Yeah, you read that right. I drove over 100 miles on my trip to San Francisco, but I didn't do any of the driving.

In fact, I'm not sure I ever touched the steering wheel. You see, the latest version of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system handled everything for me. It's remarkable, and I'm fully convinced this is the future of driving.

Let's back up a beat. Tesla's FSD is the electric car company's vision-based driver assistance system that's designed to take you from point A to point B with as little human involvement as possible. Not cruise control, not lane-keep -- we're talking traffic lights, junctions, freeways and downtown chaos -- all handled by the car.

I've been behind the wheel of the 2026 Model Y (the non-Performance version of my own car at home), poking around the Bay Area. Think Cupertino, Palo Alto, the Golden Gate Bridge, and inner-city San Francisco.

It's driven me through it all. Tight curbside streets, janky parking garages, rain-slicked freeways, and even the crooked mess of Lombard Street -- both in dry and wet weather -- all without a hiccup. It handled it better than some people I saw reversing down driveways.

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Hands off, feet up... almost

This isn't like Autopilot, the semi-autonomous system we have available in the UK. FSD v14 doesn't ask for steering nudges or wheel jostles to prove you're awake. Although human oversight is still needed. The in-car camera monitors you to ensure you're paying attention to the road.

My hands were usually on my lap. A couple of times it told me off for looking around at my surroundings, but mostly I was just a passenger in the driver's seat -- watching the Tesla drive and glancing at the scenery.

I never felt the need to take over. Merging onto freeways, dodging cable car tracks and cyclists, reading construction signs like a seasoned local -- the car just got on with it. There was even a moment where it negotiated one of those terrifying San Francisco crests. You know, the ones where you can't see over the top. It didn't blink. I mean, it doesn't have eyelids, but you get the point.

FSD v14 gives you options. Standard mode was my go-to, matching the surrounding traffic and occasionally nudging past the posted limits (you can tweak that). It felt human. Not lawless, just in tune with everyone else.

Chill mode obeys limits more strictly and drives more conservatively, while Mad Max and Hurry are more aggressive with speed and lane changes. I tried those briefly, but honestly, I was enjoying the ride too much to rush. Even Sloth mode kept up nicely, just with a bit more restraint.

Lane changes were smooth, mostly. Once or twice my Tesla would signal and then change its mind, which could be confusing for others on the road, but it never felt dangerous. Even on the freeway, it handled driving like a seasoned commuter.

Lombard Street? Please.

Lombard Street was a highlight. Everyone knows it as the world's crookedest street, the kind of road that makes you start to sweat. FSD didn't just handle it, it crushed it.

Cornering felt smoother than I'd manage myself, and the car was confident in its turns, navigating like it'd done it a thousand times. There was no map weirdness, no ghost braking, no nonsense. It was almost boring. Which, in this case, is a compliment.

Everyday impressive

The system excelled where I expected it to falter. Someone pulled out without warning? It reacted instantly. Pedestrian wobbling into the road? It slowed down respectfully. Construction cones, confused Waymos, weird intersections -- it figured them out without hesitation. San Francisco is known for tricky stop-start traffic, funky lanes and some bizarre parking habits. The car felt native to the chaos.

My only real gripe? Stop signs. It's a bit too reserved. Sometimes it would wait for 10 full seconds, even if it was blatantly clear. Sure, that's textbook driving, and being safe is what we like to see. But there is such a thing as overcautious.

Weatherproof autonomy

It rained. It got foggy. But FSD just kept going.

When the cameras got a bit messy, the wipers cleaned them, including the front-facing camera tucked behind the rear-view mirror. A small warning flashed up now and then, alerting me of potential degraded performance due to visibility. But if anything was degraded, I didn't notice. It never misread a sign or lost the plot.

Parking was the cherry on top. It would pull into or reverse into spaces, even in tight garages. Occasionally, I'd pick the exact space I wanted, but most of the time, I just let it do its thing. And it did it well.

This changes everything

I've used Autopilot plenty, in the UK where FSD isn't a thing. But FSD is miles ahead. There's no need to prove you're paying attention every few seconds. It feels natural, fluid, even relaxing. I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel slightly magical.

I've never driven in San Francisco before. I didn't know the streets. But the car did. And I trusted it. That's the key takeaway here: I trusted the system. At no point did I clench, panic, or even hesitate. And that is not what I expected from something called "Full Self-Driving." Especially after shouting at Autopilot a fair bit at home.

Tesla Full Self-Driving v14 is currently only available in the United States and Canada, with no confirmed timeline for international expansion. Although it is coming -- soon, I hope. Access requires a compatible Tesla model and an active FSD subscription or purchase, priced at $199/month or $8,000 upfront.