Ford's BlueCruise Subscription Pricing Gets A Lot More Expensive
If you’re interested in ordering a Ford Mustang Mach-E with the company’s BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving system, be prepared for some sticker shock. Ford has confirmed that pricing for the system is increasing on all new Mach-E orders going forward.
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In a post on the Mach-E forums, a user posted what looks to be a dealer bulletin. In it, it details BlueCruise’s pricing increase on new Mach-E orders placed after May 3, 2023. Before I go any further, it’s important to note that we call this BlueCruise pricing setup for what it is, a subscription. And it’s good to see Ford calls it as much instead of beating around the bush.
BlueCruise will now be available on all trims of the Mach-E as a stand alone option. For the tidy sum of $2,100 you’ll get access to it for three years. Buyers that don’t purchase the three year access outright will have a 90 day trial period. The subscription comes into play once the trial ends. The bulletin mentions that since every Mach-E is already built with BlueCruise hardware, you just have to open your wallet to activate it for either $800 annually or $75/month.
Initially, BlueCruise could be had on the Mach-E for $600/year. Understandably owners were up in arms in the comments. Many stated that they didn’t use it enough to justify spending that kind of money on it.
“I would do $10/month. I don’t use it nearly often enough to justify $75/month,” said one owner. “I did purchase the hardware and 3yr subscription on my ‘22 GT and the price made sense given that it was described as including hardware.”
Others said they thought the $600/year price was already a bit steep and were considering not renewing. Ford helped make that decision easier.
A representative from Ford jumped into the comments and reiterated what the bulletin said, essentially doubling down on the price increase. Most owners it would seem are turned off by both the price increase and the fact that it’s a subscription.
Ford’s crosstown rival, GM, would seem to have the better deal with their version: Super Cruise. According to GM/OnStar, vehicles equipped with Super Cruise functionality come with a three year trial. Or you can subscribe to Super Cruise for just $25/month. But don’t be so quick to think that this means it’s a better deal than Ford’s system. There’s a huge catch depending on the vehicle.
Screenshot: Cadillac
The catch is that you have to equip your GM vehicle with Super Cruise to use it. And depending on the vehicle, that can be a hell of an option. Take the Cadillac CT4-V Series that our own Andy Kalmowitz recently tested. The CT4 range, along with the CT5, XT6 and Escalade can be equipped with Super Cruise on most trims. But GM is slick and bundles Super Cruise in with other options. A basic, no option $41,000 CT4 Premium Luxury can turn into a near $48,000 car just by adding the top Super Cruise package. On the CT4-V Series it can cost as much as $8,100. It’s a bit more palatable if you go with Super Cruise alone at $3,700, but it’s still pricey.
Look, we get it. Technology is expensive and it’s costly to hire folks to write code and keep things up-to-date. With everything rising in cost, it makes sense that Ford’s cars and tech options are getting pricer too. And while the company says that tech like BlueCruise will help “enhance” their product offerings, they’re also watching customer reactions for feedback. It shouldn’t take them long to learn that no one wants pricey subscriptions for features they hardly use.
