Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Base Features Required to Seal the Deal on the Model 3

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Addressing the OP's post:

1: I'd be surprised if leather seats are standard. They aren't even standard in the Model S. Leather will certainly be an option, but not standard, and in my case I actually prefer textile.
2: Charging will probably be done virtually identically to what we currently see in the Model S and X. The car will come standard with a 48 amp charger (upgradable to 72 amp), and a UMC with NEMA 5-15 and 14-50 adapters, as well as a J1772 adapter. I'm personally hoping that they make the 14-30 adapter available for purchase again.
3: Autopilot will probably not be standard, but will be an option, with capabilities at least matching what's currently available in the Model S and X. L3 autonomy is possible. L4 is still a ways away (I'm going by the NHTSA's definitions here).
4: I expect that it will be slightly noisier at highway speeds than the S and X. How that compares to a Chevy Truck specifically I don't know, but my experiences with trucks in general is that they are fairly noisy. I'm guessing the Model 3 won't have any trouble being quieter than one.
5: I'm not sure what you mean exactly by numb steering.

Personally, I'm worried that they are going to try to do something too fancy with the dashboard. I'm not interested in a HUD or other fancy gimmickry - I would prefer that they use the Model S/X as a template and give the Model 3 the same type of setup. In other words, a digital dash, with a touch screen off to the side. It would be nice to have the same 17-inch touch screen, but I understand if they want to keep that in their high-end lineup. Of course, I'm also one that's not impressed by the falcon wing doors, self-opening door, or even auto-presenting door handles. Give me normal doors. Indeed, on my current car I have hand-cranked windows rather than power windows - just how I like it - but I'm under no illusions that a hand-cranked window will be an option in the Model 3.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: Piney999 and Jayc
What it would take for me to convert a reservation into a sale:

An email. One that says "You can now configure your Model 3. Your estimated delivery date is xx/yy/201z."

Can't wait until that day arrives!

I'm with you. It was sealed before I even knew what it looked like. Just curious though; I really want the retractable doors that the S has. I'd pay for a package if need be. You?

Why do you want the retractable door handles? That's just additional complexity/cost/weight that the Model 3 doesn't need. If you're concerned about aero, flush door handles were already on the prototypes, but worked like they do on the Jaguar F-Type, push in one side and pull the other as it pops out.

Addressing the OP's post:

1: I'd be surprised if leather seats are standard. They aren't even standard in the Model S. Leather will certainly be an option, but not standard, and in my case I actually prefer textile.

I have no insider knowledge, but I would be absolutely stunned if the base car didn't come with cloth as standard. I think leather and vegan interiors will be optional.
 
Can't wait until that day arrives!



Why do you want the retractable door handles? That's just additional complexity/cost/weight that the Model 3 doesn't need. If you're concerned about aero, flush door handles were already on the prototypes, but worked like they do on the Jaguar F-Type, push in one side and pull the other as it pops out.
I agree that they had additional complexity and another item that can break but they are so cool! That is my only reason. :cool:


I have no insider knowledge, but I would be absolutely stunned if the base car didn't come with cloth as standard. I think leather and vegan interiors will be optional.
 
Thank you all. If I counted correctly:
9 of 21 (so far) said the deal is sealed.
2 asked for a hatch
Several wanted payment for VAT
1 Wanted battery capacity add to be relatively inexpensive
1 wanted auto climate and memory seats
1 wanted safety level of auto pilot
1 wanted a path to towing (rear wheel drive helps make this easier)
1 wanted a far sighted friendly view of the instruments and displays
1 wanted a simple instrument panel

There was not a 100% response rate.
I still think there is not a 100% family unit buy in.

Is anyone willing to ask their significant other: "What would seal the deal?"
 
Number 1 requirement for me:

Floor mats that lock into the carpet below.

I'm still having issues with that on my Model S after 3 years with that and it annoys me every time I get in the car. I would have seconds thoughts about accepting the Model 3 if it just comes with loose floor mats again.
 
Thank you all. If I counted correctly:
9 of 21 (so far) said the deal is sealed.
2 asked for a hatch
Several wanted payment for VAT
1 Wanted battery capacity add to be relatively inexpensive
1 wanted auto climate and memory seats
1 wanted safety level of auto pilot
1 wanted a path to towing (rear wheel drive helps make this easier)
1 wanted a far sighted friendly view of the instruments and displays
1 wanted a simple instrument panel

There was not a 100% response rate.
I still think there is not a 100% family unit buy in.

Is anyone willing to ask their significant other: "What would seal the deal?"
My significant other, when I talk about the Tesla, reminds me that it's fine if I get the car but I have to work an additional year to pay for it.

Seriously though, I will get the longest range Tesla offers in the Model 3 and the glass roof (I'm 6'4") but pretty much everything else is optional. I won't know what I want until I configure the car for ordering.
 
I love this idea that only men are reserving Teslas, when it may just be that the men who've reserved are the ones spending so much time here. ;-)

For my household, I'm just glad we agree that it will be red, and now having seen the color firsthand on a Model X, that it's as good a red as the photos promise.
 
  • Love
Reactions: melindav
Must-haves:
  • Keyless entry (several people on here have actually recommended that Tesla make this an option - wut?!)
  • Power seats, power windows, power mirrors (I'd also like auto-folding mirrors but I doubt that'll be standard)
  • $35,000 price tag, 215+ mile range, high safety ratings, improved active brake assist (seems to have been an issue in all of these recent "autopilot crashed my car" incidents lately)
  • HUD or instrument panel/binnacle for the driver (something other than just the center touchscreen display)
  • Cloth seating in a color other than black (I'm undecided on cloth vs leather/vegan)
  • Supercharging at a reasonable cost ($1,000-2,000?) or a pay per use option ($5-10 per charge?)
  • Software showing which supercharger stalls and destination wall chargers are open/occupied
  • A complete steering wheel (ie, no u-shaped, partial steering wheel)

Wants:
  • Headliner that matches the rest of the interior of the car (ie, no white headliner on black interior)
  • Rear seats that fold flush with the trunk floor
  • An expanded trunk opening (the current one is ok, not great, but ok - likely good enough for my needs 99.99% of the time)
  • Removable/More functional aspect to the deep/recessed rear window "shelf" (there's 3 full feet of wasted space there)
  • Panorama roof window tint on the side and rear windows and solar energy rejection technology on ALL glass surfaces
  • Floating center caps on the wheels so the Tesla emblem is always right-side up
  • Spare tire (a smaller donut would suffice)
  • Cupholders that aren't too close together, appropriate center console storage, armrests that don't interfere with said cupholders, seat pockets, coat hangers, etc (I only care about the armrests and cupholders, everything else is only for possible passengers convenience or resale purposes)

Wants (non-base features):
  • Non-standard paint options costing less than $1,000-1,500 (not really a feature but the paint is way too expensive)
  • More paint color options
  • Leather seats that are fully leather (no alcantara portions that wear out/discolor from use)
  • A ~30% reduction in kWh battery cost (the $13,000 cost increase to upgrade 20 kWh in the Model S would be ~$9,000 for the 3, and ~$14,000 when adding in the $5,000 dual motor cost) - via gigafactory cost reductions, not because I think Model 3 owners should simply pay less than Model S/X owners for the same features
  • A 275-300 mile range for the upgraded battery
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: GSP
You are setting yourself for disappointment if you expect the price to just be a exchange rate equivalence of the US price. As others point out, in the UK you have to add VAT and you also have to add delivery/documentation charges ($1200 for Model S in the USA, likely higher in UK since it has to cross the ocean). The US advertised prices typically do not include any of this.

Just as an example, the Model S 70D is $76500 in US (with destination fees included), but £62700 in UK (VAT included, destination is separate £380).

Tesla is giving fair price, but they can't be expect to eat the extra VAT/shipping costs.

Based on the figures above. The landed exchange rate would make a $35k Model 3 cost £28k in the UK. So I have £12k for goodies! :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: GSP
A HUD, or some other means of seeing my current speed, etc without taking my eyes off the road to look down and to the right on the center display is a big one for me. Having a great experience interfacing with my iPhone is important to me as well. I hope the autopilot/automomy features are reasonably priced. I don't mind paying per charge to use the supercharging network. I don't expect to use it more than a handful of times per year at most.
 
Wives I have surveyed roll their eyes - maybe because they wonder how this Model 3 expense is going to improve family life.

Interesting. I am a wife but I am buying the car for myself so there will be no eye rolling here. Since I keep my cars 10+ years the reduced maintenance, gas cost savings (driving 25k-30k miles per year, ~$10k-$20k savings for the life of the car) and $7,500 tax incentive pretty much sealed the deal for me.

For me I started off thinking the base model will be enough but now I am looking to stretch a bit further. What I am willing to pay for:
- AWD
- Bigger battery
- Full auto pilot (whatever those end up being)

Things I hope will be standard:
- Pay per use SC option
- HUD / amazing technology that wows me (which is a big selling point for me over a bolt or other EVs)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Raindog1 and ucmndd
  • Removable/More functional aspect to the deep/recessed rear window "shelf" (there's 3 full feet of wasted space there)

Trying to figure out how they are going to manage acoustics with all that glass. That shelf would be a great place for an acoustic trap!

I wonder, "How far down you could take the noise floor with really good work on that shelf?"

Does anyone here know? Pretty skilled audience.
 
If there's not a PPU option for supercharging I will cancel my order. I'm not paying $2000 for an option that I might use five times in my life and I won't buy the car if I can't take it on road trips once or twice because I didn't pay an extra $2000 fee.

I'm not interested in free supercharging. I'm happy to pay for it but there has to be more than one option of a huge upfront cost that will never be recouped.

That is my only must have.