FSD-Massive Improvement from years ago

People hate on HW3 but it's pretty competent for my daily commute and extended highway driving. My biggest everyday complaints are: \- Stop signs: slow roll, complete stop, slow start. Seems to add 3-5 seconds to every stop. \- Speed maintenance: When traffic is just ripping by it doesn't want to be aggressive enough to keep up, but it also responds by bouncing between speed limit and +5mph. Same thing when no one is around. But if people are doing 5-10mph over it'll keep up ok. My ideal setting would just be hold +5mph over under 45, +10mph over 45, keep up with traffic if it's there. \- Roundabouts: It handles them ok but can be timid when passing the first exit road (slow and sometimes studders) and the turn signal usage is just unnecessary and IMO causes confusion because it turns on too early. That said, I do always have to pay attention around traffic and anything complicated. I usually don't take over but sometimes do just to make sure. Maybe HW4 solves a lot of that so eyes off might be closer.

I really like HW3, I don't understand all the hate. I have FSD purchased, I do hope there will be the promised upgrade path to an HW4 retrofit or HW3.5 if possible.

As someone who just sold their HW3 MYLR and got a new HW4 MY with FSD transfer, the difference is literally night and day. There really isn’t any comparison. For example, I just got home from the gym, where I was parked nose in at the rather full parking lot. I hit the home button on the navigation, and start self driving, and ended up in my driveway with zero interventions. I’m still pretty much in awe of how much better it is, and actually use it a lot now.

Yes, I noticed that stop sign thing as well!

Until they have a definitive version that solves full self-driving there's zero point in going to hardware 4 unless you can afford it or just want to be on the latest and greatest. The reliability for both are in the high 90% you are just going to have to occasionally take over for hardware 3 more often but you still have to watch both of them and an intervention or two more every week or month is just not worth much. But once they solve self-driving if it requires hardware 4 or above then I think it's a completely different game.

I'm sorry but being able to start from Park doesn't make it night and day it's its performance while driving that would make it night and day. It's more like early morning and mid-afternoon

From what I've seen online there's a V14 "Lite" on the way for HW3, sometime in June supposedly. If it upgrades to add parking management end to end that's basically the biggest functionality gap. Not sure if it'll be able to mimick everything else but that seems like the easiest to close.

Ha ha same. HW3 is completely useable. Not worth the $20k+ upgrade to a newer car just to have HW4. I'm sure when I eventually upgrade HW6 with be the new hotness.

You missed the point. The entire drive was flawless, from start to finish. HW3 was never, ever able to do that.

The steering wheel touching requirement was removed in the middle of 2024. It just watches your eyes now to make sure you're looking at the road.

Ah, thanks.

I don't trust it to pull out of my garage at home, but other than that it's been flawless in the week or so I've been using it on HW3. Obviously, I don't have anything to compare it to though.

You're welcome. That change alone has made a massive difference in the enjoyment of using the system, even beyond the huge improvements to driving performance. Now you can just sit there and relax instead of putting force on the wheel every 20 seconds. It's fantastic.

Yeah, it really is night and day.

Does it right now

This. I 100% believed that my HW3 Model Y was pretty good at FSD....then I drove a loaner 2025 Model X around...the difference is absolutely noticeable. I trust FSD in my car in many situations, but the HW4 FSD is so much more confident. Way better.

HW4 is literally night and day better than HW3. HW3 has no issue hitting curbs on some turns near my house, for example. HW4 has no issue with those curbs, and is much smoother and more competent for daily driving. It’s not a comparison. It’s the main reason I traded in my 2022 S Plaid for a 2026 S Plaid.

Hardware 3 does not hit curbs. Your hardware 3 had issues. I use it everyday it doesn't hit curbs

lol okay dude. I guess everyone I know in my area with HW3 has faulty cars. Any number of videos show the car will hit curbs at times.

Show me a video of hardware 3 working properly where it hits a curb. And hardware 4 currently slams on the brakes at yellow lights and swerves for tire marks they all have their issues but I guarantee you hitting curbs is not one of them

That’s where I’m at. I have purchased FSD HW3 on 2 teslas. It will have to do for now. Yeah, I’ve tried HW4 and it was better but not worth it for me to take the hit yet. I’m just hoping we get that update/upgrade at some point. Crossing my fingers, holding my breath, all the above on that one.

I've never hit a curb on HW3, even years ago when I was having other issues. I'll admit a small sample size, but I've been really impressed.

You must be so proud.

HW4 is much better than HW3 but they both do exactly the same thing at a stop sign.

It’s probably a hit I wouldn’t take until HW5, HW3 is more than adequate as a supervised ADAS and I’m still wary of HW4 actually even providing worldwide unsupervised FSD. If they do another transfer for HW5 I might consider it for a Juniper but otherwise I’m gonna hold on to what I’ve got and wait for my upgrade.

I’m with you.