Anyone Tried Hands Free on Really Curvy Roads?

[gavram]

I continue to be impressed with hands free highway assist on the Air as I've used it across multiple road trips. That being said, I haven't been bold enough to keep it engaged while on really curvy higher speed highways in areas like West Virginia & was curious if others had and could share how well it performed. Thanks!

 

[audiobear]

My experience with hands off on I-5 southern Oregon which is both curvy and up and down is that the Gravity handles the curves quite well. The downside is that if they are too sharp it slows down more than I would. I tried it on and off and the passengers said they preferred the less aggressive cornering that the Gravity offered. About the time they all voted for the hands off it became unavailable (6.3.0).

 

[slidingmike]

You mean, roads where it's actually fun to drive?

I really don't like the current state of hands-free driving in the Gravity for handling turny roads. As a turn approaches, there is no anticipation and the actual turning doesn't really start until the car runs straight into the edge of the lane it's in. It's just not acceptable.

 

[The_Don]

The Air struggles at higher speeds on curves. It'll just stop turning. That said, I tend to drive 10-15 over. If you stick to the speed limit it generally does ok on the sharper curves.

 

[audiobear]

You mean, roads where it's actually fun to drive?

I really don't like the current state of hands-free driving in the Gravity for handling turny roads. As a turn approaches, there is no anticipation and the actual turning doesn't really start until the car runs straight into the edge of the lane it's in. It's just not acceptable.

My comments were restricted to having 4 passengers. When I'm driving alone the fun begins...

I wouldn't like the way Gravity handled curves either if it behaved as you described. Ours stays planted in the same place in the lane just left of center as it enters a curve and it stays there. The only thing that changes is the speed as the curve becomes sharper. It feels very smooth and coordinated which is I think why the passengers said they preferred it to my style of slowing down as appropriate going into a curve, holding my speed, and slowly accelerating out of the curve. My guess it my style exposes the PAX to greater Gs more quickly through lateral acceleration while the Gravity's approach is to limit Gs. Either way it feels very planted and confident. A couple of times I thought it took a curve faster than I would but maybe I misread the curve. Why should our two cars behave differently? Calibration differences? Different sensor settings? While ours feels good at driving curves it is as you say no fun to drive curves hands free.

 

[slidingmike]

I'd be somewhat okay with it if stayed in the center of the lane without any delays, but that's just not the case -- nor is it able to smooth out the curves at all, which would reduce the lateral forces by taking a better line. Interesting that our experiences are so different, but I suspect it comes down to driving style and differing expectations, and possibly track experience.

 

[audiobear]

It's almost like we're driving two different cars. For sure we may have different expectations and styles. That doesn't change the fact that you're Gravity takes curves like a drunken sailor while mine takes a nice stable line around the curve if somewhat too slow for my style. I suspect the difference here is two things. We're not driving the same curves and are probably not driving at the same speed. I'd add to that that I am most likely driving slower than you are when it's set on hands free. I don't trust it all that much quite yet. Next time I get in a curvy place I'll try it 10mph faster and see if I can replicate your experience.