Saw the Model 3 at Monterey car week....thoughts

[eye.surgeon]

I've had my MS for 2.5 years and was a day 1 reservation for the Model 3. This weekend I saw the new model 3 twice, once driving down ocean ave in Carmel and once again driving down Carmel Valley Road., I think it was the same car, it was definitely the same color, gray. My impressions:

It's very derivative of the Model S. I had to study what I was seeing initially to tell the difference.

From the front and the side, it's handsome.

From the rear and rear 3/4 view, it's awkward looking. I can see why almost all the press photos show a front, or front 3/4 view, where it looks great. From the back it has an odd looking hunch back. It certainly looks like a hatch back, so it's kind of rubbing it in that it isn't.

The crowd I was in that saw it on Ocean ave referred to it as the cheap Tesla.

My wife said it "didn't look as special" as the Model S. She doesn't pay attention to cars so that is a non-car person's perspective.

Overall I found myself thinking I wouldn't be happy with it. It's not beautiful, at least not from every angle, and I'm still annoyed that we traded a practical hatchback configuration for a novelty glass roof. but that's another story.

 

[grashelm]

I've had my MS for 2.5 years and was a day 1 reservation for the Model 3. This weekend I saw the new model 3 twice, once driving down ocean ave in Carmel and once again driving down Carmel Valley Road., I think it was the same car, it was definitely the same color, silver. My impressions:

It's very derivative of the Model S. I had to study what I was seeing initially to tell the difference.

From the front and the side, it's handsome.

From the rear and rear 3/4 view, it's awkward looking. I can see why almost all the press photos show a front, or front 3/4 view, where it looks great.

The crowd I was in that saw it on Ocean ave referred to it as the cheap Tesla.

My wife said it "didn't look as special" as the Model S. She doesn't pay attention to cars so that is a non-car person's perspective.

Overall I found myself thinking I wouldn't be happy with it. It's not beautiful, at least not from every angle, and I'm still annoyed that we traded a practical hatchback configuration for a novelty glass roof.

No pic didn't happen

 

[eye.surgeon]

Done...

 

[eye.surgeon]

 

[McRat]

MFR plated or regular?

 

[eye.surgeon]

looks like a regular plate

 

[cgiGuy]

I'm still annoyed that we traded a practical hatchback configuration for a novelty glass roof. but that's another story.

Musk has stated that the lack of a hatchback was for rear seat headroom, not because of the glass roof. Model S has a glass roof/hatchback option, so no trade off was required there.

 

[eye.surgeon]

Musk has stated that the lack of a hatchback was for rear seat headroom, not because of the glass roof. Model S has a glass roof/hatchback option, so no trade off was required there.

Yes I heard that explanation, so just to check I sat in my son's GTI, which somehow manages to have both rear seat headroom and a hatchback. Which makes me think the two aren't mutually exclusive.

 

[McRat]

looks like a regular plate

I couldn't tell from the vid. Off-topic, we saw a Focus RS? with MFR plates at today's AutoX. Holy cow. I think it was the fastest car there, and it was stock on OEM street tires. There was a mod'd 911 on tires, and it couldn't catch it. Certainly had some traction and power.

 

[GoTslaGo]

I couldn't tell from the vid. Off-topic, we saw a Focus RS? with MFR plates at today's AutoX. Holy cow. I think it was the fastest car there, and it was stock on OEM street tires. There was a mod'd 911 on tires, and it couldn't catch it. Certainly had some traction and power.

Blow up the still image. Looks like MFR plate 63277

 

[03DSG]

Looks way better from the rear quarter and behind in lighter colours.

 

[cgiGuy]

Yes I heard that explanation, so just to check I sat in my son's GTI, which somehow manages to have both rear seat headroom and a hatchback. Which makes me think the two aren't mutually exclusive.

Does it have a drag coefficient of 0.23?

 

[stopcrazypp]

Yes I heard that explanation, so just to check I sat in my son's GTI, which somehow manages to have both rear seat headroom and a hatchback. Which makes me think the two aren't mutually exclusive.

GTI is not a sedan/coupe style hatchback like the S though. If Tesla made something like the GTI it might suffer the same fate as the A3 hatchback (which sold horribly in the US until they introduced the sedan variant). People in the US just see traditional hatchbacks as low rent (a CUV is a different story).

Something like the 3 series Gran Turismo, 4 series Gran Coupe, or the Audi A5 sportback is a closer comparison. They sacrifice some rear headroom for the hatch hinges.
"Rear headroom is less impressive, though, as protrusions in the headliner (because of the hatchback hinges) can have even normal-size adults seated in the outboard positions rubbing their heads up against the headliner."
2015 BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo - Buyers Guide | Autoweek

 

[N5329K]

There was a white one here, too.
Robin

 

[cella]

Yes I heard that explanation, so just to check I sat in my son's GTI, which somehow manages to have both rear seat headroom and a hatchback. Which makes me think the two aren't mutually exclusive.

My theory: It's a problem of maintaining headroom while still giving the car pleasingly "sleek" proportions. The Teslas need room in the floor for the battery pack, which probably raises the floor of the interior cabin by a few inches compared to an ICE car. In order to maintain good headroom, the designers had to find a way to compensate for that somehow by either raising the roof as well or making it thinner. The Model S gets away with a higher roof because it is also a very wide and long car, so it maintains the sleek proportions. For the 3, they decided to make the roof thinner over the rear seats by making it glass.

 

[gambit48]

Naw, I bet it's the very simple "Americans don't buy hatchbacks" issue. If they don't look like hatchbacks (ie the Audi A7) or you raise it a smidge and call it a SUV, then they'll happily plunk their money down. Otherwise, sales just won't be good.

 

[T34ME]

@eye.surgeon thank you for your comments and video. Remember, no good deed ever goes unpunished! I can understand your comments about the rear 3/4 view, , , when compared to an MS. I don't have that frame of reference so I am okay with that view. Notice my avatar?

 

[SoCalGuy]

Done...

Yeah I def think white looks better from this angle than the gray.

 

[Tiger]

The crowd I was in that saw it on Ocean ave referred to it as the cheap Tesla.

LOL, must have been that guy with the Bentley shirt

 

[azred]

The crowd I was in that saw it on Ocean ave referred to it as the cheap Tesla.

My wife said it "didn't look as special" as the Model S. She doesn't pay attention to cars so that is a non-car person's perspective.

Overall I found myself thinking I wouldn't be happy with it. It's not beautiful, at least not from every angle, and I'm still annoyed that we traded a practical hatchback configuration for a novelty glass roof. but that's another story.

A crowd in Carmel turning up their noses at a middle class sedan. That's a surprise. In my neighborhood, people will drool.