My car is great, it was easy to buy, and everything is fine.

[gilscales]

Just to balance out the negative threads here so prospective buyers don't think buying a 3 is like suddenly finding yourself in a new Jordan Peele movie or something.

I put a deposit down before it was revealed.
I waited because our situation necessitated it
I lusted after the P when I read about track mode, but thought we'd get the 3D and hope someday they'd let us buy track mode as an add on.
My wife got a job back here in town, and I found out Tesla would give us decent money trading in her C class.
We test drove a P3D+. I was suitably impressed but was expecting to be. My wife was blown away. The sales guy was nice but had some sketchy/incorrect info. Not surprising or particularly off putting.
We bought a P3D+. They had one in stock that was the color we wanted. They couldn't apply the deposit because it was a new reservation (heh) We got the refund within a week after I requested it.
We took delivery a week after test drive. The delivery (at my house) was totally painless and took way less time than any new car delivery I've been at.
The body panels line up.
The build quality is on par with modern cars in the same price range.
It's the most comfortable car I've ever driven, with the most adjustment range of seat + steering wheel I have ever experienced.
There are no weird noises, except passengers giggling delightedly when I mash the accelerator.
The car drives like it's a sedate sedan when you want it to and like it's german sports sedan that just did a line of meth when you want it to.
There have been a few weird software/operation things come up. Some are glitches, some get fixed with updates, some just pop up sometimes and never come back. So what. All cars do weird things at some point.
I still don't have my spoiler or badge but..meh. They're both stick on cosmetic pieces and I don't really care.
The car is so good I forget it's an EV sometimes, then I remember, and I'm like..oh hellz yes.
I'd buy another one.

This is completely unacceptable as there are more than enough posts here to prove what happened to you is not possible, Build quality "up to par?" how is this possible? No rattles, No way! Body panels line up? This can't be true! I was just reading where a guy was saying he had body panel gaps at the door a mile wide! the door was open but still! Please be careful of future posts like this here as people might get the wrong idea and think this is an awesome car, haha

All kidding aside while I only have the lowly RWD LR, I have had it 11 trouble free months with almost 21k miles and am glad to hear you are loving the car, this is my first Tesla and am an EV convert for life because of this car!

 

[ChadS]

Thanks, OP.

All 6 of our Teslas (over a decade; we only have two now) were easy to buy - aside from a distinct lack of certainty on just when it would be delivered on all of them.

All 6 were in great shape at delivery, reliable over time, and a ton of fun. Well, the Roadster had an awful lot of squeaks and rattles. And the first Model S did have a couple of things that needed to be replaced...but Tesla replaced them before we noticed anything! So we never had a problem with it. Plus most of the cars have gotten extra OTA features over time, so they get better as they get older. That's never happened with any other type of car I have owned.

Not everything with Tesla is perfect; they do have some real problems that I wish they would fix. But that's true of all companies, and most of the important stuff with Tesla is awfully darn good; plus nobody else is offering cars like these. I hope other automakers catch up soon, but I'm going to keep buying and loving Teslas until they do...

 

[hcdavis3]

I'm German, so obviously I have to chime in and add some much needed negativity to this thread

No, but seriously, I am happy you had such a pleasant experience. Mine wasn't as pleasant, not by a wide margin.

But like many have said before, the memory of all these unpleasant experiences before (and even during and after) delivery quickly fade away once you actually own the car and drive it on a daily basis.

Yes, perfectionists have to be aware that this is no Audi, BMW or Mercedes (or even VW). Especially the quality of the paint is so bad in parts it beggars belief. My PPF installer only shook his head at the shoddy overall quality of the paint job, and I quite agree. Luckily, most of the worst spots are on the door sills and similar areas you rarely see, but still, some bad spots of the paint job on more visible areas are so obvious it is hard to not see and not get a bit miffed about. Compared to our e-Golf it's just mind-boggling how Tesla can be so bad at painting cars properly.

Otoh, panel gaps and general interior build quality on mine is much better than what I had feared, so not many complaints there. Some details need fixing (which I never had on any car before, but that's Tesla for you), and that quite a few pieces of headliner had dirt marks was also not what I would have expected on a brand new, 70K Euro car, but a bit of treatment with my miracle solution (shaving cream (!), as recommended by a detailer) did the job of cleaning it all up perfectly.

On the software side of things there are several glitches and especially the connection between the app and the car is sketchy, the auto-open of the doors only works about half of the time, and the LTE connection often takes very long to get up and running when I start driving, but all this might be able to get better via software updates. Same with the Homelink function, which I can't get to work for the life if me, even though the manual of my garage door opener clearly states that it is compatible with the HL hardware and software version installed in the Model 3 according to Tesla. Again, someday, perhaps.

Overall, I am very happy with my Model 3 up to now. I wouldn't say it's the best car that I've ever owned, but it's very close.

I agree. The paint is very soft on my 3. I have a really good detail guy who’s mobile and in my town. We’re going to do what he calls Jet Seal. 149.00 . I’ll report back when he’s done.

 

[TW14 9LF]

My experience is similarly good. Except I had a problem with my car, which took two weeks to diagnose and repair. And guess what, Tesla gave me a Model S to drive while they fixed my Model 3. I got daily status updates on what was happening on my car. It is far and away the best driving car I've ever owned. And my previous DD was a 2008 BMW 550i with the M-Sport package and a 6 speed manual transmission. Also a great car, but service not nearly as good. Lucky to get a loaner, even with recall work. And the loaner was at best a stripped down 3 series, at worst a clapped out Nissan Versa from Enterprise. And it spent quite a bit of time in the shop. Brilliant when running right, frustrating and expensive when it wasn't.

I couldn't be happier with my Tesla experience. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Keith

 

[chr2]

Thank you.

Don't laugh, the car at the top of my list is our current e-Golf.
Sure, it hasn't got the range or the acceleration of the Model 3, but other than that it is better in almost every aspect:

- the build quality is spot on.
- the paint job is the complete opposite of the one in our Model 3. Not a single defect, blemish, covered piece of dust or the like.
- even though the seats in the Model 3 to me feel very comfortable, the ones in the e-Golf feel better still, plus offer a little more side support (and the headrests are adjustable).
- the voice controls in the Model 3 work sketchy at best, entering an address into the navigation system works, but then the system just doesn't do anything with it. In the e-Golf, the voice commands work flawlessly.
- the radio station setup and usage in the Model 3 is very basic. In the e-Golf it works a treat and is visually much more appealing (station logos, presets of regional station sets, traffic warning setup)
- the Dynaudio sound system in the e-Golf sounds just as good overall as the "premium" one in the Model 3, bass levels are better even
- plus there is some small things that I prefer in the e-Golf, like (again, don't laugh) the sound of the doors or trunk lid closing, which is such a nice soft "thud" in the e-Golf but a metallic "bang" in the Model 3 (similar to that on my old BMW E46 coupe actually. Perhaps it's the frameless doors, but on the trunk?), the trunk liner material, the oh sh*t grab handles, the exterior door handles (my second biggest complaint about the Model 3 actually)
- overall, the e-Golf just feels so much more solidly built, while the Model 3 is far better in terms of sheer performance and range of course
- as for the interiors, the one in the Model 3 looks nicer, yes, but the one in the e-Golf is more practical.
- and one final thing I really miss in the Model 3 is dynamic bending light plus cornering light. Got that even in my 15 year old BMW and of course in the e-Golf, not even available as an option on the Model 3. On the roads I drive along at night, this is one feature I sorely miss. Plus it's a real downgrade in terms of safety. Don't know why Tesla cheaped out on such an important feature.

Like I said, a really like our Model 3, it's just a few small steps away from perfect. (Plus of course the e-Golf was almost 30K Euro cheaper).

I agree. The paint is very soft on my 3. I have a really good detail guy who’s mobile and in my town. We’re going to do what he calls Jet Seal. 149.00 . I’ll report back when he’s done.

Please do! My M3 has got plenty of gravel marks I'd like to make go away and protect against in the future.

 

[chr2]

Thank you.

Don't laugh, the car at the top of my list is our current e-Golf.
Sure, it hasn't got the range or the acceleration of the Model 3, but other than that it is better in almost every aspect:

- the build quality is spot on.
- the paint job is the complete opposite of the one in our Model 3. Not a single defect, blemish, covered piece of dust or the like.
- even though the seats in the Model 3 to me feel very comfortable, the ones in the e-Golf feel better still, plus offer a little more side support (and the headrests are adjustable).
- the voice controls in the Model 3 work sketchy at best, entering an address into the navigation system works, but then the system just doesn't do anything with it. In the e-Golf, the voice commands work flawlessly.
- the radio station setup and usage in the Model 3 is very basic. In the e-Golf it works a treat and is visually much more appealing (station logos, presets of regional station sets, traffic warning setup)
- the Dynaudio sound system in the e-Golf sounds just as good overall as the "premium" one in the Model 3, bass levels are better even
- plus there is some small things that I prefer in the e-Golf, like (again, don't laugh) the sound of the doors or trunk lid closing, which is such a nice soft "thud" in the e-Golf but a metallic "bang" in the Model 3 (similar to that on my old BMW E46 coupe actually. Perhaps it's the frameless doors, but on the trunk?), the trunk liner material, the oh sh*t grab handles, the exterior door handles (my second biggest complaint about the Model 3 actually)
- overall, the e-Golf just feels so much more solidly built, while the Model 3 is far better in terms of sheer performance and range of course
- as for the interiors, the one in the Model 3 looks nicer, yes, but the one in the e-Golf is more practical.
- and one final thing I really miss in the Model 3 is dynamic bending light plus cornering light. Got that even in my 15 year old BMW and of course in the e-Golf, not even available as an option on the Model 3. On the roads I drive along at night, this is one feature I sorely miss. Plus it's a real downgrade in terms of safety. Don't know why Tesla cheaped out on such an important feature.

Like I said, a really like our Model 3, it's just a few small steps away from perfect. (Plus of course the e-Golf was almost 30K Euro cheaper).

eGolf does sound impressive, as you describe it. Maybe a couple reasons it was 30k Euro cheaper --- 125 mile range and zero to 60 in 8.5 seconds, yes?

 

[cheersman]

I just received my Model 3 yesterday, so I'd like throw my hat in the ring. I don't really have any complaints. I ordered it on 3/17 they said it would be about two weeks, and I got it 11 days later. I suppose the rear trunk has a gap that's smaller on the driver side and wider on the passenger side, but if I hadn't heard people complaining about such things I probably wouldn't have even noticed. (Before purchasing I was explaining to my wife about the potential for such issues and she immediately was like "who cares?!").

I think if you're a hardcore car guy who likes nice things and is trading in a BMW, then you care about extreme details. I've only ever owned used cars and minivans. This is the first new car I've bought, the fastest, and the most expensive. It's shiny and fun. I do want to get a good looking, functional car for my money, but there's a 4 year warranty, so I'll take advantage of that as needed.

Now I'm not making excuses.I suppose the experience could be better (and I know others have had worse experiences), but I think anyone could buy a Model 3 without worrying that they're making some huge mistake.

I'm just a tech guy with 5 kids and a minivan. I didn't have to spend a whole Saturday negotiating with and getting nickel and dimed by some car dealership. I've got a nice car that can get me from point A to point B in style like none of the other cars I've owned. Am I happy with the experience? Yes.

 

[hcdavis3]

I just received my Model 3 yesterday, so I'd like throw my hat in the ring. I don't really have any complaints. I ordered it on 3/17 they said it would be about two weeks, and I got it 11 days later. I suppose the rear trunk has a gap that's smaller on the driver side and wider on the passenger side, but if I hadn't heard people complaining about such things I probably wouldn't have even noticed. (Before purchasing I was explaining to my wife about the potential for such issues and she immediately was like "who cares?!").

I think if you're a hardcore car guy who likes nice things and is trading in a BMW, then you care about extreme details. I've only ever owned used cars and minivans. This is the first new car I've bought, the fastest, and the most expensive. It's shiny and fun. I do want to get a good looking, functional car for my money, but there's a 4 year warranty, so I'll take advantage of that as needed.

Now I'm not making excuses.I suppose the experience could be better (and I know others have had worse experiences), but I think anyone could buy a Model 3 without worrying that they're making some huge mistake.

I'm just a tech guy with 5 kids and a minivan. I didn't have to spend a whole Saturday negotiating with and getting nickel and dimed by some car dealership. I've got a nice car that can get me from point A to point B in style like none of the other cars I've owned. Am I happy with the experience? Yes.

Love the Saturday experience. At an ICE dealership...Hold on I gotta talk to my manager. 10 minutes later..
Enjoy your car!

 

[dfwatt]

Just to balance out the negative threads here so prospective buyers don't think buying a 3 is like suddenly finding yourself in a new Jordan Peele movie or something.

I put a deposit down before it was revealed.
I waited because our situation necessitated it
I lusted after the P when I read about track mode, but thought we'd get the 3D and hope someday they'd let us buy track mode as an add on.
My wife got a job back here in town, and I found out Tesla would give us decent money trading in her C class.
We test drove a P3D+. I was suitably impressed but was expecting to be. My wife was blown away. The sales guy was nice but had some sketchy/incorrect info. Not surprising or particularly off putting.
We bought a P3D+. They had one in stock that was the color we wanted. They couldn't apply the deposit because it was a new reservation (heh) We got the refund within a week after I requested it.
We took delivery a week after test drive. The delivery (at my house) was totally painless and took way less time than any new car delivery I've been at.
The body panels line up.
The build quality is on par with modern cars in the same price range.
It's the most comfortable car I've ever driven, with the most adjustment range of seat + steering wheel I have ever experienced.
There are no weird noises, except passengers giggling delightedly when I mash the accelerator.
The car drives like it's a sedate sedan when you want it to and like it's german sports sedan that just did a line of meth when you want it to.
There have been a few weird software/operation things come up. Some are glitches, some get fixed with updates, some just pop up sometimes and never come back. So what. All cars do weird things at some point.
I still don't have my spoiler or badge but..meh. They're both stick on cosmetic pieces and I don't really care.
The car is so good I forget it's an EV sometimes, then I remember, and I'm like..oh hellz yes.
I'd buy another one.

A +1 on all those thoughts stickman.

here's my quickie summary of ownership:

Let’s start with the take home message, after 6 months of ownership. The Tesla Model 3 Performance Version is an affordable four-door Ferrari that gets the equivalent of at least 110+ miles per gallon (sometimes way better). It's a game changer. It combines amazing efficiency with great handling, performance, and space utilization and a very decent ride too. With one person on board, it will get you to 60 mph in just a tick over 3 seconds but with no wheelspin, and no engine noise. Amazingly, its braking and handling might be just as impressive, particularly in ‘Track Mode’. It not only offers this BMW M3-beating performance with very little noise, drama or fuss, it might be the easiest car to drive you can buy. and it's been stunning to discover just how easy the car is to drive both on long trips and around town. So you're getting both a cruise mobile and a Batmobile. If you're into tracking the car, in track shoesand with upgraded brake pads, it’s even faster around a track than the 2011-2 Ferrari Italia 458. How’s all that possible??? A clean sheet design starting from scratch, and applying all the lessons Tesla learned from their successes and failures with previous Models S/X. I think collectively the car is a work of genius, if one puts together all the breakthroughs that they have consolidated in the Model 3 performance version. But the other versions are equally great in relationship to the competition in their classes. There's a reason why the model 3 is just thumping every other premium sedan in the world in terms of sales. People get it.

Bottom Line – It will make your expensive BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Alfa Romeo, or ANY other premium sports sedan feel primitive and underperforming. If you just bought one of these premium sports sedans, a test drive of the top Model 3 will literally make you sick with regret.

While almost nobody buying a premium sports sedan looks closely at safety data, the Tesla Model 3 might also be the safest car in the world, both from an active and passive safety standpoint. It’s the first car to win outright every crash test category, showing a significantly lower risk of injury in a potential crash than any other vehicle. Indeed if you equally weight performance, safety, and efficiency/ecology, one might argue that it is “the best sports sedan in the world.” It seems simply impossible to believe that the best-performing sports sedan is also the safest, least expensive to operate, and the best for the environment. But that's what it looks like to me, having seen all the data, and compared all the competing vehicles. If all of those collective achievements were not enough, the car looks like the car Ferrari would have made, if it made electric four-door sedans. While not everybody loves the front view, overall, I think the car is just gorgeous – but of course, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. While clearly all technologies are about intrinsic trade-offs, the Model 3 strikes a stunning balance, in which very little is compromised. There are a handful of ridiculously expensive cars that are quicker, more than a handful that might ride better, a very few that handle better, and many larger vehicles that have more carrying capacity. But there are ZERO more economical to operate or more ecological vehicles, and none with anything close to this exceptional composite competence in performance, utility, safety and comfort. None, zero, zip, nada.

Okay – let's get realistic. There are some downsides and there are the widely discussed quality control issues, along with occasional funkiness in the operating system and a few quirks from time to time in how Tesla does stuff. However, both of our cars were delivered in nearly perfect condition, except for a too tight trunk latch on one, and the other one had a computer board fail at four months out. Otherwise, pretty flawless ownership experience, and Tesla does work very hard to get it right terms of their service. They are dealing with the painful transition from being a boutique manufacturer to a mainstream one moving 5000 cars a week. Pretty soon it's gonna be more than that with the Model Y. Do they need to improve their logistics, and their ability to handle high throughput throughout their various service and repair systems? Absolutely.

But is the Model 3 the best sedan right now you can buy if you're interested in a composite of excellence across performance, safety, operating expense and out-of-pocket ownership costs, state-of-the-art technology, comfort, etc. ABSOLUTELY.

 

[BlueM3-va]

Just to balance out the negative threads here so prospective buyers don't think buying a 3 is like suddenly finding yourself in a new Jordan Peele movie or something.

I put a deposit down before it was revealed.
I waited because our situation necessitated it
I lusted after the P when I read about track mode, but thought we'd get the 3D and hope someday they'd let us buy track mode as an add on.
My wife got a job back here in town, and I found out Tesla would give us decent money trading in her C class.
We test drove a P3D+. I was suitably impressed but was expecting to be. My wife was blown away. The sales guy was nice but had some sketchy/incorrect info. Not surprising or particularly off putting.
We bought a P3D+. They had one in stock that was the color we wanted. They couldn't apply the deposit because it was a new reservation (heh) We got the refund within a week after I requested it.
We took delivery a week after test drive. The delivery (at my house) was totally painless and took way less time than any new car delivery I've been at.
The body panels line up.
The build quality is on par with modern cars in the same price range.
It's the most comfortable car I've ever driven, with the most adjustment range of seat + steering wheel I have ever experienced.
There are no weird noises, except passengers giggling delightedly when I mash the accelerator.
The car drives like it's a sedate sedan when you want it to and like it's german sports sedan that just did a line of meth when you want it to.
There have been a few weird software/operation things come up. Some are glitches, some get fixed with updates, some just pop up sometimes and never come back. So what. All cars do weird things at some point.
I still don't have my spoiler or badge but..meh. They're both stick on cosmetic pieces and I don't really care.
The car is so good I forget it's an EV sometimes, then I remember, and I'm like..oh hellz yes.
I'd buy another one.

I bought my LR M3 in July 2018. No issues and love the car in every respect

 

[hcdavis3]

I bought my LR M3 in July 2018. No issues and love the car in every respect

Love your comments, particularly about meth. Enjoy your car!!!

 

[AustinPowers]

eGolf does sound impressive, as you describe it. Maybe a couple reasons it was 30k Euro cheaper --- 125 mile range and zero to 60 in 8.5 seconds, yes?

I already said that range and performance are better in the Model 3, so what's your point?

 

[hcdavis3]

A +1 on all those thoughts stickman.

here's my quickie summary of ownership:

Let’s start with the take home message, after 6 months of ownership. The Tesla Model 3 Performance Version is an affordable four-door Ferrari that gets the equivalent of at least 110+ miles per gallon (sometimes way better). It's a game changer. It combines amazing efficiency with great handling, performance, and space utilization and a very decent ride too. With one person on board, it will get you to 60 mph in just a tick over 3 seconds but with no wheelspin, and no engine noise. Amazingly, its braking and handling might be just as impressive, particularly in ‘Track Mode’. It not only offers this BMW M3-beating performance with very little noise, drama or fuss, it might be the easiest car to drive you can buy. and it's been stunning to discover just how easy the car is to drive both on long trips and around town. So you're getting both a cruise mobile and a Batmobile. If you're into tracking the car, in track shoesand with upgraded brake pads, it’s even faster around a track than the 2011-2 Ferrari Italia 458. How’s all that possible??? A clean sheet design starting from scratch, and applying all the lessons Tesla learned from their successes and failures with previous Models S/X. I think collectively the car is a work of genius, if one puts together all the breakthroughs that they have consolidated in the Model 3 performance version. But the other versions are equally great in relationship to the competition in their classes. There's a reason why the model 3 is just thumping every other premium sedan in the world in terms of sales. People get it.

Bottom Line – It will make your expensive BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Alfa Romeo, or ANY other premium sports sedan feel primitive and underperforming. If you just bought one of these premium sports sedans, a test drive of the top Model 3 will literally make you sick with regret.

While almost nobody buying a premium sports sedan looks closely at safety data, the Tesla Model 3 might also be the safest car in the world, both from an active and passive safety standpoint. It’s the first car to win outright every crash test category, showing a significantly lower risk of injury in a potential crash than any other vehicle. Indeed if you equally weight performance, safety, and efficiency/ecology, one might argue that it is “the best sports sedan in the world.” It seems simply impossible to believe that the best-performing sports sedan is also the safest, least expensive to operate, and the best for the environment. But that's what it looks like to me, having seen all the data, and compared all the competing vehicles. If all of those collective achievements were not enough, the car looks like the car Ferrari would have made, if it made electric four-door sedans. While not everybody loves the front view, overall, I think the car is just gorgeous – but of course, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. While clearly all technologies are about intrinsic trade-offs, the Model 3 strikes a stunning balance, in which very little is compromised. There are a handful of ridiculously expensive cars that are quicker, more than a handful that might ride better, a very few that handle better, and many larger vehicles that have more carrying capacity. But there are ZERO more economical to operate or more ecological vehicles, and none with anything close to this exceptional composite competence in performance, utility, safety and comfort. None, zero, zip, nada.

Okay – let's get realistic. There are some downsides and there are the widely discussed quality control issues, along with occasional funkiness in the operating system and a few quirks from time to time in how Tesla does stuff. However, both of our cars were delivered in nearly perfect condition, except for a too tight trunk latch on one, and the other one had a computer board fail at four months out. Otherwise, pretty flawless ownership experience, and Tesla does work very hard to get it right terms of their service. They are dealing with the painful transition from being a boutique manufacturer to a mainstream one moving 5000 cars a week. Pretty soon it's gonna be more than that with the Model Y. Do they need to improve their logistics, and their ability to handle high throughput throughout their various service and repair systems? Absolutely.

But is the Model 3 the best sedan right now you can buy if you're interested in a composite of excellence across performance, safety, operating expense and out-of-pocket ownership costs, state-of-the-art technology, comfort, etc. ABSOLUTELY.

Absolutely awesome report , I could not agree more on any count. Enjoy your car. I am thoroughly enjoying mine. More fun than I’ve ever had in an automobile!!

 

[nabeel]

I got my LR delivered today, no issues IMHO, just a few paint imperfections that are hardly noticable. Love the buying experience it was really smooth and easy!!!

 

[BDWagner]

Just to balance out the negative threads here so prospective buyers don't think buying a 3 is like suddenly finding yourself in a new Jordan Peele movie or something.

I put a deposit down before it was revealed.
I waited because our situation necessitated it
I lusted after the P when I read about track mode, but thought we'd get the 3D and hope someday they'd let us buy track mode as an add on.
My wife got a job back here in town, and I found out Tesla would give us decent money trading in her C class.
We test drove a P3D+. I was suitably impressed but was expecting to be. My wife was blown away. The sales guy was nice but had some sketchy/incorrect info. Not surprising or particularly off putting.
We bought a P3D+. They had one in stock that was the color we wanted. They couldn't apply the deposit because it was a new reservation (heh) We got the refund within a week after I requested it.
We took delivery a week after test drive. The delivery (at my house) was totally painless and took way less time than any new car delivery I've been at.
The body panels line up.
The build quality is on par with modern cars in the same price range.
It's the most comfortable car I've ever driven, with the most adjustment range of seat + steering wheel I have ever experienced.
There are no weird noises, except passengers giggling delightedly when I mash the accelerator.
The car drives like it's a sedate sedan when you want it to and like it's german sports sedan that just did a line of meth when you want it to.
There have been a few weird software/operation things come up. Some are glitches, some get fixed with updates, some just pop up sometimes and never come back. So what. All cars do weird things at some point.
I still don't have my spoiler or badge but..meh. They're both stick on cosmetic pieces and I don't really care.
The car is so good I forget it's an EV sometimes, then I remember, and I'm like..oh hellz yes.
I'd buy another one.

As a new Model 3 owner in Northern Michigan, I am happy to report that the buying experience for me was the most hassle free ever. Since I choose the dual motor long range, the car was in inventory in Chicago. It was delivered to my home in less than 10 days. All of the interactions with Tesla were timely and professional. The reservation dollars could not be applied to my purchase, so a refund was issued, which I received in about a week. My hope is that Tesla can survive the attacks from all directions and become the new model of successful companies.

 

[SMAlset]

....Like I said, a really like our Model 3, it's just a few small steps away from perfect. (Plus of course the e-Golf was almost 30K Euro cheaper).

eGolf does sound impressive, as you describe it. Maybe a couple reasons it was 30k Euro cheaper --- 125 mile range and zero to 60 in 8.5 seconds, yes?

I already said that range and performance are better in the Model 3, so what's your point?

You did kind of make a round about point that the Tesla was more expensive, which it is. I think he was just responding to why that would be so -- range (convenience) and acceleration--pretty important to many and maybe more so to many than paint and panel gaps, etc. All depends on what's most important to one. My small paint issues and alignment issue was fixed in Due Bill and being our roads out here are so bad knew we were getting PPF on it. That kind of took care of the paint issue for me.

 

[AustinPowers]

You did kind of make a round about point that the Tesla was more expensive, which it is. I think he was just responding to why that would be so -- range (convenience) and acceleration--pretty important to many and maybe more so to many than paint and panel gaps, etc. All depends on what's most important to one. My small paint issues and alignment issue was fixed in Due Bill and being our roads out here are so bad knew we were getting PPF on it. That kind of took care of the paint issue for me.

Well, I reacted the way I did because I wrote in my earlier post about the e-Golf:

Sure, it hasn't got the range or the acceleration of the Model 3, but other than that it is better in almost every aspect: [...]

@chr2 then responded by saying that reasons for the Model 3 being much more expensive could be better range and acceleration, which to me seemed to be a moot point as I had already admitted to exactly that in my previous post.

And to reiterate: yes, sure, those two things might be important to many, and I don't deny that especially the long range was a major reason for me to even consider the Model 3 in the first place.

But it has to be noted that there are flaws. Flaws that many people, at least over here, are not going to accept as lightly as we enthusiasts do. People over here, especially those who spend 60K+ Euro on a car, tend to be pretty perfectionist.
And there is no denying that Tesla paint quality leaves a lot to be desired. The defects on mine for example could be considered small - if it were just one or two. But there are many dozens of bad patches of paint, and not just on one or two areas, but all around the car, except probably for the hood, which looks almost perfect.
Just for comparison: we decided to get our e-Golf wrapped as well after all. It had been in use for over a month by now, with quite a lot of Autobahn driving, while our Model 3 was just driven carefully for 15 miles from the delivery center to the PPF installer.
Yet the paint on the e-Golf had far less blemishes even after that one and a half months of driving (including a 300+ mile trip through half of Germany on the Autobahn)!

 

[tam-o-shanter]

Also love my LR RWD M3 with no problems! Took delivery before Christmas. Just over 5,000 miles now. One minor fit issue with side light by trunk, was re-positioned by service dept. Love how safe the car is. Got the update with the additional miles, was able to charge before last week's trip to 323. Neighbors are envious! Going to try and convince my oldest daughter to buy the Y as she needs a new car soon and was looking at the Nisan Rogue.

 

[dfwatt]

I'm German, so obviously I have to chime in and add some much needed negativity to this thread

Overall, I am very happy with my Model 3 up to now. I wouldn't say it's the best car that I've ever owned, but it's very close.

OK. Normally, I let people gripe about s--- just because, well, it's cathartic, and then there's the whole freedom of speech thing, which I think is pretty good, so I don't do anything that could be construed as repressive of that. Plus it's pretty clear that there is good reason to be concerned about the quality control not created by Tesla as they scrambled to rush ~5k Model 3s/week out the door

But I have to say, do you REALLY think that the e-Golf is a better car OVERALL than the Model 3? REALLY? I just don't get that.

So, please indulge me here - Let's do a running tab and please do forgive me if I have things a bit mis-attributed, as I have to reconstruct your basic points from memory.

For the E-Golf:

1) price
2) paint quality and assembly
3) interior materials
4) It's German (OK that's probably not on the explicit list, but I have to assume it's implicit)


For the Tesla Model 3

1) Performance (not even close if you are comparing to DMP+, but still not that close for base model)
2) Handling (also not even close esp for the DMP+)
3) Braking (again, esp. for DMP+)
4) Passive Safety and crash worthiness (not even close here either for any Model 3 by NHTSA data)
4) Space utilization and carrying capacity (much more room in vehicle 16 inches longer)
5) Range, plus much better and faster charging network
6) Ride (but these are close)
7) Styling (admittedly subjective but no one considers the Golf to be a looker)
8) Active safety and accident avoidance (collision warnings, info about nearby vehicles integrated into touchscreen, plus automatic EB)
9) Touchscreen and operating system integration
10) Navigation system (also not even close)
11) semi-autonomous driving/autopilot
12) Updated and improved regularly - only car (other than other Teslas) currently getting significantly better with age. Recent improvements to power output, cold weather behavior, climate control flexibility, nav system, autopilot, and too many others to mention here.
13) Fun to drive? Admittedly subjective, but I can't believe that anyone considers the e-Golf the equal of the Tesla Model 3, again esp. DMP+ versions in terms of driver enjoyment)

If one just focuses on the big picture here, I can't say that I see a real basis for your judgment other than pique - unless the QC and paint issues in your mind are just so egregious that they somehow cancel out the performance, handling, safety, tech, efficiency and range along with the many other advantages of the Model 3?

It's really not close, at least IMO, and this shouldn't be surprising, as the e-Golf is a warmed over ICE design. The Model 3 is a clean sheet of paper. They really aren't comparable. As fine a car as the Golf is, as the single most successful sedan in Europe, it's simply not competitive with the Model 3.

There's a reason why the Model 3, despite everyone and their mother being aware of the QC issues you and others complain about, is outselling, indeed, drop kicking every other premium sedan in the USA, and now in Europe. It's because people get the big picture. But do you?

 

[dfwatt]

My previous ICE had literally 12 painful, time consuming recalls. I’ll take a Tesla every day of the week and then some, which is why we now have his and hers and will for the rest of our lives.

Same here. And my technophobic incredibly techno-skeptical wife ("I don't need a car this expensive and cars are just to get from point A to point B") LOVES her Model 3 Performance! She recently got back into her Honda Odyssey and remarked "this thing drives like dogmeat!! It sucks!!" She had to admit that she has been totally spoiled by the Tesla, and doesn't want to drive anything else.

Best reference you could ever get for Model 3