Poll: How often do you use AutoPilot?

[eschummer]

I am still just testing it out from time to time.... I love driving the car so much I have not been willing to give over controls to AP very often.

I'm with you there. Soo much fun to drive this car!

The few times I've tried AP, it din't react the way I expected, and I've not been able to trust it as much as I might otherwise. For example, in stop and go traffic, when I drive, I usually look a few cars ahead and react to brake lights up ahead by lifting off (at least a little) long before the car right in front hits the brakes. The Tesla ONLY reacts to the car in front (obviously) and if the driver in front is not smooth, you end up just duplicating his (often jerky) motions. Secondly, in turns (even gentle ones), it seems to want to follow the given path until it senses the outer lane marker getting closer and only then reacts with a steering input. When I drive, I anticipate the turn by feathering in steering input gently, so I never have to yank on the wheel. Maybe it's just me, but this sin't nearly as smooth as it should be or could be. Improvement will surely come, but for now I prefer to drive myself, except on a fairly straight section of highway, when there is no traffic and I'm just cruising along...

 

[Zybd1201]

Paging @golfingBuddha

glad to know I have a reputation... lol

I'm very honest about my experiences and I hope people integrate it as a small part of their expectations going forward. I would never say "don't buy a Tesla." Not just because I want someone to buy mine. lol

 

[NikeWings]

glad to know I have a reputation... lol

I'm very honest about my experiences and I hope people integrate it as a small part of their expectations going forward. I would never say "don't buy a Tesla." Not just because I want someone to buy mine. lol

But why must you leave us ole wise buddha? Apparently I've missed your expressed concerns, but if you had to sum it up?

 

[Canuck]

Now, I've developed an intuition for when it will struggle and take more active control in anticipation of those situations. I find also that I prefer to continue "steering" the whole time, sort of a hand-over-hand teaching technique, like guiding a child's hands when learning how to cut with a knife. In doing so, when it struggles I'm already counter steering or breaking free and disengaging Autopilot before it strays any.

That's the problem with AP (or at least AP1.0) - for safety's sake you really do need to do this because without a sensor/camera at eye level or higher, an accident like the one involving the fatality could happen. So if I have to baby the car, I might as well drive the car.

It also forces me to maintain awareness at all times, like I was driving, but yet I find that I arrive at destinations still far less fatigued than if I was doing the driving all by myself.

I've heard people say this before but it doesn't apply to me. I drive a lot - most weekends to my cabin and back - but I don't find that driving fatigues me. In fact, when I arrive, and if it's late, I almost need to come down from a bit of a high that driving gives me before I can sleep.

 

[Zybd1201]

But why must you leave us ole wise buddha? Apparently I've missed your expressed concerns, but if you had to sum it up?

Sorry for delayed response, won't be as active on the forums because I have become very busy.

1. Autopilot does a poor job of staying in its own lane. It will occasionally quickly dart into another lane.
2. Autopilot regularly and unpredictably slows down to dangerous speeds on the highway.
3. Autopilot's integration with the navigation system means that the flaws of the navigation system impact autopilot in ways that are unsafe (slowing to unsafe speeds on the highway but for a separate reason that #2).
4. The communication surrounding autopilot by Tesla. ("advertising" it is "probably better than a human" and announcing that we are "within x years of full autonomy" gives the consumer the impression the system is more reliable than it is.)
5. Autopilot gives the illusion by functioning as intended in certain circumstances that it will function as intended in broader circumstances.
6. The combination of 4 & 5 is dangerous for mass production (I am confident there will be lots of wrecks with Model 3s due to misunderstanding/misuse of autopilot).

 

[jbcarioca]

I use it on freeways and also on city streets that are well marked. The TACC works very well in stop & go traffic and I nearly always use it in heavy traffic conditions. After more than 20,000 miles of autopilot driving I now greatly enjoy the reduced workload but I also never, ever, think it is wise to let my attention tray at all. If one looks at it exactly as a light airplane autopilot one enjoys teh reduced workload but never trust it to make any independent decision. That will wait for level 4, whenever we get there, and I don't knwo taht I'll like taht too much because I do love to drive my Tesla.

 

[Electroman]

@golfingBuddha : So I guess you will choosing a car with a better AP ?

FWIW, I use it exactly as how it is intended to and how Tesla communicated - on ramp to off ramp - (in highways with well marked lines), and I have not experienced even one of those issues that you mention.even once.

 

[Zybd1201]

@golfingBuddha : So I guess you will choosing a car with a better AP ?

FWIW, I use it exactly as how it is intended to and how Tesla communicated - on ramp to off ramp - (in highways with well marked lines), and I have not experienced even one of those issues that you mention.even once.

That is awesome. I'm quite jealous!

No, I will be getting a car without autopilot.

 

[Tony8489]

TACC is great and I use it most of the time on SoCal freeways and nearly all the time on trips. Minimizing right leg tensioning is a big plus.

Autosteer I use intermittently, only for an occasional break on long trips. Somehow my brain still has some unease with Autosteer at high speed 70+mph. My arms are fairly relaxed on the long drives. Arm tension comes more from stop and go. Therefore I use the Autosteer mostly when the freeways are moderately crowded with variable speeds. Autopilot definitely takes some of the stress out of that kind of driving. I've also used Autosteer in the "Disneyland crawl" mode approaching the gates at Dodger Stadium, works great for that too.

Autosteer does not work on the 1940's vintage Pasadena Freeway, as curves are too sharp. It did work well on a fairly congested PCH between Malibu and Santa Monica, maintaining distance and stopping vs. car in front of me and no problems lane keeping.

 

[NikeWings]

Sorry for delayed response, won't be as active on the forums because I have become very busy.

1. Autopilot does a poor job of staying in its own lane. It will occasionally quickly dart into another lane.
2. Autopilot regularly and unpredictably slows down to dangerous speeds on the highway.
3. Autopilot's integration with the navigation system means that the flaws of the navigation system impact autopilot in ways that are unsafe (slowing to unsafe speeds on the highway but for a separate reason that #2).
4. The communication surrounding autopilot by Tesla. ("advertising" it is "probably better than a human" and announcing that we are "within x years of full autonomy" gives the consumer the impression the system is more reliable than it is.)
5. Autopilot gives the illusion by functioning as intended in certain circumstances that it will function as intended in broader circumstances.
6. The combination of 4 & 5 is dangerous for mass production (I am confident there will be lots of wrecks with Model 3s due to misunderstanding/misuse of autopilot).

Thank you for your explanation and I totally understand and respect your decision. Good luck GB.

 

[Iara]

Use it a lot, LOL had the car 3 days. Trying to keep my wife from using it, you know, technology and chicks just don't mix ; )

Really? You would be surprised... this is coming from a CHICK that become a millionaire by creating a technology company and owns 6 cars...

 

[Electroman]

technology and chicks just don't mix ; )

You are going to get roasted for that comment, by feminazis in this forum

 

[GregTexas]

I can't take the incessant nags.

 

[kort677]

I can't take the incessant nags.

define incessant, on interstate type roads the nags are few and far between, on two lane road, one lane each direction, the nags can be often but it really isn't to difficult to tap the steering wheel to end the nag.

 

[Charliek]

I noticed most of the comments went from 2016 to now. I’m on 8.1 .42 and I use it every day on local roads and highways in VA and I got to the point I prefer it in medium and heavy traffic over me driving as it is much more relaxing (not enough to not look out the front window or do something else ) but to take a 25 mile one way commute and makes it much more enjoyable especially the stop and start traffic part is significantly less taxing . I’m ready for off ramp , on ramp and highway change capability next that will take me to 95 percent of my total commute , to get to 100% I would need stopping at red lights with no car in front, 2 stop signs, switch back up a hill and a couple right and left turns at lights. It is getting there!

 

[Tony8489]

Update on my comment above:

Autosteer does not work on the 1940's vintage Pasadena Freeway, as curves are too sharp.

That was my observation when the car was new in spring 2016. I was on the Pasadena Freeway last month and Autosteer (version 1) will now stay in its lane through those curves. So that's very tangible proof of improvement via software update.

 

[GregTexas]

define incessant, on interstate type roads the nags are few and far between, on two lane road, one lane each direction, the nags can be often but it really isn't to difficult to tap the steering wheel to end the nag.

Every minute or 2 on an interstate. Having the nag is ridiculous. The Infiniti Q50 has no nag unless you turn on the lane departure warning beep. When you activate the lane keeping system on the Q50 it stays on until you turn it off or drop below a set speed. Go back above the set speed and it will activate again. The Q50 never makes any sudden jerky moves. It expects you to make those moves.The Tesla nag makes the car less safe. It is an unnecessary distraction. It forces you to torque the steering wheel after sending you a speedometer flashing signal. You can't help but take your eyes off of the road to look at the flashing. It doesn't matter that it only lost a lane line for one second, if you don't torque the steering wheel it will shut off. If I'm forced to hold a moving steering wheel or repeatedly get annoyed by nags, I may as well drive the car.

 

[kort677]

You must be doing something wrong, is your foot on the accelerator!?

 

[Pagoda9]

My MS75D was picked up in late March 2017 with EAP and FSD options. I used (enjoyed) the AP very often almost whenever the AP icon appeared for the first 3 months or so. I wasn’t so happy with it. Expensive toy and rather dangerous.
- At intersections, it veered toward the curb very badly.
- On slightly curved road it did not see stopped cars ahead and dangerously not slowing down.
- With the sun down low, the glare was intense, AP couldn’t recognize the freeway lanes and the car veering left and right like I’m driving drunk

Last week I got the software updated from 2017.34 now to 2017.42. All of the dangerous nuisances above were fixed. AP is now rock solid.

On the freeway AP now also recognizes adjacent lanes. Wow what a change. I’ll go back to AP.

 

[TrafficEng]

I think it takes about 1,000 miles of driving to become fully comfortable with AP. I have 20,000 miles on AP1, and now 10,000 miles on AP2. Once you get used to driving WITH AP as pilot/co-pilot, then you'll never go back. But this takes much longer than a day - it is a new driving experience that takes some getting used to.