Do you need a positive test drive before taking delivery of your Model 3 pre-order?

[voip-ninja]

Didn't need a test-drive for the Roadster or Model S and won't need one for the 3.

I am pretty average-size, I can see why somebody very large or small might want to try it first.

What does large/small have to do with it? Different seats offer different levels of comfort to different people. I'm 5'10 and 180 lbs, about as "normal" sized male as you can be in the USA and I have had profoundly different comfort in different car seats.

 

[Az_Rael]

I just can't imagine a scenario where that would be true. Particularly the "much more" part. $565 for an annual Tesla maintenance compares pretty favorably to regularly scheduled dealer maintenance (once the gratis oil changes run out) for any German brand I've ever owned.

As someone with a fond and sometimes wallet-crushing affinity for 6-10 year old German cars (let me tell you a little story about a 2002 Audi S4...), even an eventual battery replacement doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Tesla is actively working to design a "million mile powertrain" - the Germans just want to get you to the end of the lease so you'll buy another.

I think the problem is WHY should a Tesla maintenance be "comparable" to a German car (Audi S4 owner here). It should be way, way, way less since there are fewer moving parts, etc.

All other EVs are way lower maintenance costs. Heck, I think my Volt which is only "half" EV has only cost me $150 so far over 34,000 miles.

 

[voip-ninja]

I answered Yes as well, but I didn't read the question and really meant that I would take delivery without test driving. I waited in line (probably 150 back in Tysons Corner, VA) to place my deposit and assume there will be lots of driving reviews by the time my number is called.

I test drove an S about a month ago to A) make sure I would like driving an electric car and assuming the Model 3 would be similar in ride with less comfort/bells and whistles and more importantly B) to bring my wife along to get her fully on board.

Now I just need to teach her to drive stick so we can keep my Wrangler as the "family car" and sell her ford edge. After the test drive that shouldn't be a problem

You can go and change your vote.

 

[Tiberius]

Definitely there are some here that will take delivery of their Model S without a test drive. We also don't know if test drives will be possible, but based on other Tesla models it seems likely that some kind of prototypes will be available for perspective buyers to try before making the final commitment.

So my question is, could a poor test drive experience result in you cancelling your order? For me personally, it could. Things as simple as terrible seats have resulted in my walking away from otherwise great cars in the past. I'm also not yet convinced on the minimalist cockpit design. My last two BMWs have had heads up displays that give me tons of information when I am driving the car and I don't see myself using the auto-pilot features on the Model 3 too much for the kind of driving I do, so the driver experience and how it compares to the 350+ horsepower sedans I like is going to be key.

Interested in other's thoughts on this topic.

Coming from a POS 2006 V6 Mustang that is falling apart at the seems, I think its fairly safe to say that the model 3 will be acceptable.

 

[voip-ninja]

I think the problem is WHY should a Tesla maintenance be "comparable" to a German car (Audi S4 owner here). It should be way, way, way less since there are fewer moving parts, etc.

All other EVs are way lower maintenance costs. Heck, I think my Volt which is only "half" EV has only cost me $150 so far over 34,000 miles.

Yes, I agree completely. No question that in many areas of the country a Tesla is going to cost less to "fuel" than an ICE vehicle and no doubt it is at a very minimum slightly greener than an ICE vehicle (we can of course get into battery pack pollution, etc).

However Tesla has brought up the "low" maintenance of the cars many times and yet charges a pretty hefty fee for what I imagine is very basic stuff. Other than the brakes, suspension, and maybe a few cooling fans I don't see what would need maintenance on these cars.

My last A4 that I owned and kept for 7 years cost me maybe $1500 in out of pocket costs after the included maintenance was up. That included a timing belt change (newer ones are chain driven and go over 200K miles on the chain normally). My BMW includes all maintenance for 4 years / 50,000 miles.

I just can't really understand Tesla's thought that over 8 years of ownership their "low maintenance" car needs $4500 in "routine" servicing. Crazy.

 

[NC-3]

The question pertained to when "taking delivery".

For those of you who said you did NOT need a test drive, I would be curious to know what New model cars you have purchased before without taking a drive in a similar model. (For example we are going to order a new Durango RT next month, but you can be certain that even though all of the reviews show that it will be perfect for us, I am going to test drive one first.)

Granted we are now ordering our Tesla on-line rather than picking from available stock at a dealer showroom. However it would be lacking on Tesla to not have one Model 3 at each store.

PS - before you ask, I did wait online in NC to place my reservation

 

[Az_Rael]

I will say that people should test drive an EV before confirming their 3, just to make sure they like one pedal driving. It's very different and kind of a love/hate sort of thing.

You can turn off the regen to get a pedal that acts more like a regular car, but you lose the extra efficiency when you do that.

 

[Az_Rael]

However it would be lacking on Tesla to not have one Model 3 at each store

For early deliveries, this is exactly how it will go down based on past experiences. They will be so swamped trying to make delivery targets that they won't have time to allocate showroom cars. I am not sure that there are Model Xs on the showroom floors yet is most places.

 

[ggies07]

Many of us didn't have test drives of the Model S. That turned out OK.

plus adding the video of the Model 3 event test drives to this knowledge, I know without a doubt it will be amazing.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I may not necessarily need a test drive, but I do need to see the car in person and verify a few sticking points (trunk opening and the screen placement).

Of course it depends on what happens when the time comes. However, I didn't reserve at the store, so I suspect I won't be in the first batch that won't even get to see the car before having to confirm.

 

[TTBHG]

I'm hoping to be able to test drive one since I didn't reserve until Sunday which put me, at least, number 279,000 in line.

The good news is that so many will be out before I get mine that I will have a ton of data from others before actually buying. So I'm kind of covered even if I don't get to test drive one.

With that said, it would have to really get terrible reviews for me to cancel my order. I've wanted an S forever but they've always been about $20,000-$30,000 out of my price range with the options I would want. I can option a 3 up a lot and still be well within what I'm comfortable spending.

 

[N5329K]

I will need a test drive. Actually, I'll need a test sit: I expect the rear headroom to be much better than in an S, but I can't have a car that requires stooping and contortions to get into the driver's seat. That's my first test of any new car. Can I get in without bending my neck too much? Quality of the interior materials, seat comfort and UI will also cast decisive votes.
Robin

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Definitely there are some here that will take delivery of their Model S without a test drive. We also don't know if test drives will be possible, but based on other Tesla models it seems likely that some kind of prototypes will be available for perspective buyers to try before making the final commitment.

So my question is, could a poor test drive experience result in you cancelling your order? For me personally, it could. Things as simple as terrible seats have resulted in my walking away from otherwise great cars in the past. I'm also not yet convinced on the minimalist cockpit design. My last two BMWs have had heads up displays that give me tons of information when I am driving the car and I don't see myself using the auto-pilot features on the Model 3 too much for the kind of driving I do, so the driver experience and how it compares to the 350+ horsepower sedans I like is going to be key.

Interested in other's thoughts on this topic.

I voted "no", and I likely won't need a Model 3 test drive, but being in the MetroWest Boston area, as a non-current-owner, I'm sure they'll have a "Meet the Model 3" event in Natick, Dedham, or Boston before I get my Design Studio invite.

 

[Jleafs]

I think the problem is WHY should a Tesla maintenance be "comparable" to a German car (Audi S4 owner here). It should be way, way, way less since there are fewer moving parts, etc.

All other EVs are way lower maintenance costs. Heck, I think my Volt which is only "half" EV has only cost me $150 so far over 34,000 miles.

Maintenance goes beyond the specific actions performed during the actual Tesla service visits per se, and it isn't only tied to the number of moving parts. The Model S is a design that has had very few iterations, manufactured by a company with a relatively short history of mass production. Problems have occurred, and will continue to do so. It will be no different with the Model 3, although it's difficult to predict the exact nature and scale of those problems. Just because it's covered under a warranty doesn't mean it's costless - time and peace of mind are valuable to most people.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Model 3 is not going to be a low maintenance vehicle. Tesla charges Model S owners $565 a year for "maintenance". After 8-10 years the car likely needs a battery replacement if you need to keep the range near the original numbers.

Maintenance is optional for warranty purposes in the Model S (likely to be the same in the Model 3). So far there is no indication that you need a battery replacement in 8-10 years. The degradation rates have averaged quite good in the Model S. I believe it was above 90% capacity left in 100k miles.

 

[erthquake]

I bought my current car (and only) car back in 1999 without a test drive based solely on reviews, and it was the first year of a new model (1999 Mazda Protege ES 5-speed). I have a pretty flexible personality and I don't mind being a beta-tester to help Tesla out. So I feel pretty comfortable taking delivery without a test drive.

 

[Bimbels]

I am guessing I will have mine relatively early in my (E coast) region - owner ordered in person within 10 minutes of open on the 31st and will get most (but not all) options. I will not delay my order to wait for a test drive. If they do have a "meet the model 3" event I'll go...but if they don't I'll still take delivery. Even if it's not as great handling as our Model S (which I think it will be, honestly) it will be worlds above my 9 year old ICE.

 

[Az_Rael]

Maintenance is optional for warranty purposes in the Model S (likely to be the same in the Model 3). So far there is no indication that you need a battery replacement in 8-10 years. The degradation rates have averaged quite good in the Model S. I believe it was above 90% capacity left in 100k miles.

So if I never perform the brake fluid flushes every 25k miles or the battery coolant flush at 62,5k that if I subsequently had a brake problem or a battery problem, then I would still be covered under warranty?

I seriously doubt that will be the case.

 

[xmetal]

I test drove the 1st gen Leaf and thought it was fun.. but not nearly "M3 fun"... more like the fun of driving a really big electric go kart on public roads. So, different kind of fun I guess.

Yes, different kind of fun for sure, and as someone else mentioned in this thread everyone should test drive a full EV before getting their Model 3. I think that the EV experience is so wholly different that it results in as much fun for a car guy as any (much faster) ICE car. My BMW was fast, but also loud, not as smooth and more frustrating because any attempt at using all the power would result in a.) too much attention b.) too much speed. The Model 3 will be perfect, I think, in that it will be silent like all EV's but also significantly faster than a Leaf which will give more overhead to "having fun." I have not tired in the least of the silent push when taking off from a light or accelerating through a curve and this sensation will be magnified in the Tesla.

 

[ummgood]

I am a pretty big guy with broad shoulders 6'4" 290 pounds. My only concern is how well will I fit. I have owned other small cars like the Toyota Echo and a 2005 Ford Mustang GT which the Echo was roomier. The issue for me is if my leg or shoulders rest on something during the drive that would make me uncomfortable. That is so hard to tell without sitting in the real thing.

I once had a Ford Focus as a rental for work and had to drive it 3 hours to Ft Worth and I was miserable because it had hand crank windows and my knee was right in the window crank the entire drive. I either had to roll down the window a bit to move the crank and deal with the noise or deal with it pressing on my knee. I know the Tesla won't have a crank but I am partly worried by the floating screen. It isn't bad if it is a large panel but having the corner of the screen in my knee or thigh would be an issue.