Biggest Positive and Negative Surprises About Model 3 AWD Performance Version

[dfwatt]

How can I tell if I got charged if I see nothing anywhere about this. The site doesn't display anything under my account and the car doesn't either. I don't know where you guys see this historical data?

I'm in the dark about some of these operational details too. I suspect that the only way to know is if a charge appears on a credit card somewhere, from Tesla Motors Inc. Some folks accounts appear to show these charges in a submenu on their Tesla account. I have no such tab, and it sounds like you don't either.

 

[owensd]

Biggest negative: I'm getting no where near the rated range for the day (I have a long commute). Average speed is, let's say, 70+...

Stupid accounting error on my part as well as my price was missing an adjustment that I missed due to excitement of delivery (I picked up a demo model due to timing) that is taking forever to rectify.

Love the car though.

Rear view mirror isn't an issue for me as I'm used to driving a motorcycle and a Jeep with basically no rear visibility anyway.

 

[dfwatt]

Biggest Negatives about Ownership and Delivery

1) How disorganized Tesla seems to be in the face of going from a few hundred to 5,000 cars a week output. Delivery times aren't reliable, title not delivered with car, and our delivery person in seems totally underwater. Not clear this is truly surprising but it has been frustrating, esp. since I can't register the car without the title.

2) Lag in getting car app initialized - and need to have some kind of email sent in to Tesla after delivery has been signed for? What's the point of that?

3) Fuggetabout getting anything off sticker - although this isn't a surprise as I didn't expect it. Seller's market

Biggest Positive Surprises About the Car's Operation

1) How much of a 'smooth cruisemobile' it can be instead of just a great performing sports sedan. Easiest car to drive I've ever experienced. Ease of just simple things like getting into Park, Drive, Reverse (in contrast with finding neutral, wich isn't so easy!)

2) Related to #1, really good ride quality despite the 35 series tires and the rather heavy wheels. It's a really, really comfortable car to ride in, although I am coming from a car that requires a kidney belt due to it's very stiff hard aftermarket suspension, and 12 year old suspension bushings, so perhaps I suffer from too low expectations. But even with allowance for this, it seems to be really nice ride - and I can't figure how Car and Driver slammed the softer base model 3 suspension as "not great riding." Can't wait to experience the ride with much lighter alloys, which should improve its compliance over bumps even more. Somehow, this aspect of the car's behavior didn't register so clearly during the test drive, probably because I was too busy mashing the throttle and feeling the G forces such that I didn't as much notice other things I wasn't feeling, like NVH (noise, vibration and harshness). Very impressive and it spoils you.

3) How much I love regen braking. Not just from an economy and range standpoint, but from a safety standpoint, in that just lifting off gets you about .3 G's braking, such that if something unexpected is in front of you, you are slowing down to a non-trivial degree BEFORE you can ever hit the brake pedal. Really a great safety feature, and underappreciated from that standpoint (see #8)

4) How great the sound system is! Wow! And the streaming music channels, all laid out for you. Neat.

5) The amazing and paradigm shifting cell phone-centered entry and exit. Could NEVER go back to keys, key fobs, etc.

6) How quickly I've gotten used to the great touchscreen, the phone-centered remote control functionality, etc. I think this underscores how well Tesla made the whole process so intuitive, and how much thought and development time must have gone into the operating system.

7) how much SPACE the car has for such a compact body, and the phenomenal space utilization.

8) How safe I feel in the car, knowing its great passive and active safety features, including class-leading crash worthiness esp. around the side impact scenario, which is often lethal or at least injurious - did you know that in the frontal barrier collision, the windshield doesn't even break? The integration of warnings about cars crossing over into your lane, and the display in red of vehicles that represent potential dangers in left side of the touchscreen. The class leading braking (60-0 in under 100 ft)

9) that I just love the car as much as I do, can't believe that Tesla has made such an incredible vehicle that laps the sports sedan field, after just 6 short years of work on EV.

10) that I can get at least 240 whr/mi around town (140 MPGe)

11) The car's styling. It looks like the four door that Ferrari could have made. It's just plain gorgeous. Esp. from side and back. Front is A-/B+. Overall, it really gets looked over, esp. in red, white, and blue, but almost any color. The red one says "Ticket Me" - I'm goin' at least 85! While it's in the driveway.

 

[desuma]

I’ve had mine for a month now, and mostly use it for a heavy traffic, 70mi+ round trip daily commute.

I love everything about the car, but if I had to pick one—Autopilot is amazing. It’s a small travesty to say that about a P3D+ because I could have gotten that experience for $54k rather than the $79k I spent. Instead of being cranky and exhausted when I get home, I’m zen and relaxed. It’s just a matter of focus and attention. The fact that the car will improve with time is a special thrill since I work in software and I’ve always detested the instant obsolence of car tech.

My only peeve is a small rattle coming from the center console near the phone dock.

 

[northWETwa]

Two small peeves here -
- being "height challenged," wish that rear trunk closed automatically like on our MS, or that there was an option to add a short strap to grab & pull it down (now there's an aftermarket idea for a creative someone!)
- purchased as a second car (to our MS). Don't need maps up alllll the time as we know how to get around town and don't need to watch our progress to Home Depot on the screen. While we usually have the radio stations "pop up" up, wish we could make that the default screen. Or at least be able to replace the maps screen with a screen saver (think: fireplace or fish tank - ha!).

 

[ModelNforNerd]

The decision for me was always going to include Dual Motors to some degree. I live in New England. I wanted the traction. I was HOPING to gain efficiency as well.

When the numbers came out and it didn't look like Dual Motors was going to gain me a whole lot....AND Performance wasn't going to LOSE me very much, I went with a "P3D-"

As you can see, the efficiency isn't TERRIBLE at all.

Aeros on for all but 600 miles. Temps haven't been too cold yet. About a 60/40 Highway/City split......

 

[dfwatt]

The decision for me was always going to include Dual Motors to some degree. I live in New England. I wanted the traction. I was HOPING to gain efficiency as well.

When the numbers came out and it didn't look like Dual Motors was going to gain me a whole lot....AND Performance wasn't going to LOSE me very much, I went with a "P3D-"

As you can see, the efficiency isn't TERRIBLE at all.

Aeros on for all but 600 miles. Temps haven't been too cold yet. About a 60/40 Highway/City split......View attachment 340736

That's a measly 143 MPGe . Not too shabby, and it's part of the growing evidence that the EPA numbers for the Model 3 are highly, perhaps even wildly, conservative, and beatable routinely, which is not the case around ICE EPA mileage numbers. Makes me think that they might have tested a car with beta software, and poor or low regen characteristics.

 

[outie]

I forgot one of the best unexpected pluses - delivery quality control. I was half expecting the doors to be falling off the car, after I heard all the horror stories about QC in the Model 3 in the media and on the blogs. We have two Model 3 (both AWD Performance Models), both delivered in virtually perfect condition. One had a <1mm dark spot on the front hood paint job. Tesla told us about it before hand, was highly apologetic, and offered to fix before delivery or after. I couldn't even find it initially - and probably won't have it fixed as pearlescent white paint is hard to match. Otherwise, both cars appear to be in perfect condition.

How do you deal with phone as key issue with 2 Model 3s? I don't have 2 Model 3s but 1 Model X. If I used the app to check on the X and forgot to switch back to the 3, the 3 won't unlock/start, requesting the key card. I'd then take out the phone and switch back to the 3. Seems like a major hassle if you have 2 Model 3s.

 

[Oyster Bait]

The decision for me was always going to include Dual Motors to some degree. I live in New England. I wanted the traction. I was HOPING to gain efficiency as well.

When the numbers came out and it didn't look like Dual Motors was going to gain me a whole lot....AND Performance wasn't going to LOSE me very much, I went with a "P3D-"

As you can see, the efficiency isn't TERRIBLE at all.

Aeros on for all but 600 miles. Temps haven't been too cold yet. About a 60/40 Highway/City split......View attachment 340736

Your choice of the minus version of the Performance upgrade got you some yuge bennies; while I live in Florida, I still don't dare risk living with tires that can't live below 40°F - $1500 all weather wheels+tires on order.

I doubt I'll ever get my money back for the plus version; chalk it up to YOLO. Hey, red calipers, yo!

 

[Rountad]

Love the car in every way possible. My only gripe is:

Does anyone have issues with rear view visibility?

Also sometimes it's not enjoyable in the sense that fear follows up because you go from too quick (having fun) to "oh sh*t, I need to slow down" within 3 seconds. Anyone know how to combat this? I wish I didn't have to look at my speedometer and be carefree LOL!


Besides that, I love this car to death and don't get me wrong I enjoy the speed, just wish I can savor it cause it happens so quick

Yes, if you move the seat back because you are tall, the driver's side mirror doesn't go out far enough. And the center rear view mirror is small.

 

[H2050]

Love every bit of my RWD M3, you get use to the annoying things which I can hardly find. Just treat it like you wifie and any problem is no problem.

Small back window? No problem I turn on Cam, that's sport-car styling.
My biggest problem is that I don't have AP, that's a money problem though.