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Old 07-12-2007, 09:16 PM
agnosto agnosto is offline
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Hybrids: loaded 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid Titanium Metallic/Ash Leather
Posts: 168
Default Re: Time To Fess Up...

Quote:
Originally Posted by alan_in_tempe View Post
I have this on my Sienna Limited, and wish I had it on my TCH!

The laser guided cruise control is awesome: when I speed up, it makes the car in front of me speed up, and when I slow down, it makes the car in front of me slow down! And don't try to tell me I have it backwards! I've already heard that nonsense. If the car in front of me slowed down when I speed up I would run into him!!!!

More seriously, the adaptive CC works mostly great: it tracks the cars well, even around curves with different speed cars in adjacent lanes. It brakes when needed, and sounds a warning tone when any more than light braking is needed. It allows faster moving cars to cut tightly in front of you without it braking, while it brakes just right if a not so fast moving car pulls in front. I don't recommend using it in more than light steady traffic, but it is fun to see it work, and work well. It allows you to set the following distance in time (I think the three settings are 2, 2.5, and 3 seconds). When in adaptive mode, it sets just as normal (will set at 72 miles per hour if that is your speed when setting), but unlike normal mode where clicks up or down will change the set speed in 1 MPH increments, the adaptive mode increments to the nearest 5 MPH increment up or down (from 72, it will click up to 75, then 80, ..., and down to 70, then 65, etc.). The set speed is the fastest it will let you go should the car in front go faster.

On the down side, it does not work when driving into the sun (the sun needs to be about 20 degrees above the horizon, or 30 or more degrees to the side), it does not work in the rain, anything more than a drizzle, and the lens (bottom of front bumper, passenger side, next to fog lamp) needs to be cleaned well an often.

Pushing the control forward (same stick used to cancel when pulled back toward you, or to increment or decrement the set speed when clicked up or down, or to resume/accelerate or set/slow when held up or down) for a few seconds will toggle between adaptive and normal CC. A smaller button above the control cycles between the three following distances (times), always starting out on the longest setting. The dash indicates when a car in front is being tracked (well before you get close enough for it to modulate the set speed), which tracking distance you have set (one, two, or three bars), and what your set speed is.

Biggest downside is the tendency to not notice the car in front of you is going slower than you want to go, and not realize it is time to pass them, especially if they started out going the speed you wanted, and then just slowly slowed down!

-- Alan
I got that DLCC also on my 2006 Sienna Limited and would have been nice to have it on my 2007 TCH, it is very nice to have it especially on long trips...
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