Is lane assist worth the money?

[MisterSheep]

So, I've ordered a GTE and am debating whether it's worth phoning VW to add the lane assist but is it really any good?

If the system is set up how I imagine it would be then combining ACC with lane assist makes an almost autonomous car on long motorway journeys. Apart from a couple of questions...

1. If left to its own devices, will it keep the car in the centre of the lane on a motorway or will it be constantly 'bouncing off' the white lane markings with a selection of beeps, buzzed and squeaks every time it does?

2. How is the system deactivated? And if it is deactivated, the next time I get in my car, does it stay deactivated or do I constantly have to switch it off every time I get in my car?

 

[paddypool]

So, I've ordered a GTE and am debating whether it's worth phoning VW to add the lane assist but is it really any good?

If the system is set up how I imagine it would be then combining ACC with lane assist makes an almost autonomous car on long motorway journeys. Apart from a couple of questions...

1. If left to its own devices, will it keep the car in the centre of the lane on a motorway or will it be constantly 'bouncing off' the white lane markings with a selection of beeps, buzzed and squeaks every time it does?

2. How is the system deactivated? And if it is deactivated, the next time I get in my car, does it stay deactivated or do I constantly have to switch it off every time I get in my car?

I got it & it's been an 'ok' addition..(good for carpel tunnel syndrome !!)....you wouldn't want to depend on it though...I find even on good road i.e. good roadmarking's & cats eye's, it 'loses' it's reading....you see the icon in the dash go yellow when it can't read the road & green when it can, with no alarm when it loses the reading....I think mine beeps after 10secs if you let it steer itself, but that's not really what it's supposed to be used for !!

 

[proton]

I have it on mine, I ordered it largely for the included Traffic Sign Recognition, only to discover that wasn't available in the UK, and was refunded the cost of it. It's a bit of a gimmick really, though quite amusing to drive with. It won't allow you to go hands-free for more than ten seconds before beeping and disabling itself. There are two levels, lane assist and active lane assist. The LA nudges you back if you drift towards the line, the active will more actively keep you in the centre of the lane. It'll remain active on the car until you untick it in the menu.

 

[James75]

I have it on mine, I ordered it largely for the included Traffic Sign Recognition, only to discover that wasn't available in the UK, and was refunded the cost of it. It's a bit of a gimmick really, though quite amusing to drive with. It won't allow you to go hands-free for more than ten seconds before beeping and disabling itself. There are two levels, lane assist and active lane assist. The LA nudges you back if you drift towards the line, the active will more actively keep you in the centre of the lane. It'll remain active on the car until you untick it in the menu.

You can easily activate the traffic sign assist with VCDS.

I agree though, it is a debatable option, I would have taken for the dynamic light assist on the Xenons - that's superb and would make me tick the box again. Not sure that applies to the LED Headlights of the GTE though.

I quite like having the visual warning on my mirrors when someone is in my blind spot - a curse of modern driving, especially on motorways .

James

 

[MisterSheep]

Damn this really screws up my plans to tape some prosthetic hands to the steering wheel and go to sleep in the back of the car on my journeys to London!

 

[paddypool]

You can easily activate the traffic sign assist with VCDS.

I agree though, it is a debatable option, I would have taken for the dynamic light assist on the Xenons - that's superb and would make me tick the box again. Not sure that applies to the LED Headlights of the GTE though.

I quite like having the visual warning on my mirrors when someone is in my blind spot - a curse of modern driving, especially on motorways .

James

Hi, What do you mean by 'visual warnings in your mirrors' ?

 

[proton]

Hi, What do you mean by 'visual warnings in your mirrors' ?

The LA now comes with side scan for the blind spots, but is more expensive than it used to be. I noticed the change in the MY2015 prices.

 

[James75]

Hi, What do you mean by 'visual warnings in your mirrors' ?

When I ordered my car their were two versions of lane assist - I've got the one with side scan (as above post) - so I have little lights on the mirror glass that flash when someone is in my blindspot - works well - ideally shouldn't need of course but it helps me.

When I ordered, my dealer had no idea what lane assist really was, or even as a Xenon equipped car I would be getting the more expensive version with dynamic light assist.

After some very very helpful advice from this forum I was able to get my order codes and work out what i was getting.

If it helps, I didn't initially add Lane Assist, I went back to the dealer and added it.

James

 

[Pyramid1]

Please don't take this the wrong way, (I don't know any of you personally) but my feeling is this:

If you really need lane assist, automatic braking etc..you probably need to hang up the keys and get familiar with bus routes. I may be paranoid, but I don't trust the car taking over the braking/steering without my input. I think those things should remain analog, and driver licenses harder to obtain. (in the U.S. especially)

 

[Bikebits]

Please don't take this the wrong way, (I don't know any of you personally) but my feeling is this:

If you really need lane assist, automatic braking etc..you probably need to hang up the keys and get familiar with bus routes. I think those things should remain analog, and driver licenses harder to obtain. (in the U.S. especially)

Glad you said it because that's very much what I was thinking.

That would make my answer to the OP's question an emphatic "no".

 

[MisterSheep]

It's not really a case of needing it. It would just be a useful feature on long motorway journeys and probably reduce some of the fatigue of driving long distance. Just like cruise control, nobody needs cruise control, you will still get from A - B just as safely without it, but it just makes the journey more pleasant.

 

[MisterSheep]

and yes, you will get some idiots who think they can now read a book whilst they are driving. But on the other hand, you fall asleep at the wheel and it would save your life. I can see it saving more lives in this way than it would cost from people relying on it too much and it failing. But personally I just see it as a potential nice thing to have. To be honest, from what people have been saying it sounds like a bit of a gimmick at the moment so I don't think I'll bother.

 

[James75]

The clue is the word 'assist'

You don't need any options really but sometimes they help. It's an old argument but the same could be said about power steering, can't you turn a wheel, surely you should be hanging up your keys... Need ABS - what can't brake in time, surely you should hang up your keys if you haven't got your wits about you...

And so it goes on...

i get the point but on roads that are increasingly becoming clogged and clogged often it seems with lunatics, I think sadly you sometimes need a bit of protection.

I could ask - why do you need the car you do - why not just buy the cheapest most simple car out there??

James

 

[Pyramid1]

I see what you're saying James, but abs still requires manually pressing the brake pedal, and steering requires human input no matter what.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk

 

[vwman]

Please don't take this the wrong way, (I don't know any of you personally) but my feeling is this:

If you really need lane assist, automatic braking etc..you probably need to hang up the keys and get familiar with bus routes. I may be paranoid, but I don't trust the car taking over the braking/steering without my input. I think those things should remain analog, and driver licenses harder to obtain. (in the U.S. especially)

I can see where you're coming from but until you have experienced these particular driving aids its difficult to appreciate them .They are only driving aids and you are still responsible for their use in the particular circumstances they are designed for.
You are still in charge of the car .

One could say do you really need your own car to automatically change gears for you rather than you do it manually ??

Technology moves on...