Debating adding FSD to existing order at $10K

[Firocity]

Hey all, I have been deliberating for weeks on if I should add FSD to my existing order. I was going to in order to expedite my order but held off for fear of resetting my EDD. Well my time has come after a long wait and I have a VIN! When I test drove the MY last year, I incorrectly used FSD so didn't have the best experience with it so decided to opt out on advice of a friend who said Autopilot is good enough.

The whole purpose of getting the car was to take long road trips with the family and have less fatigue. Most of what I have seen say getting FSD for EAP isn't really worth it beyond the auto lane change. However recently I have been taking a look at the latest FSD updates for city streets driving on Beta 10.11.2 and have been very impressed. I feel like most of the people who say don't get it, maybe tried it out as a subscription for a month and used EAP or those that paid for it years ago and have had a long wait and are not on Beta. I am very into tech and can see the potential in the software.

A couple of questions, those that are on Beta, do we realistically think that Beta will be opened up for everyone by the end of the year (as of now they are not allowing anyone else in). Do we think the subscription price will hold at $199 for some time or do we see steady increases there (at some point it if it's too much they won't have subscribers)? Would you say the resale value on it is 50%? Wondering if it is worth the $10K upfront cost now to lock it in if I plan to keep the car at least 7 years.

 

[Yelobird]

Will only say the decision is up to you. The ONLY replies you will get here are the (same) dozen anti-FSD posters that reply at nausea. I personally Love it and the progress they have made is rather incredible. Perfect or done, no but really progressing. As for your speculation questions on price, time, release. That’s an unknown that nobody can really say for sure other then Tesla. What I have now via Beta I feel fully content with as money well spent. Good luck with Your decision. Now prepare for an onslaught of hate posters and pitch. Lol

 

[Rice&Curry]

I have FSD on both my MX and MY. My personal opinion, it is very useful on long trips on highways. You can relax and enjoy the drive and participate in a conversation (w/o turning your head and looking backwards) and occasionally enjoy the scenery.

 

[Tam]

...long road trips...

I bought FSD for both of my Tesla cars because I thought with all the technological advantages: massive data gathering from all of Tesla's sensors, AI, the technology would be available soon.

Now that I have FSD beta 5 years later, I think my money has been a waste.

FSD beta is a nice trick to show on youtube the same way as the smart summons but I don't see how it is worth $12,000 when it still can collide with obstacles which have been the case since the first generation of Autopilot was introduced in 2014.

So, for the purpose of a long trip: 1) Keep in the lane and 2) smart cruise, both free Autopilot and FSD beta have the same capability.

Just because you pay more for FSD beta, that doesn't mean those 2 functions are better. If Autopilot can't take a specific sharp curve, it would be the same when you pay more for FSD beta. If Autopilot can collide with a disabled truck laying on its side, paying more for FSD beta would still collide the same too.

What you pay is more features: But an extra feature like Smart summon doesn't mean it can't collide with a multimillion-dollar jet... An extra feature like it can respond to stop signs but that doesn't mean it can't run a stop sign...

 

[OliverM3]

Why not just try the subscription and see how you like it then buy it if you love it? for me Auto Pilot if fine I'll make the turn then reengage.
It's not like anyone will be sleeping on the way to work anytime soon.

 

[EVRider-FL]

If your primary use case is road trips, FSD City Streets doesn’t help you. The only road trip features you would get with FSD vs. standard AP are Auto Lane Change and Navigate on Autopilot. I think the suggestion to subscribe to FSD (before your next road trip) is a good one. If you like it, you can either buy it for current price ($12k now) or keep subscribing. If you don’t think it’s worth it, then you only spent $199 rather than $10k.

 

[OncomingStorm]

Hey all, I have been deliberating for weeks on if I should add FSD to my existing order. I was going to in order to expedite my order but held off for fear of resetting my EDD. Well my time has come after a long wait and I have a VIN! When I test drove the MY last year, I incorrectly used FSD so didn't have the best experience with it so decided to opt out on advice of a friend who said Autopilot is good enough.

The whole purpose of getting the car was to take long road trips with the family and have less fatigue. Most of what I have seen say getting FSD for EAP isn't really worth it beyond the auto lane change. However recently I have been taking a look at the latest FSD updates for city streets driving on Beta 10.11.2 and have been very impressed. I feel like most of the people who say don't get it, maybe tried it out as a subscription for a month and used EAP or those that paid for it years ago and have had a long wait and are not on Beta. I am very into tech and can see the potential in the software.

A couple of questions, those that are on Beta, do we realistically think that Beta will be opened up for everyone by the end of the year (as of now they are not allowing anyone else in). Do we think the subscription price will hold at $199 for some time or do we see steady increases there (at some point it if it's too much they won't have subscribers)? Would you say the resale value on it is 50%? Wondering if it is worth the $10K upfront cost now to lock it in if I plan to keep the car at least 7 years.

if your a techy AND the extra 10k isn't a huge issue AND you plan on keeping the car for 7 years, i'd say go for it. i drive a fair amount and frankly the auto lane change and stop light/sign control is almost worth the extra cost alone lol. otherwise the other features are fun toys and thats about it lol but i think its fair to say city streets will be released inside the next 7 years lol. (and can't hurt the resale after)

if however the cost is a reach or you plan on trading it in in a couple years, maybe not. free AP is still super useful and you can sub for long trips... tho i wouldn't go without the FSD package personally. either way gratz on the VIN!!

 

[father_of_6]

You can relax and enjoy the drive and participate in a conversation (w/o turning your head and looking backwards) and occasionally enjoy the scenery.

I've been doing this for decades without Faux Self Driving.

You could also just subscribe for the months that you go on long road trips. Will you go on 50 long road trips within the time you own the vehicle?

No one can know for sure if FSD will hold it's value long term in the used market.

 

[2101Guy]

If your expectations are that it will do many things the CEO has said it will do? (“Nyc to la with no human intervention by 2018”)

You will be severely disappointed.

If you desire to pay $12k to literally beta test software that will (and I quote): “do the worst thing possible at the worst time possible on public roads”?

Then go for it

 

[father_of_6]

If you desire to pay $12k to literally beta test software

It seems the OP has the option to purchase it for $10k still, that's why the decision seems hard... because they will pay $2k more for it after delivery.

I definitely don't value it at either of those prices, but have read many posts in both directions - some love it and some feel ripped off.

There *is* a possibilty that at some point it leads to getting a significant hardware upgrade (LiDAR) when Tesla finally hits the dead end of what can be achieved with cameras only. If/when that happens (by class action lawsuit probably), the hardware could be worth much more than what the owners paid for FSD.

Waymo is far ahead of Tesla in autonomous driving (objectively), and I believe they have proven that it requires LiDAR.

 

[Firocity]

It seems the OP has the option to purchase it for $10k still, that's why the decision seems hard... because they will pay $2k more for it after delivery.

I definitely don't value it at either of those prices, but have read many posts in both directions - some love it and some feel ripped off.

There *is* a possibilty that at some point it leads to getting a significant hardware upgrade (LiDAR) when Tesla finally hits the dead end of what can be achieved with cameras only. If/when that happens (by class action lawsuit probably), the hardware could be worth much more than what the owners paid for FSD.

Waymo is far ahead of Tesla in autonomous driving (objectively), and I believe they have proven that it requires LiDAR.

Exactly, that’s the dilemma I can get it now for $10K vs $12k after the purchase. Lots of great information in this post. I have friends with Teslas one says Autopilot is enough and then others say auto lane change, stop light controls are godsends. Also I live in Austin, not too far from HQ, I feel like City streets would perform pretty good here because of the Tesla HQ advantage.

 

[Tam]

...I am very into tech and can see the potential in the software....

You sound like a beta tester material, so go for it. What's the hesitation?

 

[PACEMD]

For me, FSD/NOA is the one thing that makes my M3P a Tesla. But then most of my driving is an interstate commute. And, and I only paid 6K in 2019, so there's that. Still, I wouldn't even buy a Tesla without FSD/NOA. Even at current prices. I have FSD-beta but that's not yet so helpful. But that's me........

 

[father_of_6]

There *is* a possibilty that at some point it leads to getting a significant hardware upgrade (LiDAR) when Tesla finally hits the dead end of what can be achieved with cameras only. If/when that happens (by class action lawsuit probably), the hardware could be worth much more than what the owners paid for FSD.

Just want to add (in case this LiDAR mention is somehow factored into your decision)... my comment above could be pure fiction, and shouldn't hold much weight.

I do feel that LiDAR is necessary for true autonomous driving (subjectively). The price of LiDAR has historically been more than a Model 3 and Musk has spoken publicly against LiDAR (probably because of cost).

Inexpensive LiDAR is now possible though, and I do think that a reversal from Tesla would be a game changer. That would likely mean Tesla paying to retrofit all FSD cars though, so perhaps it'll never happen. OR it's the reason the price keeps going up - so they can afford a future expected LiDAR upgrade once the prices are low enough.

I wouldn't spend $10k to avoid spending $12k on something I might value at $0 (but don't really get to know without owning it for a while). That's just me. I'd feel better subscribing for a month for $199 and then ultimately buying at $12k. One is a $2k loss, while the other is a $10k loss. I'm also reasoning this knowing full well that I don't value it at all... so take my words with a grain if salt.

 

[Tam]

For me, FSD/NOA is the one thing that makes my M3P a Tesla. But then most of my driving is an interstate commute. And, and I only paid 6K in 2019, so there's that. Still, I wouldn't even buy a Tesla without FSD/NOA. Even at current prices. I have FSD-beta but that's not yet so helpful. But that's me........

I am the opposite. After I got the taste of how bad summon and smart summon are, I haven't used it at all. Same with Navigation on Autopilot: It kept making irrational choices by changing lanes then do it again for no obvious reasons so instead of fighting it, I've just turned it off. Same with FSD beta: I've turned it off rather fighting it. So basically I paid more for the privilege of turning it off and I've just been using Autopilot instead. Autopilot has fewer features but it's much more predictable and less crazy.

 

[mtbwalt]

I have FSD, not beta, and I like it.

Is it worth 10k if I could alternatively use that money to pay down credit cards or put into a tax advantaged retirement account? Likely not.

Some people get stressed with FSD doing lane changes and the situation where this can indeed be irritating is when it moves into a passing lane when there is a 95 mph yahoo quickly approaching who will irately ride your bumper until you finish passing. A defensive driver would notice this fast approaching speeder and wait to change lanes until fully cleared. FSD often signals “Upcoming lane change” and you can anticipate what it will do and have an option to cancel the lane change.

FSD does unlock AP with lane change. So you let it drive but if stuck behind a slower driver you just activate turn signal and the car will auto change lanes (if it is clear). That’s a nice way to drive and less stressful for some people.

The truth is it’s not useless but also not miraculous. Some people will pay $10k to upgrade their brakes or $40k to get a model S that does 0-60 in 2 seconds instead of 3 seconds. If you are not pressured for money then FSD is fun. If that money will make a meaningful difference in your life elsewhere then consider holding off and trying it by subscription.

 

[BrerBear]

Exactly, that’s the dilemma I can get it now for $10K vs $12k after the purchase. Lots of great information in this post. I have friends with Teslas one says Autopilot is enough and then others say auto lane change, stop light controls are godsends. Also I live in Austin, not too far from HQ, I feel like City streets would perform pretty good here because of the Tesla HQ advantage.

I live ten miles from the Fremont factory, where Tesla was HQ’ed before Elon wanted his big tax break. One of Tesla’s head service managers lives across the street. Doesn’t matter.
It’s a parlor trick that still tries to run me into pedestrian crosswalk barriers ever time.

Try before you buy, for sure. I consider it a tremendous waste of money.

 

[t3sl4drvr]

Autopilot is wonderful on roadtrips and it is included in the price.

FSD does not work and no-one knows when/if it will. Would not make any sense to pay for something that you will not get in near future and may never receive.

 

[2101Guy]

Wait…hasn’t Elon previously stated quite emphatically that radar and LiDAR are nonstarters for him/Tesla? That he will ONLY use. Vision for FSD?

Or are there persons here who don’t trust his word?

 

[father_of_6]

Wait…hasn’t Elon previously stated quite emphatically that radar and LiDAR are nonstarters for him/Tesla? That he will ONLY use. Vision for FSD?

Or are there persons here who don’t trust his word?

My Model 3 has radar. The issue was that the radar and cameras would have conflicting information, so they had to choose which one to believe. They ultimately decided it was worth ditching radar.

I believe Elon's stance against LiDAR was economic. When one can be had for $100 or less, that might change.