No hatch-back on model 3 - Anyone else disappointed.

[NeverFollow]

nolngrgrsngslde, I feel been in the same boat regarding your comment.

I made two reservations, however I cannot convince myself for getting a non versatile car with a regular trunk,
so I guess I will have to wait for the model Y.

I understand the justified requirement of having a five adults car and the compromise of still getting a low drag coefficient,
to be the reason for a regular trunk.

But this is too much of a limitation: Even if the back seat can be folded, the large horizontal shelf between the two pillars will
not allow carry any large object: Someone mention a dog box, in my case I'd like to carry two fancy bicycles that I want to keep protected.

​

I like the Model S, but I find it a little too big and difficult to park in a city. I cannot have a second car either.

It would be interesting knowing the real dimension of the Model 3, and in particular knowing the hight of the trunk.
For this purpose, I tried to evaluate what would be the current size of the Model 3 trunk, using a BMW 325i as reference:
How many "Carry-on" bags and suitcases, and surfboards, would fit in the Model 3 trunk?

While I find the Model 3 been astonishing and beautiful, with some unique features like auto-pilot and recharging network access,
a I am still convince that the Model 3 is not the car I will buy.

 

[igotzzoom]

The Model Y will likely be made when a European factory is up and running--hatchbacks are popular in Europe, but they are incredibly unpopular here in the US.

Not true. Except in 'Murica they're called crossovers, at least if you want to sell them in any numbers.

 

[GoTslaGo]

The model 3 trunk from the pics and reveal reminds me of my former 2004 BMW 3 (E46 for BMW enthusiasist). Once you drop the back seats down it has lots of room. Drove cross country with 2 bikes (Cannondale road, Specialized Mtn), of course wheels off. Also a snowboard and a set of skis, boots etc. Everything cushioned with blankets, etc...

I really liked that BMW 3... Now I'm looking forward to the Tesla 3!

 

[CarlitoDoc]

No problem for me. Want a hatch-back?? Get a Model S !!!

 

[Seesaw]

Having a tow bar is a massive help.

 

[Luke42]

No problem for me. Want a hatch-back?? Get a Model S !!!

Yeah, no.

If a Model S were more important than my other financial obligations, I would have bought one already.

The Model 3 has a much more reasonable impact.

Remember that, for those of us with modest tastes, new ICE cars run around $20k. So a $42k Model 3 is already double "what a car costs", and the Model S is a couple of times more than that.

The Model S is a very nice car and I thought long and hard about whether I could justify one. But it costs as much as a house in my town (the options you pick on the S determine which neighborhood the house is in), and so I ultimately couldn't justify it.

 

[pangolina]

I would like it to have a larger opening which elon said they would look into doing.

I would be curious whether others would trade the nice big one panel roof glass for hatch back opening?

I'd be OK to have a liftgate instead of glass panel or extra headroom in the back. It will be one person car, and second vehicle or Model S is not an option.

I'm going to keep my reservation however. I'm pretty sure I can work around small trunk opening limitation. And of cause there's a hope that this opening will be larger in production car.

 

[Luke42]

I'd be OK to have a liftgate instead of glass panel or extra headroom in the back.

Same here. My kids ride in the back, and the oldest one is 6. Also, we're a short family, so headroom ia rarely a problem for any of us.

I'm keeping my reservation, though, because I like everything else about the car so far*.

* I suspect that the ascetic dashboars will be completed with a HUD. But I'd be fine with that 15" Dell diaplay they're using now. That's the kind of display that I use for every other kind of important information, so it's all good.

 

[Fred Thompson]

Maybe Tesla can get a deal on Gorilla Glass for its back window where it will be light enough to change the design of the trunk to a hatchback?

Gorilla Glass, Used for Smartphones, Is Coming to Cars | NDTV Gadgets360.com

 

[WarpedOne]

All of you who desperately need a hatch.. go buy a BWM 3 series, or Audi A4, or MBC.
*None* of those has a hatch and still sell in hundreds of thousands. Or did sell and they will love some attentions.

3 is not everything for everybody.

Sorry.

 

[darthy001]

All of you who desperately need a hatch.. go buy a BWM 3 series, or Audi A4, or MBC.
*None* of those has a hatch and still sell in hundreds of thousands. Or did sell and they will love some attentions.

3 is not everything for everybody.

Sorry.

BMW has the GT-version of the 3-series as well as the Touring-stationwagon versions in the same series.
Audi has the Avant-stationwagon version of the A4.
Mercedes has the CLA shooting brake as well as the station wagon C-class.

All with hatches..

Not saying the Model 3 needs a hatch, but the competition most certainly offers cars in the same segment with hatches as an option.

 

[David_Cary]

All those liftbacks are not available in the US. Shows that someone doesn't think they would sell enough to be worth bringing them over. Given the constraints - no liftback makes a lot of sense. But doesn't mean Europe or elsewhere is going to be happy. Model Y

 

[darthy001]

All those liftbacks are not available in the US. Shows that someone doesn't think they would sell enough to be worth bringing them over. Given the constraints - no liftback makes a lot of sense. But doesn't mean Europe or elsewhere is going to be happy. Model Y

Yes, no doubt very different markets. I personally never understood why americans dont want the extra cargospace and ease of use of the hatch-opening.

I had an Audi A5 coupe for a couple of years that had a similar trunk to the Model 3 and it was a hassle when moving stuff. Then again not really a car made for moving stuff in the first place. This is one of the areas where the Model S shines so bright. Almost the best of both worlds in terms of looks and storage

 

[yesup]

BMW has the GT-version of the 3-series as well as the Touring-stationwagon versions in the same series.
Audi has the Avant-stationwagon version of the A4.
Mercedes has the CLA shooting brake as well as the station wagon C-class.
All with hatches..
Not saying the Model 3 needs a hatch, but the competition most certainly offers cars in the same segment with hatches as an option.

And all the "competition" has tons more production, distribution and servicing capacity. So they can have many variants of the same car including coupe and convertible versions as well.

Of all those cars you mentioned above, sedan versions are still the best selling in US - by far.

Tesla, with limited resource and production facility, has to prioritize one version to start - and sedan is the only choice.

 

[Luke42]

All of you who desperately need a hatch.. go buy a BWM 3 series, or Audi A4, or MBC.
*None* of those has a hatch and still sell in hundreds of thousands. Or did sell and they will love some attentions.

3 is not everything for everybody.

Sorry.

Those cars are overpriced, and lack a compelling value proposition.

If it weren't for the Model 3 (and its competitors), we'd just get another Prius. We owned our last one for 12 years, and it was a fantastic owner's car (as opposed to a driver's car). The Prius is the car that converted me to the hatchback camp.

The Model 3 is likely to be the car that finally makes the 2004+ Prius obsolete*, assuming that Tesla puts a decent warranty on it.

* Except for cargo loading ability. The old Prius still has an edge there. Tesla could remove this asterisk by providing a choice between a hatchback and the pano roof on this car.

I'm going to buy a Model 3 anyway, asterisk and all. I like the car, and the change it stands for. My reservation stands.

 

[Topher]

Yes. I was hoping for a hatchback. I can't think of a single advantage to a sedan, from a usage viewpoint (there are of course design issues, which is why we are getting a sedan).

Thank you kindly.

 

[darthy001]

And all the "competition" has tons more production, distribution and servicing capacity. So they can have many variants of the same car including coupe and convertible versions as well.

Of all those cars you mentioned above, sedan versions are still the best selling in US - by far.

Tesla, with limited resource and production facility, has to prioritize one version to start - and sedan is the only choice.

Totally agree, but the statement I replied to was that the competition didnt have hatches at all in the same series

Fully understand it if Tesla ends up with this design by choosing headrom over hatch. Had I been in the market for a 3 I would have wanted a hatch, but I am not... New roadster on the other hand....

 

[gigglehertz]

I was initially disappointed because I've grown to really like the cargo capacity and ease of access of my Leaf's hatch. The more I think about it though the more happy I'll be with the rear glass. I think the headroom and better visibility will be worth the trade off. Besides, I'm giving the Leaf to the gf so I'll still have it to haul stuff on that rare occasion. I don't have kids so the back seats are fine for luggage and what not on longer trips. I trust Elon and Franz to make a very aerodynamic car, unlike my Leaf that vibrates so bad at 65-70 mph that it feels like it's going to start coming apart.

 

[Tiberius]

As I said in the other thread, I'm not too worried about it. This will be a commuter for us. For cargo space, I'll stick with our 4Runner (until they come out with a $35k full-size SUV, which might take a while)

 

[Siciliano]

A hatch would've been nice, but I'm ok with the current design. I have a Range Rover sport, so I'm going to be sacrificing a LOT in the way of trunk space... but I will just get the wife an SUV to replace her car. Problem solved.