Potential Owner with questions....

[Proflig8tor]

Jonquillo,

I get it. My mother has mobility issues and it is difficult to anticipate what the problems are. I recall reading Nissan had great seats with foam designed by NASA or something and turned out she hated that car. Turned out that she needed a hard seat she could slide across.

Frankly the easiest vehicle for her to get in and out of was a Ford Transit Connect. At every car show I go to people with mobility issues are lined up to get in and out of those and they have the perfect wide door opening and seats at the just right height to slide in and out. We ended up with a Toyota Sienna because of the powered liftgate and doors.

If a model X is within your price range, that is an easy answer. The height is right and the doors are powered open and closed. Our entire family lusts after those, but just too expensive for us.

Tesla thinks their extended test drive is their 7-day full refund return policy.

As for sales people, they aren't really salespeople. I have no idea how they compensate them, but they certainly are not locked into a specific sales person per customer. I think I talked to four different people before I bought my car.

You might also just ask a person with a Model 3 if you see them near by. Most of us are nearly evangelical about our cars and saving the planet. (ha ha) tell them it is a Tesla or the Dodge 3500 triple turbo diesel SUV/Armored Personnel Carrier thing ....

 

[jonquiljo]

If you are still on a Tier plan and are already hitting Tier 3, adding an EV may be expensive. We would get into Tier 4 with my Volt before we switched to time of use. However, if people are at home during the day, the time of use plans might be an issue as well.

as far as the sale goes, you are experiencing typical too-busy Tesla customer service, unfortunately. The poor communication does extend to the experience with service so be aware of that. Best way to get an extended test drive if you can’t get them on the phone is going to be going in person to the store and setting it up there.

Yes, I am stuck with PG&E's nonsense regardless of what I want to do. Time of use is great for people who know when they will be out of the house. Generally there is often someone in the house. To top that, we wouldn't leave our dogs in an un-air conditioned house. They are our kids and deserve better. They hate the heat.

In peak summer months we run about $700+ per month for gas/electric. 3700 sq ft in strong California sun (no shade). During the winter, electricity rates drop considerably and we get nailed by high gas rates. You can't win. We are lucky and this is very manageable for us. I can top off at Whole Foods - since I am "Mr. Mom" around here.

My wife keeps telling me to listen to people on this forum, and get the car! Maybe I will if Tesla can't get their act together. I give it about a 3% chance the car won't work for her. Given the way Tesla has acted, a return is more acceptable to me.

But how do I get rid of this sales rep? Will he handle the sale if I order online? He's really bad news. He even told me that 19" wheels would raise the car 1" higher! Even I know better than that! Or shall I just order?

Or are there other instances where people find the M3 hard to get into? Thanks again.

 

[jonquiljo]

Jonquillo,

I get it. My mother has mobility issues and it is difficult to anticipate what the problems are. I recall reading Nissan had great seats with foam designed by NASA or something and turned out she hated that car. Turned out that she needed a hard seat she could slide across.

Frankly the easiest vehicle for her to get in and out of was a Ford Transit Connect. At every car show I go to people with mobility issues are lined up to get in and out of those and they have the perfect wide door opening and seats at the just right height to slide in and out. We ended up with a Toyota Sienna because of the powered liftgate and doors.

If a model X is within your price range, that is an easy answer. The height is right and the doors are powered open and closed. Our entire family lusts after those, but just too expensive for us.

Tesla thinks their extended test drive is their 7-day full refund return policy.

As for sales people, they aren't really salespeople. I have no idea how they compensate them, but they certainly are not locked into a specific sales person per customer. I think I talked to four different people before I bought my car.

You might also just ask a person with a Model 3 if you see them near by. Most of us are nearly evangelical about our cars and saving the planet. (ha ha) tell them it is a Tesla or the Dodge 3500 triple turbo diesel SUV/Armored Personnel Carrier thing ....

I guess I am old enough to parent a millennial, so this makes me feel ancient. Oh well! My wife has been orthopedically wrecked for about 25-30 years. She gets around well, but in a lot of pain - and is very stoic about it. Sitting hurts her no matter how good it is. She just hurts more or less. Her only requirement is that the ride not be like a sports car (which it is not), and that she can sit with her knees below her butt (normal sitting). If the Tesla M3 seats are as good as I remember, that won't be a problem.

I can afford a model x, but don't want one. We've had a few SUV's and they are best for kids or road trips. I like sedans. But thanks for the suggestion! Even a model S would be too big for me.

Well, if Tesla thinks of their extended test drive as a return policy - then so be it.

It's good to know that sales people don't "own" customers. ICE dealers do the opposite and it is annoying.

As for finding a M3 owner around here - it's kind of of an "uppity" area and people think they are better than everyone else. We tolerate it because not everyone is that way. Strange, though - I notice lots of Model S's around here - but few model 3's. I guess large scale production has only been going about 6 months or so. I'll see if I notice someone - but I just want to figure this out and do it ASAP.

I still wonder if Tesla isn't all wrapped up in signing people before the end of the quarter. I'm not sure what good that will do, as they can't even deliver "in stock" cars at this point by Monday. Thanks a lot!

 

[SMAlset]

Yes, I am stuck with PG&E's nonsense regardless of what I want to do. Time of use is great for people who know when they will be out of the house. Generally there is often someone in the house. To top that, we wouldn't leave our dogs in an un-air conditioned house. They are our kids and deserve better. They hate the heat.

In peak summer months we run about $700+ per month for gas/electric. 3700 sq ft in strong California sun (no shade). During the winter, electricity rates drop considerably and we get nailed by high gas rates. You can't win. We are lucky and this is very manageable for us. I can top off at Whole Foods - since I am "Mr. Mom" around here.

My wife keeps telling me to listen to people on this forum, and get the car! Maybe I will if Tesla can't get their act together. I give it about a 3% chance the car won't work for her. Given the way Tesla has acted, a return is more acceptable to me.

But how do I get rid of this sales rep? Will he handle the sale if I order online? He's really bad news. He even told me that 19" wheels would raise the car 1" higher! Even I know better than that! Or shall I just order?

Or are there other instances where people find the M3 hard to get into? Thanks again.

Understand about PG&E. We have them here as well and someone is always in the house here as well. We did finally switch to a different plan which gave us low rates after 11pm but got the notice that's now being phased out come November. Hard to win as a consumer in our cases I think. We'll eventually get solar maybe sooner than later.

BTW your dogs will love that Tesla has a dog mode to keep them comfy when you take them with and can leave them in the car.

As for your contact at Tesla, ask for the manager and see if they will reassign you to someone else if he ends up being you owner advisor. All orders get placed online so not sure if he'd be "attached" to you. And as you go through the processes different people will get assigned to you, at least that's been our experience with our two cars.

I sent you a PM about my experiences with our Model S and Model 3, but I wouldn't recommend the MS for someone with back issues. Not from the seat but due to having to duck to get in. At least for me all the time. And our car has SAS (smart air suspension) so have it set to very high at home and it's still an issue for me. Otherwise love the car and it's been super comfortable on roadtrips and love how it drives.

BTW the LR AWD car comes with premium interior and has a lot of adjustability to the seating position. The vast majority of people on here really love the seats.

 

[jonquiljo]

Understand about PG&E. We have them here as well and someone is always in the house here as well. We did finally switch to a different plan which gave us low rates after 11pm but got the notice that's now being phased out come November. Hard to win as a consumer in our cases I think. We'll eventually get solar maybe sooner than later.

BTW your dogs will love that Tesla has a dog mode to keep them comfy when you take them with and can leave them in the car.

As for your contact at Tesla, ask for the manager and see if they will reassign you to someone else if he ends up being you owner advisor. All orders get placed online so not sure if he'd be "attached" to you. And as you go through the processes different people will get assigned to you, at least that's been our experience with our two cars.

I sent you a PM about my experiences with our Model S and Model 3, but I wouldn't recommend the MS for someone with back issues. Not from the seat but due to having to duck to get in. At least for me all the time. And our car has SAS (smart air suspension) so have it set to very high at home and it's still an issue for me. Otherwise love the car and it's been super comfortable on roadtrips and love how it drives.

BTW the LR AWD car comes with premium interior and has a lot of adjustability to the seating position. The vast majority of people on here really love the seats.

I'm getting the sense that almost everyone finds the M3 easy to drive/ride in. How tall are most people? My wife is about 5' 9" (long legs) - but has scoliosis (curved spine). If you straightened her out she'd be about 5'11".

I did notice the MS was a bit difficult for even me. Strange since it is a bigger car - but mostly in back. The M3 seems like a Mercedes C-class ... smaller, but still roomy.

PG&E is a problem ... but life around here is expensive. PG&E annoys me more for the fact that they are implementing "wildfire blackouts". That is just wrong. If you can't deliver power safely for the rates they charge, then the state needs to take control of that business. My personal opinion. All I know is that I see people here planning to put in whole house generators. This is NOT rural and it shouldn't have to be! I don't know why the state bends over backwards for them!

Hopefully I can get rid of this Tesla sales guy. I will call again and tell them to remove him from any association with me. Thanks.

 

[SMAlset]

I'm about 5'5"-5'6". The nice thing about the Premium interior package of the LR AWD is that you also get the steering wheel adjustment on the car. It allows the steering wheel to adjust up and down and forward and backward. So I feel pretty good that your wife would be fine with the longer legs. We have a number of tall owners on here with longer legs who haven't seemed to have a problem. Those with taller torsos also seem to be fine with the head room. You'll also be able to set separate driver profiles and each person can have an Easy Exit setting you can set up and enable to make leaving the car easier.

 

[jonquiljo]

Yes. I was 5’10” but now am 5’8”. My wife is about 5’8” now. I probably am just going to order the car and see what happens.

one thing I’m curious about is that I noticed that the Navigaton system wasn’t very talkative. I like it when I am walked through turns. Maps are secondary for me.

Is the M3 always this way? Or did the dealer just have me drive back toads without much ambiguity as to which turn was needed. In -laces like San Francisco - if not announced verbally, it can easily make you miss your turn.

Again, something my “sales rep” didn’t know about - and something important to me. Thanks again.

 

[OCR1]

Free upgrade? I don’t understand. I thought all they give out are supercharger coupons -and the nearest station to me is about 20 minutes away with mild traffic.

For deals that can close by end of quarter Tesla has the ability to match you with a car that is close to your desired trim level and waive the cost of up to two upgrades. However you can’t ask for free upgrades. You have to let them know you are interested in a base model car. This would be white exterior, black interior, 18” wheels. If they don’t have this in stock they can match you up with a car that has for example a different paint color, a white interior, or 19” wheels.

Of course this all depends on whether you want any of those options. I happen to like the white exterior the best and the 18” wheels are more practical. The white interior is nice, but it’s just a personal preference.

All of this requires speaking to a Tesla rep of course rather than placing the order online. You will need to get rid of the rep you are dealing with to do this. Just call the local sales office and ask to speak to the manager.

 

[Manitoba Keith]

Find the person that has helped you the most in this post and get their referral number and use it when you do order. They get charging miles also.
As for height, I am now about 5'7" from 5'-9-1/2" tall torso short legs but like the seat a ways back. Been driving legally for over 57 years. An interesting thing is the Volume for navigation is different than the radio or the phone. The Navigation does talk to you in a very nice voice. When navigation is talking to you, adjust the volume with the left roll button - practice with the radio so you know which way to roll . Same with phone & radio etc.. Great people in this forum & they will help you a lot. I liked the white interior but the black doesn't show the dirt as much. I believe Pearl White is the Standard color as well as 18" wheels that give a nicer ride as there is more sidewall.
Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[jonquiljo]

Find the person that has helped you the most in this post and get their referral number and use it when you do order. They get charging miles also.
As for height, I am now about 5'7" from 5'-9-1/2" tall torso short legs but like the seat a ways back. Been driving legally for over 57 years. An interesting thing is the Volume for navigation is different than the radio or the phone. The Navigation does talk to you in a very nice voice. When navigation is talking to you, adjust the volume with the left roll button - practice with the radio so you know which way to roll . Same with phone & radio etc.. Great people in this forum & they will help you a lot. I liked the white interior but the black doesn't show the dirt as much. I believe Pearl White is the Standard color as well as 18" wheels that give a nicer ride as there is more sidewall.
Good luck whichever way you go.

Yes, getting older - getting shorter.

Wavering on the color as I have a white dog (the other is black) but they won't go into anything but the Mercedes we've had for years. They're a bit nuts, but even then will get into the right side but never the left!

Does the Nav announce "turn here" when you get to a street in a congested area? The best I could tell was it varied a lot. Thanks.

 

[OCR1]

Yes the navigation system has turn by turn directions. You can turn the voice commands on or off and adjust the volume. It probably doesn’t nag you as much as the older navigation systems. It will tell you to turn right ahead, but it won’t tell you again when you are within 100 feet like some older systems did.

 

[Manitoba Keith]

I don't use it in town as I know where I am going, but on the highway, it announces "Turn Right in xx meters" as I am in Canada using Metric. For you it will be "Turn Right in xx yards". It also says the highway number. Just remembered it does say things like that. Pretty good but some speed errors, up here, as the map isn't quite right easily corrected though. California folks say it is pretty accurate down there.

 

[jonquiljo]

Yes the navigation system has turn by turn directions. You can turn the voice commands on or off and adjust the volume. It probably doesn’t nag you as much as the older navigation systems. It will tell you to turn right ahead, but it won’t tell you again when you are within 100 feet like some older systems did.

Yes, I have heard that most car nav systems have become less blabby. In the cities, though, it can help. Since Tesla allows you to adjust everything, I'm surprised it doesn't allow you to change how much talking your nav system does.

On the other hand, the interactive map does make it easier to get around without many spoken commands. It's pretty clear where to turn. Smaller screen nav's don't reorient themselves as much as the M3 did. So it "shows" you the way to go without taking too much.

Thanks.

 

[Big Dog]

1) the car is low so climbing in with leg/back problems could be a issue. The car also runs sporty, so the suspension is stiff. Your wife will feel the bumps in the road. The only way to find out it so borrow/rent an M3 and take a ride for a couple of hours so your wife can decide if the car is comfortable. Of course, the 7 day trial is also available, but dunno if the state refunds your reg fees & sales taxes.

2) Jerky is a matter of getting used to the pedal. It is very sensitive and you can feather it and it will barely move. Also, you can set the car in Chill mode will will reduce the jerkiness (and takeoff when stomping on the pedal!).

3) NAV works fine, and will speak to you. Haven't had a problem.

 

[jonquiljo]

I don't use it in town as I know where I am going, but on the highway, it announces "Turn Right in xx meters" as I am in Canada using Metric. For you it will be "Turn Right in xx yards". It also says the highway number. Just remembered it does say things like that. Pretty good but some speed errors, up here, as the map isn't quite right easily corrected though. California folks say it is pretty accurate down there.

OK ... if I ordered a car tomorrow to be built, how long would it really take to be built and delivered - and what is the best way to order?

 

[Big Dog]

But how do I get rid of this sales rep? Will he handle the sale if I order online? He's really bad news. He even told me that 19" wheels would raise the car 1" higher! Even I know better than that! Or shall I just order?

If you know what you want, just order online. I ordered two model 3's that way and had no problems. Based on the info on TMC, I was more knowledgeable about the 3 than the guys in the store.

 

[Manitoba Keith]

They might tell you 2 weeks, but bet on 4 weeks. Given where you are, probably 3 weeks or less in reality. Online is the best way IMHO.

 

[DopeGhoti]

If you want a car right away, look at inventory cars. Look at https://tezz.la, and if you find one in your area, you can drive off with it as soon as the paperwork clears. If you order one factory-fresh, you're at the mercies of the alignment of your choices in options and design, and production queueing.

 

[Rottenapplr]

Hi, I'm someone who is incredibly interested in buying a Model 3 (LR, Red, Aeros). I drove one yesterday and it far exceeded my expectations. I do have the following concerns from past car purchases - and they worry me today. If anyone wants to chime in with advice, I would be eternally grateful.

My wife is physically disabled - totally degenerative spine, replacing hips and knees as they come due, etc. It's more of a chronic pain problem than being crippled. I bought a Porsche 911 a number of years back and found out the hard way. She rode in it exactly once. I want to buy a Model 3 to be actually used (the Porsche was a big mistake for our circumstances). Those of you who have purchased M3's - do you feel it is back friendly? Is it too low to the ground when getting in? Low to the ground puts lots of strain on the knees, hips and back. For example our Mercedes E320 is no problem. Then again, I don't want another Mercedes!

My wife cannot easily come with me to the dealership and "test ride" an M3. It will be a couple of weeks before I can arrange that. I've e-mailed the rep at the Tesla showroom asking if I could take (any) M3 out for about 2 hours to bring it home and have my wife check out the passenger seat without anyone standing over her and making her feel self conscious. I'd like to order the car soon, but am not sure if/when I can get her to try it.

When getting into the Model 3, it seemed as if the seat height was low to the ground - echoing the disaster or buying a Porsche. The seats seemed very comfortable. I would expect that the 18" aero Wheels would give a smoother ride, but the 19" premium wheels would raise the car up a bit.

When test driving the car, it seemed "jerky" for lack of a better word. When I would back off the gas, the car would lurch forward. I assume this is somewhat normal - and also that I am very new at driving the car. I think the dealer had the car set in sport or standard mode instead of comfort mode. I also wonder if the regenerative braking was creating a bit of a whiplash - not letting the car just roll when backing off on the gas. I don't want to put my wife into a very uncomfortable situation where the car is bouncing her all over the place. I can deal with it, she likely cannot. I'm not sure that the car cannot be "set" to ride a bit differently also. There was so much that was not explained in the test drive.

Finally, the last reservation I have pertains to me - in this case, the Navigation. I get lost easily - so a good Nav is important. Perhaps it was the route that I was led through - but the nav did not often announce turns when I reached them - only a few hundred yards in advance. When driving though large cities, this can be problematic for people like me. I prefer to get spoken directions and visual indicators as secondary. Does the Tesla nav do this, or was it the drive that they had me go on - mostly winding curvy roads that did not represent real day to day driving. It showed off the capabilities of the car. Yes it can handle close to a Porsche 911, but how does it do in regular boring streets with traffic?

Thanks in advance for any comments! For some reason, people here are more overall happy with their M3's where at the Tesla owners forum, they are far harder on Tesla. Lots of complaints there - though from a small group of people.

The car isn’t “sports car low” but it’s pretty low to many people especially someone with back and joint issues. I would NOT buy a model 3 in your case. Wait for the Model Y. The model 3 is low and the roofline is low as well so may need to stoop lower to fit in. Do your poor wife a favor and get a CUV like the model Y. Also the ride quality isn’t something you would call ultra comfortable. You feel the road. I have the 18 wheels by the way. It reminds me of the sport suspension in my bmw. But it’s not a car that has a soft suspension.

If you are going to SoCal and your wife is there I’ll let you take a ride and have her sit in it. Just use my referral code lol.

 

[KenC]

Hi, I'm someone who is incredibly interested in buying a Model 3 (LR, Red, Aeros). I drove one yesterday and it far exceeded my expectations. I do have the following concerns from past car purchases - and they worry me today. If anyone wants to chime in with advice, I would be eternally grateful.

My wife is physically disabled - totally degenerative spine, replacing hips and knees as they come due, etc. It's more of a chronic pain problem than being crippled. I bought a Porsche 911 a number of years back and found out the hard way. She rode in it exactly once. I want to buy a Model 3 to be actually used (the Porsche was a big mistake for our circumstances). Those of you who have purchased M3's - do you feel it is back friendly? Is it too low to the ground when getting in? Low to the ground puts lots of strain on the knees, hips and back. For example our Mercedes E320 is no problem. Then again, I don't want another Mercedes!

My wife cannot easily come with me to the dealership and "test ride" an M3. It will be a couple of weeks before I can arrange that. I've e-mailed the rep at the Tesla showroom asking if I could take (any) M3 out for about 2 hours to bring it home and have my wife check out the passenger seat without anyone standing over her and making her feel self conscious. I'd like to order the car soon, but am not sure if/when I can get her to try it.

When getting into the Model 3, it seemed as if the seat height was low to the ground - echoing the disaster or buying a Porsche. The seats seemed very comfortable. I would expect that the 18" aero Wheels would give a smoother ride, but the 19" premium wheels would raise the car up a bit.

When test driving the car, it seemed "jerky" for lack of a better word. When I would back off the gas, the car would lurch forward. I assume this is somewhat normal - and also that I am very new at driving the car. I think the dealer had the car set in sport or standard mode instead of comfort mode. I also wonder if the regenerative braking was creating a bit of a whiplash - not letting the car just roll when backing off on the gas. I don't want to put my wife into a very uncomfortable situation where the car is bouncing her all over the place. I can deal with it, she likely cannot. I'm not sure that the car cannot be "set" to ride a bit differently also. There was so much that was not explained in the test drive.

Finally, the last reservation I have pertains to me - in this case, the Navigation. I get lost easily - so a good Nav is important. Perhaps it was the route that I was led through - but the nav did not often announce turns when I reached them - only a few hundred yards in advance. When driving though large cities, this can be problematic for people like me. I prefer to get spoken directions and visual indicators as secondary. Does the Tesla nav do this, or was it the drive that they had me go on - mostly winding curvy roads that did not represent real day to day driving. It showed off the capabilities of the car. Yes it can handle close to a Porsche 911, but how does it do in regular boring streets with traffic?

Thanks in advance for any comments! For some reason, people here are more overall happy with their M3's where at the Tesla owners forum, they are far harder on Tesla. Lots of complaints there - though from a small group of people.

Obviously your wife needs to try the car. I have to take my 90yr old mom to her doctor appts, etc. She's wheelchair bound, so getting in and out and having an adjustable and comfortable seat is important. The Model 3 works for her, but I have to lower the seat before she gets in, then adjust it, then raise it up when she gets out, so she can slide out easily. Having said that, my mom's short, so the low height suits her just fine. If your wife has any issues with getting in and out of a low car like the Model 3, you should consider waiting until the Model Y is available, if you can wait.

Do you know anyone with a Model 3?

When you get the car, you should consider setting regen on Low and driving style to "chill". Those are my "snow day" settings. They'll give you less lurch until you get used to it, takes about 3 days to 2 weeks, then you can switch to whatever regen and driving style you like. It's important to learn the regen pedal because people who have had unintentional acceleration are invariably new to the car and press the go pedal and think they're pressing the brake, but since the go pedal is also the regen pedal, muscle memory takes a bit of time.