What's the most surprising thing you've found once you got your Tesla?

[StealthP3D]

The windshield wipers are complete *sugar* and can't clean anything.

Both of our Model 3's have EXCELLENT wipers. I use them a lot here in the Pacific Northwest. I think you might haave some contaminant on your glass. Either a product you applied or manufacturing residue. Give it a good clean and see if that fixes it. Otherwise, see what Tesla service has to say. I can't think of a previous car that's had better wipers (although the Volvo S80 came close). We are both still on our original wiper blades after 1 year and 1 1/2 years.

 

[camalaio]

That people care more or are more excited about the car than we are.

My wife's coworkers often get rides in it (or drive it) to/from lunch, fawn over it, etc. Her manager is making sure they get her an EV charger at work with no prompting at all... except now from her coworkers who keep pestering the manager to install an EV charger!!

 

[camalaio]

One more, I shouldn't multipost.

While I expected it, I was still surprised that flooring it (LR AWD) results in minimal if any wheel spin/scratch/screech, even for flooring it with the wheel cranked. The car does feel as if its holding back of course when it would otherwise scratch a bit, but it certainly gives a strong and very smooth launch for the situation.

 

[DopeGhoti]

That people care more or are more excited about the car than we are.

I've been experiencing this too! I'm kind of blown away by this. I'm still excited to have it, but I've had a bunch of people - including my Manager - ask to go take half an hour of the workday to check out the Tesla. I might even have a couple of referrals to hand out sometime soon, which I was not expecting.

 

[ACofNY]

Couple of comments in response to others:

Regenerative brakes - I personally do not like the aggressive Regen. Toyota activates the Regen when you lightly press the brakes. I am accustomed to coasting when I can. I have not found a decrease in range and in some circumstance it give me more range when I take advantage of coasting.

The display shows the Brake Lights! ThIs is great, I got to realize with light Regeneration setting, at high speeds it still does decelerate enough, BIG problem, looking at the display, I realize the deceleration is not enough to activate the brake lights. I have since an trying to go back to normal Regen brakes so I don’t get rear ended!

Sound system - base standard+, has nice clear upper highs, voices. But the removal of the rear sub-woofer with out replacing some lower range speaker in rear results in the sound being too bright. The rear door speaker is only highs. There are a number of tweeters but only small woofer in the front doors, I get a real headache from the compressed music using Bluetooth. Had to use equalizer to tame the highs and boost the next to lowest bass. The system does not respond to the lowest. Changed to listed from USB memory stick, a little better. I will be looking into adding some bass sound in the back.

Automatic hold - I found the RWD definitely rolls when I lift off the brake to accelerate on unlevel road. And keeping my foot on the the brake and the pressing accelerator at the same time, the car complains I am pressing both and won’t move. The manual states to press the brake again after stopping. But when I try it, lifting up results in the car rolling and almost run in to the car in front or back. I since learned I think I either have to press brake harder/longer to get hold to work. I haven’t tried it on a steep hill.

Al

 

[camalaio]

Couple of comments in response to others:

...

Automatic hold - I found the RWD definitely rolls when I lift off the brake to accelerate on unlevel road. And keeping my foot on the the brake and the pressing accelerator at the same time, the car complains I am pressing both and won’t move. The manual states to press the brake again after stopping. But when I try it, lifting up results in the car rolling and almost run in to the car in front or back. I since learned I think I either have to press brake harder/longer to get hold to work. I haven’t tried it on a steep hill.

I'm guessing you have creep enabled? With creep off, brake hold engages with much less brake pressure required. I do miss having a handbrake for steep hills.

 

[harlanlimpert]

I was most surprised by how quickly I came to love the silence of the Tesla. Growing up in the 50s and 60s, I loved the roar of an ICE engine. I thought I would miss it. Now I see both are wonderful in their own way. But I favor the silence.

 

[RKBA]

I saw the mats in someone else's 3 with the premium interior. While they are good and i would not change them if i got the premium interiors the 3D maxpiders are awesome

I have the premium interior and DID replace them with the 3D Maxpiders because I have young kids and wanted all-weather mats. I can confirm that they are awesome!

 

[scohtay]

When people see Fart Mode, they just say 'Coool'

 

[LDMD7]

My partner just took delivery of a loaded 2019 MB convertible. The number of gauges, switches, levers etc on that car really made me appreciate the elegance of my M3’s interior. He hasn’t found anything (so far) that car does that the Tesla doesn’t. The Tesla touchscreen is a game changer.

 

[ACofNY]

I'm guessing you have creep enabled? With creep off, brake hold engages with much less brake pressure required. I do miss having a handbrake for steep hills.

Creep is disabled, I was also trying to park, making small adjustments. Brake hold is not the problem, as soon as the brake is not engaged as I start to accelerate. I wonder if creep would help? I do want to go slightly in the direction the gear is selected, or at least not roll in the opposite direction. I don’t have hills where I live to try, I have find somewhere to try again.

I’m sure there is a way, just have to learn how to cope. Any San Francisco folks out there to comment?

 

[SO16]

The sound is slightly poorer compared to a 2007 Camry and much poorer compared to a 2011 BMW 3 series. A lot of it has also to do with higher road noise on the highway which is 80% of my drive

This may be worth doing.

 

[SO16]

My father in law is like this. I can hear him yelling about Tesla in the background whenever my wife calls her mother. I don't like talking politics on the internet, but it's a politics thing.

Has he driven your car yet? It’s amazing how many haters do think differently once they actually experience it.

 

[SO16]

there's a lot of truth to what you are saying, but the magic of the car gets you to give them a pass and hope they will get better at it

Agreed. I’d rather have a product I love and use on a daily basis vs worrying about a possible once in a while bad service experience.

 

[stewbaca]

I had to buy a windshield squeegee because I don't stop at gas stations any more.

 

[Zeronet]

That it’s the best and most fun car I’ve ever driven and owned.

I only bought my Tesla to complete my philosophical pursuit of zero-net energy using my solar panels. I was employed studying climate change from 1990 to 2011 and carry deep emotional scars from seeing the results that most people ignored.

I was never a car guy, and could not really tell one car from another. But then I discovered that a car can also be FUN! I am quite sure that I will never purchase another ICE vehicle.

 

[Dondix]

We've had ours (model S) for almost 2 years and it's still fun to see people turn their heads and watch you go by.

 

[Keromaru]

Both of our Model 3's have EXCELLENT wipers. I use them a lot here in the Pacific Northwest. I think you might haave some contaminant on your glass. Either a product you applied or manufacturing residue. Give it a good clean and see if that fixes it. Otherwise, see what Tesla service has to say. I can't think of a previous car that's had better wipers (although the Volvo S80 came close). We are both still on our original wiper blades after 1 year and 1 1/2 years.

I must've received the short end of the stick. I had a professional check and remove all residue if there are any. Which didn't help then I called tesla mobile service to help, they came and said it's working perfectly even though they clearly saw how it didn't clean off the dirt/spots on the windshield.

 

[Zeronet]

Now that I own a Tesla and have seen how powerful, smooth, silent, simple, and economical an EV can be, I could never look at an ICE vehicle in the same way. All the valves, pistons, controlled explosions, oil, gas and so on, now seem that they must be some sort of primitive joke of a Rube Goldberg device.

 

[dfwatt]

Best way to do this is the old David Letterman 10 best countdown: 10 Most Surprising Great Things about the Tesla Model 3

10) It's shocking how easy it is to use the Tesla navigation System and the brilliant integration of the operating system via the touchscreen.
9) It's equally shocking how much money you can spend tweaking the car (esp. fantastic MPP Sports Coilovers and Vorsteiner wheels)! But how it all seems like money well spent! (Cautionary note – wife has threatened to commit me if I buy any more wheels and tires!) Bummer!
8) How you never knew you hated going to gas stations until all of a sudden you didn't have to!
7) How the model 3 has the best front seat I've ever sat in!
6) How autopilot makes long distance driving so much less stressful, and more than compensates for the little bit of extra time in charging.
5) How utterly addicting instant and totally proportional acceleration is – and how you can never go back to ICE performance. Just drove the turbocharged Porsche Cayman GTS – great car, but it's a slug by comparison!
4) How fantastic the sound system is – especially with a very modest, inexpensive tweak of replacing the four-inch drivers w/ infinity 4022.
3) How nice it feels to be approaching carbon neutral when you will just plug your Tesla into your new Tesla solar system – coming in one month!
2) How much you love regenerative braking not just because it's saving money and energy but because it makes the car so much easier to drive – and that's maybe the second biggest surprise of all that this is the easiest car to drive we've ever owned.

And the biggest #1 surprise of all – my technophobic wife who hates cars or at least just regards them as a necessary evil to get from point A to point B, she just loves her Tesla Model 3 Performance to pieces. Her review of the car: "OMG - it's the bomb!"