Lane Keep Assist and Low Speed Forward Automatic Braking worth it?

[2018GMC]

I am configuring a truck and prefer the heated leather split bench 40/20/40 vs the buckets. Although the vented (fan) seats would be nice.

 

Price difference between heated split bench and forgoing the lane keep assist and low speed forward braking is $2880

 

I am adding the front and rear park assist along with heated steering wheel on the SLT split bench.

 

Lane keep assist and low speed forward automatic braking are new for 17 or 18? These systems actually intervene (minor) vs the earlier lane departure warning and collision warning.

 

Anyone who has these features please comment if they are worth 3k.

[2018GMC]

I realize I am also getting assist steps, Bose, and Intellibeam. I demoed a standard SLT stereo vs the Bose and could barely notice a difference. I would probably add a rear seat subwoofer later anyway.

 

Are the regular SLT headlamps still LED?

 

Changing SLT Crew Cab Premium Plus Package will also change the following:

REMOVE

• 8" diagonal GMC Infotainment System
• Front, leather-appointed, heated, 40/20/40 split-bench seats
• Preferred Package
• Dark Ash seats with Jet Black interior accents, Leather-appointed front seat trim

ADD

• Low Speed Forward Automatic Braking
• Lane Keep Assist
• Forward Collision Alert
• High-Performance LED headlamps with GMC signature LED lighting
   
• Jet Black, Perforated leather-appointed front seat trim
• Front, leather-appointed bucket seats
• Wireless charging
• 8" diagonal GMC Infotainment System with Navigation
• 6" Chrome assist steps
• Bose^® sound system
• IntelliBeam headlamps
• Enhanced Driver Alert Package
• Safety Alert Seat
• Driver and front passenger heated and ventilated seats

Price Change: $2,880

[Boardmember]

I had lane keep on my prior Sierra and quickly switched it off.   On the highway, sometimes I would change lanes as I gradually approached slower traffic and frequently didn’t need to signal (based on traffic volume at the moment).  So had to fight the dang steering wheel to complete the move.  No thanks.  

 

Never had brake assist.   I could see that helping on occasion.

 

Note the seats are vented, not air conditioned.  

 

My opinion.   And it was free!   (Maybe exactly what it is worth!)

[jhbrennan]

The side blind zone alert is the only driver assistance option I would have.  I have a 2017 Yukon Denali with lane keep assist and low speed braking - both are worthless as far as I'm concerned.

[aseibel]

I would rather save the $3000 and buy something fun with it. I'm not going to rely on all the electronics to keep me safe on the road so I can be distracted with other things. Its the driver's job to drive.

 

I feel like someone who uses these features would just become a lazy driver. (You know those people who don't turn their head to look where they are going.) And when the electronics fail, then what happens?

[USCGRetiredJosh]

this is a feature for the drunk drivers to stay in their lane and help them brake.  LOL

[2018GMC]

LOL on the lazy assistance features.

 

I always try and double check before changing lanes by physically turning my head even if my mirrors show no one next to me. I've been surprised a few times when someone is just in my blind spot and would not have seen them if I only relied on my mirrors.

[2018GMC]

41 minutes ago, jhbrennan said:

The side blind zone alert is the only driver assistance option I would have.  I have a 2017 Yukon Denali with lane keep assist and low speed braking - both are worthless as far as I'm concerned.

It is BS this feature was not offered on 14 - 18 K2xx trucks. Its finally available on the new 2019 Silverado and Sierra.

[Dnt]

1 hour ago, 2009GMC said:

I am configuring a truck and prefer the heated leather split bench 40/20/40 vs the buckets. Although the vented (fan) seats would be nice.

 

Price difference between heated split bench and forgoing the lane keep assist and low speed forward braking is $2880

 

I am adding the front and rear park assist along with heated steering wheel on the SLT split bench.

 

Lane keep assist and low speed forward automatic braking are new for 17 or 18? These systems actually intervene (minor) vs the earlier lane departure warning and collision warning.

 

Anyone who has these features please comment if they are worth 3k.

I had a 16 Denali without the Enhanced Driver Alert package and liked it just fine. This 17 Ultimate has all that extra stuff. IMHO the lane departure warning is totally annoying and I keep it turned off. Braking thing / red LED warning on the windshield and the shaky seat thing are good features but by no means a necessity. 

There are a few things I have found that I WANT and probably would not buy a future vehicle without having them on it. 

1. Heated Steering Wheel  (best thing since sliced bread in the cold winter months) 

2. Heated and Ventilated seats (I am old and need to be comfortable)

3. Super Bright LED headlights with IntelliBeam auto dimming (awesome the dimmer really works well)

4. Parking assist (very helpful) 

5  Big V8 Engine (can never have enough power Scottie)

6. 4 Wheel drive ( I have a farm)   

As far as the value of the extra features, shoot man if you have the extra cash laying around buy the extra features and enjoy them, even though for all practical purposes they are basically worthless LOL.   

 

[Grumpy Bear]

What is job one when  you're behind the wheel?

 

If you can answer that question correctly then you other question really isn't...is it? If you can't answer it correctly then take public transportation.  

 

I'm not hammering on you personally. I'm hammering the concept of systems that are designed to assist people drive distracted, drunk or otherwise unfit or too unfocused for the task at hand. They shouldn't be an option, they should be illegal. Auto companies are not removing 'human error' there eliminating the drivers responsibility to do what common sense should tell you needs doing. Lane keep tells a drunk that last drink will be just fine and does nothing for someone who understands the responsibilities of driving on a public road. 

[Sierra706]

What is job one when  you're behind the wheel?

 
If you can answer that question correctly then you other question really isn't...is it? If you can't answer it correctly then take public transportation.  
 
I'm not hammering on you personally. I'm hammering the concept of systems that are designed to assist people drive distracted, drunk or otherwise unfit or too unfocused for the task at hand. They shouldn't be an option, they should be illegal. Auto companies are not removing 'human error' there eliminating the drivers responsibility to do what common sense should tell you needs doing. Lane keep tells a drunk that last drink will be just fine and does nothing for someone who understands the responsibilities of driving on a public road. 

Humans aren’t perfect. There’s a difference between depending on these systems and having it help out the one time your attention shifts elsewhere for a split second. I agree these shouldn’t be needed as we should all be focusing on driving, but to say they should be illegal is a stretch.

I personally love the system. Helps out massively on curving narrow highway lanes that are present running through cities.



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[Boardmember]

What Grump ⬆️ says.

 

This message dictated and sent by Siri.

[Mike GMC]

I bought mine used, but I passed on a very nice truck that was otherwise EXACTLY what I was looking for because it had these psuedo safety features that I hate.  When driving in traffic, the blind spot monitor never shuts off cause there is always a car there.  The lane keeping thing is annoying and the brake alert is worse than annoying.  I say skip it all and put the money in something worth while, like a 6.2.

 

[Lgetz]

2009 the regular SLT headlights are not LED but HID. I believe only Premium Plus SLTs and All Terrain models have the T4L High Performance LED headlamps.

[bc-chris]

i personally do not have these features (becuz i wouldn't want them), but i know couple guys that do.... and they are not fans

 

another buddy of mine took a subaru (i think) for a test drive and the sales guy was going over these 'advanced safety features' the car had and told him to try 'this' and see how the car takes over to stop 'bad stuff'.  so my buddy did what the sales guy told him to do and the car definitely reacted to the situation - it almost flipped the car and they ended up in a ditch.  needless to say he did not buy the car...  and i guess the sales guy was as white as a ghost after the incident! 

 

i'm definitely in the 'when i'm the driver i have one job - to drive' camp.  pay attention to driving, be safe, use common sense and pass on all these 'automatic safety features'