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I drove a $81,200 Tesla Model 3 for a week to see if it's practical for everyday driving
"A week is obviously not a comprehensive test, but I’ve gotta tell you: The Model 3 isn’t just my new favourite Tesla – it’s my new favourite car.
"There is no better vehicle of this type at this price that I believe I could currently buy. I literally craved looking at and driving the Model 3. But beyond that, I now count it among the small cadre of vehicles I’ve driven in my life that I have felt fit me absolutely perfectly and satisfied my every desire."
I drove a $57,500 Tesla Model 3 for a week to see if it's practical for everyday driving
"A week is obviously not a comprehensive test, but I’ve gotta tell you: The Model 3 isn’t just my new favourite Tesla – it’s my new favourite car.
"There is no better vehicle of this type at this price that I believe I could currently buy. I literally craved looking at and driving the Model 3. But beyond that, I now count it among the small cadre of vehicles I’ve driven in my life that I have felt fit me absolutely perfectly and satisfied my every desire."
I drove a $57,500 Tesla Model 3 for a week to see if it's practical for everyday driving
voip-ninja
Give me some sugar baby
I drove a $81,200 Tesla Model 3 for a week to see if it's practical for everyday driving
"A week is obviously not a comprehensive test, but I’ve gotta tell you: The Model 3 isn’t just my new favourite Tesla – it’s my new favourite car.
"There is no better vehicle of this type at this price that I believe I could currently buy. I literally craved looking at and driving the Model 3. But beyond that, I now count it among the small cadre of vehicles I’ve driven in my life that I have felt fit me absolutely perfectly and satisfied my every desire."
I drove a $57,500 Tesla Model 3 for a week to see if it's practical for everyday driving
I appreciate you posting an article but I want to warn anyone else who, as I did, clicks through to read it. That article is written in a horrible fashion in which the author's "thoughts" are condensed into huge 20 point bolded sentences with a photo, then you have to scroll through about 5 ads to get to his next "sentence".
Every time I would scroll to read the next one sentence "bullet" I would see my browser furiously working to load more ads, cookies and garbage. Business Insider is a cesspool.
In short, it's a garbage article. Not necessarily because of the content itself, but because of the delivery format.
Borderline charlatan click-bait and ad-bait.
CarlK
Active Member
Don't like it either but for whatever reasons that's just how BI chooses to present its articles. To be noted is the author has not always been very kind to Tesla. In this day and age that negative article on Tesla generates all the clicks for you he must truly felt that way about the Model 3.
I drove a $81,200 Tesla Model 3 for a week to see if it's practical for everyday driving
"A week is obviously not a comprehensive test, but I’ve gotta tell you: The Model 3 isn’t just my new favourite Tesla – it’s my new favourite car.
"There is no better vehicle of this type at this price that I believe I could currently buy. I literally craved looking at and driving the Model 3. But beyond that, I now count it among the small cadre of vehicles I’ve driven in my life that I have felt fit me absolutely perfectly and satisfied my every desire."
I drove a $57,500 Tesla Model 3 for a week to see if it's practical for everyday driving
Article appeared all on one web page for me. No going from page to page waiting for it to load. Don't know if it was my browser or what (Firefox, by the way). I also use uBlockOrigin to keep ads down.
Anyway, nice look at his experience with the car.
ryneezy
2022 MYLR5 Base / muskfix.com
I love everything about my model 3. I've had it for about 2 weeks now. Best decision ever. Especially with the 7500 credit expiring and basically getting the MR paid for by the govt. instead of waiting for the basic model 3.
I've driven a toyota 4 runner for 10 years now. It has 385,000 miles on it. It runs great but basically everything in it is broken to some degree and it has an cassette deck for my music (and my radio).
So when i read about the babies on here complaining about whatever bothers them in their model 3 I just laugh. This car is like driving a rocket ship on the road. The music system, seat adjustments, etc. All A+.
I've driven a toyota 4 runner for 10 years now. It has 385,000 miles on it. It runs great but basically everything in it is broken to some degree and it has an cassette deck for my music (and my radio).
So when i read about the babies on here complaining about whatever bothers them in their model 3 I just laugh. This car is like driving a rocket ship on the road. The music system, seat adjustments, etc. All A+.
People that are coming from later model luxury cars don't get the full "Tesla Effect" like we did. It's like stepping into a jet fighter after you've flying around in a bi-plane. Even coming from a Leaf like I did is a huge shock. While the Leaf is electric in every other way it's like a conventional non-luxury ICE car. Even my G35 Coupe was no comparison to the Model 3.
Brando
Active Member
30,000 miles on my Tesla Model 3 - Tech Forum
Feb 8, 2019
"... Model 3 over the last 8 months and 30,000 miles."
RWD Long Range VIN ~ 9000 ??
warning: a lot of road noise - IF you know how to clean up audio, perhaps you can contact Matt and help him out and he could re-post?
Feb 8, 2019
"... Model 3 over the last 8 months and 30,000 miles."
RWD Long Range VIN ~ 9000 ??
warning: a lot of road noise - IF you know how to clean up audio, perhaps you can contact Matt and help him out and he could re-post?
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I picked up my Model 3 Performance on Friday from Madrid, one of the first 10 Model 3 deliveries here in Spain!
Here are my initial impressions:
- This thing is way better looking in real life that in the photos or videos. I was not expecting such a stunning car!
- Quality of the interior is excellent, again way better than I was expecting, seats are very comfortable and everything well thought out
- I love the minimal interior and the central tablet, doesn't need any more instruments in my opinion, works brilliantly as it is
- We get spotify here in Europe. Any music I want whenever I want, amazing! The Model 3 feels like a mobile theatre or the best way ever on which to enjoy a tablet multimedia experience, it barely feels like a car at all
- Maps and navigation were great
- Battery usage drained faster than I was expecting, You really have to drive very carefully to get close to the expected range and I loved testing out the insane acceleration, and couple that to going at 130kmh over the mountains up to Asturias, the 500km range was more like 350. Still, the supercharger experience was great, and once there are more of these around then there is really no problem
- I don't have the wall charger yet so just charged it overnight in a regular plug socket. Got 11km range per hour which was a great bonus, was not expecting so much
- My petrolhead brother in-law took it for a spin yesterday and said it was up there with Porsches with the way it drives. I love technology and great looking cars, but I don't really care about performance actually. What is great is being able to accelerate at any speed you want, it gives you amazing freedom!
- I haven't got to grips with autopilot yet. I tried it on the motorway on the way home and it freaked me out. I will try and figure this out next weekend
This is an amazing car for EUR78,000. Once someone can get a short range non-performance version for EUR45k, goodness me, its game over for the Germans! I cant imagine why anyone would choose a BMW, Audi or Mercedes over this. The only (big) negative now is that not many people here in Spain can afford EU60k+ for a car, and in fact, the Tesla sales person mentioned that sales in Spain are a little disappointing. That's why it is essential that the price comes down. Actually I think this is way too much car for the price, maybe Elon should have been slightly less ambitious, this thing is incredible!
Here are my initial impressions:
- This thing is way better looking in real life that in the photos or videos. I was not expecting such a stunning car!
- Quality of the interior is excellent, again way better than I was expecting, seats are very comfortable and everything well thought out
- I love the minimal interior and the central tablet, doesn't need any more instruments in my opinion, works brilliantly as it is
- We get spotify here in Europe. Any music I want whenever I want, amazing! The Model 3 feels like a mobile theatre or the best way ever on which to enjoy a tablet multimedia experience, it barely feels like a car at all
- Maps and navigation were great
- Battery usage drained faster than I was expecting, You really have to drive very carefully to get close to the expected range and I loved testing out the insane acceleration, and couple that to going at 130kmh over the mountains up to Asturias, the 500km range was more like 350. Still, the supercharger experience was great, and once there are more of these around then there is really no problem
- I don't have the wall charger yet so just charged it overnight in a regular plug socket. Got 11km range per hour which was a great bonus, was not expecting so much
- My petrolhead brother in-law took it for a spin yesterday and said it was up there with Porsches with the way it drives. I love technology and great looking cars, but I don't really care about performance actually. What is great is being able to accelerate at any speed you want, it gives you amazing freedom!
- I haven't got to grips with autopilot yet. I tried it on the motorway on the way home and it freaked me out. I will try and figure this out next weekend
This is an amazing car for EUR78,000. Once someone can get a short range non-performance version for EUR45k, goodness me, its game over for the Germans! I cant imagine why anyone would choose a BMW, Audi or Mercedes over this. The only (big) negative now is that not many people here in Spain can afford EU60k+ for a car, and in fact, the Tesla sales person mentioned that sales in Spain are a little disappointing. That's why it is essential that the price comes down. Actually I think this is way too much car for the price, maybe Elon should have been slightly less ambitious, this thing is incredible!
Brando
Active Member
AutoPilot - please READ Tesla documents to get your expectations reasonable - IT IS NOT SELF DRIVING - rather a work in progress.
Levels 0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5 if you have no idea what these numbers mean, you probably haven't read enough.
Levels 0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5 if you have no idea what these numbers mean, you probably haven't read enough.
(also posted in another thread but I think it also belongs here, - Friday 29th March)
My dad got his Tesla Model 3 AWD (Blue, EAP, 19"). I took a day off work to be there at delivery. We spend about 1 hour at Tesla, mostly waiting for staff and an additional 45 minutes at the SuperCharger (car came with 170 km / 105 miles), looking around the car for 5-10 minutes. Only remark about the car was a non-flush chargeport, Tesla will take care of this at a later point.
The vehicle, WOW what a car. Insanely fast, super grippy and silent (at low speed). The handling is just amazing, my I20 with 78 HK is of cause no match but I know this car inside-out in the corners. The Tesla just blasted though at corners with much higher speed without showing any limitations of the tire, I still have no feeling of how grippy they really are... just amazing!
If you just touch the accelerator pedal, then you are already above the speed limit. Even at highway speed (130 km/h / 80 mph) it still pulls heavily. Few seconds and we are far above any speed limits.
Yes, either me or my dad have had any fast cars before but we both like speed and have previously tried a few AMGs some years back. This instant torque just blows anything away and accelerator response though corners are easy to control.
So far we are on 270 Wh/km (430 Wh/mile) surely this will drop a bit when everyday use is done.
My Hyundai I20 (2010 model year) is horrible for wind noise. So bad that I can't compare it to any other car. At first we did notice some wind noise, but we do think it is on par with my dads previous car a VW Polo Bluemotion 2015 which I have always found silent. I do think that no engine noise makes tire and wind noise more noticeable but we think it is acceptable.
Also I was very impressed by how fast Autopilot came active. After just 10 miles of driving Autopilot was calibrated and ready for action. I do think it will take some time to get used to it. For the short time I had the pleasure to drive the car, AP was on for just 2 minutes. The car is too much fun to let the computer drive!
Just a perfect car and so beautiful here in my driveway for the next few hours until my dad takes it home!
10/10 from Denmark.
My dad got his Tesla Model 3 AWD (Blue, EAP, 19"). I took a day off work to be there at delivery. We spend about 1 hour at Tesla, mostly waiting for staff and an additional 45 minutes at the SuperCharger (car came with 170 km / 105 miles), looking around the car for 5-10 minutes. Only remark about the car was a non-flush chargeport, Tesla will take care of this at a later point.
The vehicle, WOW what a car. Insanely fast, super grippy and silent (at low speed). The handling is just amazing, my I20 with 78 HK is of cause no match but I know this car inside-out in the corners. The Tesla just blasted though at corners with much higher speed without showing any limitations of the tire, I still have no feeling of how grippy they really are... just amazing!
If you just touch the accelerator pedal, then you are already above the speed limit. Even at highway speed (130 km/h / 80 mph) it still pulls heavily. Few seconds and we are far above any speed limits.
Yes, either me or my dad have had any fast cars before but we both like speed and have previously tried a few AMGs some years back. This instant torque just blows anything away and accelerator response though corners are easy to control.
So far we are on 270 Wh/km (430 Wh/mile) surely this will drop a bit when everyday use is done.
My Hyundai I20 (2010 model year) is horrible for wind noise. So bad that I can't compare it to any other car. At first we did notice some wind noise, but we do think it is on par with my dads previous car a VW Polo Bluemotion 2015 which I have always found silent. I do think that no engine noise makes tire and wind noise more noticeable but we think it is acceptable.
Also I was very impressed by how fast Autopilot came active. After just 10 miles of driving Autopilot was calibrated and ready for action. I do think it will take some time to get used to it. For the short time I had the pleasure to drive the car, AP was on for just 2 minutes. The car is too much fun to let the computer drive!
Just a perfect car and so beautiful here in my driveway for the next few hours until my dad takes it home!
10/10 from Denmark.
Warning: This is not a first-drive review, but I didn't know where else to post it.
I got my First-Production Model 3 about a year ago. (That is, the model is "first production." I didn't get the first one.) First-production means that I had to get the upgraded interior, which I didn't want, and the glass roof, which I didn't want, and the LR battery, which I did want, and RWD though I really wanted AWD, and could not get Performance, which I wanted. I also got EAP but not FSD. And I paid extra to get blue paint. After a few weeks to get used to it, I LOVED LOVED LOVED the EAP. It's also the most comfortable car I've ever had, but then several of my past cars have been downright uncomfortable (the 1976 CJ5 Jeep, the Zap Xebra, and the Roadster, which is really fun to drive, but not comfortable, to name three).
The in the fall I went to Maui for the winter, and not having a plug-in there, shipped the Prius over and left the Tesla here. A week ago I got back from Maui (to clear out my house here to sell, and then to move back to Maui, this time with the Model 3).
So that's all background.
I'm driving the Model 3 again and really happy to be back in it. It is so much nicer than the Prius! And of course no gasoline. And we get our electricity from hydro here, clean and renewable.
Here's the thing: I'm really happy with this car just as it is. I didn't want the upgraded interior, but I'm enjoying how comfortable it is. I like the way it moves the seat back for me to get out, and moves it back up when I get back in. I like the sound system. In Maui I would have had no use whatsoever for AWD or Performance. I'm just never in any hurry when I'm in Maui! I won't need the long range battery, but oh, well. Of course I really love EAP and it will get better as in my dotage I get worse. I still don't expect the FSD package to offer any features I want, but if it does, I'll get it then. For all the misgivings I had when I bought the car (too much interior and too little power) it's turning out to be exactly the right car for me. I'll have a few more weeks of driving the Prius when I get back to Maui as I wait for the Tesla to arrive, but then I'll sell the Prius and be back to one car, which I really feel is the best car you can buy today.
And I'll be having solar installed on my house, so my car will still be running on clean renewable energy.
I got my First-Production Model 3 about a year ago. (That is, the model is "first production." I didn't get the first one.) First-production means that I had to get the upgraded interior, which I didn't want, and the glass roof, which I didn't want, and the LR battery, which I did want, and RWD though I really wanted AWD, and could not get Performance, which I wanted. I also got EAP but not FSD. And I paid extra to get blue paint. After a few weeks to get used to it, I LOVED LOVED LOVED the EAP. It's also the most comfortable car I've ever had, but then several of my past cars have been downright uncomfortable (the 1976 CJ5 Jeep, the Zap Xebra, and the Roadster, which is really fun to drive, but not comfortable, to name three).
The in the fall I went to Maui for the winter, and not having a plug-in there, shipped the Prius over and left the Tesla here. A week ago I got back from Maui (to clear out my house here to sell, and then to move back to Maui, this time with the Model 3).
So that's all background.
I'm driving the Model 3 again and really happy to be back in it. It is so much nicer than the Prius! And of course no gasoline. And we get our electricity from hydro here, clean and renewable.
Here's the thing: I'm really happy with this car just as it is. I didn't want the upgraded interior, but I'm enjoying how comfortable it is. I like the way it moves the seat back for me to get out, and moves it back up when I get back in. I like the sound system. In Maui I would have had no use whatsoever for AWD or Performance. I'm just never in any hurry when I'm in Maui! I won't need the long range battery, but oh, well. Of course I really love EAP and it will get better as in my dotage I get worse. I still don't expect the FSD package to offer any features I want, but if it does, I'll get it then. For all the misgivings I had when I bought the car (too much interior and too little power) it's turning out to be exactly the right car for me. I'll have a few more weeks of driving the Prius when I get back to Maui as I wait for the Tesla to arrive, but then I'll sell the Prius and be back to one car, which I really feel is the best car you can buy today.
And I'll be having solar installed on my house, so my car will still be running on clean renewable energy.
It actually took me a couple of weeks to get up the nerve to try it. When I did, it was for about five minutes on the freeway outside of town where there's very little traffic. It was another couple of weeks before I trusted it enough to leave it engaged for longer stretches. A few months later was my long road trip up to Canada and I was using it about 95% of the time, only taking over in construction zones and through the small towns. It made an otherwise exhausting trip a pleasure.
Ok after months of reading and watching everything about the Model 3 I finally had a test drive yesterday. For a quick background I am a car guy who owned multiple BMW and Lexus cars over the years and currently driving two cars (a daily driver Mazda 3 and a fun Mazda Miata). I drove EVs before (i3 and Leaf) but it was the first time I drove a Tesla.
Positives
- Packaging and interior space: I was very pleasantly surprised by the rear seat legroom and trunk space. I can easily have my wife sit comfortably in the passenger seat while our rear facing car seat is safely in place (leaving an inch between the car seat and the back of the passenger seat).
- Visibility: Thanks to the low dash and low and short hood the front visibility is exceptional compared to ICE cars. It almost felt like riding a bicycle.
- Handling: I drove the SR+ and the car felt very light and tight. The turn in is very sharp and the nose felt very light (pretty much like my 2300 lbs Miata). Traction felt very good too, despite the gobbles of torque available at any speed the back felt very planted even taking fast turns on throttle.
- Acceleration: Even the Leaf or i3 felt pretty quick because of the instant torque so I was expecting the Model 3 to be the same way so I am not surprised but the SR+ is supposed to be the slow Model 3 and still felt very quick when I even half floored it.
- Central display: Amazing interface and processor speed, even BMW's iDrive or Hyunda/Kia infotainment systems can't come close to what Tesla has.
Negatives
- Vegan leather seats: It was a 80 degree day yesterday and in a half an hour test drive my back got pretty sweaty despite a/c blasting cold air. The vegan leather with no perforation and ventilation just does not breathe. I wish they offered cloth seats or get at least perforation if not ventilation added to the premium interior.
- Lack of hard button shortcuts: A few most commonly used functions (jump from media to radio or some hvac controls) would benefit from hard buttons for ease of use.
All in all it was everything I had hoped it would be and the Model 3 did not disappoint despite my lofty expectations. We are in the process of selling our house and buying a new one and once I know what my commute will look like after the house swap, the decision will not be whether to buy a model 3 or not, it will be whether to buy an SR or LR. In my opinion the SR is all the car one would ever need as long as range is not a concern...
Positives
- Packaging and interior space: I was very pleasantly surprised by the rear seat legroom and trunk space. I can easily have my wife sit comfortably in the passenger seat while our rear facing car seat is safely in place (leaving an inch between the car seat and the back of the passenger seat).
- Visibility: Thanks to the low dash and low and short hood the front visibility is exceptional compared to ICE cars. It almost felt like riding a bicycle.
- Handling: I drove the SR+ and the car felt very light and tight. The turn in is very sharp and the nose felt very light (pretty much like my 2300 lbs Miata). Traction felt very good too, despite the gobbles of torque available at any speed the back felt very planted even taking fast turns on throttle.
- Acceleration: Even the Leaf or i3 felt pretty quick because of the instant torque so I was expecting the Model 3 to be the same way so I am not surprised but the SR+ is supposed to be the slow Model 3 and still felt very quick when I even half floored it.
- Central display: Amazing interface and processor speed, even BMW's iDrive or Hyunda/Kia infotainment systems can't come close to what Tesla has.
Negatives
- Vegan leather seats: It was a 80 degree day yesterday and in a half an hour test drive my back got pretty sweaty despite a/c blasting cold air. The vegan leather with no perforation and ventilation just does not breathe. I wish they offered cloth seats or get at least perforation if not ventilation added to the premium interior.
- Lack of hard button shortcuts: A few most commonly used functions (jump from media to radio or some hvac controls) would benefit from hard buttons for ease of use.
All in all it was everything I had hoped it would be and the Model 3 did not disappoint despite my lofty expectations. We are in the process of selling our house and buying a new one and once I know what my commute will look like after the house swap, the decision will not be whether to buy a model 3 or not, it will be whether to buy an SR or LR. In my opinion the SR is all the car one would ever need as long as range is not a concern...
Kilotango74
Active Member
Had a at home test drive of a Model 3 Performance yesterday. Associate showed up at my home at 11 and we spent over an hour driving around. Car was fantastic. Interior was at least as nice as my X5, and loads better than the soul eroding Prius that shares the garage. Tested AP and it worked fine for the 5 miles I ran it on the highway. Probably won’t use it much as I just felt disengaged using it. Appreciated the auto park feature but it took to long. Cornering was excellent and as good as I will ever require. Acceleration was incredible and drama free. I can see where people say they miss the exhaust noise under heavy acceleration, but for me it’s not enough to make a difference. Car was very quite but I did notice wind noise but chalk it up to job g the radio off and no engine noise. Drove much smoother than the X5 and more than the Prius as well. The only issues I had was using the charging adapter for the ChargePoint charger installed in my rental house. I didn’t realize that I would have to pop the trunk to release the adapter every time I’m done charging. Kind of a pain, but in all not that big of a deal. The only other issue I had was the steering wheel not moving out of the way when exiting the vehicle. I tend to drive with the wheel as low as it will go so it rubbed against my legs as I got out. Used to BMW having the wheel go up as you exit. Again not a big enough issue to sway me. Come September I will be purchasing for sure.
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Unless maybe your car does not have the Easy Exit feature, you should be able to set it up so the seat and steering wheel move out of the way for getting in and out. I don't remember the procedure but hopefully know what it's called will enable you to find it. Or maybe it's just that this was a test drive. You'll able to set it up when you get one of your own.
As for engine and/or exhaust noise, the lack of both is one of the things I love most about this car.
