With all the hype around autopilot, I figured it would be one of the best systems as far as basic functionality that other manufacturer's have (what Tesla calls "traffic aware cruise control"). The only similar system I've owned is on a Subaru Forester (called "Eyesight"). Here's the issues that I've come across on my 2020 P3D- (autosteer off, standard regen) that I've not experienced with the Subaru driving on the same roads:
- On a 65 mph highway, the cruise control suddenly believes that the speed limit is 30 mph and massively slows the car. This only happens for a handful of seconds, then shows the proper limit of 65 mph. It does it again a few miles down the road (but this time 55 mph for a few seconds).
- Passing a car on a 2-lane highway above the cruise set limit and then letting off the throttle to slow down (to use regen to slow the car) and the system starts to get on and off the "throttle" making the car jerk backwards and forwards even though speed is still above the set limit.
- On a 55 mph 2-lane highway, someone turns in front of me from the opposite direction (from a turn lane) but not in a way that is unsafe. The car suddenly starts braking but only after they are no longer in the road.
- The manual does mention that the system may not work correctly with "sharp curves" but something that did not occur with Eyesight is that on what I would call more moderate curves (45 limit on a 55 2-lane highway), the Tesla does this, again, jerky motion where it suddenly slows for a second and then speeds up.
- Eyesight seems to be able to recognize cars at a much greater max distance than Tesla's system. Eyesight will start to slow down the car (let off the throttle) when it sees cars braking in the distance whereas the Tesla doesn't recognize them until much closer and has to slow down more severely.
- Eyesight also does this but not as bad -> someone in front of me pulls into a turn lane off to the right (on a 65 mph highway) and the Tesla suddenly starts braking/slow down severely with no car in front of it.