But recently, I got a chance to really challenge Super Cruise. I had a two-hour drive home, a Cadillac Vistiq to review, and an opportunity to see just how good GM\u2019s self-driving system really is. To pass, the Cadillac had to get from the New Jersey border to the city I inhabit two hours away in Upstate New York with no further input from me.<\/p>\n
What did Super Cruise self driving do exactly?<\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/gmc-supercruise-3200x1800-MY25_Yukon_DENALI_SUPERCRUISE_1920X1080_H_264-1-1024x579.jpg\")
Credit: GM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThere\u2019s that little bit of North Jersey where Route 17 joins I-87, it\u2019s just south of the New York border and around two hours from the exit I need to take for Schenectady. That\u2019s where I engaged Super Cruise, my feet left the pedals, and my hands left the wheel.<\/p>\n
Now here\u2019s where you may be thinking \u201ca long stretch of interstate isn\u2019t that bad, this isn\u2019t that much of a challenge.\u201d But that bit of Interstate has a lot to contend with. There\u2019s chaotic traffic just outside of NYC, various toll scanners, road works around Catskill, a multitude of hazards, and a little bit where 87 heads up towards Canada, and<\/em> you need to stay left to merge onto I-90.<\/p>\nMy challenge, for the afternoon, was not to touch the controls. No hands on the wheel, no foot on the brake, even tapping one of the indicator stalks would count as a failure. Annoyingly, this means I only had the coffee I set off with, no food, and the next bathroom I encountered would be my own. But it was only two hours, and I\u2019m happy suffering so you lovely people can read things like this. Obviously.<\/p>\n
Super Cruise didn\u2019t just pass this test; it went above and beyond. The automatic lane changes were basically in sync with what I would have done. There were one or two points where I just started thinking, \u201cI\u2019d move across here,\u201d only to see the directional start to flash and the Cadillac I was testing move over. It stayed left when I needed to branch onto 90. I\u2019m not sure if it communicates with the map system, but it also moved me to the right lane when my exit to Schenectady was approaching, and it seemed to gesture as if it was going to take the exit for me.<\/p>\n
My hands hit the wheel, and I took the exit myself. The challenge was complete as far as I was concerned, and I wasn\u2019t rolling the dice on Super Cruise doing something pretty complex for a Level 2 system. I don\u2019t want to drive through Rotterdam.<\/p>\n
I had my hands hovering over the wheel during the roadworks sections, but that\u2019s only because I\u2019ve seen other self-driving systems struggle with the narrow lanes, concrete barriers, and temporary road markings. I didn\u2019t need to intervene; Super Cruise did just fine.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worth noting that, as far as I\u2019m aware, Super Cruise will not move over if someone has broken down on the shoulder or a cop has pulled someone over there. This isn\u2019t something I would\u2019ve risked if I had encountered this situation, and remember it\u2019s Level 2, so I am required to pay attention to situations like this. But luckily, no breakdowns or speeding tickets ruined the test.<\/p>\n
I did notice the vehicle move over when it spotted another vehicle trying to merge from the on-ramp, which is a great touch. This is again something pretty much all of GM\u2019s competitors don\u2019t do, and a wonderful piece of driving courtesy. Speaking of Super Cruise\u2019s competitors, let\u2019s take a closer look at just how far behind they are.<\/p>\n
How does GM\u2019s self-driving system stand out against competitors?<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/gmc-supercruise-3200x1800-24PGSRLD00472-1-1024x579.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
You may be sitting there and thinking, \u201cWell, Level 2 self-driving isn\u2019t unique these days.\u201d And that\u2019s sort of true, most manufacturers offer some form of Level 2 self-driving on many of their vehicles. But Level 2 has become a bit of a broad church.<\/p>\n
Level 3, the logical next step, doesn\u2019t directly involve the driver most of the time. A person needs to be seated in the driver\u2019s seat and ready to step in if the system asks them to intervene, but does not really need to pay attention if no alarm is blaring. So you can read a book, mess around on your phone, watch YouTube on the vehicle\u2019s infotainment system, whatever. Level 2 requires a driver to be paying attention at all times and to be able to step in independently if it seems the system is about to mess up.<\/p>\n
The difference is in liability, to an extent. With Level 3, if the self-driving system causes a crash and doesn\u2019t try to alert you beforehand, then a lot of the blame lies with the manufacturer. With a Level 2 system, it\u2019s on you.<\/p>\n
This has led to a tremendous gap in quality within the \u201cLevel 2\u201d band of self-driving. Many of GM\u2019s competitors force you to keep your hands on the wheel, don\u2019t offer automatic lane changes, or otherwise require more input on your end. The number of road systems that can be deployed also varies.<\/p>\n
Its closest competitor is Tesla, though GM\u2019s software has been involved in fewer high-profile incidents.<\/a> After Tesla, there\u2019s a big drop off.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s that little bit of North Jersey where Route 17 joins I-87, it\u2019s just south of the New York border and around two hours from the exit I need to take for Schenectady. That\u2019s where I engaged Super Cruise, my feet left the pedals, and my hands left the wheel.<\/p>\n
Now here\u2019s where you may be thinking \u201ca long stretch of interstate isn\u2019t that bad, this isn\u2019t that much of a challenge.\u201d But that bit of Interstate has a lot to contend with. There\u2019s chaotic traffic just outside of NYC, various toll scanners, road works around Catskill, a multitude of hazards, and a little bit where 87 heads up towards Canada, and<\/em> you need to stay left to merge onto I-90.<\/p>\n My challenge, for the afternoon, was not to touch the controls. No hands on the wheel, no foot on the brake, even tapping one of the indicator stalks would count as a failure. Annoyingly, this means I only had the coffee I set off with, no food, and the next bathroom I encountered would be my own. But it was only two hours, and I\u2019m happy suffering so you lovely people can read things like this. Obviously.<\/p>\n Super Cruise didn\u2019t just pass this test; it went above and beyond. The automatic lane changes were basically in sync with what I would have done. There were one or two points where I just started thinking, \u201cI\u2019d move across here,\u201d only to see the directional start to flash and the Cadillac I was testing move over. It stayed left when I needed to branch onto 90. I\u2019m not sure if it communicates with the map system, but it also moved me to the right lane when my exit to Schenectady was approaching, and it seemed to gesture as if it was going to take the exit for me.<\/p>\n My hands hit the wheel, and I took the exit myself. The challenge was complete as far as I was concerned, and I wasn\u2019t rolling the dice on Super Cruise doing something pretty complex for a Level 2 system. I don\u2019t want to drive through Rotterdam.<\/p>\n I had my hands hovering over the wheel during the roadworks sections, but that\u2019s only because I\u2019ve seen other self-driving systems struggle with the narrow lanes, concrete barriers, and temporary road markings. I didn\u2019t need to intervene; Super Cruise did just fine.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that, as far as I\u2019m aware, Super Cruise will not move over if someone has broken down on the shoulder or a cop has pulled someone over there. This isn\u2019t something I would\u2019ve risked if I had encountered this situation, and remember it\u2019s Level 2, so I am required to pay attention to situations like this. But luckily, no breakdowns or speeding tickets ruined the test.<\/p>\n I did notice the vehicle move over when it spotted another vehicle trying to merge from the on-ramp, which is a great touch. This is again something pretty much all of GM\u2019s competitors don\u2019t do, and a wonderful piece of driving courtesy. Speaking of Super Cruise\u2019s competitors, let\u2019s take a closer look at just how far behind they are.<\/p>\n You may be sitting there and thinking, \u201cWell, Level 2 self-driving isn\u2019t unique these days.\u201d And that\u2019s sort of true, most manufacturers offer some form of Level 2 self-driving on many of their vehicles. But Level 2 has become a bit of a broad church.<\/p>\n Level 3, the logical next step, doesn\u2019t directly involve the driver most of the time. A person needs to be seated in the driver\u2019s seat and ready to step in if the system asks them to intervene, but does not really need to pay attention if no alarm is blaring. So you can read a book, mess around on your phone, watch YouTube on the vehicle\u2019s infotainment system, whatever. Level 2 requires a driver to be paying attention at all times and to be able to step in independently if it seems the system is about to mess up.<\/p>\n The difference is in liability, to an extent. With Level 3, if the self-driving system causes a crash and doesn\u2019t try to alert you beforehand, then a lot of the blame lies with the manufacturer. With a Level 2 system, it\u2019s on you.<\/p>\n This has led to a tremendous gap in quality within the \u201cLevel 2\u201d band of self-driving. Many of GM\u2019s competitors force you to keep your hands on the wheel, don\u2019t offer automatic lane changes, or otherwise require more input on your end. The number of road systems that can be deployed also varies.<\/p>\n Its closest competitor is Tesla, though GM\u2019s software has been involved in fewer high-profile incidents.<\/a> After Tesla, there\u2019s a big drop off.<\/p>\nHow does GM\u2019s self-driving system stand out against competitors?<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n