ChatGPT: The Car Wash Mystery Finally Solved

ChatGPT and the Car Wash Dilemma

The question of whether to walk or drive to a car wash located just 50 meters away has long been a puzzle for consumer-facing artificial intelligences. However, recent updates to GPT-5.4 and GPT-5.5 have enabled ChatGPT to favor driving, even for such a short distance.

This evolution highlights the importance of formulating precise prompts, incorporating the objective, format, exclusions, and context. For instance, a seemingly simple question like "how many 'r' letters are in the word strawberry?" posed challenges for ChatGPT in English. But with the o1 model in 2024, its ability to tackle such questions has improved.

Despite these advancements, ChatGPT still occasionally falls into logical traps. Recently, a consistency question amused many users, and all major AIs on the market struggled with it, including GPT-5.2 Thinking, released in December 2025.

A Question of Consistency

Earlier this year, ChatGPT was perplexed by the question:

• "There is a car wash 50 or 100 meters from my home. Should I walk or drive there?"

This question, while simple on the surface, raises a dilemma: why use a car for such a short distance? Yet, the very concept of a car wash implies having your vehicle on-site.

Previously, ChatGPT often recommended walking, suggesting that the trip could serve another purpose: cleaning your vehicle. However, with the updates GPT-5.4 and GPT-5.5, OpenAI has managed to overcome this logical trap.

In a tweet on April 28, OpenAI shared a screenshot showing the AI's new response, accompanied by the comment "finally." Now, ChatGPT advises driving, even for a 50-meter trip. Checks in French have shown that the first recommendation is also to cover the distance by car, while leaving the option to walk if the journey is motivated by other reasons.

The Importance of Prompts

This anecdote highlights not only some limitations of generative AIs but also the crucial importance of crafting effective prompts. Tips for successful prompts include:

• Clearly defining what you wish to obtain
• Specifying how you want it presented
• Excluding what you do not want
• Providing the appropriate context

The advancements of ChatGPT demonstrate the ongoing challenges and progress in the contextual understanding of AIs, essential for their practical application in everyday life.