I'll give you the newbie's perspective (June 5, Model 3)Future owner here, can someone describe actually how good the autopilot is? Or is it more of just a talking point? Need an honest opinion.
It's good, not perfect. You have to remain in control, the car will yell at you if you're not holding the wheel, etc.
There are a few functions. At a minimum, it will keep you in the lane, equidistant between the lines. That is both good and bad, as the car does funky things when there's a lane merge and your lane gets extra wide. Instead of staying to the side and letting the lanes narrow (like a normal driver would), the car juts to the center. That's disquieting the first time it happens, but you get used to it.
The car, for a variety of reasons can, and will, drop out of AutoPilot. If you're not paying attention, you might miss the bings or bongs, and assume you're on lane assist, only to find out that you're not (as the car drifts, etc.). Get used to looking for the blue lines on the screen every few seconds to confirm that the car is being driven for you.
The audible cues are tough, since you're never really sure what it's telling you, there's a lot of beeps and dings. The screen displays a small font message near the bottom that is tough to read, and only for a few seconds... so it's anyone's guess what that message might have been.
It's nerve wracking when you go around a bend, as you're never really sure if the car is going to follow the curve...or slam into the side wall. Keep your eyes on the blue lines!
For the most part, it does a good job, but you'll figure out the conditions when it will turn off (rain, poorly painted roads, gaps in lines, etc.
It will relax you...and drive you crazy...at the same time (so it's a push). Over time you'll feel more comfortable.
This is the basic AutoPilot.
If you opt for the full package (I did), you get a bunch of other goodies, but to be honest, the extra bells and whistles might not be worth the extra cost. Navigation, as evidenced by this thread is good, but far from perfect. I'm still getting used to it, so I mainly use it on empty highways (when you really don't need it). Merging and switching lanes is fun to experience. Too often Navigate on AutoPilot will punk out, so, again, be prepared to take control. Again, it can be maddening (when it moves to the left, when on an empty highway you need to exit right), the check and balance is to set all lane changes to confirmation (so you can veto a dumb move)
Bottom line, it's probably better, safer, and provides for a more relaxed experience.
I'm glad I got the car, and enjoy driving (my normal 9 mile commute is now 35 miles, as I go super far out of the way just so I can drive the car)
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