• Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

Evelyn Kanter ecoXplorer

green living, smart spending

  • Green Hotels
  • Green Cars
    • Best Cars under $20,000
    • Test Drives
    • Diesel Cars
    • Electric Cars
    • Hybrid Cars
    • Hydrogen Fuel Cell
    • Luxury Drives
  • Travel Deals
    • Free
    • Budget Travel
    • Discount Tickets
  • Xplore More
    • Safety and Health
    • How To
    • Five Best
    • Travel Pioneers
    • Motorcycles
    • Vintage Cars
  • Scam Alert
  • Where to Go Next
    • Historic Travel
    • Epic Adventures
    • National Parks
Home » Hands-Free Autonomous Driving in an Acura TLX

Hands-Free Autonomous Driving in an Acura TLX

Leave a Comment

autonomous driving acura tlx_ecoxplorer

It was eerie driving on I-75 in Northern Michigan at 65mph recently without my hands touching the steering wheel or my foot touching the gas pedal or brake.

While full-time autonomous driving is still years away, automotive technology already allows it part-time.

I was test driving a 2015 Acura TLX, the new mid-size marvel replacing both the TSX and TL sport sedans in the Acura line-up.

To say that it’s loaded with high-tech driver assistance safety systems is an understatement, and I had to resist the urge to call out, “Look, Ma, no hands!”.  Maybe I did.

While cruise control took care of the speed, Acura’s lane keeping system, which uses advanced cameras to monitor the lines on both sides of the lane, kept me centered safely within them.

Eventually, the lane keeper might allow for continuous autonomous driving, but right now it’s designed for up to ten seconds of what is universally known as distracted driving before you are buzzed, blinked or vibrated back to attention.

Controlling Distracted Driving

We’ve all done it – taken our eyes off the road ever so briefly to change the audio or temperature, check the navigation screen, or glance at the kids in the back seat.

Acura’s Lake Keeping Assist System (LKAS) gives you that margin of safety, and then blinks “steering required” when your time is up, even when the road continues as straight and empty as it was before the warning.

Bryan Haut, one of senior engineers who spent five years developing the TLX, told me LKAS recognizes even the slightest pressure on the steering wheel. If there’s none for ten seconds, you get the wake up call.

LKAS works in tandem with Acura’s lane departure system, which blinks a warning if you go over the line on either side of the lane.

If your departure is serious enough, the steering wheel vibrates and the computer takes over the steering to get you centered again.

autonomous driving acura tlx_ecoxplorer

It’s one of a package of cameras and systems loaded into the TLX, all designed and engineered to help keep us safe.  Equally important, they are mini-steps to full autonomous driving.

I admit to testing that, too, deliberately heading into the oncoming lane on an empty country road to see what would happen.

It’s just as eerie to feel the steering wheel moving of its own accord when your hands are on it, pulling you back into safety.

As great as these two systems are, I have a suggestion for the engineers: a blinking warning light in the dashboard is not enough for the lane keeping system. Add a warning a sound or make the seat vibrate, or both.

AcuraWatch Safety Systems

The Acura TLX is loaded with other safety systems, too, all standard equipment, including forward collision warning system, blind spot monitoring and a new cross traffic monitor that expands the backup camera function with radar.

Essentially, that’s blind spot monitoring when you are in reverse. The cameras use narrow band radar and can recognize a pedestrian, even a small animal.

autonomous driving acrua tlx_ecoxplorerThere’s also a new Agile Handling Assist (AHA), essentially power steering on steroids on twisty or slippery roads.

And the frame is itself is a safety system, with high strength materials from the door frame to the rear, and more absorbant materials in the front.

That so-called crumple zone is meant to absorb impact in a frontal collision, reducing injury to a pedestrian who might be hit as well as to vehicle occupants.

Some features are for serious driving fun. They are called Sport Plus mode and paddle shifters, also standard.

Another change for Acura is that it is now more independent from parent Honda, via a corporate reorganization last year.

“Honda is mass market, and the luxury space has to be separate from that” with its own brand identity, Acura senior VP Mike Accavitti told me.

Acura went its own way with the biggest advertising and marketing budget in Acura history to launch the TLX, such as cutting edge commercials with Sid Vicious singing “My Way”.

That commercial was designed specifically to attract performance-oriented males in that sweet spot 34-45 age group, who want a combination of luxury, prestige and dynamic performance at an affordable price.

2016 Acura TLX Pricing

That sweet spot would be $31,000 to $45,000, depending on whether you opt for the 4cylinder, V6 or V6 all-wheel drive, which makes the TLX a formidable competitor against the BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C Class and Audi A4.

Project leader Mat Hargett told me simply, “It’s the best Acura I have driven”. It has to be, to compete with that crowd.

The Acura TLX is assembled in Honda’s Maryville, Ohio factory, which produces 90% of Acura vehicles, most of which are sold in North America.

SEE ALSO: Foreign cars manufactured in the USA.


ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter on Dune 45 NamibiaecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 25+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA).

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter also is a member of the North American Travel Journalists Assn. (NATJA) and the North American Snowsports Journalists Assn. (NASJA).

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

Copyright (C) Evelyn Kanter


 

Thanks for visiting ecoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars, smart spending and frugal living by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.
Welcome back to exoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars and smart spending by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Related

Filed Under: Green Travel, Road Trip, Safe Driving Tips, Test Drives, Travel Technology Tagged With: Acura TLX, Audi A4, autonomous driving, BMW 3 Series, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz C-Class

What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you.Cancel reply

Most Popular Recent Posts

  • NYC Guide: Best Free & Cheap Things to Do In June, July & Beyond
    NYC Guide: Best Free & Cheap Things to Do In June, July & Beyond
  • Free Admission to National Parks in 2025 Including on Juneteenth
    Free Admission to National Parks in 2025 Including on Juneteenth
  • Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
    Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
  • Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
    Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
  • Remembering Dennis Hopper, Taos, "Easy Rider", Hippies and Harleys
    Remembering Dennis Hopper, Taos, "Easy Rider", Hippies and Harleys
  • Travel Tips: Why You Need Travel Insurance
    Travel Tips: Why You Need Travel Insurance
  • Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients & Caregivers
    Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients & Caregivers
  • Last Chance for 2024/25 Ikon Pass Before Sales End
    Last Chance for 2024/25 Ikon Pass Before Sales End
  • NYC Restaurant Week Prix Fixe Lunch & Dinner Deals
    NYC Restaurant Week Prix Fixe Lunch & Dinner Deals
  • Scam Alert: Confirm Your Order
    Scam Alert: Confirm Your Order

ecoXplorer is your guide to smart spending and eco-friendly living

ecoXplorer is published by Evelyn Kanter, an award-winning journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter and guidebook author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Evelyn Kanter is the Past President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), a past Board Member of a prestigious professional group for travel journalists, and a member of several other top international organizations of journalists.

Evelyn Kanter is Senior Editor of SeniorsSkiing, which focuses on the 50+ outdoor enthusiast.

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com or evelyn@evelynkanter.com.

Search ecoXplorer by category

© 2010-2025 ecoXplorer by Evelyn Kanter. All articles and photos are protected by US (C) Copyright laws. Any unauthorized copying is strictly prohibited. Plus, it’s just not nice.

  • Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

ecoXplorer.com is an independent information service which is compensated by advertisers and sponsors. This site includes some links to other websites which are compensated for by our sponsors when you click them.

 

Loading Comments...