"Hugh-SG, post: 3999623, member: 105861":Yes it is Very impressive.
I am not sure what you mean by "perks and features I am missing" ...
So far I have noted the following perks and features...
1... Better sound system,
Compared to the 4-runner? Come on, this is valid for ANY other new car.
2... more comfortable seats with adjustable lumbar support for front row seats,
Same, valid for any new car, nothing Tesla specific here
3... delightfully easy to use AC,
You must be joking. Poking on a touchscreen is easier than a nice button you learn to use without looking?
4... in car voice command "hands free" mobile telephone calling,
Again, any new car has this, nothing impressive here.
5... voice command navigation system,
6... brilliant driver assist - adaptive cruise control,
Radar cruise is present in cars much much cheaper and works just as well if not better
7... very smooth lane changes in ACC and in NoAP,
8... a collision avoidance system that warns me of danger and takes action to protect me,
This is one which I'd say is worse than other cars, I'll explain below.
9... automatic emergency braking that will do its best to stop the car should traffic in front of the car of the car in front of me sudden come to a full stop,
Only front AEB is present and it works exactly as in other cars. It'll brake for you only if the car in front is moving. If you come across a stationary obstacle, your tesla will happily ram into it.
10... ambient interior lighting at night,
I understand it's a big jump from the 4-runner but yes, ambient lighting is present in all other nicer ICE cars. Heck even my wife's Beetle has nice ambient lighting.
11... adaptive brightness for dashboard and center console that self dim or brighten as needed,
12.. USB ports for mobile device recharging for all three rows of seats,
We're listing USB ports... I fear I'm going to read about "Amazing wheel nuts which hold all wheels in place" Come on man.
13.. seat heaters for all seats,
14.. seat coolers for front row seats
Rare perk, I think it was included in the Model S only for a short time.
15.. auto dimming side view mirrors that auto darken when a car with bright head lamps comes up behind you at night,
Sorry, all nicer ICE cars have this.
16.. cup holders for all seats, with a pair of adjustable size secondary cup holders for the front row seats in the center console,
Yeey, cup holders.
17.. auto lowering suspension, that decreases drag at motorway speeds and improves high speed handling,
This is nice. I think only some of the similarly priced ICE cars have smart air suspension.
18.. the ability to raise the suspension up to a "very high" setting, reducing the chance of underside damage from over sized speed bumps or driving off road,
19.. ability to tow up to a 5,000 pound trailer
20.. ability to travel home with take away food stored in the Front Trunk, thus not smelling up the whole car,
21.. adaptive head lights that point into the direction you are turning, increasing the chance of you seeing and avoiding a hazard that would other wise be hidden at night with normal car head lamps,
Sorry, I had this on my 2014 $25k Mazda3.
22.. adaptive traction control on slippery surfaces that varies the torque between the front and rear drive trains as they are independent and not inter connected like old fashioned ICE cars,
Some newer AWD ICE cars are just as smart, nothing Tesla exclusive here.
23.. mobile service tech's coming to your home to fix minor problems right in your own garage,
Yes, this is nice but the service center situation and repair times/costs when not under warranty make this perk useless.
24.. over the air software updates that in any other car would cost you an expensive visit to a dealership,
Not necessarily true. Newer ICE cars start going this too. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about OTA update which mostly installs games for the moment
25.. no hard sell, up sell from any Tesla employee or manager I have dealt with,
Yes, this is good. I hate going to traditional dealers so much.
26.. a music streaming service that can bring in radio stations from all over the world,
Like we can do in ANY other car with the phone connected? Ok small convenience factor that you don't need the phone anymore.
27.. an in console video game system to entertain yourself with when you are parked somewhere awaiting someone or whilst recharging to continue your road trip,
Yep, I'm sure that's extremely useful *rolleyes*
28.. after 8,000 driven km's since April, a $1,600 Cdn dollars savings in petrol Not purchased, over the same trips made with my old '88 4-Runner last year,
Not arguing with this. Fuel savings are nice if you charge at home or have free supercharging.
29.. don't need an oil change every six months,
Well, it depends how much you drive but yes, I'll give you this too.
30.. 1,425 less moving parts in the power plant, drastically reducing what could break or go wrong over the next 30 years of ownership,
Less chance and parts to break but much worse when anything does break, especially if out of warranty.
31.. and finally a perfect 5.0 safety rating in all category's of safety testing performed by non aligned Gov't Operated Crash Testing Facility, which means I am driving what is currently the safest car in the world.
New ICE cars are more or less just as safe.
So what perks am I missing please?
-
proper blind spot monitoring. This is important because it helps a lot together with turning and looking. It doesn't make sense for Tesla to make you look in the mirror - then over the shoulder - then all the way on the center screen - then change lane ?!
Also helps as added safety for other drivers. When I come up next to another car and I see his little mirror light turn on, I know there's a higher chance he's seen me. Nothing like this in any tesla.
- rear cross traffic alerts. In the US everyone like to pull in parking places. Backing out is safer with RCTA. Nothing like this in any tesla.
- HUD. Just a nice quality of life perk. Nicer ICE cars project speed and other info on the windshield for the driver to see without taking eyes off the road. Nothing like this in any tesla.
- Rain sensor is not as good as traditional sensors used in any other cars.
- Model 3 does not come with a keyfob and even if you buy one, it doesn't do passive entry.
- I'm sure there's more but I'm getting tired of writing.
So far nothing you said made me change my mind. You listed a bunch of things which apparently make tesla great but they're features and perks in any other ICE car (some at a much much cheaper price point).
It really does show you moved from a 30 year old car to a tesla and I'm happy for you, just please don't turn into a blind fanboy.
Thank you for your time and trouble,
Kindest regards,
Hugh-SG
Full disclosure: I have never been an employee of Tesla Motors and do not own any Tesla Stock
Full disclosure: I don't blindly hate on tesla here. I'm just doing my research, I've driven them and I may still get one. I love the idea of driving an EV and I love the instant power it can deliver. Also gas savings and being able to charge at home are indeed awesome things. I just notice the missing things, the problems, the quality issues and I've still yet to decide how much they bother me.