What just happened? Tesla might have done a lot of things first, but Cadillac has won Consumer Reports' first test of semi-autonomous driving capabilities. After putting four systems through rigorous testing, Cadillac's was given high rankings for making it clear when enabling Super Cruise is safe and keeping drivers alert.
Consumer Reports has been known for testing a variety of household goods and vehicles and has now decided to launch a formal process for evaluating semi-autonomous driving features. Director of automotive testing Jake Fisher refers to self-driving capabilities and reasons, "we are at a tipping point where they are now going mainstream."
Tesla may have the biggest fan base of tech enthusiasts since the company does tend to push more boundaries of design and what is even possible to implement in a consumer vehicle, but it does not hold the crown from initial tests. Cadillac's CT6 sedan with Super Cruise takes home the top spot and leaves Tesla's Autopilot tech in second place.
Arriving third, ProPilot Assist found in the Infinity QX50 and Nissan Leaf was found to be one of the best systems for keeping drivers alert. Lastly, Pilot Assist on Volvo's XC40 and XC60 was found to be competitive, but still not up to par with others.
Even though Cadillac is the winner of Consumer Reports' testing, there are many limitations of each system that could make one more useful to you depending on your driving habits and region. Cadillac's system only works on divided highways that GM has already had the opportunity to map out. Rural areas need not apply. On the contrary, Tesla's Autopilot is able to be turned on with poor lane markings on winding roads without prior mapping required. However, there were mentions of erratic operation under such conditions so it may not be truly viable for curvy, poorly paved roads just yet.
Tesla does have one win though that is important to many buyers that can afford the luxury of high tech features. Ease of use and general capabilities go to Autopilot. Out of the systems tested, Autopilot was ranked as being easy to understand and most intuitive to use.