adaptive cruise control is it worth it

Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by consumers.

The payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us.

We don’t recognize that sign in. Your username maybe be your email address. Passwords are 6-20 characters with at least one number and letter.

We still don’t recognize that sign in. Retrieve your username. Reset your password.

Forgot your username or password ?

Don’t have an account?

Account Settings
My Benefits
My Products
Donate Donate

Save products you love, products you own and much more!

Other Membership Benefits:

Guide to Adaptive Cruise Control

How this convenience feature works to reduce your stress on long drives

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is like traditional cruise control, but smarter. ACC systems allow you to set a desired speed until your vehicle encounters slower-moving traffic. Then it will brake to maintain a set distance from the car ahead. Once the traffic starts moving again or if there is no longer a car in the lane ahead, ACC will accelerate to resume the previous set speed. Although ACC systems may take some getting used to, our survey respondents told us they appreciated the stress relief the feature brings.

“I use the feature mostly on the freeway and in stop-and-go traffic. I find it reduces tension and fatigue,” wrote a 2020 Subaru Outback owner. A 2018 Audi Q5 driver agreed. “It is so nice to just set it and let the car worry about the traffic,” they told CR.

The systems use lasers, radar, cameras, or a combination of those. If traffic slows to a stop, most ACC systems will bring the car to a complete stop, then bring it back up to speed when traffic gets going again. Others work only within certain speeds and/or might not start to accelerate automatically.

Adaptive cruise control (ACC): Cruise control that also assists with acceleration and/or braking to maintain a driver-selected gap to the vehicle in front. Some systems can come to a stop and continue while others cannot. If the car comes to a full stop, you may have to press the accelerator or a button on the steering wheel to start moving again.

Not all systems work at low speeds, so drivers who plan to use ACC in slow traffic should check the limitations of any system they plan to buy. These particular systems will often have the words “traffic jam” or “stop and go” in their name.

These features are usually activated using a button on the steering wheel with the image of a car next to a speedometer with an arrow pointing at it. A conventional cruise control system does not automatically keep a set distance away from the car in front, and it is indicated by a similar logo without the car next to the speedometer. 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 front. This button will determine how much space your car leaves between its front bumper and the rear of the car it is following.

In our most recent survey, we asked CR members to rate their experiences with the advanced safety and driver assistance systems on their model-year 2017 to 2022 cars. Respondents answered questions about their satisfaction with the systems. The survey covered about 47,000 vehicles. Most respondents told us they were “very satisfied” with ACC. Satisfaction was higher for older drivers.

OVERALL SATISFACTION

What to Look For in an Adaptive Cruise Control System

Every ACC system works slightly differently, says Kelly Funkhouser, manager for vehicle technology at CR. Some do a better job than others at recognizing merging traffic and automatically apply the brakes, while others wait too long to slow your car, requiring the driver to take control—especially when a vehicle in front of you cuts you off with a close merge.

“Most ACC systems can only be set to speeds above 20 mph but will slow the vehicle to speeds below that in stop-and-go traffic,” she says. “There are a few systems out there that don’t bring the car all the way to a stop but instead just shut off at low speeds. That can be dangerous when you’re traveling behind another slowing vehicle.” She recommends reading the automaker’s website closely and learning about the speed ranges before using ACC while on your test drive.

ACC is meant for convenience, not as a replacement for an alert driver, Funkhouser says. So don’t use adaptive cruise control as an excuse to get distracted. “Just because the car is controlling your speed doesn’t mean that you can check out,” she says. “These systems do not do well at detecting or slowing for vehicles ahead if you approach them at a high rate of speed. The driver should always be monitoring the surrounding traffic and looking ahead for potential hazards.”

Keith Barry

Keith Barry has been an auto reporter at Consumer Reports since 2018. He focuses on safety, technology, and the environmental impact of cars. Previously, he led home and appliance coverage at Reviewed; reported on cars for USA Today, Wired, and Car & Driver; and wrote for other publications as well. Keith earned a master’s degree in public health from Tufts University. Follow him on Twitter @itskeithbarry .

Sharing is Nice

We respect your privacy . All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story.

Trending in Car Safety

Popular Cars to Avoid and What to Buy Instead

Best Cars of the Year: 10 Top Picks of 2024

Most Small SUVs Fall Short in New Automatic Emergency Braking Test

Best Used Cars for You

How-To Geek

Why your next car needs adaptive cruise control.

Here's how adaptive cruise control works, what it offers, and why you'll want it on your next car.

Quick Links

What is adaptive cruise control, how adaptive cruise control works, what's the difference between normal and adaptive cruise control, is adaptive cruise control worth it.

There's nothing better than turning on cruise control and relaxing to some music during a road trip. And while cruise control is useful, the latest premium feature you'll want in your next vehicle is adaptive cruise control (ACC), and here's why.

Whether you buy a fancy electric vehicle or the latest RAM 1500 Rebel, cars these days come with all sorts of exciting technology. Many of the luxury features from several years ago are becoming mainstream and are available on more models. Below we'll tell you what you need to know about adaptive cruise control, how it works, and if it's worth the upgrade.

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is a popular feature on many vehicles, and it goes by several different names. Brands may advertise it as ACC, dynamic cruise control, intelligent cruise control, radar cruise, or even automatic cruise control.

Related: 7 Awesome Ford F-150 Lightning Electric Truck Features

Those names should tell you everything you need to know. Like regular cruise control, adaptive cruise control (ACC) helps a vehicle maintain a safe speed set by the driver. However, it's not just a setting that keeps your car at 78-mph going down the highway.

Instead, it's an entire system designed to help vehicles maintain a specific speed and a safe distance from others on the road. This system still adjusts the speed automatically, so drivers don't have to, but it also can apply the brakes and stay within a set distance from other vehicles.

The type of ACC your vehicle has will determine some of its features or how it works. The system uses onboard computers and sensors, often including radar or lasers, and can automatically monitor other vehicles and objects on the road.

Once you lock your preferred speed into the system, the computers take over the throttle and brake controls. Many ACC systems will even let you adjust the distance to the car in front of you. Then, the vehicle will automatically slow down and match the vehicle ahead's speed, letting you "tailgate" safely, as shown in our image above. If that car moves over, your modern car will automatically accelerate again and reach your desired speed.

You don't have to hit the brakes, tap the cruise control stem to lower your speed, or do anything when a slower car is in front of you. The system handles everything.

Many modern vehicles offer ACC with stop-and-go or brake-hold features, too, where it can combine all the settings into one. For example, some Ford models can handle stop-and-go traffic, keep a set distance from the vehicle ahead, and follow a car to a stop. Then, reach its designated speed later when possible or after a light turns green. If you've never driven a car with ACC, It's a game-changer.

Related: How to Use Less Gas and Increase Your Car's Mileage

Some cars even take things further with adaptive cruise control and will let owners set a driving mode. For example, you could select ACC with economy mode and it'll slowly accelerate for better fuel economy. Or, some allow for "sport" mode, where the vehicle will accelerate back to the preferred speed as quickly as possible.

Additionally, more advanced ACC systems integrate into the maps and navigation system, cameras, and other autonomous driving features to slow down around sharp turns, reduce speeds automatically based on posted speed limits, etc.

You can even pair it with lane assist features for seriously comfortable driving. But remember, you'll always want to have your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.

Modern cruise control was invented in 1948 by the American engineer Ralph Teetor. Fun fact, the first car to offer cruise control was the 1958 Chrysler Imperial, and the automaker marketed the feature as "auto-pilot."

Basic cruise control automatically presses the acceleration pedal or holds it at a certain spot, enabling drivers to take their foot off the pedal in specific situations. Over the years, auto manufacturers improved the feature set by leaps and bounds.

For example, my old 2011 Toyota Tacoma has cruise control, but it's nothing fancy. I can turn it on, set a speed, then manually click the control stem up/down to increase or decrease my speed if needed---but it barely works. Once I tap the brake, it's all over, and everything shuts off. However, there is a resume button I can easily tap to let the system instantly go back to my previously set speed. That's about the extent of its control.

And while that's moderately helpful, driving with ACC is a vastly better experience. Adaptive cruise control isn't anything new, either. Unfortunately, the feature was reserved for more expensive luxury vehicles back in 2011.

These days adaptive cruise control is readily available in cars of all different price points. Whether that's an expensive new BMW, a big offroad RAM Rebel truck, a family Honda CR-V, or even more affordable cars from Hyundai and KIA.

Related: The Electric Truck Problem No One Is Talking About

Up until just a few years ago, unless you were buying a luxury car, ACC was typically reserved for higher trim levels that cost extra. And to a degree, that's still the case. Many vehicles come in a base package with countless features missing, like navigation, extra safety controls, and ACC. But those are easily added with a premium package or a higher trim of the specific vehicle.

So, is adaptive cruise control worth it? Absolutely. As we said earlier, it's a game-changer, especially on longer road trips. Old-school cruise control was barely worth the effort it took to turn on, but modern ACC is 100-percent worth the increased price.

Thankfully, with the rise in technology almost any new car is essentially a giant computer, and most new automobiles come with advanced or adaptive cruise control. For example, Toyota now considers adaptive cruise control "standard equipment" on all vehicles.

If you're looking to buy a new or lightly used car anytime soon, make sure your next ride has adaptive cruise control. You can thank me later.

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?

Automatic braking system avoid pedestrian illustration

NatalyaBurova | Getty Images

Advanced Driver-Assist Systems Make Our Lives Easier (and Safer)

Sadly, millions of people are involved in car crashes every year. According to the CDC, about 90 people die each day in the U.S. as a result of a car crash. However, crash fatalities are decreasing almost every year, even though there are more cars on the road. While the reasons for the decline aren’t clear-cut, advances in overall vehicle safety and advanced driver-assist systems seem to be contributing to the decline.

While most of today’s cars offer multiple driver-assist features, cruise control is still arguably one of the greatest advancements in the history of car technology. Interestingly, the feature was first invented over 60 years ago. Since then, there have been notable improvements that make the latest versions of cruise control safer and much more useful.

The invention of cruise control, along with its evolution to adaptive cruise control, marked the beginning of what may eventually lead to self-driving cars. Continue reading to learn all about adaptive cruise control.

Close-Up Of Cruise Control Button In Car

Sara Dalsecco | EyeEm

The History of Cruise Control

Various forms of cruise control were used in cars dating all the way back to the beginning of the twentieth century. However, modern cruise control was invented by American engineer Ralph Teetor in 1948. He secured a patent for the technology in 1950, and it made its way into passenger cars by the 1960s.

Teeter came up with the idea while riding along in a car with his lawyer. As a passenger in the car, he noticed that every time his lawyer talked, the car changed speeds.

Adaptive cruise control’s roots date back to 1992 when Mitsubishi launched a Lidar-based distance-detection system in Japan. However, the technology didn’t adjust the car’s speed on its own, but rather alerted the driver to take action.

By 1995, Mitsubishi improved the system to adjust the car’s speed on its own via transmission and throttle management, though actual braking was still controlled by the driver. In the early 2000s, many automakers started offering their own, more advanced versions of adaptive cruise control.

LeshkaSmok | Getty Images

What Is Cruise Control?

To most people, this may seem like a silly question. However, to better understand the evolution of cruise control, it’s important to take a look at its basic functionality.

Cruise control is a system designed to automatically control a vehicle’s speed, which the driver must pre-set after activating. It’s most useful for long highway or freeway drives, and/or in areas where there’s not much traffic, or a need to stop often. Cruise control isn’t very useful at low speeds, or in areas where there are many stop signs or traffic lights.

With cruise control engaged, you don’t have to keep your foot on the accelerator pedal or work to maintain a consistent speed. This means you can more easily adjust your seating position, rest your legs and feet, and focus on other aspects of driving. As an aside, keeping a car at a consistent speed typically leads to better fuel economy.

The controls and buttons for cruise control vary among vehicles. Typically, they’re found on either the steering wheel or a stalk on the steering column. The driver holds a steady speed using the accelerator pedal and then “sets” the speed before taking their foot off the pedal. There are also “+” and “-” buttons to change speed incrementally, as well as a button to disengage the feature and/or resume the pre-set speed. Touching the brake pedal immediately turns off cruise control.

Adaptive Cruise Control with steer assist illustration

Volvo Cars of North America |

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is a system that helps cars stay within the speed limit or the pre-set speed while maintaining a safe, predetermined distance behind a “leading” car. When the vehicle in front of you speeds up or slows down, the system adjusts the car’s speed as necessary.

Some advanced adaptive cruise control systems have “stop-and-go” technology – sometimes called traffic jam assist. This means the system will, when necessary, bring the car to a complete stop, wait for traffic to clear or for the leading car to begin moving, and then accelerate again to the speed limit or pre-set speed. The system continues to maintain a safe distance throughout these maneuvers.

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.

Most importantly, find out if the feature adjusts the car’s speed on its own, and if it has stop-and-go capability. Be sure to test-drive any vehicle before buying or leasing it. Get acquainted with the adaptive cruise control feature during your test drive. Make sure you understand exactly how it works and what it’s capable of before moving forward with the transaction.

Volvo XC90 Adaptive Cruise Control in work

How Does Adaptive Cruise Control Work?

Various car manufacturers have different technologies for adaptive cruise control. However, the basic idea is the same. The car uses either a laser or radar to measure the distance to the leading vehicle. These are essentially the same lasers and radars used for features like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. They’re also used in vehicles with semi-autonomous technology. For this reason, it’s fair to say that cruise control was the first step toward what may eventually evolve into self-driving vehicle technology.

It’s important to note that some laser-based adaptive cruise control systems won’t function properly in inclement weather and/or if the sensors are wet or dirty. Radar-based systems are largely unaffected by weather or debris. While more systems employ radar than lasers, be sure to find out which technology your car – or the car you’re planning on buying – uses.

Adaptive cruise control isn’t often a standalone technology. Instead, it’s usually part of a suite of safety systems that work together. If a car has adaptive cruise control, it likely also has forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. Some more advanced vehicles also have pedestrian detection, as well as systems that help keep your car in its lane, or even help steer the car on the highway when adaptive cruise control is engaged.

dimarik | Getty Images

What Are the Limitations of Adaptive Cruise Control?

Like almost all vehicle safety technologies, adaptive cruise control is constantly improving. However, it’s still not a substitute for a human driver. While adaptive cruise control is meant to reduce stress and make driving easier, you still need to remain aware, engaged, and ready to take over the accelerator and brake pedal at a moment’s notice.

Adaptive cruise control isn’t meant to steer the car, though other complementary safety systems may help with steering as well. Adaptive cruise control systems with stop-and-go technology will monitor the car in front of you and adjust the speed accordingly. Some systems even observe speed limit signs and slow down around tight curves. With that said, if another driver slams on the brakes in front of you, cuts you off, or makes a sudden maneuver, you should immediately take over. Remember, some cruise control systems either won’t operate or shouldn’t be used in inclement weather.

While your car may also have features like automatic emergency braking, you can’t count on those features to do the job for you. Instead, the features are there just in case you don’t react quickly enough.

Mercedes-Benz steering wheel and cruise control on center display

Mercedes-Benz USA |

Should You Avoid Cars That Don’t Have Adaptive Cruise Control?

When searching for a new or used car, you should try to prioritize finding a vehicle with as many of the latest advanced driver-assist systems as possible. This is especially true if you plan to keep the car for many years.

Safety is of the utmost importance when shopping for a car. As vehicle safety systems are improving rapidly, it doesn’t take long for a car’s safety systems to become dated or even considered obsolete. For this reason, making sure you have the latest advanced driver-assist systems means you’ll be able to keep your car for a longer period of time before its features are no longer consistent with the most up-to-date technologies.

Automatic stop and go function in traffic jam illustration

Chesky_W | Getty Images

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth it?

It depends. While any technology that will make your life easier and safer is arguably worth it, adaptive cruise control can be a pricey option in some cars. You may have to buy a trim above the base and/or add a package. However, in many cars, adaptive cruise control comes standard, usually as part of a full suite of active safety technologies.

When you’re shopping for a car, make sure it comes equipped with as many safety systems as possible. If you have your eyes on a vehicle, and you learn that it doesn’t include a suite of safety systems, find out how much it costs to add them. If it exceeds your budget, you may want to consider a competing model that includes adaptive cruise control and other safety systems as standard.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. |

Which Cars Have Adaptive Cruise Control?

Nearly every automaker offers adaptive cruise control. However, some systems are more advanced than others. Automakers such as Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Toyota are generally known for having some of the best advanced driver-assist systems, though many other brands offer adaptive cruise control technology that works well.

While advanced driver-assist systems like adaptive cruise control were once reserved for luxury cars or top-level trims on larger cars and SUVs, that’s not the case today. In fact, well-priced small cars like the Honda Civic , Mazda3 , Subaru Legacy , and Toyota Corolla come standard with adaptive cruise control. Even budget-mobiles, such as the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa offer the feature.

Many of today’s SUVs come standard with adaptive cruise control as well, and those that don’t have it on the base model still offer it as an upgrade. The feature even comes standard on some small, relatively inexpensive SUVs, including the Honda CR-V , Mazda CX-3 and CX-30 , Subaru Forester , and Toyota C-HR . To see a list of the cheapest cars and SUVs with adaptive cruise control, click here .

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

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out our new car rankings to compare different models and see which vehicles offer adaptive cruise control. Also, be sure to visit our new car financing deals and lease deals pages to learn about the best current manufacturer-sponsored incentives on new cars, trucks, and SUVs.

When it comes time to move forward, use our U.S. News Best Price Program to find the dealer near you with the best pre-negotiated pricing. Shoppers who use the program to buy or lease a new car save an average of more than $3,200 off MSRP.

Browse Cars

This VIN is corresponding to more than one vehicle

Please choose the vehicle you want values for from the list below:

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control
License Plate

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?

Many vehicles today handle some of the driving demands that older cars couldn't help with at all. For that reason, it's easy to drive safer today than it was even five or ten years ago. Many accidents that occur while driving are caused because drivers aren't paying attention, they make poor mistakes, or they fall asleep.

Technology, such as adaptive cruise control, can help reduce some of those issues and guard against accidents and other problems. This modern technology is only offered on some vehicles today, but it's worth getting for many buyers. Before you can decide if you want to pay for this technology, you should know what it is, how it works, and why it's beneficial to you.

What is Adaptive Cruise Control?

Adaptive cruise control is a special safety feature that enables your vehicle to control its speed and select other features some of the time. This feature lets your car slow down when necessary to avoid collisions or when your vehicle is too close to the other drivers on the road. This is really helpful while driving on the highways and during traffic jams. The system depends on sensors to figure out what's going on, and they combine with internal electronics to keep your car under control and help you stay a healthy distance from other vehicles, no matter where you're driving.

When you use a car with adaptive cruise control, you set the speed you want to travel using the cruise control buttons; you can feel secure that the vehicle will travel at about the set speed. This feature makes the car much safer to drive, which is why you should look for a vehicle with this technology.

How Do Cars with Adaptive Cruise Control Function?

The cruise control tool will automatically slow you down if someone ahead of you slows down. When that person speeds back up, the cruise goes up to its set speed. This feature makes driving on the highway simpler and less annoying. This technology is powerful, and it's beginning to show up on more vehicles as standard features, too.

What is the Difference Between Adaptive Cruise Control vs. Cruise Control?

Many vehicle owners are familiar with cruise control, and this basic technology is offered on most vehicles today. This simple technology allows you to set the speed you want your vehicle to travel, and it will speed up your ride to keep you at the proper speed as you travel over different road conditions.

Cruise control will help you maintain a nearly constant speed, which can make driving on the highway and in other long and straight conditions simple and convenient. Adaptive cruise control doesn't stop at letting you set the speed you want to travel at. You'll also be able to rely on your vehicle to slow itself down before rear-ending a car in front of you, even if that vehicle slows down below the speed you set for your cruise control.

How to Operate Adaptive Cruise Control

When you want to use this advanced technology to help you drive more safely while on the highway or in another situation where you will have to remain at the same speed for an extended period, to use the technology, simply press the cruise control button and set your vehicle at a level that you're comfortable with.

Once you do that, the car will do much of the work for you. If the vehicle in front of you slows down, your vehicle will slow itself down automatically. This is the major benefit of adaptive cruise control, and it can save you from lots of maneuvering when sitting in traffic or another dull situation.

This isn't something standard cruise control is capable of offering, and that's one of the best reasons to opt for adaptive cruise control. Buying a vehicle with this useful technology will help keep you safer on long drives. Always look at the safety features and get a car history report to learn what happened to the vehicle, whether it was in an accident, and how you can expect the car to hold up over time. Vehicle history reports can also help you know if the car was ever salvaged, if it experienced a flood, or has any open recalls on it, so you know what you're getting into before ever buying that vehicle.

The Benefits of Adaptive Cruise Control Cars

Today most vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control come at a higher cost compared to more standard options. They require enhanced technology, such as cameras and radar, to read the road and make decisions effectively. For this reason, it's important to decide whether there are enough benefits for the technology to be worthwhile for the way you drive.

For example, if you only ever drive to the store and back and live in a small town, it may not be the best investment to make since you will rarely use it. However, if you travel coast to coast as a salesperson, it may be an ideal investment.

The main benefits of having adaptive cruise control include being:

More protected against crashes.
Less likely to rear-end another vehicle.
More comfortable when driving in stop-and-go traffic.
Calmer and more peaceful during road trips or longer errands.
Less stressed when driving.

By getting a vehicle with adaptive cruise control technology, you're reducing the amount of work you have to do while driving long, straight roads dramatically. You won't have to operate your brakes as often because your vehicle will maintain a safe distance from the other cars in front of you.

Not only does adaptive cruise control keep you safer by making you a more cautious driver, but it also helps you stay more comfortable in different driving conditions. In traffic jams, the car will handle all the slowdowns without you having to constantly adjust your speed. When traveling on long-distance road trips, the car will help you slow down and speed up when other vehicles are going slower than your cruise control speed setting. The technology also helps you avoid hitting other people if you get distracted while driving.

Adaptive cruise control is an impressive technology that you can add to your vehicle to make it more capable. It's only available on some vehicles today, but the ones you upgrade with it will perform better thanks to the improvement. It's worth getting the upgrade for most people, and once you have it, you will not want to drive without it.

FREE Vehicle Search

Problem Checks
Title Records
LICENSE PLATE

More resources

Meta Quest 4
Google Pixel 9
Google Pixel 8a
Apple Vision Pro 2
Nintendo Switch 2
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Yellowstone Season 6
Recall an Email in Outlook
Stranger Things Season 5

What is adaptive cruise control?

It’s not a stretch to call cruise control one of the earliest driving aids. It wasn’t always electronic, and it certainly didn’t make your grandfather’s 1982 Cadillac Seville autonomous, but it was a revolutionary invention. (Although here’s a fun fact: Your grandfather’s Buick had the first infotainment system way back in 1986.)

What to look for in an adaptive cruise control system

What do automakers call adaptive cruise control, are there aftermarket adaptive cruise control systems, who does adaptive cruise control best.

Adaptive cruise control takes it to the next level. It maintains a set speed for your vehicle, like a conventional cruise control system, but it also adjusts the speed based on the traffic flow. Better systems can come you a full stop in heavy traffic and continue when congestion lightens. This technology can make cruise control more useful by taking some (but not all) of the workload off the driver. Here’s what it is, and how it works.

The concept is simple: Make the car accelerates and decelerates automatically depending on how quickly the cars around it are moving. The devil’s in the details, however.

GM to cut funding for beleaguered driverless startup Cruise, report claims
Cruise woes prompt production halt of fully driverless van
Cruise autonomous vehicle drives over woman just after she was hit by another car

To do it, a car must be equipped with sensors that allow it to detect nearby vehicles and potential obstacles. Most adaptive cruise control systems use radar, with high resolution radar on the horizon, although a camera and lidar (which works on the same principle as radar, but with light waves) can be used as well. You can often spot these cameras integrated into the grille or mounted behind the windshield. These sensors communicate with a computer that controls the throttle and, sometimes, the brakes and the steering system.

In its most basic form, adaptive cruise control technology only handles acceleration and deceleration, usually by following the car in front and maintaining a set following distance. Some automakers have started bundling this feature with a system that can bring the car to a full stop if needed, which comes in handy in a traffic jam, and/or one that provides a limited amount of steering assistance to keep the car centered in its lane.

Adaptive cruise control is at the center of the pile of electronic driving aids some automakers believe could form the basis of fully autonomous driving . We’re nowhere near autonomous cars, though, and it’s important not to mistake adaptive cruise control and other related technologies for full autonomy. These systems are designed to help the driver, not to drive the car themselves while the driver dozes off or counts blue cars going the other way.

Adaptive cruise control is sometimes known as dynamic radar cruise control or intelligent cruise control, and most automakers give the system brand names to make it more marketable. Regardless, the basic idea is that a car accelerates and decelerates automatically depending on how quickly the cars around it are moving.

BMW: Active Cruise Control, Active Cruise Control with Stop and Go Cadillac: Super Cruise Honda and Acura: Adaptive Cruise Control, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow Hyundai: Smart Cruise Control Kia: Advanced Smart Cruise Control Mercedes-Benz: Active Distance Assist Distronic Nissan and Infiniti: Intelligent Cruise Control, a part of Nissan’s ProPilot 2.0 system Subaru: Adaptive Cruise Control, Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering, part of the brand’s EyeSight package Tesla: Autopilot Toyota and Lexus : Dynamic Cruise Control, Dynamic Cruise Control with Stop and Go

This is one technology that cannot easily be retrofitted to an existing car. The complexity of adaptive cruise control systems puts them beyond the reach of the aftermarket. Considering that these systems can mean the difference between a car driving along and a car smashing into the back of another vehicle, concerns over liability will probably keep adaptive cruise control firmly within the domain of the original equipment manufacturers for the time being.

Like systems available from other automakers, Cadillac’s Super Cruise allows the car to accelerate, steer, and brake without driver intervention on highways. But Cadillac is the only automaker to specifically claim that drivers can take their hands off the wheel. That’s because Cadillac did a thorough job in setting up Super Cruise. Not only does the system rely on an array of cameras, radar, and lidar, but Cadillac also mapped 200,000 miles of highway. Super Cruise also has a driver-facing camera, and will only work if a certain level of driver alertness is maintained.

It’s too bad Super Cruise isn’t widely available, at least, not yet. Cadillac launched the system on its flagship CT6 sedan but has been slow to expand to other models. With the CT6 set to be discontinued, Cadillac finally announced that Super Cruise will be available on the CT4 and CT5 sedans when they go on sale in the coming months. Those sedans use a new electrical architecture that can support Super Cruise.

Subaru’s EyeSight system uses cameras instead of radar, bringing down its cost and making installation of the hardware a bit easier. EyeSight bundles adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist, a “pre-collision throttle management” feature that cuts the throttle ahead of an anticipated collision, and low-speed autonomous emergency braking. On some models, Subaru has also added a driver-facing camera to ensure the driver stays alert while these features are in use.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes offers one of the most comprehensive adaptive cruise control and driver-assistance suites of any automaker. Its latest Distronic Plus system can keep up with traffic, but also brake the car to a full stop in stop-and-go situations. The system will automatically resume driving if the car remains stopped for less than three seconds; longer stops require a tap of the accelerator pedal or of the cruise control’s “resume” button. A steering-assist feature helps keep the car centered in its lane, and certain versions of the system can initiate lane changes.

Tesla’s Autopilot system has attracted its share of controversy, and the name is a bit misleading considering that a human driver must be kept in the loop, but it’s still one of the most advanced systems of its kind. In addition to following traffic and automatically keeping a car in its lane, Autopilot can execute lane changes with the flick of a turn signal, and negotiate some highway off-ramps. Tesla’s ability to pull data from cars using the system and launch over-the-air software updates means Autopilot has significant potential to improve over time.

It’s no surprise that an automaker obsessed with safety was an early adopter of adaptive cruise control. Volvo was also one of the first automakers to pair the technology with autonomous emergency braking, allowing a car to both automatically follow a vehicle in front and brake if it encounters an obstacle. Volvo’s latest Pilot Assist II system doesn’t need to track a vehicle ahead, can a keep a car centered in its lane, and can operate at speeds up to 80 mph.

Editors' Recommendations

Beleaguered robotaxi startup Cruise lays off quarter of workforce
Cruise woes continue as key figures quit the robotaxi firm
Cruise’s robotaxi service suspended by California regulator
Cruise says it’s nearing approval for mass production of futuristic robotaxi
Robotaxi firm Cruise ordered to halve fleet following incidents

General Motors-backed Cruise revealed this week that its fully driverless cars have now traveled more than a million miles, mostly on the streets of San Francisco.

The achievement comes just 15 months after the company’s first fully driverless ride, during which time it also launched San Francisco’s first paid driverless robotaxi service.

Cruise’s autonomous cars are heading to Texas and Arizona before the end of this year.

The General Motors-owned company plans to launch ridesharing pilots in Austin and Phoenix in what will be its first expansion of the service outside of San Francisco.

General Motors autonomous car unit, Cruise, has started to offer driverless rides to residents of San Francisco as it moves toward the launch of a full-fledged robo-taxi service.

Following a test run of the service last week, Cruise has released a video (below) showing the reaction of the very first passengers as they rode through the streets of the Californian city in a vehicle that had nobody behind the wheel.

Price reductions on selected cars , from £250 - £1000 off

Ask the experts
What is adaptive cruise control and is it worth it

What is adaptive cruise control – and is it worth it?

Lots of cars feature adaptive cruise control technology these days, but not everybody knows how to make best use of it. Here are some useful tips to get the most out of this impressive kit.

What is adaptive cruise control?

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is a driving assistance feature that can control a car's accelerator and brakes to reduce your workload behind the wheel.

It's essentially an evolution of traditional cruise control that's able to not only hold your speed, but also follow the traffic ahead and maintain a safe distance.

In some cars, the adaptive cruise control system only works at motorway speeds.

In others, it can safely bring the car to a stop of the traffic ahead slows down, and then get the car moving again when the road clears.

How does adaptive cruise control work, and how is it different to standard cruise control?

Standard cruise control has been a feature on cars for quite some time now, and the way that the most basic version works is simple.

You’ll reach your desired speed, turn on cruise control, and your car will progress at this speed until you turn off the control or start to brake.

Adaptive cruise control is a more intelligent system:

You’ll first need to reach the desired speed by accelerating as normal.

Once you’re happy with your speed, you can press the ‘set’ button.

You’ll now be able to set the distance you’d like to keep between your vehicle and the one in front. If the car ahead starts to slow, your vehicle will either notify you to start braking, or slow down itself to maintain the distance you set.

If you do start to brake, this will deactivate the ACC system.

The principle behind ACC is similar to standard cruise control. Thanks to the adoption of a camera (or cameras) to the front of a car, it can essentially 'see' the road ahead.

This makes the car aware of the distance to the car in front, meaning not only can the adaptive cruise control hold your speed, it can also hold the space – even if the car ahead slows.

If the car ahead speeds up, the ACC will only accelerate you back to the speed you have set – it won't go beyond that.

The latest ACC systems can also work in low-speed traffic, creeping the car forwards, and stopping and starting with the congestion ahead.

If you do press the brakes (or, in the case of manual cars, press the clutch pedal), then the adaptive cruise control switches off, putting you back in full control.

A close up shot of the control buttons on a car steering wheel.

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an active safety system that automatically controls the acceleration and braking of a vehicle. It is activated through a button on the steering wheel and cancelled by driver’s braking and/or another button.

banner-blog-post-adaptive-cruise-control

Adaptive cruise control automatically controls the acceleration and braking of a vehicle.

How adaptive cruise control works

By monitoring other vehicles and objects on the road, adaptive cruise control enables a safe and comfortable driving experience. It does so by helping the driver keep a steady vehicle speed at a given moment. The driver can set their preference regarding certain factors, such as the distance to the car in front, driving mode – for example, economical, sporty or comfortable – and others. Together with information about speed limits, road curvature, accidents data and more, these choices influence the automatically selected speed.

Cruise control has come a long way from its early days in its quest to assist drivers on the road. When first introduced, it was only found in luxury car models due to its high production cost. As less expensive sensors reached the market, adaptive cruise control is steadily becoming a standard feature in new vehicles today.

What is the difference between normal cruise control and adaptive cruise control?

The origins of normal cruise control go back to 1948, when Ralph Teetor invented the speedostat. Having greatly improved since, its focus on throttle control is still central to automation today. One example is automatically pressing the acceleration pedal, which enables drivers to take their foot off the pedal for a few moments when they are on a motorway with low traffic. The need to remain vigilant remains, so they can brake whenever required.

In the late 1990s, several carmakers started introducing a new generation of cruise control: adaptive cruise control. This technology relies on front radar to address the biggest limitation traditional cruise control had: the ability to correctly appreciate the speed of the vehicle in front.

This improvement significantly expanded the continuous operation time of the cruise control function, as automation allowed to control both the acceleration and braking of a vehicle. This allowed the driver to travel for longer distances with their feet off the pedal, even in moderate traffic situations on the motorway. Of course, the need for them to pay attention to the road ahead remained, as cars in front could still brake or suddenly cut in.

As drivers are getting more and more comfortable with using ACC while driving, the expectation for an even longer duration of continuous operation time for the system is rising. In turn, this puts pressure for it to be further improved. As new enhancements are made, the market is shifting to a new standard in ACC, called intelligent cruise control.

Intelligent speed assistance with the TomTom ADAS Map

What use cases are supported by modern adaptive cruise control?

The latest intelligent cruise control systems aim to tackle the entire journey, offloading the driver’s tasks whenever possible. Here are some of the most interesting use cases:

Stop & Go cruise control Traffic congestion is a real problem across the world. Major cities worldwide are faced with the challenge of optimizing their traffic networks. Even driving bumper to bumper at low speeds can result not only in discomfort for drivers, but also accidents. This is where Stop & Go cruise control can play a role. Operating similarly to adaptive cruise control on motorways, the difference is in slow-moving traffic, when it automatically stops or starts vehicle movement under driver supervision. The car will brake and accelerate on its own, while maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

Speed limit-aware cruise control One of the situations requiring ACC adjustment by the driver is when passing a speed limit sign. However, intelligent cruise control can automatically adjust the set speed to the newly detected speed limit, thanks to input from the traffic sign recognition system. This is done by fusing camera observation and map data to provide reliable speed restriction information.

Eco cruise control for fuel and EV capacity savings When in eco mode, cruise control adjusts the set speed so that the minimum amount of energy – whether electricity or fuel – is consumed during the journey. In a situation where a vehicle would go uphill, the system could drop the speed of the vehicle with 15-20%, in appreciation of the expected downhill speed gain shortly after. To be able to make such judgment, ACC relies on ADAS map data, specifically gradient information. Being able to rely on slope data means that the TomTom ADAS Map has been proven to provide between 5-10% fuel savings.

Cruise control in curves Especially on country roads and junctions, but also on motorways, the driver usually needs to correct the speed set by adaptive cruise control when facing bends and turns. Using curvature data from the ADAS Map, intelligent cruise control can eliminate human intervention by calculating the safe and comfortable speed for a given road segment. It does so by also considering specific vehicle dynamics. There is also ample opportunity for customization. When in sport mode, the system can cater to drivers with a sporty driving style and shows them the dynamic driving capabilities of the vehicle.

Turn-by-turn cruise control One of the most recent advancements in intelligent cruise control technology is the capability to automate acceleration and braking at highway exits, entrances, junctions and roundabouts. Even when a driver corrects the vehicle speed by braking, as soon as the pedal is released, the system resumes its activity and sets the speed according to the upcoming road feature it detects. For example, this can be a drivable profile through a roundabout. Map data is critical to this operation, as the system relies on insights based on traffic signs – stop, yield, traffic lights – and curvature at junction information.

Predictive adaptive cruise control to anticipate road hazards ahead When there is a road accident, a broken vehicle on the road or severe weather conditions such as icy roads, special caution when driving is required. Intelligent cruise control systems rely on the vehicle’s connectivity to obtain early warnings and adjust speed accordingly. The result is a safer and more comfortable journey for the driver and passengers.

Parking speed control The first and the last stage of a car journey with adaptive cruise control is always the same: controlling the speed when maneuvering in a parking or a driveway. To assist the driver in such a scenario, it is imperative to use additional sensing and very low speed. Currently, many ACC systems under development target not only self-parking, but also maneuvering through large parking lots.

Dynamic priority cruise control: an emerging technology The next step for modern adaptive cruise control systems is the ability to perceive and automatically handle changing traffic lights and other vehicles at junctions. Intelligent driving strategies that support this use case include priority negotiation and sensing a rapidly changing situation with high confidence. Of course, the driver can still observe the vehicle’s choices and intervene at any given moment.

Adaptive cruise control helps drivers adjust the speed of their vehicle.

The TomTom ADAS Map: designed for intelligent cruise control use cases

Intelligent cruise control use cases rely on data beyond sensors. The TomTom ADAS Map is designed for this purpose, providing a range of attributes that power modern ADAS systems.

Since it needs to meet the highest of expectations in terms of correctness as well as being up to date, the quality of map data is of utmost importance. This way, it can confidently fulfill ADAS use cases.

“ Around the world today, over one million SAE Level 1 and Level 2 automated vehicles use the TomTom ADAS Map – both private and commercial. Having doubled in less than one year, this number is bound to rise in the future. Tsjerk-Friso Roelfzema

banner-blog-post-adaptive-cruise-control-adas-map-facts

The TomTom ADAS Map covers 5.5 million kilometers in 73 countries.

The TomTom ADAS Map includes the following attributes:

Gradient Enables predictive gear-shifting to optimize energy use.

Curvature on road Helps with driving strategy choices, such as selecting a safe speed for the upcoming bend.

Curvature at junction Helps with driving strategy choices at roundabouts and junctions, without cruise control cancellation (selecting a safe speed).

Traffic sign Helps with driving strategy choices, such as fuel-efficient slowing down ahead of an upcoming stop.

Speed restriction Helps with driving strategy choices, such as selecting a safe speed.

Lane at junction Complements the vision of the system's detections. Completes curvature data for wider roads.

banner-blog-post-adaptive-cruise-control-levels

The five levels of autonomous driving

Bosch and TomTom

Bosch has developed several ADAS functions relying on TomTom ADAS Map data services for intelligent cruise control, upcoming curve alerts and jam tail warnings. All these are critical components for car manufacturers developing the latest standard in automated driving systems.

What is the future of adaptive cruise control?

The benefits of adaptive cruise control make it a worthwhile technology to continue investing in. It provides longitudinal control of a vehicle, such as acceleration and braking. Increasingly, it can be combined with steering assist technology like lane centering for automated lane changes. The longitudinal and lateral control systems working together leads to autonomous driving, the next mobility revolution, which is expected to evolve rapidly over the next decade.

TomTom creates technologies for a moving world that supports all levels of autonomous driving. To learn more about how the ADAS Map is already powering automated vehicles on the road today, download the product sheet.

Want to learn more? Download the TomTom ADAS Map product sheet.

How ADAS helps truck drivers stay safe and drive efficiently

The future of mobility is connected

Measuring road traffic density: how to find the perfect spot | TomTom Newsroom

Measuring road traffic density: what you need to know

* Required field. By submitting your contact details to TomTom, you agree that we can contact you about marketing offers, newsletters, or to invite you to webinars and events. We could further personalize the content that you receive via cookies. You can unsubscribe at any time by the link included in our emails. Review our privacy policy .

/ TomTomOfficial
/ tomtomglobal
Navigation apps
Personal and professional sat navs
In-dash navigation
Accessories
Maps and service updates
TomTom Orbis Maps
Navigation Map
TomTom Satellite Imagery
Traffic APIs
Routing APIs
Map Display API
Places APIs
Tracking & Logistics APIs
Automotive APIs
TomTom Digital Cockpit
Navigation Engine
Navigation User Interface
Virtual Horizon
Navigation SDK
How we hire
Diversity and inclusion
Press releases
TomTom Traffic Index
TomTom Customer Portal
TomTom MOVE
TomTom Suppliers
Privacy policy
Legal information
Terms of use
Report vulnerabilities
Report a map change

Available Cars
Testimonials

Driving Tips

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control? Is It Worth Paying For?

With the development of the car industry today, many cars equip themselves with the best features. In fact, most of the best, coolest and luxury automobile technologies nowadays are installed on normal cars. And cruise control is one of them. Apart from base trims of entry-level vehicles as well as specialized performance cars, all vehicles have cruise control. If you are an expert driver, the term of adaptive cruise control is no stranger. However, if you just received your automobile this recent week, this system is actually quite new. So what is this control and do we need to have it?

Adaptive Cruise Control: Is This Feature For You?

The definition of adaptive cruise control.

Imagine when you are driving for such a long time and still want to keep up at your desired speed. It is such a hard task for every driver since you have to use the accelerator all the time. And that’s why we have adaptive cruise control.

This car component controls and helps other non-adaptive systems in order to maintain the right speed, especially on the highway. Not to mention, adaptive cruise control even goes to another level: Car owners can set the following distance from ahead cars as well as desired speed. In case when a slower car moves in front of you, this system will also slow down automatically with the purpose of maintaining the preset following distance. And when the car moves out of the way, it will increase the speed to reach the original preset speed.

This reduces the stress and effort when driving on long road trips greatly. And with the most advanced technology, this system also combines with the navigation system of the car and forward looking cameras. This combination allows the system to slow down if the posted speed limit changes, or when the car goes around tighter curves.

The Convenience of Adaptive Cruise Control

You might be wondering, this is truly a good car system, but how can this adaptive cruise control make the commute easier? As we mentioned before, this system can relieve the stress of controlling the accelerator pedal for drivers in various cases, and that is the most basic system.

With upgraded adaptive cruise control systems, drivers can use a feature called traffic jam assist. To be more specific, the car can use stop and go functionality, which allows the driver to use adaptive cruise control at low speeds. The system’s ability plays a critical role in this action. And when there is traffic ahead, this system will stop the car as well.

You might be asking, so what does the system do after that? They will automatically deactivate for a few seconds after stopping. And this allows drivers to either press the accelerator pedal or the resume button to get going. Along with that, there are many driver assistance technologies like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking ,lane keeping assist and pedestrian detection. All of them serve a purpose of providing the highest level of commuter stress relief.

Just like Audis or Subarus, car owners can even adjust the aggressiveness of the technology. With advanced models, this system allows the car to accelerate smoothly and automatically brake in dangerous situations.

What Is One-Pedal Driving And How Does It Work?
A Top List Of The Most Annoying Things Other Drivers Do

The Limitations of Adaptive Cruise Control

Just like any safety system or car components, adaptive cruise control has its disadvantages. With standard cruise control, car owners need to steer the car. Of course, if the car ahead brakes and stops suddenly, you will need to step on the brake pedal yourself.

This happens when you have obstacles in the road as well. In these situations, you need to perform and intervene by hand. Not to mention, the debris as well as weather can affect the system. To be more specific, the adaptive cruise control needs the camera sensors as well as radar in order to detect cars ahead. The weather can affect these car parts, and affect the system as well.

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It?

We now know that this system is amazing, however, is it worth paying for? If you think you can trust the technology and the commute is long, then you might want this adaptive cruise control.

With this technology, car owners can let the car to brake and accelerator for most of the driving journey. It is like having your private driver. And this can surely relieve the stress associated with driving.

On the other hand, sometimes this system might be too sensitive with braking when it comes to a stop. And many people might not be a big fan of that.

Automakers with Amazing Adaptive Cruise Control System

Subaru, Honda, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Ford and Nissan are the famous names that we can immediately tell when talking about good adaptive cruise control. Car owners can surely expect standout systems as well as smoothly operating systems.

With these brands, the name of adaptive cruise control system changes. With Subaru, we have Adaptive Cruise Control and Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering. With Honda as well as Acura, the name changes to Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow. The system is called Active Cruise Control, Active Cruise Control with Stop and Go for BMW. With Hyundai, this system is named Smart Cruise Control. For Kia vehicles, the carmakers add the Advanced Smart Cruise Control instead. Along with that, Nissan and Infiniti have the Intelligent Cruise Control.

Along with the most famous and guaranteed brands, we have Toyota as well as Mercedes-Benz in the list. However, there are no adaptive cruise control systems for these automakers. Instead, they called it Dynamic Cruise Control, Dynamic Cruise Control with Stop and Go for Toyota and Lexus. With Mercedes-Benz, car owners has Active Distance Assist Distronic.

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!

Explore Subaru

Our vehicles will inspire drivers like you to become a Subaru owner for life. Find out what makes us more than a car company.

Connect with Us

About Subaru

Other Subaru Sites

Privacy Policies
California Privacy
Cookie and Ad Preferences

* MSRP does not include destination and delivery charges, tax, title, and registration fees. Destination and delivery includes handling and inland freight fees and may vary in some states. Prices, specifications, options, features, and models subject to change without notice. Select colors may be subject to an additional charge. See your retailer for more information.

** EPA-estimated fuel economy. Actual mileage may vary. For Crosstrek Hybrid and Solterra, EPA-estimated MPG equivalent on a full battery charge. Actual mileage will vary.

*** Limited warranties are contingent on age and mileage. Whatever comes first concludes the warranty.

† Connected Services depend on factors outside Toyota's control, including an operative telematics device, a cellular connection, GPS signal and the availability of a compatible wireless network, without which system functionality and availability may be limited or precluded, including access to response center and emergency support. Service may vary by vehicle and region. Apps and services subject to change at any time without notice. Requires app download/registration and subscription after trial (if applicable). Terms of Use apply. Data usage and charges may apply. To learn about Toyota’s connected services data collection, use, sharing and retention practices, please visit toyota.com/privacyvts

Safety Connect: Stolen vehicle police report required to use Stolen Vehicle Locator. Automatic Collision Notification activates only in limited circumstances.

Remote Connect: Use only if aware of circumstances surrounding vehicle and it is legal and safe to do so (e.g., do not remotely start engine if vehicle is in an enclosed space or vehicle is occupied by a child). Remote start/stop not available on manual transmission-equipped vehicles.

Drive Connect: Services not available in every city or roadway.

Service Connect: Information provided is based on the last time data was collected from the vehicle and is not real time data. Service Connect is not renewable as a stand-alone service and requires a subscription to any of Safety Connect, Remote Connect or Drive Connect upon trial expiration.

Wi-Fi Connect: Eligible vehicle and wireless service required. Wi-Fi Connect coverage and service not available everywhere. Valid in the contiguous U.S. and Alaska. Do not drive distracted. Go to att.com/solterra for terms and conditions. Up to 5 devices can be supported using in-vehicle connectivity. The Wi-Fi Connect trial begins at the time of enrollment activation and expires when 30 days or the earlier of 3GB of data is used or the 1-month period ends. Subscription required after trial. Integrated Streaming requires subscription for third-party provider services.

Subaru has the utmost respect for the environment and is a proud partner of Leave No Trace. Care was taken not to harm the environment when taking this photo.

The materials displayed on this website, including but not limited to all text, audio, video, images, photographs, illustrations, artwork, animation files and other graphics, names, logos, trademarks, and service marks, are property of Subaru or its parent or affiliated companies or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. This site may be displayed, downloaded, and/or printed solely for your personal, non-commercial home use, provided that you do not delete or modify any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices. Any other use of the material on this site without the prior written consent of Subaru is strictly prohibited.

iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.; Brembo is a registered trademark of Freni Brembo S.p.A.; Alcantara is a registered trademark of Alcantara S.p.A and Alcantara is produced by Toray Group.; Ultrasuede® is a registered trademark of Toray Industries, Inc.; TORSEN LSD® is a registered trademark of JTEKT TORSEN North America, Inc BBS is a registered trademark of BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG.; Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc.; HomeLink® and the HomeLink® house icon are registered trademarks of Gentex Corporation.; Tom Tom is a registered trademark of TomTom International BV; Aha and Harman Kardon are a registered trademarks of Harman International Industries, Inc.; Android is a trademark of Google Inc.; HD Radio is a registered trademark of iBiquity Digital Corporation.; SiriusXM and SiriusXM NavTraffic are registered trademarks of SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Inc.; iHeart is a registered trademark of Clear Channel.

PLEASE REVIEW THESE IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES.

Subaru of America, Inc. reserves the right to make changes at any time without notice or obligation to the information contained on this Internet site, prices, incentive programs, specifications, equipment, colors, materials, product illustrations and to change or discontinue models. All prices are based upon Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices ('MSRP') in U.S. dollars (unless otherwise indicated) and exclude taxes, title fees, licensing, options and destination charges unless specifically included. Retailers are independent businesses and are free to set their own retail prices. All information contained at this Internet site is intended for the USA market only.

** EPA-estimated fuel economy. Actual mileage may vary. For Crosstrek Hybrid and Solterra, EPA-estimated MPG equivalent on a full battery charge. Actual mileage will vary.

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?

The coolest technologies for today’s luxury cars often become features of mainstream cars tomorrow. Take cruise control as an example; Today almost every new car has it, with the exception of specialized performance models and basic trims of entry-level cars. But what is adaptive cruise control? And is it worth it?

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 don’t have to.

Adaptive cruise control is one of 20 terms used to describe its functions so you might see adaptive cruise controls as the following in advertisements and vehicle descriptions: “Active cruise controls, Dynamic cruise controls, Radar cruise controls, Automatic cruise controls, Intelligent cruise controls.”

The control is based on sensor information from onboard sensors. Such systems may use a radar or laser sensor or camera array that allows the vehicle to brake when it detects the car is approaching another vehicle in front, and then accelerate when traffic permits.

ACC technology is widely recognized as a key component of future generations of intelligent cars. They affect driver safety and comfort and increase road capacity by maintaining optimal separation between vehicles and reducing driver errors.

Vehicles with autonomous cruise control are considered Level 1 autonomous cars as defined by SAE International. In combination with another driver assistance function such as lane centering, the vehicle is considered a level 2 autonomous vehicle.

Adaptive cruise controls does not offer full autonomy: the system only provides some assistance to the driver but does not drive the car itself.

Related: What is Cruise Control?

How adaptive cruise control works?

By monitoring other vehicles and objects on the road, adaptive cruise control enables a safe and comfortable driving experience.

The driver can set his preferences for certain factors such as the distance to the vehicle in front, driving mode, for example economical, sporty or comfortable, and others. Along with information about speed limits, road curvature, accident data, and more, these decisions affect the auto-selected speed.

Cruise control has come a long way since its inception to assist drivers on the road. When it was first introduced, it was only found in luxury car models due to its high cost of production. Adaptive cruise control is now becoming a standard feature in new vehicles as lower-cost sensors became available.

What are the types of adaptive cruise control?

There are two main types of adaptive cruise controls: laser-based systems and radar-based systems.

Whichever system your car uses, the basic functionality remains the same, with radar or lasers constantly scanning the road ahead for obstacles. Some cars have two radars or lasers: one to cover obstacles near the vehicle and one to cover further distances of up to around 200m.

1. Radar-Based Systems

Radar-based systems work by placing radar-based sensors on or around plastic trim to detect your vehicle’s surroundings. Each radar sensor works together to create a comprehensive picture of the vehicle’s proximity to other cars or potentially dangerous objects. This type of sensor can look different depending on the design and model of the car.

2. Laser-Based Systems

This type of ACC system operates from a large black box, typically placed in your vehicle’s front grille. It uses laser technology to detect the proximity of objects to your car. It doesn’t work well in rainstorms and other weather conditions.

3. Binocular Computer Vision Systems (Optical)

This is a relatively new ACC system that started operating in 2013. It uses small cameras mounted on the back of a vehicle’s rearview mirror to detect forward-facing objects.

4. Assisting Systems

Assistance systems are radar-based add-ons that customers can buy together. These pre-crash systems can provide lane control, brake assist, cruise control, proximity alerts to objects such as corners, and steering power.

5. Multi-Sensor Systems

Adaptive cruise control systems sometimes integrate more than one type of sensor to aid in the operation of a vehicle. Multi-sensor systems include several different types of sensors to provide enhanced information to a driver. These sensors may include GPS data devices or cameras to gather information about a vehicle’s geographic surroundings and proximity to other cars.

6. Predictive Systems

Prediction systems are a type of ACC that uses sensory data to predict the actions of nearby vehicles. This means your car may slow down to prepare for another vehicle suddenly changing lanes, thereby promoting passenger safety.

How Much Does an Adaptive Cruise Control System Cost?

The cost of an adaptive cruise control system will vary depending on how many features you want. If you’re going to have an ACC with all available features, you should be willing to pay anywhere between $2000 and $2500.

If you are looking for minimal cruise control that would benefit speeds of up to 20-25 miles per hour, these more basic ACCs can cost as low as $500. The good news is that as ACC becomes more common, it will most likely reduce in price.

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It?

If your commute is long and you think you can learn to trust technology (while always being alert and ready to take over immediately when needed), adaptive cruise control could be a very worthwhile upgrade.

Leaving the car on the accelerator and brakes for most of your commute home from work can greatly reduce the stress associated with driving. However, if a system is equipped with driving logic that bites the brake too hard when stopping, or allows too much clearance in the tightest setting, you may find that for the rest of the time you only use the technology once and never again own car

Advantages of Adaptive Cruise Control

Despite being an unnerving system to engage with at first, adaptive cruise control contains 3 compelling benefits compared to normal driving:

Convenience: On long journeys, adaptive cruise control can help drivers relax and be able to rely on their car for some time without having to take their eyes off the road completely. If you have the traffic jam assistant, ACC can also make your daily commute immensely less stressful.
Speed Consistency: ACC can move your car at a constant speed within legal limits. This can be especially helpful when driving on the road, when an open freeway and other distractions can cause you to press harder on the accelerator.
Fuel Efficiency: Driving style is one of the main factors affecting fuel economy. Constantly adjusting the speed burns more fuel. ACC uses the accelerator and brake systems only when absolutely necessary.

Disadvantages of Adaptive Cruise Control

However good a system is, it will also have its cons. If you are using cruise control , you should be cautious, because some of the disadvantages can be catastrophic.

You can over-relax. Adaptive cruise control was developed primarily to reduce the driver’s driving stress. However, with the system doing much of the work, a driver can become disconnected from the road, which in turn can reduce their awareness. This means if the car in front brakes suddenly or an animal suddenly crosses the lane, you may not be able to react in time. The fact that the driver is unable to react effectively to changing road conditions makes it dangerous.
Technology may fail. Although some improvements have been made to the adaptive cruise control used in modern vehicles, the technology can still let you down at times. For example, if the cruise control fails, it can be almost impossible to brake your car. Although these cases are rare, the fact remains that they can occur. This makes it dangerous, especially if the vehicle you are driving is an older model.

Can Electric Cars Save You Money? Exploring Cost Efficiency and Savings

30 Basic Car Body Parts Names and Their Function

What Does A Yield Sign Mean?

How Many Amps Is a Car Battery?

Hybrid and Electric Car Dashboard Symbols

100+ Car Dashboard Warning Lights Explained

Hybrids & EVs
Motorsports

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It? Absolutely

Many gearheads and car enthusiasts will scoff at convenient features like automatic transmissions and adaptive cruise control. They want to keep things simple and drive normally. But according to Doug DeMuro , they shouldn’t write off adaptive cruise control so fast. In fact, DeMuro thinks that it’s the best feature that you can get in a car, ever. Here’s why.

According to DeMuro, having adaptive cruise control on his cars has changed his life because of what it does for him in traffic. Adaptive cruise control is a simple but advanced technology. It uses radars in your car to see the car in front of you, and then based on what that car’s doing, it’ll speed up or slow down your car up to a maximum speed that you can set.

So in a traffic setting where, without adaptive cruise control, you’d have to speed up and then slow down repetitively over and over again, adaptive cruise control becomes a big lifesaver. Rather than tediously press on the gas for a few seconds only to brake again, adaptive cruise control does all of that for you.

On top of that, in a lot of these dense traffic situations, you won’t have to actually use your steering wheel much since you don’t have to make many turns. So with adaptive cruise control in these situations, you can drive almost hands free. Don’t get DeMuro wrong though, you shouldn’t turn on adaptive cruise control and look at your phone the whole time, you still have to pay attention to the road.

However, with adaptive cruise control turned on while in heavy traffic situations, you basically don’t have to do much of anything. And if you’re in heavy traffic as often as DeMuro is, then adaptive cruise control also means that you won’t be tired by the end of your commute.

But not highways

DeMuro does caution though that adaptive cruise control isn’t useful at all for highways where there’s not much bumper-to-bumper traffic going on. If your car doesn’t have to come to a full stop often, then turning on adaptive cruise control just becomes worse than driving without it.

That’s because of the safety features that manufacturers built into the system. They wanted to make adaptive cruise control as safe as possible, so the safe cruising distance between you and the car that you’re following is massive.

It’s so massive in fact, that at regular highway speeds, DeMuro says that other people will just cut in front of your car because of how much open space there is. As a result, unless you really want adaptive cruise control on, driving regularly will just be faster and better overall while at highway speeds.

Radar cruise control doesn't get close enough to the car in front! https://t.co/1LJew8dOHn pic.twitter.com/w37D7xqd3I — Doug DeMuro (@DougDeMuro) October 4, 2017

One thing that DeMuro mentions to look out for when shopping for adaptive cruise control systems is whether or not it’s a full-range adaptive cruise control system. Some systems have a minimum speed limit and that minimum speed limit makes it impossible to use the adaptive cruise control in heavy traffic as DeMuro described.

Obviously, if the adaptive cruise control system can’t do what DeMuro loves it for, then it’s not worth it. He says that your best bet is to just try out the adaptive cruise control systems of cars to make sure they are truly full range.

On top of that, DeMuro stresses that you really have to do your research before buying it. Some adaptive cruise control systems, for example, won’t come to a full stop, and that will be extremely problematic in traffic and on highways.

Adaptive cruise control isn’t a futuristic and pricey technology too like semi-autonomous driving cars are. DeMuro mentions that there are cars that are about 7 years old that have this technology. Buying those cars is a much cheaper way to get access to adaptive cruise control than buying a brand-new one.

NFL Star Rashee Rice Flees After Wrecking a Corvette

The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse on display

The Ford Mustang Dark Horse Price Is Slightly Lower as a Manual

2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 muscle car at a drag strip

Gas-Powered Legends That Aren’t Available for 2024, Signaling the End of an Era

J.L. Seto began contributing content to MotorBiscuit in 2019. She’s always been fascinated with the technology behind cars. When she’s not writing about electric vehicles or the best cars to buy, she enjoys watching movies.

Ford Territory

Cars in your comparison, is adaptive cruise control worth it.

Let’s critique one of the “it” features in the industry today, adaptive cruise control.

It’s hard to deny the progress that the car industry has made in the Philippines and in the world as a whole. There are new models coming in left and right and from far and wide touting the “latest” in smart technologies that aid drivers and elevate the experience in the car. However, there is one such feature that has been in vogue lately, especially with manufacturers that want to make a dent in the market.

That “me too” feature is adaptive cruise control, and having it is great, but it’s a bit of a double-edged sword. Not having the feature might put a chink in the armor of quite a few cars, but in the absence of it a deal-breaker, or a viable value-add?

What is adaptive cruise control?

In a nutshell, it’s a radar-based system that is smarter than the basic cruise control system. The radar will sense if there is a car in front of you, and slow down your vehicle based on its speed relative to your car. Essentially, it adds a layer of safety to an otherwise one-dimensional system. Think of it as a safety net just in case or a comfort adds for those long drives out on the highway.

We wouldn’t recommend that you use adaptive cruise control in the city, but there have been innovations made such as the case with the adaptive cruise found in Toyota’s Safety Sense, Honda SENSING, Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite, Subaru’s EyeSight, and others that go under the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) packages found in a lot of cars these days. These strides have allowed adaptive cruise control to be more than just a tool on the highway, and it’s safe to say that the feature is as smart as ever.

The “it” feature?

You’ve noticed it too, right? Adaptive cruise control is one of the features in vogue nowadays, and it’s turned into a sort of “ badge of honor ” for top-of-the-line cars, well most top-spec cars anyway. One of the first vehicles to introduce an adaptive cruise control system was the Ford Ranger then it was passed onto the Everest, and then the rest of the industry followed.

The other brands that followed include but are not limited to, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Subaru, Isuzu , Mazda , and others. What’s interesting is that even the Chinese brands are also throwing their hat into the adaptive cruise control ring with brands like GAC , Changan , Geely , and even newer entries like GWM . Now, pretty much everyone has it, so is it even worth considering if another brand will do the same thing but for much less?

Quality Over Quantity

It has to be said, but quality should always trump quantity. Simply adding an adaptive cruise system on a car without tuning it for the platform and the driving conditions that it will face is going to be more of a hindrance than a benefit. That being said, the quality of the system must be noted when looking for the feature.

Considering that the model you picked with the feature is a great driving car that has an adaptive cruise is only half the story. Again, the system has to be refined, and not all systems are created equal. There are some that are already in top form, while there are others that still need a bit of refinement. Is adaptive cruise control worth having if it’s not refined? Definitely not.

What makes it worth it?

For us, adaptive cruise control alone shouldn’t be a deal maker or deal breaker. For a good chunk of your time driving, you probably won’t use the feature anyway. However, it is the rest of the things that are bundled in that make having adaptive cruise control worth it.

Nowadays, it’s common to see adaptive cruise control bundled in with other features that also utilize the same system which makes it a magical experience. The radar upfront allows the car to detect if there is an obstacle in front of you. Lane-keeping or lane-tracing assist often works in tandem with the cruise system, and that’s also a value add. Because the radar can detect obstacles, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking are a thing with cars that come with adaptive cruise control, and we believe that these other safety features are way more important and worthwhile than a cruise control system alone.

While we cannot say that adaptive cruise control was the most revolutionary feature to come to the mainstream in recent years, we can safely say that it paved the way for cars to be smarter and safer.

However, on its own, it has to depend on the type of driving you will do. If you find yourself on the highway for long stretches, and for extended periods of time where you have to keep constant pressure on the accelerator and monitor your brake pedal, then perhaps the feature is more worth it on its own. However, you might find that drives around the city don’t really make the feature a must-have. That’s about it, really, however, do consider the other features that come with the adaptive cruise control system.

Latest features.

best 7 seaters you can buy for under 1.5 million pesos

Best 7-seaters you can buy for under P1.5-million / Featured Article

Looking to get a 7-seater vehicle? Heres a quick list to get your search started

Common mistakes when buying a vehicle / Featured Article

Learn about the typical mistakes many make when purchasing a vehicle and how to avoid them to make sure a wise and satisfying car purchase.

Five things we love about the Suzuki XL7 Hybrid / Featured Article

The Suzuki XL7 Hybrid: an already great seven-seater crossover made even better with these five features.

2024 Audi RS5 Sportback: A Comprehensive Guide On Features, Specs, And Pricing

Quick links, whats new for 2024, engine specifications and performance, interior technology and comfort, safety and reliability, 2024 audi rs5 sportback versus its competitors, how much does a 2024 audi rs5 sportback cost, fuel economy, is it worth buying the audi rs5 sportback.

The Audi RS5 Sportback is a hot sedan from Audi with a twist. Instead of the conventional body seen on the Audi RS5 Coupe, it's technically classified by Audi as a "five-door coupe", due to the sloped nature of its roofline at the rear end. The RS5 Sportback has been on the market for five years now, and received a significant refresh following the 2021 model year.

A car as unique as the RS5 Sportback deserves a full rundown, and HotCars aims to do just that. In our comprehensive model overview, we're going to comb through all aspects of the sporty five-door coupe, including styling, powertrain, fuel economy, and pricing. We'll also be pitting the RS5 Sportback against two of its competitors later on. For now, read on, and we'll see what's what with the 2024 Audi RS5 Sportback .

2024 Audi RS5 Sportback

Expert Opinion: The Audi RS5 Sportback is a five-door coupe with a sporty edge. With over 440 horsepower at its disposal, along with Audi's iconic Quattro AWD system, the RS5 Sportback is poised to tear up the track and keep you in control when the road gets slippery. Pricing begins at $79,900 for the 2024 model year.

Engine/Motor 2.9-Liter Twin-Turbo TFSI V6

Horsepower 444 HP

Torque 442 LB-FT

Drivetrain Quattro AWD

Transmission 8-Speed Tiptronic Automatic

MSRP From $79,900

0-60 MPH 3.8 Seconds

Great Styling
More Versatile Than A Sedan
Well-Balanced Handling
Cramped Rear Seats
Less Powerful Than Competitors
Missing Some Performance Features Seen On Competing Models

This guide provides comprehensive information provided by the manufacturer. HotCars sourced additional data for reliability (from J.D. Power), EPA gas mileage (Fueleconomy.gov), safety ratings (IIHS), and recalls (NHTSA). We evaluate five different metrics when determining a rating for each model. You can read our Methodology page for more information about our rating system.

Despite the RS5 Sportback's unique classification as a five-door coupe , it largely resembles a typical sedan, save for a trunkline that meshes with the roofline. At its front, a wide, stretched hexagonal grille showcasing a black Four Rings Audi emblem at its center takes up most of the space. A pair of wide air inlets sit at either end of the grille, allowing air to be funneled over the front wheels.

Down the RS5 Sportback's flanks, one can see the five-door coupe design in action, exemplified by the sloped roofline tying into the rear end without a bend or bump. The Sportback's rear end boasts many chiseled lines, which are best shown by the sculpted bumper and trunk lip.

Buyers who wish for a more dynamic experience may opt for the RS5 Sportback Competition Package, which adds black and matte carbon accents, along with red brake calipers. An exclusive Audi exterior paint color called Sebring Black is offered in the package, as well.

2024 Highlights

Not much has changed for the RS5 Sportback's 2024 model year, however there are a few minor changes:

New standard driver assistance features have been added, including Adaptive Cruise Control.
A new paint color called Progressive Red Metallic is offered.
The Audi Connect Plus trial now offers six months of outside app integration into the infotainment system.

Exterior Dimensions

The sole engine offered on the 2024 RS5 Sportback is Audi's 2.9-liter twin-turbo TFSI V6. Thanks to some performance goodies like Audi valvelift and variable valve timing , the 2.9-liter can produce 444 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. While these numbers trail behind some competitors like the BMW M3, the RS5 Sportback is still able to get from 0-60 MPH in 3.8 seconds and, if you opt for the Competition Package, on to a top speed of 180 MPH.

Otherwise, the RS5 Sportback's top speed is limited to 155 MPH. An Audi-bred eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission handles the power from the engine and a Quattro all-wheel drive system applies said power to the pavement. Front and rear axles are treated to Audi RennSport RS Sport Suspension , which promises both on-road comfort and track-day performance.

Performance Specifications

These are the best features of the 2023 audi rs5 sportback competition plus, best interior features of the 2024 audi rs5 sportback.

Standard Panoramic Sunroof
Standard Tri-Zone Climate Control
Standard Massage Seats
Coupe Design Increases Cargo Space
Optional RS Design Package

The RS5 Sportback's cabin showcases Audi's affinity for elegant sportiness. The entire space is upholstered in Nappa leather, unless you opt for the RS Design Package, which replaces the leather with Alcántara surfaces and splashes red accents and stitching throughout.

Regardless of your package choice, you'll be treated to standard heated, ventilated, and massage-ready seats in the front row . A racing-derived flat-bottomed steering wheel sits in front of a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster on the driver's side, and the passenger is treated to a Quattro badge positioned on the dashboard. Rear seat headroom is plentiful thanks to the five-door coupe design.

Another upside to the RS5 Sportback's unique shape is increased cargo capacity, which sits at 21.8 cubic feet with the rear seats in a fixed position, and just about 35 cubes with the rear seats folded flat. You miss out on electronically-controlled seat releases, so be prepared for a long reach over to fold the rear seats down with the manually-operated levers.

At the center of the RS5 Sportback's technological appointments is a 10.1-inch infotainment touch screen. The system is new, and replaces the old 8.3-inch display which needed to be navigated via a center console-mounted rotary dial. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard , along with Bluetooth connectivity. A Qi wireless charging pad is also standard. If you consider yourself an audiophile, you can opt for a Bang & Olufsen sound system to up the stereo's ante.

Interior Dimensions

Add HotCars to your Google News feed.

The 2024 RS5 Sportback comes with a complement of six airbags, along with standard automatic emergency braking. While the model hasn't been evaluated by the IIHS or NHTSA, other Audi models receive generally good ratings, so it's safe to assume the 2024 RS5 Sportback will follow suit.

Driver Assistance Features

All RS5 Sportback models come standard with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability , and lane-keeping assist. Owners are also treated to standard lane-departure warning. Additionally, you can opt for blind-spot monitoring and self-parking assist.

Standard Lane Keeping Assist
Standard Adaptive Cruise Control W/ Stop & Go Capability
Standard Automatic Emergency Braking
Optional Blind-Spot Monitoring
Optional Self-Parking Assist

IIHS Crash Testing

*The Audi RS5 Sportback has not been tested by the IIHS

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

*The Audi RS5 Sportback has not been rated by the NHTSA

Recalls (NHTSA): 0
NHTSA Investigations: 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints: 0
Awards: None

Throttle House Races New BMW M4 Vs Audi RS5 Vs Mercedes-AMG C63 S

The 2024 Audi RS5 Sportback's warranty program falls in line with other typical German warranty structures. A four-year/50,000-mile warranty covers most everything. This includes powertrain and bumper-to-bumper coverage. Additionally, a roadside assistance program lasts for four years with no mileage limit. Unfortunately, Audi does not offer any sort of complimentary maintenance on their models, but they do cover corrosion for 12 years with unlimited mileage.

Even though the RS5 Sportback carries a unique classification and shape, it still has a host of competitors to contend with. The German sedan war has always been a close battle, and the RS5 Sportback finds itself in its midst. So, to fulfill our due diligence, we're going to compare our Audi to two of its rivals: the BMW M3 and the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. We'll briefly go through the specs of each and try to figure out which is best.

How The Audi RS5 Sportback Compares To The BMW M3 Competition

Our first competitor is the 2024 BMW M3 . The M3 is about as iconic as German sports cars get, and it fully deserves its famous status thanks to decades of impeccable engineering and great styling. The Audi RS-line directly competes with BMW's M-line, so these two cars stand toe-to-toe.

At first glance, the advantage goes to the Beamer, because when it comes to performance sedans, power matters a lot. For about $3,000 less, you receive almost 30 more horsepower at base level. Not to mention, the Competition-grade M3 boasts an additional 70 horsepower on top of that, although with a higher price tag. You also don't have the option to don a manual transmission in the Audi, which is a big bummer for those interested in adding a level of rawness to their drive.

However, while you gain some power and a manual in the BMW, you'll have to do without all-wheel drive at entry-level, whereas in the Audi you are given the Quattro AWD system right off the bat. With identical 0-60 mph times and handsome looks from both, it seems the BMW wins out here, although by a thin margin.

How The Audi RS5 Sportback Compares To The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

2024 alfa romeo giulia quadrifoglio.

Engine/Motor 2.9L Twin-Turbo V6

Horsepower 505 HP

Torque 443 LB-FT

Drivetrain RWD

Transmission 8-Speed Automatic

MSRP From $81,370

The RS5 Sportback's next competitor is the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio sports sedan . Despite the long-winded name, the Alfa has quite a penchant for speed, seeing as it comes standard with over 500 horsepower at its disposal. These two marques are also long-standing rivals, especially in motorsport.

As we mentioned before, the Alfa has over 60 more horsepower at its disposal from its equally-sized 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. It also sports more torque, though by only one pound-foot. However, it's clear Alfa Romeo was more interested in power and straight line speed than anything else, seeing as it lacks an all-wheel drive option.

Much like the Audi, it also has an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds. The Audi takes the cake when it comes to driver aids and performance-enhancing upgrades like its RS sport suspension. In the end, unless you want to boast about having 500 horsepower, the Audi is the one to have here.

The 2024 Audi RS5 Sportback comes with two trim options. The base RS5 Sportback comes in with a base price of $79,900 before any options are added. If you want to option the Competition Package onto your RS5 Sportback, prepare to fork over $90,200. The Competition Package is technically an option rather than a trim, but with the sharp increase in price and the difference in top speed, it deserves to be outlined here.

Audi RS Vs BMW M: Which Performance Cars Reign Supreme?

The 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 is the sole engine offered in the 2024 RS5 Sportback. It won't come as a surprise that the 444-horsepower six-cylinder wasn't exactly built with fuel economy in mind. However, it can still manage a 20 MPG combined fuel economy rating. In the city, you can expect to get about 18 MPG and 25 MPG on the highway. On average, expect to pay about $3,450 in fuel per year.

The 2024 Audi RS5 Sportback is an interesting car. It's a sedan based on the RS5 Coupe, which calls itself a coupe, albeit with five doors. Despite the weirdness of its classification, the RS5 Sportback has a largely-conventional sedan look, coupled with the Audi RS-line's muscular looks.

With all of that being said, we can say it is worth buying the 2024 RS5 Sportback, but on one condition; if you don't want a BMW M3. It's hard to compete with the best BMW has to offer, and, unfortunately, the Audi just comes up short. However, apart from the beating by BMW, the RS5 Sportback is still worth the money. You'll receive a good-looking car with well-sorted handling at an agreeable price for the power it makes from that 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6.

2024 Audi RS5 Sportback: A Comprehensive Guide On Features, Specs, And Pricing

IMAGES

What is adaptive cruise control, and how does it work?
Adaptive Cruise Control
What is Adaptive cruise control?
Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go
Adaptive cruise control: How does it work and is it safe?
What Is Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)? Video

VIDEO

adaptive cruise control Testing on xuv7OO 🧐
Cruise Control Hack for Highway’s 🔥
FUNCTION ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL DAN LANE KEEP CONTROL YANG TERDAPAT PADA MYVI 1.5 L AV
การใช้ระบบ Adaptive Cruise Control ในรถยนต์ไฟฟ้า #BYD Dolphin Std
Adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist
This Game is Out of Control

COMMENTS

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 ...
Guide to Adaptive Cruise Control
Updated May 9, 2022. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is like traditional cruise control, but smarter. ACC systems allow you to set a desired speed until your vehicle encounters slower-moving traffic ...
Why Your Next Car Needs Adaptive Cruise Control
Old-school cruise control was barely worth the effort it took to turn on, but modern ACC is 100-percent worth the increased price. Thankfully, with the rise in technology almost any new car is essentially a giant computer, and most new automobiles come with advanced or adaptive cruise control.
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?
It depends. While any technology that will make your life easier and safer is arguably worth it, adaptive cruise control can be a pricey option in some cars. You may have to buy a trim above the base and/or add a package. However, in many cars, adaptive cruise control comes standard, usually as part of a full suite of active safety technologies.
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 ...
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 a system designed to help road vehicles maintain a safe following distance and stay within the speed limit. This system adjusts a car's speed automatically so ...
Understanding Adaptive Cruise Control: A Comprehensive Guide
Adaptive cruise control is a special safety feature that enables your vehicle to control its speed and select other features some of the time. This feature lets your car slow down when necessary to avoid collisions or when your vehicle is too close to the other drivers on the road. This is really helpful while driving on the highways and during ...
What is adaptive cruise control?
Adaptive cruise control takes it to the next level. It maintains a set speed for your vehicle, like a conventional cruise control system, but it also adjusts the speed based on the traffic flow ...
What is adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control is a more intelligent system: You'll first need to reach the desired speed by accelerating as normal. Once you're happy with your speed, you can press the 'set' button. You'll now be able to set the distance you'd like to keep between your vehicle and the one in front. If the car ahead starts to slow, your ...
Adaptive cruise control
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 basic functionality. This is also known as Dynamic cruise control.
Adaptive Cruise Control: How Does It Work and Do You Actually Need It
These days, there are several affordable cars with adaptive cruise control. Among the cheapest cars with this safety feature is the 2021 Nissan Versa SR, which unlike the base model Versa starts at $18,390. The 2021 Toyota Corolla, on the other hand, comes standard with it and boasts a base price of $20,025. Lots of other vehicles offer it too ...
What is Adaptive Cruise Control?
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an active safety system that automatically controls the acceleration and braking of a vehicle. It is activated through a button on the steering wheel and cancelled by driver's braking and/or another button. Even the biggest car enthusiasts have journeys they wish to be chauffeured through, or at least ...
What Is Adaptive Cruise Control? Is It Worth Paying For?
With Subaru, we have Adaptive Cruise Control and Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering. With Honda as well as Acura, the name changes to Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow. The system is called Active Cruise Control, Active Cruise Control with Stop and Go for BMW. With Hyundai, this system is named Smart Cruise Control.
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.
Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It in 2024?
Adaptive cruise control takes the typical cruise control function to new heights with sensors. It's almost certainly worth it in 2024. It's 2024. That means artificial intelligence (AI), planned habitats on the moon, and "The Fast and the Furious" films in the double digits. Hell, science fiction movies from the 1980s and 1990s predicted ...
What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an active safety system that automatically controls the acceleration and braking of a vehicle. It is activated through a button on the steering wheel and canceled by the driver's braking and/or another button. It does so by helping the driver keep a steady vehicle speed at a given moment.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control is a more sophisticated version of the speed-maintaining cruise-control system we've become familiar with over the last few decades. Nathan Ponchard 06:40 27 March 2019
A guide to adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an intelligent form of cruise control that allows vehicles to speed up and slow down automatically in order to keep pace with the traffic ahead. ACC is also known as autonomous cruise control, active cruise control, intelligent cruise control and radar cruise control. But regardless of what it's called, it's ...
Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It? Absolutely
According to DeMuro, having adaptive cruise control on his cars has changed his life because of what it does for him in traffic. Adaptive cruise control is a simple but advanced technology. It uses radars in your car to see the car in front of you, and then based on what that car's doing, it'll speed up or slow down your car up to a maximum ...
Is adaptive cruise control worth it?
For us, adaptive cruise control alone shouldn't be a deal maker or deal breaker. For a good chunk of your time driving, you probably won't use the feature anyway. However, it is the rest of the things that are bundled in that make having adaptive cruise control worth it. Nowadays, it's common to see adaptive cruise control bundled in with ...
Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It?
Cruise control vs Adaptive Cruise Control....is there a big difference?When a dealership tries to sell you on the adaptive cruise control on your new car, sh...
Enjoy cruising with your adaptive cruise control
The adaptive cruise control system is pretty smart, David. Unlike, say, me. Most of these systems use cameras and lidar to monitor the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you — and continuously measure how quickly that distance is changing. Based on that information, the cruise control system will then maintain your desired ...
2024 Audi RS5 Sportback: A Comprehensive Guide On Features, Specs ...
Standard Adaptive Cruise Control W/ Stop & Go Capability ... With all of that being said, we can say it is worth buying the 2024 RS5 Sportback, but on one condition; if you don't want a BMW M3. ...

Guide to Adaptive Cruise Control

What to Look For in an Adaptive Cruise Control System

Sharing is Nice

How-To Geek

Quick Links

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?

Advanced Driver-Assist Systems Make Our Lives Easier (and Safer)

The History of Cruise Control

What Is Cruise Control?

How Does Adaptive Cruise Control Work?

What Are the Limitations of Adaptive Cruise Control?

Should You Avoid Cars That Don’t Have Adaptive Cruise Control?

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth it?

Which Cars Have Adaptive Cruise Control?

More on the 2021 Honda Civic

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

Recommended Articles

This VIN is corresponding to more than one vehicle

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?

What is Adaptive Cruise Control?

How Do Cars with Adaptive Cruise Control Function?

What is the Difference Between Adaptive Cruise Control vs. Cruise Control?

How to Operate Adaptive Cruise Control

The Benefits of Adaptive Cruise Control Cars

FREE Vehicle Search

More resources

What is adaptive cruise control?

What to look for in an adaptive cruise control system

Mercedes-Benz

Editors' Recommendations

What is adaptive cruise control – and is it worth it?

What is adaptive cruise control?

How does adaptive cruise control work, and how is it different to standard cruise control?

How adaptive cruise control works

What is the difference between normal cruise control and adaptive cruise control?

What use cases are supported by modern adaptive cruise control?

The TomTom ADAS Map: designed for intelligent cruise control use cases

The TomTom ADAS Map includes the following attributes:

Bosch and TomTom

What is the future of adaptive cruise control?

People also read

How ADAS helps truck drivers stay safe and drive efficiently

The future of mobility is connected

Measuring road traffic density: what you need to know

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control? Is It Worth Paying For?

Adaptive Cruise Control: Is This Feature For You?

The Convenience of Adaptive Cruise Control

The Limitations of Adaptive Cruise Control

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It?

Automakers with Amazing Adaptive Cruise Control System

Meet the Subaru Family

How does Adaptive Cruise Control Work?

Benefits of Adaptive Cruise Control

Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control in Subaru Vehicles

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

What Is Adaptive Cruise Control?

How adaptive cruise control works?

What are the types of adaptive cruise control?

1. Radar-Based Systems

2. Laser-Based Systems

3. Binocular Computer Vision Systems (Optical)

4. Assisting Systems

5. Multi-Sensor Systems

6. Predictive Systems

How Much Does an Adaptive Cruise Control System Cost?

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It?

Advantages of Adaptive Cruise Control

Disadvantages of Adaptive Cruise Control

Related Posts

Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It? Absolutely

But not highways

NFL Star Rashee Rice Flees After Wrecking a Corvette

The Ford Mustang Dark Horse Price Is Slightly Lower as a Manual

Gas-Powered Legends That Aren’t Available for 2024, Signaling the End of an Era

Ford Territory

What is adaptive cruise control?

The “it” feature?

Quality Over Quantity

What makes it worth it?

Related Articles