theappleguy
Member
Incredible 50c review! Thanks for sharing!Had my RWD for a week now and came back to this thread to give my 50c review, some comparisons to my ex-ICE (2015 WRX)
Quality and delivery
Build quality is good, only noticed a slight (mm difference) panel gap on the driver side rear panel, which is so minor that I won't do anything about it. There was no issue with the paint.
On delivery, the exterior was clean without scratches or marks, however, there were some grease marks on the seats and door trim.
RWD came with floor mats but they feel kind of low quality and thin, replaced with all-weather rubber mats.
The delivery process was smooth and quick, with lots of smiles; attentive (and attractive) staff (Alexandria).
A quick note, be sure you check for number plate covers, they forgot to put them in the boot and I had to ask for them.
Drive Mode
Coming from ICE cars, I had it creep mode for the first 48hrs then switched to hold. Once you get used to it, hold mode is easier to live with, the creep mode is so slow that it doesn't drive like an automatic ICE anyway. The challenge is reverse parallel parking using hold mode; practiced a few times and getting the hang of it now. As a side note, on downslopes, it takes a little more distance to hold the car once you let go of the acceleration padel, panic stomp on the break when I noticed this the first time.
UI/Tech/Aircon
No complaints coming from a base model WRX that still has a CD player. The complimentary Spotify account was great and kids enjoyed the "car iPad" games. Ryzen is fast, navigation and map loading are on par with late iPhones. Voice recognition is a 50/50 hit and miss; worse if you try voice input indigenous street/place names. Aircon is much better than any of the ICE cars I ever owned, set it on auto and it delivered the temp you want. Kids love the fart and Christmas modes, lots of laughter and joy.
Seats/Ergonomics/Vision/Cargo
Seats are very comfortable and there are plenty of adjustments to suit all builds, but big drivers might find the seats a little narrow, tall driver might find it a little short on thigh support. Rearward vision is pretty bad, to be honest, and side mirrors are small. Forward vision is great but A-pillar is quite thick.
Cargo space is fine for a family of five doing urban runs, we loaded the car with groceries in the frunk, pram in the back plus school and sports bags. Baby seat behind the driver and still enough room for two kids (no booster) at the back.
Performance/Handling
This part is very subjective, it really depends on what kind of cars you're coming from so I can only compare it with the WRX.
Accelerating from a standing start, I could feel the power being held back like the battery was low on voltage or amps. The old WRX definitely felt faster from a standing start but I will give it being 4WD vs RWD traction. Once you pass the 30kph mark, WRX wouldn't stand a chance. There is a constant supply of torque uninterrupted by any kind of gear changes (there is none). Rolling acceleration is most fun, I slow down to about 40kph on an 80kph speed limit road, and without any other cars around, I floor the "gas"; for the first time in my life, I heard my wife scream when I accelerate and to put it in context, I drove her in an Audi RS5 before. It was doing illegal speed before the fun could end and I had to quickly slow it down. Yes, a V8 or twin-turbos might outrun it eventually but the rolling acceleration fun is just something different from an ICE car, using it too much makes your kids love you more but puts your marriage at risk.
I know P and LR are much quicker but unless you know a good chiro for neck strain and have unlimited demerit points; RWD would be more than fine for urban runs.
Handling wise, I have to give it to the WRX, there is no doubt that the Tesla feels very steady and nimble, steering is also very direct, but you just don't get the same feedback as in a lighter 4WD. It corners well and has a much more comfortable suspension than the WRX but I wouldn't call the handling "fun"; I would just call it "accurate and predictable".
Charging/Range anxiety
No range anxiety doing 30-50km per day, been charging it to 100% pretty much every night during off-peak using only the UMC that came with the car, plugged into a standard wall socket, gets a little more than just 3% every hour. Free charge to 100% once using a Tesla destination charger while the wife shopped at Coles, she couldn't be more impressed given the current petrol price. Using the mobile app to manage the charging schedule is more intuitive than using the "iPad" in the car.
For long trips that we often do with other families, we still plan to use our 7 seater ICE so we don’t make others wait or change routes if we have to charge.
Summary
Overall, very happy with the purchase, it is by far the best all-rounder car I've bought. Not the champion in every single category but it's practical, comfortable, entertaining for all ages and most of all, no more panic checking fuel app daily.
P.S. this is my first post, and I can't figure out how to give a thumbs-up..
- maybe I need to hit some forum milestones first?
I'd been planning to buy for about three weeks after a test drive. If only I'd known a week delay would translate to another three months 
