Took delay very of my Model 3 Performance today. It’s outfitted with the 18” Aeros and without the performance upgrade package. I’ve owned a 2015 Model S 85D for the past 3 years. These are my initial impressions of the model 3 Performance and how I feel it compares with my S
Oddly, I was expecting the Performance 3 to feel a lot faster than my S. It does not. I drove them back to back. The S feels just as punchy off the line and from low speeds. Both are startlingly quick. The 3 might pull a little harder but honestly it’s very close. Somewhat of a disappointment for me. I’d be curious to drive a standard dual motor and compare it with my performance.
Other than that, the 3 outperformans my S in almost every other way. It definitely feels a lot lighter and more nimble with a more responsive steering feel. The 3 almost feels like driving a go Kart. It just goes where you tell it to, and feels very neutral in all aspects of handling. The tires on the 18” wheels are not spectacularly grippy but I expected that.
The fit and finish of the 3 is, in my opinion, better than my 2015 S. Better aligned door panels, less road and wind noise. Also fewer squeaks and rattles. Touchscreen is more responsive, almost instantaneous. HVAC vastly improved. Seats in my opinion are more comfortable than my next gen seats in the S.
Interior room feels about the same but with more headroom in the 3 and better visibility. I’m not at all bothered by the position of the screen or lack of dashboard instrument cluster. The sound system is vastly superior in the 3. It should be noted that the existing cell phone dock will not accommodate phones with modest cases but this can be solved by installing a wireless Qi charger aftermarket.
All in all, I love the 3 but I am a little disappointed in the acceleration feel. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Out of curiousity, not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but does anyone think there is any possibility that they could have delivered a performance model without whatever necessary software upgrade is required to get the extra performance out of the dual motor? How would one know? It’s otherwise indistinguishable from the other 3’s in every way. There’s nothing on the car that would indicate it’s a performance model. As they are currently delivered, there is not even bashing on the rear and nothing on the screen that I can see when I hit the T icon on the screen that would tell me its a performance. Just a paranoid thought, don’t assault me for it please.
Oddly, I was expecting the Performance 3 to feel a lot faster than my S. It does not. I drove them back to back. The S feels just as punchy off the line and from low speeds. Both are startlingly quick. The 3 might pull a little harder but honestly it’s very close. Somewhat of a disappointment for me. I’d be curious to drive a standard dual motor and compare it with my performance.
Other than that, the 3 outperformans my S in almost every other way. It definitely feels a lot lighter and more nimble with a more responsive steering feel. The 3 almost feels like driving a go Kart. It just goes where you tell it to, and feels very neutral in all aspects of handling. The tires on the 18” wheels are not spectacularly grippy but I expected that.
The fit and finish of the 3 is, in my opinion, better than my 2015 S. Better aligned door panels, less road and wind noise. Also fewer squeaks and rattles. Touchscreen is more responsive, almost instantaneous. HVAC vastly improved. Seats in my opinion are more comfortable than my next gen seats in the S.
Interior room feels about the same but with more headroom in the 3 and better visibility. I’m not at all bothered by the position of the screen or lack of dashboard instrument cluster. The sound system is vastly superior in the 3. It should be noted that the existing cell phone dock will not accommodate phones with modest cases but this can be solved by installing a wireless Qi charger aftermarket.
All in all, I love the 3 but I am a little disappointed in the acceleration feel. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Out of curiousity, not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but does anyone think there is any possibility that they could have delivered a performance model without whatever necessary software upgrade is required to get the extra performance out of the dual motor? How would one know? It’s otherwise indistinguishable from the other 3’s in every way. There’s nothing on the car that would indicate it’s a performance model. As they are currently delivered, there is not even bashing on the rear and nothing on the screen that I can see when I hit the T icon on the screen that would tell me its a performance. Just a paranoid thought, don’t assault me for it please.
