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

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🎙️ 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