Thought I would give my impressions on the Model 3 after taking delivery last Monday (7/23), after putting roughly 750 miles on the car...and how it compares to my Volvo S60, which is similar in size and feature set, even though the S60 has an ICE and front wheel drive. Overall, I'm VERY happy with the Model 3 so far...and will try to give you an objective assessment.
The car is deep blue metallic, Long Range, RWD, PUP, Autopilot, FSD, 18 Aero rims (covers removed). VIN 27XXX, built in June 2018.
Replacing a 2016 Volvo S60 T6 as my daily driver (the Volvo has adaptive cruise, lane keeping etc. to compare to Tesla's). I am a long-time Volvo owner (now up to 5 of them since 1996)..and still own 2 of them (the S60 and a 2015 XC60). I will use this as a frame of reference in my review.
Delivery: Picked up at Rockville, MD service / delivery center. No trade in. Pretty painless as far as buying a car goes; they did need to move my delivery time 1 hour later on Monday because of the contract processing issues they had over the weekend delayed printing paperwork, but no big deal. You just sign the paperwork...nobody is trying to hard sell you on undercoatings, VIN etchings, pin stripes, extended warranties or anything of the sort that car dealers love to do. They ran me though a walkaround, and basic stuff like how to plug it in. Connected my phone key (paired with key card). Taught me how to put it in reverse / drive, etc. Car was pre-programmed with my home address in the Nav system. Took some photos. Drove it away after 15-20 minutes.
Fit & Finish: Everything looked good...no issues that need fixing on the interior or exterior. Panel gaps all look good. At least as good as any of my Volvos. I meticulously hand washed the car over the weekend, so would have noticed anything wrong. Paint quality looks better than Volvo's to me (somehow smoother / glossier, or something).
Driving: Ride quality is pretty good...I was worried it would be a little harsh. It sits down a little lower than the S60. The car feels very planted (low center of gravity), and definitely handles better than the FWD Volvo. The M3 feels smaller, even though it is 2 inches longer. Acceleration is mind blowing and silent. The Volvo puts out 302HP and 300 lb/ft of torque, so is no slouch, but the Tesla feels much faster to 60 (Volvo does roughly 5.5 seconds to 60). People who I've taken for test drives in the M3 are generally shocked...and want me to do another acceleration run. You notice wind noise more, but that's probably due to the lack of engine noise. Car feels very solid...no noticeable body flex, squeaks or rattles.
Autopilot: This is where I was a little nervous going in, as I specifically bought the S60 for its excellent adaptive cruise (MobileEye based, like AP1) for my 40+ mile each-way trip to work in heavy traffic. There had been various reports of AP2 slamming on the brakes for no reason and doing other strange things. I have not been disappointed by Autopilot, and I have not had any of these issues. It feels pretty much like the system in the Volvo other than it is quicker to detect cars moving into your lane ahead of you (which is good). Auto-steer works very well vs. the Volvo's system that only steers if it thinks you are crossing a line. I still haven't figured out auto lane change (think it's only worked once), and being able to take a freeway exit by turning on signal has never worked for me...both of those features need work. Autopark is kind of cool (but slow). Summon is a neat parlor trick to show people, but limited usefulness so far...I try not to intentionally squeeze between other cars (to avoid door dings).
Interior: You get used to the center screen and the lack of buttons and traditional dash VERY quickly...you won't miss the clutter. Whoever says it's dangerous hasn't spent any meaningful time driving the car. I personally like the understated interior, which is similar to Volvo's. Volvo seats are probably a little more comfortable (maybe wider). Plenty of storage for a car this size. The phone charging area needs work...it's a great concept where they put it, but should have Qi wireless built in...the 3rd party Qi solutions out there seem to have some issues, so I'm waiting for a better wireless solution. Just a warning -- an iPhoneX in the Apple leather case will NOT seat properly on the provided lightning connector and won't charge...I've ordered a different case that supposedly works.
Nav system: Looks phenomenal with the giant screen and google maps...but I've found the routing to be HORRIBLE. The first time I drove it to work, it tried to navigate me to the side of I95, which runs behind our parking lot...with no way to actually get into the parking lot. Good thing I knew where i was going. It has made some other bizarre recommendations, as well. This is annoying and could be dangerous. Sticking with Waze for now. Also, while it routes you based on current traffic, it does not let you choose an alternate route like Waze or Google maps.
Range: As advertised; averaging 233 Wh/Mile so far; range indicator in the car is pretty accurate.
Stereo: I'm not an audiophile, but it sounds good to me. Coming from a Harmon / Kardon premium system that sounded similar to me. Getting used to Slacker Radio was a challenge (used to SiriusXM and Spotify), but I've sort of grown to like it in a week.
Phone key: Works great with iPhoneX -- and the Tesla app doesn't need to be open; keycard works fine, too.
Charging: Have been charging via a NEMA 14-50 240 volt outlet in my garage using the UMC included in the car. Charges at a consistent 30 miles per hour. I don't miss pumping gas.
Firmware updates: Did my first update on Friday night...it took about 45 minutes. Now on 2018.26.3. Painless.
Other stuff that probably belongs in a car at this price that many other brands (including non-luxury) include: BLIND SPOT MONITORS (supposedly coming via OTA, but this is a HUGE omission), rear cross-traffic alert, heated steering wheel, headlight washers (for snowy areas), steerable headlights, Qi phone charging, native Apple Watch app, cooled seats. Volvo also has an electrically heated windshield, which I rarely use, but might be useful for those in colder climates.
Hopefully this helps for those on the fence, or waiting for their car and worrying about some of the bad press. It's not perfect, but thanks to OTA firmware updates, some of the omissions / annoyances will likely get fixed. My advice is to ignore the doom and gloom trolls out there...you are going to love this car.
The car is deep blue metallic, Long Range, RWD, PUP, Autopilot, FSD, 18 Aero rims (covers removed). VIN 27XXX, built in June 2018.
Replacing a 2016 Volvo S60 T6 as my daily driver (the Volvo has adaptive cruise, lane keeping etc. to compare to Tesla's). I am a long-time Volvo owner (now up to 5 of them since 1996)..and still own 2 of them (the S60 and a 2015 XC60). I will use this as a frame of reference in my review.
Delivery: Picked up at Rockville, MD service / delivery center. No trade in. Pretty painless as far as buying a car goes; they did need to move my delivery time 1 hour later on Monday because of the contract processing issues they had over the weekend delayed printing paperwork, but no big deal. You just sign the paperwork...nobody is trying to hard sell you on undercoatings, VIN etchings, pin stripes, extended warranties or anything of the sort that car dealers love to do. They ran me though a walkaround, and basic stuff like how to plug it in. Connected my phone key (paired with key card). Taught me how to put it in reverse / drive, etc. Car was pre-programmed with my home address in the Nav system. Took some photos. Drove it away after 15-20 minutes.
Fit & Finish: Everything looked good...no issues that need fixing on the interior or exterior. Panel gaps all look good. At least as good as any of my Volvos. I meticulously hand washed the car over the weekend, so would have noticed anything wrong. Paint quality looks better than Volvo's to me (somehow smoother / glossier, or something).
Driving: Ride quality is pretty good...I was worried it would be a little harsh. It sits down a little lower than the S60. The car feels very planted (low center of gravity), and definitely handles better than the FWD Volvo. The M3 feels smaller, even though it is 2 inches longer. Acceleration is mind blowing and silent. The Volvo puts out 302HP and 300 lb/ft of torque, so is no slouch, but the Tesla feels much faster to 60 (Volvo does roughly 5.5 seconds to 60). People who I've taken for test drives in the M3 are generally shocked...and want me to do another acceleration run. You notice wind noise more, but that's probably due to the lack of engine noise. Car feels very solid...no noticeable body flex, squeaks or rattles.
Autopilot: This is where I was a little nervous going in, as I specifically bought the S60 for its excellent adaptive cruise (MobileEye based, like AP1) for my 40+ mile each-way trip to work in heavy traffic. There had been various reports of AP2 slamming on the brakes for no reason and doing other strange things. I have not been disappointed by Autopilot, and I have not had any of these issues. It feels pretty much like the system in the Volvo other than it is quicker to detect cars moving into your lane ahead of you (which is good). Auto-steer works very well vs. the Volvo's system that only steers if it thinks you are crossing a line. I still haven't figured out auto lane change (think it's only worked once), and being able to take a freeway exit by turning on signal has never worked for me...both of those features need work. Autopark is kind of cool (but slow). Summon is a neat parlor trick to show people, but limited usefulness so far...I try not to intentionally squeeze between other cars (to avoid door dings).
Interior: You get used to the center screen and the lack of buttons and traditional dash VERY quickly...you won't miss the clutter. Whoever says it's dangerous hasn't spent any meaningful time driving the car. I personally like the understated interior, which is similar to Volvo's. Volvo seats are probably a little more comfortable (maybe wider). Plenty of storage for a car this size. The phone charging area needs work...it's a great concept where they put it, but should have Qi wireless built in...the 3rd party Qi solutions out there seem to have some issues, so I'm waiting for a better wireless solution. Just a warning -- an iPhoneX in the Apple leather case will NOT seat properly on the provided lightning connector and won't charge...I've ordered a different case that supposedly works.
Nav system: Looks phenomenal with the giant screen and google maps...but I've found the routing to be HORRIBLE. The first time I drove it to work, it tried to navigate me to the side of I95, which runs behind our parking lot...with no way to actually get into the parking lot. Good thing I knew where i was going. It has made some other bizarre recommendations, as well. This is annoying and could be dangerous. Sticking with Waze for now. Also, while it routes you based on current traffic, it does not let you choose an alternate route like Waze or Google maps.
Range: As advertised; averaging 233 Wh/Mile so far; range indicator in the car is pretty accurate.
Stereo: I'm not an audiophile, but it sounds good to me. Coming from a Harmon / Kardon premium system that sounded similar to me. Getting used to Slacker Radio was a challenge (used to SiriusXM and Spotify), but I've sort of grown to like it in a week.
Phone key: Works great with iPhoneX -- and the Tesla app doesn't need to be open; keycard works fine, too.
Charging: Have been charging via a NEMA 14-50 240 volt outlet in my garage using the UMC included in the car. Charges at a consistent 30 miles per hour. I don't miss pumping gas.
Firmware updates: Did my first update on Friday night...it took about 45 minutes. Now on 2018.26.3. Painless.
Other stuff that probably belongs in a car at this price that many other brands (including non-luxury) include: BLIND SPOT MONITORS (supposedly coming via OTA, but this is a HUGE omission), rear cross-traffic alert, heated steering wheel, headlight washers (for snowy areas), steerable headlights, Qi phone charging, native Apple Watch app, cooled seats. Volvo also has an electrically heated windshield, which I rarely use, but might be useful for those in colder climates.
Hopefully this helps for those on the fence, or waiting for their car and worrying about some of the bad press. It's not perfect, but thanks to OTA firmware updates, some of the omissions / annoyances will likely get fixed. My advice is to ignore the doom and gloom trolls out there...you are going to love this car.
