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If you could change one thing about the Model 3...

Discussion in 'Model 3' started by Dolemite, Feb 1, 2021.

  1. DaveG_NJ

    DaveG_NJ Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2020
    Messages:
    201
    Location:
    NJ
    Sirius/XM would be at the top of my list. I find using the apps tedious. The FM intermittently cuts out and I do a lot of short driving. Get in, car is silent. Have to get out my phone from my front pocket, unlock it, find a streaming app, wait for it to connect. And I can't easily switch between news, music, sports easily. It's tedious. Maybe on a road trip it would be fine. Half the time I just say screw it, I'll listen to the wind noise.
     
  2. Spacep0d

    Spacep0d Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2019
    Messages:
    980
    Location:
    Santa Clarita, CA
    The clean and elegant lines of the Tesla appeal to me both as a professional artist and also a minimalist. I just love their classic and understated lines. I find many cars to be way too overstyled and cluttered for my liking. These things are subjective of course, but I can see that I have a lot of stylistic commonality with Tesla's designers.

    A design feature I don't like is the chrome tail light spear (between the lights) on the Model S. I dislike how the chrome spears both lights with a bright feature that should be body-color or far more subdued. I'm also not a fan of any black handles on non-black vehicles. There's no reason to highlight a door handle like that, at least not with such stark contrast. Likewise, I would never pick out a small detail and 'bring it to the front' with a bright color. To my eye, the more contiguous the overall shape, the better.
     
  3. Spacep0d

    Spacep0d Member

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    Location:
    Santa Clarita, CA
    You mean the current Model S, not the one with the huge nose 'intake' feature? :D

    The new S has a similar planar front, just with the added nose feature at the top of the planar portion. I prefer the nose of the Model 3, but the current S is worlds better than the original S nose.
     
  4. Grae Chivalier

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2020
    Messages:
    26
    Location:
    Southern California
    Extended Rear sensors

    The current ones are just for parking/close proximity. Having the Chevy Volt for 9yrs, I got used to the rear sensors and it has saved me from countless accidents. Sometimes there isn't a good view rearward and to the sides, and the screen may not show any issues, but a warning from the sensors indicating an incoming car/person/object (as well as the direction it's coming from) saved me from having a very bad day.

    In the first week I drove the tesla, I was backing up slowly with an obstructed view to the sides, and the rear camera showed clear. I forgot the tesla didn't have collision warnings in the rear and I kept going expecting to hear something if there was an incoming object. The only thing I heard was a screech of tires breaking and a honk from a truck nearly eating my rear bumper off.

    Yep- tech has made me a bit lazy, but now I've re-learned to back up in small steps. :D
     
  5. Dolemite

    Dolemite is my name

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2019
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    1,083
    Location:
    ol' Virginny
    Although I don't think the Model 3 is the most beautiful car out there, I agree with this sentiment. In a weird way, it reminds me of how cars were styled in the mid/late 2000s. Every time I look at it and think it could look better, I consider the alternatives and they are all horrible. With the exception of possibly Mazda.
     
    • Like x 2
  6. showbbq

    showbbq Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2021
    Messages:
    43
    Location:
    Houston
    Yeah, give us porsche 911 suspension and handling.

    Well you can pick one out of my list lol: heated steering wheel, HUD, another gear so it doesn't turn into a camry after 80mph, better trunk loading angle, rain light, better wiper controls, jack points that work with traditional hardware, HEPA filtration, more speed cuz why not.
     
    • Like x 2
  7. baylife650

    baylife650 Member

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2021
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    12
    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    air suspension or at least an upgraded suspension. recently got the MPP comfort coilovers and IMO thats how the suspension should have felt coming from the factory.
     
  8. trojaneen

    trojaneen Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2017
    Messages:
    93
    Location:
    Long Beach, CA
    1. Sunroof
    2. Apple car play
     
    • Like x 3
  9. Needsdecaf

    Needsdecaf Member

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    Dec 16, 2018
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    Location:
    The Woodlands, TX
    I agree with you in principle, however you were overlooking the issue of proportionality when the model 3 Is viewed from the front. There is an overwhelmingly odd proportion of glass to body from the front. It looks very awkward. When you combine that with a very simplistic front clip, Which looks OK on its own, you start to get some really weird views.

    Also, from some Side rear three-quarter angles, the profile looks a little hunchback-like. Not in all angles. But a few.
    There is much to like about it, though.
     
  10. Spacep0d

    Spacep0d Member

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    Location:
    Santa Clarita, CA
    One thing about the front end is that all EVs have the luxury of omitting the front air intake or grill. Designers recently have been making grills very large, sometimes aggressive (not always a bad thing), sometimes extremely complex with their CAD-designed stylized lattices or honeycomb structure. Either way, they're forced to contend with this functionality, and since more air=more power, the large grill has predictably taken hold among ICE vehicles.

    Tesla has taken when I think is a brilliant stylized planar look, and I just love it. There's almost a marine-like hydrodynamic look to it, even with the planar stylization. It doesn't extend the body forward for any unnecessary reason (important for parking and forward visibility) but it resolves this natural convergence in a way that I think is elegant, though perhaps not universally admired. The S takes a different approach with the modified badge in the front, a huge upgrade from the early 'false intake' design which I thought consumed too much nose real-estate.

    I never got any hunchback vibes from the 3 from the proportionality of glass to body or based on its stance, and I absolutely love how the car widens out to the rear (or appears to) because of the rear glass taper. Of course, I think the rear end looks great on the 3. The wheel gaps are quite large on some 3 trims, but this can be resolved with a trip to a good suspension shop, even with stock wheels.
     
    • Like x 1
  11. natman316

    natman316 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2020
    Messages:
    92
    Location:
    Bay area
    Wish it was a hatch back like the model S. I know we have model Y but I dont like riding high

    Physical glove box opener
     
    • Like x 2
  12. Justin L

    Justin L Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2020
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    1. Consistency of performance. On a cold day, the regen can be 'dynamic' in what happens when you let off the throttle. That can be a bit scary if you are expecting a lot of regen and get none. The computer seems to do things on it's own some times like switching from range to %charge. The charge door isn't 100% opening with the button on the charger. Just lots of little things that are inconsistent. I can deal with a lot in a car, but I don't like the randomness. I completely understand why Porsche decided to sacrifice range for consistency so it's more like driving a gas car. When you get in, you know what kind of performance you're going to get regardless if if the "tank" is full, or 10%.
    2. Better thermal insulation. In Canada, the car gets cold and I'm sure a lot of heat is going out the glass roof. I would have selected a metal insulated roof option if it existed. The inconsistent performance of the heater/heat pump makes this more of an issue for me too.
    3. Let me customize the driving experience a bit more. A track mode, snow mode, drift mode, something other than full on nanny or slip-start.
     
    • Like x 2
  13. DriveMe

    DriveMe Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2017
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    Location:
    NE OH
    Door handles!

    So I wouldn’t have to explain everyone how to enter the car... or how to exit it! :)
     
    • Like x 1
    • Disagree x 1
  14. TRCF

    TRCF New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2021
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    Leeds
    Hi
    I love my model 3 but is it realistic to be off the road for 24 hours because of a puncture?
    No tyre dealer open, as a Sunday afternoon; no slot available for 48 hrs; no roadside solution, no spare tyre
    Fortunately I could get home bot in the real world we are heading to the airport; business meetings or have family with us miles from home.
    Can’t emergency services have access to temporary space saver ?
    Anyone else encountered similar experiences
     
  15. dhrivnak

    dhrivnak Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2011
    Messages:
    4,387
    Location:
    NE Tennessee
    I carry a plug kit and the Tesla compressor. I am back on the road in 5 minutes.
     
  16. Zcd1

    Zcd1 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2018
    Messages:
    684
    Location:
    Chicago area
    No spare tire = requires some preparation and forethought.

    I have a can of fix-a-flat in the trunk storage well for just such an occasion and have had since the day they delivered the car.:cool:
     
  17. BB987777

    BB987777 Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2020
    Messages:
    18
    Location:
    SF, CA
    carbon fiber roof as an option and an enhanced paint job that exceeds the so-called "within spec".
     
  18. skygraff

    skygraff Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2018
    Messages:
    167
    Location:
    Chicago
    Okay, read the thread so far and agree with quite a few so, to reiterate:

    - better sound insulation/quieter ride on highways and on wet roads (hear the noise from other cars on wet/snowy roads!)
    - better thermal insulation
    - sunroof that opens (without compromising above)
    - dumb cruise control option [along with...]
    - quieter/tactile alerts (all for passenger comfort on highways)

    additionally (I think):

    - soft closing frunk (eliminate the need for special push points)
    - AM radio or a version of TuneIn that doesn't play ads every time you channel surf (not to mention ability to listen to road hazard alerts)
    - heated wiper blades or some better way to keep them from getting caked with slush
    - interactive headlight icon rather than having to open the "quick controls" just to turn them off when sitting after a drive
    - bug reports that actually go somewhere
    - oh, and, fix the dang voice commands for playing radio/TuneIn/streaming stations (hands free for safety!!!)
     
  19. Vaillant

    Vaillant Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2019
    Messages:
    250
    Location:
    Sunnyvale, CA
    My last three cars (RX-8, Volt, Model 3) haven’t had a spare. I always have a pump on hand, but if the tire is damaged badly enough, a pump and fix a flat ain’t gonna cut it. Lucky for me, I haven’t been stranded yet.

    Ironically, the smallest car I’ve ever owned (Miata) is the last one that actually had a spare! It took up half the trunk.
     
  20. Vaillant

    Vaillant Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2019
    Messages:
    250
    Location:
    Sunnyvale, CA
    I highly recommend a powered frunk from TeslaOffer or Hansshow. Pretty easy self install and once done it feels OEM (you can use app/screen/fob/button to open/close). No more worrying about greasy handprints or bending the hood. I have Hansshow on our 3 and TeslaOffer on our X.
     

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