Tesla Model 3

[6miths]

Thanks for first impressions. Sporty and nimble is what I am looking for so will continue to wait.

 

[GTFan]

It seems like an electric car would eliminate many issues that a gas or diesel engine would have, yet Musk cannot deliver.

An electric car is a simple design, a glorified golf cart. Do not expect Tesla to be around in 5 years.

LOL, let us know when you can buy a golf cart with crumple zones, air bags etc. With ABS/TCS, driver aids and UI software, and a battery that has way more capacity for its size and weight. Built by the thousands in a completely automated factory.

Don't equate relative drivetrain simplicity with ease of design for a completely new way to mass-produce a car. Not excusing Musk for over-promising and under-delivering here, just recognizing that this is way more than glorified golf cart design and manufacturing.

 

[nash031]

I think range & charge times are still hindrances for a good number of folks.

The range and charge of the Model S are fine by me.... it's the price tag! But for the 3, yes, that's why I am not considering it for my next vehicle next year.

 

[Bamaman]

Tesla has fallen on its face producing cars en mass. They just don't have the expertise.

0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds. Quarter mile in 13.4 seconds. Very fast for their economy model.

Too bad so many people are on the waiting list.

 

[Ready]

I did!
I only have a few miles on the car. Hopefully I will have more today or tomorrow.

From first impressions, it exceeded my expectations.
The handling is much sportier and tighter. The car feels much more nimble.

In short, I would say less of a luxury feel, and more of a sportier feel.
I LOVE the sleek interior. Still getting used to the control screen, but I think I am going to like it a lot.

Congratulations on the new car! Please keep us informed of your experience as you put more miles on it. I sat in a display model a couple of weeks ago for the first time. My first impression is that the car is fantastic as a $35K car, but for $54K I thought it seemed a little bit spartan inside. I'll be curious to see if you think it's worth the money, as I'll have to either pony up the $54K for first production or wait another year and miss the full federal tax credit.

 

[swakyaby]

Congrats, Zathras! What do you have set up for charging overnight?

 

[Chuckanut]

Here's another view of the Model 3:

https://electrek.co/2018/02/17/tesla-model-3-german-automaker-reverse-engineered/

“Each sub-assembly system was put to the test, but the testers were especially impressed by the power electronics. Compact, expandable, fully integrated, modular, easily accessible, well-protected, reasonably priced and astonishingly clever in many details – that was the verdict of the experts, to which colleagues from other manufacturers also agreed.”

So now we await the opinion of Zanthras - our own local expert - to see if the Germans got it right. Not to put any pressure on the guy. After all he is having to much fun driving his new [-]toy[/-] car around.

 

[W2R]

My first impression is that the car is fantastic as a $35K car, but for $54K I thought it seemed a little bit spartan inside.

I think that even a $35K car should not be spartan inside. A spartan interior sounds more like a $15K-$20K pricetag to me. Makes me wonder why they are being so cheap; surely it can't cost that much to upgrade the interior a bit. Or maybe my idea of a spartan interior is more bleak than what the Tesla 3 provides. Zathras said,

I LOVE the sleek interior.

 

[Chuckanut]

Another quote from the electrek article:

“This minimalism runs through the entire vehicle. There is initially only one engine, only one forward and reverse gear, only one driven pair of wheels, only one cooling circuit for the entire system.”

 

[Zathras]

Here's another view of the Model 3:

https://electrek.co/2018/02/17/tesla-model-3-german-automaker-reverse-engineered/

So now we await the opinion of Zanthras - our own local expert - to see if the Germans got it right. Not to put any pressure on the guy. After all he is having to much fun driving his new [-]toy[/-] car around.

Nice review! I don’t know about the engineering side of things.
I can say the car handles much better, IMO, than the S or X. Those cars handled beautifully, for huge cars. The 3, being smaller, has an advantage there. I suspect they also focused more on it being a sportier car, rather than a touring car.
From what I have experienced in the first week, they got it right

I think that even a $35K car should not be spartan inside. A spartan interior sounds more like a $15K-$20K pricetag to me. Makes me wonder why they are being so cheap; surely it can't cost that much to upgrade the interior a bit. Or maybe my idea of a spartan interior is more bleak than what the Tesla 3 provides. Zathras said,

I think what “Spartan” brings to your mind is not what the Model 3 actually offers.
I would suggest spartan does not equal cheap.

The interior materials are very nice. Wood and leather appearance and feel. Sound is the best I have heard in a very long time (please note, I am no audiophile). Fit and finish is beautiful.

There are some rough edges, in regards to software. Connection to wireless networks isn’t working yet. The ability to schedule the car charge was just added last week. Rear view camera is adequate, but is supposed to improve with a software update.

Navigation is wonderful! Screen is incredibly responsive. And I still absolutely love the handling and the ride. For me, the biggest advantage is the smaller size.