Toyota and Lexus lack a proper competitor to Super Cruise and Blue Cruise. The companies offered a Teammate system, but seemingly abandoned it. Both brands now offer less advanced driver assistance systems than rivals. Autonomous driving technology is a key selling point for an increasing number of vehicles and subscriptions represent a goldmine of future revenue. However, one major automaker has largely been absent from the conversation. We’re talking about Toyota and Lexus, which have effectively waved the white flag. While the brands did offer a Teammate system on the Mirai and LS, the latter model is dead. Toyota also appears to have dropped Teammate from their hydrogen-powered sedan after the 2023 model year. This has left the brands without a proper rival to GM’s Super Cruise, Ford’s Blue Cruise, and Stellantis’ Hands-Free Active Driving Assist. Besides competition from the Big Three, there’s Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist, Mercedes’ MB.Drive Assist Pro, Tesla’s FSD, Rivian’s Autonomy+, and BMW’s Highway Assistant. That’s a pretty extensive list and the absence of a competing system from Toyota and Lexus is a glaring omission. That problem will likely get even worse over time. The redesigned ES has the Lexus Safety System+ 4.0 suite of driver assistance systems, which includes relatively basic features such as adaptive cruise control and lane centering. Higher-end variants have Traffic Jam Assist and Lane Change Assist, but they’re a far cry from a proper hands-free driving system. While it might be excusable for the $48,895 ES to eschew a Level 2 semi-autonomous driving system, you won’t find one on the LX either and that starts at $108,550 and climbs to $142,950 in Ultra Luxury guise. Despite the hefty price tag, the luxury SUV has an older Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 that eschews Lane Change Assist. For comparison, the Cadillac Escalade starts at $91,100 and can be equipped with Super Cruise for an additional $3,000. The $92,745 Lincoln Navigator comes standard with Blue Cruise, while the $112,195 Infiniti QX80 Autograph has ProPILOT Assist 2.1. With all that being said, are Toyota and Lexus making a mistake by not embracing autonomous driving technology? Furthermore, would the lack of a system encourage you to shop competitors that offer hands-free driving tech?
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