Is it okay to drive the Model 3 hard?

[tyfosho]

I know this is probably a silly question, but I've never had a car that's as sporty as this one!

I love throwing it around corners and feeling the G's as the tires do their best to hold on and then pull out of the turn with all the torque possible. It's such a fun car to drive, but it always makes me wonder if I'm being to rough on the car. (I do realize it will cost me more in tires!)

Do any of y'all worry about driving the car too hard??

 

[outdoors]

20k later. A hard corner 30 min ago. Not really. I would think the wheels would have fallen off by now. Slam the crap out of it. Buy plenty of rubber. Have fun. Be safe.

 

[PoitNarf]

Nah, drive it like you stole it. I figure the more you show off the acceleration capability the more it impresses other drivers on the road which leads to more Model 3 sales. That in turn leads to less ICE vehicles on the road which means a cleaner planet. So driving like a maniac = saving the environment.

 

[MXWing]

350 watt miles over here.

Tesla and chill is not what I do.

 

[Silver Ghost]

When I picked up my 3PD+ the delivery agent reminded me that tesla’s Do not have a “break in” period and can be driven hard from day 1.

 

[Need]

Don't drive it hard for the first 500 miles. You need to keep it under 65 mph, try to vary your speed between 30's and 50's. Do not go over 3000 rpm and change your oil after the first 500 miles and you are go to go! Oh wait... wrong forum.

The thing is that it was really how I drove to work on my first car that I bought over 20 years ago. For the first few weeks.. I go between the slow and one middle lane driving between 35 to 65 every 5 miles to break in the car. When I got the Tesla, I set autopilot to 85 all the way to work on the first day.

 

[nalang]

I take mine on the Ortega highway between Orange County and the Inland Empire in CA every weekend, in both directions just so I can drive my car how it was intended to be driven. Those local to my area who know this highway know how fun it is to drive the 3 on it with its hairpins, switchbacks, elevation climbs and drops, and straights. Only issue is slow cars, but you can pass them easy if needed but they usually pull off into turnouts to let me by. You can push the car pretty hard on this highway for sure.

 

[Trips]

20 miles after getting mine a very nice officer might have clocked me somewhere between 65 and 110. After looking over the car and a nice conversation he recommend that I watch out as she might be a little quicker then I'm use to. I agreed and a few miles later autopilot kicked on and it was 70mph the rest of the way home.

 

[run-the-joules]

No, you’re supposed to baby it and make sure it’s perfect for the next owner, so he can actually enjoy it.

 

[BLKMDL3]

350wh/mi in my RWD. need new tires after 9k miles. nuff said

 

[SOULPEDL]

I seem to fit in here. So I've talked to service about my habits as I've read about past gear case oil changes and drain plug metal filings on some MS owners who did their own maintenance. Service says M3 gear cases are built better, so is the A/C pump, no need to change after break-in and I seem to recall them considering no oil changes needed on the gear cases EVER pending more data. Brake fluid yes due to moisture even though they're not used (why right?). Seems that of the few parts that could or did fail in the past, they got addressed with the M3. So not only M3 is potentially the safest car on the road EVER (according to EM 3 days ago), but I'm wondering if it will turn out to be the most reliable as well... EVER!

Now about my habits. I'm only RWD and I guarantee I shock others on the road at how fast this thing can come right up on them in seconds. My prediction is that accidents will rise soon because people are used to ICE timing (like turns into traffic or beating a light). Maybe accidents will be offset by the auto braking safety features, but the other guy will freak for sure. So imagine when they're all this fast. Crazyville.

So I'm really careful (almost like a Motor Cycle rides invisibly) by assuming they won't expect me to be where I'm at in 1-2 seconds. On lights, I still always back off, but I have to also consider another Tesla at the cross-section ready to rip, so caution really means caution now. This is Tesla defensive driving and I do throttle back around other cars. But it's like they stand still at times.

I believe there will be court cases where extreme acceleration was the cause of the accident (probably already happened). Those cases may even result in new laws on acceleration limits and a new type of radar gun with speed and acceleration indicators. Then the EPA will regulate acceleration as a waste of energy, unless we make our own surplus energy. It'll be a software switch tied to your Powerwall IV energy source stats. Just a 10-year hunch.

However, when I see a Waymo van, different story. I rush them to see how they respond. Made one jump forward yesterday. It's my way of both testing their capabilities and letting them know I feel about their passengers signing NDAs so that Alphabet can control public perception. Google has a monopoly on information and people actually think they're way ahead of the world on automation. Nothing against the drivers, I just keep them on their toes. Maybe others share in my driving habits...

 

[VLTWGGN]

I’m gonna be honest - I was babying my P3D+ for like a month until I realized I bought a P3D+ for a reason.

Short answer, no, drive it as you wish, be safe, and have fun!

 

[drawfour]

Nah, drive it like you stole it. I figure the more you show off the acceleration capability the more it impresses other drivers on the road which leads to more Model 3 sales. That in turn leads to less ICE vehicles on the road which means a cleaner planet. So driving like a maniac = saving the environment.

I really like your argument.

 

[gilscales]

No, I can't, I'm Scared!

But seriously, missing the left turn arrow just does'nt happen anymore

 

[Lasttoy]

Police officer pulled beside me on his bike. Screamed at to slow down. After i just beat a Mustang 3 times off the lights. The Mustang had given up, as i pulled away. I new he was catching me. I put the window dow and gave him the V sign. Smiled. I'm 75. White hair.
So far i have 3 warnings. Too many victories to count. Best win was over 488 in Dallas last summer, he didnt catch till we topped 110mph.
I have a 800HP Chevy , it only goes to shows, too loud. Cops hear it coming blocks away. Silence is golden in street races.

 

[StellarRat]

When I had manual transmission cars I tended to hurt them with constant downshifting and turbos can wear pretty fast, but with the Tesla there isn't too much you can wear out by driving it hard except the tires. In the back of my head a little voice does tell me that the batteries might wear faster with constant super high current events, but I can't justify that with facts that I know.

 

[mmccking]

The beauty of EVs is that there's very little to break, leak, crack, or bend, unlike ICE cars. You can drive them hard with little wear and tear to worry about. Sure you might chew through some tires and maybe impact battery life, but it's a bit like drinking, you have fun and maybe pay for it later in life...or maybe not.

Back in the day I had an early model Toyota Celica All-Trac Turbo (without the hood vent) that kept burning through turbos, frying valve gaskets, cracking timing belts, and chewing up transmissions. There was more warranty work done on that car than it was worth new on the sticker. I did drive it moderately hard, but not track hard. I did all the oil changes and cool downs before turning it off, but it still kept breaking things.

 

[Gavyne]

I don't mind getting stopped by red lights these days. Because it just means I get to launch it...again.

 

[ℬête Noire]

When I picked up my 3PD+ the delivery agent reminded me that tesla’s Do not have a “break in” period and can be driven hard from day 1.

No, no, no. You need to be careful, let the car breath and prepare itself. Attached is the full map of the meticulous route I took from getting in at pick-up until I felt the car was truly ready for it's first stoplight launch.

 

[Candleflame]

Police officer pulled beside me on his bike. Screamed at to slow down. After i just beat a Mustang 3 times off the lights. The Mustang had given up, as i pulled away. I new he was catching me. I put the window dow and gave him the V sign. Smiled. I'm 75. White hair.
So far i have 3 warnings. Too many victories to count. Best win was over 488 in Dallas last summer, he didnt catch till we topped 110mph.
I have a 800HP Chevy , it only goes to shows, too loud. Cops hear it coming blocks away. Silence is golden in street races.

yeh, just make sure you realize that other people still have their whole life in front of them and deserve to live their life to the fullest in the same way you did and do.