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Model 3 Interior: Ugh!

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I think it is mostly cheap because it lacks detail - something typical of cheaper cars. They could have made the car simple, yet still appear classy, elegant, premium..they probably just ran out of budget and figured 'lets slap some wood on the dash and call it a day'
What kind of "detail" would you suggest?
(if you say "nicer" X or "better" Y, then you'll have to define that)

I'm curious as to what, exactly, makes something more premium
 
As someone who has never really considered a luxury car and find their interiors to be rather fussy looking, I'm intrigued by what Tesla is trying to do here. I feel like so much of what feels cheap and what feels elegant is impossible to surmise from a photo of a dark interior taken from outside the car in full sunlight. I've definitely expressed reservations about the lack of the cluster, but I'm simultaneously fascinated by what the experience of a simple, lower, and open dash will actually be like. I am becoming more and more convinced that the primary driver behind this was not to be cheap. There are plenty of incredibly cheap cars out there with very conventional dash layouts. Tesla clearly thinks they're on to something that will shift the aesthetic of the automotive dash, and I for one am going to be receptive at least until I get to sit behind the wheel in person.
 
A few thoughts...

1) These most recent interior photos look identical to the instrument panel shown during the unveiling event. Folks who are frustrated perhaps didn't see the unveiling video, or expected changes to the production car.

2) A number of great cars have had centrally mounted instrument panels. My favorite is the BMW Z8. In the Z8, it is arguably even more important to have line of sight to instrument panel (specifically the tachometer since it's a 6-speed manual), but in reality, the layout works great and you can easily see the important information as you're driving. After all, we tend to look ahead to the center of the roadway and scan in 360, rather than solely straight forward.

3) Personally, I like the modern, sleek and uncluttered design of this instrument panel - it reminds me of Scandinavian furniture. What will make or break the experience in my opinion will be the quality of materials. I think this is one area where Model 3 will be a step down from Model S. Regardless of aesthetic tastes, the Model S interior is crazy expensive with all the wrapped surfaces and smooth (un-grained) leather. I think Model 3 will potentially have more molded and grained plastic surfaces (instead of wrapped) but we'll see.

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My post from the steering wheel thread (more relevant here anyway):

I like the stripped look.... IMHO car interiors have become very curvy and loaded with buttons. In time, they will start to look dated compared to the newer simple/subtle interiors. If you look at computer/phone operating systems, they have migrated to a very simple look/design. This seems to be the current trend and I guesstimate that this will continue into other car manufacturers.
 
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You can't really say the interior of the Model S was luxurious by any standard. It was designed to serve a purpose instead of merely aesthetics. Saying it looks "cheap" is subjective.

However, when you ask yourself, "does it serve the purpose it was designed for" then the answer will be yes.

Is it "cheap" because it's both simple and elegant?
Is it "cheap" because it doesn't have a second screen?
Is it "cheap" because the display isn't integrated into the dash giving it a camel like appearance?
Is it "cheap" because the center screen now faces both the driver and the passenger instead of just the driver?
Is it "cheap" because the display is horizontal instead of vertical even though 100% of the owners are more familiar with horizontal displays?

We really have to ask ourselves, "What does it mean to look 'cheap'"? Is it simply a knee jerk, gut, reaction to something we're unfamiliar with?

You call it simple/minimalist, I see economy/cost-cutting.

Of course Tesla had to cut costs to price the 3 starting at $35k (+ $1,200 destination). People accuse the Bolt of having a "cheap" interior, but even with a "cheap" interior the Bolt has 2 screens.

Honest question: how much money is Tesla saving by cutting the DIC behind the steering wheel? It can't be that much, can it?
 
If posting opinions that don't go along with the herd that run counter to the majority of this site makes me a hater, so be it. *shrug*

No, you have been incredibly antagonistic towards Mode 3 reservation holders, and Tesla owners in general, since you joined the forum. You don't own a Tesla, and you have no interest in owning a Tesla. You're here has an antagonist and Bolt promoter, though I don't know why you waste your time doing so.

Your previous comment was akin to "Some people have called me a racist, but if I may speak candidly..."
 
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Sure. I think German & Scandanavian cars tend to have a great attention to detail. Incorporating texture and color in a tasteful way. For example, maybe they could put lighting around the cupholders that would make them more functional to use in the dark and could add some visual interest. Maybe instead of surfaces being so linear and flat they could add a second layer or level to them, add stitching or another material (chrome, or incorporate the wood in another area) to make it more interesting.

I do like the seats. The doors aren't bad, but the center console, steering wheel and dash just lack innovation and effort.

Their door handles are a great example of adding elegance to the car (from a design perspective) at lesser costs than a model S. They are clearly capable of it. I think they just ran out of time or money.

What kind of "detail" would you suggest?
(if you say "nicer" X or "better" Y, then you'll have to define that)

I'm curious as to what, exactly, makes something more premium
 
You call it simple/minimalist, I see economy/cost-cutting.

Of course Tesla had to cut costs to price the 3 starting at $35k (+ $1,200 destination). People accuse the Bolt of having a "cheap" interior, but even with a "cheap" interior the Bolt has 2 screens.

Honest question: how much money is Tesla saving by cutting the DIC behind the steering wheel? It can't be that much, can it?
It's not about cost cutting as much as it is about reducing weight and simplifying production. People keep thinking cost is the only factor and it's not, screens are cheap relatively speaking. They are simply deeming the other screen unnecessary and rightly so. Many new concepts only have that screen for a speedometer which is made redundant if you have enough screen real estate to display that information in an easily viewable area of the center screen.

Part of me thinks you won't be happy unless there's leather from Tibetan cows over 20,000 ft and a hand crafted steering wheel stitched with unicorn hair by Persian princesses.
 
To me it looks cheap only because of the floating display that could be:

  • embedded in the center console instead with not a lot of a additional costs when removing/repairing -- think removable/detachable face plates on our older radio units or tablet mount like arms appendages sticking out of the center console that can hold it in place
  • wobbly especially when depressing the top area
  • could be a safety hazard during a frontal collision
  • taking up space and can make the front passengers feel a little more claustrophobic -- well, this is a stretch :)

Some advantages are:

  • likely less glare
  • adjustable angle
  • children can play their games on it
 
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Sure. I think German & Scandanavian cars tend to have a great attention to detail. Incorporating texture and color in a tasteful way. For example, maybe they could put lighting around the cupholders that would make them more functional to use in the dark and could add some visual interest. Maybe instead of surfaces being so linear and flat they could add a second layer or level to them, add stitching or another material (chrome, or incorporate the wood in another area) to make it more interesting.

I do like the seats. The doors aren't bad, but the center console, steering wheel and dash just lack innovation and effort.

Their door handles are a great example of adding elegance to the car (from a design perspective) at lesser costs than a model S. They are clearly capable of it. I think they just ran out of time or money.
What are your thoughts on the VW ID concept interior?

Volkswagen-I.D.-Concept-Interior-03.jpg
 
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What kind of "detail" would you suggest?
(if you say "nicer" X or "better" Y, then you'll have to define that)

I'm curious as to what, exactly, makes something more premium

For me, it looks cheap because it looks like a tablet stuck on the dash. Just like someone has plonked it there, like I currently do with my phone holder.

I would at least expect it to be integrated into the dash.
 
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For me, it looks cheap because it looks like a tablet stuck on the dash. Just like someone has plonked it there, like I currently do with my phone holder.
I would at least expect it to be integrated into the dash.

It's not like it's attached to a suction cup. I'm wondering where the preconceived notion that it must be integrated into the dash comes from. Quite a few people share this opinion.

My personal opinion is that I really like how it appears to float in free space. Every person is going to be different though. I think we all might agree, that if there was a big hump in the middle of the dash just to integrate the screen it'd look pretty weird.
 
Can anyone tweet EM and ask if the floating display is part of the final design? :)

I only opened a twitter account five years ago to get some Bestbuy discount and haven't used it since so I'm not volunteering.

I still think the display will be embedded somehow because that floating display is really an eyesore. I'm sure most wouldn't mind an embedded display just like in the Model S while the rest of the dash is empty and adorned by fake wood panels.
 
Can anyone tweet EM and ask if the floating display is part of the final design? :)

I only opened a twitter account five years ago to get some Bestbuy discount and haven't used it since so I'm not volunteering.

I still think the display will be embedded somehow because that floating display is really an eyesore. I'm sure most wouldn't mind an embedded display just like in the Model S while the rest of the dash is empty and adorned by fake wood panels.

It doesn't make sense to embed the only point of information in the vehicle. The floating screen is most likely adjustable to allow you to position it better for your use. Not to mention that it would most likely intrude on leg room to embed a screen in landscape mode, with how low the dash is.
 
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I'd say there is more effort there. From a practicality standpoint, having no storage for passengers is not good. But as far as the perceived quality and effort - the dash appears soft touch. I like the stitching. I think they tried on the door controls, though the texture they chose maybe doesn't mix so well with the stitching. Not a fan of the blue-ish floor area -- i don't necessarily mind that its plastic, but they are drawing attention to it when there are better areas of the car to lead your focus from a design standpoint. The steering wheel implementation is cool. The pattern on the pedals is a nice touch. The headrests do not appear adjustable which would be another potential oversight in the function of the vehicle's interior.

Those would be my initial impressions. Does that give you any insight into what model 3 interior detractors might be thinking?

What are you thoughts on the VW ID concept interior?

Volkswagen-I.D.-Concept-Interior-03.jpg
 
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Can anyone tweet EM and ask if the floating display is part of the final design? :)

I only opened a twitter account five years ago to get some Bestbuy discount and haven't used it since so I'm not volunteering.

I still think the display will be embedded somehow because that floating display is really an eyesore. I'm sure most wouldn't mind an embedded display just like in the Model S while the rest of the dash is empty and adorned by fake wood panels.
It's a floating display in the original drawings unlike the S.

It's not as easy to integrate as the dash sits much lower than the Model S. You'd have to redesign the entire dash and A/C vent system just to accommodate a camel hump in the center of the dash so that it makes a small percentage of the population feel better.

model-3-artwork-launch-event-tesla_grande.jpg
 
I'd say there is more effort there. From a practicality standpoint, having no storage for passengers is not good. But as far as the perceived quality and effort - the dash appears soft touch. I like the stitching. I think they tried on the door controls, though the texture they chose maybe doesn't mix so well with the stitching. Not a fan of the blue-ish floor area -- i don't necessarily mind that its plastic, but they are drawing attention to it when there are better areas of the car to lead your focus from a design standpoint. The steering wheel implementation is cool. The pattern on the pedals is a nice touch. The headrests do not appear adjustable which would be another potential oversight in the function of the vehicle's interior.

Those would be my initial impressions. Does that give you any insight into what model 3 interior detractors might be thinking?
I'm not sure what to expect at this point if what we're seeing in the RCs is the final design ... I mean what we've been seeing is virtually identical to the launch besides the wheel and they've hired the guy who was lead designer on the Porsche Mission E interior (Félix Godard) who obviously didn't contribute to the Model 3 launch alphas.

p15_0784_a4_rgb2-e1490752571591.jpg


Not sure what to expect, but I'm assuming they must have put him to work.... It also might explain why the private showing in a few days is only going to be for the alphas.