The new NY Times article criticises the interior of an otherwise great car

[Super Gizmo]

All the detailed reviews are criticizing the poor design of sun visors. I predicted this in a thread dedicated to sun visors quite some time back and unfortunately some ridiculed me about bringing it up. The visors are an important safety and comfort part of a car. So far the Model S visors have been poorly designed. I know we have been promised better visors with lights to come in the future but in the meanwhile the car is being criticized for their poor design and that is a shame because otherwise it is such a great car. They should speed up the design and deployment of the new visors rear seat lighting and console. Otherwise the critics will keep downgrading the interior of this otherwise great car.

By the way the TM site will not let me post this comment!

here is the otherwise great article:One Big Step for Tesla, One Giant Leap for E.V.’s - NYTimes.com

 

[vfx]

Sometimes when negotiating a deal one side may throw out a sacrificial bone for the other side to chuck.

 

[smorgasbord]

Already posted here under "Newshttp://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/10423-NY-Times-One-Big-Step-for-Tesla-One-Giant-Leap-for-E-V-%92s

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

All the detailed reviews are criticizing the poor design of sun visors. I predicted this in a thread dedicated to sun visors quite some time back and unfortunately some ridiculed me about bringing it up. The visors are an important safety and comfort part of a car. So far the Model S visors have been poorly designed. I know we have been promised better visors with lights to come in the future but in the meanwhile the car is being criticized for their poor design and that is a shame because otherwise it is such a great car. They should speed up the design and deployment of the new visors rear seat lighting and console. Otherwise the critics will keep downgrading the interior of this otherwise great car.

By the way the TM site will not let me post this comment!

here is the otherwise great article:One Big Step for Tesla, One Giant Leap for E.V.’s - NYTimes.com

Read the review. It's not the first to mention the sun visors being small. I still don't think its important.

Someday, Tesla might make the sun visors bigger. Or some day they wont.

I haven't used sun visors in years so I could care less.

 

[pilotSteve]

I thought the "nit picking" was to add credibility to the author. After all, this is the NYT and they can't just *gush* the entire article! I liked both articles (same author) and am excited that it will be "real" to most non-enthusiasts. After all the success of Tesla comes in the 2nd 3rd and nth batch of 10,000 cars sold, not just the first (to guys like me).

 

[Super Gizmo]

Read the review. It's not the first to mention the sun visors being small. I still don't think its important.

Someday, Tesla might make the sun visors bigger. Or some day they wont.

I haven't used sun visors in years so I could care less.

I have read all the reviews. You are one of the rare birds who has not used sun visors in years but most people do need them to ward off Sun's glare. Tesla has already stated that they are developing a new visor, rear seat lighting and console. Maybe they should point that out to the people critiquing the car so they would not point out these deficiencies in their articles. All future Tesla owners do not read these forums but a lot of them read the NY Times and other papers and magazines. I care about Tesla's future and having a "I could care less" attitude doesn't help the future of our beloved company!

 

[contaygious]

They are changing the mirrors and adding lights in the back anyway. They are doing a good job of listening to review feedback. Just need to add the parts quickly to a model for reviewers already.

 

[kevincwelch]

I enjoyed the article; it was a practical review of the car. It's nice they squeaked out 300.1 miles! The nit picking was exactly that -- nit picking. Comparing the car to Aston Martin and Apple and with the overall suggestion that the Model S revolutionizes the auto industry, I don't see how this article could be taken in any way other than positive!

 

[PhatCat]

I enjoyed the article; it was a practical review of the car. It's nice they squeaked out 300.1 miles! The nit picking was exactly that -- nit picking. Comparing the car to Aston Martin and Apple and with the overall suggestion that the Model S revolutionizes the auto industry, I don't see how this article could be taken in any way other than positive!

Exactly. The author hits the highs as well as the lows that have all previously been noted on this forum. He puts the nits nicely in perspective,

"Will these issues cost Tesla a single customer? Probably not."

One can only wish that all potential buyers read the article and come away with reasonable expectations so that they don't come here and whine.

 

[Doug_G]

We've had some of our products reviewed by magazines; even if they love the product, they always want to print something negative so the article looks "balanced". If all they can do is nit-pick then you have an excellent product indeed.

 

[Suzieq]

It's not the first to mention the sun visors being small. I still don't think its important.

Someday, Tesla might make the sun visors bigger. Or some day they wont.

I haven't used sun visors in years so I could care less.

Perhaps you are over six feet tall, or perhaps you are in the habit of wearing a ball cap while driving. In any case, I can tell you that it is a serious issue for those of us of average height who might want to drive in a westerly direction in the last hours of daylight. I have only been enjoying my new car for a few days and it was seriously challenging when I had to drive 45 miles in heavy traffic on the interstate in the late afternoon in a westerly direction with the sun directly in my face and no way to avoid it other than holding a hand up to my forehead. It is a safety issue.

I contacted Tesla ownership experience and they said they have no plans to retrofit the visors.

Others who feel the way I do may want to email Tesla to try to get them to understand how serious the problem is.

 

[Panacea]

Perhaps you are over six feet tall, or perhaps you are in the habit of wearing a ball cap while driving. In any case, I can tell you that it is a serious issue for those of us of average height who might want to drive in a westerly direction in the last hours of daylight. I have only been enjoying my new car for a few days and it was seriously challenging when I had to drive 45 miles in heavy traffic on the interstate in the late afternoon in a westerly direction with the sun directly in my face and no way to avoid it other than holding a hand up to my forehead. It is a safety issue.

I contacted Tesla ownership experience and they said they have no plans to retrofit the visors.

Others who feel the way I do may want to email Tesla to try to get them to understand how serious the problem is.

I had the same thought today and I was wearing sunglasses. The visors are way too short!

 

[Chas F]

I don't get it. I'm only 5'10" tall and drive into the sun every morning. With the visor down, a slight tilt of my head meters whether or not sun gets into my eyes. They may be short, but the visors seem to work fine for me. I could see them being a problem if one where under 5' 4" or so, but so far, no problems for me.

 

[Panacea]

I don't get it. I'm only 5'10" tall and drive into the sun every morning. With the visor down, a slight tilt of my head meters whether or not sun gets into my eyes. They may be short, but the visors seem to work fine for me. I could see them being a problem if one where under 5' 4" or so, but so far, no problems for me.

Yep...I am 5'2"

 

[artsci]

Perhaps you are over six feet tall, or perhaps you are in the habit of wearing a ball cap while driving. In any case, I can tell you that it is a serious issue for those of us of average height who might want to drive in a westerly direction in the last hours of daylight. I have only been enjoying my new car for a few days and it was seriously challenging when I had to drive 45 miles in heavy traffic on the interstate in the late afternoon in a westerly direction with the sun directly in my face and no way to avoid it other than holding a hand up to my forehead. It is a safety issue.

I contacted Tesla ownership experience and they said they have no plans to retrofit the visors.

Others who feel the way I do may want to email Tesla to try to get them to understand how serious the problem is.

Set your seat to the maximum height. That should help

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All the detailed reviews are criticizing the poor design of sun visors. I predicted this in a thread dedicated to sun visors quite some time back and unfortunately some ridiculed me about bringing it up. The visors are an important safety and comfort part of a car. So far the Model S visors have been poorly designed. I know we have been promised better visors with lights to come in the future but in the meanwhile the car is being criticized for their poor design and that is a shame because otherwise it is such a great car. They should speed up the design and deployment of the new visors rear seat lighting and console. Otherwise the critics will keep downgrading the interior of this otherwise great car.

By the way the TM site will not let me post this comment!

here is the otherwise great article:One Big Step for Tesla, One Giant Leap for E.V.’s - NYTimes.com

I read your earlier criticisms of the sun visors and was expecting the worse. But when my car was delivered, for the life of me I couldn't determine what all the fuss is about. Yes, the visors are relatively small. But they provide all the sun protection I need. Late in the day, almost every day, I have an uphill run on a road that goes due west, with blinding effects from the angle of the sun. Cars slow way down because of it. But the Tesla visors provided protection as good as my previous car, a Chevy Volt, which has visors twice the size. I'm about 5'8" and I always set my car seat to the highest setting, as I've done with the Model S. Perhaps that explains why the Model S visors do the job for me.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

A larger sun visor would be a problem for me. I'm 6-4 and the visor is just fine, as is. I drive with the seat at its lowest position. If you find that the visor is too short, you may have your seat set too low.

My only issue with the visor is that its internal spring has a little bit too much resistance. From what I understand, a revised visor with a built-in light is in the works. The wiring for it is already in place.

 

[jerry33]

I'm more concerned about the brushed metal around the instrument display. When the sun is low and behind, the aluminum reflects so much that it's blinding. I have to hold my arm up to cover the display so I can see the road. The 17" display can do this as well but it's much rarer. I never understood why car makers angle the centre display rather than having it vertical. Vertical orientation would eliminate any glare and would be perfectly visible. The visor works just fine for me (173 cm).

 

[Suzieq]

A larger sun visor would be a problem for me. I'm 6-4 and the visor is just fine, as is. I drive with the seat at its lowest position. If you find that the visor is too short, you may have your seat set too low.

So why would a larger visor be a problem? I routinely rotate the visor so that it cuts off just enough visibility to block direct sun. This angle varies with the angle of the sun above the horizon. If you are tall, and the visor extends below your desirable field of vision, why can't you just rotate it forward or back until you can see everything you want to see?

It would seem to me that rotating the visor is a much better solution than adjusting your seat position to block the sun. I have my seat set exactly where I like it to reach all the controls and for optimum visibility and comfort.

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They may be short, but the visors seem to work fine for me. I could see them being a problem if one where under 5' 4" or so, but so far, no problems for me.

Tha'ts great that they are good for you. But it's obvious that the visors are not adequate for folks who are less than about 5'8" or so, depending on how long your torso is, and how you adjust the height of the seat.

It's not that hard to design a sun visor that will work for short and tall people. It's really not.

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I don't get it. I'm only 5'10" tall and drive into the sun every morning. With the visor down, a slight tilt of my head meters whether or not sun gets into my eyes.

I am "only" 5'7". The visors are inadequate.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

So why would a larger visor be a problem? I routinely rotate the visor so that it cuts off just enough visibility to block direct sun. This angle varies with the angle of the sun above the horizon. If you are tall, and the visor extends below your desirable field of vision, why can't you just rotate it forward or back until you can see everything you want to see?

If the visor was an inch taller, it would be blocking my view, even when rotated fully toward the windshield. I wouldn't have the option of lowering the seat any further.

 

[huntjo]

Yeah I think if the visor is not blocking the sun, your seat is not adjusted ideally.

If Artsci can use them, then I think about anyone can. He is not tall (I met him in New York once I think)