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Thoughts on Yoke from Plaid owner

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Honestly, I hadn't thought too much about doing the replacement steering wheel because it is not even completely circular and it seems like it would bring up additional issues without stocks and things. In addition it's simply frustrating to me to spend $150,000 on the car and have to do something Mickey mouse as this. I like the model S and I wouldn't be surprised if I get one at some point if they return to a steering wheel.
At what wheels have you looked? I absolutely despise the yoke but now that I installed a Hansshow wheel, I love the car. Yes, I still want stalks for turn signals but I'm dealing with it.

pxl_20220517_224046885-jpg.805753


If the Model S is the right car for you (size and performance) don't let Elon's childish Knight Rider/Formula 1 fantasies stop you from enjoying your car.
 
Getting fatigued in 15 seconds?
Hopefully this was not the case when you were a US Air Force pilot!

I also find it odd that this would be your first post.
I think 15 seconds is extreme but I also found it difficult to get into a comfortable position with the yoke. I could feel tension in my shoulders over time. With the wheel it has not been an issue. Perhaps I could have spent more time adjusting the yoke and my seat to find a comfortable place but I knew I would be happier with a wheel anyway.
 
I think 15 seconds is extreme but I also found it difficult to get into a comfortable position with the yoke. I could feel tension in my shoulders over time. With the wheel it has not been an issue. Perhaps I could have spent more time adjusting the yoke and my seat to find a comfortable place but I knew I would be happier with a wheel anyway.
Just saying I get fatigued quickly after having already sat in the car for many hours I really have no interest in doing anything but autopilot and a lot of that has to do with not having a steering wheel. Trip's less than an hour not so much
 
And just to be clear I think the autopilot works pretty well. I just don't like being forced into using it all the time because I can't manually operate the car efficiently. That's what bugs me. The autopilot is going to put me in a bad position every once in awhile and that will equal more accidents over time in my opinion. I'd like to be able to operate the car manually effectively when I want to
 
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At what wheels have you looked? I absolutely despise the yoke but now that I installed a Hansshow wheel, I love the car. Yes, I still want stalks for turn signals but I'm dealing with it.

pxl_20220517_224046885-jpg.805753


If the Model S is the right car for you (size and performance) don't let Elon's childish Knight Rider/Formula 1 fantasies stop you from enjoying your car.
Thank you, that is interesting. I guess I'm just at the place where I don't want a monkey around with it too much so I guess I'll just settle on a model 3 for now and if they ever come out with a steering wheel on a model S I may consider upgrading at that point. That is the best looking option I've seen though so far
 
Just saying I get fatigued quickly after having already sat in the car for many hours I really have no interest in doing anything but autopilot and a lot of that has to do with not having a steering wheel. Trip's less than an hour not so much
I think the car just puts me into more of a passive mentality when I use the autopilot almost 100% of the time for highway driving. I suspect with a steering wheel I will still use autopilot quite a bit but the ability to manually operate the car when I want to will be welcomed I think just for engaging my mind a little bit among other things
 
My original intent on posting this was to highlight how poorly, in my opinion, the yolk does for endurance driving or long distance driving. I've seen a lot of complaints about the yoke during slow maneuvers but I also wanted to highlight that I think the yoke is highly impractical to operate manually for long periods of time. The issue with this, in my opinion, is that it forces the operator into using the autopilot nearly 100% of the time and this because it is impractical to drive the car manually for extended periods of time. I find issue with this because I want to use the autopilot because I want to not because I have to.
 
I'm in the minority here in this thread, but I like the yoke and don't find it fatiguing at all. I had to switch back to a round wheel for a week, and while not awful, I was very happy to get back to my yoke and I find it easy to drive. One thought - what steering setting are you using? Perhaps setting it to Comfort is all that is needed. The other settings do require more physical input and could be the cause of your fatigue. Also perhaps there is something wrong with your specific car. Can you try driving another just to be sure? For example, if the alignment was out or a tire problem, maybe it requires far more input than it should. It may be nothing to do with the yoke design.
 
My original intent on posting this was to highlight how poorly, in my opinion, the yolk does for endurance driving or long distance driving. I've seen a lot of complaints about the yoke during slow maneuvers but I also wanted to highlight that I think the yoke is highly impractical to operate manually for long periods of time. The issue with this, in my opinion, is that it forces the operator into using the autopilot nearly 100% of the time and this because it is impractical to drive the car manually for extended periods of time. I find issue with this because I want to use the autopilot because I want to not because I have to.
I have no issues on highway drives. The yoke forces a few safer positions for driving on highway (if you're draping your hand over the top that's not safe), and because the bottom left and right are flat, it's easy to rest a hand there if necessary. If it's not for you, it's not for you. Time to move on, or get a different wheel on your car.

That said, the yoke is annoying on tight maneuvering, and also with left-followed-immediately-by-right turns etc, where it's hard/impossible to nail that second signal. For regular driving I much prefer the button turn signals than the physical stalk on e.g. my Model 3. So much less effort, and you don't even have to look to find those buttons.

Also, and this might just be me, but those occasional moments where I confused the turn signal stalk and the drive stalk in my Model 3 made me feel stupid...
 
I'm in the minority here in this thread, but I like the yoke and don't find it fatiguing at all. I had to switch back to a round wheel for a week, and while not awful, I was very happy to get back to my yoke and I find it easy to drive. One thought - what steering setting are you using? Perhaps setting it to Comfort is all that is needed. The other settings do require more physical input and could be the cause of your fatigue. Also perhaps there is something wrong with your specific car. Can you try driving another just to be sure? For example, if the alignment was out or a tire problem, maybe it requires far more input than it should. It may be nothing to do with the yoke design.
I believe I am in comfort mode. Appreciate your thoughts here but I just find it very challenging to easily control the car with only about 100° of a 360° steering wheel available for control points
 
I have no issues on highway drives. The yoke forces a few safer positions for driving on highway (if you're draping your hand over the top that's not safe), and because the bottom left and right are flat, it's easy to rest a hand there if necessary. If it's not for you, it's not for you. Time to move on, or get a different wheel on your car.

That said, the yoke is annoying on tight maneuvering, and also with left-followed-immediately-by-right turns etc, where it's hard/impossible to nail that second signal. For regular driving I much prefer the button turn signals than the physical stalk on e.g. my Model 3. So much less effort, and you don't even have to look to find those buttons.

Also, and this might just be me, but those occasional moments where I confused the turn signal stalk and the drive stalk in my Model 3 made me feel stupid...
Not entirely sure why it is unsafe for your hands to be on the upper portion of the steering wheel. I've never read and any of the operating manuals of my vehicles over the years that that is an unsafe practice. I would think that it would be clearly laid out in warnings on the operators manual if that was the case. I'd say the vast majority of people do utilize the upper portion of the steering wheel for comfort sake and that does become a safety issue over time if the driver is uncomfortable. Thank you for your thoughts on this
 
At what wheels have you looked? I absolutely despise the yoke but now that I installed a Hansshow wheel, I love the car. Yes, I still want stalks for turn signals but I'm dealing with it.

pxl_20220517_224046885-jpg.805753


If the Model S is the right car for you (size and performance) don't let Elon's childish Knight Rider/Formula 1 fantasies stop you from enjoying your car.

Maybe button stickers for turn signals and horn would help.

 
I'm in the minority here in this thread, but I like the yoke and don't find it fatiguing at all. I had to switch back to a round wheel for a week, and while not awful, I was very happy to get back to my yoke and I find it easy to drive. One thought - what steering setting are you using? Perhaps setting it to Comfort is all that is needed. The other settings do require more physical input and could be the cause of your fatigue. Also perhaps there is something wrong with your specific car. Can you try driving another just to be sure? For example, if the alignment was out or a tire problem, maybe it requires far more input than it should. It may be nothing to do with the yoke design.

You are not the minority. Some will state facts about 110% of all mammals do not like the yoke and that everyone on YT disagrees with it. Not the truth. Lots of people are fine from day one with the yoke. They cannot be the only one unhappy so they will try to convince you that you are unhappy with the yoke as well by using drama and hyperbole.

Over 38k miles. Not one accident, near accident, curbed wheel, issue, etc. All types of roads and driving. For me, it is near perfect and I would not switch it. I was one of the prefresh order people and thought it would be a round wheel. When they announced the yoke, I was skeptical and nervous - even thought about cancelling at one point. First drive fell in love. Would not have anything but the yoke. My wife (Jeep Wrangler driver) and teenage son (X3 driver) flop back and forth with no issues.

We get it that some do not like and some do like it. It is a great base design but not for everyone.
 
Not entirely sure why it is unsafe for your hands to be on the upper portion of the steering wheel. I've never read and any of the operating manuals of my vehicles over the years that that is an unsafe practice. I would think that it would be clearly laid out in warnings on the operators manual if that was the case. I'd say the vast majority of people do utilize the upper portion of the steering wheel for comfort sake and that does become a safety issue over time if the driver is uncomfortable. Thank you for your thoughts on this
You need to be able to react in a microsecond if you need to take control. Draping a hand over the top of the wheel negates safety, whereas the yoke reinforces the 9 and 3 driving position which is the safest. As mentioned, the car is not for you, - best to move on, or just replace the yoke as some have done.
 
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Hello, here is a email I just sent to [email protected] in case it is of any value to other owners or potential owners of the Mod S:

Hello, I am an owner of the 2022 Mod S Plaid since Mar 22 and have some feedback after multiple road trips and 5,000 miles.

I am planning on selling my Plaid next week at a 40K loss and buying a Mod 3, which is disappointing because I really like everything about the Plaid minus the yoke. You guys did a really good job on that car.

I have noticed on road trips that the Plaid is the most fatiguing car I have ever driven by far. This is because there is no balance points on the yoke as there is on a 360 degree steering wheel. Also, the driver position can not be easily modified to release blood flow into different parts of the body, as it can with a 360 degree steering wheel.

Over the last Month or so, I have driven my Plaid from Southern CA to WA and from WA to OR several times. It is highly fatiguing to operate manually to the point where I am forced have the autopilot on nearly all the time.

I like the autopilot and I think it does a pretty good job. My problem is that I do not want to be forced into using the autopilot all the time because I can not operate the car in a reasonable or efficient way manually. I was formerly a US Air Force pilot and while automated features such as autopilot are very nice, there is simply no substitute for being able to manually operate the vehicle when needed or wanted. The most dangerous pilots I ever flew with were the ones that had to rely so much on autopilot because there were not very skilled in manually operating the aircraft. Every once in a while the autopilot puts me in a bad position on the road, a position I would not have put myself, and that is going to equate to more accidents over time. This is unacceptable in my opinion. The driver experience becomes exclusively reacting to what the computer is going to do next and this is also fatiguing over long periods of time.

For instance, on my last road trip a couple of days ago, I challenged myself to take the car off autopilot for 5 minutes a couple of time. Within 15 seconds I had the autopilot back on because of how fatiguing the yoke is for long trips. Do you put your hand on the right side? The Left side? Evern worse, do you put you hands on both sides and see which ones weighs do the yoke faster. Also there is no ability so shift driving positions to change blood flow in the body in those positions.

In addition, the car is so much fun to drive and a steering wheel would allow the operator to drive the car more, which is good, enjoyable, and fun with this car.

As stated above, next week I am selling my Plaid at a 40K loss and moving into a Mod 3. I'd really rather not have to do this and I have heard rumblings that a steering wheel replacement option may become available for the Mod S soon. If this it the case, please let me know. I'd hate to sell my Plaid to later find this out because I really like the car otherwise.

As state above, I was a US Air Force pilot for a while so I may have a better sense of human ergonomics and interactions with equipment than most.

Please forward this feedback to the highest level possible and let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thank you for your time, and thank you for helping the world shift to sustainable energy.
It's a pretty simple concept really, but the steering wheel you have 360° of control available. With the yolk you have maybe 100 or so degrees of control. A yoke is really a design for an aircraft not a car. The reason why I yoke works well for an aircraft is because you're constantly trying to trim out all yoke pressures so that you are essentially hands-free with the yoke. Driving, on the other hand is a fundamentally different activity because you can never trim out all forces therefore 360° of control points is going to give you better and longer lasting control of the vehicle over time. I think it's pretty simple
 
You need to be able to react in a microsecond if you need to take control. Draping a hand over the top of the wheel negates safety, whereas the yoke reinforces the 9 and 3 driving position which is the safest. As mentioned, the car is not for you, - best to move on, or just replace the yoke as some have done.
Yes, I'm talking about manually driving the car not necessarily autopilot although I think the yoke gives you less control points for taking over even if you are on autopilot because you have significantly less than 360° of control points with the yoke. I've never read in my life that having your hands on the top of the steering wheel is unsafe in any of my operating manuals of any of my vehicles