Retrofitting a car with Lane keep assistance?

[Darrell KSR]

I'm assuming that I already know the answer to the question. It must be either not feasible/ unreliable or cost prohibitive even if you could do it.

I just finished a week in which I drove a Honda with Lane keep assistance nearly 2,000 miles. I may be using the wrong term as there are a bunch of terms and I think they are confusing but the one it had used a camera to look at the markings on the side of the highway and the middle, and it kept the car basically centered in the lane with little nudges to the steering wheel. I did not know if I would like that or not, but it did not take long for me to appreciate it. I don't think I could ever get to the self-driving car phenomenon, but with my hands on the wheel I feel comfortable even if it nudges it a little bit.

Anyway, I suspect that retrofitting a 2009 Lexus GX470 is impossible. I buy cars usually a couple of years old, and then keep them until the wheels practically fall off, and this one, with 160,000 miles on it, is about half of the normal life for me. But it is an analog dinosaur in a digital world, and I suspect that I either have to buy new car or just live with not having this unless I rent a car with it.

I would not mind spending a couple thousand dollars or a little more to have that feature in this car, but again, I suspect it is a pipe dream. Anybody know?

[dan_bgblue]

I truly have no idea, but just thinking about the major components, it would take a computer, the software, the cameras and camera software, a servo motor for the steering column to actually do the steering, and the interface software for it and the computer. The biggest cost might be the liability insurance.

Much better to keep on driving until the Jetsons cars come down in price.

[Darrell KSR]

Dan, the prices for cars with the LKA are not bad at all. Check out the Honda CRV and HRV.

I like my big SUV, and don't want to downsize, but I'm still tempted...

[MickintheHam]

Darrell, it is a great feature. But the greatest thing about it is that it may keep some of driving for a longer time.

[Darrell KSR]

Darrell, it is a great feature. But the greatest thing about it is that it may keep some of driving for a longer time.

That's a big selling point for me. I really appreciated having it and believed it made for a safer, less stressful driving experience as well.

[kingcat]

Ford's Driver assist may have saved our lives in a rental three years ago. I'm not sure if the aftermarket stuff adapts to certain vehicles, but here is what I found on it.
Mostly visual stuff, and not actually vehicle control.

Garmin's Speak Plus dash cam
Garmin packs a lot . . . A LOT . . . into their sleek, compact Garmin Speak Plus. Okay, here we go: it's a dash cam that records in HD; it's a co-pilot that provides lane departure, front collision, and speed camera alerts; it's a turn-by-turn navigator; and it's an Alexa-powered virtual assistant. With a Bluetooth® or wired connection to your car stereo system, you can conduct hands-free calls, stream music, set reminders, and even make dinner reservations, all with the power of your voice.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-Nrofmh...afer-ride.html

[Darrell KSR]

I actually have the Garmin DriveSmart 65. It's the actual GPS with a screen, as opposed to the button type device described above, with dash cam.

It provides lane departure warning, front collision avoidance warning, dash cam, and a little "tinkle" type chime to let you know traffic ahead is moving (helpful if you are stopped at a red light and don't notice that it turned green and the car ahead of you has begun moving). It's voice activated (which works poorly, but works), and of course, does GPS with traffic. I have a built in GPS in my car, and use Waze on my phone when traveling, but I still like the stand-alone GPS with the dash cam.

Frankly, I don't find the "warnings" very helpful, and sometimes I disagree with it anyway. The lane centering/lane keep features on the Honda I had a couple of weeks ago--now that, I found very useful, felt like it made me a safer driver, and reduced my stress while driving on the interstate.

I think I'll have to wait until it's time for a new car. By then, Jetson hovercrafts may be the standard.