BlueCruise v1 is a Let Down

[ChuckA]

My BC was activated when OTA 2.8.2 installed last week. I tried it on a 50 mile trip Sunday and found it similar to the Intelligent Cruise Control. It seemed to go off and on for unknown reasons. I was able to do the whole trip without touching the brake once.

It did slow down to 0 and return to speed. I did accelerate a couple of times since the return to speed was too gradual for my liking.

My opinion is that BC works fine but I’m still keeping my hands on the steering wheel. I probably won’t pay extra for it after the year. If it was a $200 renewal for 1 year, instead of $600 for 3 years, who knows? I’m on a 3 yr Options financing and shouldn’t have to prepay for 1.5 years I might not own the MME.

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[Gino_A]

BC works pretty well for me around the Bay Area. Like many have stated, it does have a bias towards the right side of the lane and is not dependable on sharp curves. I am confident using it on straight stretches but will keep my hands on the wheel on curves and when next to a big rig. I don't think I will pay $600 for it when my free year subscription expires but if the price is ~$300, I would seriously consider it.

 

[voxel]

Subaru and Hyundai/Kia are not hands free. It sounds like you’re saying that the cars’ hand detection is broken. The system is supposed to nag you but didn’t. That sounds a like a safety problem that needs to be fixed.

You are right about Subaru not being hands free. I misunderstood EyeSight as some hands free cruise control like SuperCruise but it is not.

Hyundai/Kia’s HDA is shockingly good and I loved BC on my Mach-E. The Lane Keep Assist that is active all the time works almost perfectly. Complete opposite of the constant stream false positives on my ID.4 and Toyotas. The autonomous cruise control does not ping pong and kept follow distance accurately even when traffic stopped on the highway. HDA also stays active even when manually changing lanes like BC (Tesla autopilot disengages). I was expecting the system to be like another Toyota junk system. I did not care for the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 on my RAV4 Prime. Functionality sound but not trustworthy.

I feel confident enough in HDA to take my hands off for minutes. The “hands on” nagging is rare compare to Toyota, Tesla, and VW systems I’ve used.

 

[bristol16]

The problem is Ford tweeting it was fully tested, which obviously is false.

“Fully tested” does not always mean bug free, nor does it mean it will meet everyone’s expectations.

 

[Cm12]

The ping pong effect can be reduced significantly by changing the settings in BlueCruise. Something about the lane keeping effect being “high” - I can’t recall the exact name for the setting, but it’s in there.

 

[PA Bob]

I love blue Cruise. It’s especially good for stop and go traffic. The two problems I have with it are that it does take longer to break then I would take when cars slow down in front of me. But if you trust it it does slow down in plenty of time. The other is on the freeway when the white line breaks for a right hand ramp. Sometimes my car wants to go off onto the ramp. My PC handles curves pretty well except sometimes when it’s rainy or dark. I assume that’s a camera issue.

 

[RickMachE]

I love blue Cruise. It’s especially good for stop and go traffic. The two problems I have with it are that it does take longer to break then I would take when cars slow down in front of me. But if you trust it it does slow down in plenty of time. The other is on the freeway when the white line breaks for a right hand ramp. Sometimes my car wants to go off onto the ramp. My PC handles curves pretty well except sometimes when it’s rainy or dark. I assume that’s a camera issue.

I hope BlueCruise doesn't just take longer to break, I hope it never breaks. When the white line breaks, that's good - as long as it doesn't brake. The car should brake, not break.

 

[Chuck]

I like BC. I didn't have any expectation other than it being automated cruise control with hands free. I did a lot of research on BC before I got it and had my expectations set properly. It's met all of my expectations.

When people are unhappy it's when reality doesn't meet expectations. I can only say that make sure expectations are properly set in the future.

 

[agoldman]

I have no problem with BC. Works fine and I quite enjoy it.

 

[ZuleMME]

The interesting bit is that I can't tell much of any difference from Bluecruise to lane keeping other than the hands on steering wheel required. But the eye tracking system watches you on BOTH. So you know, not one to push this sort of thing... But a $10 1lb ankle weight makes lane keep quite happy that your hands are on the wheel. That wasn't too safe before bluecruise because it didn't track your eyes (a-la driver monitoring) before this update... But it DOES now. And will shut down just like bluecruise will. $10 is a lot less than $600/3yr.

 

[ripperAZ]

I got it on my first two because I always get my cars fully loaded whatever model it might be.

I’ll rarely use it because I like to drive my car because that’s why I bought such a nice one with all the other driving features on it

“Driving is Good”. ripperAZ

Jes Sayin…. It’s hilarious to watch Tesla drivers in Scottsdale summon their car and have it crap out halfway through the parking lot and stop and beep like a wounded goose when someone walks near it. I don’t need the hassle of trying to make the tech better by watching it fail

 

[Fat Mach]

I think I tried B.C. twice. The second time was in San Jose on McKean Rd south near Calero Reservoir. There's a section where the one land in each direction turns into a R only, a L only, and a straight ahead lane. The GTPE was swerving WILDLY from side to side trying to pick the right lane. I'm talking 5 feet or more in each direction at 55 MPH. Needless to say, I will never be using B.C. again.

 

[RickMachE]

This is a great thread for several reasons.

First, it discusses a new feature and the pros and cons of it.

Second, it displays the wide range of people that exist on this planet. Ones that appreciate the technology, ones that hate the technology (sometimes because they don't understand it or how to use it), and then those that simply are, well, you know.

 

[Mirak]

The interesting bit is that I can't tell much of any difference from Bluecruise to lane keeping other than the hands on steering wheel required. But the eye tracking system watches you on BOTH. So you know, not one to push this sort of thing... But a $10 1lb ankle weight makes lane keep quite happy that your hands are on the wheel. That wasn't too safe before bluecruise because it didn't track your eyes (a-la driver monitoring) before this update... But it DOES now. And will shut down just like bluecruise will. $10 is a lot less than $600/3yr.

This is where I’m at. I’m enjoying my free year, but if Ford really expects me to pay $600 to re-up, without any meaningful improvements, I’m going to pass. Either way you’ve got to have your eyes on the road, either way the lane centering accuracy is the same, so why not use a much cheaper solution to satisfy the torque sensor during the occasional long highway drive?

If Ford expanded the level of automation (lane changes) or enhanced the lane keeping accuracy, I’d reconsider. But I don’t see any major enhancements coming for the next couple of years. Ford is just too slow. This was the sacrifice I knew I was making when I opted for Ford over Tesla.

 

[Jimmy2]

After 3 weeks of BC, my only downside observation is it gets a little annoying when it tells you to keep your eyes on the road, when in fact you are keeping your eyes on the road. Otherwise, I'm enjoying it. Works even when the traffic on the interstate gets backed up to stop and go.

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