OK, so after bribing my local tesla service center with krispy kreme donuts, I was able to get the 17.24.28 downloaded and drove 100 miles since. Here are my observations of 17.24.28 after having 17.22.46 for 2 weeks.
Here is my observation of 17.24.28:
1) Big improvement with very little, if any, regression from previous versions.
2) It's silky smooth and more precise within the lanes most of the time... long curves are much better, shorter curves are better but still need improvement.
3) It's more careful on the highway, there is more confidence and precision, and no ping-pong... the more careful part is interesting because it will hesitate in a way that feels like a careful human driver ready to hit the brakes... it doesn't take away from driving confidence though... even though it kind of sounds like this scenario would be troubling.... somehow it isn't troubling when it is hesitating... it's like you have greater certainty as to why the car may be being careful.
4.) The integration of radar has just been implemented or has somehow improved... I think it can see 2 cars in front of me much better... for example, if my car brakes when the car in front of me has not yet braked.... I have more confidence that it must be seeing someone braking 2 cars in front of me... it is similar to that european video where the model x sees an accident before it happens.... It's great that it is safer in this way...
5.) It's auto lane changing was all around better when no one is around, but also if you are in the right lane and a group of faster cars is passing you on the left... when you initiate the auto change as the last car passes you, it is more seamless pulling behind the passing car and accelerating appropriately.... however, you have to make sure it is the last car in the train of cars before auto-lane changing into the fast lane because it did try to cut someone off and squeeze me in to the stack when it definitely wasn't safe to do so.. also, it didn't lane change a couple of times though despite asking it... (see my conclusion/hope at the end of this list related to this observation)
5.) Better on well marked roads but I'm pretty sure it's biggest weakness right now is if there is a red light at the end of a curve, and cars are stopped at the light... it may not see them because it hasn't figured out of cars are in the lane... I abort before testing the AEB
6.) Not great with detection of traffic cones and things in the lane... but this isn't new
7.) I believe that AP2 has become surpassed AP1 in most areas on this update... that is, in my experience, AP2 is now better than the best AP1 I've driven... And just so you AP1 lovers don't have an aneurysm... the most recent time I extensively drove an AP1 vehicle was February 2017... one caveat... AP2 still can't show truck versus car and adjacent lanes... but with this update, I now firmly believe it sees car versus truck and knows what is in the adjacent lanes.... it just isn't showing it yet for some reason.
my hopes:
1) For auto lane change... (and probably parking or summon) I think tesla should use ambient red light around the center display when the car can't (or doesn't want to) follow a command... In order to tell the driver that the car doesn't want to do something doesn't see that it is safe or that there is an opportunity for a lane change.... If the left side of the driving display could glow red (similar to when the car tells you to hold the steering wheel)... I think this would make the experience better and more intuitive. I think tesla could provide feedback and communicate with the pilot through ambient lighting on the center display... so the driver doesn't have to take his eyes off the road...
Thoughts?
