Toyota Dynamic Radar Cruise Control

 

This is by far my favorite feature of the RAV4. It uses a computer system, radar, and camera to determine vehicle-to-vehicle following distance.

I used this on the Deerfoot today and was amazed how well it works, even with the chaotic drivers out there. If traffic slows, the vehicle will slow down, apply the brakes, and ensure a proper distance is maintained to the vehicle ahead of it.

When the vehicle senses traffic speeds up, it matches and quickly gets you back to the set cruise speed limit. It makes driving less stressful on the highway, because you never need to worry about taking the cruise control out of mode. 

However, the system does not exactly work quick if someone cuts you off at highway speeds. This is not a Tesla anti-collision system. Tesla uses multiple cameras, speed sensors, and software to take control of the vehicle in the event it detects a possible collision. 

You can switch back to the old-school non-radar system - but why would you? Once you use this system it becomes apparent how good it really works. No more jostling to cancel and re-set the cruise. It takes over for you. 

It makes driving more predictable and can reduce highway accidents. It should be noted that some vehicles, like low-body tractor trailers, the radar system will not work correctly to determine vehicle distance. 

This is because the radar must be able to bounce back to the RAV4's sensors in order for it to know if something is ahead of it. Rain, snow, and dust can obscure this. 

Because the RAV4 is riding on Goodyear all season mud & snow tires, the ride noise is a bit more pronounced. The 6-speed transmission is extremely smooth and quiet. There is never any gear hunting like you see in some 8-speed automatics.

The AWD system consumes quite a bit of fuel. Although the engine is a small 2.5L 4-cylinder, I find it has the same consumption as a 2007 Subaru Impreza. Maybe even a little more. The best fuel economy I had was 8.5 L /100KM, but currently averaging 9-10L/100 km. 

I found my old Pastor Troy CD's that I created 10-15 years ago, they still play - quite well in the RAV. I have to say, Toyota really put a decent set of speakers into this SUV. Atlanta Hip-Hop never sounded better in this whip.

The one downside of owning this vehicle is, that if any of the tires get damaged which requires replacement, I will have to replace all 4 tires at the same time. If you only replace 1 tire, the AWD system will continuously try to adjust to the different tire depth and slow or speed up the wheel. 

Over time, this can burn out your AWD system clutch. These are very expensive to replace. And because it's AWD, it has to be transported on a trailer with all 4 wheels being off the ground. Doing anything less would destroy the AWD system.

I'll be doing a video series of my Winnipeg trip in the next month. I can't wait to plan it.