An honest review of the yoke

[Hayseed_MS]

Interesting how some people that haven’t even taken delivery yet or spent some time with the yolk have such strong opinions.

And they will not be happy until they get the nanny to come in and take it away so life can be as they see it. The yoke is areal nothingburger if you want it be.

As one who has over 1200 miles in less than two weeks on it in many driving/parking/avoidance situations is safe and happy - can I file a "friend of the court brief" with the NHSTA on behalf of the yoke?

 

[AnselmDante]

3 days with my Plaid, which is amazing. But the yoke ruins it.

I just posted this to the NHTSA:

This has to do with Tesla's new yoke steering wheel. I find myself awkwardly trying to make simple 90 degree turns. However, a more significant turn, such as a legal U turn, is altogether more dangerous. First you must twist your arms upside down to execute the turn, or you need to rotate grips but the wheel is only designed to be gripped while straight/upright. This causes a very real threat of missing your hold on the wheel. Then as you try to controllably/slowly straighten the vehicle the steering wheel rips through your hands before you can complete the turn. God forbid anyone attempts a hasty 3 point turn with a car approaching. In addition, I am a six foot tall male and my knees actually come in contact with the wheel as the lower outside corners of the trapezoidal shape protrude down and out. If I am gripping the outside of the wheel, at 9 and 3, my hands can also contact my knees. This is with the wheel tilted/moved up to its highest position. Then there's the turn signals which are much too easy to engage accidentally or engage incorrectly (touch left when you mean to touch right). The roll wheel which controls radio volume and track fwd is mm from the turn signals which are activated simply by touch, not depressing a button, which means inadvertently activating them happens commonly. To see if the turn signals are activated your eyes must find small blinking arrows at the bottom of Teslas 'videogame' display - what the car's cameras are detecting such as other cars, trucks, stop signs etc - the needlessly distracting display cannot be turned off. All of this made worse on a temptingly fast car. This wheel design is made for a track, not for consumer driving. People will die from this design, all in the name of "cool". Tesla has made other flashy design errors while trying to attract attention such as the model x's falcon wing doors, but they didn't pose danger. This one most certainly does.

You've called it a wheel eight times, while complaining that it isn't a wheel...

 

[SO16]

So someone that cannot handle the yoke and bought the car knowing they wouldn’t like the yoke, tries to ruin for others that do like the yoke. Nice.

 

[glide]

I’m still waiting for someone to tell me a single benefit of the yoke vs. a traditional wheel outside of better visibility of the driver screen (which was NEVER an issue to begin with).

 

[Hayseed_MS]

I’m still waiting for someone to tell me a single benefit of the yoke vs. a traditional wheel outside of better visibility of the driver screen (which was NEVER an issue to begin with).

That is a huge benefit. And it was an issue for some of us. Love the view now.

 

[omarsultan]

I’m still waiting for someone to tell me a single benefit of the yoke vs. a traditional wheel outside of better visibility of the driver screen (which was NEVER an issue to begin with).

After a month with the yoke and bouncing back and forth between my car and my wife's X, I find the yoke paired with stalksless controls makes for better ergonomics and efficiency. The yoke forces a 3/9-o'clock hand position which then places controls in a a fixed relative position to your hands. With a bit of practice and muscle memory, you can engage turn signals, horn, high beams, etc without having to release your grip on the o the wheel. The controls remain under thumb for for driving scenarios so always accessible. I was driving why wife's X for a few days while my car was getting tinted and after getting used to the yoke + stalkless scheme, having to move my hands to engage the turn signals of engage the wiper seemed inefficient to having the controls under my thumb.

The best functional analogy I can provide is a gaming controller (Xbox, PlayStation), where everything is under your thumbs and you can maintain firm grip of the controller at all times and once you learn button positions, using them becomes second nature.

 

[glide]

That is a huge benefit. And it was an issue for some of us. Love the view now.

I guess to each their own. But as I mentioned, I am looking to hear feedback from owners on ANYTHING BUT the visibility claim.

 

[Hayseed_MS]

I guess to each their own. But as I mentioned, I am looking to hear feedback from owners on ANYTHING BUT the visibility claim.

Why do I need any more reasons? No matter what is said or your experience, you have already made your judgement. I went into it open but skeptical. Having it has made me a believer in it.

Omar gave some good points above.

 

[glide]

After a month with the yoke and bouncing back and forth between my car and my wife's X, I find the yoke paired with stalksless controls makes for better ergonomics and efficiency. The yoke forces a 3/9-o'clock hand position which then places controls in a a fixed relative position to your hands. With a bit of practice and muscle memory, you can engage turn signals, horn, high beams, etc without having to release your grip on the o the wheel. The controls remain under thumb for for driving scenarios so always accessible. I was driving why wife's X for a few days while my car was getting tinted and after getting used to the yoke + stalkless scheme, having to move my hands to engage the turn signals of engage the wiper seemed inefficient to having the controls under my thumb.

The best functional analogy I can provide is a gaming controller (Xbox, PlayStation), where everything is under your thumbs and you can maintain firm grip of the controller at all times and once you learn button positions, using them becomes second nature.

This all sounds great for a track car. But I’m not convinced it translates to a daily driver. I’m not put off by the lack of stalks but I think the implementation of touch controls on the yoke is half-baked at best. And I’m sure in a straight line it is easy to engage the buttons but what happens when you need to do it during a wide turn?

The yoke makes perfect sense to me for the Plaid but zero sense for the LR or MX.

 

[glide]

Why do I need any more reasons? No matter what is said or your experience, you have already made your judgement. I went into it open but skeptical. Having it has made me a believer in it.

Omar gave some good points above.

You did not need to respond to my post at all. But you did. With the ONE thing I asked not to include.

 

[Iain]

The title says honest review. Where we get lost is it’s just one persons take on it,Nothing more nothing less

 

[lbowroom]

You did not need to respond to my post at all. But you did. With the ONE thing I asked not to include.

What’s your intent here? Do you seek to steer Tesla into offering a round wheel?

 

[omarsultan]

This all sounds great for a track car. But I’m not convinced it translates to a daily driver. I’m not put off by the lack of stalks but I think the implementation of touch controls on the yoke is half-baked at best. And I’m sure in a straight line it is easy to engage the buttons but what happens when you need to do it during a wide turn?

The yoke makes perfect sense to me for the Plaid but zero sense for the LR or MX.

OK, so I gave you benefits not related to visibility, based on a month of driving the actual car on actual roads and you dismiss them out of hand, so seems more like you are looking to reinforce your existing beliefs. What is half-baked about the implementation of touch controls?

 

[Dan D.]

Stare at the photos for a while. Visualize driving each of them and then decide which you prefer. What's wrong with preferring one over the other? Too bad they don't offer a choice IMO.

 

[Matias]

Yoke is a solution looking for a problem.

 

[omarsultan]

Stare at the photos for a while. Visualize driving each of them and then decide which you prefer. What's wrong with preferring one over the other? Too bad they don't offer a choice IMO.

I guess my point is that you don't have to visualize any more, you can hear from owners that have taken delivery.

We could rewind 8 years and show the interior to the Model S with the wacky new touch screen vs familiar knobs and buttons and have the exact same conversation. In fact, I remember having the exact same discussions with folks who had never even sat in a Model S telling me how important buttons were and sooner or later I'd wrap my car around a tree.

 

[Dan D.]

I guess my point is that you don't have to visualize any more, you can hear from owners that have taken delivery.

We could rewind 8 years and show the interior to the Model S with the wacky new touch screen vs familiar knobs and buttons and have the exact same conversation. In fact, I remember having the exact same discussions with folks who had never even sat in a Model S telling me how important buttons were and sooner or later I'd wrap my car around a tree.

I'm listening to you, because you've taken delivery. I value your experience.

If Tesla listened they might offer both yoke and steering wheel. It costs them nothing. It's probably the single most important piece of the car to some.

 

[Matias]

I'm listening to you, because you've taken delivery. I value your experience.

If Tesla listened they might offer both yoke and steering wheel. It costs them nothing. It's probably the single most important piece of the car to some.

Maintaining two different configurations of course costs them something.

 

[omarsultan]

I'm listening to you, because you've taken delivery. I value your experience.

If Tesla listened they might offer both yoke and steering wheel. It costs them nothing. It's probably the single most important piece of the car to some.

Thank you.

I don't think Tesla will willingly offer a round wheel, as they seem to be intent on reducing manufacturing complexity, and TBH, I think the stalkless controls on a round wheel are less compelling. If you have a hand at 12 or like to drive at 10 and 2, then moving them to press a button or flip a stalk, then I think it becomes a wash.

I think Tesla sees this a legit improvement and glad they are wiling to push the envelope--hope I never see the day we have Tesla-by-committee.

 

[Dan D.]

Maintaining two different configurations of course costs them something.

Fine, it costs them 'little'. Swapping the wheel takes just minutes. People are (saying) they are canceling their orders because of this. Two buckets in the stockroom. One with yokes, one with wheels.