Adaptive Cruise Pre-programmed gap distance

Does anyone know if the pre-programmed gap distances can be changed? The closet gap, although a safe distance, still leaves an opening for other drivers to swoop in and cause radar to slam on the brakes. My solution is to always keep my thumb on the cancel button if I see this happening, but it would be nice to get closer to the vehicle ahead.

 

I have just the opposite problem

 

IMO, the closest setting is way too close for highway speeds. I usually either leave mine on the default longest setting or 2-bar medium setting.

I've also stopped using adaptive cruise in heavy traffic. It's way too aggressive with braking and accelerating for my tastes. It will also reduce the lifespan of your brakes, or even melt them under certain conditions.

 

ya dude, me too, that closet setting is way too close for comfort, I like 2 or 3, this is where the HUD is great

 

I'm actually happy mine doesn't have the HUD. I find it incredibly distracting.

 

I think he's asking if the minimum trailing distance can be made even shorter. If you can do that via the MID, it's a new one on me. I thought the 3 bars that you can control from the button on steering wheel was the only way to change the trailing distance.

 

Just came back from a long trip and the gap seems to invite people to swing in front of me free range. When I sense before it happens I hold the accelerator to close the gap and/or prevent the sudden braking

 

Yes....this is an option. Are there any techs that can chime in re; reprogramming these pre-determined gap distances?

 

The closest distance is only safe at slow speeds. If you are on the highway then it'll have you way too close. Trying to get closer is asking for an accident if the person in front needs to emergency brake for anything.

 

There is a lot of room for improvement in the adaptive cruise control. The following distance seems to be independent of speed, needs to factor in engine braking before the predetermined gap is reached to avoid applying the brakes, learn to identify crossing traffic which it ignores, and brakes for a vehicle that has moved into a turning lane that is no longer in your lane. It’s just smart enough to be dumb.

 

1000%. If you are worried about people squeezing between you and the car in front of you, then you are too close anyways. Stop being in such a hurry and back off. You are driving a 3-ton vehicle that wont stop as fast as the Honda Civic in front of you. No reason to follow that close.

 

For safety and distance I always set my Toyota's with Lane trace assist and adaptive cruise to max distance just don't like the hard braking as you know it is hard on the brakes but if you need o calibrate you will have to go to dealer or a reputable glass shop as they have to put a tripod in front of the vehicle to emulate conditions and go into the tech stream and see what the radar sees in the windshield as well as radar sensor near bottom or grill in middle square.

 

I agree with all you have said here. On my 2018 (I know this is the 3rd Gen thread), I've only used my adaptive cruise maybe 5% of the time, likely less. Fortunately, I've been retired for a little over two years (and live in a rural part of California) so I don't drive in any traffic anymore (yay!).

Dan

 

I love using the cruise control. While I agree that in heavier traffic it doesn't feel as comfortable, I think for me it is a control thing at that point. BUT what I think I have found is that when I move to the eco mode, the cruise control changes the "quickness" of the accel (speeds up slower) and braking (starts braking earlier) which is way more comfy for me. I am not into racing much anymore (gotta be first mentality).

I just set the cruise control, sit back and enjoy the ride (with lane center assist as well I might add). Found that if I rest my wrist on the top of the wheel, it provides enough resistance on the wheel that I never get that stupid alert every 10 seconds.

 

I agree with your statements. I seen on other forms that people think using the cruise control will cause your brakes to need replacing sooner because it tries to slow the truck using the brakes
when you get close to another vehicle. I find that by switching lanes it lets up on the brakes, but if I can not switch lanes then I just click on the cancel button for cruise control. But to each his or her own.

 

I just wish that instead of applying the brakes to resume the pre-set following distance, it would just let up on the throttle and coast. Let me manage braking if it is necessary (which is my responsibility anyway). The adaptive cruise also gets foiled if I come up to a car in the next lane over (in a slight turn on the freeway) going a bit slower, it thinks I'm going to run into it and brakes accordingly. Not safe for those following me. So that is one reason I seldom use the adaptive cruise.

Dan

 

OP has to be from SoCal or another area famous for overly aggressive drivers to think that the minimum follow distance isn't "close enough".

 

Sounds like you need a lightbar in your grille! Then the idiots wont want to sit in front of you

Remember to check with local highway patrol to see if running a lightbar is okay in traffic! Or drive faster and they wont be able to get in front of you.

But really I am just kidding! I have found that adaptive cruise is more of a pain in traffic and pretty hard on the brakes.

 

I really prefer old school cruise and use that exclusively. I like to switch it on and off and coast into red lights and so on.