Can I ride in your car?

[Shygar]

Wow, twice the time I was given down in Santana Row.

Yea the guy said they were "slow", otherwise it would be 2 minutes.

 

[RayK]

Turo is great. Back when the world was young I rented a Hertz Model S before ordering mine. Rentals are the best way to test, IMHO. Turo is the best way to rent.

+1 for Turo.com. That's where I rented one for three days last month @ $200/day. There were a couple of others for a little bit less but the one I went with allowed 200 miles a day. Turns out I didn't need all that distance as I think I put on a total of 250 miles.

ref: Tesla Model 3 Renter's Review - Jan 2018

 

[chibi_kurochan]

I'll be more than happy to give anybody around San Jose / south bay area a short ride if time and location permits. Feel free to PM me. =P

 

[navinsiri]

I’ve given a handful of test rides/drives to people. If you’re in NJ and interested PM me!

 

[Fusion]

I'm in the SF Bay Area. I wouldn't mind getting a ride in someone's M3... You could drive my Model S in exchange.

 

[Skryll]

I'm in the SF Bay Area. I wouldn't mind getting a ride in someone's M3... You could drive my Model S in exchange.

That could be arranged.

PM me.

 

[gambit48]

Good point, but one data point is better than none. I want to see if there is any features that compel me to get the PUP (i.e. glass roof or sound system), or any that make it less appealing (breath-ability of faux leather).

PUP is $5,000. One of those features really shouldn't make or break the decision. It should be at least 2 or 3 major ones.

And whether it's leather or vegan "leather", it doesn't breathe. It's not ventilated. Solid sheet of vinyl or whatever you want to call it. Feels the same as a Model S/X. Probably from the same supplier. If you felt an S/X, you've felt the 3's seating material.

I'd second the idea of just going to a supercharger. Especially as you're in the Bay Area.

Just sitting in one should tell you enough. I'm lucky enough to have a really close friend who just tossed me his card and told me to not get him arrested (long story). IMO, just sitting in one is enough. An actual test ride doesn't add any meaningful data as to whether to get PUP or not.

I've now seen the alcantara headliner and cloth headliner. Only the headliner changed. There's still alcantara elsewhere in the interior. I thought I would care more... but I don't. It's not noticeable unless you actively look for it and feel the difference. Without another one right next to it, it looks normal and you wouldn't know there was a change.

The seats (especially front) are noticeably more comfortable, but less sporty, than the S seats. I had just done a test drive on the S before an owner at the supercharger there let me sit in his 3. That's about as back to back as you get. Driving my friend's 3 only confirmed it.

Yes, the 3 has a stiffer ride and makes the car more bouncy. But, the softer seats mean it's not uncomfortable. It's BMW 3 series with sport package plus stiff, but the BMW seats are stiffer as well so you feel those bumps more than in the Model 3. This has nothing to do with PUP though. Unless you think the textile seats will have even more give than the PUP seats. Don't fill your coffee to the brim (or keep a lid on it) and it won't be a big deal.

Sitting in the back with the glass roof is a pretty cool experience. Don't really need a test drive to see that though. As the driver, you don't really notice it. As a driver, it feels the same as driving a car with a panoramic roof option due to the ambient light that gets in from having so much glass overhead. You have to be a rear seat passenger to get the full effect, and you can get that feeling just by finding one at a supercharger to sit in.

I only had the stereo on for about 3 seconds. Upgraded stereos have never made enough of a difference to me. Both my current cars have upgraded stereo systems. One even has a "name" brand. They're better than what a base system in a Camry or Civic have, but it's not enough to be worth thousands IMO. And that's something you can also test while sitting at a supercharger. I've always felt higher end headphones or home speakers make more of a difference over a "base" set than the diff between a base and high end car stereo system.

If you have kids, the two USB ports in the back when you get PUP are worth as much or more than the upgraded stereo system IMO.

 

[roblab]

There's a meetup on the SF peninsula Saturday. 3 owners often go to meetups just to show their cars. I took my 3 to the meetup at Kettleman City last weekend, and there were two or three Model 3s. I let most anyone drive mine, look, touch, drool (they have to wipe it off, though). Interesting to me is that people seem to be afraid. Only one taker drove. No one else would. I said, "It's only a car." That one taker, though thought it was pretty neat.

Any sane, sober person planning to drive around in Napa Valley could probably arrange to get a ride or drive when they're here.