A gracious neighbor with a beautiful Model 3 offered to give me a tour and a drive and here are a few thoughts (in no particular order):
1. Yes, the car looks even better in person.
2. The interior is nicely finished, feels solid, the seats are firm but supportive, there's tons of headroom and visibility is a lot better than in the S. Entry is fine, even for someone (like me) who often has to crank his head sideways to slip into the driver's seat of most cars. With Model 3's seat dialed full down, I could get in and out without knocking my head on metal.
3. In architecture, the saying goes that the real design challenges are found where one material meets another. The same is true in the Model 3, where there are a few awkward joints in the cabin that leave what seems like structural adhesive visible.
4. The center screen is not a problem. It's not entirely great, but (coming from a Prius V) I can accommodate. Fussing with various menus while underway, however, is a problem and it definitely required way more attention than is (in my opinion) safe. I'm a devout HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) kind of person, and having to keep bringing my eyes inside and down for (what should be) simple operations seems like a major step backwards. Save it for when cars are actually autonomous. They aren't yet.
5. Energy consumption is vastly better than in the S over the same routes and with the same driving characteristics (210 Wh/mile vs 310 Wh/m). That's significant
6. The rear seats are roomy and supportive and not weirdly proportioned.
7. The trunk is plenty big.
8. The hood requires way too much care to close properly, and will frustrate those owners who hate seeing palm prints all over the shiny metal.
9. The cabin is quiet except when the HVAC is dialed up. Then it's not.
10. The all-glass roof is a must have.
11. The car kept waking up and shutting down as we walked around it. I would shut that off instantly.
12. Not sure why so many people are unhappy with the backup camera. It seemed fine to me.
That is all,
Robin
1. Yes, the car looks even better in person.
2. The interior is nicely finished, feels solid, the seats are firm but supportive, there's tons of headroom and visibility is a lot better than in the S. Entry is fine, even for someone (like me) who often has to crank his head sideways to slip into the driver's seat of most cars. With Model 3's seat dialed full down, I could get in and out without knocking my head on metal.
3. In architecture, the saying goes that the real design challenges are found where one material meets another. The same is true in the Model 3, where there are a few awkward joints in the cabin that leave what seems like structural adhesive visible.
4. The center screen is not a problem. It's not entirely great, but (coming from a Prius V) I can accommodate. Fussing with various menus while underway, however, is a problem and it definitely required way more attention than is (in my opinion) safe. I'm a devout HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) kind of person, and having to keep bringing my eyes inside and down for (what should be) simple operations seems like a major step backwards. Save it for when cars are actually autonomous. They aren't yet.
5. Energy consumption is vastly better than in the S over the same routes and with the same driving characteristics (210 Wh/mile vs 310 Wh/m). That's significant
6. The rear seats are roomy and supportive and not weirdly proportioned.
7. The trunk is plenty big.
8. The hood requires way too much care to close properly, and will frustrate those owners who hate seeing palm prints all over the shiny metal.
9. The cabin is quiet except when the HVAC is dialed up. Then it's not.
10. The all-glass roof is a must have.
11. The car kept waking up and shutting down as we walked around it. I would shut that off instantly.
12. Not sure why so many people are unhappy with the backup camera. It seemed fine to me.
That is all,
Robin
