PROS/CONS - what makes you love your Tesla?

[SkyDog]

Quick introduction: I'm on the fence about getting a Model Y LR. I test drove one, and I've been reading a LOT about the car. In short, driving it sure was fun but I read some of the negatives and I wonder if it's really worth it. So...

What pros outweigh the cons for you, and make you love your car?
Not what features made you buy a Tesla Y (or 3), but what now makes you glad that you did?

Here's a quick list of some of the things I've read about, and I am concerned about, but couldn't really test on my test drive:

1. Phantom braking so bad that some people don't even use AutoPilot, and no "ordinary" cruise control at all
2. Auto headlights too unreliable to rely on
3. Auto windshield wipers unreliable whereas other cars do it well
4. no Apple / Android integration
5. lots of issues playing music from USB (I'm old fashioned and like having my 10,000+ song collection on USB in my current vehicle)
   • it forgets where you were when you leave the car and get back in (that would really annoy me)
   • issues searching USB by voice commands
6. paying luxury car price for the car but not getting luxury features common in other cars in this price range
7. rear visibility - tiny rear window, small side mirrors, no blind spot warning like many other cars have now

I guess I'm wondering if I can't use AutoPilot, auto headlights & wipers, experience problems playing musing on USB, if rear view and blind spots are worse than my current car, would I really be happy with a Model Y? Or is driving it just that much fun?

 

[RichBrowne]

Quick introduction: I'm on the fence about getting a Model Y LR. I test drove one, and I've been reading a LOT about the car. In short, driving it sure was fun but I read some of the negatives and I wonder if it's really worth it. So...

What pros outweigh the cons for you, and make you love your car?
Not what features made you buy a Tesla Y (or 3), but what now makes you glad that you did?

Here's a quick list of some of the things I've read about, and I am concerned about, but couldn't really test on my test drive:

1. Phantom braking so bad that some people don't even use AutoPilot
2. Auto headlights too unreliable to rely on
3. Auto windshield wipers unreliable whereas other cars do it well
4. no Apple / Android integration
5. lots of issues playing music from USB (I'm old fashioned and like having my 10,000+ song collection on USB in my current vehicle)
   • it forgets where you were when you leave the car and get back in (that would really annoy me)
   • issues searching USB by voice commands
6. paying luxury car price for the car but not getting luxury features common in other cars in this price range
7. rear visibility - tiny rear window, small side mirrors, no blind spot warning like many other cars have now

I guess I'm wondering if I can't use AutoPilot, auto headlights & wipers, experience problems playing musing on USB, if rear view and blind spots are worse than my current car, would I really be happy with a Model Y? Or is driving it just that much fun?

I love everything about my Y. Won't buy another car brand ever again. How's that?
I've had it for 4 months. Gone on four 900 mile drives (odometer is at 7500 miles). Zero issues. Love the navigation. Love the power. Love the handling. Best seats every. Great music system. SuperCharging is entertaining and fast. It's fun. Has more usable space than any other car I've ever owned (I'm somewhere around 35 cars and I'm 67). Use Spotify. My AutoPilot is fine (I like to drive myself anyway - but, on a long road trip it works very well) No complaints here. Did I mention I love my Y? Oh, I don't have to pump gas - which I detest...I wake up in the morning and am able to drive 220 miles - every morning. I did change my side mirrors, which took all of 5 minutes to do and, now, I have no blind spots. Rear visibility is fine. The windshield wipers work fine - I think the auto mode blows on all cars. Did I mention I'm thrilled with my Y?

 

[Pianewman]

None of your "cons" deter me in the slightest. It's the driving experience that keeps me smiling. The issues you posted, which are real, just aren't important to me. If they're important to you, look elsewhere!
FYI: thousands of cruise control miles, only a single phantom braking. However, I never use ANY cruise control device on a 2-line road. I like to DRIVE my car!
As GtiMart pointed out (below!) road tripping in the Tesla is perfect, as ALL drivers benefit from a break every 120-180miles. It keeps one from going into that false "zone" of comfort, which studies have shown are hypnotically dangerous. Also, stretching the legs/ back is necessary.

 

[GtiMart]

The pros outweigh the cons for me. I do not see any other brand today that offers something better. I was thus "forced" to buy a Model 3. There are tradeoffs in everything, a Tesla is no exception. We have to put up with some weirdness and quirks. But hey, the car is bloody fast, fun to drive, doesn't pollute, and is the EV with the best charging experience on the road. It can actually road trip well, which isn't true for all EVs.
There are cons to ICE as well, I'm sure you know them so I won't list them. It's the status quo so people tend to forget them, but they are very present.

 

[sporty2k]

The biggest thing I love is the feeling of stepping on the accelerator. Feels amazing. 2nd love is driving by the Costco Gas Station. Coming from BMW 6 series it feels lux to me. Coming rom my wife's QX80 it feels less so. I also love the feeling of upgradeability knowing that the car will continue to be upgraded without significant fees. I'll never go back to a GAS car EVER. The con's are very manageable to me and through continuous free upgrades will disappear over time.

 

[GeezerSquid]

Waking up every morning and my "tank" is full. One pedal driving. TACC and FSD.

Don't forget that all the issues you list WILL be corrected with future updates. I don't think I would say that about any other car/truck. TACC and FSD are soooo much better than when I got my car delivered on 8-03-2020. Another great feature, to me at least, is the Acceleration Boost. That's another thing I don't recall happening with any other car after purchase. Oh, and most importantly is seat fart feature!!! Love it!

 

[DirtyT3sla]

I put 51,000 miles on my Model 3, then traded up to a Model Y. At this point in time, I can't see buying any other car brand. I'll remain open minded though incase something else nice comes along.

To address your list

1. Phantom braking so bad that some people don't even use AutoPilot, and no "ordinary" cruise control at all
   1. Personally this is not a problem for me. But I have heard of it. There is no dumb cruise control, but I don't find myself wanting it.
2. Auto headlights too unreliable to rely on
   1. I do not like or use the auto headlights. I have tried them in 1 other car and the didn't work well in that one either. A GMC I think.
3. Auto windshield wipers unreliable whereas other cars do it well
   1. These work great for me. They are getting software updates to improve all the time.
4. no Apple / Android integration
   1. Personal preference. We have android auto in our other car and do not use it. Much prefer Tesla. But if you love/rely on this it could be annoying.
5. lots of issues playing music from USB (I'm old fashioned and like having my 10,000+ song collection on USB in my current vehicle)
   • I do not use this and unfortunately cannot comment.
6. paying luxury car price for the car but not getting luxury features common in other cars in this price range
   1. My car before Tesla was a Ford Focus so I dunno. Before I dropped almost $50k on a Model 3, I cross shopped similar priced gas cars and had no desire to buy any of them. If I didn't buy electric, I'd get the cheapest, most efficient gas car I could find.
7. rear visibility - tiny rear window, small side mirrors, no blind spot warning like many other cars have now
   1. Hasn't been an issue. Back up camera is amazing and huge. I almost never look out of the back window. The side mirrors are small but I haven't noticed them hindering anything.
   2. There is a blindspot warning, but it's not as simple/intuitive as the mirror light. On the center screen, cars in your way will turn red when you turn on the turn signal. If you attempt to change lanes, the car will then beep at you. I haven't had a problem with this either in all my driving (didn't have any blind spot monitoring before) but I could see it being hard to adjust from the little light on the mirror.

 

[Peelz]

1. It can be an issue, but only really a REAL BAD thing in interstate traffic when being tailgated. Learning to be ready.
2. dislike this, but just turn that off immediately with the stalk when engaging AP.
3. problem for maybe 2-3 rain events. non issue over time.
4. I expected this unfortunate problem @ purchase so my Whole fam switched from apple music family plan to spotify,
5. don't use that. no reason with spotify playing from the UI.
6. I feel like its pretty damned nice. I dont miss any features.
7. yep cant see squat out the back. Turn on the cams for rear viz. ALSO, UI has the digital image of what's around you...

#6 furthermore... It looks as though that even with the added purchase price, along with extra $35 insurance/month over the SUV we had, the NOT BUYING GAS feature just about makes this a wash. We pay .11 per KW/h. 50% cycle charge is around $4.00 for two days of my wife commuting. This same amount of driving, 100 ish miles at all 70+ is $15 in gas right now. So not really luxury, it pays off. Is it a mercedes inside? Nah, but if you want luxury, buy something else maybe.

Also, you mentioned the fun.. thats a HUGE factor. Accelerate from 30-70 leaving town with a pedal smash.... its SOOO fast and weird to hear no sound lol And its thte LR. no need for the performance.

We call it "gettin stabby" with the pedal.

7000 miles, including a 2000 mile cross country trip to CO(Which cost 200 less than the suv would have) I'm fully converted on EV's.+

 

[iamnid]

I haven't experienced a lot of the things on your list. There's no apple carplay or Android auto but I didn't like or use that in my last car either. My MP3s remember where I left off. I don't have phantom braking to the point where I can't use cruise control. It never rains so I don't know about the windshield wipers. Rear visibility is about the same as many other cars I've had. I rarely use high beams at all but, when I've tried it, I didn't like the auto high beams so I didn't use them. I've never had a car that has this feature before so it's tough to be upset that it doesn't work here

 

[Calliope]

1. Phantom braking so bad that some people don't even use AutoPilot, and no "ordinary" cruise control at all
2. Auto headlights too unreliable to rely on
3. Auto windshield wipers unreliable whereas other cars do it well
4. no Apple / Android integration
5. lots of issues playing music from USB (I'm old fashioned and like having my 10,000+ song collection on USB in my current vehicle)
   • it forgets where you were when you leave the car and get back in (that would really annoy me)
   • issues searching USB by voice commands
6. paying luxury car price for the car but not getting luxury features common in other cars in this price range
7. rear visibility - tiny rear window, small side mirrors, no blind spot warning like many other cars have now

I won't say I love my Tesla, but I do like it and the pros outweigh the cons. About your list:

1. It happens occasionally, but it also happened occasionally in any other car I've driven that has adaptive cruise control. I still use it, but I anticipate situations where it's likely to happen (an upcoming curve or hill with traffic in the opposing lane) and turn it off temporarily. A small inconvenience outweighed by the benefits of adaptive cruise control, in my opinion.
2. I've not had that problem.....they seem to work fine for me
3. True, but that's not a Tesla thing - I've had it in other cars with auto windshield washers as well. It's an option that's easily turned off if you don't want it.
4. That's not a "con" for me - I didn't like Apple Car Play the last time I used it in a rental car. Unless Apple's improved it, I don't want it anyway.
5. Don't know about USB music - I play music or audiobooks from my iPhone, connected via Bluetooth
6. It's hardly a "luxury car price" for EVs......I'd call it upper-middle range. If you want a luxury EV, look at the Taycan, or the Audi if you want an SUV.
7. I don't mind the small rear window, and I find the side mirrors to be of normal size, but I do hate that there's no blind spot warning on the side mirrors. That is one of my "cons" that I'd love to change -- you do get a kind of blind spot warning on the screen, but that's not enough, IMO, and I want to use the mirrors rather than the screen.

The car is fun to drive, with smooth acceleration, awesome cargo space, and great energy efficiency. Hopefully some of the things I dislike will be fixed in future updates, and I've managed to find work-arounds for most of them (like anticipating 'ghost braking' before it happens). Right now, it's the best of my EV options out there, and the pros far outweigh the cons. I'm not a Tesla-fan - if someone else puts out a fun driving, efficient EV with the other features I want, I'll seriously look at it.

 

[Sacramento]

Quick introduction: I'm on the fence about getting a Model Y LR. I test drove one, and I've been reading a LOT about the car. In short, driving it sure was fun but I read some of the negatives and I wonder if it's really worth it. So...

What pros outweigh the cons for you, and make you love your car?
Not what features made you buy a Tesla Y (or 3), but what now makes you glad that you did?

Here's a quick list of some of the things I've read about, and I am concerned about, but couldn't really test on my test drive:

1. Phantom braking so bad that some people don't even use AutoPilot, and no "ordinary" cruise control at all
2. Auto headlights too unreliable to rely on
3. Auto windshield wipers unreliable whereas other cars do it well
4. no Apple / Android integration
5. lots of issues playing music from USB (I'm old fashioned and like having my 10,000+ song collection on USB in my current vehicle)
   • it forgets where you were when you leave the car and get back in (that would really annoy me)
   • issues searching USB by voice commands
6. paying luxury car price for the car but not getting luxury features common in other cars in this price range
7. rear visibility - tiny rear window, small side mirrors, no blind spot warning like many other cars have now

I guess I'm wondering if I can't use AutoPilot, auto headlights & wipers, experience problems playing musing on USB, if rear view and blind spots are worse than my current car, would I really be happy with a Model Y? Or is driving it just that much fun?

 

[Calliope]

Don't forget that all the issues you list WILL be corrected with future updates.

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on what Tesla thinks is important to most of their drivers - which may or may not match this list. For instance, I and lots of other drivers hate having to answer or hang up the phone with a screen "button", and those complaints have been noted for years, yet it has yet to be corrected with updates.

 

[Sacramento]

I LOVE my Model Y LR. Took delivery in January and have already but 11,000 miles on it. I actually bought it without driving a Tesla because I had previously leased a Honda Clarity EV and knew I would never go back to an ICE vehicle. The factory-installed tow hitch receiver closed the deal for me. I don't pull a boat or travel trailer, but I do occasionally rent a U-Haul utility trailer to haul trash and building materials. In a pinch, you can haul eight-foot-long lumber between the front seats.

My Y died on a road trip about 500 miles from home a few months ago. Turned out to be a faulty wiring harness. I didn't get angry– I figured it could happen to any new car. Fortunately I was close to a Tesla service center. No problems since then.

I miss Apple CarPlay (the Clarity had it) and I think the Tesla speech recognition is clunky. I cannot make a phone call with voice commands. The recognition is so bad it will dial a number that's not even remotely similar to the one I asked for.

I haven't had any problems with auto headlights or wipers. Phantom braking has been an issue, but I'm experiencing less of it recently. I kind of regret paying $10K for "FSD" because I don't trust it. On the plus side, buying it with the new car allowed me to finance the extra $10K. I usually just use Autopilot because it's great in stop-and-go traffic.

I've got driveway chargers at my primary residence and at a vacation home 120 miles away. I rarely use Superchargers– but there are plenty along main freeway corridors in California and I've never had to wait for a space.

Finally, the ACCELERATION! You know how some freeway onramps have an uncomfortably short merge? When the guy in the right lane doesn't see me or refuses to make room, my little white car leaves him in the dust.

 

[whisperingshad]

Pro: Power, no gas, simple cabin, one pedal driving, seats, infotainment.

Con: #1 seatbelt height (under 5'7 it cuts into neck), beta autopilot(needs to be refined), the ride quality.

 

[EVer Hopeful]

Personal preference of course, but I never had any desire to buy an American made vehicle and am glad that I can now do so

Don't forget 5 star safety crash rating in all categories

Not having to go to a dealership and come out feeling that you got screwed regardless of what deal you got (and having to bathe in a mild acid). Admittedly the Tesla purchase process could use some serious improvement, but the price is the price and it's the price for everyone. Gotta like that

No more burning dead dinosaurs, or trying to cram them into your tank on a rainy day when you're already late

I don't care about Apple or Android. It's a non issue for me



I'll be able to add more if I ever take delivery!

 

[Tam]

Phantom braking so bad that some people don't even use AutoPilot, and no "ordinary" cruise control at all

You can turn off the automation including turning off the cruise control.

It can be very distressing if you are a prudent consumer who demands a final product and not a beta, testing, imperfect product and don't understand there might be a pattern that you can deal with.

I just learn how to work with phantom brakes. Usually, it happens at the same predictable stretches of the road such as due to wrong coding of the speed limit: 70 MPH freeway zone is shown on the instrument cluster as 45 MPH consistently on the same location. I just have to memorize the location and adjust the speed limit up upon reaching that stretch of the road.

In unknown stretches (new that I have not memorized): It might slow down if there's an overpass, there's a car in front turning left or right, there's a parking car on the side...

1. Auto headlights too unreliable to rely on

Then turn it off. You can do that with older radar-equipped Tesla.

You can also do that with newer radar-less Tesla ONLY after you turn on the Autopilot/FSD with automatic headlights THEN you can turn it off after that.

Again, it's a pattern, a sequence and you can memorize the sequence to get to what you want.

1. Auto windshield wipers unreliable whereas other cars do it well

Then do it manually. You just have to remember to do it on your own.

1. no Apple / Android integration

I've used Tesla's system since 2012 and I am not missing Apple/Android system so far.

1. lots of issues playing music from USB (I'm old fashioned and like having my 10,000+ song collection on USB in my current vehicle)
   • it forgets where you were when you leave the car and get back in (that would really annoy me)

True. It's an annoyance, so you have to (again) where you left off and manually retrieve it back.

1. • issues searching USB by voice commands

True. Voice is not perfect but there's a manual back up.

1. paying luxury car price for the car but not getting luxury features common in other cars in this price range

It's high-tech and practical but I would not say it's "luxury" like Lamborghini

1. rear visibility - tiny rear window, small side mirrors, no blind spot warning like many other cars have now

It relies on you to pay $10,000 FSD for safe lane changes. Otherwise, I can use all those mirrors manually fine since 2012.

I guess I'm wondering if I can't use AutoPilot, auto headlights & wipers, experience problems playing musing on USB, if rear view and blind spots are worse than my current car, would I really be happy with a Model Y?

No. Everyone is different. You are not everyone.

Or is driving it just that much fun?

Again, I am not you. I bought Tesla in 2012 not because of "fun" but because of the necessity of safety. I was tired of smelling gasoline and smoke in my own garage and the Leaf's range was too poor so I had no choice but to buy Model S.

After that, I upgraded to Autopilot/FSD cars because if used as instructed, it's much safer than manual driving.

My priority is safety, not fun. I am willing to pay for safety at the expense of fun.

 

[EVready]

Interesting thread. If I may, the one characteristic of the MY that I have read about is the ride quality. During my test drive I noticed it was quite harsh, but at the time thought it might have been me.

What do you guys think?

 

[EVer Hopeful]

Usually, it happens at the same predictable stretches of the road

Indeed. In my PriusV (I know, I know) there's a bit when I get on 75 in the afternoon, the Lane Keeping thing beeps at me because it thinks the shadow of the concrete wall is a lane marking

It's happened several times

 

[WADan]

in addition to things already mentioned, MY is a great long distance car. FSD is great on freeway and the seats are very comfortable. I was able to drive 14 hours without getting too tired. I do wish the car would be more quiet though.

 

[whisperingshad]

Interesting thread. If I may, the one characteristic of the MY that I have read about is the ride quality. During my test drive I noticed it was quite harsh, but at the time thought it might have been me.

What do you guys think?

Harsh as HECK!