Lexus vehicles to receive collision-detecting radar system

Here's more complete information:
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/09/0226.html

The whole point is that it can detect FRONT-SIDE collisions, not only front, like in current Lexuses and Toyotas. Very useful.

I have been a big proponent of Lexus (and still am to some extent), but their nanny-mobile tendencies are starting to get to me. It seems like a really bad idea to buy a car which might lock up the breaks if it thinks something might be coming toward the car: is the next low-flying bird going to cause a pileup on the freeway? If so, will I be able to fault Toyota in the multi-million dollar civil lawsuit for causing the wreck, or are they just going to say "you pressed ok, so we're off the hook"? Or when I stop in the narrow shoulder to enter nav information and get clipped by somebody, will they pick up that tab and liability?

I guess the nice thing about their "compelling" recent new features like retarded automated parallel parking is that I don't feel the need to buy another Lexus for any positive features they have added. Hopefully the next up-and-coming luxury auto company can learn from their mistakes.

sigma,

Although it may seem that you have a valid point with the collision detecting radar, I have to disagree with your "what if's". This is obviously an attempt to help promote safety in their image as a brand and it's not just Lexus that does this. The so called retarded parallel parking assist you mention is being mimicked across the auto industry by the likes of Mercedes, BMW, Ford, etc.. I don't think Lexus/Toyota would risk using this feature on their livelihood (vehicles) until all the kinks and bugs have been filtered out. As for parking on the shoulder and getting clipped while entering navigation information... I would hope that you are not that retarded to do something as stupid as that.

TurboSpyder:"I thought Lexus already had something like this? The new Mercedes E-Class has it..."

Yes and No, Toyota(Lexus) has had it since 2003(Toyota Harrier), in 2003 this was first radar based pre-collision system. Look at my post and link above. Or look at the picture, yellow is showing area covered by the new Mercedes E class and Lexus's radars, pink area is where Toyota's new radar is working.

http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/09/0226.html

[Quote]
(TMC) announces it has added to its Pre-crash Safety technologies a radar system that can detect probable front-side collisions, and rear seats that prepare occupants for front- and rear-end collisions. These world-first*1 technologies are to debut in a Toyota vehicle scheduled for launch in Japan in the near future.
[/Quote]

"I thought Lexus already had something like this? The new Mercedes E-Class has it..."

The new Mercedes E-Class has no side collision detection systems, only those for front impacts.

I thought the Lexus LS had this system already?

LS has had it for front collisions. Now they've added side coverage.

RL has a similar feature

Assisted living and loss of accepted responsibilities are the definition of our future generations. "oh but it is not my fault". "we are all special". What a bunch of nonsense. I do understand the desire to stay safe on the road but this, I don't know if I should laugh or cry.
I will call this the "I could" technology"; as in:
- I could give you super high strength steel frame to protect you better.
- I could give you door hinges made out of one block of steel versus stamped to better protect you
- I could give you a front multilink suspension for better agility
- I could give you active steering for better control
- I could give you a true awd system that works on dry as well as on wet for better traction and safety
- I could give you a double firewall to protect you better in case of impact
- I could give you bigger front brakes for more safety

But all that stuff cost a lot of money, so I will give you "out sourced gizmos" because they are cheap and they will assist you and keep you the terrible driver that you are...

I hope Volvo sues them.

I hope it works better than the Acura RL CMBS system. That system is almost useless from my experience.

Lexus need this technology asap, because all the owners are that old, they are more than likely going to die at the wheel of old age!!!

TurboSpyder, you quoted adaptive cruise control, not pre-collision system.

Both may use the same radar but it's not the same system, at least wasn't, though now is maybe: In 2002 Mercedes introduced Pre-safe system that wasn't using informations from radar even if specific model was equipped in radar, radar was used only for adaptive cruise control, later, in 2005, after Mercedes developed Brake assist PLUS, radar have been used also for Pre-collision system(Pre-safe PLUS in that case), and for adaptive cruise control.

Correction: Pre-safe Plus --> Pre-safe Brake

I read somewhere few mounths ago, but I can't find it now, that Mercedes(or Bosch) had to develop special device that can suddenly apply brakes, only than information from radar can be used to apply brakes with enough force, that's why I said that it's not the same system(pre-collision and adaptive cruise control).