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One month ownership update - features that don't get enough attention...!
- Thread starter akmedia
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- api cruise control Model 3
chibi_kurochan
Member
Here is the data, you can judge for yourself.
http://www.oica.net/wp-content/uploads/World-Ranking-of-Manufacturers.pdf
2016 Production | OICA
TheMightyQuinn
Member
It is exactly a month after taking the delivery of my Model 3 LR Dual motor. Before buying decision, I researched, read many blogs and watched youtube videos. It gave me a clear picture of what to expect and how to adopt. But there are many more niceties that are not covered. Thought I will jot down few of them which are subtle but satisfying.
No Gas anxiety:
Many complain about the electric range and it is one of the primary reason many put off buying an electric car. It is actually the opposite for me. With my gasoline car I was not able to set a schedule. Often i pump gas at Costco when I go there. This means it exactly goes to empty the morning I run late to the office. One of the best advice I got from the delivery advisor is to charge the car every single night. With long range battery I charge 80% to get to 250+ miles every single day. Without fail I charge it every single night. This is more than enough for me to get around during the day. With proximity to superchargers in my area i do not look at the battery or energy graph. It is completely out of my mind. The bigger plus is to not waste 10 mins at the gas station twice a week in cold winter. More than anything I do not miss "Gas Station TV"...
API & data:
At heart I'm a techie, nerd and a developer. I automate and optimize many things in my house from thermostats to light switches. On day 2 I signed up for data service at www.teslafi.com which uses the unofficial APIs to poll and get data from the car. They have nice graphs to show the trip report, energy savings and much more. I drool over this data and see for ways to optimize my energy savings. When my wife uses the car, I can check on her driving pattern as well.
Traffic aware cruise control:
While the autopilot feature is fancy and the car drives itself, i do not engage it often. My work commute does not include freeways. But traffic aware cruise control saves me every single time. Almost all the time I have a car in front of me to follow. The TA cruise control follows the car in front to the dot. This takes away the pain of moving the leg from brake to accelerator and pressing each pedal. This saves me at least 50-100 times each day.
Proximity distance alerts:
I've used reverse camera in many cars before. Even with camera it is always a guess work. it always feels like I'm too close to the wall or the car behind me. But when I get out and actually see it there is at least 2ft distance between them. Each car's camera is different and the lines drawn inside the camera is even more confusing. Every time my brain is calculating the distance between the car and obstacle. Tesla solved that exact problem of calculating the distance. It actually show the distance between the car and the obstacle in inches. When parking in my garage I stop when it shows 18 inches because a feet and a half is the safe distance in my mind. The guess work and brain calculation is completely gone and I park like a pro every single time.
No more fighting with physical A/C vents:
Look back 20+ years and the A/C vents functionality has never changed. Always it comes with left-right and top-bottom knobs. But they never work the way I want the airflow to come. With version 9 of software there is a visual way of controlling the airflow. After playing with it few times, I mastered the way I want the air flow.
I'm sure many of you have similar experiences in owning a Tesla. Feel free to add your best feature that gets little attention.
TheMightyQuinn
Member
Great observations on the car. What I did was feel the suspension could be a lot better. I added new rims, caliper covers, tire bands, BUY the big improvement was coil overs from Mountain Pass Performance. They worked with KW
And developed a great set of coil overs, in addition I added new cam and toe units. Big difference from stock.
I lowered the car 2 inches and put stainless steel brake lines in.
The ride is so much better and sporty.
And developed a great set of coil overs, in addition I added new cam and toe units. Big difference from stock.
I lowered the car 2 inches and put stainless steel brake lines in.
The ride is so much better and sporty.
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ℬête Noire
Active Member
For the first couple months on the Bolt, which I always run in it's high regen mode (that's stronger than the 3 RWD's) and doesn't have TACC, I'd occasionally get cramps on hour+ trips. The responsiveness requires a lot more precision and control, and with that endurance, manually operating the accelerator that you can get by without on most ICE accelerators, especially with automatic transmissions.Dude how often does your right foot itch?
But you get past that as your muscle builds up, and it was nothing by the time I got my Model 3. Also with the Model 3, if you get EAP, it's a lot easier to flip into cruise and then flip back out as needed, so I expect it wouldn't be as much an issue coming straight to it.
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TheMightyQuinn
Member
18 inch the coil overs are about 1600 for the four tires and about a $350 install. WELL worth it.
Bill
StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
One thing I really like about the Model 3 in the winter is the way the roof overhangs the side glass. In so many other cars it is necessary to clear the snow from above the doors lest it all fall in on the floor as soon as you crack the door open. On the Model 3 the snow tends to end at the edge of the roof and I don't have to clear the snow away before I open the door.
The airbags fortunately don't get much attention. But they work! Wish I didn't discover that...6 weeks into ownership. Oh well can still post.
StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
The lack of an instrument cluster behind the steering wheel is often cited by detractors as some kind of disadvantage (as if being different makes it wrong).
I've found quite the opposite and in a HUGE way. Now I can put the steering wheel much closer to lap (and still see the speedometer). This is a much more ergonomically friendly position for the shoulders and back on a long drive because the steering wheel is now where it belongs instead of in the only position that didn't block the instruments.
I don't know who or when it was decided that it made sense to put the speedometer behind the steering wheel, but they didn't know what they were doing. While Tesla wasn't the first manufacturer to fix this glaring problem, I do think they have done more in one year than any other manufacturer to rectify it. And they did it in the face of a bunch of idiots claiming it was "wrong".
I've found quite the opposite and in a HUGE way. Now I can put the steering wheel much closer to lap (and still see the speedometer). This is a much more ergonomically friendly position for the shoulders and back on a long drive because the steering wheel is now where it belongs instead of in the only position that didn't block the instruments.
I don't know who or when it was decided that it made sense to put the speedometer behind the steering wheel, but they didn't know what they were doing. While Tesla wasn't the first manufacturer to fix this glaring problem, I do think they have done more in one year than any other manufacturer to rectify it. And they did it in the face of a bunch of idiots claiming it was "wrong".
jkcheng122
Member
I'm so glad I'm not the only one that likes the wheel as low toward the lap as possible. I did a ton of research into aftermarket HUDs b/c the top of my wheel would block the speedometer in my previous car. There is one small issue with the lack of instrument cluster for me at first; it was the lack of lighting at night and it made me think I don't have my headlights on for a while. Wasn't used to not having backlight of any sort in front of me.
Needsdecaf
Active Member
As a tall guy, I agree 100%. In most cars, I have to block the top half of the gauges and even then the wheel position is compromised. With the Model 3, I can put the wheel where I want!
Moose408
Member
My Wife's Mercedes E400 Adaptive Cruise Control is better than Telsa's, much smoother. It does operate from a dead stop to as high as you want it (no upper limit of 90mph like the Tesla).
Camera-Cruiser
Fully Charged
Camera-Cruiser
Fully Charged
Did you do the sport or comfort coilovers? I have the P3D and it is just too rough as a daily driver. Mountain Pass recommends their comforts and switching to 18s or 19s to get more rubber.
I ask because you said your ride is better and more sporty. Does that mean tighter better road feel, or more comfortable on small bumps, yet tighter in big corners?
AND it allows for the kick-a$$ smaller steering wheel. It feels like I'm driving a bus now when I get in my Mazda.
I have no doubt Tesla will improve on the smoothness in future releases. The current programming tries to maintain the exact following distance instead of allowing for some elasticity, which would greatly improve the ride. Fixing this should be a relatively simple coding update in the grand scheme of things.
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