Convincing a skeptic

[Barklikeadog]

My experience with service was very different. I've gotten in the next day when I needed it in a hurry and it's been one week when I wasn't in a hurry. I've always received a Tesla loaner, and it's been a higher priced car than what I dropped off most of the time.

I'm just relaying what I was told. I didn't ask about what kind of rental I would get. I just asked generally about service and wait times.

 

[ecarfan]

Thanks for posting your test drive impressions, it is always interesting to read about how someone reacts to their first test drive beyond the usual "Wow blew my mind when I hit the accelerator" type of responses.

twice what I want to spend for a 3rd car to run around in

You knew the price of a Model S before you started this thread. So what is your point with that statement?

Of course you can make a Model 3 reservation, that car sounds like it is right in your price range. But at this point you won't get your Model 3 until 2019.

I didn't fall in love with the car like so many here, but came away impressed.

I appreciate your honesty. Yes the center touchscreen controls are off putting for some. Most people get used to the regen braking in less than an hour.

No matter what anyone posts here, only you can decided if a Tesla is the right car for you.

 

[Chopr147]

The regen does take some getting used to it but in time most here love it. It is weird not having to use the brake. I am still working on the exact timing to let off accelrator.
Canuck , I agree on the brake light thing. I'll be cruising the mountain roads and notice the lights coming on before curves etc... I try to ease off the accelerator to avoid this. As far as the A/C or heat controls? I set mine to the right side wheel on the steering column and can turn it up/down easily w/o using the touchscreen.

I asked about price and was shown the website, I wish I could see the different levels, features, prices side by side in person.

Yea, this is Tesla. Order online like buying a t-shirt I could not find an S w/o leather seats to see before buying so I just got the leather rather than take a chance.

On service: I am calling Tesla on Monday for a service appt. so i'll see how that goes

 

[CatB]

Give it time and you'll wonder why you questioned it. There's nothing better that one foot driving, especially on the highway. When you get back in an ICE, and have to hit the brakes on a curve on a highway, you'll understand. Just driving around the city you'll understand. The only frustrating thing is that the brake lights come on far too easily. I drive a windy highway for over two hours to my cabin, up and down two mountain passes, without touching the brakes once, but if you were behind me and didn't understand Tesla and regenerative braking (since no other EV is the same when it comes to Tesla's strong regen) you'd think I was riding the brakes, and that bothers me.

Definite +1 on this - it takes most people about a day to get comfortable with it and then you don't want to give it up
The other totally cool thing about regen is passing. I drive a lot of country roads and when there's a bicyclist in front of you and curves limit visibility, there are passing options that I would only do in the Tesla. INSTANT acceleration, you're safely past the cyclist and you don't have to slam on your brakes to get back in your lane at the correct speed. Ditto on highways, no problem merging in a lane going faster or slower.

 

[CatB]

PS - so glad you did a test drive and I think your impressions will be very helpful for lots of other people who are too skeptical and not open-minded enough to give it a try

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

I see it this way - our political system is so broken that the only way I have left to vote is with my dollars - with that my Tesla sends a very loud and clear message. I support American engineering, manufacturing, service centers, employees, and believe in a competitive market without legal market constraints and I do less damage to our environment while starving our enemies of revenue dollars they use to attack us.

I like your posts, more and more every day.

I wish I could buy your wife's car on principle alone. My wife coincidently just left for Manhatten this morning... If I could only convince her to take the train done to you?

Great post. Right on target.

To the OP. Please go take a test drive. No need to wait two years. Then post back. It would be great to hear your thoughts after that.

 

[Barklikeadog]

Thanks for posting your test drive impressions, it is always interesting to read about how someone reacts to their first test drive beyond the usual "Wow blew my mind when I hit the accelerator" type of responses.
You knew the price of a Model S before you started this thread. So what is your point with that statement?

Of course you can make a Model 3 reservation, that car sounds like it is right in your price range. But at this point you won't get your Model 3 until 2019.
I appreciate your honesty. Yes the center touchscreen controls are off putting for some. Most people get used to the regen braking in less than an hour.

No matter what anyone posts here, only you can decided if a Tesla is the right car for you.

I did know the price. Most of my questions were for down the road. If service currently is -x-, then what happens when you triple the number of cars out there? I start looking at vehicles well ahead of time. Everyone here were on me to go and drive one anyway, then to buy it despite the price overrun.

 

[Barklikeadog]

PS - so glad you did a test drive and I think your impressions will be very helpful for lots of other people who are too skeptical and not open-minded enough to give it a try

People will come around even with cheap gas.
I may have sounded close minded but I am not.

I like your posts, more and more every day.

I wish I could buy your wife's car on principle alone. My wife coincidently just left for Manhatten this morning... If I could only convince her to take the train done to you?

Great post. Right on target.

To the OP. Please go take a test drive. No need to wait two years. Then post back. It would be great to hear your thoughts after that.

I did take a test drive of a 90 that they adjusted to a 60.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

I did take a test drive of a 90 that they adjusted to a 60.

Yes, sorry. I was reading from the threads start.

I liked your honest impression. Oh, you said you are 6'4". Did you fit in the car pretty well?

I bought a great CPO about a month after my test drive. It's what I could afford, plus I felt is was the correct level of commitment to make. Ten great months and 17,000 miles and counting. Preordered a 3 and will buy another MS, but with a P in front of the 85 or 90 if I can. I just need to get @Xenoilphobe on board with selling his wife's for a song.

 

[Chopr147]

I didn't realize they could adjust a 90 to a 60.
So i called for service today (didn't realize they were open on Sat.) I'm used to dealerships.
Mid October is the best he could do, and I am on Long Island NY and rarely see another tesla.
I am concerned about the model 3 and what will happen to service as well. But in May I called GMC for service and had to wait 3 weeks. Only talking 1 more week right now than at GMC.
Now i'm thinking Geez, GMC, it seems so long ago now

I test drove with the full intention of waiting for the 3..............that did not work for me

 

[Barklikeadog]

Yes, sorry. I was reading from the threads start.

I liked your honest impression. Oh, you said you are 6'4". Did you fit in the car pretty well?

I bought a great CPO about a month after my test drive. It's what I could afford, plus I felt is was the correct level of commitment to make. Ten great months and 17,000 miles and counting. Preordered a 3 and will buy another MS, but with a P in front of the 85 or 90 if I can. I just need to get @Xenoilphobe on board with selling his wife's for a song.

The fit was just fine. I would like a little more room than I have now. That is another concern of the model 3.

 

[Canuck]

Everyone here were on me to go and drive one anyway, then to buy it despite the price overrun.

Not me. I'm the first to say if you can't afford it, don't buy it. But if you can afford it, you have a moral obligation to buy it for the sake of your children and future generations (I say that a bit tongue-in-cheek) and I will again repeat:

While I'm not so naive as to think I'm changing the world by buying a Tesla, or that Tesla itself will even change the world, since I think it's too late, and we're circling the drain, I do have my legacy. In fact that's all I've got is my legacy. And when my kids and grandchildren (to come) look back on me when I'm gone, they will be able to say that I had a Leaf and a Tesla long before most people had even one electric vehicle. At least I made an effort, even if it was made in vain.

 

[CatB]

People will come around even with cheap gas.
I may have sounded close minded but I am not.

I thought so, just wanted to highlight that for my troll-paranoid buddies here on the forum - save you having to defend your self

 

[Barklikeadog]

I thought so, just wanted to highlight that for my troll-paranoid buddies here on the forum - save you having to defend your self

NP. If I wanted to troll I wouldn't be doing it like this. I do chuckle at those who post articles to bait you all. Doesn't bother me, though, Ive been online since the beginning of public online.

 

[Barklikeadog]

Not me. I'm the first to say if you can't afford it, don't buy it. But if you can afford it, you have a moral obligation to buy it for the sake of your children and future generations (I say that a bit tongue-in-cheek) and I will again repeat:

While I'm not so naive as to think I'm changing the world by buying a Tesla, or that Tesla itself will even change the world, since I think it's too late, and we're circling the drain, I do have my legacy. In fact that's all I've got is my legacy. And when my kids and grandchildren (to come) look back on me when I'm gone, they will be able to say that I had a Leaf and a Tesla long before most people had even one electric vehicle. At least I made an effort, even if it was made in vain.

Tongue or not, when you talk to people like that all it does is push them away. Making someone feel guilty because they didn't want to put an extra 40grand into an automobile.... what if they wanted to put that 40 grand towards their kids college? I fail to see the morality here.

 

[Canuck]

Tongue or not, when you talk to people like that all it does is push them away. Making someone feel guilty because they didn't want to put an extra 40grand into an automobile.... what if they wanted to put that 40 grand towards their kids college? I fail to see the morality here.

You should never be buying a Tesla if you can't afford to put all of your kids through college. I'm glad to be pushing people away if that's the case. No one should live beyond their means.

Doesn't bother me, though, Ive been online since the beginning of public online.

That's probably true for most of us here. The internet only became public in the 1980's. I'm certain most of us remember well when there was no "on-line" and I'm only 50 years young.

 

[EVie'sDad]

Give it time and you'll wonder why you questioned it. There's nothing better that one foot driving, especially on the highway. When you get back in an ICE, and have to hit the brakes on a curve on a highway, you'll understand. Just driving around the city you'll understand. The only frustrating thing is that the brake lights come on far too easily. I drive a windy highway for over two hours to my cabin, up and down two mountain passes, without touching the brakes once, but if you were behind me and didn't understand Tesla and regenerative braking (since no other EV is the same when it comes to Tesla's strong regen) you'd think I was riding the brakes, and that bothers me.

IMHO Brake lights are intended to inform the the drivers of vehicle(s) behind you that you are decelerating, so that they can take appropriate action. To disable, delay or reduce that behavior would only invite more rear-end accidents.

 

[Barklikeadog]

IMHO Brake lights are intended to inform the the drivers of vehicle(s) behind you that you are decelerating, so that they can take appropriate action. To disable, delay or reduce that behavior would only invite more rear-end accidents.

It never would have occurred to me that the brake lights were coming on without touching the brake. One pedal driving sounds great but I'm wired differently. I like to be in control. My autos have automatic lights, but I prefer to turn them on myself. I can set a temp for the car to maintain but I prefer to do it manually when I get in. If the car slows, I want to be doing it. that said, we are humans who adjust our behaviour and soon forget how it used to be.

 

[ecarfan]

It never would have occurred to me that the brake lights were coming on without touching the brake. One pedal driving sounds great but I'm wired differently. I like to be in control.

Tesla brake lights come on when your foot is not applying pressure to the accelerator pedal, because in that situation the car is slowing down significantly unless your battery is full or very cold so that regen is not possible (I have tested this many times on my S at night by watching the rear view camera image -- which will clearly show when the red brake lights are on -- and applying varying pressure to the accelerator pedal). It is a very logical design.

The brake lights do not come on if there is even a very slight pressure or a steady pressure on the accelerator. Of course the brake lights also come on if you apply even modest pressure to the brake pedal.

You are "in control" in a Tesla, and in fact you have much better speed control than any ICE car I have ever driven. The brake lights work as they should, they inform the cars behind you when your car is slowing.

 

[Electroman]

It appears that OP did not try AP, which in my opinion is the game changer (besides the fact that it is an EV).

Trying AP on a 10 minute test drive with a 3 minute drive on a highway could end up being beneficial or detrimental. Either you get it, or you get very nervous - as it tend to be for anyone trying AP the first time - and come to the conclusion that it is a gimmick and come away thinking this is fluff.

That almost happened to me in my test drive, and luckily better sense prevailed and I stuck to my decision of going through with the purchase. If I had been only listening to the skeptics here, I would have a missed something that has dramatically improved my quality of life, as I commute a lot a everyday on highways.