What we're driving: Cadillac CT6 with Super Cruise technology

How it works: Super Cruise is a partially automated system that allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel and feet off the pedals for long stretches of highway driving, as long as they stay alert.

• It combines adaptive cruise control and lane-centering technology to drive hands-free on pre-mapped interstate highways.
• To activate, the driver turns on adaptive cruise control, then waits for the Super Cruise steering wheel icon on the instrument panel to illuminate.
• Then the driver pushes the Super Cruise button on the steering wheel, which causes the icon to turn green and a green light bar to appear in the steering wheel, signaling it's safe to let go of the wheel.
• Unlike other systems like Tesla's Autopilot, a camera mounted on the steering column monitors the driver's attention — if they look away for too long, the light bar will flash and the seat will vibrate.
• Repeated warnings will result in Super Cruise being locked out.

My thought bubble: I was anxious to try Super Cruise again after a moderately frightening experience more than a year ago when the car got confused and lurched to the left and back again when it couldn't find the lane markings as I began to drive across a bridge.

What we're seeing: This time, it performed brilliantly on my trip to Detroit Metro Airport to pick up my sister. She was surprised when I took my hands off the wheel and feet off the pedals, but relaxed in no time.

• What really impressed her (and me) was the way Super Cruise handled congestion through a construction zone where the lanes got narrow.
• I never touched the controls, and the car slowed to a complete stop then rolled along until traffic cleared and it resumed the set speed of 66 mph.

The bottom line: Consumer Reports rated Super Cruise better than automated driving systems from Tesla, Nissan and Volvo because it’s the only one that includes a camera inside the car to monitor driver attentiveness.