Tesla Self-Driving 14.3 - Is it ready for NYC?

In this hands-on review, the host finds Tesla FSD 14.3.1 “pretty good” and ready for wider release, praising its improved parking, decisive maneuvering, toll-booth selection, and pedestrian handling. The delayed rollout is likely due to bundling with a spring update. The ultimate test—a chaotic New York City commute—reveals that dense traffic isn't the real challenge; unpredictable conditions and last-second navigation changes are. Key limitations emerge: overly cautious low-speed following allows constant cut-ins, pothole avoidance is missing, and a red-arrow violation draws police attention. Still, the host stresses that FSD’s willingness to reroute rather than break laws is a major advantage, and he looks forward to fully unsupervised FSD, where drivers could sleep during commutes—a feature he considers worth top dollar.

• ▶ 0:53 FSD 14.3.1 has been “pretty good” with no major issues, offering an advantage over 14.2—especially in parking and decisive maneuvering—and the host believes it is ready to go wide.
• ▶ 1:57 The delayed/limited rollout is likely because Tesla is bundling FSD 14.3 with its spring release, which most users will get as a combined update, possibly 14.3.2.
• ▶ 4:55 FSD has done a good job selecting the correct toll booths, avoiding cash-only options and using E-ZPass booths, with no real issues encountered.
• ▶ 10:32 Suggests a prerequisite for FSD on toll roads: the vehicle should have a toll tag (Easy Pass), since lane choice depends on knowing the car's payment capability.
• ▶ 12:46 Notes a limitation: the visualization shows the car within the lane line, but in reality it crosses the line at times — so the display may not fully reflect actual positioning.
• ▶ 15:53 Emphasizes that dense traffic is not the real challenge for FSD; unpredictable conditions like construction, closures, or last-second navigation changes requiring multi-lane crossings are.
• ▶ 16:45 Driver observes how FSD handles approaching Park Street as part of a multi-stop route.
• ▶ 16:54 Notes other drivers making illegal turns after getting caught in the wrong lane.
• ▶ 17:07 Key contrast: FSD would not break traffic laws—it would reroute to the appropriate way instead.
• ▶ 17:15 FSD successfully handles a dense, contested lane change, posturing and completing it smoothly despite close traffic.
• ▶ 17:38 This commute is described as the ultimate FSD test and a top U.S. use case, with value hinging on freedom and stress reduction over pure economics.
• ▶ 18:29 FSD drives assertively when changing multiple lanes but remains smooth and easy, though slower than a manual driver.
• ▶ 18:47 FSD approaches a left turn in heavy traffic, searching for an opening in oncoming traffic while the driver notes it may wait for another driver or bypass the turn.
• ▶ 19:00 FSD has two navigation options—turn left immediately or continue straight and turn later—but by 19:27 it's too late to get over, so FSD reverts to the alternate route.
• ▶ 19:40 FSD commits to the maneuver and smoothly handles a truck pulling out, braking appropriately at 19:48, which the driver acknowledges at 19:52.
• ▶ 20:01 FSD correctly identifies the proper turning lane in an ambiguous multi-lane intersection.
• ▶ 20:06 FSD shows situational awareness by considering moving around a truck while accounting for oncoming cars.
• ▶ 20:30 After checking the navigation display, the driver confirms FSD is positioned in the correct right turning lane.
• ▶ 20:51 FSD needs assertiveness combined with an appropriate follow distance at low speeds for dense city driving.
• ▶ 21:06 Allowing a single cut-off creates a compounding effect — multiple drivers cutting in can balloon a 20-minute trip to 23, 25, or longer.
• ▶ 21:24 This assertiveness is critical in NYC because traffic lights don't last long; FSD must "get in quick" to complete turns before the light changes and avoid waiting another full cycle.
• ▶ 21:43 The driver spots panhandlers approaching cars at the intersection and decides to ignore them as best he can.
• ▶ 21:57 Heavy traffic and long red lights trap drivers in place, creating an ideal environment for people to pressure them for money.
• ▶ 22:12 He grudgingly acknowledges the tactic is strategically effective given the traffic conditions.
• ▶ 22:24 In heavy traffic, surrounding cars aggressively try to jump ahead of a truck, making FSD's right turn especially challenging.
• ▶ 22:35 The driver deliberately avoids intervening (even with encouragement) to let FSD handle the situation hands-off.
• ▶ 22:43 Core limitation: FSD's follow distance is too cautious at low speeds (below 50 mph), allowing other cars to cut in and preventing a smooth right turn.
• ▶ 23:12 Driver declines a panhandler, setting the scene for chaotic urban traffic with cars cutting around a slow truck.
• ▶ 23:29 FSD encounters a person in the road signaling to stop; despite confusion, it decides to go around and successfully executes the avoidance maneuver into a gap.
• ▶ 23:59 Driver praises FSD's "good maneuver" but notes it "should have just stopped and waited," calling the assertive behavior "very Mad Max mode."
• ▶ 24:26 Supervised FSD is very dangerous in heavy/stop-and-go traffic for drivers who are not well-rested or have sleep issues, because the relaxing, idle experience makes it easy to fall asleep; if FSD disengages, they'd be stranded in traffic.
• ▶ 25:00 The host is excited about future unsupervised FSD, where drivers could nap and wake up at their destination—seen as super valuable and worth paying top dollar for.
• ▶ 25:15 Unsupervised FSD would especially help daily commuters and those driving at odd hours (middle of night, very early or late), enabling sleep during the commute.
• ▶ 25:34 The drive is roughly 42 minutes into the actual journey.
• [25:37-25:41] The narrator fast-forwarded through the tunnel traffic, so the on-screen elapsed time is shorter than the real drive time.
• ▶ 25:41 The segment resets viewer expectations by noting the actual real-world duration (though the thought is cut off).
• ▶ 25:58 FSD stops blocking a crosswalk, which the driver immediately flags as "not great."
• ▶ 26:02 A Mercedes EQE cuts in front of the Tesla because FSD is not assertive enough to complete the maneuver.
• ▶ 26:35 FSD violates a red arrow (with no "No Turn on Red" sign), drawing police attention, and the driver jokes, "Officer, car did it. It wasn’t me."
• ▶ 31:31 FSD shows clear pedestrian-handling improvement over 14.2, avoiding overreaction to pedestrians not in its path while still stopping appropriately for those who might step out.
• ▶ 34:16 Pothole avoidance is a major gap: the car hits a bad pothole and the driver says “We need pothole avoidance yesterday,” noting it could have easily avoided it.
• ▶ 37:49 A post-stop bug triggers a brief “auto steer unavailable” message after rapid stop-to-stop successions, but FSD re-engages immediately—flagged as a bug to report rather than a disengagement.

• ▶ 0:00 Introduction, FSD Performance, and Toll Booth Approach (0:00 - 5:43) - Welcome, initial FSD impressions, release notes, Mad Max mode, route check, and toll booth performance.
• ▶ 5:43 Traffic, Tunnel Approach, and NYC Driving (5:43 - 16:54) - Clearing traffic, NYC view, toll and tunnel lane choices, entering the tunnel, and dense traffic reflections.
• ▶ 16:54 Heavy Traffic Maneuvers, Assertiveness, and FSD Fatigue (16:54 - 27:01) - FSD handles illegal turns, heavy traffic, left turns, panhandlers, assertive two-lane moves, and fatigue risks.
• ▶ 27:01 Construction, Pedestrians, and Final Arrival (27:01 - 39:58) - Soul-crushing traffic, tight spaces, pedestrian and cyclist responses, construction zones, and arrival in NYC.