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Has anyone test-driven a P3D in the DFW area
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- Start date
- They have three performance 3s now. A red, a white, and a midnight silver, all with white interior.
- Holy crap are they fast.
- The white interior is amazing, but I think I prefer the wood dash, versus white aluminum. I like the updated seats a little better too.
I just drove down to Northpark and made a reservation for a test drive. Their gallery now has an S, X, and 3 in it. Quite a feat for such a small space that's inside a mall!
Does anyone know if they're doing Performance 3 test drives out of Legacy West in Plano? It occurs to me that that's more convenient than Northpark is.
OK, so I drove up to the Southlake gallery location after dinner (I live in Grapevine and we were eating a mile from there) to see if they had any performance 3s in and sure enough, they look to have ONE (Vin is in the 55K area). So, of course, I asked to sign up for a test drive and am now scheduled for this Wednesday. Oh, and it is sweet looking (note: my S is red and I would be hard pressed to not get the red again if I picked a 3 up)....
A friend and I just dropped by there at lunch and they had someone available to let us test drive the Performance 3. Whoa. Very nice. Quicker and more agile than my P85. I love it.
Good to know on the performance model 3 test drives in Fort Worth. I signed up twice online to be notified when they are available to test drive and have never heard anything back about it. May go stop by to see if it is available anytime soon. I am close to ordering mine, but still have not sat inside one yet.
NoPetrolDream
Fandango
I test drove the LR RWD Model 3 at the Clearfork store back in August. Was quite pleased it was both RWD and aero wheels because that is my same config. The car blew me away. I don’t need anything more. It’s. Just. Awesome.
Picking up my RWD LR next week if all goes well...
Picking up my RWD LR next week if all goes well...
I splurged and drove the Performance 3 last week at Clearfork. That is out of my range, but wanted to see what it can do. I will be fine with the RWD 3. Now just debating on black or blue.
NoPetrolDream
Fandango
Performance 3 definitely above my paygrade, also. I’m confident you’ll be pleased with the RWD. I had that Tesla grin during the entire RWD test drive. Passing slower traffic is effortless. Getting up to merging speed at an on-ramp also a breeze; you’re on top of flowing traffic before you even know it. Seat very comfortable. These three things, just for starters, mean more to me on a daily driving basis than a seconds shaved off of a 0 - 60 time.
As noted, I did test drive that red Model 3 performance (pics in my post above) at the Southlake store. My review:
Vehicle
Red 2018, Model 3 Performance with white interior, autopilot, and performance upgrade package (i.e. 20” rims with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s tires, upgrade red brakes, carbon fiber spoiler). Vin in 55K range (probably July or August build). It looked about as good as a Model 3 can in my opinion…pretty sweet.
The route:
I was the first test drive scheduled for the day and it was a weekday. They had a prescribed route, but I asked to drive “more” and they obliged. Indeed, I think I drove the dang thing for 45 minutes. I live close to the gallery so I got to drive on the specific roads that I know were bumpier or had the washboard effect that my own S doesn’t like (the one that triggers the buffeting). Heck, I dang near drove it to my driveway (I was that close).
Acceleration:
I nailed it at several points. Stronger off-the-line that my P85+ for sure, but definitely not at Model S ludicrous level. It actually seem to hit a little softer (slightly less drama) than my P85+, but then quickly ramps up. Unlike my RWD P85+ though (which is having trouble putting the power down for sure with the worn Goodyears), it puts “most” of the power down. I say “most” because the 3 perf will actually get a bit squirrely if you nail it from a stop – even when the car is pointed straight ahead. More specifically, I can feel the front tires lose traction (note: on the RWD cars, the rears will lose traction). I also nailed it in a slow sweeping turn (from <15 mph) and felt the same thing (front tires letting go a tad and car pushed a bit). I think it all comes down to weight. The car is 800 or more pounds lighter than the S and with that much less mass pushing on those tires in a shorter wheelbase to boot, it just struggles a bit with all that torque.
I had limited time on the freeway, but freeway acceleration was good (note: I was not as blown away here as some reviewers seem to note, but there was no “shortage” of oomph). There is a considerable difference from the base RWD car.
Handling and Fun to Drive Factor
So, as with my test drives of the RWD 3 (one test drive at Northpark mall and then I rented one for a day), the defining delta to the S is the weight of the 3. It is so much lighter (although still a heavy car compared to most), it is just easier to drive and have fun with. The handling is good and it never feels ponderous like the S can (and I have a P85+ with the “sports” suspension) – the latter was immediately evident as I drove my S home on the exact same streets I had just tested the 3 on. My S suddenly felt BIG. THIS would be the “reason to pick a 3 over an S”…assuming this reason is important to you. The extra power just makes it seem even lighter than the RWD car (even though it is, in fact, a bit heavier).
The steering doesn’t really communicate what is happening with the tires much, but that does seem a typical of a lot of cars these days (still, I actually think my 5 year old S is at least as communicative in that regard…a low bar perhaps).
Dual vs. Single Motor
I find the dual motor option compelling “enough” on this car that I would pony up for it. Given that I noticed rear wheel slip when turning from one street to another (and merging into fast moving traffic) in the RWD tests I did, it just adds that extra bit of grip that I appreciate. It also helps to compensate as tires wear. Indeed, my P85+ with new PS2s was really grippy. When I moved to the Goodyear Touring tires I lost some grip. Now with 18K miles on those tires, they are really losing traction under harder acceleration. It breaks them lose on a hard punch from 30 mph+ now (and, of course, from a dig).
Ride Quality
As noted above, this car was on the 20” Michelin PSS4s. I did not think to check the tire pressure. I also did not get to ride in the back. I note the latter because on my previous test drives of the RWD cars, the rear seat ride quality was SIGNIFICANTLY worse than the fronts…the rear shocks on those cars definitely need to be re-tuned. The rebound control just seems way off.
Anyway, I found the ride quality to be pretty darn nice. It is sport-tuned, but (as with the RWD car) feels more BMW “Sport” suspension than BMW “M series” suspension. Indeed, it might even be a tad softer than a BMW Sport suspension. Loads of opportunity for the aftermarket to come in and deliver some coil over setup for those that might want that (I don’t…I hate compromising the everyday ride quality that much in a daily driver). It wasn’t really much different than my P85+, and in some ways it seemed better. I think this is largely due to the weight difference. Manufacturers seem to have a tougher time tuning heavy cars (see my comment around the rear ride quality above), and EVs are almost all heavy. I actually get the impression it MIGHT be even better than the front suspension on the RWD cars. There is the additional weight up front.
As an aside, I drove it on the washboard road surfaces near my house and although those surfaces did transfer some undue vibration (relative to our other “non-Teslas”) it did not result in any extreme NVH.
Road Noise
Road noise is typically much more noticeable at freeway speeds, which I spent minimal time at on this test drive. I can say that this car seemed a bit quieter than the RWD 3 I rented for a day, but I had that one for much longer and over a wide variety of freeway road surfaces. Still, I did note the difference. This was especially interesting as that car (the RWD) had the Michelin all-seasons 18” rims vs. the 20” PSSes on the 3 perf. As further validation of my assessment I remember thinking that the RWD 3 had about the same level of road noise as my 5 year old S…and on my drive home from the test drive (in my S) I immediately noted my S was louder. While I’m not ready to declare the 3 a quiet car by any means, this particular example was, at least, quieter than my S.
Wind noise arrived as we hit 80 mph….typical Tesla.
Everything else
Essentially the same as my LR RWD review.
Is the “Performance” worth it?
Performance is NEVER about value…this is especially true when you start talking about moving from one quick car (the LR RWD 3) to a really quick car…they are both “quick”…and the regular dual motor closes that gap (but primarily on the top end).
If you have the money and don’t mind parting with it, go for it. For me it would mean sacrificing something else like Autopilot, nice wheels and the white interior. It MIGHT be worth it (to me). Indeed, if I didn’t care about what the lack of AP might do at resale, I would drop it in a heartbeat (since I work from home and don’t do really long out of town trips very often, the big use cases aren’t there for me.).
I will say the Performance Package really does look sharp on this car and it would be a shame not to have it to complete the visual impact…but $5k...friggin’ ouch!
Will I get one?
In the end, my S has 64K miles, but is still in overall nice shape (as are most 5 year old cars are that have been treated reasonably well) and as such it is hard to justify “replacing it”. I am a little nervous about owning one outside of warranty. Our Volvo XC60 is 6 ½ years old, but has only 58K miles on it…still, it might be a better candidate for replacement since we always prefer to take the S over it for all but a few out of town trips where Superchargers aren’t quite there yet (note: they are on the SC map, but we all know some of those locations have been on the map as “coming soon” for a looooong time).
I have to admit, this test drive made me feel quite a bit better about the 3. It wasn’t just the performance that did it though, it was all of the other items. I can’t help but wonder though if the deltas (for things like road noise) are greater from one car to the next than they are from say LR RWD base car to this later Perf 3. Still seems to be a lot of manufacturing inconsistency. I, of course, have the spreadsheet in full swing with all iterations of Model 3 – the super cheap low option RWD “budget” version to the fully loaded Perf 3. Part of me thinks “get the Perf 3 in red with no other options…no EAP, FSD, perf pkg, etc”. If the Southlake gallery suddenly reached out to me and offered me a sweet deal on the car I drove to take delivery by the end of September...I would be very tempted, but I can't see that happening.
Other than that, I could just wait until next year...yeah, I lose the rebate, but it isn't the end of the world.
Vehicle
Red 2018, Model 3 Performance with white interior, autopilot, and performance upgrade package (i.e. 20” rims with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s tires, upgrade red brakes, carbon fiber spoiler). Vin in 55K range (probably July or August build). It looked about as good as a Model 3 can in my opinion…pretty sweet.
The route:
I was the first test drive scheduled for the day and it was a weekday. They had a prescribed route, but I asked to drive “more” and they obliged. Indeed, I think I drove the dang thing for 45 minutes. I live close to the gallery so I got to drive on the specific roads that I know were bumpier or had the washboard effect that my own S doesn’t like (the one that triggers the buffeting). Heck, I dang near drove it to my driveway (I was that close).
Acceleration:
I nailed it at several points. Stronger off-the-line that my P85+ for sure, but definitely not at Model S ludicrous level. It actually seem to hit a little softer (slightly less drama) than my P85+, but then quickly ramps up. Unlike my RWD P85+ though (which is having trouble putting the power down for sure with the worn Goodyears), it puts “most” of the power down. I say “most” because the 3 perf will actually get a bit squirrely if you nail it from a stop – even when the car is pointed straight ahead. More specifically, I can feel the front tires lose traction (note: on the RWD cars, the rears will lose traction). I also nailed it in a slow sweeping turn (from <15 mph) and felt the same thing (front tires letting go a tad and car pushed a bit). I think it all comes down to weight. The car is 800 or more pounds lighter than the S and with that much less mass pushing on those tires in a shorter wheelbase to boot, it just struggles a bit with all that torque.
I had limited time on the freeway, but freeway acceleration was good (note: I was not as blown away here as some reviewers seem to note, but there was no “shortage” of oomph). There is a considerable difference from the base RWD car.
Handling and Fun to Drive Factor
So, as with my test drives of the RWD 3 (one test drive at Northpark mall and then I rented one for a day), the defining delta to the S is the weight of the 3. It is so much lighter (although still a heavy car compared to most), it is just easier to drive and have fun with. The handling is good and it never feels ponderous like the S can (and I have a P85+ with the “sports” suspension) – the latter was immediately evident as I drove my S home on the exact same streets I had just tested the 3 on. My S suddenly felt BIG. THIS would be the “reason to pick a 3 over an S”…assuming this reason is important to you. The extra power just makes it seem even lighter than the RWD car (even though it is, in fact, a bit heavier).
The steering doesn’t really communicate what is happening with the tires much, but that does seem a typical of a lot of cars these days (still, I actually think my 5 year old S is at least as communicative in that regard…a low bar perhaps).
Dual vs. Single Motor
I find the dual motor option compelling “enough” on this car that I would pony up for it. Given that I noticed rear wheel slip when turning from one street to another (and merging into fast moving traffic) in the RWD tests I did, it just adds that extra bit of grip that I appreciate. It also helps to compensate as tires wear. Indeed, my P85+ with new PS2s was really grippy. When I moved to the Goodyear Touring tires I lost some grip. Now with 18K miles on those tires, they are really losing traction under harder acceleration. It breaks them lose on a hard punch from 30 mph+ now (and, of course, from a dig).
Ride Quality
As noted above, this car was on the 20” Michelin PSS4s. I did not think to check the tire pressure. I also did not get to ride in the back. I note the latter because on my previous test drives of the RWD cars, the rear seat ride quality was SIGNIFICANTLY worse than the fronts…the rear shocks on those cars definitely need to be re-tuned. The rebound control just seems way off.
Anyway, I found the ride quality to be pretty darn nice. It is sport-tuned, but (as with the RWD car) feels more BMW “Sport” suspension than BMW “M series” suspension. Indeed, it might even be a tad softer than a BMW Sport suspension. Loads of opportunity for the aftermarket to come in and deliver some coil over setup for those that might want that (I don’t…I hate compromising the everyday ride quality that much in a daily driver). It wasn’t really much different than my P85+, and in some ways it seemed better. I think this is largely due to the weight difference. Manufacturers seem to have a tougher time tuning heavy cars (see my comment around the rear ride quality above), and EVs are almost all heavy. I actually get the impression it MIGHT be even better than the front suspension on the RWD cars. There is the additional weight up front.
As an aside, I drove it on the washboard road surfaces near my house and although those surfaces did transfer some undue vibration (relative to our other “non-Teslas”) it did not result in any extreme NVH.
Road Noise
Road noise is typically much more noticeable at freeway speeds, which I spent minimal time at on this test drive. I can say that this car seemed a bit quieter than the RWD 3 I rented for a day, but I had that one for much longer and over a wide variety of freeway road surfaces. Still, I did note the difference. This was especially interesting as that car (the RWD) had the Michelin all-seasons 18” rims vs. the 20” PSSes on the 3 perf. As further validation of my assessment I remember thinking that the RWD 3 had about the same level of road noise as my 5 year old S…and on my drive home from the test drive (in my S) I immediately noted my S was louder. While I’m not ready to declare the 3 a quiet car by any means, this particular example was, at least, quieter than my S.
Wind noise arrived as we hit 80 mph….typical Tesla.
Everything else
Essentially the same as my LR RWD review.
Is the “Performance” worth it?
Performance is NEVER about value…this is especially true when you start talking about moving from one quick car (the LR RWD 3) to a really quick car…they are both “quick”…and the regular dual motor closes that gap (but primarily on the top end).
If you have the money and don’t mind parting with it, go for it. For me it would mean sacrificing something else like Autopilot, nice wheels and the white interior. It MIGHT be worth it (to me). Indeed, if I didn’t care about what the lack of AP might do at resale, I would drop it in a heartbeat (since I work from home and don’t do really long out of town trips very often, the big use cases aren’t there for me.).
I will say the Performance Package really does look sharp on this car and it would be a shame not to have it to complete the visual impact…but $5k...friggin’ ouch!
Will I get one?
In the end, my S has 64K miles, but is still in overall nice shape (as are most 5 year old cars are that have been treated reasonably well) and as such it is hard to justify “replacing it”. I am a little nervous about owning one outside of warranty. Our Volvo XC60 is 6 ½ years old, but has only 58K miles on it…still, it might be a better candidate for replacement since we always prefer to take the S over it for all but a few out of town trips where Superchargers aren’t quite there yet (note: they are on the SC map, but we all know some of those locations have been on the map as “coming soon” for a looooong time).
I have to admit, this test drive made me feel quite a bit better about the 3. It wasn’t just the performance that did it though, it was all of the other items. I can’t help but wonder though if the deltas (for things like road noise) are greater from one car to the next than they are from say LR RWD base car to this later Perf 3. Still seems to be a lot of manufacturing inconsistency. I, of course, have the spreadsheet in full swing with all iterations of Model 3 – the super cheap low option RWD “budget” version to the fully loaded Perf 3. Part of me thinks “get the Perf 3 in red with no other options…no EAP, FSD, perf pkg, etc”. If the Southlake gallery suddenly reached out to me and offered me a sweet deal on the car I drove to take delivery by the end of September...I would be very tempted, but I can't see that happening.
Other than that, I could just wait until next year...yeah, I lose the rebate, but it isn't the end of the world.
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