Tesla Model 3 First Drive Reviews

[buttershrimp]

Still shocked by driving the model 3 for last day of my trip, today’s observation:
Why is this car so damn efficient? Why does it charge faster at lower amperage? how The heck do we get these gains into the model x and s soon?

 

[Ulmo]

I’m not yet onto the picadollos, there are weaknesses where I didn’t anticipate, for instance the model s seats are actually a little tiny bit better (I thought it would be the opposite), but overall is phenomenal

This goes to prove that each person should do their own test drive. For instance, in my test drive, the Model 3 I test drove had much better seats than the Model S I owned. However, some very old Model S loaners I've used have had better seats than the Model S I owned; I'd say the Model 3 I test drove had slightly better seats than even the best Model S, and as good as the best Model X I that I've test driven. You obvioulsy had a difference experience. That's why I recommend everyone getting in a friend's (or even a neighbor's) Model 3 and trying it out. (Or make an appointment with a store if you're the first friend in your area.)

 

[buttershrimp]

This goes to prove that each person should do their own test drive. For instance, in my test drive, the Model 3 I test drove had much better seats than the Model S I owned. However, some very old Model S loaners I've used have had better seats than the Model S I owned; I'd say the Model 3 I test drove had slightly better seats than even the best Model S, and as good as the best Model X I that I've test driven. You obvioulsy had a difference experience. That's why I recommend everyone getting in a friend's (or even a neighbor's) Model 3 and trying it out. (Or make an appointment with a store if you're the first friend in your area.)

That's true. Everyone should try their own. The 3 seats are very very good and very comfortable. I certainly can see how some will find them more comfortable than the S. But it shouldn't be by much. they are very similar.

I've been back in my model S for the last day and a half. My thoughts on the model 3:

Exceeded my expectations in almost every way. Fantastic car. It reminds me of my old pre-tesla favorite car, 2001 IS 300 (but way better), that car had a small tight steering wheel as well, and was really fun to drive, the model 3 is clearly the best handling current Tesla, and I can only imagine what fun the Performance Model would be. If I were younger, and more spry, I'd choose the model 3 performance.

Being back in my Model S has been wonderful. I appreciate it's shocking speed, and the small details that have been slowly improved upon year after year. I also appreciate the dual display, even though it's just fine with the center screen in the model 3... I clearly prefer the center screen in the S.

I'm hopeful that the Model S will inherit the lane changer (press down fully to engage an ongoing turn signal and push up to cancel a signal, no need to manually return the stalk to position) and the better autopilot engagement motion (twice down) of the model 3.... all right stalk initiated and the ability to change speed and following distance on the steering wheel. The speed adjustment could be achieved now, but the follow distance motion will require a new steering wheel in the S where you can push right or left. It would be fantastic if the haptic feedback of the vertical motion could be replicated with horizontal motions on the scroll wheels, rather than pushing it in and to the right or left..... this one is hard to explain unless you are familiar with both steering wheel scroll wheels. I'd also like to see a thinner profile sun visor like the model 3 and the fact that it telescopes to add a little more length when needed is also nice.

Other suprises, the suspension of the model 3 is heavenly.... I wouldn't wait for the air suspension unless you have driveway issues

I don't see how anyone can justify buying any other car besides a model 3 if they are looking at similarly sized vehicles. Mercedes, etc. With autopilot, this car catapults past other comparable sized vehicles by at least 5 years. Without autopilot's magic, there are probably people out there who can find other cars that are really enjoyable to drive.... but not many.

I think Elon described it the right way, Model S P100D is still king, but Performance Model 3 is better value for the money and undoubtedly is going to be more fun to drive through the twists.

Man I love these vehicles. Very thankful they exist in a world of cars lulling the masses to sleep. People without a Tesla truly have no idea what they are missing.... especially if they haven't had the car long enough to keep trying autopilot.

I wonder if @TaoJones or anyone else shares the feeling not the shifter or steering wheel.

 

[buttershrimp]

Inconceivable

 

[rodrego66]

This was kind of not cool and cool. We took deliver of our M3. Got it to replace my 2013 Dodge Charger. I decided to let the wife drive it out of the Tesla dealership. Anyway to make a long story short, I am now driving her Grand Cherokee. .

On another note, one of my co-workers took five of us for a ride in his M3 that he has had for a few weeks. He took it on the freeway and got it up to 104 mph. One of the ladies I was sitting next to, said she felt like she was on a roller coaster at magic mountain. Very fun ride!

 

[buttershrimp]

This was kind of not cool and cool. We took deliver of our M3. Got it to replace my 2013 Dodge Charger. I decided to let the wife drive it out of the Tesla dealership. Anyway to make a long story short, I am now driving her Grand Cherokee. .

On another note, one of my co-workers took five of us for a ride in his M3 that he has had for a few weeks. He took it on the freeway and got it up to 104 mph. One of the ladies I was sitting next to, said she felt like she was on a roller coaster at magic mountain. Very fun ride!

Can you blame your wife for taking your model 3? You just told a story about a woman coworker saying she thought a Model 3 was like a ride at Magic Mountain.... Then you expect your wife to be like, "sure honey, take the new Red Performance Model 3 to work, and give that new young intern, Tiffany a ride."

Fat chance buddy. You get at timeout and a week or two with the Grand Cherokee.

 

[rodrego66]

Can you blame your wife for taking your model 3? You just told a story about a woman coworker saying she thought a Model 3 was like a ride at Magic Mountain.... Then you expect your wife to be like, "sure honey, take the new Red Performance Model 3 to work, and give that new young intern, Tiffany a ride."

Fat chance buddy. You get at timeout and a week or two with the Grand Cherokee.

Damn It!

 

[Holmern]

Got my P3D today around 3:30pm today. Couldn't stop driving it around until after 11pm. Never had this much fun in a car before. Oh and it is soooo fast!!!!

 

[Curt Renz]

 

[jimmy_d]

Model 3 is so good. I’m on my second day driving it and it is ridiculous how good it is, and I’m driving a LR RWD. It’s tight and fun but incredibly graceful on autopilot, mirroring and observation by @jimmy_d that the smaller size gives more room in the lane and gives the driver greater confidence in the system, particularly with respect to lane keeping.

The non performance variant, is undoubtedly more soulful than the model s non performance models. I’m not yet onto the picadollos, there are weaknesses where I didn’t anticipate, for instance the model s seats are actually a little tiny bit better (I thought it would be the opposite), but overall is phenomenal

I was back driving the Model 3 last week (hadn't been in it since January) and I noticed how much the post 2018.10.4 firmware changes the relative sense of the S and the 3. Last January it made a lot more difference because the lane keeping was so much more fragile and the passenger side visibility is so much tougher in the S, but even with the dramatically improved lateral control of the recent firmware the 3 is still more confidence inspiring.

Especially in that dump truck road rage construction zone of a city that you live in.

 

[Ludatik]

 

[Jigglypuff]

I finally test drove the Model 3, a performance performance version with everything. I was impressed with the smooth ride, especially considering it had the lowered suspension. It accelerates like a Tesla, just a rocket, though not as fast as a P100D, of course. It was in a middle ground between more than I need and not as much as I want. The seat is a 7/10 on comfort. The upper back is shaped only ok, and the steering wheel extends at least an inch too little. The HVAC controls work fine, but I'd rather have an actual vent. The steering wheel and mirror controls are pains. They should be set up like the HVAC controls. Either way, the lack of physical controls is just obnoxious. The center screen for seeing speed is annoying but fine. The interior is fine, but for 70 or 80k? Sigh. Even 50k is pushing things. Interior space is good. Frunk size is nice and useful.

In the end, I left with a so-so feeling. I didn't feel especially comfortable. The driving position is just OK. The interior is just OK. Nothing is actually wrong. The car just doesn't feel like a good value. At 35k for a short-range RWD with a fixed roof and cloth seats, I'd leap without any tax subsidy. At 50k+? Well, I'm going to wait for the I-Pace to arrive and see if I want to get a Model 3 or another i-Pace... or the EQC.

Also, looking at all the cars getting supercharged made me realize I'd likely never use a supercharger. Waiting in a line for a supercharge is 1000 times worse than the time it takes to plug in at home.

 

[sreams]

I finally test drove the Model 3, a performance performance version with everything. I was impressed with the smooth ride, especially considering it had the lowered suspension. It accelerates like a Tesla, just a rocket, though not as fast as a P100D, of course. It was in a middle ground between more than I need and not as much as I want. The seat is a 7/10 on comfort. The upper back is shaped only ok, and the steering wheel extends at least an inch too little. The HVAC controls work fine, but I'd rather have an actual vent. The steering wheel and mirror controls are pains. They should be set up like the HVAC controls. Either way, the lack of physical controls is just obnoxious. The center screen for seeing speed is annoying but fine. The interior is fine, but for 70 or 80k? Sigh. Even 50k is pushing things. Interior space is good. Frunk size is nice and useful.

In the end, I left with a so-so feeling. I didn't feel especially comfortable. The driving position is just OK. The interior is just OK. Nothing is actually wrong. The car just doesn't feel like a good value. At 35k for a short-range RWD with a fixed roof and cloth seats, I'd leap without any tax subsidy. At 50k+? Well, I'm going to wait for the I-Pace to arrive and see if I want to get a Model 3 or another i-Pace... or the EQC.

Also, looking at all the cars getting supercharged made me realize I'd likely never use a supercharger. Waiting in a line for a supercharge is 1000 times worse than the time it takes to plug in at home.

To be fair, the steering wheel and mirror adjustments do use physical controls. You just have to tap the touchscreen to enable them.

And of course, once you adjust these things to your liking, they are saved with your profile, so not something you should be dealing with much at all.

 

[Jigglypuff]

To be fair, the steering wheel and mirror adjustments do use physical controls. You just have to tap the touchscreen to enable them.

And of course, once you adjust these things to your liking, they are saved with your profile, so not something you should be dealing with much at all.

The physical controls on the wheel are worse than the touch screen controls for the HVAC, which are worse than regular physical controls on other cars. I find myself adjusting mirrors at least once a week. Maybe I want a better angle while backing up, or I have adjusted my seating position to get more comfortable. For realsies. The vents? I adjust those maybe 2-3 times a week. Physical controls beat touch screens most of the time, plain and simple. I still type slower on my current phone than I did with the physical keyboard of my old Samsung. Oh, and volume knobs are the best. Same with temperature. Give me a knob, not a button or a touchscreen slider. Or worse, a touch screen button.

Not to say that the M3 software is bad. They do a good job dealing with the physical limitations. Still a pain.

 

[sreams]

The physical controls on the wheel are worse than the touch screen controls for the HVAC, which are worse than regular physical controls on other cars. I find myself adjusting mirrors at least once a week. Maybe I want a better angle while backing up, or I have adjusted my seating position to get more comfortable. For realsies. The vents? I adjust those maybe 2-3 times a week. Physical controls beat touch screens most of the time, plain and simple. I still type slower on my current phone than I did with the physical keyboard of my old Samsung. Oh, and volume knobs are the best. Same with temperature. Give me a knob, not a button or a touchscreen slider. Or worse, a touch screen button.

Not to say that the M3 software is bad. They do a good job dealing with the physical limitations. Still a pain.

I guess I'm confused as to how the controls on the steering wheel are any different from mirror control buttons in any other car. I don't find them any more or less difficult to operate than the mirror controls in my 2003 BMW 325xi. And the left control works just as well for me as a volume knob as a dedicated knob does in any other car.

Just trying to understand what exactly about the knobs/wheels you don't like.

 

[Jigglypuff]

I guess I'm confused as to how the controls on the steering wheel are any different from mirror control buttons in any other car. I don't find them any more or less difficult to operate than the mirror controls in my 2003 BMW 325xi. And the left control works just as well for me as a volume knob as a dedicated knob does in any other car.

Just trying to understand what exactly about the knobs/wheels you don't like.

The Tesla control setup is a weird combo of a touch screen, a slider, and a direction pad (or two buttons). That's three methods of input required to adjust side mirrors, which is beyond moronic. I couldn't think of a worse design. In comparison, my Ram has a left button and a right button to choose which side I'm adjusting, and then a direction pad. I can control it all without looking once. Our Subaru has a nub that turns left for the left mirror and right for the right mirror. Again, I don't even have to look. The Tesla, I have to press the touch screen to the right screen (looking), then choose the mirror I want to adjust (looking), then I cannot simply press the direction I want because up and down are sliding and left and right are pressing. I have to remember, or more likely look, to make sure I'm using the input correctly. I think there may be an extra step in there somewhere that I forgot to add. It's a terrible design.

 

[T34ME]

It's a terrible design.

Memo to E. Musk: "Fire your design department, jsimon has it all figured out, more buttons and knobs and cowbell."

FWIW, I think the design is brilliant, no trouble whatsoever making it work, even on the fly.

 

[run-the-joules]

The Tesla control setup is a weird combo of a touch screen, a slider, and a direction pad (or two buttons). That's three methods of input required to adjust side mirrors, which is beyond moronic. I couldn't think of a worse design. In comparison, my Ram has a left button and a right button to choose which side I'm adjusting, and then a direction pad. I can control it all without looking once. Our Subaru has a nub that turns left for the left mirror and right for the right mirror. Again, I don't even have to look. The Tesla, I have to press the touch screen to the right screen (looking), then choose the mirror I want to adjust (looking), then I cannot simply press the direction I want because up and down are sliding and left and right are pressing. I have to remember, or more likely look, to make sure I'm using the input correctly. I think there may be an extra step in there somewhere that I forgot to add. It's a terrible design.

Could it be better? Sure. But once you've set it up properly, there's no need to change it again.

 

[OutofThyme]

Just had my test drive today with both the RWD and P3D+

TLR - Great car, much better than 2016 Camry, worth $30,000 upgrade, P3D+ is fast, but not worth the premium price unless you want that M3 beater experience.

Test drove the RWD first, Aero wheels + White exterior, just how I would order it. Great car, super response and nimble. I'm comparing this to my daily driver (2016 Toyota Camry SE w/ upgrades across the board, out the door $26k). Road noise is lower in the model 3, but not significantly so. The ride was smoother than the Camry, though I would probably go with UP strings to soften it a bit. Acceleration is night and day obviously. Super comfortable seats in comparison. Glass roof was nice, don't think extra tint is necessary on the roof, but will probably tint it anyhow. Much more storage space, the model 3 is roughly the same size at my Camry, probably a tad wider, but fantastic overall. The right stalk button was getting kinda loose, something to make note of. The center console, my god did it have so many scratches and fingerprints. Wrap that immediately if you get the car. I got used to the center display within a minute or so. Still would like a HUD. The roof liner was kind of a downer to me. I did notice the interior of the car to be kind of lacking for a 55k+ vehicle. Most notably the roof liner, it felt about the same as the one in my Camry. I do wish it came in black.

P3D+ was wicked, felt the springs and the Michelin 4s tires made a significant difference. 0-60 in 3.5 was rapid and satisfying. White seats while great, I do not find it worth the $1500 upgrade + the AWD requirement just to play. Black components + white seats + beige roof liner just does not fly with me. Spoiler was nice, understated, not significant. Badge was simple, but I'd leave it off. The ride was soft, but it was probably because of the low psi (36). The P3D+ just isn't worth the extra cash unless you need to go fast. Everything else about the physical car is too similar to a basic 35k model 3 to warrant that $50,000.

Personally, I'd just get AWD +keep the black seats + Michelin 4S tires, and lowering springs and call it a day.

 

[sreams]

Just had my test drive today with both the RWD and P3D+

TLR - Great car, much better than 2016 Camry, worth $30,000 upgrade, P3D+ is fast, but not worth the premium price unless you want that M3 beater experience.

Test drove the RWD first, Aero wheels + White exterior, just how I would order it. Great car, super response and nimble. I'm comparing this to my daily driver (2016 Toyota Camry SE w/ upgrades across the board, out the door $26k). Road noise is lower in the model 3, but not significantly so. The ride was smoother than the Camry, though I would probably go with UP strings to soften it a bit. Acceleration is night and day obviously. Super comfortable seats in comparison. Glass roof was nice, don't think extra tint is necessary on the roof, but will probably tint it anyhow. Much more storage space, the model 3 is roughly the same size at my Camry, probably a tad wider, but fantastic overall. The right stalk button was getting kinda loose, something to make note of. The center console, my god did it have so many scratches and fingerprints. Wrap that immediately if you get the car. I got used to the center display within a minute or so. Still would like a HUD. The roof liner was kind of a downer to me. I did notice the interior of the car to be kind of lacking for a 55k+ vehicle. Most notably the roof liner, it felt about the same as the one in my Camry. I do wish it came in black.

P3D+ was wicked, felt the springs and the Michelin 4s tires made a significant difference. 0-60 in 3.5 was rapid and satisfying. White seats while great, I do not find it worth the $1500 upgrade + the AWD requirement just to play. Black components + white seats + beige roof liner just does not fly with me. Spoiler was nice, understated, not significant. Badge was simple, but I'd leave it off. The ride was soft, but it was probably because of the low psi (36). The P3D+ just isn't worth the extra cash unless you need to go fast. Everything else about the physical car is too similar to a basic 35k model 3 to warrant that $50,000.

Personally, I'd just get AWD +keep the black seats + Michelin 4S tires, and lowering springs and call it a day.

For a direct comparison... a brand new fully loaded Camry has an MSRP of just barely under $30K.