Would you pay for a BlueCruise Subscription?

[JerryR]

I have found the Ford Blue Cruise (“Hands Free”) feature unusable as currently implemented and certainly would not pay for it when it becomes a subscription. Although I have driven for decades and never had a driving accident, Blue Cruise thinks I am not watching or paying attention to the road. Compared to my other vehicle with lane centering, Blue Cruise does not perform as well.
I was interested in other owners opinions.

I have made several 3+ hour trips to the DC area from South Eastern Virginia using Hands-Free Blue Cruise. Absolutely love it! The one time I didn't use it, there was noticeable driving fatigue. I don't have to deal with stop and go traffic, nor have my wife comment on my driving prowess (or lack there of). She has already told me the car (Blue Cruise) drives much better/smoother than I do. So less argument stress there too! I would not pay $800 per year, but maybe $200.

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[azerik]

Mine was nearly that when new. Don't think you'll escape those first 4 years of high registration costs, unless you just all out avoid expensive cars until they are 4+ years old.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

I have BC 1.0 on my '21 and 1.2 on my '23 (BTW, 1.2 is _much_ improved over 1.0 ... no more diving to the right after BC engages and refusing to give up the fight when the driver is forcing the car back to the center of the lane, then you relent (if safe) and see what the car will do ... only to have it cross the line on the right side of the lane and then scold the driver for departing the lane <sigh>.) It's also much smoother about maintaining the center of the lane. BC 1.0 occasionally bounces from side to side (if I were a cop following me, I'd pull me over and issue a sobriety test).

That said ... I thought the $600/3-year subscription was ok. Could Ford squeeze me for a little more cash ... maybe $800/3-years. But ... $800/1-year or $2100/3-years? No way!

While few cars have hands-free self-driving today, it wont be long before it's common on every car. Power-steering & brakes, power-windows, AC, having a radio, etc. all used to be "options" on cars ... now try to find a car where they aren't just standard.

But what the $800/year price will do ... is sour customer loyalty. When I bought my car, I was aware that it would be a $600/3-year subscription. Now we're being told that they are jacking up the price ... not by 10% or 20% ... but 400%!!! In what universe does Ford live in where they think that's reasonable?

 

[theganyo]

I might be willing to pay on a per-use basis if it was reasonably priced, but it's not even available for most of my driving.

 

[PharaohHound138]

I use blue Cruz all the time. I love it. But $800 a year? No way! That’s insanity. $100 a year and I’d be on board.

 

[Bmt-mache]

I really like the Blue Cruise on highways. Works well on the highways around me. It is a cool feature which i like to show off to my friends. Not using hand is a big deal.

Now having said that, the hands free driving on certain highways was one of the many reasons I bought the car and was of the thinking that it was for the life of the car. Recently a friend showed me on the display that i was sorely mistaken and it is up for renewal in 3 years which was difficult pill for me to swallow for a few hours.

I am ok to buy a subscription as long as it is reasonable. $800 per year is a little too much. Maybe $1500 for life of car or maybe $100 per year or $20 per month that can to cancelled or renewed is a better price point.

 

[SigSauer]

When we purchased our MME, Blue Cruise was listed on the invoice. Just like the tires, they were listed on the invoice!

 

[PaulA]

I have made several 3+ hour trips to the DC area from South Eastern Virginia using Hands-Free Blue Cruise. Absolutely love it! The one time I didn't use it, there was noticeable driving fatigue. I don't have to deal with stop and go traffic, nor have my wife comment on my driving prowess (or lack there of). She has already told me the car (Blue Cruise) drives much better/smoother than I do. So less argument stress there too! I would not pay $800 per year, but maybe $200.

I need to explain my vote. I do not use Blue Cruise because it has never been a I’ve on my 2001 Mach E. Two different dealers have tried without success to activate it. Ford opened a case on it last fall. The Ford rep now ignores my studiously polite emails and phone calls.

 

[Maquis]

When we purchased our MME, Blue Cruise was listed on the invoice. Just like the tires, they were listed on the invoice!

Ford‘s nomenclature change (late 2021?, not sure exactly) makes this entire discussion incredibly difficult. What used to be “Intelligent Cruise” is now BlueCruise, not to be confused with “Hands-Free BlueCruise.”

From what I gather, HFBC is what will require a subscription. The “BlueCruise” on your sticker will work without a subscription. Just keep your hands on the wheel.

 

[oneactlife]

Just to hammer this home for @Ford Motor Company. Your $800/year price point is way too much for this feature. As someone in leadership in tech the feature AS IS TODAY does not have value.

• It's available where I live and I use it mainly if traffic is light
• Ford is vacuuming my data, it still isn't clear what data controls you have in place for what could be very personal and private conversations. You are taking recordings during blue tooth sessions, how are you using that data?
• The lane assist should not be so aggressive with positioning the vehicle against the right line. If I am positioning the vehicle slightly to the left or slightly to the right it should be fine. I recognize that we as drivers, don't always have the best perspective, but our perspective is our level of comfort. I would value a lane-centering coaching feature that had healthy tolerance for the center based on surrounding traffic.
• In bumper-to-bumper I've had it tracking the vehicle ahead of me that accelerates quickly out into traffic, in this case, I have to disengage because it's not seeing the car directly in front that is still fully stopped
  
  Again, why should I pay a PREMIUM subscription price for your beta-product? I'm happy to be an early adopter and share data to help, but I want to know your privacy controls. If my data is totally private and I can opt intotraining models then I'd maybe consider $300 per year, but that was max when I ordered my Mach-E. When I ordered it was "built-in" but I would have likely optioned out with the current $800/y price point.
  
  If your improvements over the next three years solve all of these problems I still will be thinking twice about what amounts to a new low-end iPhone every year just to be able to take my hands off the wheel and nag at if I glance a way too long (which has been better recently, maybe just my chair positioning?)

 

[Mirak]

Guys, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Ford floated out the $800 annual pricing just to get us 2021s to snap up the “bargain” $600 3yr renewal. Once they’ve got us in the barn when our trials end this year, they’ll drop the price for everyone else.

 

[oneactlife]

Guys, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Ford floated out the $800 annual pricing just to get us 2021s to snap up the “bargain” $600 3yr renewal. Once they’ve got us in the barn when our trials end this year, they’ll drop the price for everyone else.

Most probably! Time will certainly tell

 

[KevinS]

Guys, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Ford floated out the $800 annual pricing just to get us 2021s to snap up the “bargain” $600 3yr renewal. Once they’ve got us in the barn when our trials end this year, they’ll drop the price for everyone else.

That's an extremely cynical -- and probably absolutely correct -- assessment.

I think the people who suggested the pricing went on to GM to consult about CarPlay support.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

Guys, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Ford floated out the $800 annual pricing just to get us 2021s to snap up the “bargain” $600 3yr renewal. Once they’ve got us in the barn when our trials end this year, they’ll drop the price for everyone else.

I have a different take. $800/ year at 20% take rate is what’s required to net 8% EBITDA margin at Model E. They convinced the street that enough people would subscribe, to buy themselves 2-3 years, which is eternity compared to the average CEO’s tenure. Their announcement came on the heels of Musk running a BOGO deal on Model Y and promising future subscription-based revenue to make up for it.

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

I really think Ford missed the Mark on this one. Great feature and will only get better as it gets refined. I'm one of the 2021s that can update for 3 years/$600 and may consider it based on 1.3. (In other words if it keeps disengaging, I'm Out)

But when Ford came out and said $800/year. I think they are "mad"!!! I don't see that happening!! If I were Farley; I'd put it at $200/year or give the option for a monthly or weekly option. I think at $200/year they would make a lot more cash than the few people that will in fact pay the $800/year.

My personal situation is a very short commute to work and truly only on the highway a few times a month. So, it is not really worth it. If I do it, it's more about the novelty or cool factor initially. **I echo the week or month subscription if I do a road trip. I'd pop it on for a week for $50.

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