Hi folks - I scoured these boards when we were debating whether or not to order. For anyone who's in the same spot, here's a point of view on the pros/cons after a month with the Model 3.
+ So. Fun. To. Drive. Instant acceleration, handles well, the feel of the steering wheel is really satisfying in your hands, the seats feel good, great visibility out the front. It's more fun to drive than any car I've had with the possible exception of my former 6 spd manual roadster. I'd guess the performance and handling are probably plenty fine for most drivers, with the awd/performance edition adding extra control and oomph that could be useful based on weather conditions or driving expertise (haven't driven those so don't really know).
+ Unmatched technology. The tech is futzy in some aspects but overall it's transformative. On top of the electric drivetrain, which can't displace gas quickly enough imho, the base telematics/nav are excellent. We didn't get EAP/SD, I can't comment on that. I'm not ready for a car that drives itself.
- Phone as key is buggy and until it's worked out I really wish a key fob was an option. It rarely works for me and only if I toggle airplane mode when I approach the car which is cumbersome. Also feel like a dork standing next to the car messing with my phone to try to get it to open. I don't want to have to buy a new phone (I have a 1.5 year old android) just so I can use my car. The keycard works but not as convenient as a key fob with proximity sensor. Hoping those rumors that a key fob may be offered are true or a future update fixes this.
- This is *not* a luxury car. It has a luxury car price, but what you're paying for is the tech & early adoption. Maybe it's unfair to expect luxe fit and finish but the required premium upgrade is not very premium. A big miss not to include TACC and power trunk lift. A panorama roof is great when it opens and when it gives you more of a view, this one does neither. I do find the heavy tint effective in blocking heat/sun. The sound system isn't anything special. Upholstery is ok. Not sure what the base upholstery will be (cloth?). The wood (is it actual wood?) and plastics used in the cabin look cheap, particularly the shiny console which shows fingerprints immediately. Despite the brouhaha over the fabric headliner, I think that material looks fine and the different shades of black/grey are visually cohesive.
- Some of the tech is overwrought. You have to tap too many things while driving, such as some of the audio controls, hopefully future voice controls will be added. Not everything needs to be on a screen. Lack of a glovebox button is annoying. No ability to open the front trunk with anything except a screen is annoying.
We only had very minor issues with fit and finish that are being taken care of, the service center has been good to work with so far. We opted for black paint and it is "squiggly" in a way my last black car wasn't. I get now why people are going for the multicoat but not that big of a deal. I can't remember all the other question marks or early complaints that were out there...The door handles were easy to adapt to. The central screen was easy to adapt to for the most part, save some infotainment functions which require too much tapping and it would be nice if you could see the back up cam and nav at the same time. Back up camera view is fine. No problem viewing essential info like speed and directions while driving. We didn't need the larger battery but given that it's recommended to only charge 3/4 of the way, having that extra capacity does relieve range anxiety.
TL;DR: I think this will be a fantastic car in the 35k configuration if it ever gets there. The best thing about it is the driving experience that is enabled by this car's unmatched technology. In the 50k configuration, you're paying a lot extra for the privilege of having it sooner. Without the tax incentive, I wouldn't find it worth it.
+ So. Fun. To. Drive. Instant acceleration, handles well, the feel of the steering wheel is really satisfying in your hands, the seats feel good, great visibility out the front. It's more fun to drive than any car I've had with the possible exception of my former 6 spd manual roadster. I'd guess the performance and handling are probably plenty fine for most drivers, with the awd/performance edition adding extra control and oomph that could be useful based on weather conditions or driving expertise (haven't driven those so don't really know).
+ Unmatched technology. The tech is futzy in some aspects but overall it's transformative. On top of the electric drivetrain, which can't displace gas quickly enough imho, the base telematics/nav are excellent. We didn't get EAP/SD, I can't comment on that. I'm not ready for a car that drives itself.
- Phone as key is buggy and until it's worked out I really wish a key fob was an option. It rarely works for me and only if I toggle airplane mode when I approach the car which is cumbersome. Also feel like a dork standing next to the car messing with my phone to try to get it to open. I don't want to have to buy a new phone (I have a 1.5 year old android) just so I can use my car. The keycard works but not as convenient as a key fob with proximity sensor. Hoping those rumors that a key fob may be offered are true or a future update fixes this.
- This is *not* a luxury car. It has a luxury car price, but what you're paying for is the tech & early adoption. Maybe it's unfair to expect luxe fit and finish but the required premium upgrade is not very premium. A big miss not to include TACC and power trunk lift. A panorama roof is great when it opens and when it gives you more of a view, this one does neither. I do find the heavy tint effective in blocking heat/sun. The sound system isn't anything special. Upholstery is ok. Not sure what the base upholstery will be (cloth?). The wood (is it actual wood?) and plastics used in the cabin look cheap, particularly the shiny console which shows fingerprints immediately. Despite the brouhaha over the fabric headliner, I think that material looks fine and the different shades of black/grey are visually cohesive.
- Some of the tech is overwrought. You have to tap too many things while driving, such as some of the audio controls, hopefully future voice controls will be added. Not everything needs to be on a screen. Lack of a glovebox button is annoying. No ability to open the front trunk with anything except a screen is annoying.
We only had very minor issues with fit and finish that are being taken care of, the service center has been good to work with so far. We opted for black paint and it is "squiggly" in a way my last black car wasn't. I get now why people are going for the multicoat but not that big of a deal. I can't remember all the other question marks or early complaints that were out there...The door handles were easy to adapt to. The central screen was easy to adapt to for the most part, save some infotainment functions which require too much tapping and it would be nice if you could see the back up cam and nav at the same time. Back up camera view is fine. No problem viewing essential info like speed and directions while driving. We didn't need the larger battery but given that it's recommended to only charge 3/4 of the way, having that extra capacity does relieve range anxiety.
TL;DR: I think this will be a fantastic car in the 35k configuration if it ever gets there. The best thing about it is the driving experience that is enabled by this car's unmatched technology. In the 50k configuration, you're paying a lot extra for the privilege of having it sooner. Without the tax incentive, I wouldn't find it worth it.
