In early 2023, our family welcomed our first electric car: a 2021 Tesla Model Y we named “Lucky.” I opted for an older model because it retained the ultrasonic sensors and other features absent in newer versions. I was excited about the prospect of home charging and an end to those Costco gas lines. I understood vehicle autonomy was coming, but I never imagined that within a year, my car would be driving me around town.

Fast forward to April 1st, 2024, when I received a trial for Full Self Driving (supervised). After using it daily for the past two weeks, I’m blown away by its capabilities and considering becoming a subscriber. Here’s my review, documenting both the positives and the areas needing improvement.

Shortcomings

  • Stopping: FSD impresses me with its ability to recognize stop signs, red lights, and even manage pedestrian crosswalks with blinking lights. A Tesla with FSD enabled should never get a traffic ticket for rolling a stop sign or running a red. However, it tends to brake too early and stop too far back from intersections, often requiring a nudge with the accelerator.
  • Deceleration: I’d prefer faster, later deceleration – a more aggressive style. I worry cars behind me might be surprised by FSD’s early braking. Hopefully, this will become a customizable setting.
  • Right Turns: Surprisingly, left turns (even unprotected ones) haven’t been an issue. Right turns, however, are very hesitant. The car seems to struggle with visibility of oncoming traffic, leading me to assist with the accelerator.
  • Acceleration: My wife finds the car’s speedy launch from traffic lights a bit jarring. It would be nice to adjust this behavior in the settings.

Why I Love It

  • Safety: FSD quickly proved to be a safer driver than me in many situations. My few takeovers have been due to other drivers’ erratic behavior. For example, I took control once to avoid a speeding motorcycle.
  • Reduced Stress: I sometimes enjoy driving manually, but often find myself engaging FSD within a few miles. Although my commute might take a bit longer, I arrive safely and without breaking any traffic laws. For this reason alone, the $99 monthly subscription feels worth it – like buying extra insurance on top of the convenience factor.
  • Continuous Improvement: I never tried earlier versions of FSD, knowing their hard-coded model would be no match for a trained AI model. FSD 12.3 validates that decision; it’s a significant leap over v11 (according to early adopters on X). While I’m using an early iteration (12.3.3), I’m confident that Tesla’s rapidly expanding training dataset will fuel even faster improvements, limited only by their ability to process the data. I can’t wait to experience the capabilities of v13 and beyond!

Overall, Tesla’s Full Self Driving is an impressive product and I look forward to being on this (fully autonomous) journey.

Tesla Model Y