Major Yoke concerns from Consumer Reports initial review

[yurmix]

Summary:

Deep dive:

what do you all think?

I know people are dismissing CR as biased against Tesla but having followed CR reporters for years I believe they aren’t. Also, watching the deep dive, those seem like valid concerns.

I haven’t tested the Yoke, I enjoy my Model Y for now. I’m just concerned for Tesla’s success and reputation once this hits the mainstream (Cybertruck, non plaid Model S/X).

Also, I wonder if they make this optional once supply chain hell is over.

 

[Tam]

...I know people are dismissing CR as biased against Tesla...

I drive a lot so it's important for me to have a full circle of the steering wheel for me to work on and not just 1/2. Yokes work great in a race track but not for my practical use.

I will hold off as long as I can until a full steering wheel will be available: Either from Tesla or from a third party.

 

[glide]

The yoke, and more importantly the capacitive buttons, make for a truly horrible driving experience unless you are going in a straight line.

 

[Melocotton]

I think they should review it after more than 5min of usage and train a bit their muscle memory.
I think they should have a look at the in car user manual, about the alternate way to activate the honk.
I also think that the turn signal should be activated way before you have your steering wheel / yoke / whatever you want to use is upside down.

 

[Melocotton]

The yoke, and more importantly the capacitive buttons, make for a truly horrible driving experience unless you are going in a straight line.

I think you completely ignore all the other downside of a traditional steering wheel.
I think you have the same reasoning as people who complained about the iPhone was released back in 2007, because it didn’t have physical buttons and 3G.
I think the usage of the yoke is going to increase, and it will get better after each iteration.
I think this is how innovation works, and usually the mass doesn’t like the changes that it means.

 

[ATPMSD]

I think you completely ignore all the other downside of a traditional steering wheel.

Which is what exactly?

 

[scrapps]

Which is what exactly?

It's round. Wheels should clearly be square.

 

[Melocotton]

Which is what exactly?

- Turn your steering wheel at 90 degrees, and try to use blinkers without lifting your hands from it, and tell me if this is very different from what you can or cannot do with a yoke upside down.
- There are so many cars where it is clearly blocking the view of the instrument cluster, you can’t deny it.
- many people use it incorrectly, aka one hand only on the top part of it. The design makes it possible to do such dumb and dangerous usage.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

After this Joke Yoke I started taking notice to how much I rely on a WHEEL to exist. and to have turn signals/etc in a normal place. I don't want a yoke in any car.

 

[mkspeedr]

I drove my 3 yesterday for the first time after weeks of the plaid. It hurts to say the 3 feels cheap.

But I was annoyed by the 3s autopilot stalk - the plaid button is better. The plaid yoke is more comfortable for me to hold while driving and autopilot.

I was joking how my X, 3 and plaid have different controls. I like the yoke.

 

[Melocotton]

After this Joke Yoke I started taking notice to how much I rely on a WHEEL to exist. and to have turn signals/etc in a normal place. I don't want a yoke in any car.

Ford is for you then.

Oh by the way, have you seen the latest iteration of Audi steering wheel ? Flat bottom, flatter top, it looks more and more like a yoke but no one complain because it is a well established brand from legacy carmakers I guess..

 

[yurmix]

…I think you have the same reasoning as people who complained about the iPhone was released back in 2007, because it didn’t have physical buttons and 3G….

The big difference is iPhone is not used for emergency handling of a vehicle.
It could be that excellent drivers will benefit but I doubt the average driver won’t at least see a huge learning curve while operating a dangerous machine which requires training and license.

 

[Melocotton]

The big difference is iPhone is not used for emergency handling of a vehicle.
It could be that excellent drivers will benefit but I doubt the average driver won’t at least see a huge learning curve while operating a dangerous machine which requires training and license.

Well, you can use an iPhone for emergency calls..
Most of current plaid owners says that the learning curve is approx 1-2 weeks. I don’t think this more than transitioning from automatic to manual transmission for instance..
I think you are exaggerating the learning curve a lot, and I don’t even see what kind of emergency handling could be problematic with a yoke..

 

[lbowroom]

Not one accident has been trotted out as evidence of this “dangerous” design.

 

[glide]

I think you completely ignore all the other downside of a traditional steering wheel.
I think you have the same reasoning as people who complained about the iPhone was released back in 2007, because it didn’t have physical buttons and 3G.
I think the usage of the yoke is going to increase, and it will get better after each iteration.
I think this is how innovation works, and usually the mass doesn’t like the changes that it means.

Please. Enlighten us.

If you watched the full video, everything CR says about the yoke is 100% accurate. It does nothing to enhance the driving experience outside of going in a straight line. Which is not how people drive.

If Tesla’s goal is mass-EV adoption, this is a huge fail. Tesla enthusiasts may be willing to learn to live with this abomination but the general driving public will not.

So is the mission to get people into EVs? Or to alienate buyers? Because the yoke cannot accomplish both.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

I think the longer video was well done. I genuinely hope they realize that cars need steering wheels. I would not buy one with a yoke. From any company. The shifter is also awful. It already takes people 100 years to back out of a parking space, this just makes all basic maneuvers 100x more difficult than it needs to be. The turn signals/horn/shifter all belong where they were on my S, X, and 3. I have a cybertruck on order, but a yoke would make me wait until there was a solid solution for this problem that they have created.

I guess they got tired of the BMWs never using their turn signals jokes... with this thing, I'd never signal. too much hassle. Prepare for Tesla's never signaling jokes

I thought the needlessly complex door handles that broke 20x on my S were bad... this is just a deal breaker.

 

[Tman458]

The yoke is a non issue. Like anything else, it take a few days to adapt. people complain that Porsche paddles move with the steering wheel, Ferrari paddles are stationary, the blinkers on 458 and newer Ferrari are also on the steering wheel and there is no stal

 

[lbowroom]

Just end of quarter sensationalism

 

[jebinc]

I drove my 3 yesterday for the first time after weeks of the plaid. It hurts to say the 3 feels cheap.

But I was annoyed by the 3s autopilot stalk - the plaid button is better. The plaid yoke is more comfortable for me to hold while driving and autopilot.

I was joking how my X, 3 and plaid have different controls. I like the yoke.

I’m putting a yoke in my MYP, for consistency with the Plaid. The MY yoke is a modified Tesla wheel with all genuine Tesla components, including heat. There is a thread on this. Search on “Model 3 Yoke”. YMMV.

Aftermarket yoke steering wheel in Model 3

Just installed this and wanted to share so that others who might be considering could see it. I love how it looks and feels. Super high quality (actually all internals are OEM Tesla) and has the heating element. Model 3/Y Yoke Happy to answer any questions if you have any! Install took about...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[Melocotton]

I think the longer video was well done. I genuinely hope they realize that cars need steering wheels. I would not buy one with a yoke. From any company. The shifter is also awful. It already takes people 100 years to back out of a parking space, this just makes all basic maneuvers 100x more difficult than it needs to be. The turn signals/horn/shifter all belong where they were on my S, X, and 3. I have a cybertruck on order, but a yoke would make me wait until there was a solid solution for this problem that they have created.

I guess they got tired of the BMWs never using their turn signals jokes... with this thing, I'd never signal. too much hassle. Prepare for Tesla's never signaling jokes

I thought the needlessly complex door handles that broke 20x on my S were bad... this is just a deal breaker.

Sure. 100x more difficult.
Hey you know what ? BMW drivers cannot drive a Tesla anyway, because there is no stalk for gear shifting in a BMW, it would probably take them 100 years to figure out how to put a Tesla in D mode whereas they are used to have a gear selector in the center console. Maybe they don’t even have an automatic transmission and are still looking for the clutch pedal ?

Speaking about door handles.. you may want to have a look at this video :