Considering 2023 MX--The Yoke is a concern.

[Beta V]

I have a 2017 MX and have worked through a dozen serious issues over the years caused by new-model rollout issues. I would like to start over with a 2023 but was disappointed to hear that it only comes with a yoke instead of a steering wheel. I'm also a pilot and I know the aircraft's yoke works very differently than a car's steering wheel--a yoke has no place on a car no matter how cool it looks. Having to use two hands to steer in tight places is a serious issue as having to look down for wiper and headlight controls as well as the horn. As I drive, I often flash my headlights, adjust the wiper speed, and occasionally honk the horn. Having to look down to find these controls and especially the turn signals while the wheel is not centered is a serious safety issue. Having them be unresponsive is another problem. Consumer Reports has an especially critical review of the yoke.

Another issue is Tesla's lack of buyer incentives. One reason I bought the 2017 MX was free supercharging. Since then, I've had to pay dearly to get the upgraded computer, screen, and FSD. I also had to pay to get my FM radio back. I expect I'll have to pay to get the same media support I now have. Tesla also promised to build a supercharger in a nearby neighborhood. It's been five years and the ground has not been broken.

I plan to hold off ordering the new MX until I can actually sit behind the wheel and evaluate these issues for myself. I will also be evaluating the new batch of competitive EVs at the auto show this July. Yes, competition is good. Innovation is good, but safety and usability are also critically important.

 

[glide]

I have a 2017 MX and have worked through a dozen serious issues over the years caused by new-model rollout issues. I would like to start over with a 2023 but was disappointed to hear that it only comes with a yoke instead of a steering wheel. I'm also a pilot and I know the aircraft's yoke works very differently than a car's steering wheel--a yoke has no place on a car no matter how cool it looks. Having to use two hands to steer in tight places is a serious issue as having to look down for wiper and headlight controls as well as the horn. As I drive, I often flash my headlights, adjust the wiper speed, and occasionally honk the horn. Having to look down to find these controls and especially the turn signals while the wheel is not centered is a serious safety issue. Having them be unresponsive is another problem. Consumer Reports has an especially critical review of the yoke.

Another issue is Tesla's lack of buyer incentives. One reason I bought the 2017 MX was free supercharging. Since then, I've had to pay dearly to get the upgraded computer, screen, and FSD. I also had to pay to get my FM radio back. I expect I'll have to pay to get the same media support I now have. Tesla also promised to build a supercharger in a nearby neighborhood. It's been five years and the ground has not been broken.

I plan to hold off ordering the new MX until I can actually sit behind the wheel and evaluate these issues for myself. I will also be evaluating the new batch of competitive EVs at the auto show this July. Yes, competition is good. Innovation is good, but safety and usability are also critically important.

Tesla is not making their flagship vehicles available for test drives.

That should tell you all you need to know about the yoke.

Regarding incentives: with almost a full year backlog of orders, you will not be seeing any.

 

[Beta V]

$100,000 of buying power will buy a lot of car. It does not have to be a Tesla if it's not safe. And yeah, I doubt if we'll see any incentives until the completion gets more models on the road.

 

[Tam]

...yoke...

Humans are adaptable so we can learn to work a yoke as well.

That said, I am not forced to use it so I will not buy one. I reserved to buy Cybertruck but I won't buy it if there’s no option for a round steering wheel.

But it's unlikely that Tesla will accommodate us with a round steering wheel option since there is not enough supply and the wait for buying is so long.

I think Tesla will change its mind when customers will switch to competitors in future as there’s none right now.

 

[DCGOO]

I have a 2017 MX and have worked through a dozen serious issues over the years caused by new-model rollout issues. I would like to start over with a 2023 but was disappointed to hear that it only comes with a yoke instead of a steering wheel. I'm also a pilot and I know the aircraft's yoke works very differently than a car's steering wheel--a yoke has no place on a car no matter how cool it looks. Having to use two hands to steer in tight places is a serious issue as having to look down for wiper and headlight controls as well as the horn. As I drive, I often flash my headlights, adjust the wiper speed, and occasionally honk the horn. Having to look down to find these controls and especially the turn signals while the wheel is not centered is a serious safety issue. Having them be unresponsive is another problem. Consumer Reports has an especially critical review of the yoke.

I really doubt Tesla will ever release a round steering wheel for vehicles with an Instrument Cluster Display. It simply interferes with viewing all of the display. If the yoke steering wheel is a deal breaker, you should move on and look for something else. Personally, I cannot wait to get mine. I am really tired of having to rack my head around to see the dash in my 2018 X. I agree with you on the horn, but presumably that has been fixed. I never flash my lights, wipers are automatic.

Another issue is Tesla's lack of buyer incentives. One reason I bought the 2017 MX was free supercharging. Since then, I've had to pay dearly to get the upgraded computer, screen, and FSD. I also had to pay to get my FM radio back. I expect I'll have to pay to get the same media support I now have. Tesla also promised to build a supercharger in a nearby neighborhood. It's been five years and the ground has not been broken.

Being able to get the car is the only incentive needed. Tesla has dramatically raised the price of the car in the las year, and they still are backlogged more than a year. Heck they even made the required charger a pay-for option, and they still can't make them fast enough. Heck Elon is even considering shutting down the ability to order new vehicles. Additional buying incentives are not exactly called for.

I plan to hold off ordering the new MX until I can actually sit behind the wheel and evaluate these issues for myself. I will also be evaluating the new batch of competitive EVs at the auto show this July. Yes, competition is good. Innovation is good, but safety and usability are also critically important.

I doubt you are going to find an X to sit in, let alone test drive until sometime well in to 2023 at best. Refer back to your "buying incentives" comments above. I stopped by my local delivery center over the weekend. I did get to look through the window of an X sitting outside waiting to be delivered. They had two refresh X's on the lot.

 

[Genie]

Waiting until that auto show and sitting in a few cars sounds prudent.

 

[EVRider-FL]

I own a 2018 S and 2018 3, but last week I had an opportunity to drive a friend's new X with the yoke wheel. I only drove it for a few miles on secondary roads, but I found it to be less strange than I was expecting based on other comments I've seen in these forums.

I found the yoke a little harder to use than a round wheel when driving in a roundabout (3 of them on that drive), but fine otherwise. I was also worried about the turn signals and shifting gears, but didn't have any issues there either. Having an unobstructed view of the instrument panel and windshield were nice.

Before this drive, I would have been concerned about upgrading to a new S because of the yoke, but I don't think that would stop me anymore. There are some other quirks about the new S that would make me hesitant to upgrade now, but I expect those quirks will get resolved by the time I actually upgrade, maybe next year.

 

[Beta V]

Thanks for your helpful insights. I enjoy working out the issues with new technology (as I have been inventing it and training on it for decades). Perhaps I'm getting too excited over nothing. I do want to wait until after the car show to reduce buyer remorse
.

 

[jboy210]

I am a pilot and own a 2022 X. Adapting to the yoke took me about 2 hours.

With that said I do not flash my lights much. And honking the horn is no big deal. You can press multiple buttons anywhere in the upper right area (where the horn button lies). Think panic mode. And soon in the center of the yoke. And as @DCGOO points out, the visibility of the center display is much improved with the yoke.

Tesla does give you 400 miles of free Supercharging, but that is it. Free Supercharging is a demand lever and Tesla has a line of people waiting a year or more for a Model X.

Other things I noticed versus my 2018 X. Much faster acceleration, mine was an X 75. Much quieter. The sound system is vastly improved. Handling feels tighter. More aggressive looks with most of the chrome removed and black wheels.

 

[DCGOO]

I am a pilot and own a 2022 X. Adapting to the yoke took me about 2 hours.

But don't you miss the ability to pull back, to avoid the potholes?

 

[jboy210]

But don't you miss the ability to pull back, to avoid the potholes?

Yep. But, mostly I wish for a gun trigger to take care of people that cut me off to prove their Honda is faster than a Telsa.

 

[TigerNinety]

Thanks for your helpful insights. I enjoy working out the issues with new technology (as I have been inventing it and training on it for decades). Perhaps I'm getting too excited over nothing. I do want to wait until after the car show to reduce buyer remorse
.

I think the car show is a great idea. I guess we’re lucky in the DC area, I’ve been able to sit in a couple in showrooms here. Of course, haven’t been able to drive it. But, that limited experience revealed another design oddity about the yoke: depending on how you configure the seat and wheel (in my case, ideal for my size, legs, arms) the right side of the yoke obscures the left side of the screen. Doesn’t happen with the vertical screen orientation of the older MS, and it doesn’t happen with the wheel in the Model 3. I’m sure others have different experiences, but I’d pick a wheel (I never had a problem with the instrument cluster in my 2016 MS) over the yoke for yet another reason. Just my $.02.

 

[Dan Patterson]

I have a 2017 MX and have worked through a dozen serious issues over the years caused by new-model rollout issues. I would like to start over with a 2023 but was disappointed to hear that it only comes with a yoke instead of a steering wheel. I'm also a pilot and I know the aircraft's yoke works very differently than a car's steering wheel--a yoke has no place on a car no matter how cool it looks. Having to use two hands to steer in tight places is a serious issue as having to look down for wiper and headlight controls as well as the horn. As I drive, I often flash my headlights, adjust the wiper speed, and occasionally honk the horn. Having to look down to find these controls and especially the turn signals while the wheel is not centered is a serious safety issue. Having them be unresponsive is another problem. Consumer Reports has an especially critical review of the yoke.

Another issue is Tesla's lack of buyer incentives. One reason I bought the 2017 MX was free supercharging. Since then, I've had to pay dearly to get the upgraded computer, screen, and FSD. I also had to pay to get my FM radio back. I expect I'll have to pay to get the same media support I now have. Tesla also promised to build a supercharger in a nearby neighborhood. It's been five years and the ground has not been broken.

I plan to hold off ordering the new MX until I can actually sit behind the wheel and evaluate these issues for myself. I will also be evaluating the new batch of competitive EVs at the auto show this July. Yes, competition is good. Innovation is good, but safety and usability are also critically important.

Nearly cancelled my X Plaid refresh because of the yoke. However, 2 months of driving it and i love it. Takes a little muscle memory training for sure but i would never go back to a steering wheel now if it was an option.

 

[jawnasaurus]

I rather like the yoke on my model x for what it’s worth, and i would suggest to put on an order before more price increases and the wait for me was over a year. You have a year to make s final decision, and you will probably get matrix headlights and there may even be variable steering in the software by then (something they claim to be working on where if you are making a sharp turn you won’t have to turn the wheel so much at low speed like a U or right turn. By the time of delivery a lot more of them will be on the road and maybe you can sit in one or drive one before then to give it a try. I do miss being able to hold my hand at 12 o’clock but the increased display visibility is nice. The horn is also something i rarely use but i hear they have it in the works to bring center horn function as well.

 

[strider]

The yoke is a joke. No doubt. I installed the Hansshow wheel and now I love the car. I would still like stalks but that is minor compared to getting rid of the yoke.

I have driven a Model S since 2012 and have never had an issue with seeing the IC. Likewise I don't have an issue with the Hansshow wheel in my MX. Granted I am of average height and inseam so I tend to fit into things easily. You might try adjusting the seat and column if you have an issue.

 

[TSLALAWOR]

I think a driver's like or dislike of the yoke depends on what type of driving that driver does. I drive mostly surface streets and I find the yoke silly and a bit annoying. I have had my MX LR for about a month now and I have to remember that I am driving with the yoke. After driving cars for over 40yrs I should not have to be aware of myself turning the steering wheel. And I do. I don't miss the stalks but fussing with and going through screen menus to do simple tasks seems to be a little like over engineering. I wish I could do more with the right scroll wheel too. If given the choice now I would opt for a steering wheel with no stalks but for predominantly freeway driving I could see how the yoke would be more enjoyable.

 

[AdamHLG]

I am not a pilot but I wish I was a pilot. The yoke on my MXP is the closest I will ever get to an actual cockpit!

That said, it has now been a month and I love the yoke. I have developed my own style of using it. Yes, you can turn the yoke 360 degrees using one hand using your palm. Dare I say I like it more than a standard wheel. As for buttons, I am developing muscle memory for the various buttons. It is not an issue for me at least.

 

[tsiban]

Love the yoke! I've been driving on X from 2016 with wheel and got newer X this may. SO I got used to the yoke in 2 days and It's hard to go back. It's so nice for me personaly.

 

[terranx]

Dad took delivery of an X the other day, he let me drive it for a while.

In short, the yoke sucks IMO. It’s usable on the highway, but I cannot see a scenario where it’s superior. It’s overall quite wide so it feels more like steering a bus. The buttons are usable, but less intuitive than traditional controls. And driving around city streets is very awkward, especially as there is no “top” of the wheel to grip. Also noticed that the Yoke has oddly little cushioning. Just not very comfortable to hold.

Dad feels mostly the same way. Plans to retrofit round wheel, though holding out on hope there will be an official Tesla part rather than having to go aftermarket.

 

[FastEddieB]

A yoke on a plane makes sense, since they are generally set up to move no more than about 180° in either direction, often a lot less. As such, no concern about going hand-over-hand like one does routinely with a wheel. Makes less sense in a car, unless the amount of travel was progressively geared to act like a plane’s yoke.

As a side note, many modern planes use a sidestick to excellent effect. I can‘t help but wonder how such a sidestick might be adapted to automotive use. It would need to be highly variable ratio, but seems like it could work.

One such seen here in an early model Cirrus: