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Change from alcantara to cloth on PUP???

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Model homes do this all the time. They show a fully tricked out home with all sorts of extra cost upgrades. Many a new homeowner is confronted with either buying a decontented basic home (which looks lots plainer than the model) or paying lots extra for the pricey upgrades. Faucets, appliances, flooring, molding, paint, lighting, electrical plugs, solar, custom masonry treatments, pools, water features, almost an endless number of extra cost upgrades.

Most all auto manufacturers have a disclaimer that they constantly make running changes due to supplier changes, decontenting, or just inter year changes.

In most states, by law, they have to post signs on everything in the model home that is an upgrade from the base model.
 
Some people completely miss the point. I doubt many people will care about Alcantara vs textile.

If you seriously read all 30 pages of this and came to that conclusion.. oh boy

And if people don't make a stink about this if it bothers them then Tesla will be tempted to continue the corner cutting until they get to something you do care about.
 
A recent automotive article predicted that Alcantara and carbon fiber would be the materials most likely to make your premium car look dated in a few years as similar looking cheaper materials are being more and more widely used in econo-cars so luxury makers will have to move on to something different.

Maybe Tesla is doing Model 3 buyers a favor, though I like how they look on my old outdated Model S with the nosecone. ;)
 
Model homes do this all the time. They show a fully tricked out home with all sorts of extra cost upgrades. Many a new homeowner is confronted with either buying a decontented basic home (which looks lots plainer than the model) or paying lots extra for the pricey upgrades. Faucets, appliances, flooring, molding, paint, lighting, electrical plugs, solar, custom masonry treatments, pools, water features, almost an endless number of extra cost upgrades.

Most all auto manufacturers have a disclaimer that they constantly make running changes due to supplier changes, decontenting, or just inter year changes.

No. In my experience, one of two things happen:

1) You will get a building allowance for fixtures and builder allows you to pick whatever you want, and if it goes over the building allowance, you pay the amount over the building allowance.

2) The home is depicted as it will be built, with allowances for substitutions of "like materials."

Usually, it winds up being a hybrid of the two things. But when you have a building contract that calls for "Hansgrohe or similar" and you install a $30 faucet in place of a $300 faucet, things get messy.

That's what Tesla is doing here.
 
Yeah, I'm pissed about the Alcantara fabric swap-out. I like the look of it and it's black.
The new fabric appears to not be black, which really upsets me... wanted an all black interior, just like my Model S.
Have been having thoughts about canceling my order and forfeiting my $3500, just to get out of the deal.
 
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So if Tesla had come out and said something along the lines of: "We have a supplier problem with Alcantara headliner material. We can not obtain enough material to meet our production rate. In order to keep producing Model 3's we have switched to a premium textile material..."

Would most of you be pissed off that they made the change, or happy that they kept going with Production?

I have mixed feelings, as I was looking forward to the Alcantara material. On the otherhand, I'm certainly looking forward to getting my car as soon as possible.

(I'm still hoping that they either make a concession and drop the price slightly, or figure out a way to switch back to the Alcantara or similar material before my car is actually made. I'm also starting to debate if I should now wait for the D version just thinking it will give them more time to change it back)

I don't think they're going to change it any time soon. "This was planned since the beginning". If they didn't adapt to the thousands of people remarking on the lack of a binnacle or HUD, this won't budge Tesla an iota.

Add another review showing the now unicorn Model 3, just published today in Car & Driver. Alas: goodbye, alcantara. Beautiful shot of the interior from today's C&D review:

0j5a2282-1515774045.jpg


Maybe they'll figure supply chain issues out when they get to the Model Y. I think there's a reason they wanted alcantara in the beginning; clearly, they preferred it for some reason.

Or, someone might make aftermarket upgrades. The color-matching with visors will be harder.
 
Yeah, I'm pissed about the Alcantara fabric swap-out. I like the look of it and it's black.
The new fabric appears to not be black, which really upsets me... wanted an all black interior, just like my Model S.
Have been having thoughts about canceling my order and forfeiting my $3500, just to get out of the deal.
I would argue you should get your entire $3500 back, based on what was being advertised when you placed your order. If I were in your shoes, I would definitely escalate that issue, if you pursue that course of action.
 
To put all of this in the proper perspective, the people I've showed the car to so far have all said "om my god, look at that glass roof!" No one has commented on the headliner material.

On the other hand, a good proportion of the people who ride in my Model S do remark about the Alcantara on the upper surface of the dash, and seem to like the feel of it.

On the other hand, the door post fabric is showing signs of wear, where one rubs against it getting in and out of the car. It looks vaguely similar, but I do not know if it actually is Alcantara -- I doubt it.
 
I don't mind running changes if the change that's made is equal to or better that the current item. However, a lot of posts seem to imply that this change from the alcantara-like material to the textile material is a significant downgrade. That's what I have an issue with. Would you put up with a change in the glass roof tinting that doesn't block as much UV/light and now makes the interior hotter under the sun? Or a change to the 15" touchscreen that reduces the screen resolution? Or going from soft touch materials on the doors/dash to hard plastic?

--Cintoman
Many of those other examples you site seem to be actual downgrades whereas the Alcantara change is opinion based. I have Alcantara in my MS and if anything, it shows more marks when someone touches it, etc. I’d be fine without it.
 
So if Tesla had come out and said something along the lines of: "We have a supplier problem with Alcantara headliner material. We can not obtain enough material to meet our production rate. In order to keep producing Model 3's we have switched to a premium textile material..."

Would most of you be pissed off that they made the change, or happy that they kept going with Production?

I think that would have been excellent. Tesla would have gained respect for communicating and offering choices. Those that want something other than textile could delay their orders, but the manufacturing could continue as there would be plenty of people ok with taking delivery with the textile. Win / Win.


Tesla really blew it on handling this situation well.
 
Not sure what is premium about this change in fabric. My Honda uses the same material in the headliner and I didn’t pay any premium to get it. I also don’t consider the Honda to be a premium car.
Having said that, if Tesla were to use this same headliner in the stripped down base $35K SR version, I’d be fine.
 
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