Some initial impressions

TEG · Jan 27, 2018

Someone I met through this forum, who has been very generous, is letting me borrow his new Model 3 for a few days while he goes out of town.

So, I got to drive one for the first time today.
Initial impressions are very positive. I love the way it feels to be driving it. The seating position, visibility, and general ergonomics feel very friendly and responsive. The instant torque and strong regen feel great at normal city & highway speeds. The handling feels tight and responsive with great control during lane changes and cornering.

I am a fairly big guy, and getting in and out were super easy, and I felt like I had plenty of room in all dimensions.

I have never owned an air suspension vehicle, so maybe my expectations for ride comfort are less toward the cushy luxury side, but I found the coil spring ride to be reasonably compliant and comfortable. The roads around here tend to be in good condition, so I haven't been exposed to potholes or broken pavement. Also, this car has the 18" wheels/tires, so my experience so far has been far from a "worst case". (In other words, me saying the ride was comfortable was based on only experiencing good conditions so far.)

The car felt really well built. No hint of any squeaks, rattles, or any kind of noticeable imperfection.

I was a bit surprised by a bit of wind noise at highway speeds. I assumed that the super low CD meant that wind would slip around the vehicle almost unnoticed, but apparently something can be heard when going at highway speeds. It wasn't too bad, just a bit more than I expected.

The turn signal / indicator control takes a bit of getting used to. I found myself activating the opposite direction a few times when trying to stop the indicator. Getting out of the vehicle without a "power off" button seems odd. At the moment, I use the iPhone app to activate "vehicle lock" after getting out, but I wish there was a more positive way to just push something to say "shut the car off" and have it lock the doors when I close them. I am probably missing something in the correct procedure to leave the car, but just passing along first impressions here.

The biggest problem is that I have to give this back in a few days, then go back to waiting for my order to allow configuration. It is going to be hard to give this up after getting a taste of it.

TEG · Jan 27, 2018

Another odd thing that happened... I opened the door to get out, then changed my mind and got back in before closing it. When I closed the door, everything in the car shut off (screen went blank), etc. It must have some logic to think if you open the door and get up then when the door closes it is time to power down. But somehow I confused it into shutting down when I was still in the car and expecting the screen to still be on ready to drive, etc. Maybe I need to have better training in the wake-up / shut-down procedures, or maybe the car needs some improved firmware for these kinds of cases. I noticed that there is a firmware update that the car will be accepting tonight, so maybe things will be better tomorrow.

mongo · Jan 27, 2018

TEG said:
Another odd thing that happened... I opened the door to get out, then changed my mind and got back in before closing it. When I closed the door, everything in the car shut off (screen went blank), etc. It must have some logic to think if you open the door and get up then when the door closes it is time to power down. But somehow I confused it into shutting down when I was still in the car and expecting the screen to still be on ready to drive, etc. Maybe I need to have better training in the wake-up / shut-down procedures, or maybe the car needs some improved firmware for these kinds of cases. I noticed that there is a firmware update that the car will be accepting tonight, so maybe things will be better tomorrow.

Achievement unlocked: impersonating a backpack.

TEG · Jan 27, 2018

A picture with the sunset reflecting off of it:

Too much traffic, other Model 3's in my way !

Yuri_G · Jan 27, 2018

TEG said:
A picture with the sunset reflecting off of it:

View attachment 276305

Too much traffic, other Model 3's in my way !

View attachment 276306

Manufacture plates, too.

TexasEV · Jan 27, 2018

Getting out is no different than with the Model S or X. No turning off or locking those either. The car knows you’re out and knows what to do. That’s why there are all the stories here of Model S owners who later drive an ICE forgetting to turn it off when they get out!

ölbrenner · Jan 27, 2018

From another thread I recall, where a guy gets out yet wants to leave the AC and car on for pax inside. Car would turn off after he left, even with pax inside.

Solution was for pax to tap screen from inside after driver door opens-closes (i.e. exit then reenter), and car stays on. Might want to try that. Let us know.

jjh1234 · Jan 27, 2018

ölbrenner said:
From another thread I recall, where a guy gets out yet wants to leave the AC and car on for pax inside. Car would turn off after he left, even with pax inside.

Solution was for pax to tap screen from inside after driver door opens-closes (i.e. exit then reenter), and car stays on. Might want to try that. Let us know.

What's a pax?

T34ME · Jan 27, 2018

jjh1234 said:
What's a pax?

It's Latin for Peace. If you have a pax, you have no peace!

ölbrenner · Jan 27, 2018

jjh1234 said:
What's a pax?

Passenger(s). Sorry too much flying talk.

T34ME · Jan 27, 2018

TEG said:
Someone I met through this forum, who has been very generous, is letting me borrow his new Model 3 for a few days while he goes out of town.

So, I got to drive one for the first time today.
Initial impressions are very positive. I love the way it feels to be driving it. The seating position, visibility, and general ergonomics feel very friendly and responsive. The instant torque and strong regen feel great at normal city & highway speeds. The handling feels tight and responsive with great control during lane changes and cornering.

I am a fairly big guy, and getting in and out were super easy, and I felt like I had plenty of room in all dimensions.

I have never owned an air suspension vehicle, so maybe my expectations for ride comfort are less toward the cushy luxury side, but I found the coil spring ride to be reasonably compliant and comfortable. The roads around here tend to be in good condition, so I haven't been exposed to potholes or broken pavement. Also, this car has the 18" wheels/tires, so my experience so far has been far from a "worst case".

The car felt really well built. No hint of any squeaks, rattles, or any kind of noticeable imperfection.

I was a bit surprised by a bit of wind noise at highway speeds. I assumed that the super low CD meant that wind would slip around the vehicle almost unnoticed, but apparently something can be heard when going at highway speeds. It wasn't too bad, just a bit more than I expected.

The turn signal / indicator control takes a bit of getting used to. I found myself activating the opposite direction a few times when trying to stop the indicator. Getting out of the vehicle without a "power off" button seems odd. At the moment, I use the iPhone app to activate "vehicle lock" after getting out, but I wish there was a more positive way to just push something to say "shut the car off" and have it lock the doors when I close them. I am probably missing something in the correct procedure to leave the car, but just passing along first impressions here.

The biggest problem is that I have to give this back in a few days, then go back to waiting for my order to allow configuration. It is going to be hard to give this up after getting a taste of it.

@TEG have you adapted to the center screen? Is it a problem for you? Have you had problems with smartphone access? How is the fit and finish? Is the view out the rear window adequate? Are you embarrassed by driving a car with wheel covers?

In my opinion, the wind noise at speed is a function of the glass roof, less acoustic insulation.

Color me green with envy!

TEG · Jan 27, 2018

T34ME said:
@TEG have you adapted to the center screen? Is it a problem for you? Have you had problems with smartphone access? How is the fit and finish? Is the view out the rear window adequate? Are you embarrassed by driving a car with wheel covers?

I like the center screen for most things. I quickly was able to glance at the speedo, figure out most functions, and start playing with the map and audio controls while driving.
I even ran through the easter eggs already, and was surprised by the amount of recorded audio that goes along with them.

It took me longer than expected to find the headlight controls. Also, it took quite a while to figure out the backup camera while driving setting. (That little camera symbol is vague)
The frame rate on the backup camera is jarring at speed, so I think I would use it less while driving than I planned.
I probably would have been baffled by the vent controls if I hadn't seen other people demonstrate it in online videos before I got in the car.
The map is very responsive, and I could use iPhone like pinch controls to zoom in and out, rotate, etc. It was amazing to "pinch out" to the whole US and see the sheer number of supercharging stations on the map.

I do wish it had a HUD for some basic things like speed and time.

I wasn't really checking the "fit and finish" too closely as this isn't my car, but from the casual looking around everything looked in order and I didn't see any odd gaps, or weird fitment on anything.

This particular car has autopilot enabled, and I was able to activate that on the freeway and have it keep me in the lane and manage distance to other cars. There were a few times later in the day where autopilot seemed to drift out of the lane in some non-highway situations so I think it may be better at some situations more than others.

The rear view mirror does provide a fairly narrow field of view out the back. In situations where I was concerned about obstacles, I made use of the rear view camera more than the mirror.

Since I am not looking at the wheel covers while driving, I am not thinking about them. Both this car's owner and I plan to run without covers around town, and save them for occasional long distance road trips where we want the extra efficiency. I actually don't mind them that much. A bare alloy wheel is usually better looking, but in a way these covers look somewhat futuristic, not just some cheap cover. I gather some people really hate the looks of them, but I think with enough model 3s sporting them, people will learn to accept (and in some cases appreciate) them.

I still need to spend some time figuring out the smart phone app and the ways it links to the car. The owner kindly set up my phone to login to his account so I could manage his car like an owner would. I was able to do the usual stuff like see the car's range, unlock/lock things, etc. The car does recognize my phone now when I get close to the car and unlocks the doors for me, but I still have to study a bit more how the whole key vs phone car lock/unlock car on/off business works. I have the card key too and there were times it asked me to tap the card next to the cup holders to activate the car even though I thought I had it ready to go from the phone. I probably just need to read the manuals about how to best do all of that.

Oh, and I tried to pair to Bluetooth on my phone because I wanted to make a phone call through car audio, but when I searched for Bluetooth devices I saw some list of unrecognized devices (including a Model S parked near me) but didn't see my phone in the list even though I have bluetooth on the phone turned on. So, I haven't yet gotten the Bluetooth pairing stuff worked out. So I guess making best use of my phone wasn't immediately obvious. I tried to do all I could without any instructions from anyone... Just see how easy it was to figure out the car by playing with things.

I had recently bought a Model S/X 40amp UMC (the one with the 14-50 cord built in permanently) off of eBay, and that worked fine. I pushed the button on the plug and the charge port door opened, and when I inserted the cable it started charging and I could see 40amps on the main screen. The plug fit the socket easily and didn't have any of the hard to insert issues some others had reported. I didn't try the UMC that came with the Model 3.

The things that matter most to me all seem in order.
It drives really well.
It is comfortable.
The audio sounds great.
It has very useful range.
It looks really nice.
If I were looking for nit-picks, it would mainly be little things with the screen UI, the way the car responds to things from from phone, some audio controls, and such.
Thankfully all of those are areas where they can probably improve via firmware updates.
I don't know if there is anything they can do to make the backup camera better at this price point. I think people have higher expectations from what is on Model S & X.
I was mildly disappointed in the textile headliner and pillar liner after seeing the ultra-suede in the earlier cars, but it is certainly not a "deal breaker" on going forward with the purchase.

TEG · Jan 27, 2018

Well I finally got my phone to pair. I sat in the searching for devices screen for a while before I opened the Bluetooth settings page on my phone and then finally it showed up. My phone claimed it was connected to a bunch of weird device IDs already... I am not sure if that was related to the car or what.

When I picked "connect phone" on the car screen it was again in the endless "searching" screen and finding odd devices I didn't recognize.

Like this latest time "MIBOX3" showed up, I guess that is some neighbors Android TV device or something.
It wasn't until I opened the Bluetooth settings on my phone that the phone showed up in the car's "searching for devices" screen.

Here are the odd devices my phone showed as already connected:

( KIA motors was some old rental car I once paired with long ago... )
I don't know what all those code numbers are that show "Connected"

TEG · Jan 27, 2018

Once it was paired I could try to sync contacts, and play media from the phone...

I played some songs off my phone, but to my ear, the sound quality from the Bluetooth streaming wasn't as good as from the flash drive I had been playing earlier.

TEG · Jan 27, 2018

When I push the right steering control button/wheel thing it activates speech recognition... I tried a bunch of different "commands".
It always got my words correct, but it wasn't able to do many of the things I asked.
When I asked it to play music it was pretty good about finding streaming radio channels with that kind of music.
When I asked it to navigate to a place it was awesome at showing it on the map and then giving directions to get there.
But I tried some basic car control commands like "turn on headlights" and it didn't seem to do any of those.

I think Elon tweeted that voice commands would get much improved with firmware updates.
Hopefully they add things like "turn on headlights", "turn on wipers", "open the trunk", etc.

TEG · Jan 27, 2018

Pick a supercharger!

TEG · Jan 27, 2018

When I am playing music, I wish I could grab the "slider" showing where it is playing in the song, and fast forward / rewind. It appears you can't jump around within a song.