10 Day Report: Thoughts

[Centauri2]

So I got my M3LR about 10 days ago. Here are my thoughts:

1 - The front trunk remains the biggest surprise. I thought it was a novelty, but I use it nearly everyday, for groceries, for leftovers, for gym shoes, etc.. Convenient and effective.

2 - Charging remains easy as expected. I use about 50 miles of range per day, and plugging in overnight is a welcome change to the gas pump. One wish - that the port was at the front rather than the back - weird design choice from Tesla on that one.

3 - First hand car wash got me up close to the paint, and no issues upon very close inspection.

4 - Got stuck in traffic leaving my daughter's graduation - basically at a stand still for 30 minutes. Played backgammon, and I'm pretty sure the car cheats to get perfect rolls at need.

5 - The driving experience is a blast. I mean, I am not doing pulls just for kicks that much, but sometimes a quick pass is called for on the highway, and this car is aces in that department. I do find the suspension a little soft on faster cornering, but that is the trade off for a smoother ride.

Finally, let's talk about the sound system. I have tried everything, and the sound is just weak. My Toyota Corolla has a fuller sound. Can these be modified after market? IT kind of sounds like the system is splitting the tracks but doing a poor job of it. Sometimes the lead vocals are weak, or the backup vocals are non-existent. Quite often the bottom end comes out missing. I've screwed around with the EQ plenty. I mean, it's not completely awful, but it is a step down from what I am used to. Perhaps all the glass is the culprit.

Anyhow, those are my thoughts after 10 days. I am in my 40's, and this is easily the most fun I've ever had driving.

 

[Carolina Karl]

I hear you on the design choice for the charging port being up front. My sense is that was tied to folks backing into Superchargers rather than pulling in and then needing to back out creating chaos, but that's a wild guess.

As one who charges regularly at home, I would much prefer a front port as it's a game to see how many centimeters I can get to the front garage wall to keep from fully suspending the charging cable along the side mirror. (I've yet to touch the wall with the bumper, much to my wife's gasps; and I refuse to cheat by hanging the tennis ball from the garage ceiling.)

As to sound quality, with road noise being what it is in the M3, I quit trying for high fidelity.

I'm in my late 60's; therefore, driving twice as long as you. And even at that, this is without a doubt the most fun car in my 50+ years of driving, and that includes my Porsche which sits idly by and taken out about every 10 days to keep the battery charged. You're only 10 days in, and the fun factor just keeps expanding!

 

[Frank99]

Yes, the backgammon game cheats, especially on the higher levels.

I’m not sure what’s up with your sound system. Do you have “immersive sound” on? Do you have the Balance control set somewhere in the middle of the car? If those don’t help, I’d spend a half hour putting my ear up against every speaker in the car-perhaps one or more aren’t actually working.
In my car and IMHO, the Model 3 has the best sound system I’ve heard since I had two well-off roommates in college who kept trying to one-up the other on their stereo systems. There are differences in how different people perceive different systems, but that shouldn’t be enough to leave you thinking it’s “weak”.

 

[TexasTezla]

Very happy with the charging port exactly where it is! Why is it a weird design choice? Makes absolute sense to have it at the back, so we reverse into charging locations rather than reverse out of them.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

So I got my M3LR about 10 days ago. Here are my thoughts:

1 - The front trunk remains the biggest surprise. I thought it was a novelty, but I use it nearly everyday, for groceries, for leftovers, for gym shoes, etc.. Convenient and effective.

2 - Charging remains easy as expected. I use about 50 miles of range per day, and plugging in overnight is a welcome change to the gas pump. One wish - that the port was at the front rather than the back - weird design choice from Tesla on that one.

3 - First hand car wash got me up close to the paint, and no issues upon very close inspection.

4 - Got stuck in traffic leaving my daughter's graduation - basically at a stand still for 30 minutes. Played backgammon, and I'm pretty sure the car cheats to get perfect rolls at need.

5 - The driving experience is a blast.

Nice, I'm with you on all these points, and that's at 50 days:

To be honest, I forget about the frunk, because the trunk is so large, especially with the deep area in the rear - but you are right on about things that might be a little, ummm, odiferous It really is isolated from the cabin area, I didn't use it the other day, and while I don't __mind__ the interior smelling like Thai food, the frunk would've been a better place.

When I returned my first charger (32a), and went with the Grizzl-E (40a / "smart"), I opted for the 24' cord option which is pretty nice. I generally back in, but it can reach if I come in front first - or stop short backed in and still reach the port.

My paint is super nice, all over, I was just washing it today (wanted my ladies to have a clean ride, the wife LOVES it ...) and did another good review. I actually took a couple of close-up pics, there's some beautiful colored, metallic flake in MSM.

It's such a fantastic place to be, even in traffic. The other day it was a little slow going headed up for some supplies, and I was calm, there's something about this car that dials me back, gives me a moment of zen ...

Yes, it's insanely fun, and I'm coming from the perspective of a long time enthusiast, who's had a number of high performance [ICE] vehicles.

 

[Centauri2]

Very happy with the charging port exactly where it is! Why is it a weird design choice? Makes absolute sense to have it at the back, so we reverse into charging locations rather than reverse out of them.

It is atypical to back in when parking, and the camera's are built to support backing out. Rear camera's provide a panoramic view so it is easy to see not just immediately behind the car, but traffic in either direction. However, view is easily obstructed when pulling out after having backed in, especially with SUV's being so popular. In SLC, most street side charging stations are angle parked, so it is essentially impossible to back in.

 

[TexasTezla]

It is atypical to back in when parking, and the camera's are built to support backing out. Rear camera's provide a panoramic view so it is easy to see not just immediately behind the car, but traffic in either direction. However, view is easily obstructed when pulling out after having backed in, especially with SUV's being so popular. In SLC, most street side charging stations are angle parked, so it is essentially impossible to back in.

Atypical? Its only atypical if safety isn't a concern. Safety conscious drivers will always back into a space and pull out front first.

 

[Centauri2]

Atypical? Its only atypical if safety isn't a concern. Safety conscious drivers will always back into a space and pull out front first.

As I explained earlier, safety *is* why it makes sense to back out. It is many times safer to back out of a parking space than it is to go out front first.

 

[SlimJim]

Atypical? Its only atypical if safety isn't a concern. Safety conscious drivers will always back into a space and pull out front first.

When I go shopping, I carry stuff in the trunk. Backing in is not something I would do usually. For example, I was carrying a large box that I had to drop off at the UPS store today. If I backed in, I would have had to squeeze in between the cars to get the box out of the trunk. The box's dimensions were 34"x18"x7". When pulling out of the spot, I had to come out slower than crawling speed and stop every 6 inches to make sure there was no cross traffic.
The rearview is not panoramic and there is no cross traffic alert.

 

[MLXXXp]

Played backgammon, and I'm pretty sure the car cheats to get perfect rolls at need.

Lesser skilled players will always say that about better players. I've had many people say the same thing about me, even when sharing the same set of physical dice. I'd bet the car doesn't cheat.

 

[Shelburne]

So I got my M3LR about 10 days ago. Here are my thoughts:

1 - The front trunk remains the biggest surprise. I thought it was a novelty, but I use it nearly everyday, for groceries, for leftovers, for gym shoes, etc.. Convenient and effective.

2 - Charging remains easy as expected. I use about 50 miles of range per day, and plugging in overnight is a welcome change to the gas pump. One wish - that the port was at the front rather than the back - weird design choice from Tesla on that one.

3 - First hand car wash got me up close to the paint, and no issues upon very close inspection.

4 - Got stuck in traffic leaving my daughter's graduation - basically at a stand still for 30 minutes. Played backgammon, and I'm pretty sure the car cheats to get perfect rolls at need.

5 - The driving experience is a blast. I mean, I am not doing pulls just for kicks that much, but sometimes a quick pass is called for on the highway, and this car is aces in that department. I do find the suspension a little soft on faster cornering, but that is the trade off for a smoother ride.

Finally, let's talk about the sound system. I have tried everything, and the sound is just weak. My Toyota Corolla has a fuller sound. Can these be modified after market? IT kind of sounds like the system is splitting the tracks but doing a poor job of it. Sometimes the lead vocals are weak, or the backup vocals are non-existent. Quite often the bottom end comes out missing. I've screwed around with the EQ plenty. I mean, it's not completely awful, but it is a step down from what I am used to. Perhaps all the glass is the culprit.

Anyhow, those are my thoughts after 10 days. I am in my 40's, and this is easily the most fun I've ever had driving.

Yep, it's a great car! I have a 2020 M3LR and I think the sound system is one of the better factory installed car audio systems I've encountered. But I'm wondering what sources you are listening to. I almost exclusively listen to songs from the iTunes library on my iPhone and most of them sound great. The ones that don't sound great are much older downloads from the days of Napster, when downloaded audio files could be iffy. I don't do Spotify or any other streaming music services so I can't comment on those. But I do listen to WWOZ, out of New Orleans via the internet and it also sounds great. And, if you or anyone else here likes jazz, zydeco and r&b, you should check it out.

 

[TexasTezla]

As I explained earlier, safety *is* why it makes sense to back out. It is many times safer to back out of a parking space than it is to go out front first.

You are welcome to your thought on the subject but they are not reflected in widely accepted safety organizations views on the matter.

 

[Centauri2]

Lesser skilled players will always say that about better players. I've had many people say the same thing about me, even when sharing the same set of physical dice. I'd bet the car doesn't cheat.

Was intended to be a joke, but I am glad to hear about your skills!

 

[bro1999]

So I got my M3LR about 10 days ago. Here are my thoughts:

1 - The front trunk remains the biggest surprise. I thought it was a novelty, but I use it nearly everyday, for groceries, for leftovers, for gym shoes, etc.. Convenient and effective.

2 - Charging remains easy as expected. I use about 50 miles of range per day, and plugging in overnight is a welcome change to the gas pump. One wish - that the port was at the front rather than the back - weird design choice from Tesla on that one.

3 - First hand car wash got me up close to the paint, and no issues upon very close inspection.

4 - Got stuck in traffic leaving my daughter's graduation - basically at a stand still for 30 minutes. Played backgammon, and I'm pretty sure the car cheats to get perfect rolls at need.

5 - The driving experience is a blast. I mean, I am not doing pulls just for kicks that much, but sometimes a quick pass is called for on the highway, and this car is aces in that department. I do find the suspension a little soft on faster cornering, but that is the trade off for a smoother ride.

Finally, let's talk about the sound system. I have tried everything, and the sound is just weak. My Toyota Corolla has a fuller sound. Can these be modified after market? IT kind of sounds like the system is splitting the tracks but doing a poor job of it. Sometimes the lead vocals are weak, or the backup vocals are non-existent. Quite often the bottom end comes out missing. I've screwed around with the EQ plenty. I mean, it's not completely awful, but it is a step down from what I am used to. Perhaps all the glass is the culprit.

Anyhow, those are my thoughts after 10 days. I am in my 40's, and this is easily the most fun I've ever had driving.

We must have taken delivery on the same day (except a SR+ for me), as I'm also on day 10.
About the sound, are you streaming Spotify via the car? I've heard that Tesla nerfs the sound quality if you stream it via the car (but not if you stream it via your phone).

 

[AKinDC]

"4 - Got stuck in traffic leaving my daughter's graduation - basically at a stand still for 30 minutes. Played backgammon, and I'm pretty sure the car cheats to get perfect rolls at need."

I've said it before and I'll say it again...far and away the best use of the autopilot is in heavy traffic. Let the car do the constant inching up and stopping...makes bad traffic far less annoying.

 

[bro1999]

"4 - Got stuck in traffic leaving my daughter's graduation - basically at a stand still for 30 minutes. Played backgammon, and I'm pretty sure the car cheats to get perfect rolls at need."

I've said it before and I'll say it again...far and away the best use of the autopilot is in heavy traffic. Let the car do the constant inching up and stopping...makes bad traffic far less annoying.

I've used it in traffic several times, but still sorta unnerving letting the car start and stop by itself. I always have my foot parked directly over the brake pedal.

 

[dmurphy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...far and away the best use of the autopilot is in heavy traffic. Let the car do the constant inching up and stopping...makes bad traffic far less annoying.

Quoted for truth! Even the knuckleheads who cut me off in heavy traffic don't give me agita anymore ... It's a much more zen state of being.

 

[Frank99]

Lesser skilled players will always say that about better players. I've had many people say the same thing about me, even when sharing the same set of physical dice. I'd bet the car doesn't cheat.

I don’t claim to be a good player (one of the reasons that I play it in the car is to learn/become better), but it certainly cheats. Play a few games on “hard” or “super”, and keep track of your odds of reentering from the bar, and the car’s odds. This is a non-skill comparison and the odds should be driven solely by the number of occupied points. You’ll find that the car’s odds are significantly higher than chance would dictate, and yours are significantly lower.

Finding one example of the car cheating is enough to cast doubt on all other moves it makes-like its preternatural ability to roll precisely what it needs.

 

[john5520]

I haven't played any games yet and have no clue how to play Backgammon, but it's funny to read that the car cheats. Wish Tetris was available.

I prefer to back into spots, so the charge port location was convenient, but I can see the other side of that argument. Did you opt for the 19" sport wheels? I bought it with the 18" Aeros, but swapped to the 19s with the summer tire option (Hankook)which made a very noticeable difference in cornering performance. That squirrely feeling I had was gone. The car is heavy, so there is still some lean, but the tires really grip. I may consider doing some suspension upgrades later on anyway.

At the end of the day, the tires matter a lot, so if you did get the 18's with the factory all-seasons, swapping to some performance-oriented tires should help.

Regarding the Audio, I have no complaints. Like someone mentioned above, streaming can affect the quality. If playing some high quality MP3s don't improve things, I'd check the speakers like already suggested, or have the system checked out at the dealer.

 

[MLXXXp]

I don’t claim to be a good player (one of the reasons that I play it in the car is to learn/become better), but it certainly cheats.

This discussion is a bit off topic, so this will be my last post about it.

I suggest you, or anyone else who feels this way, find a good backgammon program that allows manual dice entry. Play some games against the computer with it set for high skill while manually rolling physical dice for both players. See if this program, which can't cheat with the dice, appears less biased or any easier to beat than Tesla's.

One such program is GNU Backgammon.