanes. Once I figured out how the system is supposed to work, It is fantastic! In the beginning I was trying to drive the old way, one handed, easing into the lane change etc........ once I figured out to commit and just steer into the lane change vs ease, it was a lot better. Don't know how I even drove a car before HUD, that is the single best improvement do-dad, I've ever used! The speed and map directions right in front of your eyes vs glancing over is amazing. I do not like the rear seat belt warning at all and now I know why the rear seatbelts were buckled when I drove it off the lot (basically fools the system).

Over all very happy!

You can turn off the rear seat alerts in the settings menu on the dash

 

[solidbrix]

After a week of driving from pickup, I've done a 7 hour roadtrip & 5 hour roadtrip. The 2nd of which had a 40 minute backup on I-95.. a great time to test traffic jam assist (TJA).

TJA indeed still works if you deactivate the monitor camera in the settings (thanks guys for letting me know haha), funny enough when TJA activates, it asks if you want to turn on the recording function of the camera (hell no). Complete hands free during bumper to bumper traffic, stayed nice & close to the car in front of me, was very pleased with the system. Didn't have to keep my hands on the steering wheel at all, on the occasion I was sitting for too long (complete stand-still), it would ask me to press the accelerator to engage the system again. That's the most I'd have to do.

I did notice it won't work unless you're looking forward, TJA still uses that monitor camera to make sure you're still keeping an eye on traffic. It still doesn't record you at least. This makes sense as to why TJA is not available on the non-premium package LC. I still don't understand why it's tied to the "connected services" subscription.

As for cruise control, pretty equal to the Tesla system, very minimal input required. You barely have to touch the steering wheel which was great. Made both long-road trips a breeze.

 

[jmqb1]

It drives amazing on the HWY! Love all the technology! I have a Tundra with some of that stuff. I don't really like the lane keep assist. Seems like you have to fight it when changing lanes sometimes. Love the Proactive Driving Assist! Was just telling my wife before we got the Land Cruiser that I miss that in my tundra. Helps so much when cruising at 80 0r 85 and you come into a corner. It will slow you down in those corners and then pick back up on the straight away.

Using this technology taught me I like to slowly start changing lanes before signaling to get over. Trying to break that habit as it's no fun fighting the wheel mid lane change.

 

[EOD Guy]

That monitoring camera is a pain in the arse! Even when I was looking forward it was yelling at me, opening a soda bottle, yelling at me, adjust my glasses in the bright sun, yelling at me............. that camera needs to die a quick death!

 

[Captain Trips]

Just finished a 700 mile trip......... I didn't think I'd like the self driving assist mode as it was like having to fight it when changing lanes. Once I figured out how the system is supposed to work, It is fantastic! In the beginning I was trying to drive the old way, one handed, easing into the lane change etc........ once I figured out to commit and just steer into the lane change vs ease, it was a lot better. Don't know how I even drove a car before HUD, that is the single best improvement do-dad, I've ever used! The speed and map directions right in front of your eyes vs glancing over is amazing. I do not like the rear seat belt warning at all and now I know why the rear seatbelts were buckled when I drove it off the lot (basically fools the system).

Over all very happy!

And when you use a turn signal, it knows you’re turning and doesn’t fight you either.

Did you try the automatic lane change feature? I like using that one quite a bit.

 

[Impatient]

That monitoring camera is a pain in the arse! Even when I was looking forward it was yelling at me, opening a soda bottle, yelling at me, adjust my glasses in the bright sun, yelling at me............. that camera needs to die a quick death!

Oh I turned that thing off right away. It’s a little weird to figure it out (you have to go through the options menu behind the steering wheel) but it massively improves the quality of your experience.