"This is definitely a shot across the bow of Tesla, which already has Autopilot," said Michelle Krebs, analyst for AutoTrader.com. "Cadillac is really trying to take Tesla on in that category of technology."

There are some key differences between Cadillac's Super Cruise and Tesla's Autopilot.

The Super Cruise system includes a small camera on the steering column that watches the eyes of the driver. If you are not watching the road for more than a few seconds and you are texting, surfing the web on your phone or falling asleep, the camera on the steering wheel will prompt the Super Cruise to alert you to take control.

The first warning is the steering wheel flashing. After that, the CT6 sends an audio warning and the steering wheel starts flashing red, both telling you to take control.

If you continue to ignore the warnings and do not re-engage the car, Super Cruise will turn on the CT6's hazard lights and slow down the car, eventually bringing it to a stop. At that point, an OnStar operator will reach out to the driver.

"How long it takes before the system notices a driver is not paying attention depends on your speed," said Bolio. "If you are going 75 miles per hour, it's three or four seconds, depending on the traffic around you. If you are in bumper-to-bumper traffic going 10 miles per hour, it's a little longer."

That's the other major difference between Cadillac's Super Cruise and Tesla's Autopilot. Super Cruise can only be engaged on the highway and does not automatically do lane changes. Tesla's Autopilot allows drivers to signal a lane change and if the sensors on the car show the lane is free, it automatically moves the car over with the driver not having to touch the steering wheel.

In addition, Autopilot can be engaged in city driving, not just on the highway.

So after testing out Super Cruise, the question is whether I felt it changed my driving experience? I admit having the car watch me added a level security and reassurance. In addition, the system was intuitive and easy to use.

That said, I would love to see it expand beyond highway driving. There are plenty of major roads I use on the way to work where Super Cruise would make the drive far less frustrating as I constantly ride the brake in rush hour traffic.

Super Cruise will be offered on Cadillac CT6 models starting this fall.

More here:

Putting Cadillac's self-driving Super Cruise technology to the test - CNBC