Tesla Model 3 - Review

[take8easy]

Like this hobby, I am not a TOFTT kinda guy and I take my time doing research. So my reviews might seem belated as so many of Tesla Model 3's are on the road already.
I finally decided to get one and I got it about 10 days ago.

Good:

Great drive.
Great pick up.
Auto slow down/breaking. (three different options)
Loads of features: hard to list them all. Plenty of videos on YouTube explaining things in detail.
Very quiet.
Iphone and Android App controlled
Easy to drive
Computer controlled and the console is very user friendly.
Decently roomy both back and front.
Lots of storage space for its size. A trunk on the front as well.
Keyless entry and exit.
Lots of charging stations along major hwy routes.
Delivery process is quite smooth.
Great speakers
No engine oil change, transmission service and other mechanical service etc. required. Overall it requires much less maintenance than a regular gasoline powered car.
Very low brake wear
Auto windshield wipers and head lights

Bad (and not so bad)

A bit pricey. Final cost for a standard white color Tesla 3 = about 52000.00
Premium pricing for non white colors ($1300 onwards)
No spare tire.
No floor mats (about $300)
No window tint
Adapter 220 V is not standard (about $50)
Charging is slower and needs a bit of planning. Regular 110 V household charging is slow. It charges about 8 km worth of charge per hour. Which means it could take 50 hours to fully charge it!
Rear view mirror a bit small and rear view is limited because of higher back.
A bit of wait for delivery. (It took about a week and half for mine)
You can not return if you are not happy because of Govt regulations regarding rebates.
The shiny interior surfaces seems to have lots of fingerprint smudges
The doors are a bit heavier.

Although I am still a newer owner, overall I am VERY happy to have spent about $10K over my range but I know I will save it in fuel and maintenance cost. I am going to use it mainly for work. I don't think I will ever take it to the interior, not between Oct and March anyway. Those mountains and cold weather certainly burn more fuel.

Repeat: No, because I don't need another mid size and I already have a large size SUV.
Recommend: Absolutely. If you are ok with the price and you can plan your daily driving ahead, it is a wonderful, quite futuristic piece of machinery. The Good easily outweighs the Bad here.

I will keep on editing and adding more things as I explore it more.

I hope it helps you, hopefully buy, or not buy your first fully electric auto.


PS:

Another bad: The pillars on the front, esp on the driver side seems to cause a bit of blind spot esp when making a left turn.
Another 2 little bads:
The clock on the console is very tiny.
No AM radio.

Oct 08 2020 : First negative experience.

It worked fine for about 6 days and then this is what started to happen. My phone keeps getting disconnected from the car. Which basically mean, there is no continuous communication between these two as a result, I can't see the charging update, sometimes it won't unlock automatically and I still have to use the card key to start.
A few times I had to disconnect and reconnect blue tooth, a few times, I had to restart my phone and in some cases, I had to reboot the computer. It works and then it stops again.

Based on some Tesla forums, it seems like a common issue with Tesla owners.

Edit: Not happening anymore. I am not sure how but the problem just went away.

Oct 08: With 220V plug/adapter the charging is 6 to 7 times faster. It is 50+ km/hr while the regular 110 v outlet would give you about 8 km/hr. But obviously you have to an access to a 220V outlet.

Oct 11: Wipers: Not as easy to operate as they should be. Read my post below for details.

Oct 22 : Auto wipers doesn't work in full darkness. I mean on a street with no street lights or no oncoming traffic, you have to turn them on manually. Be mindful of that.

 

[masterblaster]

I knew a guy that bought a Tesla roadster in 2012 or 2013, crazy expensive at the time, was based on a lotus chassis. It got totalled off in an accident shortly thereafter. He fought with the insurance company for about a year over the value of the car. They didn’t want to pay what he thought it was worth. Not sure how it turned out for him.

 

[Theguyfromvictoria]

Cool bar but the fit-and-finish lacks in every one that I have ever been in. Not sure worth the $$ ?

 

[take8easy]

I knew a guy that bought a Tesla roadster in 2012 or 2013, crazy expensive at the time, was based on a lotus chassis. It got totalled off in an accident shortly thereafter. He fought with the insurance company for about a year over the value of the car. They didn’t want to pay what he thought it was worth. Not sure how it turned out for him.

I have not followed Tesla very closely so i can’t really comment on it. What I have heard is that they have improved a lot progressively.

 

[take8easy]

Cool bar but the fit-and-finish lacks in every one that I have ever been in. Not sure worth the $$ ?

Personally I find it quite attractive but each to his own. But honestly I would not reject a car just on basis of fit and finish.

 

[badbadboy]

Good for you going greener. I’ll keep pumping that 94 octane at $80 a week.

I haven’t driven in your model but did spend some time in the SUV. It had the extended battery and easily got to the destination with the drivers heavy foot. Not only is the SUV. bigger inside, it was very comfortable and I thought it’s fit and finish was damn good.

Funny I was talking with a Ford Mustang GT owner and noticed the body had a terrible fit. You’d think after all these decades, Ford might get their shit together.

I was viewing a Porsche YouTube about the new Taycan Turbo S (crazy, it’s a battery not a turbo powered car) and the charge time with their chargers is 20 min since they’ve made an 800 V charger. House current would be overnight on 110 V.

 

[masterblaster]

I have not followed Tesla very closely so i can’t really comment on it. What I have heard is that they have improved a lot progressively.

What’s improving a lot progressively got to do with an insurance company not wanting to pay out for the car?

 

[take8easy]

What’s improving a lot progressively got to do with an insurance company not wanting to pay out for the car?

It was just a random comment. Easy!

 

[Gardener]

Last week Tesla hinted at a battery breakthrough on the horizon. The breakthrough would deal with the issues of heat and weight. I’ll read that to mean lighter and cooler, which would dramatically increase range. Musk has also hinted at a battery with a 1 million mile total lifespan. 2/3 years seems a reasonable timeframe for such advancements. I’m not betting against him.

 

[Fullhouse]

But honestly I would not reject a car just on basis of fit and finish.

I think that echoes your thoughts when choosing a lady to 'drive'.

 

[take8easy]

I think that echoes your thoughts when choosing a lady to 'drive'.

That and I don't TOFTT much.
As long as the lady is presentable, clean and is performance oriented, looks to me become secondary. Oops, did I say 'lady'? Sorry, I meant 'car'.

 

[Gardener]

But, for now, Big Oil still has a hell of a lot of clout.

That clout is dwindling fast. Check out the job cuts and corporate announcements from Shell and BP in the last 5 weeks. Both of these name are now planning on spending more capex on renewable power than they are on oil production and exploration. It’s an industry in permanent decline.

 

[Shanghai]

The charge time of cars is insane, so say good-buy to an exercise like driving to Calgary.
I test-drove the Hyundai Kona (EV) and the Ioniq (hybrid).
Fantastic acceleration on the Kona, and absolutely awful acceleration on the Ioniq (tiny gas motor).
The worst thing is the interior on both cars are too friggin' cramped.
Not being a homeowner with ready access to a even a 120v plug puts a damper on charging said cars.

I wish the hydrogen fuel cell idea would pick up more steam. 5-minutes to refill would be ideal.

 

[JimDandy]

Like this hobby, I am not a TOFTT kinda guy and I take my time doing research. So my reviews might seem belated as so many of Tesla Model 3's are on the road already.
I finally decided to get one and I got it about 10 days ago.

Good:

Great drive.
Great pick up.
Auto slow down/breaking. (three different options)
Loads of features: hard to list them all. Plenty of videos on YouTube explaining things in detail.
Very quiet.
Iphone and Android App controlled
Easy to drive
Computer controlled and the console is very user friendly.
Decently roomy both back and front.
Lots of storage space for its size. A trunk on the front as well.
Keyless entry and exit.
Lots of charging stations along major hwy routes.
Delivery process is quite smooth.
Great speakers
No engine oil change, transmission service and other mechanical service etc. required. Overall it requires much less maintenance than a regular gasoline powered car.
Very low brake wear
Auto windshield wipers and head lights

Bad (and not so bad)

A bit pricey. Final cost for a standard white color Tesla 3 = about 52000.00
Premium pricing for non white colors ($1300 onwards)
No spare tire.
No floor mats (about $300)
No window tint
Adapter 220 V is not standard (about $50)
Charging is slower and needs a bit of planning. Regular 110 V household charging is slow. It charges about 8 km worth of charge per hour. Which means it could take 50 hours to fully charge it!
Rear view mirror a bit small and rear view is limited because of higher back.
A bit of wait for delivery. (It took about a week and half for mine)
You can not return if you are not happy because of Govt regulations regarding rebates.
The shiny interior surfaces seems to have lots of fingerprint smudges
The doors are a bit heavier.

Although I am still a newer owner, overall I am VERY happy to have spent about $10K over my range but I know I will save it in fuel and maintenance cost. I am going to use it mainly for work. I don't think I will ever take it to the interior, not between Oct and March anyway. Those mountains and cold weather certainly burn more fuel.

Repeat: No, because I don't need another mid size and I already have a large size SUV.
Recommend: Absolutely. If you are ok with the price and you can plan your daily driving ahead, it is a wonderful, quite futuristic piece of machinery. The Good easily outweighs the Bad here.

I will keep on editing and adding more things as I explore it more.

I hope it helps you, hopefully buy, or not buy your first fully electric auto.


PS:

Another bad: The pillars on the front, esp on the driver side seems to cause a bit of blind spot esp when making a left turn.

Hi T8Easy - You quoted price of about 52K. What was final damage after rebates and taxes?

JD

 

[take8easy]

Hi T8Easy - You quoted price of about 52K. What was final damage after rebates and taxes?

JD

THAT IS (52K) the final damage. (All figures are approximate)
The price ....................... 52K
+ Taxes and fees..............8 k
- Rebates .........................8 k
Final Price (Approx)........52K

I paid little extra for premium color.

You will need to order floor mats which come to about $290. If you have access to a 220 v outlet, it is another 50 bucks.

You can go to Tesla's website and fake order a car. That will give you exact figures.

 

[CanineCowboy]

The charge time of cars is insane, so say good-buy to an exercise like driving to Calgary.
I test-drove the Hyundai Kona (EV) and the Ioniq (hybrid).
Fantastic acceleration on the Kona, and absolutely awful acceleration on the Ioniq (tiny gas motor).
The worst thing is the interior on both cars are too friggin' cramped.
Not being a homeowner with ready access to a even a 120v plug puts a damper on charging said cars.

I wish the hydrogen fuel cell idea would pick up more steam. 5-minutes to refill would be ideal.

I think not driving to Calgary is a positive

 

[CanineCowboy]

The problem with Musk, is that he makes these sorts of "announcements" and then nothing comes of it. He's done it plenty of times before...

Eventually, there will be batteries around that have longer lifespans and increased energy capacities that will result in longer driving ranges for electric vehicles - but, for the time being, it's still nowhere near the sort of chemical energy available from petroleum products. Having said that, the sooner we start to actually do the research and development on electric vehicles and battery technology in a more serious manner (and wider spread) the better off we'll all be. But, for now, Big Oil still has a hell of a lot of clout.

Getting over 400km per charge puts it in the same category as gas powered vehicles. And personally I only drive that distance about twice a year.

California's announcement last week of selling only EVs post 2035 is the writing on the wall for petroleum.

 

[JimDandy]

THAT IS (52K) the final damage. (All figures are approximate)
The price ....................... 52K
+ Taxes and fees..............8 k
- Rebates .........................8 k
Final Price (Approx)........52K

I paid little extra for premium color.

You will need to order floor mats which come to about $290. If you have access to a 220 v outlet, it is another 50 bucks.

You can go to Tesla's website and fake order a car. That will give you exact figures.

Thanks for the details. I assume that does not count the cost of installing a charging station if you want to charge faster than what 110V provides.

Does your car stop automatically at red lights and/or stop signs and start again automatically when it is safe? That is a feature I wish my Elantra had. My Elantra is very good at the normal smart cruise functionality (automatically speeding up and slowing down with traffic) but does not see red lights or stop signs which to me is the "next step" in automatic cruise control.

JD

 

[masterpoonhunter]

Battery development is outpacing many other so called green tech areas. Charge times are getting shorter and capacities larger, the battery packs safer and overall the drive train more reliable. All the auto makers are fully invested in the technology, just google for (car maker) EV's coming down the pike. With that kind of resource behind the development there is now and will be from now on a plethora of EV's coming into the market. The so called Electric Highway is expanding. With charge times getting down to rest stop times to get back to 75% charge capacity, the 400km+ trips will be doable with a nice lunch break thrown in which one should do anyway.

RE fuel cells ... still have their place but until hydrogen storage is a LOT safer, these will be niche power supplies in pretty vertical market places.

I view EV as an opportunity for the auto makers to increase their sales in the mid to upper value end of things by adding a whole new market segment. Then as the legacy market fades, the new one takes over at a higher value.

I'd just really like to see a bench seat come back with a 3 on the tree shifter!

 

[LM987]

The charge time of cars is insane, so say good-buy to an exercise like driving to Calgary.
I test-drove the Hyundai Kona (EV) and the Ioniq (hybrid).
Fantastic acceleration on the Kona, and absolutely awful acceleration on the Ioniq (tiny gas motor).
The worst thing is the interior on both cars are too friggin' cramped.
Not being a homeowner with ready access to a even a 120v plug puts a damper on charging said cars.

I wish the hydrogen fuel cell idea would pick up more steam. 5-minutes to refill would be ideal.

I read on a Porsche forum of a fellow from Vancouver who bought a new Taycan and drove his son to Toronto to start unvirsity, then back home in 10 days round trip. They found charging stations before they left, only "bricked" the car once, got better range than anticipated. So long trips are doable in a short time.
He averaged about 1,000km/day driving.

I am not ready for one, yet.
My cars need to have a soul, character and sound.
Not saying I won't get one, but not ready yet.
My biggest gripe with tesla, is they have no character. They all look the same ( yeah they've got a few models), but old and new ones look the same and they are everywhere now. Can't leave home without seeing multiples of them.
Not to bash them, they are good vehicles on paper.