Sounds like a lot of us are finally getting 2.0.18 which includes our first taste of Highway Assist. Starting this thread so people can share their experiences specific to this build. For the general public, this is the only build with HA. I don't know how long we'll be on this version. I know the beta people are already on .19 and .20 so they can tell us how things are different/ better on those versions. But for now, let's discuss the version we've got. Good and Bad.
Here are my thoughts:
I'd give the system a grade of 7 so far. If my Tesla was an 8, this is close but still a little behind.
1. It worked! Tested it out on 3 different roads over about 100 miles today. Got confused twice. Once while passing an entrance ramp and it tried to center to the entrance ramp merge. Once on a turn which was a little scary as it left the lane.
2. It worked on a divided US Highway with traffic lights! I had assumed it was going to be Interstate only but it works on a section of US Highway. It was actually a busy section of highway with multiple lights. But between the lights, it did great. Except for where it tried to turn on me above.
3. Hands on the wheel - For those of you concerned about needing death grip, relax. It's the same as the Tesla system where you just need to nudge the wheel a bit. You could use 1 finger to turn the wheel a tiny bit and that's good enough. Good news here, it requires less force than Tesla. Just a modest movement of the wheel is enough. Yay!
4. The reminder is super annoying. I was trying to figure out why it was so much more annoying than Tesla and I realized, it's the audible alarm. Tesla flashes the screen at you first and if you correct, the flashing stops. Lucid goes straight to audible chime. Wife is not going to be happy napping with the massage on if that thing dings every 3 minutes.
5. Stop and Go traffic - Worked fine for me. I set it as normal and it followed and drove very well. Came to a complete stop several times and it stopped a reasonable distance behind the car. It then started back up without any intervention from me.
6. Not smooth - Probably my biggest complaint. I thought others were exaggerating this effect but no, it's there. There is a pretty steady accelerating and decelerating action going on while the system is engaged. Like a nervous driver pushing the gas and letting up. It's worse if you're within range of of the car in front and going below your set speed. But it's noticeable most of the time. Not so bad that I won't use the system. But boy, I really hope they improve the programming on that in future version.
7. Pretty intuitive - I thought it would be confusing between ACC and HA but it's fine with the push and hold. If you're someone that switches frequently between the systems, you may find it annoying. I prefer the stalk on my Model X. But the buttons are fine.
Overall, so, so happy to have this back as it was the biggest thing I loved about my Tesla and why I would insist on driving the Tesla over other cars on road trips. Even with the frequent charging stops. I think most people will be pretty happy with this start.
Here are my thoughts:
I'd give the system a grade of 7 so far. If my Tesla was an 8, this is close but still a little behind.
1. It worked! Tested it out on 3 different roads over about 100 miles today. Got confused twice. Once while passing an entrance ramp and it tried to center to the entrance ramp merge. Once on a turn which was a little scary as it left the lane.
2. It worked on a divided US Highway with traffic lights! I had assumed it was going to be Interstate only but it works on a section of US Highway. It was actually a busy section of highway with multiple lights. But between the lights, it did great. Except for where it tried to turn on me above.
3. Hands on the wheel - For those of you concerned about needing death grip, relax. It's the same as the Tesla system where you just need to nudge the wheel a bit. You could use 1 finger to turn the wheel a tiny bit and that's good enough. Good news here, it requires less force than Tesla. Just a modest movement of the wheel is enough. Yay!
4. The reminder is super annoying. I was trying to figure out why it was so much more annoying than Tesla and I realized, it's the audible alarm. Tesla flashes the screen at you first and if you correct, the flashing stops. Lucid goes straight to audible chime. Wife is not going to be happy napping with the massage on if that thing dings every 3 minutes.
5. Stop and Go traffic - Worked fine for me. I set it as normal and it followed and drove very well. Came to a complete stop several times and it stopped a reasonable distance behind the car. It then started back up without any intervention from me.
6. Not smooth - Probably my biggest complaint. I thought others were exaggerating this effect but no, it's there. There is a pretty steady accelerating and decelerating action going on while the system is engaged. Like a nervous driver pushing the gas and letting up. It's worse if you're within range of of the car in front and going below your set speed. But it's noticeable most of the time. Not so bad that I won't use the system. But boy, I really hope they improve the programming on that in future version.
7. Pretty intuitive - I thought it would be confusing between ACC and HA but it's fine with the push and hold. If you're someone that switches frequently between the systems, you may find it annoying. I prefer the stalk on my Model X. But the buttons are fine.
Overall, so, so happy to have this back as it was the biggest thing I loved about my Tesla and why I would insist on driving the Tesla over other cars on road trips. Even with the frequent charging stops. I think most people will be pretty happy with this start.
