Scared of taking the Model 3 out? Am/was I alone?

[mspurplepurl]

Am I the only one that was actually, dare I say, scared of taking their new baby out for the first time? I have to admit I was so incredibly excited to receive my car that I almost didn't want to drive it off of the lot. LA drivers are notoriously THE worse and the idea of an accident before reaching 100 miles was very much at the forefront of my mind.

Once I got past that thought and off of the lot, the way the car hugs the road, the acceleration power, the regenerative braking, was a lot to navigate (bah-dum cha). I'm a person that is as gentle with the gas as with holding a newborn puppy and that is a serious learning curve to overcome when it comes to the regen function; it turned me into a teenage driver that had just hopped behind the wheel of a car. Let's just say I felt like a dashboard hula doll.

I actually didn't drive it for the majority of the weekend because I was trying to wrap my head around what to do, but the sunlight and promise of the open road beckoned me to...stop being a baby and get over myself. Today (Sunday) was the best day ever as I explored the city and tacked on a healthy 50+ miles running errands and generally enjoying myself behind the wheel of my new Model 3.

Anyone else out there unexpectedly found themselves crawling again?!

 

[BluestarE3]

I know what you mean. However, I had to drive mine 50+ miles home from Fremont last week, so I had no time to "baby" it. I did first set Regen to low and enabled Creep mode so the handling would be more familiar.

I've gotten used to one-pedal driving and now enjoy its convenience. I've also played around with the touchscreen while sitting in the garage so I now feel pretty comfortable using it on the road.

Yes, there's a bit of a learning curve (especially for an old guy like me), but I haven't had as much fun driving since my RX-7 days in my youth.

 

[Ludalicious]

I drive mine like I stole it.... It does well at the track too...... Gas slayer. Hasn't been in the shop yet and has over 30,000 kms on it now too. Drive it like you stole it

 

[WaitingForY]

you only live once don't worry about something that hasn't happened yet. You have insurance if something does go wrong!

 

[longshot49]

Charge the car. Pick a road. Or don't pick a road and randomly wander. Enjoy the road.

 

[swaltner]

My only fear was crunching the car into the door on the delivery bay at the Tesla store. Once I moved the car that first 30’ and was in the parking lot, I was fine.

 

[Bobbo8]

I picked up my M3 and I had a 5 hour 300 mile ride home, you talk about terror!! I’m a senior citizen and still trying to figure out my iPad never mind a Tesla M3! But did I learn a lot on that trip home and developed a love affair with the car.

 

[Mo City]

I picked up my car in September during a torrential rain storm that lasted for a while. We get those in Houston. Kind of ruined the moment for me.

However, the next day, I was all over the place and couldn't stop driving.

The thrill hasn't gone away.

 

[TW14 9LF]

My wife is scared to drive it. Fine with me, more time for me to drive it!!!

 

[Gavyne]

I was careful with my car before PPF/ceramic coating was put on it.

 

[MrBoylan]

IT is a

Am I the only one that was actually, dare I say, scared of taking their new baby out for the first time?...
Anyone else out there unexpectedly found themselves crawling again?!

It is an intimidating car. Such power! My wife still hasn't driven it and we've had a Model 3 since April (just traded it in for a Performance model). But as others have said, once you get used to it, driving anything ELSE (other than another Tesla) feels so primitive.

Still getting used to the lower vantage point (previous car was an SUV), but I feel like the overall visibility is excellent. I do still have issues with getting the turn signal to behave the way I want, and keep looking for the windshield wipers on the stalk, but eventually my motor memory will adjust itself.

 

[suwaneedad]

Am I the only one that was actually, dare I say, scared of taking their new baby out for the first time? I have to admit I was so incredibly excited to receive my car that I almost didn't want to drive it off of the lot. LA drivers are notoriously THE worse and the idea of an accident before reaching 100 miles was very much at the forefront of my mind.

Once I got past that thought and off of the lot, the way the car hugs the road, the acceleration power, the regenerative braking, was a lot to navigate (bah-dum cha). I'm a person that is as gentle with the gas as with holding a newborn puppy and that is a serious learning curve to overcome when it comes to the regen function; it turned me into a teenage driver that had just hopped behind the wheel of a car. Let's just say I felt like a dashboard hula doll.

I actually didn't drive it for the majority of the weekend because I was trying to wrap my head around what to do, but the sunlight and promise of the open road beckoned me to...stop being a baby and get over myself. Today (Sunday) was the best day ever as I explored the city and tacked on a healthy 50+ miles running errands and generally enjoying myself behind the wheel of my new Model 3.

Anyone else out there unexpectedly found themselves crawling again?!

Personally I think regen should be set to low for new deliveries, and explained as such during the orientation. There's enough to get used to when first driving Model 3, that adding full regen / one-pedal driving is something that can wait til later.

 

[xilex]

Need to go to Costco, afraid asshole will hit it

 

[Az_Rael]

Yeah, I drove mine off the lot down in LA right into the "Fury Road" LA side street traffic then up onto the 405. I was still recovering from my recent nasty wreck that totalled my S a couple weeks prior so the bubble feeling of the 3 low dash was really creeping me out. Felt like I was too close to everyone, going too fast, blinkers were weird, etc.

Luckily I made it onto the 405 by only cutting a few people off as I figured out the blinkers on the fly, LOL. No issues on the way home, but it was white knuckle most of the way.

That did cure me of any worries about driving the new car though. Trial by fire courtesy of LA traffic.

 

[BluestarE3]

Personally I think regen should be set to low for new deliveries, and explained as such during the orientation. There's enough to get used to when first driving Model 3, that adding full regen / one-pedal driving is something that can wait til later.

I agree. My delivery person did not explain the behavior of the accelerator pedal and regen (nor much of anything else, for that matter). Luckily, I took a test drive a few months ago and when the Tesla chaperone noticed that I was startled by the sudden deceleration as I lifted my foot off the accelerator to apply the brakes, he changed the regen setting to low. Thus, I knew to do that before driving off the lot with my new car. Other Model 3 owners who have not driven Teslas before may have had a more challenging time getting their cars home for the first time.

 

[BluestarE3]

Need to go to Costco, afraid asshole will hit it

My wife wanted to go to Costco on the day my car came home, so we went late in the evening when it wasn't crowded and I parked far away from the entrance to the store with empty parking spaces on all sides.

 

[xilex]

My wife wanted to go to Costco on the day my car came home, so we went late in the evening when it wasn't crowded and I parked far away from the entrance to the store with empty parking spaces on all sides.

lol what?! Are we talking about 730pm evening or 530pm evening? Evening for me is when the store is even more packed and it takes 30 minutes to get to check-out line down here in socal.

 

[WileyTheMan]

lol what?! Are we talking about 730pm evening or 530pm evening? Evening for me is when the store is even more packed and it takes 30 minutes to get to check-out line down here in socal.

Clearly they didn't visit the Sunnyvale store. The place is a nightmare on any weeknight, parking or otherwise.

Ultimately it's a car, and if you drive it, it's going to take some kind of damage over its life. The OP will come to accept that eventually, I think.

 

[animorph]

Probably for many it is the most expensive car they have owned. My wife was shaking when she drove it home. And she was already used to driving my X and plenty of BMW's.

Be careful those first few drives, since it's likely your attention is not fully on the driving. The second time my son drove his first new car, he drove it straight out of a parking lot. Right over the sidewalk and off the raised curb to the street. Not the parking lot exit.

 

[BluestarE3]

lol what?! Are we talking about 730pm evening or 530pm evening?

More like 8pm, half hour before closing... and midweek.