BoxerBoi76

Checking with you folks to properly set my expectations - relatively new owner of a 2019 A4 Prestige and have been enjoying the car while learning the technology present.

Regarding Active Lane Assist, should I expect it to keep my car centered in the lane assuming relatively straight lane markers? Note: I have lane assist set to early because late was letting my car completely cross the lane markers which seems dangerous for a default setting where the car is supposed to automatically manage keeping you in the lane.

Asking because my A4 drifts between the lane markers, even clearly defined lane markers on freshly paved roads. I’ve had instances where it drifted to the right and nearly hit an oncoming curb or run off the road (one of my commutes has a two lane road (one east/west lane going each direction) with clear lane markers but no emergency lane or paved buffer on either side of each lane, it’s just dirt and grass.

chych

It's a lane assist, not autopilot/self-driving. Don't depend upon it to keep you centered all the time. On long straights on highways with well marked lines, it does a pretty good job, but not 100%. Any turn and you have to take over.

Actually I'm glad it's not that good. If it was good 99.9% of the time, then I think I would trust it too much, and then on that last 0.1%, it would fail me and put me in a bad place. With it the way it is, I don't trust it, and thus I am always in control.

idealdreams

If set to early, it will proactively steer the car to keep it centered between clear lane markings at speeds above roughly 40 mph. It will even adjust to slight curves. But as noted, it is not self-driving nor autopilot and is not intended to drive for you. The system cannot identify potential collisions with vehicles in adjacent lanes and has also been known to "freak out" every now and again, where it makes sudden swerves in driving where it thinks the lane markings go to. It is important to keep your hands on the wheel at all times to be able to correct if the lane assist begins to make an error.

Daaavid

It's actually scary for me to leave it on the early setting. For instance, if you're on the highway, and an exit ramp is approaching, it will follow the shoulder line exiting off the freeway and either (a) jolt you back into the left lane or (b) take you down the off-ramp.

It is not meant to be a self-driving tool as chych said, but rather a safety buffer. For that reason, I leave it on late and it works perfectly for me. Even then, it is sometimes too sensitive as it will adjust to the shadow of the curbs on curvy roads.

MDAudi

Another example of where Active Lane Assist can be fooled is when you are driving a few car lengths behind another car on a rainy night. The contrast between the dark tire tracks and the shiny road can cause ALA to think there is a lane marker where there isn't one, and it can jerk the car around a bit. So I have to turn it off.

When I first drove my car I found the "Early" setting was too sensitive, so I set it to "Late" and haven't changed it back.

BoxerBoi76

Agree and understand. Was curious as to others experiences with it since I’ve only had the car for a month now.

BoxerBoi76

Definitely always keep my hands on the wheel - as you’re aware, it will disengage after a short period of time if tension isn’t applied to the wheel periodically.

BoxerBoi76

I’ve had some instances where it will jerk one way or the other and thankfully those have been minimal and I e always had my hands on the wheel paying full attention.

Understand it’s not self driving or autopilot.

BoxerBoi76

I’ve driven a number of rainy nights and haven’t experienced this, yet. I find the biggest issues are on light colored roads with bad lane markers (I know that would be an obvious problem for these technologies).

Still learning the system and its capabilities so thank you for your input.