Major Yoke concerns from Consumer Reports initial review

[Dan_Foster]

Yoke is a non issue if:
1) You live in the US where they have not really invented the benefits of the roundabouts yet, and
2) You are willing to use something that is usability wise worse than a regular wheel.

The car itself is cool enough that many people in the US are probably OK with all of it. It's not even that common for you guys to use trailers, here in the EU they are very common and the yoke certainly doesn't make that any easier either.

To also summarize the pro yoke arguments briefly:
1) It looks cool, and
2) It gives better visibility to the screen in front.

Argument number two is just plain nuts. You should NOT be looking at the screen in front, you should be looking at the road ahead. Overall it sounds like the argument is from someone who doesn't really understand the concept of safe driving.

I would add that Argument 1 is nuts too: primary controls are not meant to ‘look cool’; they are supposed to fit the vast majority of human hands without issue, and make primary control actuation intuitive at every angle of turn without taking one’s eyes off the road. The horrid haptic buttons and their placement are ergonomic failures as is the yoke itself: it’s uncomfortable to reposition one’s hands even subtly; it renders shuffle steering impossible and ruins the lovely glide and grab technique. I’ve tried it. I hate it.

 

[Hayseed_MS]

Yoke is a non issue if:
1) You live in the US where they have not really invented the benefits of the roundabouts yet, and
2) You are willing to use something that is usability wise worse than a regular wheel.

The car itself is cool enough that many people in the US are probably OK with all of it. It's not even that common for you guys to use trailers, here in the EU they are very common and the yoke certainly doesn't make that any easier either.

To also summarize the pro yoke arguments briefly:
1) It looks cool, and
2) It gives better visibility to the screen in front.

Argument number two is just plain nuts. You should NOT be looking at the screen in front, you should be looking at the road ahead. Overall it sounds like the argument is from someone who doesn't really understand the concept of safe driving.

I am sure my experience will mirror you amount of experience with the yoke but I will say this anyway.

After approx. 12k miles on the yoke, no issues. I drive well over one dozen roundabouts a day (and yes, in America). My area is replacing intersections daily with them but thank for the condescending remarks.

We are not required to signal (not making an argument for or against this) but for giggles after reading your post, I went ahead and signaled. No issues. The button was always located in the same location on the yoke.

We both have our opinion. Mine opinion was similar to yours prior to having the yoke, but I tried it and have since decided I would not have a round wheel even if given the option. Our other cars have round wheels - I flop back and forth with no issues.

Can some of you come to my house and point out other things in my life that I enjoy and have no issues with but you feel should have killed me by now? I do not smoke, drink, or do drugs of any sort - please let me have my yoke as my one vice in life.

I hope they come out with the round wheel option so people like you can enjoy this car more (this is meant in all sincerity).

 

[Hayseed_MS]

I would add that Argument 1 is nuts too: primary controls are not meant to ‘look cool’; they are supposed to fit the vast majority of human hands without issue, and make primary control actuation intuitive at every angle of turn without taking one’s eyes off the road. The horrid haptic buttons and their placement are ergonomic failures as is the yoke itself: it’s uncomfortable to reposition one’s hands even subtly; it renders shuffle steering impossible and ruins the lovely glide and grab technique. I’ve tried it. I hate it.

While I cannot agree with most of your statements because my experience has been quite to the contrary. I do respect that you have tried it with an open mind and found that it is definitely not for you. It will not be for everyone and that is fine. Hope they have an alternative so you can enjoy the otherwise great vehicle.

 

[_jmk]

I am sure my experience will mirror you amount of experience with the yoke but I will say this anyway.

After approx. 12k miles on the yoke, no issues. I drive well over one dozen roundabouts a day (and yes, in America). My area is replacing intersections daily with them but thank for the condescending remarks.

Apologies if it sounded that way. I've lived several years in the US and love the place, my second home really. As things are going now it's entirely possible that next year I'll again be migrating to the bay area. No roundabouts there so that's why I was under the impression that Musk may not have driven through one yet.

 

[fjdomestic]

I am sure my experience will mirror you amount of experience with the yoke but I will say this anyway.

After approx. 12k miles on the yoke, no issues. I drive well over one dozen roundabouts a day (and yes, in America). My area is replacing intersections daily with them but thank for the condescending remarks.

We are not required to signal (not making an argument for or against this) but for giggles after reading your post, I went ahead and signaled. No issues. The button was always located in the same location on the yoke.

We both have our opinion. Mine opinion was similar to yours prior to having the yoke, but I tried it and have since decided I would not have a round wheel even if given the option. Our other cars have round wheels - I flop back and forth with no issues.

Can some of you come to my house and point out other things in my life that I enjoy and have no issues with but you feel should have killed me by now? I do not smoke, drink, or do drugs of any sort - please let me have my yoke as my one vice in life.

I hope they come out with the round wheel option so people like you can enjoy this car more (this is meant in all sincerity).

^^ agree to all

there are times I lament having to go back to a round wheel. I find the yoke superior to the round wheel in comfort, daily use for signals etc etc. additionally I do believe in time other users will come around from iffy to liking it more than the round wheel.

i also have 39 yrs behind the "wheel" ; but I love having the ability to be open minded and adaptive to positive changes.

 

[lbowroom]

No, most roundabouts here replace tiny intersections. Wheel is upside down when driving through it. Stalk is easy and safe, yoke is a joke. I bet Elon never tested it in the EU.

No, its not upside down in a roundabout. Your thumb is still on the side of the yoke and easily able to press the signals. Please show me a video of a roundabout so small the wheel goes all the way around.

 

[ATPMSD]

Of all the "potential" issues I have a question about one - the horn. Do you find you are able to honk the horn, without looking and without thinking about it first, such as what would happen in an emergency situation?

 

[Dan_Foster]

I hope they come out with the round wheel option so people like you can enjoy this car more (this is meant in all sincerity).

Thank you, that’s all I want too: the choice. But—after reading many of Elon’s tweets—I believe there is a 0% chance of a new Model S appearing with physical primary controls and a round wheel like my beloved 2015 and consequently, a 0% chance of me purchasing a new Model S. After years of waiting for the refresh, this makes me profoundly sad.

 

[Skotty]

The yoke is the New Coke of Tesla innovation. Personally, I'll be waiting for Steering-Wheel Classic, and until then, I might have to drink something other than Tesla.

 

[lbowroom]

Thank you, that’s all I want too: the choice. But—after reading many of Elon’s tweets—I believe there is a 0% chance of a new Model S appearing with physical primary controls and a round wheel like my beloved 2015 and consequently, a 0% chance of me purchasing a new Model S. After years of waiting for the refresh, this makes me profoundly sad.

I was at RPM Tesla yesterday, the owner told me they have a round wheel and stalks coming. The world is saved!

 

[4SUPER9]

Elon has a bad happen of trying to reinvent things that don't need it. The benefit of his ambition is that he has also reinvented things that did: EV's in general and SpaceX.

His first iteration of the S had the Yacht Floor. Some people liked it for it's simplicity, but the vast majority found it completely impractical, having no place to put their stuff. As the yoke, it looked incredible. People kept coming up with their own fixes, aftermarket consoles, etc., until Tesla finally came up with their own, and it pretty much sucked, then ultimately revised to what we have now.
Then, the X comes out with completely unusable seats. I mean, come on, did he really need to reinvent the seat??? This p'd off many people, as you had a luxury crossover, and could not put anything in it because the seats would not even fold. It made the whole car useless for its primary purpose.
So, with both the S and the X, they have been refreshed a little bit, several times, and now have interiors that more closely match what every other auto makers have long ago mastered.

I think the same thing will happen with the yoke. Yep, it looks frickin' cool, but that's about it (hey, good enough for me )
Either it will be altered in a way to make it more practical (horn in the middle, rear finger controls, etc), or will have an option for a real wheel.

 

[cynix]

His first iteration of the S had the Yacht Floor. Some people liked it for it's simplicity, but the vast majority found it completely impractical, having no place to put their stuff.

You can't please everyone. I guess I'm in the minority (citation needed?) that prefer the yacht floor.

I wish they could offer these kind of things as options so we can all get what we want, but that seems impractical for them from a business perspective while they're still scaling up their manufacturing. Maybe a few years down the track?

 

[4SUPER9]

You can't please everyone. I guess I'm in the minority (citation needed?) that prefer the yacht floor.

I wish they could offer these kind of things as options so we can all get what we want, but that seems impractical for them from a business perspective while they're still scaling up their manufacturing. Maybe a few years down the track?

You were far from the minority. I loved it too, until I realized it was beautiful, yet served little useful function, aka yoke.

 

[Just a Reader]

......
To also summarize the pro yoke arguments briefly:
1) It looks cool, and
2) It gives better visibility to the screen in front.

Argument number two is just plain nuts. You should NOT be looking at the screen in front, you should be looking at the road ahead. Overall it sounds like the argument is from someone who doesn't really understand the concept of safe driving.

I thought the modern answer to 2) was the HUD, offered by plenty of other manufacturers? Chopping off the top of the steering wheel almost appears like some sort of Russian solution - you need a solution but you don't really have the means, therefore you are choosing a rather radical solution like chopping off the top of your steering wheel?

 

[WhiteWi]

I thought the modern answer to 2) was the HUD, offered by plenty of other manufacturers? Chopping off the top of the steering wheel almost appears like some sort of Russian solution - you need a solution but you don't really have the means, therefore you are choosing a rather radical solution like chopping off the top of your steering wheel?

Hey, Russians can’t even build good ice car Trust me I know.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Of all the "potential" issues I have a question about one - the horn. Do you find you are able to honk the horn, without looking and without thinking about it first, such as what would happen in an emergency situation?

It's been mentioned in other threads but many still aren't aware that the horn can be activated by covering all the buttons on the right of the yoke. There's no need to hunt for the horn button, just quickly cover all buttons and it honks.

 

[Dan D.]

It's been mentioned in other threads but many still aren't aware that the horn can be activated by covering all the buttons on the right of the yoke. There's no need to hunt for the horn button, just quickly cover all buttons and it honks.

If it's that obscure then is it a very good design?

 

[4SUPER9]

If it's that obscure then is it a very good design?

No, it is not.

 

[RSpanner]

 

[lbowroom]

If it's that obscure then is it a very good design?

Everything is obscure until you know about it. Are the center of steering wheels embossed press here to activate horn?