Best 'self-driving' cars in 2025

In terms of driving assistance technology, Ford went one better than all its rivals by gaining permission to roll out its 'Blue Cruise' technology in the UK, starting with the Mustang Mach-E. It still doesn't qualify as a Level 3 system, as you still need to keep your eyes on the road, but it will allow you to take your hands off the wheel so long as you're in a designated 'Blue Zone'.

These are exclusively on motorways, and about 95% of the UK motorway network. We've tried it on a Mach-E GT, and it's an eerie sensation letting go of the wheel, but the sense of unease is soon replaced with one of being impressed with how well it all works. 

A smorgasbord of cameras and sensors monitor things like road markings, speed limit signs and other cars to keep you in lane and accelerate/brake as necessary, while another driver-facing camera makes sure you really are keeping your eyes on the road and aren't binge-watching Stranger Things behind the wheel. 

It's a bit of a shame that access to this tech is on a subscription basis rather than a one-off cost. You get three months free after taking delivery of the vehicle, but after that it's £17.99 a month.

When it comes to driving assistance technology, the Volvo EX90 is one of the most advanced cars currently available. It's one of only a few using what's known as lidar (light detection and ranging), a sensor working together with the EX90's various cameras, radars and ultrasonic sensors. 

These give the EX90 a much more detailed picture of its surroundings as you drive along, even being able to spot other road users from up to 250 metres away. So sophisticated are the EX90's assistance systems, that it has the technical capability to run as a Level 3 autonomous car, that being one that allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road. But for now, EX90 drivers can't do this. 

For now, anyone inside the EX90, and indeed people around it, can benefit from the car's safety tech that is ready to use. This includes the latest version of Volvo's Pilot Assist, which now has Lane Change Assist which is able to find safe gaps in traffic, indicate and carefully steer into it.

Electric car manufacturer Tesla shouts the loudest about its self-driving tech – and it's not entirely a load of hot air.

Tesla's basic Autopilot system is standard on all the cars it sells in the UK. This combines adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist systems. Essentially, once you're on the motorway, it'll match the speed of the car in front and keep you in your lane with little input from the driver.

The Tesla Model 3 can be equipped with Enhanced Autopilot which can change lanes (you just need to indicate and it'll monitor the surroundings and move over if it's safe to do so), as well as park itself. Then there's the Full Self-Driving Capability – an expensive option which gives the Model 3 the ability to stop at traffic lights or stop signs. Tesla claims via future over-the-air updates it'll eventually be able to "drive itself almost anywhere with minimal driver intervention". 

While it lacks the fancy lidar tech of its bigger EX90 brother, the Volvo EX30 does still have five radars, five cameras and no less than 12 ultra-sonic sensors through which its Pilot Assist system works. You still get Lane Change Assistance as part of that, and Park Pilot Assist is included, too - also seen on the EX90, this is able to steer, accelerate and brake to safety and effortlessly get you into a parking space. If you hate parallel parking, you'll certainly appreciate this function. 

Away from the driving assistance tech, the EX30 looks brilliant, has a decent electric range and unlike the near-£100,00 EX90 is reasonably affordable. The range starts at around a third of that of the EX90, with the Single Motor Core costing £32,850. The Twin Motor Performance is the most expensive, coming in at £44,846. You will need to opt for at least the £34,400 Plus to get Pilot Assist and Park Pilot Assist, though. 

BMW really piled on the driving assistance technology with the latest 7 Series and i7, bundling together various systems into its optional Driving Assistant Professional package. It includes the usual clever active cruise control which can keep you in lane and brake/accelerate as necessary depending on what other cars ahead are up to, but goes further with various additional features.

These include assistance when merging onto a motorway, automatic speed limit adjustment, lane change assistance and even a stop-and-go function that can detect traffic lights. A lesser-seen piece of technology it comes with is wrong-way detection.

Lotus founder Colin Chapman's old ethos of 'simplify then add lightness' doesn't much apply to modern electric products from the company like the Eletre. As well as being quite heavy, like most EVs, simple it isn't. 

Among its array of technology is a driving assistance system using 3D mapping, high-definition cameras, radar, and an "autonomous chipset makes up to 508 trillion calculations per second," Lotus says. And, perhaps most importantly, it includes a lidar system that can scan 200 metres in every direction. 

Again, the full capability of this technology can't be unlocked under current driving rules, but Lotus reckons it's good enough not only for Level 3 autonomy but eventually Level 4, a standard which only requires human intervention in rare circumstances. As it stands, though the Eletre's Level 2 cruise control is plenty impressive, and includes a lane-change feature. There's also a parking assistant. 

The newest Lexus LS is about as premium as you could get, and we can’t imagine many people will be buying it with a near six-figure price tag on the top models. But what do you get for that money? A whole lot of tech, including Lexus Teammate - that’s what.

Lexus Teammate - debuting in the 2021 Lexus LS - is an all-new advanced driving assistance system and the brand’s first real foray into the realm of automated driving. Lexus Teammate uses AI to learn a driver’s habits and road conditions. This, paired with other vehicle performance data, helps the system predict and react to situations in real time.

In addition to level 1 systems like lane-keeping assistance and automatic braking, Teammate offers Advanced Drive and Advanced Park, leaving room for future software updates. It isn’t level 5 automation and Lexus hasn’t yet gone into detail about specifics, but Advanced Drive offers the capabilities of adaptive cruise control, automatic stop-and-go, lane keeping assistance, lane centring assistance, lane changing assistance and automated passing - offering hands-free driving.

Available on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class along with several other models from the German brand, the Driving Assistance Package uses a "stereo multi-purpose camera" at the top of the windscreen, plus a smatter of radar and ultrasonic sensors.

Along with featuring all the usual suspects including traffic sign recognition and lane keeping assistance, there's also Active Land Change Assist which can automatically shift lanes when it's safe to do so.

If you're doing very well at life, of course, you'll be in the back of the S-Class rather than driving it, but it'll be nice to know Parker's job is made easier and potentially a little safer for everyone in the car. 

You'll love or loathe the way the BMW iX looks, but there's no denying that it's a very impressive electric SUV. With no fewer than five cameras, five radar sensors and 12 ultrasonic sensors, it's also very capable at helping you avoid a collision.

BMW says it's aiming for "Level 3 functionality in the medium term," but there's already a long list of standard driver-assist features. These include a front collision warning system that can detect cyclists and pedestrians, while the steering assistant can keep you in your lane on the motorway.

We also like the way the adaptive recuperation feature works with data from the sensors as well as the navigation system. When you're approaching a hazard (such as a corner or a roundabout), the iX's regenerative braking is ramped up so that you slow down as soon as you lift off the accelerator. On the open road, it'll coast freely.

The Nissan Leaf is a great entry to the electric car world. It demands few compromises, has punchy acceleration, comes well-equipped and drives better than many rivals - while undercutting them on price. The range isn’t class-leading, but it’s an impressive all-rounder.

A modified, self-driving Nissan Leaf travelled 230 miles across the UK in February 2020 - the longest single journey achieved by an autonomous car in the UK, and one which included B-roads, motorways, roundabouts and overtaking manoeuvres.

The standard Nissan Leaf includes ProPilot (as an option), a semi-autonomous system that can be used when driving in single lanes on dual-carriageways and motorways, helping to maintain lane positioning keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

Propilot Park tech takes control of the accelerator and brake for completely autonomous parking in both bay and parallel spaces.