So, I was offered early lease termination on my P85 if I got a model 3 performance and took delivery by end of September. I placed my order, got a delivery date of 9/23. A few days before delivery, was rescheduled to 10/4. Was offered a demo car with similar config with a small discount, delivery set for 9/26 at 1:15pm.
Waited about 1.5 hrs before my car came in. The delivery space is a big open warehouse with about 10-12 designated spots for vehicles. There were typically 6-10 vehicles in the space at any time. The waiting area is not the most comfortable place but not bad. Most people did not seem to have to wait as long as I did. I was told weekend delivery is much worse.
When the car finally came in, I was pretty nervous. There were some large markings in various areas and a quite a few smaller mars...my hopes sank quickly. I had tried to see the vehicle before delivery but there had been a mix up and when I went to view the vehicle at the sales facility, it had been shipped to another facility to be prepped for sale. So here is my first look at the car and quite frankly, it was not in impressive condition. My first thought was: Gee, what were they fixing this past hour for them to have left all these obvious defects on the car!?!
Anyway, the great news is that the delivery associate went to work and virtually all the issues were simply dirt/grease that was easily resolved with a rag and cleaning product. The car had about 850 miles on it so it had been taken for quite a few rides...but overall I think it was in great shape.
I was not rushed at all. I was not pressured to sign any papers prior to inspecting the vehicle. From what I could see of others, it didn't look like anyone else was being rushed. Again, I suspect weekends may be a bit different.
There are several fairly obvious 'defects' with the car. Panel gaps/alignment issues that are noticeable, perhaps not at first glance but if you are looking at details that are hard to miss. The base of both pillars from the hood to the roof expose some panel alignment issue (they don't meet flush and aren't have gap noticeable gap variations), hard for me to be certain which panel(s) are 'off' but none were so bad that I particularly care...it just isn't where my focus is re: enjoyment of a vehicle.
The only 'gap' issue that bothers me a bit is the charge port cover...that hangs out quite rather than being flush when closed...but whatever. I'll live with it if they don't fix it at some point.
The delivery associate didn't really review operation of the car with me, but I'm sure they would have had I asked. I had been there long enough at that point and I had enough time in the vehicle while she was hunting down techs to help her that I had familiarized myself with everything I felt was important.
Everything seemed to work fine with one exception: my phone key wouldn't work. It literally took an hour for them to get that to work and they had to bring my car somewhere else to get it functional. They didn't bring the car back in the delivery center, I walked to it outside, so I didn't get the applause as you leave the facility but that is a positive for me anyway -- just not my thing.
The lease return was just a matter of signing a document. The only big "miss" was that I didn't think about transferring the plates. I'm not sure if that is an option in CA or not (I recently moved from Boston) but it means I now have to wait for new plates to show up and I can't file for my decal until the plates arrive. Worse, my insurance company (Progressive) couldn't find the VIN. They were able to add the vehicle to my policy, but the rep said when she's had this happen before it has often caused problems with the registration...she suggested I may have to do something special to get the vehicle registered properly. I guess we'll see.
Anyway, as I drove off it became apparently very, very quickly that I had made an awesome choice for me. I loved my Model S but it always felt big to me. The model 3 is amazing. I just finished my first full day with it and still haven't driven it enough...but every time I get in, I love it more.
It is an insanely awesome vehicle.
First off, it feels like you are looking out a picture window. The hood drops off so fast it's practically like there is nothing but road in front of you. I know it's personal, but I love, love, love the minimal interior. I really didn't expect to like it as much as I do...or even care much either way, but even after a short time in the vehicle I really appreciate it -- especially after adjusting to the UI controls. It's just less distraction.
I opted for white on white...I am not particularly kind to my vehicles and have a 7 year old son so I may regret that choice but we'll see; folks seemed to say it holds up to stains pretty well.
Secondly, yes, it drives like the much smaller vehicle that it is...it is exactly what I hoped in that respect. Much more like a go-kart. There is just something about driving a small car.
I haven't really tested performance yet...drove home at rush hour on delivery day and my commutes today weren't much better...but it has already put a smile on my face the few times I've pushed the pedal down hard. I'm used to the p85 so it isn't like the acceleration is new to me but it still puts a smile on my face. I'm pretty sure when I really push it, this car should blow doors on my p85, but if I could have ordered a non-performance model, I would have. I feel like I had my fun with the p85 and the base 3 is plenty fast...but as I explained to the wife, I had to order the performance model to end my lease early...shucks! ;-)
I'm still adapting to the UI but already I think it's an improvement. The air flow is much better than in my S. The UI control of the airflow is pretty neat and very effective from what I've seen. The seats are much better too (I had the old seats in my p85)...although, I still think they should have better bolsters, at least in the performance edition. The way I drive it won't matter and I'll take the comfort upgrade and be happy. The configurability of the seat is solid and I really appreciate the lumbar adjustments.
The center console is a huge improvement over the nothingness of my old S. I haven't played around with the phone charging pad at the front end of the console area -- at first glance, my phone won't fit into the lip where the charge connector is but I've laid the phone flat there. I hope my case doesn't prevent me from being able to use the charging station there but regardless, it's still an improvement over the S.
Doors/keys...I've adapted to the doors without issue. Self presenting handles are nice but they were occasionally annoying when they didn't work properly. I have no complaints with the door handles of the 3. My phone appears to be unlocking the car as expected -- I haven't had a need to use a card yet.
I haven't played with autopilot yet. My S was one of the first cars with auto-pilot so it had the 'old' hardware. I'll be interested to see how the new system compares...it was a favorite feature to handle the daily commute although, it may be a while before I opt out of driving this new toy!
I fully admit to being a Tesla (as in the vehicle) fanboy. I love these things. Are they perfect? No. But few things are and none of them are vehicles.
I really hope Tesla can pull off the base Model 3 at a profit. It will be one of the best value cars of all time (in terms of performance, looks, safety...the whole package). In the meantime, I'll struggle through life with the performance model...
Waited about 1.5 hrs before my car came in. The delivery space is a big open warehouse with about 10-12 designated spots for vehicles. There were typically 6-10 vehicles in the space at any time. The waiting area is not the most comfortable place but not bad. Most people did not seem to have to wait as long as I did. I was told weekend delivery is much worse.
When the car finally came in, I was pretty nervous. There were some large markings in various areas and a quite a few smaller mars...my hopes sank quickly. I had tried to see the vehicle before delivery but there had been a mix up and when I went to view the vehicle at the sales facility, it had been shipped to another facility to be prepped for sale. So here is my first look at the car and quite frankly, it was not in impressive condition. My first thought was: Gee, what were they fixing this past hour for them to have left all these obvious defects on the car!?!
Anyway, the great news is that the delivery associate went to work and virtually all the issues were simply dirt/grease that was easily resolved with a rag and cleaning product. The car had about 850 miles on it so it had been taken for quite a few rides...but overall I think it was in great shape.
I was not rushed at all. I was not pressured to sign any papers prior to inspecting the vehicle. From what I could see of others, it didn't look like anyone else was being rushed. Again, I suspect weekends may be a bit different.
There are several fairly obvious 'defects' with the car. Panel gaps/alignment issues that are noticeable, perhaps not at first glance but if you are looking at details that are hard to miss. The base of both pillars from the hood to the roof expose some panel alignment issue (they don't meet flush and aren't have gap noticeable gap variations), hard for me to be certain which panel(s) are 'off' but none were so bad that I particularly care...it just isn't where my focus is re: enjoyment of a vehicle.
The only 'gap' issue that bothers me a bit is the charge port cover...that hangs out quite rather than being flush when closed...but whatever. I'll live with it if they don't fix it at some point.
The delivery associate didn't really review operation of the car with me, but I'm sure they would have had I asked. I had been there long enough at that point and I had enough time in the vehicle while she was hunting down techs to help her that I had familiarized myself with everything I felt was important.
Everything seemed to work fine with one exception: my phone key wouldn't work. It literally took an hour for them to get that to work and they had to bring my car somewhere else to get it functional. They didn't bring the car back in the delivery center, I walked to it outside, so I didn't get the applause as you leave the facility but that is a positive for me anyway -- just not my thing.
The lease return was just a matter of signing a document. The only big "miss" was that I didn't think about transferring the plates. I'm not sure if that is an option in CA or not (I recently moved from Boston) but it means I now have to wait for new plates to show up and I can't file for my decal until the plates arrive. Worse, my insurance company (Progressive) couldn't find the VIN. They were able to add the vehicle to my policy, but the rep said when she's had this happen before it has often caused problems with the registration...she suggested I may have to do something special to get the vehicle registered properly. I guess we'll see.
Anyway, as I drove off it became apparently very, very quickly that I had made an awesome choice for me. I loved my Model S but it always felt big to me. The model 3 is amazing. I just finished my first full day with it and still haven't driven it enough...but every time I get in, I love it more.
It is an insanely awesome vehicle.
First off, it feels like you are looking out a picture window. The hood drops off so fast it's practically like there is nothing but road in front of you. I know it's personal, but I love, love, love the minimal interior. I really didn't expect to like it as much as I do...or even care much either way, but even after a short time in the vehicle I really appreciate it -- especially after adjusting to the UI controls. It's just less distraction.
I opted for white on white...I am not particularly kind to my vehicles and have a 7 year old son so I may regret that choice but we'll see; folks seemed to say it holds up to stains pretty well.
Secondly, yes, it drives like the much smaller vehicle that it is...it is exactly what I hoped in that respect. Much more like a go-kart. There is just something about driving a small car.
I haven't really tested performance yet...drove home at rush hour on delivery day and my commutes today weren't much better...but it has already put a smile on my face the few times I've pushed the pedal down hard. I'm used to the p85 so it isn't like the acceleration is new to me but it still puts a smile on my face. I'm pretty sure when I really push it, this car should blow doors on my p85, but if I could have ordered a non-performance model, I would have. I feel like I had my fun with the p85 and the base 3 is plenty fast...but as I explained to the wife, I had to order the performance model to end my lease early...shucks! ;-)
I'm still adapting to the UI but already I think it's an improvement. The air flow is much better than in my S. The UI control of the airflow is pretty neat and very effective from what I've seen. The seats are much better too (I had the old seats in my p85)...although, I still think they should have better bolsters, at least in the performance edition. The way I drive it won't matter and I'll take the comfort upgrade and be happy. The configurability of the seat is solid and I really appreciate the lumbar adjustments.
The center console is a huge improvement over the nothingness of my old S. I haven't played around with the phone charging pad at the front end of the console area -- at first glance, my phone won't fit into the lip where the charge connector is but I've laid the phone flat there. I hope my case doesn't prevent me from being able to use the charging station there but regardless, it's still an improvement over the S.
Doors/keys...I've adapted to the doors without issue. Self presenting handles are nice but they were occasionally annoying when they didn't work properly. I have no complaints with the door handles of the 3. My phone appears to be unlocking the car as expected -- I haven't had a need to use a card yet.
I haven't played with autopilot yet. My S was one of the first cars with auto-pilot so it had the 'old' hardware. I'll be interested to see how the new system compares...it was a favorite feature to handle the daily commute although, it may be a while before I opt out of driving this new toy!
I fully admit to being a Tesla (as in the vehicle) fanboy. I love these things. Are they perfect? No. But few things are and none of them are vehicles.
I really hope Tesla can pull off the base Model 3 at a profit. It will be one of the best value cars of all time (in terms of performance, looks, safety...the whole package). In the meantime, I'll struggle through life with the performance model...
