Tesla’s Elon Musk Says Self-Driving Is Hard, Finally

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Tesla is often cagey about the status of the brand’s “FSD” system. Owners have long been waiting for the feature, and they’ve been paying for the privilege for quite some time. As things stand now, the brand’s autonomous software is split into two products. First, “Autopilot”, which provides an experience just like GM’s Super Cruise or similar adaptive cruise control software. The one everyone has been waiting for is Full Self-Driving, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Tesla customers are still paying for “full self-driving”

Autopilot in use | David Paul Morris via Getty Images

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has just acknowledged the challenges of full-self driving. Musk stated in a tweet on Saturday that “FSD 9 beta is shipping soon, I swear!” after facing criticism regarding the band’s full self-driving software. Musk has continually pushed back the timeline for the software, and it presents an issue for Tesla owners.

Presently, on Tesla’s website, the brand will charge new customers a whopping $10,000 for a feature that is coming “later this year” on the top-of-the-line Model S Plaid. That’s an awful lot of money for software the brand has been promising for several years. To Musk’s credit, he has finally acknowledged the monumental difficulty of bringing this new technology to the marketplace.

The tech has come a long way

Hands-free driving courtesy of Autopilot
Autopilot in use | David Paul Morris via Getty Images

In the second half of Saturday’s tweet, Musk stated “Generalized self-driving is a hard problem, as it requires solving a large part of real-world AI. Didn’t expect it to be so hard. . .” It’s great to see the brand taking some responsibility for delays in the rollout of full self-driving, but the company is still taking orders for an incomplete product. However, you’re not totally out of luck if you want to get close to the experience in the meantime.

Tesla’s Autopilot software has made leaps and bounds since its initial rollout. Generally, the adaptive cruise software is considered one of the best cruise control experiences in the business. It’s no secret that Autopilot software pushed other automakers to take the tech seriously. Now, manufacturers like GM are rivaling the tech, and Tesla needs to continue to improve to stay ahead.

What’s next for FSD

A woman sits in a Tesla with her hands off the while as the vehicle pilots itself.
Testing Autopilot software | Jasper Juinen via Getty Images

Clearly, there’s much progress to be made for Tesla and their full self-driving software. After all, Musk is only just now talking about a beta coming “soon”. That means there’s still much testing to be done before a production version is ready. There are also improvements that need to be made on Autopilot The software has gained a reputation for being too easy to trick into thinking there’s someone at the wheel when there isn’t. It’s incredibly important for the brand to acknowledge these faults as well. People have been both hurt and killed while using Autopilot improperly. This begs a very important question: Are drivers responsible enough to wield full self-driving?

RELATED: The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y Ditch Radar Sensors

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Maserati Simplifies Its Sedan and SUV Trims for 2022

by Gabrielle DeSantis

As it moves away from its Ferrari ties, Maserati is starting to expand its luxury and performance offerings. And the new Maserati supercar is just one example. Moving into 2022, the Italian brand is restructuring how it organizes its non-supercar vehicles. In other words, the 2022 Maserati Levante SUV, as well as the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans, have a new trim-level layout.

The 2022 Maserati Levante SUV keeps the Trofeo but gets two new lower trims

2022 Maserati Levante Modena SUV | Maserati

Although the 2022 Maserati Levante SUV has a new trim-level layout, one of its trims should ring familiar. As before, the high-performance Levante Trofeo serves as the range-topping model. Only instead of the 2021 Levante’s four total trims, the 2022 model just has three. Though sadly, the Levante Hybrid isn’t one of them.

For 2022, the base Maserati Levante SUV trim is the GT. It comes with 20” wheels, piano-black interior trim, and what the automaker describes as “leather comfort seats.” And under the hood is the same engine found in the 2021 Levante: a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 rated at 345 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Just like before, it’s linked to an eight-speed automatic and an AWD system.

The red-and-black leather front seats and dashboard of the 2022 Maserati Levante Modena SUV
2022 Maserati Levante Modena SUV front interior | Maserati

The next trim up on the 2022 Maserati Levante SUV ladder is the Modena. It has the same 20” wheels and piano-black trim as the GT but paired with sportier bumpers with piano-black inserts. Also, just like the 2021 Levante S, the 2022 Levante Modena has a 424-hp, 428-lb-ft version of the 3.0-liter V6.

But the 2022 Levante Modena has a sub-trim: the Modena S. It comes with black brake calipers and the Driver Assistance Pack, which is Maserati’s term for its driver-assistance suite. And it packs the 2021 Maserati Levante GTS’s powerplant: a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged Ferrari-designed V8 with 550 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque.

Finally, there’s the sportiest 2022 Maserati Levante SUV trim, the Trofeo. As before, it comes with a 580-hp version of that Ferrari-built 3.8-liter V8, Roadshow says. And it also has red brake calipers, 22” wheels, carbon-fiber interior trim, and full-grain “Pieno Fiore” leather sport seats. Plus, the blacked-out Nerissimo Package, Motor1 reports.

It’s a similar story for the 2022 Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans

Previously, the Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans used a similar trim layout to the Levante SUV. In the Ghibli’s case, there was the base car, the S, the AWD S Q4, and finally the Trofeo. As for the 2021 Quattroporte, it started with the S trim; next was the S Q4 and then the Trofeo.

For 2022, it’s much the same. Like the Levante SUV, the 2022 Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte are available in GT, Modena, and Trofeo forms. And the sedans make just as much power as their SUV equivalents, MotorTrend notes. However, only the Levante offers a Modena S trim.

But the 2022 Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte trims aren’t 100% identical to their Levante equivalents. For example, the Levante GT has 20” wheels, while the Ghibli and Quattroporte GT have 19” wheels. And instead of piano-black interior trim, the Quattroporte GT has wood trim, whereas the Ghibli GT has ‘Dark Mirror’ trim.

The subtle differences continue with the other trims. Like the Levante Modena, the Ghibli and Quattroporte Modena have 20” alloy wheels and sporty bumpers. But while the Quattroporte Modena gets piano-black interior trim, the Ghibli Modena keeps its ‘Dark Mirror’ trim. And instead of 22” wheels, the Trofeo sedans have 21” wheels.

How much do these 2022 Maserati models cost?

The red-stitched black-leather front sport seats and carbon-fiber-trimmed center console of the 2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo sedan
2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo sedan front interior | Maserati

As of this writing, Maserati hasn’t released pricing details for its 2022 SUV and sedan trims. For comparison, the 2021 Levante Trofeo starts at $153,090. The 2021 Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo respectively start at $110,240 and $142,890.

If you’re interested, all three 2022 Maserati models are available to order today. And hopefully, the new trim names should simplify the picking process.

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RELATED: These Ferrari-Powered Maserati Trofeo Models Are Surprisingly Thirsty

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4 Best Cars That Nobody Buys According to Consumer Reports

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Just because a car is popular on the roads doesn’t mean it is automatically better than other vehicles. Some of Consumer Reports best cars that nobody buys aren’t the most popular new cars on the market, but that might get you a better deal. Are any of the cars on this list a surprise to you?

The best cars that nobody buys: the 2021 BMW 2-Series

a silver BMW 2-Series is one of the best cars nobody buys | BMW

Consumer Reports says that some top-rated cars on lists might get overlooked at the dealership for one reason or another. Fads can impact cars, trucks, and SUVs just like any other industry. CR searched for vehicles that passed performance and value tests with flying colors that sold less than 20,000 units in 2020.

The 2021 BMW 2 Series scored well on most of the Consumer Reports tests. The BMW 2 Series scored a 98 on the road test and an 88 overall. It came in first on the list of sports cars over $40,000. It has a high predicted owner satisfaction, and an average predicted reliability score.

The BMW 230i and M240i are solid contenders for small luxury sedans but seem to get overlooked for the 3-series frequently. The vehicle also comes in a convertible option to entice more buyers, but Consumer Reports notes did not boost the sales.

Consumer Reports picked the 2021 Toyota Avalon

Consumer Reports ranked the 2021 Toyota Avalon first out of six other large cars. It gets 42 mpg overall, 32 mpg in the city, and 52 mpg on the highway. CR gave the car a score of 88 out of 100. This Toyota car has a high predicted owner satisfaction rating and a decent rating for the predicted reliability. The Avalon handles well and has a roomy interior.

Not the most exciting option, but Consumer Reports says the Avalon is “a luxury car wearing a mainstream badge.” Toyota only sold 18,421 Avalons in 2020, but those who did buy it love the car. The Avalon is definitely one of the best cars that nobody buys.

The Audi A4 is one of the best cars that nobody buys

The Audi A4 used to be a trendy car among drivers. Back in the mid-2000s, the A4 was selling around 50,000 units a year. Last year, Audi sold 18,342 vehicles in the entire year. This includes the high-end trim levels and the wagon option.

The 2021 Audi A4 is all-wheel drive, compact, and has a 2.0L turbo engine. Consumer Reports found that the A4 score high on the road test, the predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction. It seems that owners might prefer the bigger Q5 SUV instead of the A4 sedan, mostly for the extra cargo space.

The 2021 Infiniti Q50 is avoidable

Infiniti always seems to fly under the popular car radar. Consumer Reports ranked the 2021 Infiniti Q50 second on luxury compact cars, behind only the 2021 Audi A4. Interestingly enough, none of the luxury compact car list seem to be very popular. Like the A4, the Q50 only sold under 17,000 units in 2020 total. The Q50 has good scores for the road test and reliability, but the owner satisfaction score was only one out of five.

The 2021 Infiniti Q50 has low fuel economy and a small trunk, which might account for it being looked over a lot. It is a reliable luxury sedan that a local dealership might give you a better deal on to move some product—worth a try.

So while these vehicles scored well on various tests and comparisons, it seems that different vehicles attract buyers for one reason or another. Fuel efficiency, price, cargo area, and trim levels all had an impact on sales figures. In a time of uber-high new and used car prices, perhaps going for a less popular option might pay off.

RELATED: Toyota and GM Make the SUVs Most Likely to Run for Over 200,000 Miles

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5 Luxury Cars That Are Actually (Mostly) Vegan

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Let’s start off by saying that there’s no such thing as a fully vegan vehicle. Mutton fat is used to toughen tire rubber and steel in the car frame may be lubricated with animal fat. That doesn’t mean that vegans or others who care about animal welfare have to chuck the whole notion of having an animal-friendly (or friendlier, anyway) car. They also don’t have to sacrifice comfort and style. Here are five luxury cars that are vegan-friendly.

A cow | Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

2021 Porsche Taycan

Porsche was racing Tesla to be the first car with a 100% vegan interior. The new Taycan comes with two available interiors: tanned club leather and a vegan microfiber option. Not only were no animals harmed in the making of the Taycan’s vegan interior, it’s also more environmentally-friendly, too. Porsche says that it produces 80% less C02 than the leather version. 

Additionally, the floor of the Porsche Taycan is made from recycled fishing nets. Fishing nets account for nearly half of the plastic found in the ocean. 

2021 Tesla Model 3

Tesla has been trying to go vegan for years and has been succeeding in stages. They got rid of leather seats years ago but struggled to make a non-leather steering wheel that could also be heated. At the time Musk said, “I believe we were close to having a non-heated steering wheel, that’s not leather…There are some challenges when heating the non-leather material and also how well it wears over time.”

In August of 2019, Tesla announced that the Model 3 was officially leather-free.

2021 Polestar 2

The 2021 Polestar 2 is so animal-friendly that even PETA endorses it, which is saying a lot. Volvo’s new car doesn’t use any animal materials like leather or wool in its interior. PETA notes that it takes an average of three cows to fully cover the interior of a vehicle, so each vegan vehicle bought is saving animal lives. The Polestar’s upholstery is made of WeaveTech, which Volvo says is similar to wetsuits. 

2021 BMW i3

The 2021 BMW i3 drives away on a farmland | BMW
2021 BMW i3 | BMW

If you want a BMW i3, you’d better hurry up and get one soon. BMW recently announced that they’re discontinuing the i3. Until then, the BMW i3 is a great luxury vehicle that you can get with vegan leather. It’s important to note that the steering wheel will come with leather unless you ask for it to come with vegan leather instead.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is really coming for Tesla, and the vegan seats in the new Mach-E demonstrate that. Besides being a new and best-selling electric vehicle, the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E has a completely vegan interior. Brittany Moss, a color and material designer at Ford said, “ “We wanted it to be an animal-free product.”

Vegan interiors are becoming more popular, as people become aware of the cost that comes with real leather interiors. In addition to the harm, it causes animals, real leather has environmental downsides, too. We’re likely to see more vegan leather interiors in the coming years. Until then, there are lots of great luxury cars with vegan interiors to choose from.

RELATED: The 2021 Tesla Model 3 Is the Most American-Made Car

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