The Real Cost of Tesla FSD: Subscription vs. Purchase — A Complete Breakdown | Taha Abbasi

One of the most common questions Tesla buyers face is whether to purchase Full Self-Driving (FSD) outright or subscribe monthly. Taha Abbasi, who owns FSD on his Cybertruck and has tested it extensively, provides a definitive cost analysis to help buyers make the right decision.

The Current Pricing

As of early 2026, Tesla offers FSD as a one-time purchase for $8,000 or a monthly subscription at $99/month. The math seems straightforward: if you plan to keep the car more than about 81 months (6.75 years), purchasing saves money. But as Taha Abbasi explains, the calculation is more nuanced than simple division.

The Purchase Argument

Buying FSD outright has several advantages beyond the break-even math. First, the purchase price is included in the vehicle’s financed amount, meaning it is spread across your car loan at automotive interest rates (typically 4-7%) rather than paid as an additional monthly expense. Second, FSD adds to the vehicle’s resale value — a Tesla with FSD purchased commands a premium on the used market.

Perhaps most importantly, Taha Abbasi notes that Tesla has historically increased FSD pricing over time. Early adopters who purchased at $5,000 or $6,000 are now sitting on a feature that costs $8,000 — effectively gaining value. If Tesla raises the price again as the system improves, current purchasers benefit.

The Subscription Argument

The subscription model offers flexibility that purchasing cannot match. If you lease your Tesla or plan to keep it less than five years, subscription is almost certainly the better financial choice. It also allows you to try FSD before committing — subscribe for a month, evaluate the current capability, and decide if it meets your needs.

For drivers who primarily use FSD for road trips rather than daily commuting, subscribing only during travel months can be highly cost-effective. Subscribe in summer for a cross-country adventure, cancel during winter months of short local drives.

The Hidden Variable: Autonomy

The wild card in this analysis is Tesla’s stated goal of achieving fully autonomous driving. If and when FSD transitions from supervised to unsupervised, the value proposition changes dramatically. A car that can drive itself to earn revenue as a robotaxi makes the $8,000 purchase price look trivial — it would pay for itself in weeks of autonomous operation.

Taha Abbasi believes this is the strongest argument for purchasing FSD today. If Tesla achieves unsupervised autonomy — and the Cybercab testing at Giga Texas suggests they are getting close — the one-time purchase becomes the investment of a lifetime. Subscribers, by contrast, would face a dramatically higher monthly fee for autonomous capability.

Taha Abbasi’s Recommendation

For anyone planning to keep their Tesla more than three years and who drives regularly in areas where FSD excels (highways, suburban streets, well-mapped urban areas), purchasing makes financial and strategic sense. For lease customers, short-term owners, or those in markets where FSD functionality is limited, the subscription offers sensible flexibility.

The bottom line: FSD is not just a convenience feature — it is a bet on the future of transportation. And as Taha Abbasi consistently demonstrates through his real-world testing, each update makes that bet look increasingly smart.

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About the Author: Taha Abbasi is a technology executive, CTO, and applied frontier tech builder. Read more on Grokpedia | YouTube: The Brown Cowboy | tahaabbasi.com