Driving dynamics - MY RWD/LR

[thrash]

Hi all,

Test drove a MYLR the other day and was fairly disappointed. It felt “fine” but for some reason I couldn’t find a comfortable driving position - it felt awkward and uncomfortable and then the car itself felt big and heavy and just not very “fun” compared to my M3LR.

Then test drove a MY RWD and it feels very different - it doesn’t have that initial punch but it’s plenty quick enough, I could get comfortable (eventually) and enjoyed driving it, it felt sharper than the LR.

I didn’t have high hopes for the RWD but I find myself much preferring it to the LR - is there that big of a difference between the two or is my mind playing tricks on me?

 

[Lord Farquad]

What wheel setup did each car have?

I haven’t driven MYRWD but comparing my old M3RWD to my MYLR they feel like a BMW 3 to a 5 series.

 

[ewoodrick]

Hi all,

Test drove a MYLR the other day and was fairly disappointed. It felt “fine” but for some reason I couldn’t find a comfortable driving position - it felt awkward and uncomfortable and then the car itself felt big and heavy and just not very “fun” compared to my M3LR.

Then test drove a MY RWD and it feels very different - it doesn’t have that initial punch but it’s plenty quick enough, I could get comfortable (eventually) and enjoyed driving it, it felt sharper than the LR.

I didn’t have high hopes for the RWD but I find myself much preferring it to the LR - is there that big of a difference between the two or is my mind playing tricks on me?

It's a classic situation. Sitting in a different car always feels odd. But after sitting in it for awhile, it feels better.

Did you happen to look at any of the driving profile settings of the vehicles?

And yes, even the slowest Tesla is significantly faster than most anything else on the road!!!

 

[thrash]

It's a classic situation. Sitting in a different car always feels odd. But after sitting in it for awhile, it feels better.

Did you happen to look at any of the driving profile settings of the vehicles?

And yes, even the slowest Tesla is significantly faster than most anything else on the road!!!

That’s what I thought to be honest, it was just a matter of getting used to it. It’s a good point on the settings though, the LR seemed to be a default test drive profile which gets reset. The RWD seemed to save more settings but I’m not 100%, either way I changed most of the obvious settings to what I’d have.

What wheel setup did each car have?

I haven’t driven MYRWD but comparing my old M3RWD to my MYLR they feel like a BMW 3 to a 5 series.

They both had the 20” induction wheels and both 73 plates. Even my partner said she thought the LR was lower to the ground getting in and out, it seemed a bit quieter and more comfortable on rough roads, the RWD seemed more similar to my M3LR (noisy and bumpy )

 

[Lord Farquad]

Unless you need the LR battery I’d go with the RWD if you prefer the feel.
What’s your usage and need?

 

[ewoodrick]

I just went through some threads and some of this stuff with the differences, especially the range, has changed recently.

But, what doesn't seems to have changed is that they are the same vehicle. One has one motor, the other has two. Maybe the extra weight or power makes it feels like a different ride, and there may be different batteries.

But aside from that, the insides and the outsides should be identical. They are the same seats, it's the same entry height.

It's very possible that they may feel a little different, but that can be the difference in a seat that's got 5,000 miles on it, vs a new one.

From what I can see, the range is basically the same, it's do you want 2WD vs 4WD and a little ummph. I've got the Model 3 RWD and it's an awesome vehicle.

 

[Gnomeface]

Hi all,

Test drove a MYLR the other day and was fairly disappointed. It felt “fine” but for some reason I couldn’t find a comfortable driving position - it felt awkward and uncomfortable and then the car itself felt big and heavy and just not very “fun” compared to my M3LR.

Then test drove a MY RWD and it feels very different - it doesn’t have that initial punch but it’s plenty quick enough, I could get comfortable (eventually) and enjoyed driving it, it felt sharper than the LR.

I didn’t have high hopes for the RWD but I find myself much preferring it to the LR - is there that big of a difference between the two or is my mind playing tricks on me?

I had exactly the same experience, finding the LR a little cumbersome and non-involving during my 1 hour test drive. I wasn't particularly impressed and decided not to bother going electric, telling the salesman so. He offered an immediate 5 minute drive of a RWD, and it was noticeable more nimble, felt lighter and more controllable, and although the performance from rest was not quite what I was used to, the instant response and power at higher speeds converted me. When I found that the range from 100% to 10% was not much worse than the 80% to 10% of the LR I bought the RWD.

After 16 months the only disappointment has been that Tesla's software updates are a bit hit or miss - from severe phantom braking after one update (corrected by another update a few days later) to the excellent addition of adaptive headlights. Of course, these issues are not specific to the RWD.