Tesla Self-Driving 14.3.4 - First Impressions

This video offers a largely positive real-world test of Tesla’s FSD 14.3.4, praising its “undeniable” quality and “Uber Black” driving confidence, highlighted by excellent autonomous back-in parking and a smooth recovery from a late lane change. New parking menu improvements include a clearer “Pull Over” option that replaces the confusing “Curbside” label. However, the driver notes several persistent shortcomings: aggressive brake-stuttering around pedestrians, false emergency-vehicle reactions even on divided highways, and pothole avoidance and navigation issues as the top reasons for disengaging. Mad Max mode remains highly assertive but sometimes speeds egregiously, and the driver suggests Tesla add verbal intention announcements for better communication. Overall, the software is deemed “really, really good” and life-changing for daily commuting, with the side note that Model S and X are officially discontinued.

• ▶ 0:28 FSD 14.3.4 adds parking options on the map at your destination, but lacks expanded reasoning and pothole avoidance.
• ▶ 1:35 The car still brake-stutters aggressively when pedestrians gesture or look like they might step out, causing an uncomfortable ride.
• ▶ 2:52 Early driving conditions are good and the initial drive is going smoothly so far.
• ▶ 3:06 The parking menu now shows a new “Pull Over” option, replacing the confusing “Curbside” label.
• ▶ 3:21 The driver explains “Pull Over” is clearer because “Curbside” overlapped with street parking and could lead to double-parking.
• ▶ 4:09 The driver gives an overall positive assessment, saying critics now focus on small negatives because the software quality is “undeniable.”
• ▶ 5:35 FSD has a nagging emergency vehicle handling issue: it reacts to flashing lights even on the other side of a divided highway, forcing driver takeovers.
• ▶ 6:52 Despite calling these "major issues," FSD overall has been "really, really good," and he uses it far more often.
• ▶ 8:43 Pothole avoidance and navigation are the primary reasons for disengaging FSD, and navigation issues can change FSD behavior.
• ▶ 9:12 The test is framed as a real-world destination-and-parking reliability check rather than a direct apples-to-apples comparison.
• ▶ 9:32 Cabin eye-tracking is notably more forgiving during brief phone interactions, as long as the driver doesn’t take their eyes fully off the road.
• ▶ 10:05 Unsupervised driving is the ultimate goal, with the key promise that commuters could nap or be productive on long drives — described as life-changing.
• ▶ 10:54 Mad Max profile remains "pretty assertive"; if it's not for you, just toggle down to another profile instead of complaining.
• ▶ 11:31 Model S and Model X are officially discontinued as of June, confirmed by Tesla execs due to regulations and retooling/redesign costs.
• ▶ 12:19 The driver skipped the final signature Model S because it was red, lacked performance upgrades, and a wrap isn't true factory paint; they hope the cars can return.
• ▶ 13:24 FSD successfully recovers from a late lane change to avoid an unexpected toll, impressing the driver with a safe, well-signaled maneuver—though the route should have been selected earlier.
• ▶ 17:03 In Mad Max mode, FSD is highly assertive and handles traffic well, but it sometimes goes egregiously over the speed limit at the worst times, especially transitioning from highway to street driving.
• ▶ 18:03 The driver highlights a need for the car to announce its intentions (e.g., "parking in the parking lot") and suggests Tesla could license AI voices like Knight Rider's Kit or Jarvis for verbal guidance.
• ▶ 20:29 FSD's autonomous back-in parking is praised as "Excellent job. Excellent job. No notes."
• ▶ 20:43 The only criticism is reaction timing—the car sometimes swerves unnecessarily when another car pulls out; the driver suggests shortening the reaction window based on what the car sees.
• ▶ 21:07 Overall verdict is "top-notch" and "high Uber Black quality," with correct lane positioning, toll lane choice, and confident handling; the driver notes he toggled speed control only as a personal precaution, not a necessity.

• ▶ 0:00 Introduction and Initial Drive (0:00 - 3:02) - Welcome back, FSD 14.3 test plan, initial drive, known issues, and sunny driving conditions.
• ▶ 3:02 Parking UI and Early Reactions (3:02 - 5:35) - New “pull over” parking option, positive overall assessment, gratitude, and request for comments.
• ▶ 5:35 Driving Issues and Route Behavior (5:35 - 9:13) - Emergency vehicle handling, overall usage plans, toll lane and speed behavior, pothole avoidance, and route comparison.
• ▶ 9:13 Destination Test and Cabin Monitoring (9:13 - 10:54) - Destination parking test, eye tracking while using the phone, looking around, and hopes for unsupervised driving.
• ▶ 10:54 Mad Max Profile and Product News (10:54 - 13:07) - Choosing Mad Max profile, complaints about assertion, and sad news about Model S and Model X discontinuation.
• ▶ 13:07 Highway Drive and Mid-Drive Observations (13:07 - 19:54) - Highway driving, Mad Max later observations, speed limit transitions, reaction to a pulling-out car, destination intent announcements, and voice guidance ideas.
• ▶ 19:54 Arrival, Parking, and Final Assessment (19:54 - 23:46) - Autonomous parking, top-notch FSD assessment, audience questions, Supercharger route note, “Uber Black” impression, and sign-off.