Just returned from a few days down I-5 and back with a few observations - some great and some concerning. As the owner of a Model 3, I have about 2+ years of experience with roadtrips in a Model 3 but this was the first one in my wife's Model Y. Trip was super easy except for the three-hour stoppage on the Grapevine while an accident was cleared.
What we thought was great
- Storage and comfort was beyond our expectations. I cannot believe how much stuff we could get into the Model Y and yet it was still comfortable our family.
The Supercharger network really is what makes the whole electric car "thing" work. We saw one Chevy Bolt on I-5 from NorCal to San Diego but many Teslas. I spotted a Porsche Taycan (really nice car I must admit) in Little Italy, but that was it.
- On the way north yesterday we stopped at a relatively new Supercharger in Bakersfield that was quite literally in the middle of a field. Pulling off I-5 at Copus Road, turning left over the freeway we found a 20 Supercharger station with clean, portable bathrooms. No permanent structures (other than that to support the chargers), no amenities - just 20 plugs. 80 miles or so later when stopping for a final charge, we saw many of the same folks Kettleman City which we found to be a bit amusing.
- Requiring us to stop twice on the 450 mile journey to recharge is actually a benefit and it better for our overall health.
What we didn't like
- The general attitude and arrogance of many Tesla drivers in the Supercharger areas. Reminds me of the attitude BMW drivers had back in the 90s. Knock it off folks - it's just a car and the superiority complex needs to go. Show just a little bit of humility people.
- The vision-only Autopilot needs an update. The 75 mph limit needs fixing ASAP. You cannot drive on I-5 at 75 and not get blasted off the road. This is not a problem in our Model 3.
- Distance-based cruise control needs a bit of finesse - too many times it accelerated at full throttle (is that a thing on an electric car?) and then slammed on the brakes almost immediately afterwards.
- Perhaps is a symptom of the vision-based Autopilot, but it got tricked more than once by cars braking in other lanes. This too is not a problem in our Model 3.
Overall, we definitely enjoy road trips in the car and the build quality between a two-year old Model 3 and a new Model Y is quite noticeable and the updated center console works much better. Keep it going Tesla!
What we thought was great
- Storage and comfort was beyond our expectations. I cannot believe how much stuff we could get into the Model Y and yet it was still comfortable our family.
The Supercharger network really is what makes the whole electric car "thing" work. We saw one Chevy Bolt on I-5 from NorCal to San Diego but many Teslas. I spotted a Porsche Taycan (really nice car I must admit) in Little Italy, but that was it.
- On the way north yesterday we stopped at a relatively new Supercharger in Bakersfield that was quite literally in the middle of a field. Pulling off I-5 at Copus Road, turning left over the freeway we found a 20 Supercharger station with clean, portable bathrooms. No permanent structures (other than that to support the chargers), no amenities - just 20 plugs. 80 miles or so later when stopping for a final charge, we saw many of the same folks Kettleman City which we found to be a bit amusing.
- Requiring us to stop twice on the 450 mile journey to recharge is actually a benefit and it better for our overall health.
What we didn't like
- The general attitude and arrogance of many Tesla drivers in the Supercharger areas. Reminds me of the attitude BMW drivers had back in the 90s. Knock it off folks - it's just a car and the superiority complex needs to go. Show just a little bit of humility people.
- The vision-only Autopilot needs an update. The 75 mph limit needs fixing ASAP. You cannot drive on I-5 at 75 and not get blasted off the road. This is not a problem in our Model 3.
- Distance-based cruise control needs a bit of finesse - too many times it accelerated at full throttle (is that a thing on an electric car?) and then slammed on the brakes almost immediately afterwards.
- Perhaps is a symptom of the vision-based Autopilot, but it got tricked more than once by cars braking in other lanes. This too is not a problem in our Model 3.
Overall, we definitely enjoy road trips in the car and the build quality between a two-year old Model 3 and a new Model Y is quite noticeable and the updated center console works much better. Keep it going Tesla!
I think it's more just the general dismissive attitude towards other people, Tesla owners or not. I'm the kinda guy that says "hi" to everyone and waves to everyone that drives by the house. Maybe my comment should have been "Hey, put down your iPhone and say hi to someone!".
