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How to deal with Model X width?

Discussion in 'Model X' started by FatherTo1, Feb 16, 2021.

  1. FatherTo1

    FatherTo1 Member

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    I test drove a Model X LR and love it, but it feels awfully wide on city streets. The X doesn't look that big when I see it on the road, but behind the wheel it really is humongous. I can't believe it is 79" wide (without mirrors)! That is wider than our old Sienna minivan, and about as wide as my Dad's '06 full-size Tundra! I don't enjoy daily driving a minivan or Tundra for a variety of reasons, width being one of them. I don't want to go to a Y. Over time, do you just get used to the girth of the X?
     
  2. Bigriver

    Bigriver Member

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    Yes I got used to it. I also initially really felt the size of the X, and I do prefer a smaller, more nimble (small turning radius) car for some situations. I find that the car visualization and the side camera views help make me feel more comfortable in tight places. It really needs a 360 birds eye view though, especially for parking head first.
     
  3. Les236

    Les236 Member

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    I think it is wider than my Durango, but definitely wider than my Prius. Every time I see the two of them backed into the garage side by side I think about how wide the X looks, and assumed it was just the Prius that was very thin. I don't think I ever noticed it being wide while driving, and love to drive it more than any of my other cars. So as Bigriver says, I guess you get used to it. I guess the only place I really notice it is parking lots, and I always look for wider spots or park further away to avoid inconsiderate parkers who don't mind knocking their doors into others. Not a scratch or dent after 40,000+ miles, 25 states.
     
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  4. elguapo

    elguapo Supporting Member

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    Easy to get used to. We had a Honda Minivan and an Audi Q7. Honestly, the Q7 seems harder to drive from a size perspective, but it shouldn’t be.
     
  5. omarsultan

    omarsultan Active Member

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    You get used to it, plus the AP sensors help in close quarters.
     
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  6. msm859

    msm859 Member

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    The problem isn't the width of the X, it is the experiences you had with what you were driving before. My wife was used to Ford F350 crew cabs. The X is a baby ;)
     
  7. Tiger

    Tiger Active Member

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    Once you (or the FSD) learn to drive, it becomes a non-issue ;)
     
  8. TespaceX

    TespaceX Member

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    The X is not that big. But, I guess it depends on what car you drove before it. The width of the X is pretty much the same exact as all other SUVs in its class. I moved up from a BMW e82 coupe and I didn’t think it was that big the very first time I drove the X.
     
  9. FatherTo1

    FatherTo1 Member

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    Some vehicles are able to shrink and feel smaller when you’re driving, giving you more confidence about where the corners (of the car) are. The X is the opposite and feels even bigger to me. Maybe it’s because the X isn’t as roomy on the inside as the exterior dimensions would suggest. It has a decent amount of space, but less space than I expected for a vehicle its size. Saying it another way, I expected this amount of interior space in a smaller SUV/Crossover. For instance, the Y is well-packaged and feels very roomy for its size. I do love the X FWD though. The FWD are what keeps tempting me away from our S (almost too wide itself).
     
  10. dmurphy

    dmurphy Woof.

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    It’s actually a tenth of an inch narrower and 6 inches shorter than the Buick Enclave we replaced.

    So there’s a training regimen; drive an Enclave for a dozen years first, and then the X feels small.

    We’re in suburban NJ but (in non Covid times) drive in Manhattan once in a while. If it fits there, it can fit anywhere.
     
    • Like x 1
  11. mswlogo

    mswlogo Well-Known Member

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    I had a Jeep Summit before and the X feels maybe 2 inches wider. I have a fairly common 9 ft wide garage doors and I don’t bother folding in the mirrors. You get used to whatever you drive. I sure would like that 3rd person view option they showed months ago though (I’d like that on any car).
     
  12. arghx7

    arghx7 Member

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    If it's too wide, why not check out a Model Y? "Large SUV that is actually not as roomy inside as you might expect" is standard for the segment.
     
  13. dmurphy

    dmurphy Woof.

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    You mean the bird's eye view? Yeah. That rocks. There's exactly 3 things on the Enclave we miss (aside from the larger interior) ...

    - Bird's eye view camera display. Even if Tesla enabled such a thing, it wouldn't be as seamless since the X's cameras aren't in the right spot.
    - Blind spot alerts in the side mirrors (the LED that lights up is ridiculously helpful)
    - Rear view mirror cam -- the Buick's rearview mirror is an LCD screen. Akin to keeping rearview camera up on the MCU display, but in the mirror body itself... pretty nifty.
     
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  14. SabrToothSqrl

    SabrToothSqrl Active Member

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  15. FirstInTown

    FirstInTown Member

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    Size is in eye of beholder. We don't think big at all. Here in the Midwest, we like our pickups and SUVs, so the X isn't big,more Normal Size. Youtubers have said , oh X too big, Y is better. Disagree.
     
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  16. outie

    outie Active Member

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    The car is wide and that’s a fact. When you tried to park in a smallest space and noticed both sides of the tires hit the parking space markings, you know it’s wide. You can’t overcome physics, unfortunately.
     
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  17. FatherTo1

    FatherTo1 Member

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    Thats my dilemma. The Y is a fantastic option and value, but feels like a downgrade from our Raven S in some areas. The X will feel like an upgrade (as it should for the price). My whole life I preferred full-size sedans over SUVs and am still grappling with whether X’s size will annoy me long term. I love our S too, but after 1.5 years I still can’t quite find a perfect driving position where I feel totally confident with its dimensions and being able to judge where objects are around me. The S seats are super comfortable, no complaints there, but I am still learning to gauge where the boundaries of the car are. With my previous Lexus LS, I actually felt very comfortable squeezing it through narrow streets or bridges because I could read its size very well, if that makes sense.
     
  18. Camelroel

    Camelroel Member

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    The X is a "big" car. It replaced my Land Rover Disco 3 (LR3 in the States) The X is longer and a bit wider. I had to make more space in my garage. The biggest problem is that the X feels bigger and that you have difficulties to see the corners. A Disco 3 and also the Ford F350 I drove in Azerbaijan has a flat bonnet so you see where the corners are.
     
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  19. mbp11

    mbp11 Member

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    When I first bought my 2018 MX 100D, I panicked when I got it home, I did not think it would fit in the garage next to the other big gas hog, the 1958 Chevy convertible. I had to line them up, move things around and carefully roll my way in, and what do you know? With some large eBay rubber bumpers set up for both cars and carefully measured, both cars fit with room to spare! The parking bumpers prevent me from moving in so far and I still clear the garage doors. It was scary at first but I am comfortable now.
     
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  20. GregJen

    GregJen New Member

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    I had roofers over and parked my MX out on the street while they worked. From a distance, with nothing to compare it to, the MX looks small! Then it hit me; the MX is a supersized version of a small crossover, just enlarged proportionally in every dimension. Usually larger cars have shape changes compared to smaller ones, but the MX has the same profile as a compact crossover.
     
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