CNN Money review of the Model 3 - not very flattering

[Garlan Garner]

I do not own a Model 3 and have not driven one, full disclaimer.

However, my understanding is that most controls are via the touch screen.

I know how infuriating it is to attempt to turn off seat heating or adjust temperature/fan speed in the Model S while doing 80+ MPH down the highway and talking on the cell phone. It's just horrid to not have tactile controls for basic things like:

1. Radio station and volume
2. Climate control setpoint
3. Fan speed
4. Seat heaters

These are settings that get changed frequently during driving, and on "well designed cars" the ergonomics and ability to alter these settings without even a glance is HUUUUGE.

Horrid? no way.

It will be delightful. As long as everyone else is doing 80+ MPH then everything will be fine. NOW if you are doing 80+ and everyone else is 50 to 55, then that would be horrid in any car.

Learn to use the steering wheel buttons. 5 positions for each button. That's 10 buttons. Its just a learning curve. That's all.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I should clarify (I couldn't find the edit button), by "Tesla wanting to save money" I meant get the price down to $35K.

You will just have to wait for the standard version.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Can you make any of these changes without taking your eyes of the road for a split second? What about figure out how fast you're driving?

Don't think so. Therein lies the problem.

Voice control is an obvious solution, but if it's cloud based there is too much latency for it to be practical. Plus, you can't easily make changes while taking a phone call or if there is rain noise.

Oh come on. If I'm going the same speed as everyone else....I can read entire billboards .... even fine print @ about 30 seconds per billboard.

Space out the car in front of you by 6 car lengths and you will be absolutely fine.

Who in the world constantly looks or stares at the road. You will fall asleep from boredom.

To be honest......I do the opposite. I glance at the road and pay attention to everything else....like my McDonalds fries.

There is no problem.

 

[m34me]

Once again, you’re stuck in the past. The things about which you complain become less important with every improvement.

Tesla’s are the only cars that continually improve.

Everything you are complaining about, will soon become a non-issue.

Oh come on...if the Model 3 minimalist interior and controls is optimum and the "future" then tell me why it isn't like that in their actual premium vehicles? Bingo - the Model 3 is designed to be simpler to get to the $35K base price, it is not because it is better and people arguing it is are deluding themselves.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Oh come on...if the Model 3 minimalist interior and controls is optimum and the "future" then tell me why it isn't like that in their actual premium vehicles? Bingo - the Model 3 is designed to be simpler to get to the $35K base price, it is not because it is better and people arguing it is are deluding themselves.

How many more buttons does the Model S have? The Model S has 2 screens, sure, but only what.....5 buttons..with 4 of them being for windows.

The model S has been the same for at least 5 to 6 years. I would say.....just wait.

Let me put it this way. The Model S re design is certainly NOT gong to have more buttons than it currently has.

 

[EV-lutioin]

Reviewer: "Bring back my disc drive and headphone port, I hate innovation, I just want things the way they were, blah"

 

[Futuresystem]

A lot of people are forgetting something pretty basic here:
The current setup is Gen 1.

It will only get better, and you don't need to drive to a dealer to implement those changes. The steering wheel controls will gain more functions, the screen will gain more flexibility and functionality, and the voice controls will continue to improve, unlike my two current vehicles which are both 2014 models and haven't improved at all since the day I bought them. Both have voice control for some functions, (mainly phone and stereo) and both are mostly absolutely abysmal at that, a bit of a sick joke really.

Some people will always hate having to learn new ways of doing things- I remember years ago reading a historical review of one of the very early automatic transmissions, pretty sure it was the Chrysler "Torque Flight" though I could be wrong, maybe GM "Hydromatic."
Anyway the reviewer was very obviously a died in the wool manual gearbox fan, (though he didn't say so.)
He absolutely HATED the automatic transmission.
Were he alive today, he'd probably still be using a Blackberry, or maybe something even earlier, and no doubt driving a vehicle with a manual transmission.

Some people won't like the Model 3 interior and interface, I love it already from everything I've seen and will look forward to it getting even better (unlike my current 2014 vehicles, which are stuck in a 2014 time warp.)

PS I also LOVE my iPhone X.

Cya

 

[EV-lutioin]

A lot of people are forgetting something pretty basic here:
The current setup is Gen 1.

It will only get better, and you don't need to drive to a dealer to implement those changes. The steering wheel controls will gain more functions, the screen will gain more flexibility and functionality, and the voice controls will continue to improve, unlike my two current vehicles which are both 2014 models and haven't improved at all since the day I bought them. Both have voice control for some functions, (mainly phone and stereo) and both are mostly absolutely abysmal at that, a bit of a sick joke really.

Some people will always hate having to learn new ways of doing things- I remember years ago reading a historical review of one of the very early automatic transmissions, pretty sure it was the Chrysler "Torque Flight" though I could be wrong, maybe GM "Hydromatic."
Anyway the reviewer was very obviously a died in the wool manual gearbox fan, (though he didn't say so.)
He absolutely HATED the automatic transmission.
Were he alive today, he'd probably still be using a Blackberry, or maybe something even earlier, and no doubt driving a vehicle with a manual transmission.

Some people won't like the Model 3 interior and interface, I love it already from everything I've seen and will look forward to it getting even better (unlike my current 2014 vehicles, which are stuck in a 2014 time warp.)

PS I also LOVE my iPhone X.

Cya

Case in point: My brother bought the only manual transmission Honda Accord in the state of Virginia because... well, because he's a Luddite.

 

[S3XY]

Oh come on...if the Model 3 minimalist interior and controls is optimum and the "future" then tell me why it isn't like that in their actual premium vehicles? Bingo - the Model 3 is designed to be simpler to get to the $35K base price, it is not because it is better and people arguing it is are deluding themselves.

Because the Model S was designed years ago and the Model 3 was just released. Talk to me when the refreshed Model S/X comes out later this year or next. I bet it will share a lot with the Model 3 design.

 

[m34me]

Because the Model S was designed years ago and the Model 3 was just released. Talk to me when the refreshed Model S/X comes out later this year or next. I bet it will share a lot with the Model 3 design.

If the new S and X are like the 3 in terms of physical controls, I will happily apologize

 

[GLDYLX]

Now hold on there; I have LOVED my manual transmission cars over the 40+ years I've been driving.
I am really looking forward to skipping the whole automatic tranny phase and jumping straight to instant torque electric.
And buying a cellphone... And having both improve through OTA updates over time.

Luddites can evolve too.

Oh, and buttons? I haven't touched at least half of the buttons/levers/switches in my cars since initial exploration/setup.

Happy Tuesday!

 

[brucet999]

4-5 years from now all of those old buttons you love so much will look incredibly outdated.
I just have to laugh when I see predictions such as this. I can remember "Popular Mechanics" magazine prediction around 1955 that in 20 years we would all be piloting flying cars.

I love my S, but having to reach out to the touchscreen at 70 miles per hour, on any but the smoothest road surface, takes my eyes off the road to try first to recognize, and then to touch, a moving target. That's why I am very happy with fan control on my scroll wheel and cruise/autopilot on its own little stalk where I can manipulate them without looking or even moving my hands from the wheel.


Adjusting cruise speed will be unnecessary as speed limit recognition is implemented and autopilot becomes increasingly powerful. Time to quit thinking of the old way of doing things.

Speed limit recognition is iffy even after three years in AP1, so who knows when it might get better? If the car misses or misreads a speed limit sign (mine has misread 30 as 50 more than once) things can get interesting fast. Or, as is still the case, when AP cannot understand "End 35 speed limit" sign when leaving a small town on Highway 395, you have to reset or drive at 35mph on a freeway until the next speed limit sign.

 

[smorgasbord]

Back to the button thing, here's the latest from Dodge:

Can you believe how Frankenstein that is? I'm not sure if I hate that far right TUNE knob angled out more than the separate PRND display and apparent selector knob at the lower left.

I sure am glad Tesla did not go down this route.

 

[EXOTIC1]

Tesla model 3 test drive: review

CNN is fake news!

 

[mlondre]

I sure am glad Tesla did not go down this route.

This route too, the latest and greatest android auto interface: Acura hides a slick Android-based interface in yet another SUV

For all the cries of “I have to look at a screen to change some settings!” I’m pretty thrilled that the 3 doesn’t look like this. Just the steering wheel buttons make me feel like I forgot to study for my finals, as I’d never remember what any of those buttons do, let alone operate them without looking down. The Model 3 is the first car I’ve ever driven, apart from other Tesla’s, with steering wheel buttons I can operate without looking down. Once they add the remainder of features to the buttons like the S/X, it’ll be unstoppable!

 

[R.S]

IMO the biggest flaws with the new design are the speed and following distance adjustments for AP, those are just stupid and should be on the steering wheel, or a stalk like in the S/X. To me this will limit the usability of AP as it is today. Going into a sub menu to adjust following distance, or tapping the touchscreen to adjust speed isn't really an elegant solution.

But with time Tesla can fix this, by just moving the controls to the scroll wheels, or eventually as the car becomes more autonomous and capable.
The rest is OK. Not really an improvement over the S, but I bet people can get used to it. It's definitely better, than having 100 buttons. And it definitely looks better, than in most cars.

If the first mass market car you build is the right moment to go full berserk on touchscreen controls is a different question. Sure millennials think it's cool, but not sure if millennials are the main demographic for 50k luxury sedans.

 

[Electroman]

IMO the biggest flaws with the new design are the speed and following distance adjustments for AP, those are just stupid and should be on the steering wheel, or a stalk like in the S/X.

Probably the only significant flaw. I am wondering which brain dead team/individual suggested this and how it got approved for implementation. Just one drive in AutoPilot will tell you this is stupid. Heck even looking at the YouTube videos you can see how idiotic it is, especially for those that already drive an S/X

 

[smorgasbord]

Just one drive in AutoPilot will tell you this is stupid. Heck even looking at the YouTube videos you can see how idiotic it is, especially for those that already drive an S/X

I guess I must be equally stupid, because I don't see the problem. It seems to me that you want to take the "Auto" out of Auto-Pilot! That you want to constantly fiddle with the parameters by which the car drives. If you're doing that, might as well just use the pedals and steering wheel and drive rather than drive through constant parameter changing.

I've put hundreds of miles on our Model 3. I only have to change the max speed when the speed limit on the road itself changes, but I consider that a bug which Tesla should fix (ie, delta speed should stay delta). And since there are two always present on-screen buttons to alter it if I want, it hasn't really bothered me. I did try lowering the follow time in rush hour traffic, but that didn't make enough difference that I would want to ride that value while driving. Again, if you want to close the follow distance, just use the accelerator pedal.

I'm far more annoyed by auto wiper mode not being sensitive enough in a light rain.

 

[R.S]

I guess I must be equally stupid, because I don't see the problem. It seems to me that you want to take the "Auto" out of Auto-Pilot! That you want to constantly fiddle with the parameters by which the car drives. If you're doing that, might as well just use the pedals and steering wheel and drive rather than drive through constant parameter changing.

I've put hundreds of miles on our Model 3. I only have to change the max speed when the speed limit on the road itself changes, but I consider that a bug which Tesla should fix (ie, delta speed should stay delta). And since there are two always present on-screen buttons to alter it if I want, it hasn't really bothered me. I did try lowering the follow time in rush hour traffic, but that didn't make enough difference that I would want to ride that value while driving. Again, if you want to close the follow distance, just use the accelerator pedal.

I'm far more annoyed by auto wiper mode not being sensitive enough in a light rain.

Maybe this is only a German problem, but especially on the Autobahn, with no speed limits, you need to adjust the speed more often.

But even when there is slow moving traffic, I still adjust the speed, to keep my S from "digital driving" (GO! STOP! GO! STOP!)

 

[roblab]

I am guessing you don't use cruise control much.
It is very distracting in 20 mph traffic to turn on TACC and have it set to 70 mph, then have to push the tiny button on the screen several times to reduce the max cruise speed to a more reasonable differential with the traffic flow (so the car doesn't try to speed up to 70 when a brief gap opens up)

OK, I see. I had the same problem once, but learned to turn on cruise before the traffic jam. And usually on the 3, the cruise sets to the speed I am going at the time. I'll have to watch and see what it does exactly.