Featured Tesla discontinues autopilot, subscription-only FSD from now on

Fair enough. However, In the several years of owning both a 2nd gen Prius and a 2013 Avalon, I've only driven the Avalon. And not only is the Prius apparently taller than the Avalon, the Tesla Why is about 6 inches taller than the Prius.

But I digress. Being too tall wasn't the main reason I only drove the Prius some 5 miles in the past 5 years. A bad engine, bad battery, bad coolant pump, and bad wheel bearing, none of which I was aware of when purchasing it, were the main reasons I never got to drive it.

 

I wish I could afford to "short" Tesla:

• Bought Autopilot for $1,200 March 26, 2019 - it saved my family one month later, worked well enough, and bought FSD in October 2019 for $6,000.
• FSD criticism in video - yes for others but I've learned how to overcome the speed set problem and others.
• lane keeping industry standard - not that I'm rushing out to buy a different EV but now the window is slightly open,, With an AutoPilot, dynamic cruise control and lane keeping, becoming standard, I might replace the 2017 BMW i3-REx which has neither.
  • Driving efficiency remains a serious problem in other EVs.

Sure wish I had the money to short TSLA but my tax refund won't be here for another couple of months.

Bob Wilson

 

So Tesla is removing the option for Autopilot? Now their cars will not have dynamic cruise control or lane keeping unless you buy the $100/mo subscription?

I drove a rental Kia last year that had lane keeping and what seemed like dynamic cruise control. It was the weirdest thing I had ever experienced. The car would basically just keep going if you took your hands off the wheel. It would start beeping and saying to keep hands on the wheel, but it would continue to make corners and such all by itself. Even with hands on the wheel, you could just rest them there and let the car do the rest.

So Kias now come standard with this but Teslas now don't??? Should I be looking at Kias instead? Although I'd probably go for a hybrid Corolla if I had that much money. Those have the safety sense 3.0 thing that does the same thing, right? But Teslas now don't?!

I guess I didn't pay attention to what the difference between autopilot and full-self-driving were until now. I used to think they were the same thing.

 

It’s nice that we have options. Some will want a Kia, and some a tesla

 

I want a 1966 single-port 1300cc VW Beetle, but with all the modern emissions and safety stuff.

But the last time I checked there weren't any available. Maybe I'm just too picky. Oh, and I'd like it for dirt cheap. I think I'm my own worst enemy sometimes.

I guess I'll just take whatever used car seems to be the cheapest, gets the best fuel mileage, and seems like it might last at least another 7 years before needing everything replaced. So yeah, maybe a Kia.

But then again, maybe a Tesla. Here I go again.

One thing is for certain, the price of used Toyotas has priced me out of buying a Toyota ever again.

 

I guess you get what you pay for. Toyota certainly has a reputation for long lasting cars, recent issues aside

 

Don't need collaborative steering if the car can drive itself from destination to destination.

 

It just doesn't make sense to purchase a 100,000 mile, used Toyota for 95% of it's original MSRP, or whatever.

To me, regardless of how I do the math, it seems that in this day and age you cannot save money by buying a used Toyota, unless you do like I did and go get one that is so far gone that it's cheap. But then you have the problem that you cannot drive it anywhere because it needs a whole new everything.

Add to that the fact that Toyota, like everyone else, took their econo lineup out of the USA. I mean, sure, I just saw a 2021 Toyota Highlander for only $30,000, which is about 20% cheaper than when brand new. But there is zero chance of finding a $14,000 (20% cheaper than $17,500) 2021 Yaris because the 2021 Yaris never existed in the USA:

There is the Corolla. But a 2021 Corolla goes for $21,000 and up in my area. BUT THE MSRP OF A BRAND-NEW BASE COROLLA IS $24,120!

So, yes, I could get a used Corolla and pay just over $500 per month for a 5-year-loan. OR I could get a brand new Corolla and pay just over $500 per month for a 5-year-loan. OR I could get a new Tesla Why and pay just over $500 per month (although that's a 6-year-loan). But, the most I've ever paid is $185 per month for a 5-year-loan, and that was a 5-year-old Toyota with 50k miles on it and zero accidents, zero CarFax problems, and zero mechanical pre-inspection issues.

 

Is there a specific make/model that demonstrates this?

I would visit a local dealer and do a test drive to find out how "collaborative steering" works.

In my Tesla, manual steering that overrides FSD in the worst case, suspends FSD that is easily re-engaged with a stalk down-pat. This typically happens when crossing a lane line. Within the lane lines, steering pressure biases toward the line. It also biases away when a truck bed over hangs the separating lane line (kinda scary first times.) I'm used to this behavior so no big deal.

If I need to change lanes, I typically use the turn signal and FSD does the rest. But sometimes, it is easier to suspend FSD with a brake touch, steer into the lane, and stalk-down to re-engage. I use this if I need it done right away.

Premature as there are hard engineering problems with the Model Y and claimed performance. I will wait for the 2026 Model 3 specs to show up.

Bob Wilson

 

I'll call the local Mercedes dealer. However, I remember hearing something about their plans for their system.

Bob Wilson

 

Per Google:

Key Mercedes Self-Driving Technologies

• DRIVE PILOT (Level 3): This is the first SAE-certified system in the U.S. that allows the driver to take their eyes off the road under certain conditions, such as traffic jams on highways. It operates at speeds up to 40 mph (64 km/h) initially.
• MB.DRIVE / MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO (Level 2++): Debuting on the 2026 CLA, this system utilizes lidar, radar, and cameras for sophisticated,, , , , assisted driving, including automated lane changes and city driving capabilities.
• Strategic Partnerships: Mercedes-Benz is partnering with NVIDIAfor AI-driven software, enhancing the vehicle’s ability to interpret, , , , environmental data.

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I have no interest in a system limited to "40 mph." Is there another "cooperative steering" make and model you would recommend?

Bob Wilson