Any reason to get EAP if you don't cruise

[Sonic_78]

This place is a wealth of information and of course... opinions! And I've learned so much. After a 24hr test drive we're very close to buying a Model X for my wife's next car. But I asked this question with the Tesla OA and still felt it necessary to ask this community. I've known my wife for close to 15 years and even on road trips she never uses Cruise Control.

So, is there any reason to get it she asked me? Not for the obvious reasons, but the concern was if there's extra active safety features or recently added things like auto wipers and high beams / headlights one would get with EAP. Everything I've pieced together points to no. Active safety from side and frontal impact is standard and the auto wipers and headlights, too. Correct me if I'm wrong or if there is anything we'll miss without EAP while not using Cruise Control. Thanks in advance!

 

[chillaban]

Are you sure that EAP won't change your mind on using cruise control? I never used dumb cruise control but I absolutely love TACC and Autosteer.

TACC lets you basically just point the car in the correct direction and let the car deal with operating the gas and brake. Even in the city. You can even stop behind someone at a red light, enable TACC, and your car will start moving when the car in front does.


Still, though, you can always activate EAP for an extra fee after-market if you change your mind.

 

[jelloslug]

Only you can answer that question. I use AP almost every day with my commute in stop and go traffic as well as just about anytime that I'm on the expressway. If you are rarely in those situations, it may not be worth the money. You will get a 30 day trial with the car so you will have the opportunity to really use it for a while if you decide to change your mind after the fact. Personally, I wish that Tesla would let you buy it for the same price if you do it in the first 30 days but that is not the way it is...

 

[Sonic_78]

You will get a 30 day trial with the car so you will have the opportunity to really use it for a while if you decide to change your mind after the fact. Personally, I wish that Tesla would let you buy it for the same price if you do it in the first 30 days but that is not the way it is...

The 30 day trial I was not aware of, thanks for the info!

I am totally sold on EAP, my better half is another thing however and this will be her daily driver. I'm considering getting it just for road trips where I'll be the primary driver. I drive an E class with the latest Drive Pilot so after the lease is up I'll get a Tesla with EAP no questions about it. Just my wife was concerned she may be loosing out on active safety features and the auto wipers / headlights etc....

 

[Veritas1980]

Just my wife was concerned she may be loosing out on active safety features and the auto wipers / headlights etc....

Safety features, auto wipers and lights are all included without EAP so no worries there. But for me, the TACC is almost an extra safety feature and also takes a lot of the stress out of bumper to bumper traffic.

 

[jelloslug]

Safety features, auto wipers and lights are all included without EAP so no worries there. But for me, the TACC is almost an extra safety feature and also takes a lot of the stress out of bumper to bumper traffic.

I second this. My wife is not very comfortable with the autosteer portion of AP, but she loves the TACC part.

 

[brkaus]

I have EAP/FSD. I use it all the time. Will not be getting it on my wife’s car. She doesn’t use cruise and really isn’t open to TACC, even though it would benefit her in stop and go traffic every day.

 

[MXWing]

Add me to the list of people who NEVER used cruise control even though I drove a car made in 1987 that had it.

I don't use auto-steer all the time but TACC 100% of the time on the highway.

 

[Rockster]

TACC is an absolute life saver in stop and go rush hour traffic. It eliminates 90% of the stress of rush hour commuting.

 

[jelloslug]

Add me to the list of people who NEVER used cruise control even though I drove a car made in 1987 that had it.

I don't use auto-steer all the time but TACC 100% of the time on the highway.

So you don't use cruse control except for the time you do use it?

 

[Saghost]

Safety features are supposed to show up on every car regardless. I think the Auto highbeams are an AP feature; I don't believe the autowipers or automatic turning on and off of headlights are.

Personally, there's no way I would skip on Autopilot - it's one of the best parts of having a Tesla, and one of the reasons I decided to buy one. I only occasionally used cruise control before getting the Tesla, but I use AP almost every day in my commute - makes the stop and go part so much less annoying. As always, YMMV.

 

[boaterva]

Ditto. I had Cruise on two cars and NEVER used it, even on long trips. TACC/EAP I use all the time. Even though I have/want/love to watch how the car drives, it's still better than having to do it all yourself. Even on local trips like to appointments, shopping, etc.

Autosteer is less useful, but still some. TACC I would loved to have years and years ago. My previous BMW it was a $1000 option by itself and the dealer talked me out of it saying it was only good for salesmen and the like who spent their life on the highway. (Who knows, perhaps it only worked over 40 MPH, this was 2009 .)

 

[HenryCH]

So you don't use cruse control except for the time you do use it?

II think he said "never used" as in never used to use it..

 

[Saghost]

TACC I would loved to have years and years ago. My previous BMW it was a $1000 option by itself and the dealer talked me out of it saying it was only good for salesmen and the like who spent their life on the highway. (Who knows, perhaps it only worked over 40 MPH, this was 2009 .)

You just don't understand how good you have it. TACC is a best of breed adaptive cruise implementation that succeeds where most others fail even today (though Tesla is still working on the stationary object problem.)

A 2009 adaptive cruise probably wouldn't work below ~15 mph - so the stop and go where AP is most useful would be a total non-starter.

 

[chillaban]

You just don't understand how good you have it. TACC is a best of breed adaptive cruise implementation that succeeds where most others fail even today (though Tesla is still working on the stationary object problem.)

A 2009 adaptive cruise probably wouldn't work below ~15 mph - so the stop and go where AP is most useful would be a total non-starter.

Heck, even my 2014 A6's ACC which worked down to a stop is nothing like Tesla's TACC. It would only EVER start braking if the tracked car is within 3 car distances, so for city usage or for stop and go highway where there's sudden slowdowns, it was pretty much only good for testing your nerve….

Tesla's TACC is really good to the point that you pretty much don't need to touch either pedal except for stop signs / red lights, and that's pretty close to unparalleled in the industry.

 

[carteriii]

@Sonic_78 My wife generally feels, or at least felt, the same as yours. I suggest you make the point that driving today and in the future will have far more distractions than ever in the past. As humans, we all have far too many distractions from technology or bad days or we can "zone out" momentarily thinking of something other than the road in front of us and cars around us. TACC and auto-steer are far from perfect and not to be trusted 100%, but they are never distracted by a text message or a phone call or a child/passenger in the car or some emotional event of the day.

 

[Sawyer8888]

EAP is far from "set it and forget it". I too rarely used cruise control in previous cars, however EAP is to the point of acceptably for highway driving for added comfort.

Autopilot still adds a level of stress and frustration from time to time. In my opinion, since it sounds like all the necessary features your wife is looking for already come standard with the car, I would buy it for your Tesla when your lease is up, but I would pass on it for your wife's vehicle.

If spending the extra $5,000 now is not an issue, then go ahead and add it to your wife's Tesla. She doesn't have to enable it, but at least it will be there for you when you're the driver on road trips.

 

[animorph]

My wife never used/uses plain cruise control. She loves using TACC when she's driving on our long trips in our X. I throw in Autosteer once in a while, but I don't think she's tried that. We have a Model 3 reserved for her and she's going to opt for EAP. Even though she'll probably only use it on the local freeways.

 

[jelloslug]

Ditto. I had Cruise on two cars and NEVER used it, even on long trips. TACC/EAP I use all the time. Even though I have/want/love to watch how the car drives, it's still better than having to do it all yourself. Even on local trips like to appointments, shopping, etc.

Autosteer is less useful, but still some. TACC I would loved to have years and years ago. My previous BMW it was a $1000 option by itself and the dealer talked me out of it saying it was only good for salesmen and the like who spent their life on the highway. (Who knows, perhaps it only worked over 40 MPH, this was 2009 .)

I had the BMW Active Cruise Control in the i3 I had. It worked well enough but it would easily get blinded by the sun and disengage. It also would not resume moving in stop and go traffic if it stopped for more than five seconds.

 

[dlsspy]

I had a hard time getting my wife to use cruise control (i.e., play the CC game where you don't use the pedals in traffic). TACC is better in every way. The car plays the game. Someone pulls in front of you, it responds. Car gets out of your way, it speeds up. You just have to point the thing (unless you turn on EAP).

I do agree EAP is a little stressful at times. Most of the time, it's just great. It's tried to kill me now and then, but never when I wasn't expecting it. Most of my highway driving is significantly improved.