Top 6 Best Autonomous Cars | 2017 Ranking | Top Companies That Make Autonomous Cars

2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST AUTONOMOUS CARS

Introduction: Autonomous Driving Technology and Automated Cars

Imagine that you’re driving your dad’s old 1980 GMC pickup truck, and you are already late for work. When you finally find a place to park, you have to try and find a way to fit that monster of a vehicle into the tiniest of spaces on the side of the road.

Parallel parking has never been your forte, and with that car you’re not exactly given the benefit of the doubt. If, however, you had an autonomous car, parallel parking would simply require the push of a button

Autonomous driving technology has begun to take off in recent years.

While some of the autonomous cars from Google or Tesla’s autonomous cars are actually self-driving, there are other autonomous cars that incorporate a number of elements that fall into the autonomous driving technology definition.

Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Autonomous Cars

In this brief article, AdvisoryHQ will review the top automated cars on the market today. We will begin by looking at what autonomous driving cars are and what features are included in the autonomous driving repertoire. We then offer a comparative table of the top features of the six autonomous cars that we will review below.

In our FAQ section, we offer advice about the top features to look for in an autonomous car. We also offer a quick comparison between a Google autonomous car, Tesla’s autonomous cars, and Uber’s autonomous cars. Finally, we offer a complete review of the six top automated cars on the market today.

AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Automated Cars

List is sorted alphabetically (click any autonomous car technology below to go directly to the detailed review section for each autonomous car):

Audi RS 7
BMW 750i xDrive
Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe
Tesla Model S Auto Pilot
Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid
Waymo

Top 6 Best Autonomous Cars | Brief Comparison & Ranking

Autonomous Car	Self-Driving?	Available or in Development?	Notable Features
Audi RS 7	No	Available	Visual and Physical collision warnings
BMW 750i xDrive	No	Available	Pedestrian alerts
Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe	No	Available	Active Blind Spot Assist
Tesla Model S Auto Pilot	Yes	Available	360-degree view camera system
Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid	No	Available	Autopilot mode
Waymo	No	In Development	Over 2 million self-driven miles

Table: Top 6 Autonomous Cars | Above list is sorted alphabetically

What Are Autonomous Cars and Autonomous Driving?

When we think of autonomous cars, most of us probably have an image of self-driving cars from some futuristic sci-fi movie. While the self-driving is certainly one important aspect of autonomous driving technology, there are other elements in a vehicle that can make them considered autonomous driving.

According to Cars.com, “Your car can measure things such as wheel speed, steering wheel position, engine throttle position, and more, letting the computer ‘know’ what the car is doing. Radar and cameras measure nearby obstacles (and the space between them, such as when it comes to finding a parking space) and identify approaching cars, nearby pedestrians, parking-lot obstacles and lane markers to let the car know what’s going on around it.”

All of these computerized systems in many of today’s cars allow automated cars not only to warn you as the driver, but also to react on their own, which is one of the main highlights of autonomous driving technology.

In the autonomous cars that we will review below, some of them will only incorporate some of the more basic elements of autonomous driving technology. Others, such as the Google autonomous vehicle, is in the experimental stage of creating completely autonomous driving cars.

What to Look For in Autonomous Driving Cars

Not all of us are ready to completely hand over the keys (and steering wheel) of our car to a computer. While autonomous driving technology continues to develop and improve, complete self-driving cars are still a rarity and not exactly trust-inspiring.

Uber’s autonomous car hit the streets of several major cities this year, offering driverless taxi services. While some people enjoy and trust Uber’s autonomous car, others find that it might not be for them. When Uber’s autonomous car hit the streets of San Francisco, it was forced to retire only a week later.

While autonomous cars from Google continue to develop and improve, if you’re not convinced that completely automated cars are for you, here are three features that you should look for in any autonomous driving system.

Self-park steering: This simple feature is a staple of all autonomous car technology. Parking is one of the major headaches when it comes to driving a car. With this technology, you simply have to operate the brake while the car will steer you into place.

Adaptive cruise control: While cruise control made it into cars several years ago, adaptive cruise control (ACC) is a new feature that is another central element of autonomous cars. With this feature, automated cars will automatically slow down and speed up according to the traffic around you. You simply have to enter the maximum speed and let the car do the rest to maintain a safe distance from surrounding cars while not losing time on the road.

Lane centering steering: Another important feature of autonomous car technology is lane centering steering. With this technology, you won’t have to worry about accidentally slipping into someone else’s lane. The mobile eye technology incorporated into many automated cars makes sure that your car stays safely in the middle of your lane.

Google Autonomous Vehicle vs. Tesla’s Autonomous Cars vs. Uber’s Autonomous Car: Quick Comparison

Some of the biggest technology companies have dedicated important money and time into the development of autonomous driving technology. The Google autonomous car, Tesla’s autonomous cars, and Uber’s autonomous cars are three of the leaders in the autonomous driving technology market.

The autonomous cars from Google are still in development, though the Google autonomous car recently passed 2 million test miles. The Google Autonomous car project aims to continue to develop completely self-driving vehicle technology and is in the process of trying to show regulators that these types of completely autonomous cars are trustworthy and the future of transportation.

Uber’s autonomous car technology has hit the streets in a number of major cities, offering people a “personless” taxi system in major urban areas such as Pittsburgh. Uber’s autonomous car technology is still a long way from being completely autonomous, as a driver is always in the seat in case something goes wrong.

However, according to Wired.com “Uber has a straightforward goal: become even more efficient and profitable by jettisoning the human drivers who take home the majority of their customers’ money. Or, as one Uber engineer puts it to me: getting rid of the overhead.”

Elon Musk, the CEO and founder of Tesla Motors, is a true visionary who wants to take humans to Mars and fill our roads with automated cars. In October of 2016 it was reported that all of Tesla’s autonomous cars have full self-driving hardware installed. That means that Tesla’s autonomous cars come with complete camera technology to give your car’s artificial intelligence a 360-degree view of where it is driving.

Image Source: Chicago Tribune

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Detailed Review—Top Ranking Automated Cars

Below, please find the detailed review of each autonomous car. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed each of these autonomous driving cars to score so high in our selection ranking.

Audi RS 7 Review

The Audi RS 7 is one of the top autonomous cars on the road today. According to their website, “The available Audi pre sense® plus employs audible, visual, and physical collision warnings, followed by more drastic driving assistance measures as needed, in an attempt to prepare you for the unavoidable.”

This autonomous car also comes with a smartphone interface, a corner-view camera system, head up display, adaptive cruise control, and a number of other important and state-of-the-art features of autonomous driving technology.

BMW 750i xDrive Review

The BMW 750i xDrive is also one of the top automated cars on the market today. This is one of the first models of cars to include elements of autonomous driving technology such as an automated braking system to help prevent front-end collisions and a pedestrian alert. If you live in a big city where there are frequent crosswalks, this might be one of the best autonomous cars for you.

Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe Review

The Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe also ranks as one of this year’s best automated cars. This autonomous car comes complete with a standard driver assistance package that includes:

DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist
Active Blind Spot Assist
Active Lane Keeping Assist
Speed Limit Assist
BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist
PRE-SAFE Brake with Pedestrian Recognition

It also has a whopping 621 horsepower that can take you from 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds. If you’re looking for an autonomous car that also comes with significant assistance and self-driving capabilities, this could be your car.

Tesla Model S Auto Pilot Review

The Tesla Model S with Auto Pilot is another of the top autonomous cars on the market. There are two different models of this car, but both offer full self-driving hardware. This includes 8 different cameras, offering your car’s computer system a 360-degree view and advanced sensor coverage. If you have enough trust to turn over the control of your car to self-driving technology, the Tesla is perhaps one of the most advanced in terms of fully autonomous driving technology.

Image Source: Report News Today

Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid Review

The Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid is a plug-in electric hybrid car that also comes with a number of autonomous driving technology features. According to Gayot.com “the 2016 Volvo XC90 models (T6 and T8 Hybrid) are equipped with an Intellisafe Autopilot mode similar to technology found in the Tesla Model S. Staying true to Volvo’s reputation as one of the safest car manufacturers on the market, the XC90 will automatically brake in intersections when it senses oncoming traffic.”

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Waymo Review

Lastly, Waymo is in the process of developing autonomous cars from Google. As noted above, the Google autonomous car recently passed the 2-million-mile threshold. Since 2009, Waymo has been testing their fully self-driving car technology on the city streets of Kirkland, Washington; Mountain View, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Austin, Texas.

In the coming years, Waymo will surely introduce a state-of-the-art automobile that includes the most advanced autonomous driving technology for a completely self-driving experience.

Image Source: Newsweek

Conclusion—Autonomous Driving Technology as the Future of Transportation

Autonomous driving technology is well on its way to becoming a staple of transportation. Though there are still concerns regarding the safety of completely self driving automated cars, almost all newly produced vehicles are incorporating some elements of autonomous car technology.

In the near future, autonomous driving technology will continue to grow and improve. Industry leaders such as the Google autonomous vehicle, Tesla’s autonomous cars, and Uber’s autonomous car will continue to push the limits when it comes to the state of the art technology necessary for these types of cars to make it onto our roads.

Whether you choose the Audi RS 7, the BMW 750i xDrive, the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe, the Tesla Model S Auto Pilot, the Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid, the Google autonomous vehicle Waymo, or any of the other autonomous cars on the market today, you should find quality technologies to make life easier for you on the road.

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