AutoPilot on the other hand - I don't know what it is - it has to be just me based on all the glowing reviews it gets, but I still don't feel comfortable using AP
Totally understandable. First, it certainly does take a bit to get comfortable with AP (or EAP). In my circle of family and friends that have tried it... the reaction is all over the board. I, for instance, LOVE it!! It feels odd to drive my other vehicles that don't have AP! My wife, however, will only use it in stop-and-go traffic at low speeds. My nephew would rather drive the car himself. Etc., etc..
I have found it best
not to try to convince people that they HAVE to get used to it and love it. But what I usually tell those that are 'iffy' is this: AP is truly (at this point) a 'driver assist feature'. Although it does do
most of the driving for you... it's up to you as the driver to discover where AP shines and where it doesn't. Once you get used to how AP handles certain situations, you instinctively know how to either let it do it's thing, or take over completely until it is safe to use AP again.
For me, it has become second-nature. I no longer have to constantly think about how AP will handle situations... I simply take over until I determine that it's safe to rely on AP again.
If I were to break it down, I would state that
in my experience (note - this is for highway and byway driving, and
not city streets):
- 60% of the time, it is flawless and it's a joy to be an 'observant passenger'.
- 30% of the time, it reacts differently than I would. IOW, it may not hug the right or left hand lane markers as I would when, say, going around corners, etc., or the famed 'phantom braking' happens, or it speeds up or slows down differently than I may.
- 10% of the time, I will disengage completely. Especially around roadwork areas.
As an 'observant passenger' (the 60 percentile), there are the 'nags' that have to be dealt with... but I am happy to only have to nudge the wheel every so often. I don't consider it a 'nag', but a necessary part of how the AP system works at this time.
When it reacts differently than I would... I am just on 'high alert', ready to take over. I sometimes will let AP maintain control just so I can see how it may handle the situation.
Bottom line: If you enjoy AP after getting used to it... awesome. If you never quite like how it handles... then don't use it.