Tesla FSD (Full Self Driving) tested. BlueCruise is good enough

[invertedspear]

How much blue cruise functionality remains after the 3 year trial period? I assume hands free driving disappears, but how much lane keeping assistance remains? What about adaptive cruise control?

You become one of us XLT Plebes. It's actually pretty great IMO. Had BC in my MME and currently the only difference is I could take my hands off the wheel. But then the ACC+LKA doesn't yell at me every time I take a drink and it can't see my eyes for a moment. I'd say with it's current iteration, you're actually better off without BC unless the cameras still watch you once the trial expires.

The future of BC isn't really all that great either. Lane changing? Are you going to trust it? I'd be in panic mode, so would just go manual and do it myself anyway. What else will BC offer? What of those things will I be able to trust? Am I just becoming the old man yelling at the clouds?

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[VTbuckeye]

You become one of us XLT Plebes. It's actually pretty great IMO. Had BC in my MME and currently the only difference is I could take my hands off the wheel. But then the ACC+LKA doesn't yell at me every time I take a drink and it can't see my eyes for a moment. I'd say with it's current iteration, you're actually better off without BC unless the cameras still watch you once the trial expires.

The future of BC isn't really all that great either. Lane changing? Are you going to trust it? I'd be in panic mode, so would just go manual and do it myself anyway. What else will BC offer? What of those things will I be able to trust? Am I just becoming the old man yelling at the clouds?

I am used to Volvo pilot assist. It is not hands free, but their adaptive cruise and lane keeping
assistance system. I have no problem keeping a hand on the wheel and giving it a little bit of torque to let it know I'm paying attention. I just wanted to know how much functionality would be going away with the blue cruise subscription. Answer: Not enough to be concerned about.

 

[flypony53]

Elon gave us Tesla owners a 30 day free trial of FSD. I was lucky enough to have it download and ready to go this morning.

I will say that FSD is like driving with a student driver who is taking lessons. This new version is supposed to be a lot better than all the old versions but to be honest it's not ready for prime-time. The car stops way too early sometimes stopping 2-3 times before reaching the stop sign. It likes to travel 10 mph below the speed limit, you have to give it some acceleration in order to get it going. In the hands of a novice who thinks it's truly hands free I can see a lot of accidents from this feature. If you ever see a Tesla looking like it doesn't know how to drive it's probably using FSD.

- Autopark is awesome
- The UI on the screen is awesome
- On the freeway is where it shines but essentially its just Autopilot

I post this to say that BlueCruise is good enough for the everyday driver and if you are considering a Tesla save your $12K, I truly feel bad for Cybertrucks owners who purchased the FS version. Ford is on the right track and I don't believe them or any other manufacturer needs to develop or look into any of the street level self driving. After a while I stopped using FSD as it was pretty much useless. If Tesla offered the graphics at $500 I would purchase.

For the stop sign issue, The original FSD Beta was a whole lot better, but this was changed due to NHTSA requiring the system to apply laws as written. Meaning, stopping at a stop sign when the front of the car is still behind the sign. This is not how people drive in real life. I believe this is one item that was a part of a required "recall."

For the speed, this one I have 2 opinions on it. The AI is applying the "what have other folks with these conditions done" to the algorithm to keep what it considers a safe speed. Assertive does a little better, but still, not always the right interpretations. With pre v12 beta, the system would drive the speed you set it to or the speed limit as it changed, so it required way more management of the speed adjustment for the conditions of the road. For instance, my neighborhood has a 30mph speed limit, but that is not really an appropriate speed to drive. FSD will adjust down to 20-25mph which is actually far more reasonable.

For FSD on the freeway, I think looking at it as just autopilot is a mistake. You set the speed, and it will move with traffic, changing lanes, taking exits and executing true decision making. My BlueCruise experience is no better than the lane keep assist and active cruise control on my 2016 Yukon. I do get the added benefit of the truck ping ponging in the lane as it pulls up behind someone or someone changes lanes in front of me, or better yet, follows an exit in the right lane when I am supposed to be staying on the freeway, only to tell me to take over immediately when it needs to be pulled back on. It aims at the back of 18 wheelers as I pass, moving closer to that lane for some reason. I suspect, it is seeing the long truck as the new lane edge. For me with FSD, the car stays centered in the lane, shifts to the other side of the lane when passing an 18 wheeler and more. It is far from perfect, but it drives on any freeway/road at most times (weather does sometimes cause it to not be available). My BlueCruise will only work on some roads, some of the time. Driving on a long trip with a toll road? It disengages at every toll booth. Want to drive on small highways in rural Texas, nope. Want it to keep your speed and make decisions such as lane changes, this does not happen either.

Meanwhile, Farley promised BlueCruise updates shortly after I took delivery of my truck in 2022, then again he stated everyone would get 1.3 by end of last year. Sitting in May and I am still on my original version shipped on my truck. Farley also boasted about every Ford EV owner having access to the Tesla charging network with the free adapter, but that is still a myth unless you purchase a third party product.

For Tesla, the enhanced autopilot is great for the non city street driving and allows for all of the highway features (as I understand it). If I could do it again, I would likely have done the enhanced features vs the FSD purchase with my original Tesla.

I know several folks that rave about their BlueCruise. I do not see it as a game changing technology for me. It is likely due to the lack of updates in 2 years, maybe I am an outlier.

 

[F150ROD]

For the stop sign issue, The original FSD Beta was a whole lot better, but this was changed due to NHTSA requiring the system to apply laws as written. Meaning, stopping at a stop sign when the front of the car is still behind the sign. This is not how people drive in real life. I believe this is one item that was a part of a required "recall."

For the speed, this one I have 2 opinions on it. The AI is applying the "what have other folks with these conditions done" to the algorithm to keep what it considers a safe speed. Assertive does a little better, but still, not always the right interpretations. With pre v12 beta, the system would drive the speed you set it to or the speed limit as it changed, so it required way more management of the speed adjustment for the conditions of the road. For instance, my neighborhood has a 30mph speed limit, but that is not really an appropriate speed to drive. FSD will adjust down to 20-25mph which is actually far more reasonable.

For FSD on the freeway, I think looking at it as just autopilot is a mistake. You set the speed, and it will move with traffic, changing lanes, taking exits and executing true decision making. My BlueCruise experience is no better than the lane keep assist and active cruise control on my 2016 Yukon. I do get the added benefit of the truck ping ponging in the lane as it pulls up behind someone or someone changes lanes in front of me, or better yet, follows an exit in the right lane when I am supposed to be staying on the freeway, only to tell me to take over immediately when it needs to be pulled back on. It aims at the back of 18 wheelers as I pass, moving closer to that lane for some reason. I suspect, it is seeing the long truck as the new lane edge. For me with FSD, the car stays centered in the lane, shifts to the other side of the lane when passing an 18 wheeler and more. It is far from perfect, but it drives on any freeway/road at most times (weather does sometimes cause it to not be available). My BlueCruise will only work on some roads, some of the time. Driving on a long trip with a toll road? It disengages at every toll booth. Want to drive on small highways in rural Texas, nope. Want it to keep your speed and make decisions such as lane changes, this does not happen either.

Meanwhile, Farley promised BlueCruise updates shortly after I took delivery of my truck in 2022, then again he stated everyone would get 1.3 by end of last year. Sitting in May and I am still on my original version shipped on my truck. Farley also boasted about every Ford EV owner having access to the Tesla charging network with the free adapter, but that is still a myth unless you purchase a third party product.

For Tesla, the enhanced autopilot is great for the non city street driving and allows for all of the highway features (as I understand it). If I could do it again, I would likely have done the enhanced features vs the FSD purchase with my original Tesla.

I know several folks that rave about their BlueCruise. I do not see it as a game changing technology for me. It is likely due to the lack of updates in 2 years, maybe I am an outlier.

BC was never promised or was said to be a game changer. It’s just an industry standard now. Worth $700? Again, no. FSD isn’t worth $99 a month neither. EAP at $25 a month would be great….

 

[flypony53]

BC was never promised or was said to be a game changer. It’s just an industry standard now. Worth $700? Again, no. FSD isn’t worth $99 a month neither. EAP at $25 a month would be great….

GM has spent a ton advertising and pushing its SuperCruise. I trade my 22 Lightning in on my Silverado EV RST in the next few months (supposed to begin production next week, but that was pushed back from 4/29). Will see how it compares.

As for FSD, I am a tech guy and it always interests me to look at new tech and try it out...Costs me a lot of money sometimes.

 

[F150ROD]

GM has spent a ton advertising and pushing its SuperCruise. I trade my 22 Lightning in on my Silverado EV RST in the next few months (supposed to begin production next week, but that was pushed back from 4/29). Will see how it compares.

As for FSD, I am a tech guy and it always interests me to look at new tech and try it out...Costs me a lot of money sometimes.

I would love the FSD graphics though….

Congrats on the Silverado, I don’t blame you!

 

[invertedspear]

I trade my 22 Lightning in on my Silverado EV RST in the next few months (supposed to begin production next week, but that was pushed back from 4/29). Will see how it compares.

Pretty sure I know the answer, but why are you trading in the Lightning?

 

[flypony53]

100% on the graphics. You know exactly what the system is seeing and making decisions on.

Pretty sure I know the answer, but why are you trading in the Lightning?

There are a ton of things I love about the lightning, but a ton of things that are infuriating. PaaK is hit and miss, I have had some range issues, even been almost stranded do to the GOM being wrong (luckily I was walking distance to the house).

I like the initial range tests due to the larger battery for the Silverado, the new platform from the ground up, the charging curve, and some other things. The pass through tailgate feels a bit like a gimmick and the avalanche styling are not my favorite.

I like messing with the new tech as it comes out, hoping it is not a costly mistake. Not a big fan of giving up my CarPlay, but willing to see what it has to offer. I am fairly certain I can find someone to pay more than I did if I do not like it.

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