auto cruise control cars

17 Cars With Best Adaptive Cruise Control (With Pictures)

Cruise control is an automotive feature aimed at providing convenience while assuring top-notch safety. It lets you set your preferred vehicle speed and controls your car’s movement so it doesn’t collide with the vehicle in front of it.

Table of Contents

In this article, we discuss vehicle models that offer adaptive cruise control.

Get ready to find out if your favorite trucks, sedans, and SUVs come with cruise control!

1. Hyundai Sonata

The Hyundai Sonata has Hyundai’s innovative SmartSense Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (SADAS).

This system comprises several features including three radar sensors, five cameras, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.

Among other things, these equipment enhance the Sonata’s adaptive cruise control ability as well as the stop-and-go system.

The SADAS also makes sure other features on the Sonata, like warning signals and automatic braking, work seamlessly.

2. Volvo S60

The all-new Volvo S60 joins a long line of Volvo models to feature adaptive cruise control.

The S60’s cruise control system is called the “Pilot Assist” feature.

The Pilot Assist system works to maintain a reasonable distance from other road users.

It also provides automatic braking and acceleration to limit driver input in situations like stop-and-go traffic.

Unlike other cruise control systems, the Pilot Assist doesn’t need a car ahead of you to determine vehicle speed.

As such, you can easily activate it when there are no vehicles near you.

Here are few examples on our article that you should know about Volvo & Depreciation: Numbers

3. Kia Soul

The Kia Soul offers a variation of cruise control, which the company calls “smart cruise control.”

Available as optional equipment on the Soul models, the Smart Cruise Control system offers emergency braking and forward-collision.

So, if you get too close to a nearby vehicle, the SMC system will alert you and activate the brakes to avert collision.

Even with its small size, the Kia Soul promises an enjoyable ride, made even better with the availability of cruise control.

Luxury features on the Soul include a heated steering wheel, adjustable seats, and climate control. For an SUV specific list, view the compact SUVs with adaptive cruise control .

4. Honda Accord

A perennial bestseller, the Honda Accord boasts some really cool technology.

Notably, it has the Honda Sensing system that offers adaptive cruise control along with advanced safety-focused features like emergency braking.

The Honda Sensing system has a suite of powerful cameras that can detect nearby vehicles and also read traffic signs.

Due to the latter ability, the Honda Sensing system can tweak your Accord’s speed to meet speed laws.

5. Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 is a bestselling SUV that offers top-notch safety and luxury features.

In particular, RAV4 buyers can get adaptive cruise control as optional equipment.

The RAV4’s ACC system uses radar sensors to help the vehicle maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.

The sensors alert drivers to potential forward collisions and can control automatic braking and acceleration abilities as well.

The Mazda 3 offers a system that has adaptive cruise control, rear-cross traffic detection, and blindspot monitoring capabilities.

If you get the premium equipment package, more advanced safety and luxury features will be yours.

These include a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, and a GPS navigation system.

7. Nissan Altima

The Nissan Altima has one of the best adaptive cruise control systems we have seen.

Its variation of the ACC feature is known as “ProPilot Assist.”

With the ProPilot Assist system activated, your vehicle can follow vehicles safely.

The ProPilot system helps with automatic acceleration and braking to control your vehicle’s distance and speed.

It also stops your vehicle from deviating from its lane by adjusting the steering for maximum lane control.

The ProPilot system itself comprises an electronic control module, front-facing cameras, radar, and sensors.

8. Toyota Corolla (Hatchback)

The Corolla Hatchback has a well-designed adaptive cruise control that makes long drives more comfortable.

This model has camera sensors that can estimate your vehicle’s proximity to other vehicles, ensuring you follow at a safe distance.

The ACC system can gauge the speed of the vehicle ahead of you and will automatically slow down your vehicle if the car in front reduces speed.

9. Honda Insight

The Honda Insight is a hybrid that drives more like a luxury car than some boring eco-friendly car.

More importantly, it does not sacrifice stylishness or comfort for fuel efficiency, which makes it exceptional among hybrids.

Comfort is a particularly strong element of the Insight hybrids. It has comfortable seating for five and offers luxury features like heated seats.

Drivers can also relax on those long highway rides, thanks to adaptive cruise control.

The ACC system allows you to set the speed you want the car to travel. It will then adjust the throttle and exert the brakes slightly to maintain your preferred speed.

The Insight’s cruise control system comes with a Low-Speed Follow feature.

This feature works by halting your vehicle once the vehicle ahead of you slows down.

10. Volkswagen Jetta

The Volkswagen Jetta is an affordable compact sedan that features decent styling and high-quality German engineering.

Buyers will particularly love this model’s excellent fuel economy and comfortable drive experience.

New Jetta models have the Volkswagen Adaptive Cruise Control system. This feature helps your Jetta to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead of you.

It will reduce your vehicle’s speed if it detects the preceding vehicle slowing down.

The ACC system may also apply the brakes if necessary, to prevent a forward collision.

To use this system, you have to select the button on the steering wheel.

Afterwards, you can set the cruise speed and the following interval using the buttons on your steering wheel.

Please also read our article about popular cars with great ambient lighting .

11. Volkswagen Passat

The Volkswagen Passat is another great sedan from Volkswagen that offers adaptive cruise control.

The Passat is notable for its comfortable cabin, practicality, and exquisite style.

More impressive is the fact that the Passat costs less than most rivals, yet offers similar features.

At an affordable price, you get a quiet and comfortable interior along with high-tech safety features such as emergency braking and blindspot warning.

You also get the Volkswagen Adaptive Cruise Control system that’s more advanced than regular cruise control systems.

While regular cruise control systems maintain a constant speed, the Volkswagen ACC variant also helps with maintaining a distance interval with the preceding vehicle.

The ACC system controls your vehicle’s throttle and brakes to slow down and speed up when necessary.

12. Ford Super Duty

It’s not easy being in the same lineup with the ultra-successful F-150, but the Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350/450) models have carved a niche for themselves in the truck market.

These models are notable for their rugged performance and unmistakable luxury trappings.

The Super Duty line comes with a tailgate step and seven cameras to make driving easy.

It also features comfy cabin seating and has a top-notch cooling/heating system to enhance comfort in all weather.

Ford offers cruise control with the Super Duty models, along with forward-collision warning, and other safety features.

There’s also a Trailer Reverse Guide that makes backing up a little easier by providing visual cues and tips.

13. Honda Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline puts the ‘V’ in ‘Versatility’.

Unlike many pickups, the Honda Ridgeline has car-like handling capabilities and can function as a daily driver.

Even so, it can tow and haul and pretty much everything a pickup can do.

The Ridgeline’s versatile performance likely informed Car and Driver’s decision to give it the ‘Best Midsize Pickup’ award in 2019.

As it’s comfortable, so is the Ridgeline safe. This all-round SUV features the high-tech Honda Sense technology.

In this suite of safety features, you’ll find Lane-Keep Assist, Road Departure Mitigation System, and more importantly, Cruise Control.

Lane assist is often found in affordable electric cars , but also in this fine model.

Make sure to also read our article about popular cars with adjustable back seats .

14. Ford F-150

The Ford F-150 is, without a doubt, the most popular truck in the US.

The proof lies in the numbers—for over 40 years, the F-150 has remained the bestselling truck in the US.

A big reason the F-150 remains an attractive option for many is its ability to blend performance with excellent ride comfort.

The F-150 can tackle trails, but it can also tour the highways without you feeling discomfort.

Newer F-150s have adaptive cruise control, which makes driving even more convenient—and safer, too.

Other safety-focused features on the F-150 models include lane-keeping system, automatic braking, hill descent control, and automatic high-beam headlights.

15. Chrysler Pacifica

In a segment that’s known for staid styling and little specialty features, the Chrysler Pacifica stands out with its sleek design and hybrid engine option (it’s the only minivan with a hybrid).

It also offers typical minivan comfort, coming with various features that enhance ride quality and tranquility.

You get adaptive cruise control, an in-cabin camera, and on-board vacuum for cleaning up spills.

Safety tech like forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, and rear cross-traffic alert are available on the Pacifica models.

With three rows of seating, the Pacifica can ferry up to seven passengers at once.

What do you still need in a family vehicle that the Pacifica doesn’t provide?

Also read our article about popular cars with butterfly doors .

16. Hyundai Palisade

The Hyundai Palisade is a great option for buyers of three-row SUVs.

Closely related to the Kia Telluride, the Palisade comes standard with many safety and comfort features.

Yes, it doesn’t have the sporty performance of some rivals.

But, at least, it gets a refined ride made better by a luxurious cabin and comfort-enhancing features like cruise control.

Palisade buyers get a blind spot camera, pedestrian detection system, among other things. Lane-departure warning and forward collision are also available on the SUV to keep you safe.

17. Ford Escape

Ford’s popular compact SUV offering, the Escape, has enough design cues to satisfy your need for individuality and enough space to handle family transportation duties.

It also offers improved fuel economy, thanks to the addition of a hybrid model in 2020.

Fuel economy is perhaps the Escape’s biggest claim to fame.

Per estimates, the Escape returns an impressive 44 mpg on city roads and 37 mpg on the highway. This makes it good for use as a daily driver.

The Ford Escape has available cruise control models in the lineup.

Hence, you can control the speed of your vehicle without hitting any other vehicles on the road.

Electric cars with cruise control

We made a separate article about electric cars with cruise control .

Check the link above to read more about these great electric cars.

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Meet the Subaru Family

What is adaptive cruise control (acc).

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is an intelligent driver assistance feature that works as an enhancement to traditional cruise control. Using a system of advanced sensors such as radar and cameras, ACC determines the speed and conditions of surrounding traffic and automatically adjusts cruising speed to maintain a safe distance within the flow of traffic. Many ACC systems can also recognize sudden changes in traffic conditions and alert the driver to take action to prevent a crash.

Depending on vehicle manufacturer and the system itself, any number of other terms might be used interchangeably with Adaptive Cruise Control, including:

Active Cruise Control
Dynamic Cruise Control
Automatic Cruise Control
Intelligent Cruise Control
Smart Cruise Control
Radar Cruise Control

How does Adaptive Cruise Control Work?

ACC uses a set of intelligent sensors including radar, lidar, lasers, GPS, and cameras. These sensors are placed around a vehicle’s exterior to monitor the road and nearby vehicles. Gathering real-time data on the distance away and speed of the vehicle in front, these sensors allow the ACC system to adjust the car’s speed as-needed. Typically, the driver sets their desired cruising speed when they engage ACC on the highway. The system then automatically accelerates and decelerates to stay at a safe distance from other cars within the flow of traffic.

Much like using traditional cruise control, activating ACC is intentionally simple so that a driver can easily use it while keeping their eyes safely on the road. Generally, the dedicated ACC button or switch is located on the steering wheel or control panel. Pressing or toggling this mechanism allows the driver to set their initial cruising speed. In some systems, drivers can also set their desired following distance.

While operating, certain ACC systems can take extra measures for safety and convenience purposes:

Maintaining a particular distance from vehicles ahead
Making complete stops in traffic and restarting from a complete stop when traffic resumes
Remaining engaged at low speeds in city traffic
Anticipating and automatically slowing around upcoming curves
Adjusting to posted speed limits as they change

Once in operation, the ACC system remains working until the driver disengages by either pressing the brake pedal or manually deactivating the system using the dedicated switch or button. Sometimes, ACC will use visual and audio cues to alert the driver to brake if it detects a possible collision ahead. In these instances, the driver must then re-engage the system once traffic resumes.

Benefits of Adaptive Cruise Control

Some of the benefits of adaptive cruise control include creating a more relaxed driving experience, particularly during long road trips and on highways, thanks to the system’s ability to adjust automatically to traffic speed variations and road conditions. Additionally, ACC encourages safe driving practices and helps reduce crash risk by monitoring following distance and alerting the driver or intervening if a vehicle is quickly approaching. Drivers using ACC may also see improved fuel efficiency, especially on the highway, since the system helps maintain an even speed and reduces unnecessary acceleration and braking.

Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control in Subaru Vehicles

The Subaru application of ACC is known as Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control. This feature functions seamlessly as part of our EyeSight ® Driver Assist technology —a comprehensive suite of safety features designed to enhance the driving experience. Nearly all Subaru models and trims come standard with EyeSight and Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control, including some of our most popular models like the Outback , Forester , Crosstrek , and Impreza . EyeSight is an available feature on our performance sports models with automatic transmissions, including the WRX and the BRZ , as well as those with manual transmissions.

Complementing its active cruise control functionality, EyeSight includes additional advanced features including Pre-Collision Braking and Throttle Management, Automatic Emergency Steering, Lane Centering, and Lane Departure Assist designed to help keep drivers safer. In particular, Lane Departure Assist and Lane Centering monitor lane markings and can help assist drivers with steering to avoid accidental drifting into another lane. The advanced ACC sensors can also recognize another driver approaching and adjust your vehicle’s placement within the lane to create a safer distance on all sides.

Read more about our EyeSight technology.

Discover the Safety and Convenience of Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. Visit Us to Experience it in Action and Find your Perfect Subaru Today!

Advanced adaptive cruise control is a useful feature that can help make driving easier, smoother, and safer. Explore Subaru Vehicles equipped with the full suite of EyeSight features today!

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I tried adaptive cruise control on these EVs — and it changed the way I drive

Drivers may be surprised trying it out for the first time

Three EVs and one PHEV in, there’s one feature I’ve been constantly leaning on my quest to drive the best electric cars around. It’s adaptive cruise control (ACC), which is also commonly referred to as dynamic cruise control and smart cruise control depending on the car maker. They all basically follow the premise of maintaining your vehicle’s speed while driving, but with the ability to steer the wheel for you as well so that you stay centered in your lane.

I can’t tell you how it’s the single thing that’s changing my habits, which I explained in detail when I test drove the Lexus TX550H+ and let it take over the wheel for me . This feature isn’t just exclusive to EVs because it’s been in many gas-powered vehicles and hybrids for a long while now, leveraging different technologies, such as LiDAR, sonar, radar, and even the cameras around the car.

For those still driving much older vehicles, say 10+ years old, they could find the experience of using adaptive cruise control a bit jarring when they upgrade — which could dissuade them from using it entirely. After driving multiple EVs with adaptive cruise control, I realize it serves its purpose more often than not. Here’s when you should and shouldn’t use it.

Perfect for highways

Cruise control has always been a driver’s best friend for those long trips on highways. Adaptive cruise control makes it even better because today’s vehicles can intelligently identify other moving vehicles — especially the one right in front of you.

When I test drove the Hyundai Ioniq 6 for a week , I was impressed by its ability to distance itself from the car in front of me while driving the speed limit on highways. When it senses it’s getting too close to the vehicle in front of me, or when an adjacent vehicle enters my lane, the Ioniq 6’s adaptive cruise control system automatically applies the appropriate amount of braking.

Even when the highway’s making a bend further up in the road, the Ioniq 6’s driver assist mode moves the steering wheel accordingly for me — all while maintaining my lane and speed.

Even great when switching lanes

@tomsguide ♬ Lofi Vibes - Gentle State

Taking things to the next level, I was astounded by the lane change assist feature while test driving the Kia EV9. My colleague Kate Kozuch also tried this helpful driving feature out when she test drove the Mustang Mach-E GT very recently, which performed a lane change on its own thanks to Ford’s BlueCruise self-driving technology .

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I tried out a similar lane changing assist feature with the Kia EV9 , and when paired with adaptive cruise control, I’m impressed by how it makes driving even easier (and safer too). Again, I think it works well on highways when you want to change lanes because adaptive cruise control continues to maintain the car’s speed — while also detecting other vehicles while it’s making a lane change.

Less burden with congestion driving

During my commute back home from New York City, congestion on the roads eventually brought traffic on the highway to its usual stop-and-go flow. With adaptive cruise control and driver assist enabled on the Kia EV9, it’s the perfect pairing for congestion driving on the highway.

That’s because the EV9’s able to apply the appropriate amount of braking and acceleration to keep its distance with the vehicle in front of me. Gridlock traffic is already a burden for all drivers on the road, but I love how this makes it less of a hassle. Even when the vehicle in front of me comes to a complete stop, adaptive cruise control automatically gets the vehicle moving once it clears up.

Although, I always kept my foot lighting over the brake because you just never know . I recommend that you do the same when using adaptive cruise control because it's the fail-safe method to instantly give back complete control of your vehicle.

Tough on local roads with faint lines

Now, one of the times I found it challenging to use adaptive cruise control was on city streets with faintly painted lines on the road. That’s because both the Ioniq 6 and EV9 struggled to keep their respective driver assist modes on to keep me centered in the lane. I’m able to recognize this because the dashboard display would normally show green lines alongside the car to indicate that it can stay centered in the lane.

Of course, it would go green whenever it can reestablish those lines on the road, but I wouldn’t lean on adaptive cruise control a whole lot when they’re indistinct.

Winding roads are troublesome

And finally, I would absolutely tell you to disengage adaptive cruise control on those long, winding roads that have you hitting steep inclines and tight turns. One of the challenges I encountered while driving with it on winding roads is that it wants to maintain the vehicle’s rate.

Naturally, this works wonderfully on straightaways and such, but it’s jarring when it encounters an incline because adaptive cruise control lacks human perception to anticipate road changes. For example, I found adaptive cruise control accelerating a little after going up a hill to maintain its speed — rather than anticipating the incline and accelerating beforehand to help sustain the vehicle’s momentum.

Furthermore, tight turns are nearly impossible for adaptive cruise control because it doesn’t adjust the vehicle’s speed ahead of time. It’s jarring when it’s cruising at 35 mph and wants to take a bend in the road at the same speed, rather than dialing down as the speed limit sign suggests.

While it’s not perfect for all driving conditions, I still find more benefits with using adaptive cruise control. Even though some parts of the technology help to propel fully automated vehicles, I need to remind everyone using this that it’s still an assistive feature — so it’s not meant to replace you entirely as the driver.

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John’s a senior editor covering phones for Tom’s Guide. He’s no stranger in this area having covered mobile phones and gadgets since 2008 when he started his career. On top of his editor duties, he’s a seasoned videographer being in front and behind the camera producing YouTube videos. Previously, he held editor roles with PhoneArena, Android Authority, Digital Trends, and SPY. Outside of tech, he enjoys producing mini documentaries and fun social clips for small businesses, enjoying the beach life at the Jersey Shore, and recently becoming a first time homeowner.

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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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Top Safety Tech for a Low Price

Once exclusive to the industry’s most expensive vehicles, driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control (ACC) have trickled down to the point of standard issuance on some of the most affordable cars for sale. In a market where safety is often a central selling point, manufacturers must boost the availability of the best safety features to maintain a competitive edge. As such, buyers on a budget now have a rich selection of affordable cars to choose from that either come standard with or offer ACC as an option.

Adaptive cruise control builds on the basic cruise control technology that has been around for decades, by using sensors and modern computing to modulate your car’s speed while accounting for the speed of the car ahead of you. While you still set a speed as normal, your car can slow down and speed up to maintain distance between you and that car. Some systems can even slow your car to a stop and get you moving again – a feature that’s highly appealing to drivers who spend a lot of time in bumper-to-bumper traffic on congested highways.

To highlight the spread of this innovative tech, we’ve compiled a list of 23 cars and suvs that cost less than $25,000 when equipped with adaptive cruise control. We’ll spell out which trim or options package you need to choose to equip your new car with this feature, and how much you’ll need to pay.

The U.S. News Best Cars team regularly updates our reviews with the latest data, so the scores you see here may vary slightly from the content you see elsewhere on our site.

23) 2020 Kia Forte

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,690 | USN Overall Score: 8.3/10

The Kia Forte , like many models in Kia's lineup, is feature rich and has a reasonable price. It is the winner of our 2020 Best Compact Car for the Money award. However, to outfit your Forte with Smart Cruise Control (Kia’s name for ACC), you’ll need to step up to the top-tier $22,490 GT trim and add the $2,200 GT2 Package. Among a full suite of safety features, the GT2 package also includes goodies like a premium audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, and a wireless phone charger.

22) 2020 Subaru Forester

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,495 | USN Overall Score: 7.8/10

Redesigned last year, the current generation Forester benefits from Subaru’s EyeSight suite of safety tech as standard across all trim levels, including the $24,495 base trim. Alongside adaptive cruise control, EyeSight also includes other popular features like automatic pre-collision braking and lane departure prevention. The availability of these features, as well as good crash test ratings, earned this compact SUV a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

21) 2020 Ford Fusion

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,460 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10

Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite of active safety features comes standard in the full range of Fusion trims, including the base S model. However, it does not include adaptive cruise control. To get ACC, you need to equip your Fusion with the confusingly named Co-Pilot 360 Assist Package which costs an additional $1,290. The Fusion's ACC system includes stop-and-go functionality so drivers can turn the system on and let the car manage the throttle and braking even in severe congestion on the highway. Along with a range of other safety features that come standard on all trims, the Fusion boasts a four out of five reliability rating, which is well above average for the auto industry.

20) 2020 Toyota Camry

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,425 | USN Overall Score: 8.5/10

As a stalwart of the midsize car class , one of the many ways the Toyota Camry has remained competitive is by offering a rich list of standard safety features. Adaptive cruise control, along with much more of the latest tech, is equipped on all trims, ranging from the base L to the top-tier XSE. An extensive suite of driver assistance aids is one of the reasons the Camry earned our 2020 Best Midsize Car for Families award. The Camry’s budget-friendly pricing also helped it secure the title of 2020 Best Midsize Car for the Money .

19) 2020 Toyota Prius

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,325 | USN Overall Score: 7.9/10

Hybrid and electric cars today are often perceived as being on the front lines of automotive progress. While the Toyota Prius has been cruising American streets for about twenty years, the latest iteration still boasts plenty of the latest driver assistance technology, including adaptive cruise control, that’s standard even in the L Eco base trim. Other standard features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Despite its long history, the Prius remains on top of the hybrid game, earning a finalist spot for our 2020 Best Hybrid and Electric Car for the Money award.

18) 2020 Mazda6

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,100 | USN Overall Score: 8.2/10

The Mazda6 ranks well among midsize cars, thanks in part to an excellent safety score. Part of that safety score is due to a long list of standard safety features, which includes adaptive cruise control. Mazda Radar Cruise Control (Mazda’s name for their ACC system) is part of their i-Activsense suite of safety features that also includes automatic braking with pedestrian detection and lane keep assist, among other tech.

17) 2020 Honda Accord

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,020 | USN Overall Score: 8.3/10

The Honda Accord has earned a reputation for being an excellent and well-rounded midsize car with a spacious interior and engaging driving dynamics. For drivers who are frequently stuck in heavy highway traffic, you’re in luck: adaptive cruise control is standard on all trims, including the $24,020 base LX model. The Accord was a finalist for both our 2020 Best Midsize Car for Families and 2020 Best Midsize Car for the Money awards.

16) 2020 Honda HR-V

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $23,970 | USN Overall Score: 7.3/10

Subcompact SUVs are quickly rising in popularity, as crossovers take over the roads as people's preferred type of daily driver. Commuters who rack up high mileage on a daily basis in their Honda HR-V will likely want to equip theirs with safety tech, and they’ll need to choose the mid-tier EX trim to do so. The HondaSensing safety suite, which includes adaptive cruise control, is standard on this model. Along with the full safety package, stepping up to the EX trim also adds some creature comforts like heated front seats.

15) 2020 Hyundai Sonata

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $23,600 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10

Redesigned for 2020, Hyundai didn’t hold back when stuffing many standard safety features into the newest generation of the Sonata . Hyundai’s Advanced Smart Cruise Control is equipped on base SE models, along with tech like a lane keep assist system and a driver attention warning feature. Also sticking to the basics, Hyundai has outfitted the cabin of this midsize car with quality materials and comfortable seats.

14) 2020 Subaru Crosstrek

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $23,495 | USN Overall Score: 7.5/10

If your Crosstrek has an automatic gearbox, it also has adaptive cruise control. For 2020, Subaru has decided to make their EyeSight Driver Assist Technology suite, which includes ACC, standard on all Crosstrek models equipped with a CVT (continuously variable automatic transmission). The $22,145 base trim technically comes standard with a manual transmission, so equipping the CVT and EyeSight will cost you an additional $1,350. Automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist are also part of the EyeSight equipment set.

13) 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $23,100 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10

The Corolla name has been around for years, but the Corolla Hybrid is brand new for 2020. Being the latest Corolla, it also comes with the latest safety tech as standard – including adaptive cruise control. Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 also includes lane departure warning with steering assist, among many other driver assistance aids. The Corolla Hybrid won our 2020 Best Hybrid and Electric Car for the Money award.

12) 2020 Honda Insight

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $22,930 | USN Overall Score: 8.0/10

Like many of Honda's latest models, the Honda Sensing suite of safety tech is standard on all Honda Insight trim levels, meaning that adaptive cruise control is equipped on base LX models. On top of a laundry list of standard safety features, the Insight boasts excellent crash test ratings from the IIHS and a Top Safety Pick+ designation. With features and crash test ratings combined, this hybrid and electric car earns a perfect ten out of ten U.S. News safety score.

11) 2020 Subaru Legacy

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $22,745 | USN Overall Score: 7.6/10

After a redesign for 2020, the Subaru Legacy has wasted no time collecting accolades. In addition to being named a finalist for our 2020 Best Midsize Car for Families award, it was also designated as a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS. Its safety title is thanks in part to a long list of standard safety features, which includes adaptive cruise control. No matter what trim you choose, Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist Technology package (which includes ACC) will be equipped.

10) 2020 Mazda CX-30

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $21,900 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10

The all-new Mazda CX-30 is the brand’s latest crossover to go on sale. It’s made a strong debut, claiming the second place position in our subcompact SUV ranking . Adaptive cruise control is standard on all trim levels along with many other safety features, so the CX-30 is a car that should top the wish list of any shopper who values safety first. Other highlights include a comfortable ride and sharp handling, as well as an interior quality that belies its price.

9) 2020 Mazda3

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $21,500 | USN Overall Score: 8.5/10

As the CX-30’s compact car counterpart, the Mazda3 comes equally well-equipped in terms of safety and driver assistance technologies. Adaptive cruise control is one of the many features that comes standard on all trims. Buy a Mazda3 and you’ll also get standard tech like lane keep assist and a driver attention monitor. This little car, offered in both sedan and hatchback guises, also has an interior that wouldn't be out of place in many vehicles that cost thousands of dollars more. It’s currently ranked as our second best among compact cars, and for good reason.

8) 2020 Toyota C-HR

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $21,295 | USN Overall Score: 6.5/10

The Toyota C-HR may not rank very well among subcompact SUVs, but it’s well-equipped in the safety department. Standard on all C-HR trims, the Toyota Safety Sense P package includes adaptive cruise control as well as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and automatic high beams. It also earned a “Good” rating in all six IIHS crash test categories – the agency’s top mark.

7) 2020 Honda Civic

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $20,650 | USN Overall Score: 8.5/10

The Honda Civic has upheld it's legacy as the compact car benchmark for many years, and has kept up with the times by equipping each trim level with the latest safety features. Adaptive cruise control is one of the Civic’s many safety highlights, and even shoppers who opt for the most affordable LX trim can take advantage of the convenience it delivers. The Civic is offered in both sedan and hatchback configurations across several trim levels, but the safety features will carry over to whichever model you pick.

6) 2020 Mazda CX-3

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $20,640 | USN Overall Score: 7.3/10

The Mazda CX-3 is the older sibling of the previously mentioned CX-30. While it’s been on dealership lots for longer, it’s equipped like many of the newest subcompact SUVs to hit the market. Mazda Radar Cruise Control is standard on all trims, and incorporates a stop and go function, meaning ACC will operate even in crawling bumper-to-bumper traffic. Like the CX-30, the CX-3 also displays competent handling dynamics and a well-built interior.

5) 2020 Nissan Sentra

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $20,270 | USN Overall Score: 6.9/10

To equip a Nissan Sentra with adaptive cruise control, you’ll have to opt for the mid-tier SV trim, which requires a $1,200 jump up from the base model. On top of ACC, that chunk of change will also add convenience tech like remote engine start and dual zone automatic climate control. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also featured as standard on the SV trim. The Sentra’s overall score doesn’t rank competitively among compact cars, but it does have a robust features list that brings value to the table.

4) 2020 Subaru Impreza

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $19,995 | USN Overall Score: 7.5/10

Subaru’s EyeSight safety package (which includes adaptive cruise control) comes standard on all Impreza models, so long as the car is outfitted with a CVT automatic transmission. The base trim technically comes standard with a manual gearbox, but upgrading to the CVT only costs an additional $500. So while you’ll have to pay a little extra, you’re getting a range of safety features in addition to the automatic transmission. Other EyeSight features include automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist.

3) 2020 Toyota Corolla

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $19,600 | USN Overall Score: 8/10

Like its hybrid counterpart, the gas-only Toyota Corolla is well-equipped with safety features on all trim levels. In the base L trim, adaptive cruise control is standard along with other nifty tech like traffic sign recognition. As a compelling value proposition, the Corolla earned a finalist position for our 2020 Best Compact Car for the Money award. It also boasts a reliability rating that’s not only better than most other compact cars, but better than most new across the entire automotive industry.

2) 2020 Honda Fit

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $19,060 | USN Overall Score: 8.7/10

The Honda Fit is currently placed at the top of our ranking of subcompact SUVs thanks in part to its spacious and versatile interior. However, unlike some competitors, many safety features aren’t standard across the trim lineup. To equip a Fit with adaptive cruise control, you’ll have to step up to the $19,060 EX trim, where you’ll also get tech like lane keep assist and automatic high beam headlights. The EX trim carries a $2,000 premium over a base LX model. Nonetheless, since the Fit is budget-friendly across its entire trim range, a top-tier Fit EX is still our second most affordable car that you can get with adaptive cruise control. It should come as no surprise that the Fit is our 2020 Best Subcompact Car for the Money winner.

1) 2020 Nissan Versa

Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $18,540 | USN Overall Score: 7.7/10

Topping our list is the Nissan Versa , which was just given a full redesign for the 2020 model year. Adaptive cruise control is available as an option on a top Trim SR model, as part of the Convenience Package. The SR trim costs $18,240, and the Convenience Package costs an additional $300. If you choose the add on, you’ll be getting heated seats along with ACC. At the end of the day, the Versa is one of the most affordable new cars you can buy. Even though it’s locked away in the top trim, if you want adaptive cruise control, you’ll spend less to get it in the Nissan Versa than you will with any other model.

More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report

If you’re looking for added details on these cars or other vehicles on the market, be sure to check our extensive new car rankings .

Check out our Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families pages to see the winners of our awards this year.

No matter what vehicle type or model you’re interested in, head over to our new car deals page where we track automakers’ incentives, including cash rebates, cut-rate financing, and special lease offers.

One way to locate a great price on a new vehicle is the U.S. News Best Price Program . Shoppers who use the program save an average of more than $3,000 off their new vehicle.

23 Cheapest Cars with Adaptive Cruise Control in 2020

23) 2020 Kia Forte: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,690 | USN Overall Score: 8.3/10
22) 2020 Subaru Forester: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,495 | USN Overall Score: 7.8/10
21) 2020 Ford Fusion: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,460 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10
20) 2020 Toyota Camry: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,425 | USN Overall Score: 8.5/10
19) 2020 Toyota Prius: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,325 | USN Overall Score: 7.9/10
18) 2020 Mazda6: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,100 | USN Overall Score: 8.2/10
17) 2020 Honda Accord: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $24,020 | USN Overall Score: 8.3/10
16) 2020 Honda HR-V: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $23,970 | USN Overall Score: 7.3/10
15) 2020 Hyundai Sonata: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $23,600 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10
14) 2020 Subaru Crosstrek: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $23,495 | USN Overall Score: 7.5/10
13) 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $23,100 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10
12) 2020 Honda Insight: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $22,930 | USN Overall Score: 8.0/10
11) 2020 Subaru Legacy: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $22,745 | USN Overall Score: 7.6/10
10) 2020 Mazda CX-30: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $21,900 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10
9) 2020 Mazda3: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $21,500 | USN Overall Score: 8.5/10
8) 2020 Toyota C-HR: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $21,295 | USN Overall Score: 6.5/10
7) 2020 Honda Civic: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $20,650 | USN Overall Score: 8.5/10
6) 2020 Mazda CX-3: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $20,640 | USN Overall Score: 7.3/10
5) 2020 Nissan Sentra: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $20,270 | USN Overall Score: 6.9/10
4) 2020 Subaru Impreza: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $19,995 | USN Overall Score: 7.5/10
3) 2020 Toyota Corolla: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $19,600 | USN Overall Score: 8/10
2) 2020 Honda Fit: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $19,060 | USN Overall Score: 8.7/10
1) 2020 Nissan Versa: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $18,540 | USN Overall Score: 7.7/10

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Adaptive Cruise Control: What is ACC in ADAS?

June 3, 2021

Table of Contents

What is ACC in ADAS?

When it comes to cars, ACC stands for Adaptive Cruise Control. In a Consumer Reports survey , 85 percent of drivers with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on their vehicles said they were very satisfied with it. What’s more, 19 percent said their ACC system helped to avoid a crash.

Standard cruise control has been around since the 1950s . Adaptive cruise control has been in development since the 1990s . Mercedes was the first automaker to bring ACC to the U.S. market in 1999 . Twenty years later, automakers are still working to improve their cruise control offerings. In the meantime, ACC technology has become one of the building blocks of autonomous driving.

In this article, we will explain adaptive cruise control and how it works, provide examples of ACC features in ADAS packages, and explain the importance of adaptive cruise control calibration.

What is Adaptive Cruise Control?

Adaptive cruise control or Active Cruise Control (ACC) is an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that automatically adjusts a vehicle’s speed when there are slow-moving vehicles ahead, with the aim of maintaining a safe following distance. When the road ahead is clear, ACC automatically accelerates to your pre-set speed. Adaptive cruise control is ideal for highway speeds.

ACC is a major component and precursor of fully autonomous vehicles. According to SAE , Driving Automation Level 1 driver support features provide steering OR brake/acceleration to the driver while the jump to Level 2 requires features that provide both steering AND brake/acceleration to the driver. On its own, ACC is a Level 1, but when combined with another driver assist feature that steers, your vehicle reaches Level 2 on the Driving Automation scale – a step closer to fully autonomous driving .

As a foundation of autonomous driving, ACC has the capability of reducing driver stress and radically improving driver safety. A study from the Highway Loss Data Institute studied insurance claims data from 2013-2017 BMW vehicles to see how ADAS affected collision, damage, and injury rates. The BMW Driving Assistance package added ACC to the following ADAS: Forward Collision Warning , Lane Departure Warning , Front Automatic Emergency Braking . With the addition of ACC, this package reduced the rates of property damage by 27 percent and bodily injury claim rates by 37 percent.

How does Adaptive Cruise Control work?

Just as with traditional cruise control, the adaptive cruise control system requires drivers to choose their preferred speed. Next, ACC requires drivers to set their preferred following distance from the vehicle’s pre-set options. Many have close, medium, and far selections to toggle between.

Sensors Used in Adaptive Cruise Control

Vehicles with adaptive cruise control use ACC sensor data to tell your car’s speed, distance from other vehicles, and the speed of vehicles ahead of you. There are many types of adaptive cruise control technology. The following types of sensors have all been used for ACC:

Laser (Lidar)

Most (but not all) current forms of this ADAS use radar as their main source of information. A radar sensor mounted in the front of the vehicle is used to analyze the road ahead. It does this by emitting radio waves and measuring how long they take to return to the ACC sensor. A few internal calculations and your vehicle can tell the car’s distance and speed. Data from the radar distance sensors and the vehicle speed sensors are used to adjust your speed and keep your car a set distance from the one ahead of you.

ACC System Versions and Commonly Bundled ADAS

Most automakers have their own version of adaptive cruise control. Not everyone uses the same names for their ACC system. Here are a few industry terms that are all different names for ACC:

Dynamic cruise control
Intelligent cruise control
Radar cruise control
Radar adaptive cruise control
Dynamic laser cruise control
Autonomous cruise control
Smart cruise control
Dynamic radar cruise control

ACC with Stop & Go, Traffic Jam

Beyond the similar naming, there are several different features that adaptive cruise control is often bundled with to provide sensor fusion. One example of this is a feature called ACC with Stop and Go or ACC with Traffic Jam Assist. This adds the ability to come to a complete stop via automatic braking and then re-accelerate to the car’s set speed as traffic moves. All the while, data from sensors is used to keep a set, safe distance from cars ahead when you encounter heavy traffic.

Because it’s not an autonomous car, those with stop and go capabilities will only “go” again within three seconds if traffic flow allows. If it’s longer than three seconds, driver action is needed to re-engage the system.

ACC + Forward Collision Warning & Automatic Braking

Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) advanced driver assistance systems are often combined with ACC to provide audible alerts, instrument panel alerts, and tactile warnings of a forward collision risk, then automatic braking to prevent or mitigate damage from a collision.

ACC + Lane Centering

Adaptive Cruise Control works well with others. As previously mentioned, when adaptive cruise control is combined with an ADAS with steering capabilities like lane centering and proactive lane keeping assist systems, your car is considered a Level 2 on the SAE autonomous driving scale — meaning that the vehicle can accelerate, decelerate, and steer on its own — under very specific conditions, including initiation speed and weather. While it’s a step up in terms of driving automation, for safety, a human driver is still required to supervise constantly, including steering, braking, or accelerating.

ACC + GPS or Traffic Sign Recognition

Some ACC systems offer advanced traffic sign recognition , while others utilize GPS speed limit data. These optional ACC features help to combat the use of ACC technology to speed.

4 Examples of Adaptive Cruise Control

There are many different flavors of ACC. Names, tech, and bundled features make the automotive landscape — dotted with endless features, diverse names, and function variations — a bit tricky to navigate. To help you recognize ACC features, here are four automaker examples.

Ford Adaptive Cruise Control

Ford is one example of an automaker with adaptive cruise control. Here’s how Ford’s describes its system and capabilities:

“Available on select Ford vehicles is a series of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) features employing advanced radar and camera technology. ACC lets you set a cruising speed and distance from the vehicle ahead of you. When it slows down, you automatically do too; when traffic picks back up, you resume your preset speed and distance. Then comes ACC with Stop-and-Go, which enables you to come to a complete stop when the vehicle ahead stops. Now add Lane Centering, which scans the lane markings to help you stay in your lane if the system detects you’re drifting out of it. And that’s not all. Now there’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, which includes all of these features plus new Speed Sign Recognition that can automatically adjust the set speed of your vehicle to the posted speed limit.”

Honda Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow

In the Honda Sensing ADAS package, the automaker offers ACC on many 2021 models with what it calls Low Speed Follow. Here’s how Honda describes it :

“Cruising on the open highway has never been easier! Honda’s Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow lets you set your cruise speed and interval behind a vehicle detected ahead, and then maintains that interval by braking your vehicle or applying the throttle. And the Low-Speed Follow function can bring your vehicle to a complete stop when a vehicle detected ahead slows to a stop, and it lets you resume operation by pressing a button or the accelerator.”

Hyundai Smart Cruise control (SCC) with Stop & Go

Hyundai offers adaptive cruise control, including on the Santa Fe. Here’s how the automaker describes it :

“While traveling at a speed set by you, it uses radar to maintain a safe distance from the car ahead. When the system slows the vehicle to a stop, it will reactivate if the vehicle in front moves within 3 seconds.”

Hyundai also offers Highway Driving Assist that works together with Smart Cruise Control. Here’s how Hyundai describes this feature :

“Your “co-pilot” for highway driving, when actively engaged with Smart Cruise Control or Lane Following Assist, this smart convenience automatically helps keep you centered in your lane and traveling at a safe distance behind the car ahead. Not only that, it also can keep you driving at the right speeds, automatically setting your pace based on GPS and highway data.”

Subaru EyeSight Adaptive Cruise Control

As part of Subaru’s Eyesight Driver Assist Technology Package, ACC is standard on many of the brand’s 2021 models and optional on the rest. It uses dual forward-facing color cameras mounted near the rearview mirror. Here’s how Subaru describes its ACC system in a promotional video :

“With adaptive cruise control, eyesight can help you stay with the flow of traffic. When you set cruise control, you can select from up to four present following distances. EyeSight watches ahead and if it detects traffic is slowing, adaptive cruise control adjusts your speed accordingly to keep your selected distance. Once traffic starts moving faster, it can automatically accelerate back up to your set speed. It can even work in stop-and-go traffic.

For some, it’s less worry about adjusting cruise control. For others, it’s like having an extra set of eyes on the road.”

Adaptive Cruise Control Limitations

Drivers should know that they are responsible for what happens when they are behind the wheel. Every company makes sure to include an asterisk and notice that drivers are still needing to be actively engaged in driving. Some drivers are using ACC to speed . A study of 40 drivers by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that they were more likely to speed when equipped with ACC.

ACC works well in clear day and night driving, and in light weather. However, if there is fog, heavy rain, or snow, it won’t work. Additionally, if dirt, snow, or ice are on the sensors, they won’t work. ACC also has trouble on winding roads.

With or without ACC, it’s important to always leave more space during poor driving conditions, including inclement weather.

Adaptive Cruise Control Calibration

ACC is one of the most common ADAS features in vehicles today. Like other ADAS systems, ACC needs to have sensors recalibrated after a collision and many vehicle services like windshield replacement . ADAS calibration keeps ACC systems working properly.

What is adaptive cruise control calibration?

Adaptive Cruise Control calibration takes place when the camera, lidar, and radar sensors that inform your vehicle’s actions are re-aligned to improve or re-establish sensor accuracy.

Getting a car calibrated takes drivers knowing about it and recognizing the warning signs.

ACC Calibration Warnings for Drivers

For drivers, the biggest sign that you need a car calibration is a recent collision. Other circumstances that necessitate Adaptive Cruise Control calibration include any time you repair or replace something nearby the location of a sensor. Another sign would be an overly sensitive ACC system, even when you have changed the settings (where possible). Here are some related warning messages that may signal it’s time to get an ADAS calibration:

Adaptive cruise control sensor blocked
Adaptive cruise control failure
Adaptive cruise control temporarily unavailable

ADAS Calibration for Auto Shops

When a car comes into the shop, techs need to know when to order or perform ADAS calibrations . They also need to understand their importance. If calibrated incorrectly, ACC systems may have following distance settings that drivers aren’t used to. They can also make the systems overly sensitive, or not sensitive enough.

Every new model year brings more and more ADAS-equipped vehicles to the streets. Cars need to be calibrated after collisions, and any repairs that may affect sensor alignment. If you want to capitalize on this impending influx of needed calibrations, Car ADAS Solutions can help. We are at the forefront of the ADAS calibration services industry. We provide turnkey ADAS calibration solutions with framework, specialty software, training, and support, built-in. Contact Car ADAS Solutions today !

Additional ACC Resources:

Cars with Adaptive Cruise Control – Car and Driver
10 Best Cars with Adaptive Cruise Control – TrueCar
Adaptive Cruise Control – MyCarDoesWhat.org

Adaptive Cruise Control FAQs

What is Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and how does it differ from regular cruise control?

Adaptive Cruise Control is an advanced driver assistance feature that automatically adjusts your vehicle’s speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Unlike traditional cruise control that maintains a constant speed, ACC can speed up or slow down based on the flow of traffic.

ACC uses a combination of radar, cameras, and various other sensors to monitor the distance to the vehicle ahead and its relative speed. This data is processed by the car’s computer systems to adjust the throttle and apply brakes if necessary, ensuring a safe following distance.

Can Adaptive Cruise Control bring my car to a complete stop?

Yes, many modern Adaptive Cruise Control systems come with stop-and-go technology that can bring your vehicle to a complete stop and then resume driving when traffic starts moving again.

Is Adaptive Cruise Control safe to use in all driving conditions?

While ACC is designed to increase safety and convenience, it is most effective in steady traffic conditions on highways or well-marked roads. It is not recommended for use in city driving, in adverse weather conditions, or on roads with poor lane markings as these factors can reduce the system’s effectiveness.

Will Adaptive Cruise Control work with any vehicle ahead of me?

Adaptive Cruise Control is generally designed to recognize and respond to most passenger vehicles and trucks. However, it may not detect objects small vehicles like motorcycles and bikes, or pedestrians. This is why it’s best to avoid using in dense cities.

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How Cruise Control Systems Work

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Cruise control is an invaluable feature on American cars. Without cruise control, long road trips would be more tiring, for the driver at least, and those of us suffering from lead-foot syndrome would probably get a lot more speeding tickets.

Cruise control is far more common on American cars than European cars, because the roads in America are generally bigger and straighter, and destinations are farther apart. With traffic continually increasing, basic cruise control is becoming less useful, but instead of becoming obsolete, cruise control systems are adapting to this new reality -- soon, cars will be equipped with adaptive cruise control, which will allow your car to follow the car in front of it while continually adjusting speed to maintain a safe distance.

In this article, we'll learn how a conventional cruise control system works, and then we'll take a look at adaptive cruise control systems that are under development.

What Cruise Control Does

Cruise control acceleration and deceleration, controlling the cruise control, adaptive cruise control.

The cruise control system actually has a lot of functions other than controlling the speed of your car. For instance, the cruise control pictured below can accelerate or decelerate the car by 1 mph with the tap of a button. Hit the button five times to go 5 mph faster. There are also several important safety features -- the cruise control will disengage as soon as you hit the brake pedal, and it won't engage at speeds less than 25 mph (40 kph).

The system pictured below has five buttons: On, Off, Set/Accel, Resume and Coast. It also has a sixth control -- the brake pedal, and if your car has a manual transmission the clutch pedal is also hooked up to the cruise control.

The on and off buttons don't actually do much. Hitting the on button does not do anything except tell the car that you might be hitting another button soon. The off button turns the cruise control off even if it is engaged. Some cruise controls don't have these buttons; instead, they turn off when the driver hits the brakes, and turn on when the driver hits the set button.
The set/accel button tells the car to maintain the speed you are currently driving. If you hit the set button at 45 mph, the car will maintain your speed at 45 mph. Holding down the set/accel button will make the car accelerate; and on this car, tapping it once will make the car go 1 mph faster.
If you recently disengaged the cruise control by hitting the brake pedal, hitting the resume button will command the car to accelerate back to the most recent speed setting.
Holding down the coast button will cause the car to decelerate, just as if you took your foot completely off the gas. On this car, tapping the coast button once will cause the car to slow down by 1 mph.
The brake pedal and clutch pedal each have a switch that disengages the cruise control as soon as the pedal is pressed, so you can shut off the cruise control with a light tap on the brake or clutch.

The cruise control system controls the speed of your car the same way you do -- by adjusting the throttle position . But cruise control actuates the throttle valve by a cable connected to an actuator , instead of by pressing a pedal. The throttle valve controls the power and speed of the engine by limiting how much air the engine takes in (see How Fuel Injection Systems Work for more details).

In the picture above, you can see two cables connected to a pivot that moves the throttle valve. One cable comes from the accelerator pedal, and one from the actuator. When the cruise control is engaged, the actuator moves the cable connected to the pivot, which adjusts the throttle; but it also pulls on the cable that is connected to the gas pedal -- this is why your pedal moves up and down when the cruise control is engaged.

Many cars use actuators powered by engine vacuum to open and close the throttle. These systems use a small, electronically-controlled valve to regulate the vacuum in a diaphragm. This works in a similar way to the brake booster , which provides power to your brake system.

The brain of a cruise control system is a small computer that is normally found under the hood or behind the dashboard. It connects to the throttle control seen in the previous section, as well as several sensors. The diagram below shows the inputs and outputs of a typical cruise control system.

A good cruise control system accelerates aggressively to the desired speed without overshooting, and then maintains that speed with little deviation no matter how much weight is in the car, or how steep the hill you drive up. Controlling the speed of a car is a classic application of control system theory . The cruise control system controls the speed of the car by adjusting the throttle position, so it needs sensors to tell it the speed and throttle position. It also needs to monitor the controls so it can tell what the desired speed is and when to disengage.

The most important input is the speed signal; the cruise control system does a lot with this signal. First, let's start with one of the most basic control systems you could have -- a proportional control .

In a proportional control system, the cruise control adjusts the throttle proportional to the error, the error being the difference between the desired speed and the actual speed. So, if the cruise control is set at 60 mph and the car is going 50 mph, the throttle position will be open quite far. When the car is going 55 mph, the throttle position opening will be only half of what it was before. The result is that the closer the car gets to the desired speed, the slower it accelerates. Also, if you were on a steep enough hill, the car might not accelerate at all.

Most cruise control systems use a control scheme called proportional-integral-derivative control (a.k.a. PID control). Don't worry, you don't need to know any calculus to make it through this explanation -- just remember that:

The integral of speed is distance.
The derivative of speed is acceleration.

A PID control system uses these three factors -- proportional, integral and derivative, calculating each individually and adding them to get the throttle position.

We've already discussed the proportional factor. The integral factor is based on the time integral of the vehicle speed error . Translation: the difference between the distance your car actually traveled and the distance it would have traveled if it were going at the desired speed, calculated over a set period of time. This factor helps the car deal with hills, and also helps it settle into the correct speed and stay there. Let's say your car starts to go up a hill and slows down. The proportional control increases the throttle a little, but you may still slow down. After a little while, the integral control will start to increase the throttle, opening it more and more, because the longer the car maintains a speed slower than the desired speed, the larger the distance error gets.

Now let's add in the final factor, the derivative . Remember that the derivative of speed is acceleration. This factor helps the cruise control respond quickly to changes, such as hills. If the car starts to slow down, the cruise control can see this acceleration (slowing down and speeding up are both acceleration) before the speed can actually change much, and respond by increasing the throttle position.

Two companies are developing a more advanced cruise control that can automatically adjust a car's speed to maintain a safe following distance. This new technology, called adaptive cruise control , uses forward-looking radar , installed behind the grill of a vehicle, to detect the speed and distance of the vehicle ahead of it.

Adaptive cruise control is similar to conventional cruise control in that it maintains the vehicle's pre-set speed. However, unlike conventional cruise control, this new system can automatically adjust speed in order to maintain a proper distance between vehicles in the same lane. This is achieved through a radar headway sensor , digital signal processor and longitudinal controller . If the lead vehicle slows down, or if another object is detected, the system sends a signal to the engine or braking system to decelerate. Then, when the road is clear, the system will re-accelerate the vehicle back to the set speed.

The 77-GHz Autocruise radar system made by TRW has a forward-looking range of up to 492 feet (150 meters), and operates at vehicle speeds ranging from 18.6 miles per hour (30 kph) to 111 mph (180 kph). Delphi's 76-GHz system can also detect objects as far away as 492 feet, and operates at speeds as low as 20 mph (32 kph).

Adaptive cruise control is just a preview of the technology being developed by both companies. These systems are being enhanced to include collision warning capabilities that will warn drivers through visual and/or audio signals that a collision is imminent and that braking or evasive steering is needed.

For more information on cruise control, check out the links below.

Cruise Control FAQ

How does cruise control work, how does adaptive cruise control work, will adaptive cruise control stop the vehicle, when would you use cruise control, how useful is cruise control, lots more information, related articles.

How Car Engines Work
How Brakes Work
How Manual Transmissions Work
How Fuel Injection Systems Work
How Radar Detectors Work
Ignition System Quiz

Cruise Control In Cars Explained (And How To Safely Use It)

Have you ever wished you could set your car's speed and just sit back and relax while driving on a long stretch of highway? If that's the case, then cruise control is just the ticket you've been searching for—and the good news is, it's a standard feature in most cars these days!

Cruise control is a handy feature for drivers that allows you to maintain a constant speed without having to keep your foot on the gas pedal. In this post, we'll explore how cruise control works, its benefits, and how to use it safely to make your driving experience more comfortable.

Understanding Cruise Control

Cruise control, also known as speed control, is an electronic system that allows you to maintain a specific speed without manually controlling the accelerator pedal. The system uses sensors and electronic components to control the throttle and keep your car moving at a desired speed. First introduced in the late 1950s, cruise control has since become a standard feature in most modern vehicles you see on the road today.

How Does It Work?

At its core, cruise control involves a series of sensors that monitor the vehicle's speed and a control unit that regulates the throttle. When the driver sets the cruise control to a specific speed, the system adjusts the throttle to maintain that speed. If the car begins to slow down because of an incline (e.g. going up a hill), the system will open the throttle to accelerate. Conversely, if the car starts to speed up due to a declin (e.g. going downhill), the system will close the throttle to decelerate.

Modern cruise control systems also come with additional features like adaptive cruise control (ACC), which uses radar or cameras to detect vehicles ahead and automatically adjusts the speed to maintain a safe following distance (more on this BELOW).

The History of Cruise Control

The invention of cruise control can be traced back to the late 1940s and early 1950s, when engineer Ralph Teetor developed the first-speed control system. This innovative feature was designed to help drivers maintain a steady speed, reduce fatigue while driving, and improve fuel efficiency. Over the years, cruise control technology has undergone significant advancements, leading to the development of sophisticated systems like adaptive cruise control.

Types of Cruise Control Systems

Today, drivers can choose from a range of cruise control systems, each with its own unique features and functionalities.

Conventional Cruise Control

Conventional cruise control is like your old reliable friend. It's pretty basic and doesn't have any fancy bells and whistles. You just set the speed you want, and it'll keep your car cruising along at that speed, no problem. It's perfect for those long drives on open highways, but it doesn’t automatically react to other cars on the road.

So, if the car in front of you slows down, you'll need to step in and adjust your speed manually. This trusty system comes standard on most cars and is great for saving some fuel on those long road trips .

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

Now, if conventional cruise control is your old reliable friend, then Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is like that friend's tech-savvy younger cousin. ACC isn't just maintaining your set speed, it's also keeping an eye on the car in front of you. If that car slows down, ACC slows your car down to keep a safe distance .

It's like having an extra set of eyes on the road, making highway driving a breeze. Plus, some ACC systems can even handle stop-and-go traffic, bringing your car to a full stop and then picking up speed again when traffic gets moving.

Predictive Cruise Control

Predictive Cruise Control is like the fortune teller of cruise control systems. It uses GPS and map data to see into the future and predict what's coming up on the road, like hills or curves, and adjusts your speed accordingly. This means you get a smoother ride and better fuel efficiency, but it all depends on the quality of the GPS and map data. If that's a bit out of date, your fortune-telling cruise control might not be so accurate. It's usually found in more high-end vehicles where top-notch fuel efficiency is a focus for the engineers.

Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC)

And then we have Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control, or CACC. This is like the team player of cruise control systems. It allows cars to talk to each other, coordinating their speeds to maintain a safe distance. It's like having a well-coordinated team of cars all working together to make the traffic flow smoother and reduce congestion. Picture it like a synchronized dance on the highway, where every car knows its place and keeps the right distance. This tech is still pretty new, but it's got a lot of potential. Imagine a future where traffic jams could be a thing of the past.

Remember, these systems are here to make your drive smoother and safer, but they're not a replacement for your attention. No matter how fancy your cruise control is, these systems can be greatly influenced by external conditions like weather and traffic, and they should always be used as aids, not replacements, for attentive driving.

Common Cruise Control Symbols and Indicators

Understanding the various symbols and indicators associated with cruise control is important for safe and effective usage. These symbols typically appear on the dashboard (or on the side of the steering wheel) and may include a speedometer icon, "SET," "RES" (resume), and "CANCEL". Be sure to consult your vehicle's owner's manual for specific details and explanations of these symbols.

Benefits of Using Cruise Control

Cruise control offers several benefits to drivers, especially during long road trips or highway driving.

Fuel Efficiency

One of the main advantages of using cruise control is improved fuel efficiency. By maintaining a constant speed, cruise control helps reduce fuel consumption, leading to better gas mileage. Rapid acceleration and deceleration, on the other hand, can lead to increased fuel consumption.

Comfort and Convenience

Cruise control allows drivers to take their foot off the accelerator pedal, reducing fatigue and improving comfort during long drives. It also helps drivers avoid unintentionally exceeding the speed limit by setting a maximum speed.

When used correctly, cruise control can contribute to safer driving. By maintaining a steady speed, it reduces the likelihood of erratic driving behavior and potential accidents. However, it is important to note that cruise control shouldn't be used in certain conditions, such as heavy traffic or slippery roads .

Troubleshooting Common Cruise Control Issues

Occasionally, you may encounter issues with your cruise control systems. Common problems include cruise control not engaging or disengaging unexpectedly. Possible causes may include a faulty brake light switch, malfunctioning sensors, or issues with the control module. If you experience any problems with your cruise control, it's best to have a qualified technician diagnose and repair the issue for you.

Cruise Control and Road Etiquette

Practicing proper road etiquette while using cruise control is essential for a safe and pleasant driving experience. Here are some tips on how to use cruise control courteously:

Avoid using cruise control in heavy or congested traffic, as it may hinder your ability to react quickly to changing conditions.
Be mindful of other drivers when setting your speed. Avoid setting a speed that's significantly slower or faster than the flow of traffic.
If you are in the passing lane and using cruise control, be sure to adjust your speed or temporarily disengage the system to allow faster-moving vehicles to pass.
Always signal your intentions, such as lane changes or exiting the highway, even when using cruise control.

The Future of Cruise Control Technology

Cruise control technology plays a vital role in the development of autonomous vehicles, or self-driving cars . In autonomous vehicles, cruise control systems work together with other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to enable the vehicle to operate without direct driver input. These systems include lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and collision avoidance systems.

As autonomous vehicles become more sophisticated, cruise control technology is evolving to support higher levels of automation. For example, some autonomous vehicles are equipped with advanced cruise control systems that can navigate complex traffic scenarios, merge onto highways, and even change lanes autonomously.

While fully autonomous vehicles are still in the developmental stages, the integration of cruise control technology is a big step toward creating safer and more efficient transportation systems.

As automotive tech continues to advance, cruise control systems are becoming more intelligent and capable. Here are some potential developments we can expect to see in the future of cruise control technology:

Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve decision-making and responsiveness in adaptive cruise control systems.
Enhanced connectivity and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, enabling cars to share information about traffic conditions and coordinate their speeds for smoother traffic flow.
Greater customization and personalization options, allowing drivers to set preferences for cruise control behavior, such as following distance and speed adjustments.

Overall, the future of cruise control technology holds promise for creating a more seamless and enjoyable driving experience, with a focus on safety, comfort, and sustainability.

Debunking Myths About Cruise Control

Let's address and debunk some common misconceptions about cruise control:

Myth : Cruise control can be used as a substitute for driver attention.

Fact : Cruise control is a driver assistance feature, not a replacement for attentive driving. Drivers should always remain alert and ready to take control when necessary.

Myth : Cruise control increases the risk of accidents.

Fact : When used appropriately, cruise control can contribute to safer driving by maintaining a steady speed and reducing erratic driving behavior.

Cruise control is a valuable feature that can enhance your driving experience by providing comfort, convenience, and fuel efficiency. Remember to use it safely and appropriately based on driving conditions, and always stay attentive while on the road.

If you found this post informative and want to learn more about car features, driving tips, and automotive technology, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates. We're here to help you stay informed and enhance your driving experience.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cruise Control

To further enhance your understanding of cruise control, here are answers to some common questions:

Q : Can cruise control be used in all weather conditions?

A : It isn't advisable to use cruise control in adverse weather conditions, such as heavy rain, snow, or icy roads, as it may reduce your ability to respond quickly to changing road conditions.

Q : Can I use cruise control in urban areas with frequent stop-and-go traffic?

A : Cruise control is best suited for open roads and highways with consistent traffic flow. It isn't recommended for use in urban areas with frequent stops or heavy traffic.

Q : Does cruise control work at any speed?

A : Cruise control typically has a minimum speed threshold, below which it can't be engaged. This threshold varies by vehicle, so check your owner's manual for specific information.

About the Author: This article was crafted by the LOOP Marketing Team. Comprising of seasoned professionals with expertise in the insurance industry, our team is dedicated to providing readers with accurate, up-to-date, and valuable information. At LOOP, we're passionate about helping families navigate the world of car insurance, ensuring they get the best coverage at the most affordable rates. Learn more about our mission and values here.

For more insights on auto insurance and other related topics, visit our blog .

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Cruise Control Explained: How It Works, And When You Should Use It

Self-driving cars are becoming increasingly intelligent , but whether they'll ever be ubiquitous and fully capable remains unclear. Tesla notes (for now) that its Full Self Driving Capability is "intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment." For many drivers at present, the automatic functions of their cars are limited to the likes of beeping sensors, flashing displays, and features like cruise control.

Cruise control is a feature provided as standard on a wide range of vehicles; it's one of those functions that some drivers adore and others barely use. While the feature doesn't take over from the driver by any means, it can significantly ease their burden. Essentially, cruise control allows drivers to select an appropriate speed for the road, conditions, and general journey they're currently on, and automatically prevents the vehicle from deviating from that speed.

Experienced drivers, of course, will probably be familiar with the basics of what cruise control does, even if they haven't really used it themselves. Rather more complex than that, though, is the question of exactly how it keeps the vehicle moving at a specific speed. If you've ever wondered how cruise control works, what the pros and cons of using it are, how it's developed since its introduction, and/or when to use it, this is just the piece for you.

The essentials of how cruise control works

Cruise control as we know it today has its roots in the ingenuity of Ralph Teetor. Though he lost his vision following an accident, Teetor rose to become the president of the Society of Automotive Engineers. In that capacity, he used both his passion for auto safety and his extensive experience with other drivers to create the first example of cruise control. In 1950, Teetor held a patent for technology referred to as a "Speed Control Device For Resisting Operation Of The Accelerator," also called the Speedostat, and it worked just as the name implied: the driver could opt for a certain speed by selecting it from the dash, then, through the drive shaft, a piston would provide resisting force on the pedal after arriving at that speed.

The basics of how cruise control functions haven't actually changed very much. Depending on the vehicle model, the input for choosing the desired speed may now be a touchscreen, but the effect is the same: a connected actuator receives the signal from the control device, and, as it runs to the valve for the throttle, is used to control the strength of the force acting on the throttle. Accelerating faster or slower depending on how much faster the inputted speed is, the vehicle will then reach said speed and hold the accelerator in place (though not necessarily physically as Teetor's Speedostat did). This is a mechanically-oriented form of cruise control, but some modern vehicles utilize adaptive cruise control instead.

How is adaptive cruise control different?

The basic concept of cruise control, of course, is centered more around what the specific vehicle is doing, rather than what's on the road around it. Drivers can simply brake as they typically would in response to other drivers, overriding the constant-speed effect of cruise control, which means that autonomy isn't really a factor in cruise control beyond maintaining the speed. Adaptive cruise control like the kind found in some Acura vehicles , however, is a little more sophisticated.

Adaptive cruise control is a feature more able to do exactly that: adapt. This means that while the driver selects the vehicle's cruising speed as before, it is not locked to that speed. Another crucial thing to take into account is the vehicle's distance from others; adaptive or autonomous cruise control adds small and discreet radar systems (inputs situated somewhere near the vehicle's front lights) to the equation to monitor the surrounding area. These radars have ranges from approximately 100 feet to around 600 feet, depending on the vehicle.

A car with ACC will commonly boast small wheel-mounted units that measure its speed, along with a front-mounted one that can determine how far away other vehicles are. The former can adjust how fast your vehicle is moving relative to any motorists ahead, thereby ensuring that you always maintain your selected distance from them. Braking capacity while the system is active differs, but typically, the driver will be alerted to brake heavily if necessary (if a driver ahead does the same for instance).

When cruise control should be used

Some drivers often have the luxury of wide, peaceful, near-empty roads. For others, driving tends to be a commuter's cacophony of traffic jams, honking horns, and slow stop-start-stop-start progress. The experience can differ greatly depending on the time of day and whether it's a weekday or the weekend. The bottom line, though, is that one of these scenarios is a far better fit for cruise control than the other.

Brakes remain operational during the use of cruise control, and engaging them will override the system. This means two things: the driver's attention must still firmly remain on the road as ever (we're not at level 5 on the autonomous driving scale here) and cruise control has sharply decreased utility in congested areas. By contrast, if you're a driver who frequently takes long-distance trips on open roads, cruise control could be the perfect feature for you. An alert and rested driver is a safe driver, and where longer journeys can compromise those things, cruise control reduces some of that pressure.

Adaptive cruise control, which monitors the ever-changing road ahead continuously via radar or laser, is potentially better equipped to handle congested roads. There's no definitive answer on whether that's the case, however, because this feature is very different from vehicle to vehicle.

Different manufacturers have different cruise control features

Cruise control is a common feature, and adaptive cruise control is becoming increasingly widespread too. The matter of how the two types of cruise control work is a very complex one beyond the basics, though, because different vehicle manufacturers have developed their own unique features for it and implemented the system in different ways.

For example, Audi's Traffic Jam Assist technology can be activated in tandem with its adaptive cruise control, thereby supporting the driver in conditions that aren't optimal for the latter. By means of ultrasonic sensors, radar, and a windshield camera, the vehicle will maintain a consistent distance from the one ahead in traffic while staying oriented on the road. The driver takes full manual controlwhen the congestion clears or Traffic Jam Assist otherwise becomes unsuitable for the situation.

Similarly, select Ford models are among those that offer Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, implementing advanced features such as Speed Sign Recognition (which aims to prevent adaptive cruise control users from being caught out by speed limits by adjusting the chosen speed to match them) and Stop-and-Go (limited capacity to stop entirely in response to a vehicle ahead doing the same). As always, drivers should consult their vehicle manual to determine which cruise control features are available and how to use them.

Pros and cons of cruise control and adaptive cruise control

Cruise control can be advantageous for drivers in other ways too. In its capacity to ensure a vehicle remains at a steady speed, where possible, it can boost driving efficiency. According to Natural Resources Canada , varying your speed by around 6 mph every 18 seconds can be 20% more costly in terms of fuel. Cruise control, in a general sense, aims to be as efficient as possible within the parameters the driver provides, which can potentially translate to less fuel being used over time.

This is only the case when driving for longer stretches on wide, clear roads, however. The reason is that there are certain things human drivers are better at than their machine counterparts, and adjusting speed subtly in response to changes in elevation is one of them. Failing to do so can be wasteful.

On a similar note, Vanderbilt University found that drivers are more adaptable in their thinking and processing of multiple vehicles and their movements on the road, while cruise control features tend to have a rather narrower focus in terms of the vehicle(s) in front. Cruise control can serve as an invaluable tool for drivers, but isn't infallible. Ensuring that you use it for its intended purpose is the key to best taking advantage of it.

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How do I operate the adaptive cruise control in my vehicle?

Adaptive cruise control supplements conventional cruise control with an active vehicle-to-vehicle distance control feature. designed for use on freeways and express ways, in vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode, your car automatically acceler... sep 24, 2022 • knowledge, new section, only answer.

Adaptive cruise control supplements conventional cruise control with an active vehicle-to-vehicle distance control feature. Designed for use on freeways and express ways, in vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode, your car automatically accelerates or decelerates in order to maintain a preset following distance from the vehicle traveling directly ahead of you.

To activate the system, press the "ON/OFF" button at the end of the stalk on the lower end of the right side of the steering wheel. The radar-ready indicator will appear in the Multi Information Display.

Accelerate or decelerate to your intended speed, then press the stalk down to set it. If you want to go faster, push the stalk upward and hold until you've reached the desired speed and then release it. Or, if you want to slow down, push the stalk down and hold as you decelerate, then release it once you've reached the desired speed.

To cancel cruise control, tap the brakes, pull the stalk towards you or turn the system off with the ON/OFF button.

Adaptive Cruise Control was designed to maintain the preset distance between your car and the car driving in the same lane directly ahead of you.

When it’s active, it automatically adjusts for changes in the speed of the vehicle traveling directly ahead of you in order to maintain the vehicle-to-vehicle distance you set.

In the event that you would like to change the preset distance between vehicles, you can do so by using the radar range button located on the lower right side of the steering wheel. Simply press the button repeatedly to cycle through the ranges available. You'll find them displayed on the Multi Information Display. And finally, you can disable the distance holding feature by pushing the cruise control stalk away and holding it until the indicator disappears and the conventional cruise control indicator lights up.

Please click here to view a video.

Disclaimer: Adaptive Cruise Control is designed to assist the driver and is not a substitute for safe and attentive driving practices. See your Owner's Manual for important instructions and cautions.

Not all features are available on all vehicles and model grades. Please see your Owner's Manual for further details and important safety information.

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Exclusive: Mercedes becomes the first automaker to sell autonomous cars in the U.S. that don’t come with a requirement that drivers watch the road

The next time you’re traveling on the interstate and see a fellow driver whose hands are full with everything but the wheel—scrolling TikTok, applying mascara, eating breakfast—don’t panic. It’s all legal in certain states, as long as they’re in a new Mercedes with autonomous driving technology.

The luxury automaker has become the first in the nation to start selling self-driving cars—at least those that afford riders a hands-free experience—to regular consumers. As of April 11, there were 65 Mercedes autonomous vehicles available for sale in California, Fortune has learned through an open records request submitted to the state’s DMV. One of those has since been sold, which marks the first sale of an autonomous Mercedes in California, according to the DMV. Mercedes would not confirm sales numbers. Select Mercedes dealerships in Nevada are also offering the cars with the new technology, known as “level 3” autonomous driving.

Level 3-enabled cars went on sale in December, Mercedes told Fortune. California and Nevada are the only two states where the company can legally sell the technology to consumers. The two state DMVs gave Mercedes approval to begin selling the cars last year—Nevada in January, and California in June. Mercedes announced in September its plans to begin sales, but this is the first news of the cars actually reaching consumers.

Drivers can activate Mercedes’s technology, called Drive Pilot, when certain conditions are met, including in heavy traffic jams, during the daytime, on specific California and Nevada freeways, and when the car is traveling less than 40 mph. Drivers can focus on other activities until the vehicle alerts them to resume control. The technology does not work on roads that haven’t been preapproved by Mercedes, including on freeways in other states.

The sales mark a new echelon of autonomous driving available to the average American. Mercedes is the first automaker selling to customers to achieve level 3 capabilities in the U.S., with Tesla and others still offering technology at level 2—in which cars can perform specific tasks but require constant supervision from a driver. Some drivers, however, ignore those rules and operate the cars as if they are more capable than they are. One family of a deceased driver has accused Tesla of hyping its assisted driving technology as fully autonomous, allegedly leading to tragic results , while California’s DMV last year accused the company of false advertising over the matter.

Meanwhile, robo-taxis from Alphabet’s Waymo and GM’s Cruise operate at level 4, meaning cars drive autonomously in most conditions without human interference. But these companies currently don’t sell vehicles to consumers, and Cruise recently halted its service after California’s DMV suspended its license due to an incident in which a car dragged a pedestrian under its carriage for 20 feet.

U.S. customers can buy a yearly subscription of Drive Pilot in 2024 EQS sedans and S-Class car models for $2,500. Mercedes began selling level 3-enabled cars in its home country of Germany in May 2022. The European packages cost 5,000 to 7,000 euros ($5,300 and $7,500) for a three-year membership.

Mercedes is testing turquoise lights in its cars’ rearview mirrors, headlights, and taillights to let law enforcement and other drivers know when the car is operating autonomously. Drive Pilot is available only on select models that have the built-in hardware, including a sensor at the front of the car and a camera in the rear windshield.

Mercedes is also working on developing level 4 capabilities. The automaker’s chief technology officer, Markus Schäfer, expects that level 4 autonomous technology will be available to consumers by 2030, Automotive News reported. But the jump to level 4 is considerably more difficult than achieving level 3. While humans are still expected to take control of the car based on the circumstances in level 3, level 4 technology is supposed to offer near-total autonomy. At this level, a driver needs to take over only if the system fails. That means the technology must be able to safely respond to nearly all unexpected situations on the road.

Correction, April 19, 2024: A previous version of this article misstated the number of autonomous Mercedes cars sold in California. There were 65 cars available for sale at the time of the records request.

Update, April 19, 2024: This article has been updated with the information that one autonomous car has been sold in California.

Correction, April 24, 2024: A previous version of this article misstated the status of Mercedes’s turquoise light technology. The lights will be installed only on Mercedes’s test cars at this time.

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The Very Slow Restart of G.M.’s Cruise Driverless Car Business

An incident that seriously injured a pedestrian in San Francisco led Cruise to take all of its cars off the road. The question now is when they will return.

A white compact car, with cameras and other equipment mounted on its roof and no driver behind the wheel, is shown on an urban street.

By Yiwen Lu

Reporting from Warren, Mich., and Mountain View, Calif.

At a sprawling complex in Warren, Mich., General Motors’ hopes for its driverless car future play out in a virtual reality headset offered to visitors.

In a video, the electric and autonomous car drives itself. Wirelessly connected to traffic lights and the surrounding streets, the car avoids collisions and reduces congestion, part of what G.M. calls its “0-0-0” vision — “zero crashes, zero emission, zero congestion.”

At least, that’s the plan. G.M.’s driverless future looks a lot further away today than it did a year ago, when Cruise, G.M.’s driverless car subsidiary, was deep into an aggressive expansion of its robot taxi services, testing in 15 cities across 10 states.

On Oct. 2, a Cruise driverless car hit and dragged a pedestrian for 20 feet on a San Francisco street, causing severe injuries. Weeks later, the California Department of Motor Vehicles accused Cruise of omitting the dragging from a video of the incident that was initially provided to the agency and suspended the company’s license in the state.

In November, Cruise voluntarily paused all operations across the country after facing widespread criticism that it was neglecting safety as it expanded its driverless taxi service. Cruise also pushed out nine executives, its chief executive stepped down , and the company laid off a quarter of its work force.

Now comes the hard part: Rebuilding a ruined reputation. In recent interviews with The New York Times, the three executives now running Cruise say they are in no rush to get back on the road. After learning the hard way about the risks of moving too fast with a cutting-edge technology, Cruise has slowed its breakneck development to a crawl to avoid another major mishap.

“For a long time before, Cruise was really moving fast and other competitors were not,” said Craig Glidden, who became president and chief administrative officer of Cruise in November. Now, he said, safety is Cruise’s “North Star.”

But going slow means the company risks falling far behind its top rivals. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has had driverless taxis operating in the Phoenix area since 2020 and San Francisco since late 2022 without serious incidents, and it recently expanded to Los Angeles . Zoox , an Amazon subsidiary, has been testing a steering-wheel-free robot taxi in Las Vegas since last June.

“Catching up with Waymo technologically is going to take three to five years at best,” said Alex Roy, a consultant and former executive in the autonomous car industry. He added that it was even harder for Cruise to catch up commercially because Waymo was “generating revenues with trust that Cruise never earned.”

Some industry observers were surprised G.M. didn’t shut down Cruise after its public meltdown late last year. Since acquiring the company in 2016, G.M. has spent over $8 billion on its driverless subsidiary. Cruise lost $3.48 billion last year, and another $519 million over the first three months of 2024.

“I was thinking in the late part of 2023 and into early 2024 that the most likely outcome was that they were going to completely turn off Cruise,” said Reilly Brennan, a partner at Trucks Venture Capital, which invests in the future of transportation.

But after slashing $1 billion from Cruise’s 2024 budget, Mary T. Barra, G.M.’s chief executive, reiterated her commitment to the company during earnings calls. In April, she told investors that Cruise had made “tangible progress,” although G.M. is exploring different options to fund the business, including taking outside investments.

After Cruise’s former chief executive and co-founder Kyle Vogt resigned in November, G.M. appointed two presidents who report to its board: Mo Elshenawy, previously the company’s executive vice president of engineering, and Mr. Glidden, who also serves as G.M.’s general counsel. In February, Cruise hired Steve Kenner, a veteran product safety executive, as chief safety officer.

The three executives all decide on safety decisions, such as when to take the next step in deployment. Those calls, Mr. Kenner said, have to be unanimous.

So far, Cruise has taken baby steps back to the road. In April, it picked Phoenix, the home to its operations center, to be the first city to restart testing with human drivers. On May 13, after a month of driving a handful of vehicles in order to understand local road features, Cruise transitioned into supervised autonomous testing , with two safety drivers per vehicle.

Cruise used to say its robot taxis were, on average, safer than a human driver. But so-called edge cases — incidents like road construction or erratic cyclists that humans can intuitively react to — bedeviled the robot taxis. Mr. Elshenawy said the cars had improved their navigation of construction zones and how they deal with emergency vehicles.

Cruise hopes to offer driverless ride-hailing service in one city by the end of 2024, while operating with safety drivers in fewer than five cities, Mr. Glidden said. That is, if the edge case issue can be improved.

While Mr. Elshenawy’s engineering team works to improve the technology, Mr. Glidden and Mr. Kenner have been traveling across the country to meet with regulators. Cruise has met with local officials and state regulators in Arizona, Texas and California, as well as with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It has also spoken with several cities in the Southeast where it previously tested its fleet.

In California, Cruise has answered questions from state regulators about driverless testing, but it is unclear if or when it could regain a permit. The talent pool in Silicon Valley is essential to Cruise’s business, so executives say they are committed to staying in the state.

Whether Cruise’s cautious approach restores faith in the company among regulators is an open question. Dave Cortese, a California state senator representing Silicon Valley, said the autonomous vehicle industry’s aggressive testing on public roads in the past had “created tension and distrust.”

For the company to win over regulators, it needs a “profound demonstration of transparency” to demonstrate that an incident like Oct. 2 will not happen again, said Mr. Roy, the consultant.

“We may not agree, but I think there are lots of places where we do agree,” said Tilly Chang, executive director of San Francisco County Transportation Authority. “But it is also unclear to us what it would take for them to get reinstated.”

Yiwen Lu reports on technology for The Times. More about Yiwen Lu

Driverless Cars and the Future of Transportation

A Very Slow Restart: An incident that seriously injured a pedestrian in San Francisco led Cruise, G.M.’s driverless car subsidiary, to take all of its cars off the road. The question now is when they will return .

An Appetite for Destruction: A wave of lawsuits argue that Tesla’s Autopilot software is dangerously overhyped. What can its blind spots teach us about Elon Musk, the company’s erratic chief executive ?

Along for the Ride: Here’s what New York Times reporters experienced during test rides in driverless cars operated by Tesla , Waymo and Cruise .

The Future of Transportation?: Driverless cars, once a Silicon Valley fantasy, have become a 24-hour-a-day reality in San Francisco . “The Daily” looked at the unique challenges of coexisting with cars that drive themselves .

Stressing Cities: In San Francisco and Austin, Texas, where passengers can hail autonomous taxis, the vehicles are starting to take a toll on city services , even slowing down emergency response times.

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Car Safety Features and What They Mean

Posted: February 29, 2024 | Last updated: February 29, 2024

New safety features, particularly driver assistance features, help drivers stay alert and minimize driver errors that can lead to potential road hazards. Once just convenience features for luxury cars, these safety features are becoming the new standard for the auto industry.

Traffic Sign Recognition

Using a forward-pointed camera, this feature recognizes important road signs that the driver should know.

Acting as a backup sight for the driver, it recognizes anything from speed limit signs to railroad crossings, displaying them on the driver’s touchscreen or Head-Up Display.

Heads Up Display

The Head-Up Display projects important information just below the driver’s line of sight.

This technology encourages drivers to keep their eyes on the road, potentially preventing accidents and saving lives. HUDs can display speed limits, music tracks, temperature, and incoming calls.

Lane Departure Warning

The Lane Departure Warning is engaged when a vehicle begins to drift out of its designated lanes without a turn signal.

It is usually in the form of a beeping noise and is meant to keep drivers aware of their actions and prevent collisions.

Adaptive Cruise Control

While Standard Cruise Control maintains a preset speed, Adaptive Cruise Control reacts to surrounding traffic.

Once turned on, ACC can slow the vehicle to match the car ahead of it, stop the vehicle if a collision is predicted, or reduce speed to manage curves in the road safely.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

As of 2007, this feature became mandatory in most new cars. This system relies on a simple sensor located inside each tire.

It tracks the air pressure and warns the driver when the pressure is low. It's essential to keep track of this so your tire doesn't blow out.

<p>Using a rear-pointed camera, this feature is activated when the car is placed in reverse. Meant to aid in backing into or out of a parking space, this feature also helps detect pedestrians.</p> <p>The backup camera was another feature that was previously just optional, but now it's a gold standard for new automobiles.</p>

Backup Camera

Using a rear-pointed camera, this feature is activated when the car is placed in reverse. Meant to aid in backing into or out of a parking space, this feature also helps detect pedestrians.

The backup camera was another feature that was previously just optional, but now it's a gold standard for new automobiles.

Blind Spot Monitoring

This feature uses sensors on either side of the car to detect cars, with the hope of preventing collision. Blind Spot Monitoring helps drivers be aware of their surroundings while on the road.

Some cars connect this feature with a camera view of the blindspot that appears on the driver dash display or the HUD.

Forward Collision Warning

Forward Collision Warning uses front-facing cameras and radar to detect cars, pedestrians, and even animals.

Once something is detected, it sends a warning message to the driver. These messages can be tactile, auditory, or visual.

High Beam Assist

Using sensors placed at the front of the vehicle, High Beam Assist senses cars approaching and automatically adjusts the headlights to be either high beams or low beams.

This safety feature is meant to prevent blinding oncoming traffic with high beams, helping to improve safety when driving at night.

Park Assist

With Park Assist, the vehicle can take control of the motor functions to aid the driver in parking situations.

By using a combination of cameras, sensors, and control over the steering wheel and speed, this feature parks the car while avoiding cars and other objects– all without the driver's help. It is most popularly used to aid drivers in parallel parking.

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0 Cars in Moscow Russia

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What is Cruise Control in Cars?
How To Use Cruise Control In A Car EASILY! (Basics For Beginners)
How to use cruise control
What is Cruise Control? A Comprehensive Guide
5 Essential Things to Know About Your Car’s Cruise Control
The different kinds of cruise control and how they work

VIDEO

Все функции круиз контроля! Chevrolet Cruze
Cadillac Super Cruise!! Best Semi Autonomous driving tech?!?!
How To Use Cruise Control In Honda City 5th Gen
Auto Cruise control for Proton S70
2021 Nissan Maxima
Carefree Cruising

COMMENTS

Cars with Adaptive Cruise Control: Everything You Need to Know
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 ...
20 Best Cars with Adaptive Cruise Control for 2024
The all-new 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a solid step forward in presence, luxury, and technology, bringing it closer to the flagship S-Class. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a 5-seater vehicle that comes in 2 trim levels. The most popular style is the E 350 Sedan, which starts at $63,350 and comes with a 2.0L I4 Turbo engine and All Wheel Drive.
What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is a system designed to help vehicles maintain a safe following distance and stay within the speed limit. This system adjusts a car's speed automatically so drivers ...
Guide to Adaptive Cruise Control
A tip to know if your car has adaptive cruise control or regular cruise control is to look for the "gap distance" button, which usually shows a symbol of a car with horizontal distance bars in ...
17 Cars With Best Adaptive Cruise Control (With Pictures)
5. Toyota RAV4. The Toyota RAV4 is a bestselling SUV that offers top-notch safety and luxury features. In particular, RAV4 buyers can get adaptive cruise control as optional equipment. The RAV4's ACC system uses radar sensors to help the vehicle maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.
Adaptive Cruise Control: How Does It Work?
Simple to use, all you need to do is turn on the system in your vehicle, reach your desired cruising speed, and set it. The system then assumes control of the accelerator, maintaining the set ...
What Is Adaptive Cruise Control? Is It Worth Paying For?
Most adaptive cruise control systems allow the driver to adjust the following distance at intervals ranging from close to far. Advanced systems integrate with the vehicle's navigation system and ...
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (example video) Adaptive cruise control ( ACC) is a type of advanced driver-assistance system for road vehicles that automatically adjusts the vehicle speed to maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead. As of 2019, it is also called by 20 unique names that describe that ...
What is adaptive cruise control, and how does it work?
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an intelligent form of cruise control that slows down and speeds up automatically to keep pace with the car in front of you. The driver sets the maximum speed ...
What is Adaptive Cruise Control?
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is an intelligent driver assistance feature that works as an enhancement to traditional cruise control. Using a system of advanced sensors such as radar and cameras, ACC determines the speed and conditions of surrounding traffic and automatically adjusts cruising speed to maintain a safe distance within the flow of traffic.
What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?
While adaptive cruise control is the most commonly used term for this technology, different automakers have different names for it. If you read that a car offers smart cruise control, active cruise control, automatic cruise control, dynamic cruise control, radar cruise control, or intelligent cruise control, be sure to find out exactly what the feature's capabilities are.
I tried adaptive cruise control on these EVs
With adaptive cruise control and driver assist enabled on the Kia EV9, it's the perfect pairing for congestion driving on the highway. That's because the EV9's able to apply the appropriate ...
CR Rates Active Driving Assistance Systems
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 ...
23 Cheapest Cars With Adaptive Cruise Control
1) 2020 Nissan Versa: Price W/ Adaptive Cruise Control: $18,540 | USN Overall Score: 7.7/10. 1 of 26. More and more carmakers are incorporating adaptive cruise control into their vehicles - and you don't need to pay top-dollar for this feature. Read about the 23 cheapest cars with adaptive cruise control.
Adaptive Cruise Control: What is ACC in ADAS?
Adaptive Cruise Control is an advanced driver assistance feature that automatically adjusts your vehicle's speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Unlike traditional cruise control that maintains a constant speed, ACC can speed up or slow down based on the flow of traffic.
How Cruise Control Systems Work
The cruise control system controls the speed of your car the same way you do -- by adjusting the throttle position.But cruise control actuates the throttle valve by a cable connected to an actuator, instead of by pressing a pedal.The throttle valve controls the power and speed of the engine by limiting how much air the engine takes in (see How Fuel Injection Systems Work for more details).
Cruise Control In Cars Explained (And How To Safely Use It)
This is like the team player of cruise control systems. It allows cars to talk to each other, coordinating their speeds to maintain a safe distance. It's like having a well-coordinated team of cars all working together to make the traffic flow smoother and reduce congestion. ... For more insights on auto insurance and other related topics ...
Cruise Control Explained: How It Works, And When You Should Use It
Cruise control can be advantageous for drivers in other ways too. In its capacity to ensure a vehicle remains at a steady speed, where possible, it can boost driving efficiency. According to ...
How do I operate the adaptive cruise control in my vehicle?
Adaptive cruise control supplements conventional cruise control with an active vehicle-to-vehicle distance control feature. Designed for use on freeways and express ways, in vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode, your car automatically accelerates or decelerates in order to maintain a preset following distance from the vehicle traveling directly ahead of you.
Cruise control
Common cruise control icon on dashboards specified by ISO-7000-2047, ISO 2575:2010, and ISO 6727. Another icon exists for the more modern adaptive cruise control, but some cars also use the cruise control icon for the speed limiter function, which has no standard icon.. Cruise control (also known as speed control, cruise command, autocruise, or tempomat) is a system that automatically controls ...
Fruendly Auto Source Inc. in Moscow mills, MO
Used 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 W/T. Suspension Pkg, Handling/Trailering, Heavy-Duty" • Skid Plate Pkg. 176,586 miles. 15 City / 19 Highway. 7,990. Fruendly Auto Source Inc. 2.04 mi. away. (636) 383-4086. Get AutoCheck Vehicle History.
Exclusive: Mercedes becomes the first automaker to sell autonomous cars
U.S. customers can buy a yearly subscription of Drive Pilot in 2024 EQS sedans and S-Class car models for $2,500. Mercedes began selling level 3-enabled cars in its home country of Germany in May ...
The Very Slow Restart of G.M.'s Cruise Driverless Car Business
A Cruise driverless car in San Francisco in 2022. Cruise paused operations late last year after it was criticized for neglecting safety. Jason Henry for The New York Times. At a sprawling complex ...
Car Safety Features and What They Mean
By using a combination of cameras, sensors, and control over the steering wheel and speed, this feature parks the car while avoiding cars and other objects- all without the driver's help.
Cars New and Used in Moscow Russia
The best range of Cars New and Used in Moscow Russia available at autoExus. ... Air condition automatic. Air suspension. Airbag driver. Airbag passenger. Airbags front and side. Alarm system. Bluetooth. CD player. Central locking. Cruise control. Cruise control adaptive. DAB Radio. Digital cockpit. Distance warning system. Electric heated seats ...