Believe it or not, they don't exist yet. The only source I could find was the Motor Trend pre-review from a reviewer who focuses on EV and hybrid cars. The other reviews were from tech journalists, other non industry writers, or sites that quoted their reviews. Sure the car has a lot of tech, so a tech magazine might be appropriate for that, but I want to know how it drives and operates. A comprehensive review wont be forthcoming until someone is actually given a car for hands-on testing.
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For crying out loud, how many times are you going to make me repeat that neither I, nor anyone else in this thread, is talking about fumbling around with a touchscreen while driving. I'm talking about steering controls and voice commands. If you have to rely on straw men to try to win another argument, then this conversation is over.
Now kindly explain to me what is so difficult to you about using steering wheel controls to do common activities - say, adjust the temperature or volume:
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Example airflow and direction, something that I change pretty often....They already showed how it`s done for the model 3 ..and suprise suprise......touchscreen.
Also even in that model s video ...with so few buttons you have to CHOOSE BEFOREHAND what exactly you want them to do. Want anything else...screen again.
There`s a reason why smartphones are forbidden while driving...and that model 3 basically put a giant ipad in the middle of the board.......it`s seriously ironic.
If you can`t understand why haptic feedback is important for blind control then you`re a lost case.
This might be a non issue for anyone who doesn`t do anything but change radio channels, but the moment you want to do more those 2 buttons on the wheel reach their limits very fast.
This simple fact gave birth to systems like audis mmi f.e. which gives some feedback over the wheel...so you can blind-control most of the stuff with some practice...and even that system suffers from tree-menus.
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Oh, apparently you've been informed about which features are possible to do by steering wheel controls in the Model 3 and which aren't? By all means then divulge to us everything you've learned, because nobody else has been given that information yet!
No, of course you saw a video of a driver demonstrating to passengers the air vents and just automatically assumed that's the only way, and are using your assumption to bash the interface.
You can switch between functions very easily in the model S. Without looking once you've done it.
Oh, so we're back to you pretending that this is a conversation about fumbling around on touchscreens?
That was your last warning about my tolerance for people arguing against straw men. I'm out of this thread.
And you know better? Riiiight. Enlighten me how you imagine 2 axis 4 point controls on the steering wheel or better voice recognition? Back in Star Trek land, are we....
I had the S pretty regularly and I never managed to get that done without using the 2nd screen. In the Model 3`s case id`have to take my eyes completely off the street for that. In the end I settled for switching radio channels and the phone functionality and ignored everything else.
I couldn`t care less. The rest of the industry doesn`t seem to exist or simply has absolutely no idea what they´re doing in your mind......and in general EVs seem to have absolutey no problem, especially when they have a Tesla logo, right?
Tesla has a very different approach, but just because it`s different it doesn`t mean it`s better.
Go ahead and tell a Person to customize everything they can think of to be a toggle option for your 2 magic buttons and the result will be that most will never use any functionality except maybe for the radio.....
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There have been quite a few reviews, and the raves are really across the board -- acceleration, superior handling, interior, exterior, technology, new design features and on and on. As you note,there are also quite a few collections of review highlights as the well. Here is one example: Tesla Model 3 reviewers are in love: “Yes, the hyperbole is necessary”
Tesla Model 3 reviewers are in love: “Yes, the hyperbole is necessary” Bloomberg's Tom Randall also wrote a glowing review not mentioned in this collection. Driving Tesla’s Model 3 Changes Everything
While not a review, Alex Roy wrote a very insightful article on the challenges the Model 3 and Tesla present to the ICE incumbents, who still don't really seem to understand what is happening to them. The Model 3 Is Further Proof of Tesla's Asymmetric War Against the Auto Industry
Many in the ICE industry and many ICE fans seem to still be in denial. Dismissing out of hand a stack of glowing, unabashadly enthusiastic reviews from a broad cross section of journalists and professional reviewers seems to fall into that category.
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Personally, I have no qualms about the touch screen.
However, I find it hard to argue that a touch screen is more inconvenient. For something like turning on the AC and the radio, you can use muscle memory and adjust things on the fly with a physical knob. For the touch screen, you will need to either look down (eyes off the road) or use voice commands.
However, I find it hard to argue that a touch screen is more inconvenient. For something like turning on the AC and the radio, you can use muscle memory and adjust things on the fly with a physical knob. For the touch screen, you will need to either look down (eyes off the road) or use voice commands.
As someone who owned an S for 3 1/2 years and now owns an X, I agree that physical controls can be easier to use. That said, in 2013 I quickly became used to my Model S center display touchscreen and adapted to it even though I had spent 40+ years driving cars with buttons and knobs.
As cars become "smarter" buttons and knobs become superfluous. In my Teslas I leave the headlights on Auto, which works so well that I never manually turn them on or off. I leave the wipers on Auto, which works well enough 90% of the time (occasionally I activate them manually). I do not use the HVAC on Auto but it is simple to adjust the temperature using the center display and the fan speed using the right scroll wheel or select Recirc using the screen. I do not miss physical controls for any of those things. I do not listen to AM/FM but do stream music and find the interface easy to use.
Obviously a touch screen display means that the car provides the driver with much more control over the vehicle in a way that is easy to learn how to use and allows the manufacturer to improve the firmware over time. Physical controls do not provide the same capabilities.
Like it or not, cars will migrate to touch screens and more automated systems. Tesla is leading the way...
Barklikeadog
Active Member
The silent majority are button/knob fans. It is easy to get wooed by the touchscreen but over time it's not so great, you absolutely have to look at it to use it. i liked the streamlined interior of the S or the XC90 when I test drove them. I ended up with an F150 limited with buttons and knobs I don't even have to look at to use.
AC on? -Click- AC off? -Click- Radio off? -Click-
The only things I find annoying are the options where you can only use the touchscreen.
Massaging seats?
Touchscreen; controls... scroll through icons, select seats, select massage back, select massage arse,
Now repeat for passenger.
Just gimme the on/off physical button!
Messing with the touchscreen is like using your cell phone while driving IMHO
/rant
I have always been amazed at how the price of gas sways the car market. I am still under 40, and I remember many swings from big cars to small/hybrid, and them back all over again based solely on gas price. Fascinating time to be alive.
All very good points. My guess is that voice control over vehicle functions will continue to expand, but manufacturers will need to solve for people who may have a disability or impairment that would prevent them from using that technology fully.
I went back and peeked at the Motor Trend website and Kim Reynolds, the gentleman who reviewed the Model 3, is Motor Trend's Testing Director. From his bio it looks like he has been in the car business for 35 years, including a 10 year stint as Road and Track's Road Test Director.
He has 228 articles credited to him on the MT website, including recent reviews of the 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo, 2017 Mercedes E300, 2017 Mercedes Benz SL, 2017 Subaru BRZ, 2017 Nissan Titan truck, and 2016 Chevrolet Silverado.1500 and 2015 Bentley Flying Spur V8. Kim Reynolds, Author at Motor Trend
IMO, ignoring his glowing review of the Model 3 because he also reviews other EVs does not make much sense.
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But you don't turn the A/C on and off in S Tesla. You set the temp and forget it. If you want, fan speed can be controlled by one of the steering wheel rollers. And you don't turn the radio on/off either. If you want quiet, roll the volume scroll wheel down below 1. There is no of/off icon. Just like you don't turn the car on or off. It just knows.
Barklikeadog
Active Member
I can set the temp and forget about it too. I just went on a roadtrip where I may be comfortable, but the passengers might not be so I'm making adjustments. -turn temp dial down- or -turn fan dial up- easy. done in 1 second. I open the moonroof quite a bit. -click- air is off.
As for the radio it does a pretty good job silencing itself. When I pull up to a drive through, toll booth, whatever, I prefer to just -click-.
All of these controls are also on the steering wheel, but I prefer to use my free hand.
I haven't even scratched the surface of capabilities. Some things are just faster with controls while others with voice.
'call dad'...."calling dad"
'destination home' .... "destination set, when ready say: start"
'find address... 31 spooner street quahog, rhode island'... "destination set...
I don't know how the 'rollers' work on the Model 3 steering wheel, but I would assume that you would have to take your eyes off the road to look at the screen if you are using those to accomplish tasks.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
I must have a really bad memory or something, but I have to look at pretty much all of the controls in my (non-touchscreen) car before making an adjustment when driving. I even need to take my eyes of the road to look at my behind the wheel speedometer. All of these are typically very brief glances. So far, {knock on wood) It hasn't been an issue in 30 years of driving.
Do some people really not avert their gaze, if only for a split second, or do they just not realize they are doing it.
I haven't driven a Tesla yet, but I would imagine something along the lines of:
Glance at screen - Select menu - Look at road for a bit - glance at screen - select function - adjust - look at road some more.
I don't think I would just stare at the screen for 5-10 seconds continuously.
How do people driving current Tesla's do it?
dgpcolorado
high altitude member
For the audio system I have the left button set to handle that: Roll to change volume, push to pause/mute. Arrow buttons to skip forward to the next track or back to the beginning of the current track. I do have to use the screen to change folders on my USB drive or switch to another source (radio, for example) and that is quite distracting IME.
My car can't use the wheel buttons to adjust the climate control system, although I gather that the newer cars can; I'd really like that. However, the touch screen has one touch buttons for CC on/off, and, most important, defroster on/off. If the CC is set to where you like it, just turning it on or off is usually enough and that is really easy to do with the touch screen. The temp up/down "buttons" are also easy to use and always at the bottom of the screen in the same place. Actually fussing with custom settings, such as AC off, or recirc/outside is a bit distracting. But the basics are really quite easy with only a little practice.
FWIW.
Brando
Active Member
Can I say both? Lived in CA 12 years and then came to Seattle for a decade then moved to BI decade ago. Thanks for pointing out my typo. Now I have to make an executive decision. We often refer our island as brain dead island, so for me to correct might be misleading...
So with such an animosity toward the 3, why exactly are you in this thread?
Why exactly is critique = animosity for you?
I think the model 3 is probably the best ev atm, but that doesn`t mean it`s automatically perfect.
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