Car and Driver Model 3 Test - Not Great

[JohnSnowNW]

Any EV can be an only car. Some folk have a motorcycle as sole transportation.

But the existing EV demographic is six figures and up. Everybody owns 'cars'. It's not 1950 anymore.

I'm excited about the possibility of owning a Model 3 some day. But I'm a pragmatist. I ordered online 2 years ago. I'm probably not getting an invite in 2018. We will see.

The Bolt can certainly be your only commuter car. I owned a motorcycle as my primary means of conveyance for a while, and I could gas it up anywhere across the US. Can't drive the Bolt anywhere I want...can't even practically drive it outside the state of MN.

Do not ignore that the Bolt is meant as a commuter car, even GM acknowledges that.

 

[T34ME]

Strongly disagree with the last point. (And clearly the accident on the 101/85 clearly shows that the Future is just that, the future.)

Have you read the latest? Tesla pulled up the logs on that incident. The driver had the AP on. Over the last several minutes the car was reminding him to keep his hands on the wheel, but he was inattentive. The car gave him both strong audio and physical feedback during, at least, the last 5 seconds before the accident, but the driver failed to react. The unfortunate accident was a result of driver error. AP IS NOT FSD! Tesla does its best to inform owners that it is not FSD, but if an owner chooses to ignore those warnings, they put themselves in great danger, not Tesla.

The simple fact is that folks fiddle with controls while driving.

No one should fiddle with controls while driving whether a UI screen or buttons and knobs - even if you don't take your eyes off the road. To do otherwise puts yourself in potential grave danger and the driver is responsible for any outcome.

Where Tesla is going with this is voice commands to control all functions. They are not quite there yet, but they are getting closer with each OTA update.

And my wife can't wait for that kind of technology.

 

[Gen3Joe]

I am confused...why can't Bolt serve as only car? Range? Size? Price?
Let's visit when Tesla gives us the base 35k car and compare features. By then Bolt might have autopilot.

How long are you willing to wait for a car to give you another 225 plus miles of range? The average consumer is used to 5 minutes and may accept 45 minutes if stopping for lunch. Please go look at how long the Bolt will take to add back 225 miles of range on a long trip and how many freeways and highways it can travel on with any semblance of quick charging. Then come back and post what you have found.

 

[McRat]

How long are you willing to wait for a car to give you another 225 plus miles of range? The average consumer is used to 5 minutes and may accept 45 minutes if stopping for lunch. Please kindly inform us how long the Bolt will take to add back 225 miles of range on a long trip and how many freeways and highways it can travel on with any semblance of quick charging.

When you wake up, the battery is full. Try it that way. It's not Bolt specific, it works for all EVs.

 

[seattlite2004]

I also criticize Tesla when warranted. It's not vitriol. Car and Driver has been full of BS for a while now and I was a subscriber for years at one point. Like someone else said they rated the Bolt high. It handles worse and accelerates worse. Those are things C&D supposedly cares a great deal about. Furthermore the Bolt has no access to a supercharger network and is more expensive for a cheaper interior, dorky exterior style vs sleek and sexy on the 3 and roughly the same range as the base 3. For any objective observer there is no comparison between the Bolt and the 3. Like I said before, Car and Driver is full of BS.

$29.5 net for the top trimmed interior (lots of plastic and leather) and a 60KWH battery seems like a decent price. DCFC are popping up..and the Bolt is able to charge at max 80KW...not Supercharger fast. Yeah...it doesn't accelerate as fast as the Model 3...but all the reviewers that have test driven/reviewed the bolt are surprised by the acceleration. For $29.5 net price ... one also gets their hands nice and toasty during the cold winters and can enjoy Carplay and Android Auto. Seems like C&D was really critical of the $56K as tested car...but if they ever get the Model 3 $35K as tested car..I'd bet the car would get LOTS more accolades.

Any EV can be an only car. Some folk have a motorcycle as sole transportation.

But the existing EV demographic is six figures and up. Everybody owns 'cars'. It's not 1950 anymore.

I'm excited about the possibility of owning a Model 3 some day. But I'm a pragmatist. I ordered online 2 years ago. I'm probably not getting an invite in 2018. We will see.

It is possible the iPace will be my choice based on availability, or the Bolt if they adopt ACC.

Yeah...that is one BIG miss on the Bolt!!

How long are you willing to wait for a car to give you another 225 plus miles of range? The average consumer is used to 5 minutes and may accept 45 minutes if stopping for lunch. Please go look at how long the Bolt will take to add back 225 miles of range on a long trip and how many freeways and highways it can travel on with any semblance of quick charging. Then come back and post what you have found.

5-10 mins..thats why we drive the ICE/Hybrid on our road trips..rather not spend a lot of time waiting for the vehicle to top off. Also...Dino Juice is less restrictive on where we want to go.

 

[Big Dog]

Have you read the latest? Tesla pulled up the logs on that incident. The driver had the AP on. Over the last several minutes the car was reminding him to keep his hands on the wheel, but he was inattentive. The car gave him both strong audio and physical feedback during, at least, the last 5 seconds before the accident, but the driver failed to react. The unfortunate accident was a result of driver error. AP IS NOT FSD! Tesla does its best to inform owners that it is not FSD, but if an owner chooses to ignore those warnings, they put themselves in great danger, not Tesla.

Yeah, I get all that. But what is also seems to say is that AP drove straight into a wall (and a firetruck...) at full speed. Again, the "future" ain't here yet.

They are not quite there yet, but they are getting closer with each OTA update.

And my wife can't wait for that kind of technology.

Where Tesla is going with this is voice commands to control all functions. They are not quite there yet, but they are getting closer with each OTA update.

And my wife can't wait for that kind of technology.

My wife might enjoy that technology too!. But, as you note, it ain't here yet. And while we wait, why not a stalk or two during the transition?

 

[Eclectic]

Are you kidding? Have you driven one?

Yes. And I agree with them. The Model 3 drivetrain is not bad, but it's not anything special. I had an Audi S7 and it was a good engine, but not impressive. My P85D, that's impressive.

I guess if you've never driven a P model Tesla you could be impressed by a lowly Model 3 drivetrain.

 

[fbitz777]

How long are you willing to wait for a car to give you another 225 plus miles of range? The average consumer is used to 5 minutes and may accept 45 minutes if stopping for lunch. Please go look at how long the Bolt will take to add back 225 miles of range on a long trip and how many freeways and highways it can travel on with any semblance of quick charging. Then come back and post what you have found.

Listen I live within 3 miles of TWO Tesla superchargers and plenty more within 40-50 miles and I have free supercharging on my X so I am quite aware of convenience and speed of such a network! I also live 3 miles from Tesla Center and Bolt Dealer and had zero issues with either brand.

As for the Bolt I have CCS (50kw) capability and I see as many stations around as per plugshare. I however have to admit that I never used them (cost is around $8) on the Bolt as L2 is good enough for commuting as you pointed out.

 

[T34ME]

Yeah, I get all that. But what is also seems to say is that AP drove straight into a wall (and a firetruck...) at full speed. Again, the "future" ain't here yet.

No system ever known to man can prevent someone from being suicidal. If that is your criteria for the "future", I don't know if we will ever get there.

 

[Gen3Joe]

Any EV can be an only car. Some folk have a motorcycle as sole transportation.

But the existing EV demographic is six figures and up. Everybody owns 'cars'. It's not 1950 anymore.

I'm excited about the possibility of owning a Model 3 some day. But I'm a pragmatist. I ordered online 2 years ago. I'm probably not getting an invite in 2018. We will see.

It is possible the iPace will be my choice based on availability, or the Bolt if they adopt ACC.

When you wake up, the battery is full. Try it that way. It's not Bolt specific, it works for all EVs.

FYI you are talking to a 5 year Leaf owner.

 

[RayK]

When you wake up, the battery is full. Try it that way. It's not Bolt specific, it works for all EVs.

So a trip from San Francisco to San Diego (500 miles via I-5) that would normally take about 9 hours in an ICE and maybe 9.5 hours in a Model 3 (single Supercharger stop), would take a bit over two DAYS in a Bolt (and the associated lodging charges). That's what keeps the Bolt and similar EVs from being thought of as anything other than a commuter car.

 

[Gen3Joe]

$29.5 net for the top trimmed interior (lots of plastic and leather) and a 60KWH battery seems like a decent price. DCFC are popping up..and the Bolt is able to charge at max 80KW...not Supercharger fast. Yeah...it doesn't accelerate as fast as the Model 3...but all the reviewers that have test driven/reviewed the bolt are surprised by the acceleration. For $29.5 net price ... one also gets their hands nice and toasty during the cold winters and can enjoy Carplay and Android Auto. Seems like C&D was really critical of the $56K as tested car...but if they ever get the Model 3 $35K as tested car..I'd bet the car would get LOTS more accolades.


Yeah...that is one BIG miss on the Bolt!!


5-10 mins..thats why we drive the ICE/Hybrid on our road trips..rather not spend a lot of time waiting for the vehicle to top off. Also...Dino Juice is less restrictive on where we want to go.

Where can you charge a Bolt at 80kW? Why are you quoting the after rebate price on the Bolt but not the 3?

 

[McRat]

FYI you are talking to a 5 year Leaf owner.

And a Bolt EV lacks range?

 

[Gen3Joe]

No system ever known to man can prevent someone from being suicidal. If that is your criteria for the "future", I don't know if we will ever get there.

Exactly. Guy was obviously treating AP like full autonomous driving.

Why the heck are there so many C&D, GM and ICE lovers in this thread? It's like I woke up in a GM forum or something. It's really kinda weird. Just when the media (CNBC etc) is sounding the death knell of Tesla yet again all these posters come out of the wood work to pile on. I normally don't find myself in the position to play defense for Tesla on this forum but tonight I feel it's warranted.

 

[Gen3Joe]

And a Bolt EV lacks range?

Nice try. The good old tried and true red hearing. Did I ever claim the Bolt lacked range? When you are done with the 230 or so miles that you so cleverly charged up with overnight in your garage and you are halfway done with your long trip to I don't know... wherever you feel like driving... what do you do then in your Bolt?

 

[Gen3Joe]

So a trip from San Francisco to San Diego (500 miles via I-5) that would normally take about 9 hours in an ICE and maybe 9.5 hours in a Model 3 (single Supercharger stop), would take a bit over two DAYS in a Bolt (and the associated lodging charges). That's what keeps the Bolt and similar EVs from being thought of as anything other than a commuter car.

This

 

[sreams]

Do you think that car magazines should be impressed with anything less than extraordinary performance???

Uh... So the only way to have "extraordinary performance" is to be the fastest accelerating car in the world? That would mean that every single car that isn't a P100D would be disappointing to C&D. Is every car that does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds a disappointment? That's a ridiculous position to take.

 

[Eclectic]

Uh... So the only way to have "extraordinary performance" is to be the fastest accelerating car in the world? That would mean that every single car that isn't a P100D would be disappointing to C&D. Is every car that does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds a disappointment? That's a ridiculous position to take.

Now you're making up things that no one has said. Extraordinary means just that...not the absolute best, but very much above ordinary. What's ridiculous is to make up statements just because you don't like a comment.

And they got 5.1 0-60, not 4.8.

Did you even read their review?

 

[Eclectic]

So a trip from San Francisco to San Diego (500 miles via I-5) that would normally take about 9 hours in an ICE and maybe 9.5 hours in a Model 3 (single Supercharger stop), would take a bit over two DAYS in a Bolt (and the associated lodging charges). That's what keeps the Bolt and similar EVs from being thought of as anything other than a commuter car.

You really think you could get away with a single supercharger stop from SF to San Diego? Very unlikely.

 

[Jopo43]

Car and driver makes its money off people who advertise like GM, ford, Tesla doesn’t need to advertise so car and driver will hate everything ever made by tesla,,....