If you already own a medium SUV, chances are you have family, or are thinking of growing it. When it comes to safe SUVs that you can trust, the Honda CR-V is one of the best of the bunch, with a 5 star ANCAP rating making it one of the safest cars on the market. The CR-V VTi-LX comes packed with safety features to help keep you and your troops safe and out of harm's way.
Paul Maric, Senior Road Tester at CarAdvice.com, takes us through every abbreviation in the entire suite of features in the Honda Sensing package.
AEB
Automous Emergency Braking, (AEB) uses both a radar and camera, and applies strong braking pressure if an unavoidable accident was to occur. Paul demonstrates this feature in the video as he speeds to approach a stationary prop car and is impressed. “That was amazing, I thought we were actually going to clean that thing entirely up.” But before AEB kicks in, Forward Collision Warning works to give visual and audible alerts in instances where the driver may be momentarily distracted to bring the driver’s attention back to the road.
LDA
If you happen to get distracted by the kids in the back, Lane Departure Assist, or as Honda terms this, Lane Keep Assist, works by physically assisting your steering to bring the car back into its lane if it begins to stray. It works along corners as well, leading Paul to point out that "... the coolest feature of the car is its ability to automously drive."
LDW
Lane Departure Warning uses a camera to detect lane boundaries and gives you visual warnings on the vehicle’s display, and vibrations on the steering wheel to alert you and bring your attention back to the situation to help avoid an accident.
RDM
Road Departure Mitigation is "the type of stuff that's the future of car autonomy," according to Paul. It will activate when it senses your vehicle straying from the road entirely. It will apply braking force in addition to corrective steering input to bring you back in to your lane, so you can concentrate on the road ahead.
ACC
Honda's Adaptive Cruise Control works with Low Speed Follow, a feature that lets you set your desired speed, and set the following distance behind the vehicle detected ahead. Paul demonstrates the feature, explaning that "If the traffic jam clears and the car starts moving again, bob’s your uncle, we are on the way," proving you can use the system even in stop start traffic conditions.
So there you have it, the features of the Honda Sensing package explained. These systems are there to assist you and keep your mind at ease, but it's important to remember that they should not be used in place of safe driving practices. Drivers should continue to monitor the road at all times, and the accuracy and operation of Honda Sensing technologies may vary based on weather, speed, traffic, road conditions, markings and other factors.