Conclusion

Tesla’s Autopilot is not comparable to Mercedes Distronic Plus. It’s on a whole other level. It’s still pretty far from being an autonomous vehicle, but it is much, much closer than anything else I have experienced. While Tesla has had 2-3 years of development over my Mercedes E63S system, I took a spin in a new 2016 Mercedes model with the latest revision of their system, and there is no tangible improvement. That being said, it does feel like Tesla is doing what Apple does. It takes a function and improves it. The Mercedes is like one of the original Smartphones, or a Blackberry. It’s functional. It’s rudimentary and gets the job done. The Tesla is like an iPhone 6S. It does everything better and has much more functionality. The screens I had mentioned I had found earlier on my car look eerily similar to the ones found on the Tesla. The switch gear is the same. The Alcantara headliner is the same. The Autopilot is leagues better.

I think the biggest advantage that Tesla has over Mercedes is the over the air updates. Continuous improvement, like Apple. Just like that, tomorrow or next week, all Tesla cars, whether you like or not, can be patched. I am sure the Autopilot will improve over the coming months as reports get back to Tesla. My Mercedes, like older Blackberries, won’t change. That is something that needs to change.

I’m jealous.