First.long journey and a couple of questions.

[Yugguy1970]

Just done the first journey of any length in the RAV.  

I love the radar cruise especially in some stop start traffic on the M1.  Then I came off it and did some twisty country roads and the handling is amazing for a big car.  It can accelerate if I need it to but I was also impressed on how often it was in pure EV mode.

There are just a couple of things I could have liked to have changed.  

First the cruise only goes in 5mph increments.  Is there a way to code it for 1mph changes?

Also, is there a way to lower the distance that the radar maintains from the car in front?  I'm not wanting to be right up their backsides but a little closer.  A lot of times people would pull into the gap.

Cheers.

[Yugguy1970]

I found how to change the distance.  I decided to rtfm 😆

[philip42h]

45 minutes ago, Yugguy1970 said:

First the cruise only goes in 5mph increments.  Is there a way to code it for 1mph changes?

No - at least not in radar cruise mode; in radar cruise mode you are 'stuck' with 5mph increments, but if you really want to you can disengage cruise, accelerate of slow to the exact speed you want and 'set' again there.

But what's so wrong with 5mph increments? It is actually a "follow the car in front" mode so you'll go no faster than they are. And if there is no car in front on the motorway you can have a relaxed cruise at an indicated 70, lean on the limit a bit (but not so much as to upset anyone) at 75, or push your luck at 80. It works out fine - you can do what you want ... 🙂

[Zoot2]

19 minutes ago, philip42h said:

No - at least not in radar cruise mode; in radar cruise mode you are 'stuck' with 5mph increments, but if you really want to you can disengage cruise, accelerate of slow to the exact speed you want and 'set' again there.

But what's so wrong with 5mph increments? It is actually a "follow the car in front" mode so you'll go no faster than they are. And if there is no car in front on the motorway you can have a relaxed cruise at an indicated 70, lean on the limit a bit (but not so much as to upset anyone) at 75, or push your luck at 80. It works out fine - you can do what you want ... 🙂

If using Waze the speedo shows 70mph but Waze shows between 3 and 4mph less - ie gps signal shows 67mph. Whether you trust that or not is up to the driver. As far as I’m aware all cars have a slight deviation from the actual speed.

[Yugguy1970]

All speedos are set to overread slightly.  

So in say a 50 limit I would set the cruise to 53.  55 is too much. 

It's not a big issue it's just the last 3 cars I've had could do it 1mph changes.

[Rav4ster]

you can change in 5mph intervals in adaptive cruise control and 1pmh on static (non adaptive).
philip42h is correct, get up to speed and set the speed once, car will do the rest when in adaptive cruise mode. The only thing I turn off is lane assist.

[philip42h]

3 minutes ago, Zoot2 said:

If using Waze the speedo shows 70mph but Waze shows between 3 and 4mph less - ie gps signal shows 67mph. Whether you trust that or not is up to the driver. As far as I’m aware all cars have a slight deviation from the actual speed.

Absolutely Ron ... the speedometer cannot understate your speed so if we select an indicated 70 mph we will be doing no more than 70 mph (and probably a bit less). If we select an indicated 75 mph we may or may not be actually travelling a tad over 70 mph but not significantly.

And, yes, in one of those irritating 50 mph roadworks sections it is probably a good idea to set the radar cruise at 55 to avoid upsetting the lorry drivers too much ... 😉 ... but since you wind-up following the car in front you will generally just be travelling a stream speed anyway.

[ernieb]

My manual says that with DRCC on, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, what I call ACC, there are button pushes that facilitate 1 and 5 mph increments.

Except for the U.S. mainland and Hawaii

Fine adjustment: By 1 mph (1.6 km/h) or 1 km/h (0.6 mph) each time the switch is pressed

Large adjustment: Increases or decreases in 5 mph (8 km/h) or 5 km/h (3.1 mph) increments for as long as the switch is held In the constant speed control mode (P.343), the set speed will be increased or decreased as follows: Fine adjustment: By 1 mph (1.6 km/h) or 1 km/h (0.6 mph) each time the switch is pressed Large adjustment: The speed will continue to change while the switch is held.

I’ve also found that you can configure it to function so that the car tracks tracks the speed signs RSA. I think this is with DRCC full speed turned off

I’d have assumed that the functionality between the HEV and PHEV would have been the same?

I tend to get to my chosen speed and set and forget, however, the RSA speed function, is very useful going through road works or variable speed sections of the M1.

[Yugguy1970]

With radar cruise on I could only do 5mph no matter what I do to the buttons and looking in the manual I've downloaded it says for Europe both fine and large adjustments are 5mph.

Haven't worked out yet how to set the cruise to non radar.

The biggest thing I am finding with this car is how it doesn't drive like an SUV.  It doesn't lumber, it doesn't roll, it doesn't take ages to change direction.  I could hustle it down twisty roads as fast as I ever want to go these days and it felt planted.  It's genuinely a revelation from what you used to experience in these types of cars.

 

[Catlover]

Guy, did you really mean to say “I could only do 5mph” with cruise control on.?  Let me assume yes you did. I not conversant with control in the RAV4 but in my Prius I press a button to activate CContol, can do that moving, and when I get to the speed I want to cruise at, say 50mph, I flick a lever and what ever speed I was at it sets at that speed. Say it was t 50 but actually 48, all I. We’d to do is flick the lever up and it then sets at 50, flick the lever down it would drop to 45.  See how the 5mph works. Flick it up twice and it will then go to 55.

Whe I bet long roadworks ie MWay road works, where they measure you average speed over the distance o roadworks, I usually use max speed control. Again, press a button to activate speed controls. If the speed limit is 50, I guess that will be 53 on my Speedo (Waze will show actual), so when I reach 53 I press the lever.  That means I control speed up to a max of 53 in relation to traffic speed, could be up and down depending on conditions,  it never any more then 53.  Flicking the lever either up or down increases/reduces max speed by 1 mph. If I hold the lever up or down the 1mph increments move quickly.

May help someone, or not. 

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, Yugguy1970 said:

The biggest thing I am finding with this car is how it doesn't drive like an SUV.  It doesn't lumber, it doesn't roll, it doesn't take ages to change direction.  I could hustle it down twisty roads as fast as I ever want to go these days and it felt planted.  It's genuinely a revelation from what you used to experience in these types of cars.

Umm ... it drives very much like a RAV4 ... RAV4s have always driven this way (more or less) ... 😉

[The 4.3 felt planted-er 🙂 ]

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, Yugguy1970 said:

With radar cruise on I could only do 5mph no matter what I do to the buttons and looking in the manual I've downloaded it says for Europe both fine and large adjustments are 5mph.

Haven't worked out yet how to set the cruise to non radar.

Being pedantic (me! really!) it says that fine adjustment is by 5 'speed' units in Europe - 5 mph or 5 kph whichever units are set. Which means that you can easily and quickly match the set speed to the speed limit - assuming that is what you want to do. Large adjustments are in steps of 5 for however long the button is pressed and held.

Toyota call the non-radar version "constant speed control mode" - which may make its easier to find in TFM! 🙂  To select press and hold the cruise control button for 1.5 seconds or more ...

[ernieb]

To set the RSA function linked to DRCC. On the MID display if you move the screen display by using the right > you get to a series of function option use the down arrow to select DRCC (RSA) ON/OFF. 

[Cyker]

@catlover - the 5mph he refers to is the increments of the Cruise Control (e.g. on my Mk4, if I push the stalk up/down it increases/decreases the speed by 1mph, but if I hold it it changes by 5mph - He's saying it doesn't matter if he just pushes it or holds it, it always changes by 5mph)

@philip42h - I know the original RAV4 had surprisingly good handling (Makes sense given it's basically a Celica GT4 in disguise!) but as they started putting on weight and getting fatter to the point they were the size of a Land Cruiser I do think that did affect the handling noticeably!  

Seems a bit weird the 'fine' increment is the same as the coubik increment tho' - I do find it pleasing I can set the speed to anything I like on mine; I think being stuck to 5mph increments would annoy my OCD! I wonder if it's a setting you can change? (Or the dealer?)

 

 

[ernieb]

The RAV4 2021 can be set at any speed, drive at the desired speed select the cruise control to on and it’s set. The increments are adjusted by selecting the up and down arrows, short press 1mph long press 5mph.  Or if the RSA link is engaged the system will drive at the road speed as “seen” by the RSA. (When it works it’s great on the motorway as it sees the variable speed limits.

[Yugguy1970]

Yes what I mean is no matter whether short or long press it's always 5mph.  At the moment I have drcc(RSA) on, so perhaps if I switched this to off I might get 1mph changes.  I did notice that if I was doing 53 and set it it would maintain 53, but then any button changes will go to 50 or 55.  I'm not that bothered about RSA so I'll try that next time.  And I'll try the holding cruise to get none radar.

 

The last time I was in an SUV it was years ago, I guess it was actually an MPV then, and I've been in large 4x4s and they all rolled horribly and made me want to hurl.

[ernieb]

I’ve played with mine and got the long short press to work but frankly most of these things can be somewhat hit and miss. I’ve also turned off the RSA speed link useful as I’ve said when it works but a pain when the variable speed limit has got down to say 40mph and the DRCC has tracked that correctly but the RSA misses the fact that it’s reverted back to 70mph.

I just adjust my speed as required and then select on. I do set mine to say 63mph which is really 60mph. I’ve calibrated against a good quality GPS and the Speedo is constantly reading 3mph low, so DRCC set to 65mph would be 62mph in the real world. The DRCC works well at tracking slowing traffic and reaccelerating back to the set speed, great when the traffic is ebbing and flowing.

[Rav Rob]

Yugguy have you discovered the overtake boost feature? Say radar cruise is set to 75 but you catchup someone doing 60 so the Rav slows to match, as soon as you indicate Right to pull out and overtake, the RAV starts charging towards 75, before you have even pulled out! Can be a bit disconcerting if your not expecting it, some say its dangerous but you get used to it and it gives you a bit of a run up for the overtake so when you move right your at a more apropriate speed. Can make lorry hopping in left lane very effortless.

[Yugguy1970]

Yes, I need to get used to it though as I was letting it slow down to the car in front too much

[Roy124]

To get a specific speed is easy.  Drive at whatever indicated speed you want, select cruise control and the set.  It will cruise at exactly the speed indicated.  Now select Resume and it will increase to the next 5mph up, is from 34 to 35.  Press Resume+and it goes to 40.

If you do not select ACC it will increment in 1 mph steps.

My reading is 10% in error so set 30 or 40 and you will cheese off most behind you. 🙂

On a busy 2 lane, especially when trucks insist on overtaking I find the most relaxing drive is to set 65-70 and station keep on the truck in front at 60.  You then find lane 2 fills up with cars close spaced behind a slow moving truck.  Lane 1 miraculously empties as cars jockey for position.

Then only problem is when I am maintaining a 3 bar spacing a truck following me thinks I should bunch up.

 

[ernieb]

I have to say I’m impressed with the acceleration of the PHEV, it seems to go like a rocket, from a standing start and passing acceleration. It’s interesting that many people who see the car do not think it’s capable of keeping up a good pace. Toyota seem to have got a good balance with both the HEV and PHEV versions.

[Rav Rob]

13 hours ago, ernieb said:

I have to say I’m impressed with the acceleration of the PHEV, it seems to go like a rocket, from a standing start and passing acceleration. It’s interesting that many people who see the car do not think it’s capable of keeping up a good pace. Toyota seem to have got a good balance with both the HEV and PHEV versions.

Even the normal hybrid is quick off the mark, especially without gear changes 1 to 2. At the lights a lot of people automatically pull up to the right of me instead of behind, assuming I will lumber away. They assumed wrong!

[philip42h]

5 minutes ago, Rav Rob said:

Even the normal hybrid is quick off the mark, especially without gear changes 1 to 2. At the lights a lot of people automatically pull up to the right of me instead of behind, assuming I will lumber away. They assumed wrong!

I've noted that too - it's quite fun ... 🙂 

The other day at the traffic lights a car pulled up on my right. When the lights changed I expected to leave it behind - but I didn't, and as to road narrowed to a single lane I decided to let it go. It was a Hyundai Ioniq ... we don't have a monopoly on "hybrid getaway" ... 😉

(He may have been trying harder than I was but we left the rest of the traffic far behind)

[Rav Rob]

3 hours ago, philip42h said:

I've noted that too - it's quite fun ... 🙂 

The other day at the traffic lights a car pulled up on my right. When the lights changed I expected to leave it behind - but I didn't, and as to road narrowed to a single lane I decided to let it go. It was a Hyundai Ioniq ... we don't have a monopoly on "hybrid getaway" ... 😉

(He may have been trying harder than I was but we left the rest of the traffic far behind)

Yeah good move, I am not even trying most the time, we are just so press&go even a quarter throttle surprises many people, I feel bad that people think I am being arsy but its just the way the car takes off! lol

[Yugguy1970]

Cheers for all the replies chaps.  I tried holding the cruise button down and I got the standard cruise none radar and 1mph increments.  

My life is now complete 😆