u/boilerdawg31

So last weekend, I took my first road trip, going from Northern Indiana to Madison, Wisconsin for Great Taste of the Midwest. There was definitely some good and some meh things about the trip in my '26 MME Premium.

The Good:

- I couldn't have been more pleased with the ride quality. Anyone who's driven down Indiana roads knows they are largely junk.

- The Adaptive Cruise along US 30 made the drive feel very easy. BC wasn't available because it's not a freeway but the ability to get in a group of cars and go one set speed was awesome.

- The range overall was very good.

- Going hands free once on the Freeways was awesome. For the most part, the system did very well and my buddy, who's even more skeptical of the tech than I am, was pleasantly surprised.

The Meh:

- Blue Cruise's decision making on lane changes. I'm sure it was a coincidence since we were on a 3-lane freeway the whole way from Chicago to Madison but damn did it feel like I was merging into the blind spots of Tractor Trailers.

- Blue Cruise's decision making on lane changes, Part 2. Um, can I just stay in a lane in traffic? More than once, during heavier traffic on 80/94 (IYKYK), BC tried to merge me into another lane where traffic was approaching at a faster speed. I eventually cancelled cruise control until I cleared traffic altogether.

- On the open road, some of the lane centering felt sluggish, especially in curves. Had a couple of times where I felt the need to put my hand on the wheel to initiate a turn into a curve instead of waiting for the system to do so. My friend started saying it drove like a Granny Car instead of a Mustang.

- Much of Northern Indiana is flat, straight roads. I get that it's not hands free driving but do I really need to constantly bump the steering wheel to prove I have my hands on the wheel? Feels like there's a better way or at least space the intervals out.

Final Verdict

Overall, I was relatively pleased with my first road trip. I had no idea what to expect from Blue Cruise but I can see the vision and was glad to break into it on the open road. That said, I highly doubt I would pay a monthly fee for Blue Cruise. 90% of my driving is county roads and two lane highways and Adaptive Cruise will cover the rest.

Used to go to qualifications every year as a kid and schedule finally worked out where I get to take my son for his first time.

That said, it's been nearly 30 years since I've been to IMS. I remember getting up early and parking in the infield, eating cold fried chicken, and walking the infield before eventually sitting in the grandstands near the entry to Pit Road.

So all that to ask this, any suggestions on where to park? Is parking in the infield still a thing or should I prepay for a pass outside the track?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!