Car and Driver Finds Tesla FSD Needs Constant Vigilance Despite $99 Monthly Price
Updated
Updated · Car and Driver · May 24
Car and Driver Finds Tesla FSD Needs Constant Vigilance Despite $99 Monthly Price
7 articles · Updated · Car and Driver · May 24
Two 2026 Tesla Model Ys tested in Ann Arbor and San Francisco handled most streets, highways and traffic circles smoothly, but Car and Driver said drivers still had to stay ready to intervene.
Several errors drove that conclusion: one car missed a shaded speed bump and twice aimed for the wrong driveway, while the other drifted toward an opposing turn lane and made a slow left turn with oncoming traffic approaching.
None of the mistakes became close calls, yet reviewers said the need to monitor braking, steering and disengagement points made the system feel more like a high-tech novelty than a labor-saving feature.
Tesla labels the feature Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and warns users to keep their eyes on the road; the magazine said that supervision requirement is the system's defining limitation.
Tesla has cut the cost from an $8,000 option in fall 2025 to a $99-a-month subscription, giving owners a cheaper way to try it and cancel if the oversight burden outweighs the benefit.
Requiring constant micromanagement, is Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' subscription really a labor-saving feature for its price?
Why is Tesla's FSD, flawed in US tests, now approved for use on China's complex roads?
Tesla’s FSD aces federal safety tests but fails on simple streets. How can both of these be true?