- Ford has launched its latest BlueCruise 1.5 in the 2025 Mustang Mach-E.
- The system automatically changes lanes to pass slow-moving vehicles.
- In our testing, it performed smoothly and drove in a human-like manner.
The family road trip used to be a grueling slog, but technology has made things significantly better. That’s especially true if your car is equipped with a semi-autonomous driving system such as Ford’s BlueCruise.
Launched in 2021, the Level 2 system allows for hands-free operation on approximately 130,000 miles (209,215 km) of divided highways in North America. Since its debut, Ford has continually updated the system by adding new features and capabilities. The automaker has also continued to refine the technology to deliver a more comfortable and human-like driving experience.
More: I Tried Out GM’s Smarter Super Cruise And It Feels Promising
The latest version of BlueCruise debuted on the 2025 Mustang Mach-E, and it recently took us for a spin around Detroit. While we only had a brief encounter with the system, it’s impressively capable.
BlueCruise 1.5 is the latest evolution of the semi-autonomous driving system, and it introduces automatic lane changes. This means if you’re traveling hands-free on the highway at 70 mph and catch up to a semi doing 65 mph, the system will automatically change lanes to pass the slower vehicle.
Interestingly, the system can do this proactively, so you’re not stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle at all. As an example, we were quickly approaching a slow-moving van in the right lane, and the Mach-E initiated a lane change before we caught up to it. That’s a nice touch and mirrors what a human driver would do.
The entire experience is seamless as BlueCruise constantly monitors its surroundings and will change lanes once there’s an opening in an adjacent lane, as well as enough time to get over safely. Drivers are well-informed about what’s going on, as there are audio and visual prompts before a lane change occurs. The system will also tell you why it’s changing lanes with a message saying something along the lines of “slower vehicle ahead.”
This communication is fantastic as it’s unnerving when a semi-autonomous vehicle does something you weren’t expecting. It also builds confidence and trust in the technology, which is important as some consumers remain skeptical.
Drivers can easily override the system by holding the steering wheel in place or tapping the turn signal in the opposite direction of the lane change. This is useful when you’re approaching an exit and want to stay in your current lane.
When the system performs a lane change, it’s remarkably smooth and seems to slide over as good as, if not even better than some human drivers. In effect, if you were sitting in the back seat and not paying attention, you might be none the wiser.
Besides being able to automatically change lanes to pass slower vehicles, BlueCruise 1.5 can get out of the way of vehicles that want to pass you. Due to light traffic during our testing, we only encountered this once or twice, but it worked as intended. However, the Mach-E lingered in its lane for a while before getting over, much to the chagrin of the speeder behind us.
Michael Gauthier
That seems to be intentional, as officials told us the automatic lane change function is biased to keep you in your current lane. Ford also designed the system so that it doesn’t constantly change lanes, because that’s not what people do themselves.
However, the system does a good job of determining when an automatic lane change would be beneficial. If it doesn’t, you can tap the turn signal and get the Mach-E to perform an automatic lane change for you.
BlueCruise is intuitive to use and does a good job of keeping the vehicle centered in its lane. This is aided by the previous 1.4 update, which eliminated the side-to-side movement that was common in earlier versions of the technology. The system also handles curves well and can travel considerable distances without intervention.
Unfortunately, BlueCruise 1.5 requires more memory and processing power than earlier versions of the technology. These hardware requirements mean existing vehicles can’t be upgraded. That’s a bit of a bummer, but BlueCruise 1.5 will soon spread to other models besides the Mach-E.
A BlueCruise Plan For Everyone
Ford offers an assortment of ways to get BlueCruise, as customers can make a one-time payment of $2,495 to get a minimum of seven years of service. Customers can also pay $495 per year or $49.99 per month. New BlueCruise-equipped vehicles also come with a 90-day complimentary trial, which enables drivers to try out the system and experience its benefits.
All the options sound like overkill, but it’s a boon for consumers. For example, if you work from home or only have a short commute, you probably don’t need BlueCruise. However, if you’re going on a vacation and driving hundreds of miles, you can pay $49.99 and have a far more relaxing trip.
