Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software was named the Best Driver Assistance System at the 2026 MotorTrend Best Tech Awards, reflecting improved assessments of the automaker’s driver assistance technology by the U.S. automotive publication.
MotorTrend said the latest Version 14 of the software showed marked progress compared with earlier releases that had drawn criticism in previous evaluations. In announcing the award, the publication wrote: “After years of criticizing Tesla’s erratic driver assistance tech, we’ve been converted into acolytes by the latest release, V14.” It added that the system “now delivers a hands-off experience that routinely navigates from driveway to parking spot—and back again—all while ensuring the driver’s attention stays focused on the road.”
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The decision represents a change from MotorTrend’s first Best Tech assessment a year earlier, when it ranked General Motors’ Super Cruise ahead of Tesla’s system due to concerns over inconsistent behaviour. MotorTrend said many of those issues, including abrupt braking and unnecessary lane changes, were less evident in its more recent testing of Tesla’s software.
MotorTrend evaluates technologies based on criteria that include innovation, ease of use, real-world applicability, safety, privacy and value. The publication said Tesla’s camera-based approach, which does not depend on lidar, radar or pre-mapped highways, allows the system to operate across a wider range of road types than some competing driver assistance packages.
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The publication also noted that while Tesla’s Full Self-Driving remains priced above many rivals, it offers broader functionality, including navigation on urban streets and automated parking features. MotorTrend stressed, however, that the system remains a supervised driver assistance technology and requires the driver to remain attentive at all times.