Two days with Model 3 impressions/review- This is not a mini model S

[JoshG]

Not exactly. When I first got my Model S, I had met up with some people to eat and it started to rain. Being in CA we don't see that much rain. So I was driving slow as I was getting ready to go over a speed bump and I wanted to use my windshield wipers to wipe the rain that had accumulated on the window. I mistakenly hit the park button rather than the wiper on the other side and the car suddenly stopped. Maybe they've fixed that now but I was able to apply the parking brake while moving.

Good point... the button at the end of that lever, for Park, probably doesn't change... though I was under the impression the car wouldn't let you put it into park while driving anything over a very slow speed. But your point is well-taken, the up/down functions of that stalk change to Autopilot control while driving and revert to gear selector when stopped.

 

[Pollux]

Thank you, @Stoneymonster, @TexasEV, @insaneoctane, @AlanSqB!

Alan

 

[dragoljub]

Cancel Autopilot by lifting UP on the gear/autopilot stalk. Or tap brakes.

I realized later that to engage and disengage. The AP it’s half a lift up or down. You have to fully push through the full travel to shift into drive or reverse.

Once I realized this half press it’s much easier to use and disengage.

In the beginning I was actually pressing the park button to stop AP. Half press up is much much easier.

 

[cwerdna]

Have you ever considered that you having been using the turn signal wrong? Those that have problems with it are are used to the mechanical click and push it until it does even for changing lanes. But if you lightly hold it down the direction you want to change lanes, it will turn off as soon as you let go of the stalk. This is accomplished the same way even for the mechanical stalks.

Nope. Not using it wrong.

I was taught SMOG: Signal, Mirror, Over the shoulder, Go. So, unless there's nobody around on the road at all, my signal needs to be on few at least a few seconds and I'm not going to hold the lever just partway for SMOG.

 

[grbauc]

such as..?

First off great review to the op

Well the S and X are full luxury models and the spartan basic direction the m3 has gone is for sure a one also we know that the model X and model S are going to be updated it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when their cycles are coming up and soon for the S
The model 3 is the newest thing with newer technology and it’s time in the spot light. The updated model S with simple amazing and most likely set the bar high. A hesterics over this from many people is silly. I guess it’s just part of the fact that everybody is so emotionally involved in these products.

 

[EV-lutioin]

Not exactly. When I first got my Model S, I had met up with some people to eat and it started to rain. Being in CA we don't see that much rain. So I was driving slow as I was getting ready to go over a speed bump and I wanted to use my windshield wipers to wipe the rain that had accumulated on the window. I mistakenly hit the park button rather than the wiper on the other side and the car suddenly stopped. Maybe they've fixed that now but I was able to apply the parking brake while moving.

In my MX if you press "P" or to into "R" when moving all you get is a friendly little beep (How do I know? My wife does it *all the time* ). I think Tesla has thought this through... I am guessing, based on what my MX does, that when you move the stalk up to any position you turn off AP, no penalty if you go to "R" or "P".

 

[CuriousG]

Nope. Not using it wrong.

I was taught SMOG: Signal, Mirror, Over the shoulder, Go. So, unless there's nobody around on the road at all, my signal needs to be on few at least a few seconds and I'm not going to hold the lever just partway for SMOG.

And like everything else you have to adapt to what you've been taught in the beginning. I don't think they're teaching 10-2 driving anymore when placing your hands due to airbags. Maybe you should be driving a Model T rather than a Model 3?

 

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Isn't free supercharging coming to an end for every Tesla vehicle sold after this month?

Possibly? I recall them announcing it would end in the past as well, but it ended up continuing in some form or another, so YMMV and all that.

 

[cwerdna]

And like everything else you have to adapt to what you've been taught in the beginning. I don't think they're teaching 10-2 driving anymore when placing your hands due to airbags. Maybe you should be driving a Model T rather than a Model 3?

I don't see any relationship between steering wheel hand positioning and the applicability of SMOG. I don't feel the actions dictated by SMOG are less relevant today.

I'd argue these aren't very helpful: people that signal immediately right before they change lanes or while they're already in the next lane. If you aren't checking over your shoulder and your blind spots (yes, I have my outside mirrors set very far outwards so that the sides of my car aren't visible), then you have a much greater chance of getting into an accident or executing an unsafe lane change.

 

[jerjozwik]

Autopilot:
I barely got to try Autopilot as it finally was available just before I exited the freeway. I did try parallel and perpendicular parking. The one time I tried parallel it parked fine although it didn't center the distance between cars and parked much closer to the car in front of me. Then I went into a parking lot to perpendicular park and it's still slow where it does 3pt turn to back into a spot. Not sure why they can't have it park in one sweep. Does anyone know how you're supposed to cancel Autopilot without stepping on the brakes? I haven't tried pressing down on the stalk and afraid to attempt to press the park button.

i have been using EAP as much as possible as soon as it got through the learning phase. it has been working very very well only had to manual cancel once approaching a bunch of stopped cars at a red light. stopping TACC is just a soft up on the gear stick. if you do it too much the worse that can happen is you shift into neutral. though that might be disabled going out of EAP.

 

[Shopi01]

@SMAlset , I was on the same boat as you - waiting for the M3 invitation letter/email. Guess what? I logged into the Tesla owners page and clicked on our model 3 page, and bang, the front page was the invitation to configure our M3. I went back and checked our emails, nope, definitely no email from Tesla for M3 configuration invitation.

So, my recommendation to all those wondering why they haven;t got an invite yet - login.

BTW, wife decided to wait for the standard battery... so a couple of more months of waiting for us (hopefully). The good news is, even after we selected the standard version, the choice to configure the long-range version continues to exist - so in case we get up one morning and change our mind, we could get a M3 in 4 weeks (that is the wait time they are now projecting between ordering and delivery).

Good luck!

Same thing here! Once I saw ppl reporting online I went and checked mytesla, and there it was!

 

[vinnie97]

Possibly? I recall them announcing it would end in the past as well, but it ended up continuing in some form or another, so YMMV and all that.

Fair enough, so that could remain a perk of the higher end vehicles moving forward. Saving for one might not be a bad idea for the road-trip aficionado (not one currently but I might be so inclined).

 

[aaron0k]

After a week with the 3. I have to say... the door handle design kind of sucks. They're very awkward and not at all intuitive.

Anyone getting into OR out of the 3 who is not familiar with the design might be a bit frustrated until they're shown how.

The novelty quickly wears thin.

 

[jerjozwik]

@aaron0k , dono i have zero issues with the door. software and phonekey perhaps, but nothing with the door handle.

 

[aaron0k]

@aaron0k , dono i have zero issues with the door. software and phonekey perhaps, but nothing with the door handle.

It's not really an "issue"... it's just not an intuitive design.

The majority of people I've had ride in the 3 so far, I've had to tell them how to open the door... both from the outside and inside. Most people are not familiar with the "push then pull handle" to get in, then a button release to get out.

 

[Electroman]

The novelty quickly wears thin.

Doing things different for the sake of doing things different.

 

[sweter]

And like everything else you have to adapt to what you've been taught in the beginning. I don't think they're teaching 10-2 driving anymore when placing your hands due to airbags. Maybe you should be driving a Model T rather than a Model 3?

Nothing worse than a car that starts blinking the moment it changes lanes. You DO have to signal your intention before doing so, give it a couple of seconds and then go. That's not old school, that's common sense.

 

[CuriousG]

Nothing worse than a car that starts blinking the moment it changes lanes. You DO have to signal your intention before doing so, give it a couple of seconds and then go. That's not old school, that's common sense.

And who says you can't do that by halfway holding the stalk? Besides, you guys drive on the wrong side of the road

 

[CuriousG]

i have been using EAP as much as possible as soon as it got through the learning phase. it has been working very very well only had to manual cancel once approaching a bunch of stopped cars at a red light. stopping TACC is just a soft up on the gear stick. if you do it too much the worse that can happen is you shift into neutral. though that might be disabled going out of EAP.

So I drove about 208 miles round trip yesterday and put in at least 190 miles of it on Autopilot. It stayed center pretty much the whole time and I have to say is performing better at staying in the lanes than my AP1 car. Maybe it's a narrower car and the distance I'm maintaining (3) as this was on a rainy day. Aside from it not going back into AP after cancellation (I suspect because of the rain), I didn't have to correct (nudge the wheel if it gets too close to a car) like I have in the Model S. It appears they don't show the cars in the other lanes at this time. Lane changing is hit or miss for me. The hold steering wheel warning is not noticeable at all but the blue flashing warning makes up for that.

This car is very efficient as I maintained between 250-260kWh average the whole drive in the rain.

The auto wipers didn't work well in the dark. It did a better job during the day but that definitely still needs work.

 

[suwaneedad]

So I drove about 208 miles round trip yesterday and put in at least 190 miles of it on Autopilot. It stayed center pretty much the whole time and I have to say is performing better at staying in the lanes than my AP1 car. Maybe it's a narrower car and the distance I'm maintaining (3) as this was on a rainy day. Aside from it not going back into AP after cancellation (I suspect because of the rain), I didn't have to correct (nudge the wheel if it gets too close to a car) like I have in the Model S. It appears they don't show the cars in the other lanes at this time. Lane changing is hit or miss for me. The hold steering wheel warning is not noticeable at all but the blue flashing warning makes up for that.

This car is very efficient as I maintained between 250-260kWh average the whole drive in the rain.

The auto wipers didn't work well in the dark. It did a better job during the day but that definitely still needs work.

250-260kwh...in the rain...at what avg speed range, and were you on roughly level roadways? (aeros, or 19s?) This efficiency data point is great news.