We Upgrade Our comma three to a comma four: Is It Worth It?
From Transport Evolved.
Watch this video on YouTube ↗
Disclaimer - comma.ai provided the comma four in this video free of charge for us to evaluate (they also sent a second unit, for our F-150 Lightning, which we'll cover in a future video). They had no editorial input, and we're not being paid for this review. YouTube labels this video "Sponsored" because FTC rules require us to disclose the material connection — no money changed hands. The comma link below is a tracking link only — we earn nothing if you buy.
comma four, openpilot and StarPilot are driver-assistance systems, not self-driving: you must stay alert, hands ready, and responsible for the car at all times. Our 2017 Bolt EV isn't on comma's official car list — it runs comma four through a third-party pedal interceptor and StarPilot, an approved community fork of openpilot.
Back in 2023, Nikki installed a comma three in Orion, her wife's 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, as part of a series asking whether an older EV can be made to feel new again with modern features. Three years on, Orion is nearly ten years old and still a daily driver, and the community-built StarPilot fork of openpilot has gone from decent lane keeping to rock-solid steering on the twisty roads near home.
Now comma has sent Transport Evolved its new comma four to evaluate. It's much smaller than the comma three and 3X, with a redesigned circuit board and a big fan to keep it cool. So what's actually changed, what does it cost, and is it worth upgrading from a comma three? Nikki unboxes it, compares the two, then takes Orion out on the road with the brand-new, freshly rebased StarPilot 7.0.
Full shownotes, links, and transcript at: https://www.transportevolved.com/2026/10/29/we-upgrade-our-comma-3-to-a-comma-4-is-it-worth-it/
----
*⏱️ Chapter Breakdown*:
00:00 - Introduction
02:15 - Disclaimer
03:26 - History of comma
05:15 - First, the old unit (comma three)
06:24 - Unboxing
07:33 - Vehicle support
08:25 - comma four is much smaller
10:31 - Nikki's version of the Taco Bell Run
11:21 - Activating comma / StarPilot
15:07 - A note on StarPilot's rebase
15:56 - Installation process
18:09 - Steering feedback
18:37 - The return route - and what Nikki's noticed from comma four
21:33 - How the comma system and openpilot have improved
23:58 - eGPU and chestnut
25:48 - Should you upgrade?
27:28 - Closing thoughts
31:49 - Thanks, and goodbye!
🚗 Our earlier comma videos:
▶️ Why Comma.ai Is Different To Every Other Autonomous Vehicle Startup Out There (our visit to comma HQ, Dec 2021) - https://youtu.be/uCeIl3JWAGk
▶️ Comma 3 Review - The Near Self Driving Add-on Gets Upgraded (Oct 2022) - https://youtu.be/XeYaqHlGM9o
*🔗 Links*
🔗 comma four (comma.ai) - https://comma.ai/?utm_source=transportevolved&utm_medium=creator&utm_campaign=marketing&utm_content=youtube
🔗 StarPilot (community openpilot fork) - https://github.com/firestar5683/StarPilot
----
*👥 Today’s Sponsors*
🌱 Electric Vehicle Association - https://www.myeva.org
🐕 Little Collie Shepherd - https://littlecollie.com
—
✊ Get Involved 🗳️ https://indivisible.org/town-hall-resources
❤️ Support the Show
📰 https://www.transportevolved.com
🔥 https://www.patreon.com/transportevolved
☕ https://ko-fi.com/transportevolved
📺 https://www.youtube.com/transportevolved
👕 https://www.redbubble.com/people/TransportEVd/
🛍️ https://amzn.to/40xOyjm
₿ BC1QRZRGCCXUKPDZ2DZ9KX9JYJXMZDYHYGFZ0MN4WH
*💬 Join the Conversation*
🐘 https://mastodon.transportevolved.com/@show
💬 https://discord.gg/9WAjfQn
💬 https://fluxer.gg/mcj8aehg
🌀 https://bsky.app/profile/transportevolved.bsky.social
🧵 https://www.threads.com/@transportevolved
📸 https://www.instagram.com/transportevolved
🔁 Subscribe to our 2nd channel - https://www.youtube.com/transportevolvedtake2
---
*🎙️ Credits:*
Presenter: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Camera: Vi Horton
Editing & Color: Vi Horton
Art & Animation: Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Music: "Window" by Phury, via Artlist.io - https://artlist.io
Music: "Got It" (Instrumental Version) by VESHZA, via Artlist.io - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/got-it-instrumental-version/11284
comma four, openpilot and StarPilot are driver-assistance systems, not self-driving: you must stay alert, hands ready, and responsible for the car at all times. Our 2017 Bolt EV isn't on comma's official car list — it runs comma four through a third-party pedal interceptor and StarPilot, an approved community fork of openpilot.
Back in 2023, Nikki installed a comma three in Orion, her wife's 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, as part of a series asking whether an older EV can be made to feel new again with modern features. Three years on, Orion is nearly ten years old and still a daily driver, and the community-built StarPilot fork of openpilot has gone from decent lane keeping to rock-solid steering on the twisty roads near home.
Now comma has sent Transport Evolved its new comma four to evaluate. It's much smaller than the comma three and 3X, with a redesigned circuit board and a big fan to keep it cool. So what's actually changed, what does it cost, and is it worth upgrading from a comma three? Nikki unboxes it, compares the two, then takes Orion out on the road with the brand-new, freshly rebased StarPilot 7.0.
Full shownotes, links, and transcript at: https://www.transportevolved.com/2026/10/29/we-upgrade-our-comma-3-to-a-comma-4-is-it-worth-it/
----
*⏱️ Chapter Breakdown*:
00:00 - Introduction
02:15 - Disclaimer
03:26 - History of comma
05:15 - First, the old unit (comma three)
06:24 - Unboxing
07:33 - Vehicle support
08:25 - comma four is much smaller
10:31 - Nikki's version of the Taco Bell Run
11:21 - Activating comma / StarPilot
15:07 - A note on StarPilot's rebase
15:56 - Installation process
18:09 - Steering feedback
18:37 - The return route - and what Nikki's noticed from comma four
21:33 - How the comma system and openpilot have improved
23:58 - eGPU and chestnut
25:48 - Should you upgrade?
27:28 - Closing thoughts
31:49 - Thanks, and goodbye!
🚗 Our earlier comma videos:
▶️ Why Comma.ai Is Different To Every Other Autonomous Vehicle Startup Out There (our visit to comma HQ, Dec 2021) - https://youtu.be/uCeIl3JWAGk
▶️ Comma 3 Review - The Near Self Driving Add-on Gets Upgraded (Oct 2022) - https://youtu.be/XeYaqHlGM9o
*🔗 Links*
🔗 comma four (comma.ai) - https://comma.ai/?utm_source=transportevolved&utm_medium=creator&utm_campaign=marketing&utm_content=youtube
🔗 StarPilot (community openpilot fork) - https://github.com/firestar5683/StarPilot
----
*👥 Today’s Sponsors*
🌱 Electric Vehicle Association - https://www.myeva.org
🐕 Little Collie Shepherd - https://littlecollie.com
—
✊ Get Involved 🗳️ https://indivisible.org/town-hall-resources
❤️ Support the Show
📰 https://www.transportevolved.com
🔥 https://www.patreon.com/transportevolved
☕ https://ko-fi.com/transportevolved
📺 https://www.youtube.com/transportevolved
👕 https://www.redbubble.com/people/TransportEVd/
🛍️ https://amzn.to/40xOyjm
₿ BC1QRZRGCCXUKPDZ2DZ9KX9JYJXMZDYHYGFZ0MN4WH
*💬 Join the Conversation*
🐘 https://mastodon.transportevolved.com/@show
💬 https://discord.gg/9WAjfQn
💬 https://fluxer.gg/mcj8aehg
🌀 https://bsky.app/profile/transportevolved.bsky.social
🧵 https://www.threads.com/@transportevolved
📸 https://www.instagram.com/transportevolved
🔁 Subscribe to our 2nd channel - https://www.youtube.com/transportevolvedtake2
---
*🎙️ Credits:*
Presenter: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Camera: Vi Horton
Editing & Color: Vi Horton
Art & Animation: Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Music: "Window" by Phury, via Artlist.io - https://artlist.io
Music: "Got It" (Instrumental Version) by VESHZA, via Artlist.io - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/got-it-instrumental-version/11284
