adaptive cruise control vs pilot assist

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Ford’s BlueCruise Remains CR’s Top-Rated Active Driving Assistance System

Systems from Jaguar/Land Rover, Lucid, and Subaru are new to our rankings, and we also tested updated versions from Hyundai and Nissan

It’s equal parts eerie and amazing to experience Ford ’s BlueCruise hands-free driving feature as it takes over your car’s steering, braking, and acceleration while you travel down the highway.

The eerie part is watching the steering wheel turn back and forth on its own, making micro-adjustments to keep the car in the center of its lane, while the system also slows down or speeds up to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. The amazement soon follows: With your hands off the wheel and relaxing on the armrests as the automated systems take charge, you might start to believe that the age of the self-driving car is finally upon us. 

But while BlueCruise’s capabilities are impressive and can make driving more relaxing, cars that can truly and safely drive themselves remain a long way off.

BlueCruise is what’s known as an active driving assistance (ADA) system. In the simplest terms, ADA is the simultaneous use of a car’s adaptive cruise control (ACC) to control speed and lane centering assistance (LCA) to control steering. ACC is an advanced form of cruise control that brakes or accelerates to keep the car a set distance from vehicles traveling ahead of you in your lane. LCA provides steering support to keep the vehicle at or near the center of the lane.

“Systems like BlueCruise are an important advancement that can help make driving easier and less stressful,” says Jake Fisher, CR’s senior director of auto testing. For instance, it can allow drivers to relax their grip and even periodically let go of the steering wheel, while the car maintains a safe distance from other vehicles when driving on a straight, boring section of highway or when stuck in a traffic jam. ADA systems can also have safety benefits, such as potentially keeping you from crossing over a lane line into opposing traffic during a moment of inattention.

“But they don’t make a car self-driving at all,” Fisher says. “Instead, they create a new way of collaboratively driving with the computers in your car. When automakers do it the right way, it can make driving safer and more convenient. When they do it the wrong way, it can be dangerous.”

Though still relatively new, ADA systems are already available on more than 50 percent of 2023 model-year vehicles, according to CR’s data. So it’s likely that the next new car you buy will come with an ADA system as an option, if not as a standard feature. 

Since our last test in late 2022, we’ve added systems from three other automakers into the mix— Jaguar / Land Rover , Lucid , and Subaru —that previously weren’t included. We also tested updated systems from Hyundai and Nissan . Still, even with the additional competition, and now a total of 17 tested systems, Ford’s BlueCruise remains CR’s top-rated ADA system, followed by Cadillac Super Cruise and Mercedes-Benz Driver Assistance. Tesla , once an innovator in ADA with its Autopilot system, remains in about the middle of the pack. (The new Nissan ProPILOT Assist 2.0 has leapfrogged above Tesla.) That’s because Tesla hasn’t changed Autopilot’s basic functionality much since it first came out, instead just adding more features to it, says Fisher: “After all this time, Autopilot still doesn’t allow collaborative steering and doesn’t have an effective driver monitoring system . While other automakers have evolved their ACC and LCA systems, Tesla has simply fallen behind.”

Our testers saw significant improvements with Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist 2, which scored 12 points higher than the original system. This is mainly because the updated version’s LCA system does a much better job of keeping the vehicle near the center of the lane, rather than allowing it to ping-pong back and forth between the lane lines. While the original system still scores last of the 17 systems we’ve tested, Highway Driving Assist 2 ranks 11th.

Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports

Systems to Help Keep the Driver Safe

Not all ADA systems are created equal. Fisher and other safety experts say that many of them are designed in a way that may lull drivers into complacency, giving them a false impression that the car is handling everything on their behalf. That can be dangerous if the ADA system encounters something it can’t handle, such as road construction or an emergency vehicle, and the driver is not prepared to take back control of the car quickly. In order for any ADA system to be used safely, the driver always needs to remain attentive. 

Pnina Gershon, a research scientist at the MIT AgeLab and the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics , points to data showing that drivers often develop overreliance on driving assistance systems after a relatively short period of use. “We observe frequent situations where the level of attention placed on the road is below what one would traditionally expect a driver to have, especially with the known limitations of these systems, which require drivers to be ready to regain control in a safe and timely manner,” Gershon says. The data also shows that distracted driving is more common when using driving automation systems. “Automation aims to free resources and, not surprisingly, drivers use these ‘freed-up’ resources to do other things than driving.”

The two ADA systems that CR rates highest, the Ford/Lincoln BlueCruise and General Motors’ Super Cruise (Chevrolet/Cadillac/GMC), use direct driver monitoring systems (DDMS) that require drivers to keep their eyes on the road even while the systems are automating steering, acceleration, and braking. Both point infrared cameras at the driver’s face and sound an alert if he or she stops paying attention to the road, even if just for a few seconds. If drivers don’t turn their eyes back to the road, the system soon begins to slow the car.

CR safety experts say that this type of DDMS is key to the safety of any ADA system—and, in fact, CR awards extra points to the Overall Score of tested models whose ADA systems are adequately equipped. Starting with 2024 model-year vehicles, we will deduct points if an ADA system doesn’t have adequate DDMS. Right now, only Ford and GM’s systems meet our criteria for earning additional points, but others could be available soon.

Most ADA systems, however, do not adequately monitor drivers. Instead, they simply require occasional hand pressure on the steering wheel to indicate that the driver is paying attention. This makes it too easy to just give the steering wheel a quick tug without actually looking out at the road. “If an automaker is going to equip a car with an ADA system, they should put in adequate safeguards—or not include both lane centering assistance and adaptive cruise control at all,” says Kelly Funkhouser , CR’s manager of vehicle technology. 

Also of concern to CR’s safety experts are the ADA systems from some automakers that allow their vehicles to be driven for an inordinately long amount of time without requiring the driver to apply any pressure to the steering wheel, let alone make sure they are actually paying attention to the road. In our tests, both Mercedes-Benz and Tesla allowed the vehicle to drive down the highway hands-free for about 30 seconds before the first audible alert was given to the driver to put a hand back on the steering wheel. “That means the car could travel more than half a mile on a highway with hands off the wheel and the driver not paying attention at all—that’s a risky situation,” Funkhouser says.

But Hyundai’s latest Highway Driving Assist 2 is even worse. In our testing, the system consistently allowed our drivers to keep their hands fully off the steering wheel for 2 minutes and 15 seconds before the first audible warning was given to put their hands back on the wheel. “That’s simply irresponsible on the part of the automaker,” Funkhouser says.

What We Tested

We only included vehicles in our testing that were equipped with a system that allows for the simultaneous use of ACC and LCA at highway speeds. Models from Mazda , Porsche , Stellantis ( Alfa Romeo , Chrysler , Dodge , Fiat , Jeep , Ram ) were not included because we didn’t have a vehicle equipped with these features in our fleet when the tests were conducted.

How We Rated the Systems

The 17 active driving assistance systems we tested were put through their paces around the track at our 327-acre Auto Test Center in Connecticut and on a 50-mile loop on public roads between September and December 2022, and between June and August 2023. Each system was rated for its performance in 40 separate tests, such as steering the car, controlling the speed, and keeping the driver safe and engaged with the act of driving. Additional features such as automatic lane changes or reacting to traffic lights were not evaluated in these tests. (Take a tour of Consumer Reports’ $1 million ADAS test loop .)

The specific vehicles we tested generally reflect the performance of other models within each automaker’s lineup equipped with the same systems, but there can be differences among models, model years, and packages that could affect some parameters of how the system operates. 

CR testers evaluated the way each of the 17 systems performed within five specific categories: capabilities and performance , keeping the driver engaged , ease of use , clear when safe to use , and unresponsive driver .

Capabilities and Performance

Keeping Driver Engaged

Ease of Use

Clear when safe to use.

Unresponsive Driver

Consumer Reports' ADAS Loop

CR expands the tract at its Auto Test Center to help evaluate advanced auto technology.

Unlike active safety systems , such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), that intervene only momentarily when necessary to help prevent a collision, active driving assistance systems provide continuous support intended to make driving easier—for instance, when you’re on a long, boring highway drive or when you get stuck in a slow-moving traffic jam. For this category, we judged how well each system’s lane centering assistance (LCA) kept the vehicle in the center of the lane, as well as how smoothly and intuitively the adaptive cruise control (ACC) could adjust its speed behind other cars.

When it comes to LCA, the systems from Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla all gave smooth steering inputs and did a good job of keeping the car at or near the center of the lane on both straight and curvy roads. This type of performance gives confidence to the driver that these systems are highly capable.

The previous version of the Hyundai / Kia / Genesis Highway Driving Assist system was dinged for its less capable steering assistance, which caused the vehicle to ping-pong back and forth between the lane lines—even though it’s intended to stay near the center of the lane. At times it also moved uncomfortably close to a vehicle in an adjacent lane, and our testers noted that occasionally the system was incapable of keeping the vehicle within the lane through curves. The updated Hyundai/Kia/Genesis system—called Highway Driving Assist 2 (evaluated on a Hyundai Ioniq 6 )—performed much better thanks to its substantially improved LCA system, which no longer struggles to keep the vehicle near the center of the lane.

The Jaguar/Land Rover Adaptive Cruise w/Steer Assist (tested on a Land Rover Range Rover Sport ) performed the worst of any system at keeping the vehicle centered, or even within the lane, on city streets. There were many times the system would suddenly go into a “standby” mode and stop giving steering assistance, and then depart the lane. Other times the steering-assistance remained engaged but the driver still had to intervene to keep the vehicle from crossing over a lane line. It faired much better on the highway—in fact, it almost felt like an entirely different system.

Volvo/Polestar’s Pilot Assist system lost points because it frequently goes into “standby” mode—which is when the system is not giving steering assistance—without a clear warning to the driver. The periodic mode changes create uncertainty as to whether the system is actively providing steering assistance or not, resulting in the driver frequently looking at the instrument panel for verification rather than keeping their eyes on the road.

The Mercedes and Lexus / Toyota ACC systems scored top marks for their well-tuned following-gap distance settings. Our testers found the closest setting to be comfortable in high-traffic areas while still not allowing so much space that other vehicles would continually cut in ahead. We also like that the Mercedes and Subaru ACC systems have settings that allow the driver to adjust the deceleration and acceleration force with which it slows down and speeds back up for traffic ahead.

BMW ’s Driving Assistance Professional and GM’s Super Cruise have a driver monitoring camera that ensures the operator is looking at the road ahead when the ACC system brings the vehicle to a full stop, for up to 30 seconds. This provides the convenience of a stop-and-go feature in most traffic jam situations, without the hassle of having to re-engage ACC once traffic ahead starts moving forward again. The camera is there as a safeguard to ensure that drivers are watching the roadway. Most of the other systems change the ACC mode to standby after the vehicle has been stopped for just a few seconds, which eliminates the benefits of using ACC in stop-and-go traffic.

The ACC function of Tesla’s Autopilot system is capable of stopping the car, such as at a red light behind another vehicle, for an unlimited amount of time before resuming again. But without an adequate driver monitoring camera, this is potentially unsafe as there’s no way to know whether the driver is still paying attention when the vehicle starts moving again.

Manager of vehicle technology for Consumer Reports

Illustration: Chris Griggs/Consumer Reports Illustration: Chris Griggs/Consumer Reports

Keeping the Driver Engaged

When a system is controlling a car’s speed and steering, there’s a risk that its driver might feel more free to pick up a cell phone, eat a messy burger, or engage in other reckless, distracting behavior. That’s why we think it’s essential that ADA systems use direct driver monitoring systems (DDMS) to make sure the driver is paying attention to the road. A good system will encourage the driver to stay actively engaged, such as by allowing the driver to give steering inputs without fear of the LCA function shutting off. 

A camera-based driver monitoring system that uses head- and eye-tracking technology checks to see whether the driver is looking at the road, and that’s why Ford’s BlueCruise and GM’s Super Cruise are far above the competition when it comes to keeping the driver engaged. While some other systems do have cameras, we found that they will still function even if their cameras are covered, and in some cases the cameras can actually be turned off—neither of which is the case with BlueCruise or Super Cruise. The systems without driver-monitoring cameras require only that the driver place their hands on the wheel every once in a while, which doesn’t necessarily mean the driver is looking at the road ahead.

Ford’s BlueCruise sets a high standard among ADA systems, aided by an infrared camera that monitors the driver’s eyes to determine whether they are looking at the road. If the driver glances away from the road for more than about 5 seconds—whether to look at their cell phone or fiddle with the infotainment screen, or because they fell asleep—the system will give the driver a visual warning and an audible chime. When operating on pre-mapped highways that allow for hands-free operation, BlueCruise prompts the driver in advance of risky scenarios, such as lane merges or curves, to place their hands back on the wheel. This feature encourages drivers to be ready to steer if needed and doesn’t turn the LCA system off when they do. 

Both Lucid’s Highway Assist and Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist 2.0 have driver-monitoring camera hardware already in the vehicle. However, in both systems the camera can be toggled “off” within a settings menu, yet the ADA system can still be used. When we asked Nissan the reasoning behind giving drivers the ability to use the new Ariya EV’s ADA system without having to also use the driver-monitoring camera, a spokesperson told us that the automaker would “... continue to monitor the landscape of this emerging technology along with customer feedback and regulatory requirements but (we have) no plans at this time to remove that option on ProPilot Assist for our customers.”

“It’s disappointing that both Lucid and Nissan have this equipment in their vehicles, yet they aren’t using it to the fullest, safest potential,” Funkhouser says. 

CR reached out to automakers that have an ADA system but that don’t have a camera-based driver-monitoring system, seeking comment and information on their plans. Several automakers did not respond, while others declined to provide further details, saying the information is proprietary. Of those that did respond, Polestar (Volvo’s EV sub-brand) said DDMS will be included as a standard feature in its upcoming 2024 Polestar 3 SUV . Audi told us that DDMS “is not available at this time.” Rivian acknowledged that its camera is turned off in most vehicles while its Highway Assist system is active, and said it would keep CR posted on its plans for adding DDMS. Mercedes equips some models, like the EQS and S-Class , with a driver-facing camera to detect inattention, but the ADA system continues to operate even if the system deems the driver to be inattentive. And the driver-monitoring camera can be switched off, even when using ADA.

When there’s a seamless collaboration between the lane centering assistance system and the driver’s own steering inputs, it encourages the driver to stay alert and in control.

BMW and Mercedes ranked at the top when it comes to allowing the driver to give their own steering inputs (known as “collaborative driving”), for example, if you need to swerve out of the lane to avoid a pothole or give some berth to a cyclist. BlueCruise also allows for collaborative driving, and here it distances itself from Super Cruise, Autopilot, Lucid’s Highway Assist, and Rivian’s Highway Assist, all of which immediately disengage the LCA if the driver turns the steering wheel, which—annoyingly—forces the driver to re-engage the system afterward each time. This tells the driver that either the system is steering or the driver, but you can’t have it both ways.

For many people, the next new car they buy will be their first experience with an active driving assistance system. Because these systems are still so new, it’s important for auto manufacturers to make them as easy to use as possible, with simple controls, clear displays, and good feedback regarding the system’s status so that a driver will know what the system is doing and why it’s operating in a certain way.

Our testers evaluated how easy it was for drivers to engage the systems and make adjustments to the settings. They also reviewed the types and amount of information displayed to drivers, and how easy it was to know and understand what the system was doing.

The Highway Driving Assist and Highway Driving Assist 2 systems found in Hyundai/Kia/Genesis models were the top-rated systems in terms of ease of use (the controls are essentially identical between the two systems), due in large part to a strong showing in the “controls” category. Both the Hyundai/Kia/Genesis systems and Honda Sensing/ Acura Watch have separate controls on the steering wheel enabling the driver to activate ACC and LCA independently, which allows drivers to experience and understand each feature on its own. This makes it possible, for example, for the driver to use LCA without ACC if they want. And it prevents the potential confusion of, say, the LCA automatically engaging when the driver activates ACC.

There should be distinct, independent controls for ACC and LCA activation. Combining them into either a single control or a multistep activation removes the freedom for drivers to use each feature on its own. It also implies that the system is more capable than the sum of the two features alone.

Rivian, BMW, and Mercedes scored very well in “displays.” That’s because the driver’s instrument panel in these vehicles provides detailed information regarding lane lines, showing, for example, how close your vehicle is to the lines and to the surrounding traffic. This helps drivers understand what the system is “seeing,” and thus why the system is behaving the way it is. 

By contrast, Nissan/Infiniti’s confusing and poorly labeled symbols on the steering wheel make ProPILOT Assist and the updated ProPILOT Assist 2.0 unintuitive to use and hurt its “ease of use” score.

GM’s Super Cruise would have scored the lowest for “displays” if it weren’t for the bright green LED indicator on the top of the steering wheel rim, which makes it clear when the system is engaged. Beyond that, Super Cruise offers little information in the instrument panel beyond a small, steering wheel icon that indicates the system is active. It doesn’t, for example, show a display of the car, lane lines, or the car ahead, as other systems do.

The latest ADA systems are safest to use either on long highway drives or when you’re stuck in a traffic jam—situations in which they can best reduce driver fatigue and stress. On the other hand, using these systems on narrow, curvy roads or around pedestrians can be dangerous and stressful for drivers.

We evaluated the systems in terms of how clearly they communicate in real time about when drivers should—and should not—be using the technology. We also looked at how well they "explain" themselves in instances when the system won’t engage or suddenly turns itself off.

While ADA systems are generally not designed for narrow, curvy roads, most systems do allow drivers to use them in those environments. We think it’s smart that GM’s Super Cruise, Lucid’s Highway Assist, and Rivian’s Highway Assist use GPS-based geofencing to ensure operation within relatively safe driving environments, such as divided highways. 

A big difference between Ford’s BlueCruise, compared with GM’s Super Cruise and Lucid’s Highway Assist, is that BlueCruise can be used even when you’re not driving on the highway, while Super Cruise and Highway Assist cannot. Ford is able to incorporate LCA on regular, nonhighway roads because the system requires not just eyes on the road (via the DDMS) but also hands on the steering wheel in certain situations. We also like that even when driving on pre-mapped divided highways that are theoretically “hands-free zones,” BlueCruise requires drivers to place their hands back on the wheel in advance of risky upcoming scenarios, such as sharp curves or lane merges. 

Jaguar/Land Rover, Lexus/Toyota, Tesla, and Volvo rank toward the bottom of the chart in terms of making it clear when they are (and are not) safe to use. Tesla’s Autopilot and Lexus’ Safety System+ 3.0 are both capable of being used even when there’s only a single lane line down the middle of the road, which can lead to the driver using them in an unsafe situation. The systems try to create a “center” of the lane but often end up steering too close to the unlined edge of the road.

We were disappointed with Volvo/Polestar’s Pilot Assist system for numerous reasons, including that we found too many instances where the system switched itself into standby mode—meaning the ACC is still controlling the car’s speed, but the LCA is no longer giving any steering assistance—for no apparent reason. “The result is that Pilot Assist isn’t all that helpful to the driver. Much of this could have been solved had Volvo simply installed a driver-facing camera,” Funkhouser says. We plan to evaluate the Polestar 3 when it comes out with a DDMS.

Other than BlueCruise and Super Cruise, the ADA systems we tested don’t make it clear to drivers when they are safe to use. Plus, we find that most vehicle owner’s manuals are overly vague, making the systems seem more like tools used to reduce manufacturer liability rather than to help drivers fully understand, and use, these high-tech features.

An Unresponsive Driver

Systems that are capable of controlling the steering and speed of a vehicle should also be designed to help the driver at moments of greatest need, such as an incapacitating health emergency or if the driver falls asleep at the wheel. We evaluated how effectively the systems escalate driver warnings and assume steering and speed control in such scenarios, paying particular attention to how long it takes before the first audible warning sounds (because an inattentive or sleeping driver probably would not see a visual warning).

Although most vehicles in our testing can’t monitor the driver’s eyes, most do have a system that will signal an alert if the system deems the driver to be inattentive for a sustained period and then bring the car to a stop (with hazard lights on) and even call for outside help.

Ford’s BlueCruise is the best at discerning when a driver is being inattentive, thanks to its DDMS. If the system detects that the driver isn’t looking forward for 4 to 5 seconds, an audible warning alerts him or her to watch the road.

If the driver is unresponsive, however, BlueCruise merely slows the vehicle to 6 mph and continues driving in the same lane indefinitely. It doesn’t bring the car to a complete stop, put on the emergency flashers, or call for help. By contrast, with GM’s Super Cruise and Mercedes’ Driver Assistance, if the driver doesn’t respond to prompts from the system to re-engage, the car will turn on the emergency flashers, bring the car to a full stop (in whatever lane it’s currently traveling), and call for help. We think that’s the smarter response.

It’s alarming that, with the Honda and Kia systems, if a driver becomes unresponsive to warnings to put their hands on the steering wheel, the ADA systems will shut off before bringing the vehicle to a stop. This means that if the driver is distracted or medically impaired, the vehicle will just continue to roll forward—potentially off the road at speed—without any steering assistance or speed control, until it eventually rolls to a stop or runs into something.

Hyundai’s newer system—Highway Driving Assist 2—isn’t any better than the original system in this regard. In fact, in some ways it’s worse. Once Highway Driving Assist 2 determines that the driver is unresponsive, the system deactivates the LCA aspect, but the ACC will maintain the vehicle at a speed of 40 mph, without steering assistance, rather than letting the vehicle roll to a stop. Similarly, Subaru’s system also shuts off the LCA but keeps ACC on at the set speed without slowing.

Other than BlueCruise and Super Cruise, none of the systems we tested will alert the driver to pay attention if they are merely resting a hand on the steering wheel with a light amount of pressure, despite the fact that the driver may not be looking at the road and could even be asleep.

Test-Drive Before You Buy

When shopping for a new car, be sure to have the salesperson walk you through the details of how these advanced technologies work and how to adjust any specific settings.

As these systems become available on more new cars, it’s important that consumers understand their limitations. No matter what the automakers might imply in their marketing, none of the systems we tested here are capable of doing the driving for you.

“Automakers also need to realize that the more capable they develop a system in terms of driver assistance, the greater the chances are that the driver might tune out and try to leave the driving to the car,” Funkhouser says. “That’s why camera-based, direct driver monitoring is so critical and should be an essential tool of any good active driving assistance system going forward.”

Active Driving Assistance Systems in Action

Active Driving Assistance systems rely on several of a car’s high-tech features working together. Watch the videos below, created using CR’s fleet of test vehicles, to learn the difference among lane centering assistance, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assistance; how adaptive cruise control works; what makes for an effective direct driver monitoring system; and which ADA systems performed best in our overall tests.

More on ADAS Systems

Mike Monticello

Mike Monticello is the manager of road tests and reviews for the autos team at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2016. Mike has been evaluating and writing about cars for nearly 25 years, having previously worked at Road & Track magazine and Edmunds.com. On the weekends, he usually switches from four wheels to two, riding one of his mountain bikes or motorcycles. Follow him on Twitter @MikeMonticello .

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Cars with Adaptive Cruise Control: Everything You Need to Know

Cars with adaptive cruise control used to be considered a luxury only featured in state-of-the-art vehicles. Still, with technological advancements, adaptive cruise control is now a common feature found in many different car models.

Cars with adaptive cruise control used to be considered a luxury only featured in state-of-the-art vehicles. Still, with technological advancements, adaptive cruise control is now a common feature found in many different car models. Autobytel says this means ACC is now accessible to everyone, and even if your current vehicle doesn't have ACC, you can always have it installed.

What Does Adaptive Cruise Control Do?

Adaptive cruise control uses advanced sensory technology to determine your car's speed in proximity to other vehicles or objects on or around the roadway. It applies moderate brakes and warning signals when a driver is getting to close to another car. Drivers can set the speed limit on the ACC so that they don't exceed the speed limit, but when the sensory technology detects traffic or other unsafe conditions, it reduces the driver's speed to adapt to them.

The Best Cars With Adaptive Cruise Control

1. 2020 bmw 3 series.

This brand new model offers the best combination of sensory technology . It uses cameras in addition to ultrasonic and radar sensors to pull data about the environment surrounding the vehicle. In addition to its sensory features, it also has a "stop-and-go" brake feature, great for commuters who spend extended amounts of time in stand-still traffic as it alleviates the stress on the driver's legs and feet. What's more, the camera sensor can pick up traffic signs such as speed limit signs and reduce or increase speed to match the recommended rate of speed.

2. 2020 Volvo S60

This new model by Volvo has a "Pilot Assist" feature, which makes driving safe and easy. What this feature does is it helps the driver maintain the proper speed with neighboring vehicles, and it also provides steering assistance along with automatic braking or accelerating for situations such as stop-and-go to free-flowing traffic. Another great aspect of this model is that it doesn't rely on a lead car to determine speed and spacing, so you can use it even when you aren't near another car.

3. 2020 Hyundai Sonata

This new Hyundai model has the same technological systems as other Hyundai models, called "SmartSense advanced driving assistance systems." The 2020 Hyundai Sonata includes SmartSense features such as five cameras, three radar sensors, and 12 ultrasonic sensors to help with things such as advanced cruise control, stop-and-go feature, warning signals, and automatic braking or accelerating.

4. 2020 Nissan Altima

The 2020 Nissan Altima features Nissan's "ProPilot Assist" system, which uses advanced technology to help drivers practice safe driving. It allows drivers with automatic acceleration and braking for speed and distance control, while it also uses automatic steering to help them maintain lane control. These helpful features are made possible by its front-facing cameras, sensors, radar, and electronic control module.

5. 2020 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

This new model provides drivers with an adaptive cruise control system, specifically designed for highway travel. Its cruise control features include cameras within the car and radar sensors on the front grille that can gauge your car's proximity and speed when compared to other vehicles around you. Similarly, these sensors help determine the rate of speed of the vehicle in front of you and automatically decrease your speed if the vehicle in front of you slows down.

The Cheapest Cars With Adaptive Cruise Control

According to U.S.News, here are some examples of the cheapest cars you can buy that still have adaptive cruise control features:

1. 2019 Kia Soul

You can get Kia's "smart cruise control" feature as part of their "Primo Package." This add-on is around $4,500 in addition to the original selling-price. You can save energy with its automatic braking system, and also keep a safe following distance thanks to its forward-collision warning feature. In addition to these safety features, the Kia Soul also provides drivers with a heated steering wheel, and in-depth seat adjustments to meet more complex needs for your body type.

2. 2018 Mazda 3

The 2018 Mazda 3 provides drivers with an adaptive cruise control system that detects rear-cross traffic and blind-spot monitoring, great for making safe lane changes. It also offers a "premium equipment package" for just $1,600 in addition to the original selling price. This package gives your vehicle advanced safety features and other add-ons such as a heated steering wheel and a built-in navigation system.

3. 2018 Hyundai Sonata

The 2018 Hyundai Sonata offers buyers the "technology package" for just $1,000. Included in this package are adaptive cruise control to help drivers maintain a safe following distance and adequate speed. This model also comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

4. 2018 Toyota Rav4

This 2018 Toyota Rav4 SUV includes an adaptive cruise control system for a fee that increases the original selling price to just above $25,000. When you turn your ACC feature on, it uses its radar sensors to administer collision warnings, automatic braking, and acceleration to make sure that your vehicle moves at a safe pace and maintains an appropriate following distance from other vehicles on the roadway at all times.

The 2018 Toyota Rav4's adaptive cruise control system is categorized as "standard equipment" in Toyota's "Safety Sense P suite of technology," Making it a high-tech safety vehicle for a reasonable price point.

5. 2018 Honda Accord

The 2018 Honda Accord features a state-of-the-art adaptive cruise control system called the "Honda Sensing System." This system offers not only adaptive cruise control but also several other useful safety features, including automatic braking for collision prevention and traffic sign recognition.

These features are powered by camera sensing technology that can read traffic signs such as speed limit markers and adjust the Accord's speed to fit those speed requirements. You can get even more safety features by upgrading to higher-trims.

As adaptive cruise control becomes more readily available, you can find cheap and affordable car models that include much of the same technology as modern luxury cars.

https://www.autobytel.com/car-buying-guides/features/10-cars-with-adaptive-cruise-control-131148/

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/cheapest-cars-with-adaptive-cruise-control

https://www.caranddriver.com/bmw

https://www.caranddriver.com/shopping-advice/

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Pilot Assist vs Adaptive Cruise Control

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Hi all, Can someone explain the difference between Adaptive Cruise Control and the Pilot Assist in the XC90. From my experience, there is none or am I missing something? Both require to keep your hands on the wheel. Both adjust speeds based on what's in front of you, except the pilot assist has a max of 30MPH. I have seen many posts here about PA II increasing to 80MPH. But really what is the difference? Thanks in advance.  

Pilot Assist basically drives the car for you. ACC only maintains a set distance from a vehicle in front of you (no steering).  

Adaptive Cruise control is included in Pilot Assist. Pilot Assist adds (limited) automatic steering  

Thanks guys for the response. From my experience, when I enabled Pilot Assist, it asked to put my hands on the wheel. With Adaptive Cruise Control, you're required to keep you hands on the wheel, but with lane departure enabled, it will keep the car in the lane.  

The difference is that Pilot Assist is proactive while Lane Keeping Aid is reactive .  

I think hands on the wheel is required, no matter what. To be fair, I don't have a lot of opportunities to use PA, because of the speed limitations. Also found that ACC + lane keep assist tends to bounce back and forth between the lines more than I like, so have not used it much, either.  

Adaptive Cruise control is throtlle only. LKA is not really autonomous driving in this car, it'll just sort of correct you when you're falling out of the lane. The 16 MDX with AcuraWatch has LKAS which is much more keeping you in the center of the lane. PA is more like that, where it can completely drive and track the car in front of you. Those of us with 16 XC90s are limited to ~30 mph which limits the usability. PA does work pretty well when on the motorway in slow moving traffic, but outside of that, it's not used much. PAII goes up to ~80 mph, and I see that as normal speed motorway semi-autonomous driving. I hold out limited hope that the 16 owners will have some software update that can get us closer to PAII, but like I said, it's limited hope. The Acura system requires some hand+wheel commitment every 5-10 seconds or so. The Volvo persists a little more, but just resting your hand on the wheel is good enough. That said, you can never really take your eyes/attention off the road, so even with PAII, it's a distraction aid and convenience. Personally, I use adaptive cruise control ALL the time. It doesn't work as well when there's good high speed traffic and aggressive drivers who dart in and out, but normal highways that have decent traffic and everyone is doing a pretty good job of maintaining speed, it works wonders.  

BrianV said: Personally, I use adaptive cruise control ALL the time. It doesn't work as well when there's good high speed traffic and aggressive drivers who dart in and out, but normal highways that have decent traffic and everyone is doing a pretty good job of maintaining speed, it works wonders. Click to expand...

thanks all for all the info. I constantly use ACC when I am on the interstate and the gas mileage it gives is just absolutely crazy.  

I just did a round trip with Pilot Assist 2 for roughly 230 miles. WOW! This thing rocks! Since the drive was primarily highway, it practically drove the WHOLE WAY except when I paid tolls! No kidding. I took a video https://goo.gl/photos/s6dzP2djdF241CKM8 As a previous poster said, you barely have to touch the steering wheel on the Volvo. I even found a way so you don't have to touch the steering wheel at all!  

theclutch said: I even found a way so you don't have to touch the steering wheel at all! Click to expand...

The thing is that the steering wheel senses pressure. So you will need a way to add just a little bit of pressure to full the system into thinking that your hand is on the steering wheel. I think I saw a video of somebody put a stocking, and put a fruit in it. That was just enough pressure. IMHO I think it's much easier to just wiggled the steering wheel every 15 seconds or so to let the system know that you were still there  

BoneDoc said: I think I saw a video of somebody put a stocking, and put a fruit in it. That was just enough pressure. Click to expand...

HAHA. That is really funny... jerry rigging the steering wheel. It sounds like a fun experiment, but also sounds like way to much effort. "Ok, time to engage pilot assist. Honey, please had over your hosiery and that apple... I'll have pilot assist up and running in 2 minutes.  

It's one of those things that's funny in theory, and a bit terrifying when you realize there are folks on this board actually working to subvert the design of the feature. That sort of attitude is what leads to injuries/deaths, bad press for the manufacturers (clickbait king Tesla lately and eventually likely Volvo and others), ultimately harming the future potential / timeline of autonomous driving. The manual and interface are quite clear of the limitations of the system. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road when piloting multi-ton torpedoes whose designers instruct you to do so. PA and PA2 are not reliable enough for you to have your hands off the wheel. Play along with the current system, and come back in 3-5 years for a true hands-off environment. I like Tesla's upcoming v8 change: get dinged with or ignore 3 Autopilot warnings and lose the feature until the car is pulled over and stopped. </soapbox>  

I know that the hands-on-wheel is pretty sensitive, but I find that it isn't quite sensitive enough. I rest my arm on the driver door, (the armrests are fairly useless as they seem too far away), and then my hand on the wheel. Most of the time that is not enough pressure. I feel I have to hang my arm weight to a large degree to have the senor pick it up. I bit unnatural for me. I think it would be too much of a pain, but I've thought about hanging a weight on the wheel AND having my hands on the wheel. I also feel like the weight might go flying if I need to swerve for some incident. Staying away from that thought for now.  

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Pilot Assist

Pilot Assist works as a feature of the  Adaptive Cruise Control  and helps keep your Volvo in its lane, at a set speed and distance (or time) interval to the vehicle directly in front of you. It helps to take way the need for you to constantly change your speed in relation to the vehicle in front of you and helps adjust the steering to keep your Volvo in the lane in low speed traffic situations. The default speed for the function to work is up to 30 mph (50 km/h) and cannot be changed.  If the vehicle ahead increases speed to over 30 mph (50 km/h) and pulls away from your vehicle, Pilot Assist will go into standby mode.   If you choose not to engage Pilot Assist but are utilizing Adaptive Cruise Control, your Volvo will still maintain the distance from the vehicle in front of you but it will not provide steering assistance.

To operate the Pilot Assist :

• Press either of the arrow buttons (2 or 4) on the left hand keypad to put the Adaptive Cruise Control in standby mode
• Use the Arrow key [ > ] (4) to change to Pilot Assist in standby mode
• Press the Cruise Control button (1) (located in the center)
• To change the distance (time) interval press button 3 or 5.

Note : Pilot Assist is designed to be a supplementary driving aid and cannot cover all driving situations, traffic, weather and/or road conditions.  Pilot Assist is not intended to replace the driver's attention and judgment.  Pilot Assist must only be used where there are clearly visible traffic lane side marker lines on both sides of the current traffic lane. In other circumstances there is an increased risk of collision with surrounding obstacles that are not detected by the system.  The driver is always responsible for steering the vehicle and maintaining a suitable speed and distance to the vehicle ahead and must intervene if necessary, even if Pilot Assist is being used.

Pilot Assist does not react to people or animals, or small vehicles such as bicycles and motorcycles. It also does not react to low trailers, slow moving, parked or approaching vehicles, or stationary objects.  Do not use Pilot Assist in demanding driving conditions such as city driving or other heavy traffic situations, in slippery conditions, when there is a great deal of water or slush on the road, during heavy rain or snow, in poor visibility, on winding roads or on highway ramps.

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Study: Which Are the Best Driver Assistance Systems?

Automakers have made tremendous advancements in safety and driver assistance in recent years, but obviously not all of them have reached the same level of effectiveness and dependability.

While Tesla is generating a lot of talk with its Autopilot system, even more now with the beta test of its “Full Self-Driving” functionality, the reality is that a number of companies are offering similar alternatives.

• Also: Autonomous Cars Would Only Prevent a Third of Accidents
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So, which are the best driver assistance systems out there? You know, the ones that allow what can be described as semi-autonomous driving? U.S. magazine Consumer Reports recently tested 17 different systems to find out.

By combining lane keeping and adaptive cruise control features on a closed track as well as on public roads, the team conducted as many as 36 tests with each vehicle and evaluated them based on five main criteria—capability and performance; keeping the driver engaged; ease of use; clear when safe to use; and unresponsive driver.

Here is Consumer Reports ’ ranking:

• Cadillac, Super Cruise
• Tesla, Autopilot
• Lincoln/Ford, Co-Pilot 360
• Audi, pre sense
• Hyundai/Kia, SmartSense
• Mercedes-Benz, Active Driving Assistance
• Subaru, EyeSight
• BMW, ConnectedDrive Active Driving Assistance
• Porsche, Active Safe
• Volvo, Pilot Assist
• Honda/Acura, Honda Sensing
• Nissan/Infiniti, ProPILOT
• Toyota/Lexus, Toyota Safety Sense
• Chevrolet/Buick, Driver Confidence Package
• Land Rover, InControl
• Mazda, i-Activsense

Keep in mind there can be differences among models, model years and packages that could affect some parameters of how the system operates. Also, some automakers can change their systems software on current and future vehicles with over-the-air updates. 

Cadillac’s Super Cruise remains the top-rated system because it uses direct driver monitoring to warn drivers that appear to have stopped paying attention to the road. It can deliver multiple warnings, such as a bright red light on the upper rim of the steering wheel. If the driver still does not react, the system will start to slow the car down and can even bring it to a complete stop.

Like many traffic safety organizations, Consumer Reports warns that none of these systems effectively replaces driver attention and intervention in some situations. When people rely too much on an automated system and tune out from the driving task, many deadly crashes occur.

“The evidence is clear: If a car makes it easier for people to take their attention off the road, they’re going to do so—with potentially deadly consequences,” says William Wallace, manager of safety policy at Consumer Reports . “It’s critical for active driving assistance systems to come with safety features that actually verify drivers are paying attention and are ready to take action at all times. Otherwise, these systems’ safety risks could end up outweighing their benefits.” 

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The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Nissan’s Adaptive Cruise Control

Adaptive Cruise Control is a modern take on the classic cruise control. In the past, this feature kept your vehicle traveling at a set speed but didn’t use cameras or sensors. The modern, adaptive version uses these items to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you. Many Nissan vehicles include Adaptive Cruise Control, but does it function how you want?

Take it from a Nissan owner

I drive a 2023 Nissan Murano SV Midnight Edition, equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control. This SUV was one of J.D. Power’s top-rated SUVs in its class and provides an excellent ride. Much like many Nissan vehicles, this Murano has a host of advanced safety features to help keep me in my lane and a safe distance from other vehicles. The Nissan Safety Shield 360 tech package includes:

• Forward collision warning
• Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Lane-departure warning with correction assist
• Blind-spot monitor
• Rear cross-traffic detection with braking
• Rearview camera and monitor
• Automatic high-beam headlights
• Driver drowsiness warning
• Rear seat reminder
• Front parking sensors
• LED fog lights

These safety features make it easy to feel confident driving the Murano, but the Adaptive Cruise Control System has some pros and cons.

Nissan’s Adaptive Cruise Control does an excellent job of keeping the vehicle a safe distance from other vehicles in your lane. The driver can set the prescribed distance using three available settings. This allows you to set it and forget it unless the car in front of you stops. The dashboard shows the driver when the vehicle in the lane is being detected, which means that the vehicle is on the edge of the set distance. It’s easy to cruise along on the highway and never think too much about your speed.

This system doesn’t have stop-and-go technology in the 2023 Murano , but that’s not much of an issue. When a vehicle in your lane slows to a stop, you’ve got to use the brakes and then resume the Adaptive Cruise Control system to continue the drive once that vehicle has moved along again. This makes it difficult to set this feature and use it in city traffic.

While driving the Nissan Murano with the cruise set, the vehicle can suddenly slow when unnecessary. What causes this to happen? If a vehicle in front of you moves into a turning lane and slows down, the system continues to detect that vehicle as being in front of you even when it’s not. My Nissan Murano has often slowed when no cars were in my lane in front of me simply because the car that was in front moved into a turn lane. This is extremely annoying and unsafe.

The verdict

Adaptive Cruise Control is an impressive feature that makes driving more comfortable and easier most of the time. Unfortunately, Nissan’s system doesn’t have stop-and-go functionality, and it is jarring when it suddenly slows down because a vehicle in front moves into a turn lane. Hopefully, future Nissan vehicles will have a much smoother and complete Adaptive Cruise Control system.

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Nathaniel Ehinger

Nathaniel joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with eight years of experience as an autos writer under his belt. From model reviews to industry politics to new innovations and development, he covers a wide range of topics. Through careful research, attention to detail, and a desire to tell a story, Nathaniel found an unexpected enthusiasm for covering anything related to cars, trucks, SUVs, and everything in between.

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Enjoy the drive What is Nissan's ProPILOT Assist?

Featuring the Nissan ARIYA All-Electric Crossover<br>[[0]]April 21st, 2023<br>[[0]]<br>[[0]]ProPILOT Assist gives you a hand with the little things—like helping keep you centered in your lane, and maintaining a preset distance from the vehicle ahead.

WHAT IS PROPILOT ASSIST?

ProPILOT Assist is a hands-on driver assist system that combines Nissan's Intelligent Cruise Control and Steering Assist technologies and includes a stop and hold function that can bring the vehicle to a full stop, hold in place and can bring you back up to speed when traffic starts moving again. [[1176]] ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link syncs with the navigation system providing additional information to better predict the freeway ahead. New features include Speed Adjust by Route that can help reduce your speed for tight curves and off-ramps, as well as Speed Limit Assist that gives drivers the option to quickly adjust the set speed to the posted speed limit. Both features allow for a more intuitive, enjoyable drive.[[1176]]

ProPILOT Assist 2.0

The future of Nissan driver assistance is almost here with the Nissan ARIYA. Nissan ARIYA uses breakthrough technologies to help you with the more demanding parts of the drive so you can arrive feeling more at ease. Driver assist technologies give you different levels of control. Highway traffic? Tight space? Get a helping hand.

The Nissan ARIYA features ProPILOT Assist 2.0 giving you the option to experience hands-off single-lane driving, as well as hands-on guided lane changing abilities. ProPILOT Assist 2.0 can give you the control you need. [[1462]] 

The ARIYA embodies Nissan's philosophy of designing vehicles around the driver.  Want to experience Nissan ARIYA’s technology for yourself?

THE NISSAN ARIYA

Nissan's all-electric crossover has smooth and powerful performance, a refined design inside and out, and a new slate of advanced driver assistance technology to keep you relaxed and comfortable on your drive.

With Nissan ARIYA, you can enjoy a comfortable driving experience with the assistance of advanced driver assistance technologies. Two advanced driver assistance systems are available for the ARIYA: ProPILOT Assist 2.0, the most advanced system, and ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link. [[1462]][[1176]] ProPILOT Assist 2.0 can assist with steering, acceleration, and braking, and allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel and feet off the pedals when driving in a single-lane on freeways. [[1462]]

Find out which roads are ProPilot Assist 2.0 compatible by checking out our high-definition marked road map .

“Nissan Ariya All-Electric Crossover | Force of Wonder”

How it works

Using a radar sensor in the front of the vehicle, it can maintain a gap with the car in front of you at a preset distance. The forward-facing camera located near the top of the windshield helps keep the vehicles centered during single-lane driving, even on slight curves.

2024 Nissan Rogue Shown. [[1176]]

How to use ProPILOT Assist

Press ProPILOT Assist button

Press "Set" when at desired speed

Set desired distance

After ProPILOT Assist is engaged and when lane markers are detected, the ProPILOT Assist steering wheel and lane line icons on the dash turn from grey to green and Steering Assist will provide small steering inputs to help the driver stay near the center of the lane. The driver can disengage or simply override the system at any time and if the system does not detect a hand on the wheel, ProPILOT Assist will provide a series of visual and audible alerts. If the driver still does not place a hand on the wheel, the system will pulse the brakes to get their attention. Finally, if both of these warnings are ignored, the system will gently apply the brakes, slow down within its lane, turn off the hazard lights and come to a complete stop.

System limitations

Though ProPILOT Assist can help drivers, the system does have some limitations and may not function correctly in these conditions and situations.

ProPILOT Assist FAQs

How does speed adjust by route work and what is the benefit.

Using the data provided from the in vehicle navigation system (like curvature or road type), the vehicle can slow for an upcoming curve, junction or exit. This feature can help increase lane centering capability through even more freeway curves and can reduce the need to override or disengage the system.

Can I turn these Navi-link features on or off?

Yes. The “Speed Adjust by Route” feature can be turned ON of OFF within the Driver Assistance settings. The “Speed Limit Assist” function setting includes Auto, Manual or OFF. As a reminder, steering assist can be enabled and disabled within the driver assistance settings or the steering assist button to the left of the steering wheel. Standard cruise control can be accessed by pressing and holding the ProPILOT Assist button on the steering wheel.

When I turn on ProPILOT Assist, it changes my main display. How do I keep it from doing that?

In the settings menu, there is an option for “Transition (Cruise)” under “Customize Display”. By unchecking this option, the screen will not automatically switch to the ProPILOT Assist screen.

Can the ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link use map information through Apple CarPlay® or Android Auto™?[[1189]]

No. The map information is drawn from the factory installed navigation system.

Does a route have to be set in the factory navigation system for these Navi-Link benefits?

Although not required, the performance is improved when a route is set within the vehicle navigation system.

I have ProPILOT Assist. Is there a software update to install ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link?

No, existing ProPILOT Assist systems are not upgradable to include the Navi-link function.

Why isn’t my ProPILOT Assist working?

ProPILOT Assist uses a camera and radar and is important to keep these areas clean and clear of debris at all times. The system may become unavailable in any of the following conditions: heavy rain, snow, ice, fog, extreme cold or heat, or if mud or dirt covers the sensors. Some other conditions in which the system may not operate include roads with faded lane markers, driving into direct sunlight, while in construction zones, etc. If the front camera sensor is obstructed, the Automatic Emergency Braking icon may blink. It is recommend to cycle the front wipers and turn on the windshield defrost for a few minutes until it clears. If the front radar sensor is obstructed, the warning message “Forward Driving Aids temporarily disabled Front Sensor blocked See Owner’s Manual” may appear along with the Automatic Emergency Braking icon. This is only a temporary condition and systems will be made available when condition clears. An engine restart may be required. If the message and light continue to appear after cleaning sensor areas and clear weather conditions, it may mean that forward driving aids are not functioning properly. It is recommended that you have the systems checked be a Nissan dealer. For all system limitations, please review the owner’s manual.

Which Nissan vehicles have ProPILOT Park?

The newly revealed and not yet available Nissan Ariya will feature Nissan's ProPILOT Park®. This self-parking technology will assist with Nissan vehicles in a semi-autonomous way for parking providing the driver additional confidence behind the wheel. [[1176]]  

The future of Nissan Autonomy

The 2018 Rogue was the first U.S. vehicle equipped with available ProPILOT Assist but not the first Nissan model to offer this driver assistance system. That honor goes to the Nissan Serena, a five-door mini-van Japanese model that debuted globally in Japan in 2016. Today's ProPILOT Assist system is the product of years of research and development that continues to progress as we transition towards advanced driver assistance systems, incorporating fully autonomous technology. Nissan is working to accelerate that transition by using NASA technology designed for interplanetary robotic travel to develop a trusted infrastructure for autonomous vehicles that will allow them to learn and share information in real time.[[1176]]

Nissan vehicles with available ProPILOT Assist

NISSAN ARIYA.

Introducing an electric crossover from Nissan. Nissan ARIYA uses breakthrough technologies to help you with the more demanding parts of the drive so you can arrive feeling more at ease. ProPILOT Assist 2.0 offers hands-off single-lane driving and hands-on guided lane changes. [[1462]]

2024 NISSAN PATHFINDER®

The 2024 ruggedly redesigned Nissan Pathfinder® is packed for adventure with driver assistance technology, standard Safety Shield® 360, off-road capability and connected features. [[1381]] [[1189]]

2024 Nissan Rogue®

The future is here with the 2024 Nissan Rogue. Equipped with available ProPILOT Assist with Navi-Link and standard Safety Shield 360, the Nissan flagship is ready to make an impact in driver assistance, safety, and comfort. [[1381]]

2024 Nissan LEAF®

Get ready for a whole new way to drive, where the everyday is exhilarating. Feel more inspired, capable, and confident—wherever you go. All in a car that simple does things amazingly.

2024 Nissan Altima

With available ProPILOT Assist, the 2024 Nissan Altima helps out with your highway driving at the push of a button while assisting you with some of the tasks of daily driving. The advanced driver assistance system responds in highway traffic—or the open road—at the push of a button.[[1176]]

Want to learn more?

ProPilot Assist 2.0 Compatible Roads

Nissan Safety Features and Technology

Owner's Manuals

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