If you’re bored sometime - go test drive a Model 3

[Dee]

I’ve been reasonably happy with my S and have put up with the crappy interior because the software is simply ahead of any other car I’ve been in. OTA updates, mobile service at home, and the AP with lane changing and freeway changing is very reliable. I am not a fan of Musk’s lying but I will give three examples on the flip side. When I bought the car I was promised 1000 miles of free supercharging for life but it turned into unlimited free supercharging. Second thing is that about a month after buying the car, a faster version came out for the same price. They took our cars in for an hour and made them over a second quicker for 0-60 for free. Finally, there have been a number of meaningful software updates with autopilot being significantly improved over time. I think we have to acknowledge that Tesla is ahead of the rest on reliable updates, in 4 years I’ve had zero issues with updates.

That being said, I am thrilled to getting a Taycan and a high quality and comfortable driving experience again. Just want to acknowledge that Tesla isn’t all bad.

You are so gonna be disappointed for all the wrong reasons.
But.... there's a catch here: if you look for a proper car and you love actual driving you may be in for a surprise.

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[Henke]

You are so gonna be disappointed for all the wrong reasons.
But.... there's a catch here: if you look for a proper car and you love actual driving you may be in for a surprise.

Why will I be disappointed? I loved the test drives.

 

[Dee]

Why will I be disappointed? I loved the test drives.

Well, let me put it this way: if you don't, the points you just mentioned about your Tesla aren't relevant any more and therefore not worth mentioning.
There's an irony in there.
If you aren't disappointed, I stand corrected about the point you will be disappointed for the wrong reasons.
But then again, I'm not.
I'm sure you've already lost me here.
Anyway, enjoy your Taycan.

 

[Henke]

post: 80589, member: 4156"]
Why will I be disappointed? I loved the test drives.

Well, let me put it this way: if you don't, the points you just mentioned about your Tesla aren't relevant any more and therefore not worth mentioning.
There's an irony in there.
If you aren't disappointed, I stand corrected about the point you will be disappointed for the wrong reasons.
But then again, I'm don't.
I'm sure you've already lost me here.
Anyway, enjoy your Taycan.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah you have lost me a bit. I’m trying to give an unbiased view on both cars. Not fully in a position to do that until I take possession of my Taycan. I’m giving my opinion on where the Tesla is strong. That being said, it’s not enough for me and while I did enjoy aspects of the car for the past few years, I missed the German car feel. I’ve owned VW, Audi, BMW and you just cannot beat the solid feeling of German engineering. That was immediately the sense I got when I drove the Taycan. So sure, I may get frustrated with a few things but overall I think I’m going to be very happy with my purchase.

 

[JustLooking]

People liken Tesla's to Ikea as a way of cheapening them, when in reality it should be compared to solid high-end minimalist furniture. The minimalist interior wasn't done as a cost cutting measure but as part of the design (which is clearly not for everyone). If anyone here watches Sandy Munro's teardown video's, you'll see Tesla hasn't cheaped out when engineering the car, the car is very much unlike Ikea.

There are many parallels one could draw when it comes to industrial/minimalist design and how much harder it is to design something that looks simple. There's typically a premium for this type of design, but again, it's not for everyone. Some people like ornate furniture or lots of buttons on their devices and so on. Pros and cons to each, but it's definitely not an indication of poor/low-end quality.

Anyway, let's all be happy we live in a world (and have the means) where we have options. At the very least, whether members here like Tesla or not, undoubtedly the competition is great for all of us.

 

[Miwa]

No, the minimalist Model 3 is absolutely done as a cost cutting measure. Everything is just cheap.

You don't put lane change assist in the center (and only) display unless you are trying to save money. If they can do it with the installed cameras and the central MCU (as in with software-only), they do it, otherwise it gets skipped to save on cost. Lack of options is also a big cost-saver.

 

[feye]

People liken Tesla's to Ikea as a way of cheapening them, when in reality it should be compared to solid high-end minimalist furniture. The minimalist interior wasn't done as a cost cutting measure but as part of the design (which is clearly not for everyone).

Is this the latest fanboy spin after "cost-cutting with the Model 3 and Model Y continues"?

"Minimalist" design is easy, making it "solid high-end" requires extreme quality. That's the reason why T is falling so short. The following principle applies to all but the most basic/simple products:

Plain vanilla "minimalist" designed cars + poor quality = cheap junk.

 

[benver]

How the f*ck can you be bored if you own a Taycan
Go take it for a spirited drive instead

 

[F16HTON]

We considered a Model 3 and a Model Y as an extra car for groceries, the mall and to Turo out for a little extra side $$.

In the end, was not impressed with either.

Purchased a VW Tiguan SE R-Line Black Edition. Only $32K out the door, seats up to 7 and has a great infotainment system that connects seamlessly to Apple carplay every time. Interior is all vegan, but there is a huge pano sunroof that covers all three rows of seating.

VW made the cars really affordable by making them a pure assembly line vehicle, but the fit, finish and quality is great. Not super fast, but just zippy enough to get around.



*not ours, but looks the same

 

[rs38]

even if the Model 3 is performing like a rocket on steroids:
simple as it is: it's ugly.

 

[kreshi]

High quality engineering? Like when they used actual wood as parts?

 

[RCorsa]

I have a model 3 performance and a Taycan 4s. The model 3 is a real dog in driving performance. The steering feels loose and dangerous at speed. Tons of body roll for an EV and zero insulation with massive amount of road noise. Interior is sparse and cheep feeling. The range is nearly the same 300 versus 290. Software is better but now that I use airplay in the Taycan I think it’s a wash as well.

My wife now drives then model 3 until she gets a new electric SUV (she hated the x we had). Then we will Give it to our daughter as it’s a safe EV and maybe in a year autopilot will actually be autopilot which should make it even more safe.

For those talking about the plaid. I finally saw and sat in one as a guy at my golf club got one this weekend. Interior looks better and the wheel is actually OK. That said it otherwise feels very Tesla and not that much better than my old P100d and it looks exactly the same as my old car (a 2018). If I had to get a Tesla that’s the one I’d get but the Taycan is much much better IMO.

 

[cfp]

I have to say no matter how many times I’ve looked and driven modern Tesla’s I just couldn’t do it. The Model S and X are just INSANELY expensive for what is a budget car interior (forgetting how numb they are to drive). The BASE model 3 is a good value proposition FOR AN EV (not an ICE), at least what you get matches what you pay. But add ANY option and you rapidly leave that.

THE leaf and the Bolt matched their pricing and both were fun to drive in different ways. My i3 was not worth the premium in ride but damn it was innovative and unique in its interior.

There are now too many equal or better options for the M3l I’ve driven it a few times it’s fine, but I’d say it’s like driving a more sporty Japanese’s mid range sedan.

I just bought a Mini Cooper SE for my kids. Might not fit the bill for many because of limited range and small size but what a BLAST to drive and the fit and finish are very much up to BMW’s standards.

 

[XLR82XS]

I have a Model 3 Performance. I have a Taycan Turbo S. I've done some bit of suspension and brake work on my M3P to get it to a good spot from a handling perspective. But in the end, I jumped all over a Taycan. We only keep the M3P because my wife likes driving it, she feels it drives like a gokart. When given a chance to go for a drive.. I pick the Taycan every single time.

I owned a 2020 Model 3 LR - bought it new. Great car for the price point but 3 things still lack:
- build quality
- paint
- service
That said, since Toyota, Honda or similar do not have a decent EV available, Tesla fills the void and is fine for people wanting an appliance. I like to drive. I sold the 3 for a 2021 Taycan.

 

[HigherLevel]

I own a Taycan and a Model 3. They're both great for their own reasons.

All of the traditional automakers with other models that people are posting: They're all stupid for being so late to the EV game. You can talk about an M2 or C43 being a competitor with better interiors, but because they're not EV, they're obsolete. Straight line they get dusted. Everyday driving they get dusted. Maintenance and fueling waste hours and hours of my time that I no longer waste. I had a new 2018 Audi S5 and it immediately felt like using a pager versus a cellphone the minute I felt the instant torque of an EV. Tesla was the only company with enough vision to figure out this was the future, and invest in it immediately.

Traditional automakers' charging networks suck, their charging rates often suck, their tech integration sucks (try doing any voice commands in the Taycan and getting it to work more than half the time), and their acceleration sucks. The Audi E-tron SUV is a lumbering dinosaur versus the Model X.

For all the great things that traditional automakers do well, such as convenience and comfort features, they got a LOT of things wrong that Tesla showed them how to do well. How about an infotainment screen that just works and works as fast as an ipad. My '21 Taycan feels like it's a 7 year old computer versus my '18 Model 3.

If I'm driving for the joy of driving, I'm taking my Taycan. If I'm getting from point A to point B as conveniently and hassle-free as possible, with a little bit of fun acceleration, I'm taking the 3.

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