[junipertea]

I am a first time car owner (with a Tesla) and yes, I struggled to explain my feelings when my friends asked "Isn't autopilot just adaptive cruise control and lane centering?"

Yes, it does just that (unless you buy the FSD scam), but it also feels like an integral part of the car instead of a addon for higher trim models. Everything (including the tablet) is centered around autopilot and it's natural to use anywhere. Would I use lane centering in a Honda or Hyundai? Maybe. I use the tempomat (cruise control) in other cars too, but I never felt comfortable in using just that to drive all the way to SF.

I don't think I would do that in a 2010 Kia. I might be wrong.

Tesla lessened my mental burden and I just watch other cars while it does its thing. I am also more confident as it watched other cars by itself using the cameras, it's like 10 pairs of eyes instead of 2.

[rblatz]

My wife’s low trim (EX) 2018 Honda CR-V has lane centering and adaptive cruise control. Basically the same thing as what Tesla’s have but it’s a single button on the wheel to turn on lane centering and a single button to turn on cruise control, no clumsy touch screen needed. We use it all the time.

[40four]

Respectfully, if you think lane centering plus adaptive cruise control is ‘basically the same’ as Tesla autopilot, you should look into a little more.

Lane centering does not allow you you totally take you hands off the wheel and let the car drive itself. It’s just a small assist to help once you’ve almost already crossed into someone else’s lane. To be fair, autopilot is not supposed to be totally hands off, you’re supposed to still touch lightly touch the wheel every few seconds. You still need to monitor it.

Adaptive cruise control is pretty nice, but only useful on high speed highways.

They aren’t even comparable really. The Tesla is truly driving itself, while the other is just an assist in case you mess up. Also Tesla is beta testing the next version of autopilot that can drive in cities, and obey traffic signals.

But, we are rapidly approaching a time where lane assist & adaptive cruise are becoming ’standard’ on most vehicles and I think that’s great.

[bootlooped]

My 2019 CR-Vs adaptive cruise control will come all the way to a full stop, and restart when the car in front goes. I say this as a refutation of the assertion that it's only good at high highway speeds.

The lane keep assist has a wide band it allows the car to ride inside. At first I was disappointed in this, I wanted it to keep the car perfectly centered at all times. However it makes sense when you consider how the car detects that you're still alert and watching the road: you have to apply some torque to the steering wheel once in a while. If the car was perfectly centered already there would be no need to do that.

I think maybe a combination system that detects gaze and not only steering adjustments but even just touching the wheel without applying pressure would be better. It would allow to lane keep to do better while still ensuring driver attentiveness.

[40four]

Hey fair enough. I’ve driven many cars with lane assist and some are better than others. But they are not meant to be used like Tesla autopilot is.

My girlfriend’s 2021 Outback has pretty amazing adaptive cruise, that will come to a complete stop as you describe. But it doesn’t work under a hard cut off of 35 miles an hour, and trying to use it outside of a highway situation is very nerve racking, which is why I said it’s not ‘useful’.

These technologies are great, and I’m excited to see the become more standard. But my point was to compare them to Tesla autopilot is apples and oranges. To think that they are the same, or they are designed for the same purposes is to not appreciate how darn good Autopilot really is.

[rblatz]

This drives itself, it gets mad if I leave my hands off too much. But it will take turns and doesn’t just bounce off the lane edges.

When I drove mr brothers model 3 I couldn’t really tell a difference.

[bmcahren]

Base auto-pilot works in stop and go traffic, understands stop lights and stop signs (stops for red), as well as highway speeds. It works through construction sites with orange cone lane changes over ignored white lines. For 90% of driving, you're not going to notice the difference. If you care about the other 5-9% and the added safety improvements of a system that actually understands the road, other vehicles, construction and not just the lane lines you should definitely consider a Tesla.

With their upgraded auto-pilot the car detects and automatically passes other drivers, takes exits, can completely handle complex interchanges by itself changing lanes to find exits while getting in the correct lane, slows while passing, gives trucks extra space on the highway, can handle complex construction zones without leaving it's often confusing lane, automatically exits the passing lane when not passing, etc.

Just the precision with which it can change lanes in dense traffic is so relieving. I hate changing lanes without it. I now spend my time keeping a close eye on idiot drivers while the car manages the lane change minutia - don't hit the car up front, make sure I have space, make sure no one is passing on the right, make sure no one is cutting off the space im trying to use from the 2nd from the right, look forward, look back, look forward again to check traffic, look back - never again.

I inherently trust the Tesla to drive better than me most of the time. I inherently trust the Tesla to drive better than 98% of other drivers.

[avereveard]

> It works through construction sites with orange cone lane changes

it only took a couple of deaths to train their ai for construction sites.

> Just the precision with which it can change lanes in dense traffic is so relieving.

parked white trucks still a issue tho.

this whole thing reads like a marketing brochure, while conveniently ignoring the trail of deaths the tesla gung-ho attitude about releases brought.

[40four]

Yeah, you are pointing out many of the notable edge cases when things went south. To be fair, Tesla autopilot is not technically ’self driving’, and Elon still refuses to call it that. The driver is still expected to be alert and monitor the system, keeping you hands near the wheel and touching it every few seconds.

So, accidents like you describe are not to be unexpected. People get complacent and think it really is a self driving car when it’s not. But let’s not discount the amazing level of sophistication Tesla has achieved in this system. It’s really impressive, and head and shoulders above anything else available.

That being said, I would wager that the high profile accidents you mention were due to drivers being negligent and abusing the system, where they should have been alert and paying attention like we all do when we drive.

[40four]

Sorry if I was rude :) As you said you have driven your brother’s Tesla. That’s impressive that the Honda tech has gotten that good. I’ve driven many cars with lane assist and some are better than others.

You mentioned ‘bouncing off the lane edges’, and the reality is this is still where most companies are at. Which is fine because that’s all it’s supposed to be. It’s designed to be an assist when you mess up. Just a gentle nudge back to where you’re supposed to be.

I’m glad this stuff is becoming standard though it’s great tech. My point though is they are not meant to be ‘self diving’ is meant to be a safety ‘assist’.

Honestly, Elon still refuses to call it ‘self driving’ because the driver is still expected to be alert and monitor the autopilot. But the level of sophistication autopilot has is so far ahead of anything else, my point was it doesn’t make sense to compare them.

Pretty soon they will finish beta testing, and you will download an update, and the Tesla will be able to navigate complex traffic situations including cities and traffic signals.

To be fair, I saw something where Honda is supposedly developing a competitor to Tesla autopilot, but the current tech is not that. And the Honda autopilot will only be offered in Japan in a very limited quantity of some exotic $100K+ model. Who knows when those efforts will trickle down to be regular production vehicles available in America. But it’s available today in a Tesla. It’s really impressive what they have achieved!

[junipertea]

You turn on autopilot by pressing the stalk twice, there is 0 interaction with the touch screen for that purpose.

[NotSammyHagar]

Autopilot doesn't turn on with the screen. Autopilot is 2 stalk pulls, cruise control is one pull.