In a head-to-head test conducted by Devin Olsen of the Canada FSD YouTube channel, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software was put to the test on both Hardware 3 (HW3) and Hardware 4 (HW4). The trial aimed to see if the older hardware can still keep up with the latest tech as Tesla pushes toward unsupervised driving.
The test loop revealed that while HW3 remains incredibly capable, it lacks some of the finesse and advanced recovery features found in HW4. During the drive, the HW3 vehicle struggled with navigation errors, such as entering a one-way path it couldn’t reverse out of. In contrast, HW4’s faster processing and better cameras allowed it to perform complex manoeuvres, including reversing into parking stalls and navigating tight supercharger locations more smoothly.
However, the trial also showed that even the newest hardware isn’t perfect. The HW4 car performed a “sloppy” park job at a Walmart, nearly touching a line and requiring a convoluted approach that a human would have handled in one shot. Despite these quirks, the consensus from the test was that HW4 feels more like a human driver, offering a more confident and smoother experience than its predecessor.
Tesla is currently navigating a major hardware split, with the latest FSD v14.2.2.5 (software 2026.2.9.3) now widely available for Hardware 4 vehicles. This new architecture introduces Self-Driving Stats and improved gesture recognition, with the highly anticipated v14.3 update expected in April to bring a new reasoning engine and the Banish feature that should pick you up or drop you off while you shop.
Meanwhile, Hardware 3 vehicles are currently capped at v12.6.4. Because the v14 stack requires more processing power than the older AI3 chips can easily handle, Tesla says it is creating a specialized v14 Lite version. This optimized build is currently targeted for a late June 2026 release to bring newer features to the older fleet.
For Tesla owners on the fence about upgrading, the test suggests that while HW3 is better than many remember, HW4 is the clear choice for future-proofing, especially as Tesla focuses its engineering efforts on the newer platform.
In our tests of FSD 12.6.4 on our HW3 Model 3, it still hesitates and starts too slowly from stop signs, while sometimes will switch out of lanes to only switch back to complete a left or right turn, cutting people off. It’s not perfect but still great on road trips.
Check out Devin’s video below:
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