Is enhanced autopilot (2022) worth it?

[tonyz1]

Hi,

I'm getting my Tesla model Y this month. Coming from a BMW 3-series with standard cruise control so have no idea what autopilot offers. Is enhanced autopilot worth adding? What are the main benefits of it that people here have used day to day?

My main interest is making sure I don't crash if I'm in a distracted driving scenario which happens more often than I'd like although I'm generally pretty good about it.

Also, the specific trade off I'm thinking is either 1) Add EAP or 2) Upgrade to Performance or obviously 3) Save some money with neither but don't see myself adding EAP and Performance.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[cenwesi]

Personally I would go with EAP and if you want you can add the acceleration boost later. The model Y as it is currently is already fast.

 

[TheLex]

Hi,

I'm getting my Tesla model Y this month. Coming from a BMW 3-series with standard cruise control so have no idea what autopilot offers. Is enhanced autopilot worth adding? What are the main benefits of it that people here have used day to day?

My main interest is making sure I don't crash if I'm in a distracted driving scenario which happens more often than I'd like although I'm generally pretty good about it.

Also, the specific trade off I'm thinking is either 1) Add EAP or 2) Upgrade to Performance or obviously 3) Save some money with neither but don't see myself adding EAP and Performance.

Thanks for the feedback!

EAP adds navigate highway on- and off-ramps without driver input, navigate highway interchanges, and suggest lane changes. It adds a self-parking system and a “summon” function that lets owners call the car to them from across a parking lot.

For me, those features are not worth the extra $6k. I recently did a 1100 mile journey over the Thanksgiving break through some ridiculously heavy traffic. Standard Autopilot with lane centering (beta) are enough to accomplish what you're looking for IMO. I had a couple of instances where cars in the next lane would start to drift over into my lane. Vision based AP is very sensitive and the moment it saw the other car drifting, it slowed the car down quite dramatically. Lane centering kept the vehicle dead center in the lane. The only problem areas are if it comes to a point where a lane widens to a split off. There the LC will get confused as to which direction to follow. So one does have to be aware of the surroundings and situation. I don't thing EAP would offer any extra benefits safety wise.

 

[ucmndd]

The only feature worth anything in the current EAP package is the ability to initiate automatic lane changes with autosteer engaged.

Everything else is a party trick. If you're choosing between EAP and a Performance model, get the P. No contest. EAP is a joke and you can always add it later if you really want it down the road.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

Hi,

I'm getting my Tesla model Y this month. Coming from a BMW 3-series with standard cruise control so have no idea what autopilot offers. Is enhanced autopilot worth adding? What are the main benefits of it that people here have used day to day?

My main interest is making sure I don't crash if I'm in a distracted driving scenario which happens more often than I'd like although I'm generally pretty good about it.

Also, the specific trade off I'm thinking is either 1) Add EAP or 2) Upgrade to Performance or obviously 3) Save some money with neither but don't see myself adding EAP and Performance.

Thanks for the feedback!

Get EAP. The features are getting updates soon too. Plus you get lower monthly subscription rate to FSD beta. MYLR is pretty quick anyhow.

 

[Watts_Up]

I might be wrong, or I might over simplify, but basically:

- EAP is a cruise control checking speed and distance from the car in front of you.
- FSD is EAP with additional steering control, and also line change.

I like fast driving and don't use any EAP or FSD in this case,
but I am often in heavy traffic or drive long trips, so I got
Full FSD and I use it almost all the time (city driving and highway).

FSD is not perfect and has limitations, so you still need to pay attention.
In particular, FSD don't adjust speed like an experienced driver would do,
like slowing down as soon as noticing a red traffic light far away,
or on in curvy road by slowing down before a curve and accelerating when exiting the curve.
So I prefer controlling the speed when I feel it, using the right button on the steering wheel.

Otherwise, FSD is a very relaxing feature to have, especially during a long trip,
but also when driving around town, as sometime you might be distracted
looking at the map on the central display, and you feel the steering wheel
making corrections.

FSD is also very relaxing on heavy traffic, at night when you get dazzled
by the headlights of another oncoming car, or when it is raining with
poor visibility, as the car stays perfectly centered in middle of the lane,

The change lane feature is certainly my favorite because you can
concentrate looking in front of you when driving instead of constantly looking
at the same time, in front of you, on the rear view mirror and the side view mirror,
when you try to pass a vehicle and when you try to move back to your lane.

I only use EAP mode when FSD get disengaged because I took over the steering wheel.
But I don't like using EAP because prefer then to control the speed with the accelerator
and the regen feature, so I don't see the need to use EAP.

If you plan to keep your car for a while, drive a lot, and like to relax
when driving home after a busy day at work, I would recommend
getting the Full FSD, especially since the coming new V11 version.

EAP is missing the steering control, which is the main Tesla vision feature.
But I am not really knowledgeable on EAP features since I rarely use this mode.
So for EAP solely, it would be better to consider other users comments.

 

[SO16]

I bought TACC/AP/EAP/FSD all for 5k during the fire sale in 2019. (Wouldn’t pay todays prices of 15k.)

I mainly just use the features that come standard with new Teslas these days. (Basic Autopilot and TACC).

Basic AP (which is standard now) would satisfy your concerns.

Could always add EAP later if you want it.

 

[ATPMSD]

Basic - Included​

1. Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC)
2. Autopilot

Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) - $6,000​

1. Navigate on Autopilot
2. Auto Lane Change
3. Autopark
4. Summon
5. Smart Summon

Full Self-Driving Capability (FSD) - $15,000​

1. All functionality of Basic Autopilot and Enhanced Autopilot
2. Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control

Coming Soon​

1. Autosteer on city streets

I suggest you subscribe ($99/month for EAP, $199/month for FSD) as opposed to buying unless you are certain you will keep the car over 5-years. You can always unsubscribe, or change from EAP to FSD. And you can always "buy" it later.

IHMO the only real value in EAP is Auto Lane Change; I have not found the Navigate on Autopilot to work very well in high traffic areas, such as where I live.

 

[exxxviii]

Hi,

I'm getting my Tesla model Y this month. Coming from a BMW 3-series with standard cruise control so have no idea what autopilot offers. Is enhanced autopilot worth adding? What are the main benefits of it that people here have used day to day?

My main interest is making sure I don't crash if I'm in a distracted driving scenario which happens more often than I'd like although I'm generally pretty good about it.

Also, the specific trade off I'm thinking is either 1) Add EAP or 2) Upgrade to Performance or obviously 3) Save some money with neither but don't see myself adding EAP and Performance.

Thanks for the feedback!

The Acceleration Boost upgrade gets you a lot of the acceleration difference between the LR and Performance. I would get the Long Range + Acceleration Boost.

The major EAP feature that matters to me is that it fixes a bad lane keep behavior in the basic autopilot. The basic AP fights you a little (most times) when changing lanes, and then you have to reengage after changing lanes. Every other car, and probably your BMW, does this way better. But, that feature fix is not worth $6K USD to me, and I would never use the other features.

 

[ATPMSD]

If acceleration boost can be added later (?) I would wait. I do not see that much of a difference in the table below. Also, my MS goes like a bat out of hell but realistically, after showing off to my friends, I stopped driving it like a dragster. Very personal choice of course!

Model	Long Range	Acceleration Boost	Performance
Model 3	4.2 seconds	3.7 seconds	3.1 seconds
Model Y	4.8 seconds	4.3 seconds	3.5 seconds

 

[starship42]

The major EAP feature that matters to me is that it fixes a bad lane keep behavior in the basic autopilot. The basic AP fights you a little (most times) when changing lanes, and then you have to reengage after changing lanes.

If you have AP on and attempt to change lanes without using your turn signal, sure, it’s going to feel like you’re “fighting” to take over control of the wheel with the extra torque necessary to do so. At that point, both AP and TACC will have turned off by your manual over-torquing of the wheel.

If AP is on, and you turn on your turn signal before you start the lane change, there is no “torque fight” against the wheel. The slightest move you make toward the adjacent lane turns off AP but keeps TACC on. There’s no “fight” for the wheel and your speed will remain constant while you steer manually.

Then continue with your lane change, reengage AP if you wish or wait until you’re back in your original lane.

Either way - turn signals/lane change indicators *before* the lane change is the key point for AP users.

 

[exxxviii]

If AP is on, and you turn on your turn signal before you start the lane change, there is no “torque fight” against the wheel. The slightest move you make toward the adjacent lane turns off AP but keeps TACC on. There’s no “fight” for the wheel and your speed will remain constant while you steer manually.

Not my experience. Mine frequently fights me when I use the blinker. (I always use blinkers when changing lanes.) I have not figured out its secret sauce. Maybe it needs to flash a couple times to figure it out. If I do the quick tap down for three blinks, the AP will fight me about half the time. If I hold the turn signal lever down while I change lanes, it usually disengages and does not fight me. But sometimes it does.

My original point still stands - Tesla's Basic AP is by far the worst lane keep user experience of any car I know. Every other car in this class either automatically changes lanes with a blinker or will let the driver change lanes with a blinker while staying engaged. The EAP improves Tesla's bad behavior a little, but basic AP is still a turd.

 

[Need]

Basic - Included​

1. Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC)
2. Autopilot

Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) - $6,000​

1. Navigate on Autopilot
2. Auto Lane Change
3. Autopark
4. Summon
5. Smart Summon

Full Self-Driving Capability (FSD) - $15,000​

1. All functionality of Basic Autopilot and Enhanced Autopilot
2. Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control

Coming Soon​

1. Autosteer on city streets

I suggest you subscribe ($99/month for EAP, $199/month for FSD) as opposed to buying unless you are certain you will keep the car over 5-years. You can always unsubscribe, or change from EAP to FSD. And you can always "buy" it later.

IHMO the only real value in EAP is Auto Lane Change; I have not found the Navigate on Autopilot to work very well in high traffic areas, such as where I live.

Really good advice. I have EAP on both Tesla for 4+ years. We never really used any of the feature including auto lane change. We bought EAP because AP was not free back then. You have to buy EAP to get the regular AP which we used everyday. I did actually used "4. Summon" the other day. I parked maybe 2 feet too far from the end of the parking stall. I was going to get back into the car but instead pulled out my phone to summon it forward instead. It is definitely fun to sub EAP for a month and try things out for yourself. It is much cheaper than paying $6K and have buyer remorse in a month.

 

[Watts_Up]

The major EAP feature that matters to me is that it fixes a bad lane keep behavior in the basic autopilot. The basic AP fights you a little (most times) when changing lanes, and then you have to reengage after changing lanes. Every other car, and probably your BMW, does this way better. But, that feature fix is not worth $6K USD to me, and I would never use the other features.

There is a an option for not having Autopilot to change lane automatically.
I prefer to indicate that I would like to change lane and then let the Autopilot doing it.

Otherwise Autopilot try to change lane lane (left or right) when following a car
if there is no car in the other lane, and I found this feature annoying.

 

[Need]

Not my experience. Mine frequently fights me when I use the blinker. (I always use blinkers when changing lanes.) I have not figured out its secret sauce. Maybe it needs to flash a couple times to figure it out. If I do the quick tap down for three blinks, the AP will fight me about half the time. If I hold the turn signal lever down while I change lanes, it usually disengages and does not fight me. But sometimes it does.

My original point still stands - Tesla's Basic AP is by far the worst lane keep user experience of any car I know. Every other car in this class either automatically changes lanes with a blinker or will let the driver change lanes with a blinker while staying engaged. The EAP improves Tesla's bad behavior a little, but basic AP is still a turd.

I have EAP, but I don't use the auto lane change feature because it is too slow for me. What I do is up tap drive bar to disengage AP, signal and change lane, double down tap to re-engage AP. After 4 years of doing this, it is 2nd nature.

 

[exxxviii]

What I do is up tap drive bar to disengage AP, signal and change lane, double down tap to re-engage AP.

There is a an option for not having Autopilot to change lane automatically.
I prefer to indicate that I would like to change lane and then let the Autopilot doing it.

My wish, which I do not foresee Tesla granting, is that they merely fix the basic AP lane changing to be like nearly every car in the world with lane keep assist. That is: signal, manually change lanes, and resume lake keep without having to reengage.

As it is now with Tesla: it is signal, AP frequently fails to disengage and fights the manual lane change, AP disengages, manually complete lane change, manually reengage AP. That is a crap UX.

 

[Watts_Up]

As it is now with Tesla: it is signal, AP frequently fails to disengage and fights the manual lane change, AP disengages, manually complete lane change, manually reengage AP. That is a crap UX.

I quite often drive about 400 miles between SF and LA,
which is mostly a two lanes freeway in each direction.

I didn't noticed any disengagement except when stopping at a Supercharger.
I solely use the left lane to pass trucks and move back to the right lane thereafter,
or when someone is driving well over 80 or 85 miles per hour and suddenly shows up just few feet behind me.

Driving with FSD is more like if I was seating in front of my computer doing a video game.

 

[exxxviii]

I didn't noticed any disengagement except when stopping at a Supercharger.
I solely use the left lane to pass trucks and move back to the right lane thereafter,

There is a an option for not having Autopilot to change lane automatically.
I prefer to indicate that I would like to change lane and then let the Autopilot doing it.

Yes, this is the EAP automatic lane change. This is a tablestakes behavior for most current other cars I am aware of with lake keep assist - you click the blinker and they do the lane change for you. A couple years ago, the tablestakes behavior for other cars on the market was you click the blinker and manually change, and the lane keep assist stays on, but suspended until you complete the lane change.

Tesla is worse than both of these scenarios.

 

[Watts_Up]

Yes, this is the EAP automatic lane change. This is a tablestakes behavior for most current other cars I am aware of with lake keep assist - you click the blinker and they do the lane change for you. A couple years ago, the tablestakes behavior for other cars on the market was you click the blinker and manually change, and the lane keep assist stays on, but suspended until you complete the lane change.

Tesla is worse than both of these scenarios.

I think the way Tesla autolane change is mostly something you need to get used to,
a little bit like the one pedal driving, and you may or not like it.

It is true that with the manual setting, you need to keep holding the blinker.
If you release the blinker too earlier when the car is changing lane,
then the changing lane stop and the car goes back to your current lane.
I think this is a safety feature but I guess you need to get used to.

 

[exxxviii]

I think the way Tesla autolane change is mostly something you need to get used to,

Yeah, I am just hoping that at some point, Tesla will at least rise to the minimums in the market. Those all work very smoothly.