Edmunds: Who offers hands-free driving systems for 2023?

Fully automated self-driving cars are still a thing of the future. But you can get a taste of what they’ll be like if your vehicle has what’s commonly described as hands-free driving capability. A vehicle so equipped can automatically accelerate, brake and steer for the driver without the driver needing to keep hands on the steering wheel. It can seem like a neat feature, but there’s more that car shoppers should know before making a purchasing decision.

First off, only a few automakers offer hands-free driving currently, and each gives its own system a different name. Additionally, there are a lot of limitations on what each system can do. Most will only work on certain highways, and other criteria must be met before the system can operate hands-free. The driver still needs to pay attention to the road at all times and be ready to take over when the system requests it or when an emergency maneuver is needed. With that, Edmunds rounds up the most significant hands-free driving systems available this year.

FORD

BlueCruise is the name of Ford and Lincoln’s hands-free driving system. It provides hands-free driving capability on more than 130,000 miles of designated major highways. Updated versions of BlueCruise also have the capability to automatically change lanes and adjust speed for sharp curves in the road. It’s available as an option on certain trim levels of select Ford and Lincoln models. For most of them, BlueCruise comes with three years of included functionality. After that, it requires a subscription plan to use the feature.