Ford's BlueCruise 1.2 Is A Step In The Right Direction | BlueCruise & ActiveGlide Review
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- čas přidán 24. 08. 2023
- Last time we tested Blue Cruise on our Mach E and F-150 Lightning long term testers, well, let's just say some things were half baked. Ford heard the complaints, put BlueCruise and ActiveGlide back in the oven and out popped BlueCruise 1.2! But does it solve the main issue that I had with the original software which was a lack of status notifications? Not really, but it does make the software better in just about every other way and if you get the system in a Lincoln, you'll get a heads up display that makes it easier to use. Oh, and ActiveGlide is now BlueCruise. Got it?
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I have a Mach-E and 100% agree with everything you said. However, Ford lost everyone as soon as you said these key words: "All you have to do is pay between $700 and $900/year". Blue Cruise 1.2 is good, and 1.3 will be much improved, but there's no way I'm paying that much to renew once my trial is up at the end of 2023, and 99% of owners in the forums have said they same. Paying something to cover the cost of continued software updates makes sense, but that price is just stupid high. I predict the price will come down when Ford realizes the post-trial take rate is like 5%
stupid expensive for a guinea pig system
This is the wet dream of most car manufacturers .. that they can sell you additional services per month for a nice revenue stream AFTER the sale of the vehicle.
In a 5 year ownership, that’s 3500 minimum, no way I am paying that.
In your criticism of the lack of notification I think you have made the mistake, (which I have seen other CZcamsrs make as well,) in confusing Blue Cruise and Clue Cruise enabled hands-free driving. In the situation you referenced around 2:58, Blue Cruise was not disabled. The car was actually still sensing the road markings and surrounding vehicles, and also steering and controlling your speed. It was simply letting you know that you needed to put your hands on the wheel. Had you not done so, you would have received the audible warnings you were expecting. The system is just giving you a chance to adjust to react in normal time. Also note, if the car detected a situation where it needed to temporarily disable Blue Cruise, (and not just the hands-free feature,) you would have received an immediate audible and visual alert.
I REFUSE to do anything subscription-based with a car. For a lease, it makes sense. If you have a car payment, I can see where you could be talked into it. But if you're buying a car cash and then need to rent a feature on top of that, that's ridiculous.
Agree 100%
Well thats not standard if you have to pay every year.
I would like to clarify that if Blue Cruise (hands-free or hands on Blue Cruise) is completely disabled then there is an audible warning. At least for the Mustang Mach-E, if it switches from hands free to hands on blue cruise the entire instrument cluster changes from blue to white (or black depending on settings). Its pretty clear when you need hands on and when you don't.
I wonder if BC is dependent on the vehicle you’re in. My wife’s 2023 Mach-e does not ping-pong at all. It does, however, get buzz/disconnects in heavy construction zones. The stop-N-go traffic use, which I had not even thought of until we got caught on I-24 going through Chattanooga BC at 2 miles an hour (so everybody sees you)is THE BEST!
edit
Edit. I think my wife’s BEV already has BC 1.3
edit again ;) Or maybe not.
I can see the ping-ponging as a calibration issue because out of all of the Ford's I have driven with ACC and lane centering I noticed some models are better than others.
@@ZealofSpartabut if you bring it to service for "calibration", won't they tell you it's not possible? Subaru says if there's is on, its calibrated...no service available on the black boxes in modern life, but correct me if different.
@@jr.6199 It is possible they will say they can not calibrate it at the dealer level. I apologize in advance if this ends up being a more academic answer than you expected but here are my early morning thoughts.
A true calibration for accuracy and performance needs to be baked in at the design and engineering stages and while I know Ford can do some great work on some products they ultimately have a limited resource pool. They have been pouring a lot of time and money into redefining their lineup with product that is either all new (+Bronco) or heavily modified (think Euro Focus>Escape>Bronco Sport>Maverick) with less leftover to really refine their systems across every part of the lineup. I believe they know that well enough that they are picking and choosing which they think is more profitable focus their attention on while leaving some things as "good enough for now".
It would be nice if we could easily bring it to the dealer or third party calibrate the systems but the automakers including Ford want to guard their secrete sauce (or maybe hide their dirty laundry) as close to home as possible because driver assistance technology is one of the most hotly competitive aspects of the industry right now. Personally I am holding on to some of my (slightly) older vehicles not only because I like them but I want to dial in the way they behave a bit more to suit changes in my driving environment and well I an automotive addict and traffic is getting out of hand here too.
Cheers!
I don't need my car to drive for me. What I really want is Tesla's radar thingy that shows the cars in the lane next to you. That looks super useful for watching your blindspots.
small correction: Tesla "FSD Beta" is not a hands free ADAS.
I agree that BlueCruise needs to use an IN-YOUR-FACE notification system to tell you when the system is engaged AND if the driver needs to take over again. If there is no HUD, the entire instrument cluster should be a BlueCruise notification panel in its entirety. The sides of the instrument panel should flash bright red to notify the driver to take over at the very least. The sound notifications should also be present. The fact that there is no auditory warning when the system disengages is a huge safety problem. The lack of notification is a complete non-starter either way and makes driving operation more dangerous than it is without BlueCruise engaged.
For the Mustang Mach-E, if you are in hands free blue cruise the entire instrument cluster is blue. Very obvious when you are in hands free mode. When it switches to hands on the whole instrument cluster isn't blue and you get a nice blue bubble around the car in the instrument cluster. When the system disengages completely there is an audible alert. When it disengages and it needs you to immediately take over the instrument cluster flashes and there is an audible alert. And you won't believe where the instrument cluster is. Right in front of the driver who should be paying attention to the road ahead. Experience: I own a Mustang Mach-E with Blue Cruise.
If I remember correctly from the test drive, the disengagement warning in IONIQ 5 is also an icon changing colour, without audible warning - major flaw imho. Tesla and BMW do it more prominently.
Alex is misinterpreting what is going on. Bluecruise is still on, lane center is still on, it is just asking for hands to be on the wheel. If the lane centering is actually going to disengage the announcements and warnings are quite obvious… I actually think it is too aggressive with notifications.
You're still expected to be an active driver, at all times with this technology, no? I'd like to take a nap like in the back, like on the way home from Vegas, but you have to buy a bus ticket for that technology.
If you say it fast, Blue cruise sounds a lot like that kids show blues clues 😂. Don’t ask how I know that. It just does
You mentioned how it compares to Super Cruise and Tesla FSD, but how would you rate it against Hyundai HDA2 in terms of performance? I'm debating between an Ioniq 5 and Mach E. I know HDA2 requires a hand on the wheel for attention monitoring, but I'm more interested in performance (ping-ponging, disengaging, etc.).
Is BlueCruise the same as FSD or just Enhanced Auto Pilot? Do you have to grab the wheel as often as you do with FSD?
Do we need hands-off feature for Level2 ADAS if it enforces eye tracking so strict?
I'm too used to Tesla's basic AP and when the road is clean & empty, I have a bit longer time to look around.
Own a 2022 mach e I've had for about a year have had no ota updates concerning blue cruise 1.2 or 1.3.Spoke with Ford ota support I was told I would receive a combined 1.2 and 1.3 update together. However they did not know when. So my concern is I'm 67 and would really hate to kick the bucket before I can experience blue cruise.
Alex, If you are going to use expressions like 'baked into the pie' 4:39 in the middle of your reviews then don't blame us if we take a pie break when we should be viewing
until the end. Mmmm...... pie😋😋
Are you driving the Grand Touring (PHEV) Corsair, Alex? I’ve been searching for reviews of those as it could be perfect for us, but the only ones I can find are Canadian. I’d really love to see a full review of the plugin hybrid from you, as I trust the thoroughness of your reviews above all others. The combination of PHEV and AWD in a US-made vehicle occurs nowhere else, as far as I can tell. Plus, Consumer Reports now lists it as one of their most reliable vehicles.
It seems he is driving the Corsair GT. I look forward to his review on it because there are not very many PHEVs out there let alone one that has AWD and is comfortably compact form factor as the Corsair.
When the system slows you to a stop when it detects a sleeping driver, does it flash the hazard lights as well or does it look like youre just parked in the middle of the road for no reason
It flashes the lights
1:13 that is the way a lane change should be 👍
I have the 1.0 version and it better than AP on the model y but AP is free where this required subscription and also how do people with verison 1.0 upgrade to later version? Can this be done via a few hardware add on and software updates? If you set at nearest setting it will be jerky same as FSD or AP.
The new Kia Soul I rented actually had great lane assist. As long as it could see markings it was like the car was on rails. The ping pong thing drives me nuts. I had that on a highlander I rented and it drove me crazy, I thought the car badly needed an alignment.
Yes, Kia's lane centering works great, and is free. I test drove a Mach E recently and it was awful, compared to the Kia lane centering system. I'll take the Kia system all day long over the limited and expensive Blue Cruise junk.
@@mementomori29231 I wasn't expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised. How durable the vehicle really is, who knows. It was kind of awkward they gave me a Korean car to take to Detroit to see the Ford Museum but it did work.
We had a Sonata hybrid at work that was actually fun to drive except they mated it to a regular transmission instead of a CVT .. so it would literally buck trying to hunt around for a matching gear. The drivetrain didn't last long, and eventually it also developed an overheating issue with the power relays for the high voltage battery pack that would leave you sit once you turned off car to refuel. Glad it wasn't my car.
Just got the notification of the upcoming Blue Cruise 1.3 update in the Ford Pass app. 🎉 Also Blue Cruise expensive AF now. It was going to be $600 for a 3 year subscription.
Yeah, I would have been happy to pay $200/year, but at $800/year, it's just not worth it. And this is someone who uses BC a LOT
Wait, so if you don’t pay does bc go away? Or does it just stay at the version you purchased with the vehicle?
@@markburch5851 BC goes away.
You still keep the basic hardware functions like adaptive cruise and lanekeep (which, to be fair, are more than enough in most cases), but you lose the hands-free driving, automated lane changes, and other advanced assistance.
@@markburch5851 I think you lose access to at least the hands free mode. I don't know about hands on blue cruise. I would hope we wouldn't lose access to hands on blue cruise.
An important question is whether all cars that came with v1.0 can be updated to v1.2.
Order guides for certain other cars (Lincoln Navigator) still just say v1.0 even though Mach-E/Lightning list v1.2
Do anyone even do info-tainment revisions yet? Not on any of my vehicles yet.
I used to be in a Table Tennis club, and I miss it. I think I will get this car to do some Ping-Ponging
I don’t like that the Fords with Blue Cruise will only warn you that you don’t have your hands on the steering wheel when you don’t have the full Blue Cruise system activated so basically what I’m saying is Ford needs to put the place hands on the Steering wheel warnings on the Blue Cruise system so that way when the car switches back into hands on mode it will beep with the warning on the digital gauge cluster saying place hands on steering wheel and Ford also needs to add an audible warning telling you to place your hands back on the steering wheel as another way to warn the driver that blue cruise is going back into hands on mode because i don’t like that it only beeps and warns you when you don’t have the lane centering with hands off turned on and i have seen other videos where people actually got it to beep when in hands on mode but it didn’t beep with blue cruise in hands free mode which was strange and it was a stupid idea on Fords part because it only warns you to put your hands back on the steering wheel with Blue Cruise in hands on mode in the times when blue cruise won’t go into hands free mode and that really sucks because i like the cars that warn you when their cars go into hands on mode like when you are driving a Mercedes Benz S class on a highway in either Nevada or California and you are using Mercedes Benz hands free Drive Pilot system at least when you use Drive Pilot on a Mercedes Benz it will chime to tell you that you need to take over control of the car when it gets to a point on the highway where Mercedes Benz Drive Pilot needs you to take over control of the car so that is one flaw in Fords Blue Cruise system and that is the fact that Blue Cruise will only warn you to put your hands back on the steering wheel if you are using it in hands on mode but when it’s in hands free mode it won’t warn you unless the infrared camera is blocked by something like certain sunglasses that the infrared light can’t get through for the infrared camera to see your whole face and another thing that will block the infrared camera used for Blue Cruise is your hands like when you talk about something and you move your hands around if you are one of those people who move their hands a lot when they talk about something with someone in the front passenger seat then this will be a problem for you if you are using Blue Cruise and you accidentally move your hand in front of your face and the infrared camera can’t see your whole face the Blue Cruise system doesn’t warn you with audible alerts like a fake woman’s voice coming through the speakers saying place hands on steering wheel and it doesn’t warn you even with a chime and a message in the digital gauge cluster saying place hands on steering wheel the problem is that blue cruise only warns you with a chime from the speakers and a message on the digital gauge cluster telling you to put your hands back on the steering wheel but that’s only when Blue Cruise is still in hands on mode but i wish they would add those warnings to Blue Cruise and i wish they would add a chime so that way you will know when you have gotten kicked out of Blue Cruise or if you can’t use Blue Cruise at this time i would like if Ford put the same warnings that Mercedes Benz put on their hands free Drive Pilot system but i wish Ford would add those warning sounds with Ford having their own chimes for those warnings because i would like that if Ford would add those warning sounds from Mercedes Benz Drive Pilot but change the chimes for them to what they need to have for Blue Cruise
😅 if you incapacitated i guess it is still better to slow down in the lane but that might still cause a wreck which could be fatal.
Alex, do you have any thoughts on hands-free driving typically being paired with electric vehicles? I understand they are both new technology, but to me, hands-free driving makes sense for long road trips, which is the use case where EVs are least convenient. Is it just that the same customers are interested in both?
It also makes sense in heavy stop and go commuter traffic like the evening 'rush'.
Most of the EVs that have these hands free systems can go hundreds of miles at highway speeds before you need to stop and charge. I guess if you are one of the people who do 9+ hour stints in road trips it might be inconvenient.
Suspension tuning makes more sense than adjusting the speed in a turn. It doesn't make any sense when human drivers take on ramps slowly either.
Standard means a high price on an already ridiculous monthly fee. The big 3 are begging me to buy foreign and I’ll do as they command
Bluecruise is still on… it is just asking you to put your hands on the wheel… if it is going to disable it will chime plus a lot of other warnings
🎼🎶We are looking for Blue's Cruise 🎶
I feel like Alex had a video about BC calling it the benchmark. Maybe I’m confusing him with someone else. Regardless, I have to disagree with him. My 2022 F-150’s BC is amazing. No ping-ponging, and very rarely just shuts off. On the other hand, we Turo’d a Denali with SuperCruise and it was jerky on turns and ping-ponged enough my wife got car sick. Obviously, these are one offs but from my experience, BC is the way to go.
I bought a car last month worth 3 years of Ford's subscription.
BUSY FORKS! YESSS
One word, comma.
Alex should totally review one of those.
That device I hear is really impressive. He could try it on his Durango
I have been very happy with Comma 2 in 2020. I am sure it’s getting much better now.
I’m currently on a comma 3 and it does pretty much all of this and is about 1500$ final one time cost. No ping pong either and it has clear notifications, hands free unless the turn is to tight which is usually on regular streets, I usually don’t have issues on highways or freeways, but you quickly learn the limits of the system and know when to take over, but it’s really remarkable and worth every penny for my longer trips
@@josephyang3260 how was the setup process?
@@naveenthemachine realistically it took about an hour and then 24 hours just for the adhesive to cure. Probably 30 minutes to figure out how to remove the trim and connect the wires and then 30 minutes trying to figure out how what firmware I wanted to install. (As there is the main firmware and then something called forks which are basically firmware that slightly deviates from the stock firmware giving you additional functionality. I use something called “sunnypilot” now which is a fork and it all runs on the comma 3)
Finally you just gotta let the mount’s adhesive bond to your glass (3M adhesive so it’s removable in the future) for 24 hours before use.
It’s pretty much the same as running cords for a dash cam in terms of running the wires under the trim or just squishing them in.
Before diving in and buying one I’d recommend watching a few videos to get an idea of its capabilities. Most of us in the community call it an enhanced cruise control and not full self driving. But Blue cruise isn’t self driving either. The comma3 with open pilot works on pretty much all roads and can even work in icy conditions where it can’t see lane lines (though I’m more careful in those situations) as long as it has a lead car or some indication that humans have driven through an area. It’s even saved me from sliding due to the fact that it automatically steers in the correct direction (when using sunnypilot and a feature called M.A.D.S).
Yes this does work on city streets, but stopping for signal lights and stop signs is still in experimental stages. However, the primary uses for me are on the freeway or highway as it helps relieve driving fatigue. Most of us don’t get too tired while driving on normal city roads unless in traffic, but with the comma 3 I can drive to LA from SF without getting tired. For those long trips the only times I have to put my hands on the wheel is either when I want to pass a car or if I need to take an exit
I wish Tesla would add a heads up display! I just don't see it ever happening though.
Just buy a Comma 3x and run Openpilot on it. Way better than anything other than Tesla FSD .
Could you review BMW hands free driving assistance?
BMW has Drivers Assist Plus that is better than all the systems you mentioned. I have owned all but the Nissan
The representation in the dashboard screen is very misleading IMO
Isn't Super Cruise only $25/month? Sure there's an upfront $2,200/2,500 (idk if price is increasing) but that's a 3-year trial right there. Then in the 4th year you pay another $300 breaking even with $700/year for blue cruise and you're money ahead in year 5.
Pure scam to pay for limited capabilities. Standard lane centering is far superior on most roads and is free to boot with brands like Honda / Kia / Hyundai. I test drove the Mach E recently and was shocked at how poorly it performed. And without Blue Cruise you can't even have standard cruise control...pure rip off.
I just want full autonomy. I’m so over driving. How far is one from this?
Going from white to blue or vice versa to know wether ykur hands free is enabled or not is just stupid. The blue on these is a light blue and there isn't enough of an immediate warning between the two colour changes and then there's the fact that the white will be a lot harder to pick up against the grey tarmac or when it's sunny and it blinds you. Red is standard in any aspect for its easily recognisable as a warning so why do these car makers seem to always go the other way.
$800-$900 per year. Then they decide it's $4000 per year. Not a fan of subscriptions.
Please! It's a head-up display because your head is up. "Heads-up" means look out!!
Blue Cruise is awful. The fact it's limited to "approved roads" is a deal breaker, as well as the rip off price. Something like Honda / Kia / Hyundai's excellent lane centering system that works just as well on most roads, especially those long boring freeways Alex mentioned that Blie Cruise works on, as well as local roads with clear lane lines, and is free to boot, is far superior to the limited blur cruise.
35sec in and Im done. Ive driven my entire life just fine without anything getting in the way. Still enjoy your videos though.
Good thing this is optional, both in content and in usage.
@@ALMX5DPso they are charging for cruise control - and we saw another manufactures charge subscriptions for other options to test it out. Do think this could move to other items? Cold climates - heated options other than basic heat or hot climates - basic air? You could ext this to audio for sure - basic sound is provided but all others are options to be turned on.
@@WadeSmart sure anything is possible but right now it’s entirely optional and not affecting other aspects. The market has a tendency to react when things like that become more evident or egregious. This does not seem to be one of those times, and to my knowledge has no impact on regular cruise control.
@@WadeSmart You still get cruise control if you don't get Blue Cruise.
Lord they’re so far behind *gm* in technology it’s sad to watch.
Just a few OTA’s away lol ✭ ✭ ✭
The $$$ asking is absurdly
Sorry, but I cannot understand the benefit of having your hands off the wheel rather than on. All this while you must have your eyes on the road. Your hands look as though they need something to do. What in the world can you do with your hands when they're off the wheel? The benefits of a truly self-driving car I can understand, but we seem far from achieving that.for most of us--or perhaps for any of us.
I don’t like your new logo. It’s too small to read, and it’s hard to recognize. You gave up brand recognition. (Sorry I didn’t know how else to tell you that besides in a comment.)
For those who don't want it don't pay the fee. For those that do, 7-900 a year is a cheap chauffeur.
I like the fact that it may be selected only on an as-needed basis. Say for instance a long road trip for the summer you can only pay for a month or two and get it then when you’re done you stop paying.
Or just buy a comma 3 for about $1500 which is a one time cost and it does everything that this does
That doesn't look very impressive