Is it possible to review Tesla's Model 3
without getting pulled into the company's gravitational hype vortex? I
don't know. We will try forget flamethrowers rockets and Joe Rogan. In
this video we're focusing solely on the Model 3 and how it fares as a car. First
let's level set. The Model 3 is the smallest and cheapest car in Tesla's
all-electric lineup. It seats give, has a maximum 310-mile range, and a theoretical
starting price of $36,000 including destination charges. That we'll dig into
later. Before that let's talk about the car. Item one: it's amazing to drive in all
regards. Acceleration is instantaneous, relentless, and intoxicating. Need to blast
pass yet another Camry? Sure thing. Want to merge authoritatively with freeway
traffic? Done. Want to dazzle your three-year-old with the majesty of
electric torque? Can do. I'm gonna do it again. Where automotive
parlor tricks are concerned the Model 3's hushed propulsive intensity is
one of the best. Press the accelerator and there's no downshift or engine
related delay. You just go. Add lateral G's and the Model 3 shines even
brighter. The steering feels stable on a straight line, but off-center it has a
sporting quick ratio. Small adjustments make big changes in your trajectory. The
Model 3 is the kind of car that rewards precision and a willingness to probe the
limits. There's a stop sign. No self no probing right now. Real mature Mike. With
it's well tuned multi-link suspension and weighty battery pack placed low in
the chassis the smallest of Tesla's is a grade-a badass in the corners. If you've
dismissed electric cars as joy crushing sadness goblins you've clearly never
driven a Model 3. Yeah there's no emotional engine noise, but consider this,
without a dramatic internal combustion soundtrack the Model 3 can still create
reactions like this. Meanwhile interior noise is decently subdued, though the
lack of an engine highlights sound from the tires. The brakes feel completely
natural which is a stellar accomplishment for an electric car, and
if you don't like the acceleration and regenerative braking intensity, vehicle
creep behavior, or steering efforts simply change them. Regarding steering
settings, with such a quick ratio the light efforts of comfort mode make it
hard to steer with accuracy. So don't use them. One last driving observation, there's a
blind spot over my right shoulder. Surely technology has a solution for
that. Why yes, it does on-camera Micah. With the $5,000 enhanced auto pilot package
the Model 3 can steer, accelerate, brake, and automatically change lanes for you.
Once activated with the drive selector it shows a real-time readout of the
vehicles around you and the road ahead, including how it curves. Right now it's
incredibly cool tech that operates with more precision than some goober drivers,
but the system requires constant attention. This is not autonomous driving
though Tesla promises that will come later.
If constant vigilance is required when using autopilot personally I'd rather
just drive. You may feel differently. It got very dark for a second there. I got it. That
said the real-time display makes auto pilot far more engaging than other semi
autonomous systems. My big complaint is the effort required to overpower the
autonomy. You can't simply add a bit of steering or brake when good human
judgement suggests that's a good idea. Instead you have to force your way
through the autonomy, which then abruptly deactivates the system. During critical
moments that can be disconcerting. Autonomy aside the Model 3 is a
wellspring of unexpected but logical conclusions. Kind of like talking to a
three-year-old it's the sort of car where you have to leave your
expectations at the door, literally. To unlock the door you can either use your
phone as a key or tap the valet key card on the B-pillar. Modern living right? The
door handles don't extend like the Model S's but they do flip out GTR style.
Inside if not using your phone place the key card behind the cupholders to enable
drive mode. You'll notice there's no start button, just pull the drive
selector down and go. In fact look around and there's a conspicuous lack of
physical controls. These guys adjust the seat and these scroll wheels do almost
everything else. They move the mirrors. They adjust the steering wheel position.
They change the audio volume, and they also alter how far you follow the
vehicle head using dynamic cruise control. Yeah pretty much anything a
normal car would do with a button or a knob these guys do. That really sounds like robot noises.
Very very well done Tesla. You sound properly futuristic. Contrasting the lack of buttons is an
abundance of screen. Cramming all vehicle settings infotainment controls and the
traditional gauge cluster readout into a central 15-inch touchscreen sounds like
a one-way ticket to failure town, but no, it works great. Tesla has done a
brilliant job creating a clear, attractive, instantly navigable interface.
Tabs along the bottom helpfully guide you to the right sub menu. Options are
unambiguously displayed, and you can even check out your favorite website, you know
the one that pays you to review cars, oh crap,
is that the runtime? We don't have time for all this stuff. There's too much to
talk about. Lightning round, okay, here's a quick
rundown of the Model 3's abilities and quirks. Over-the-air software updates
expand its capabilities over time, for example Tesla updated the anti-lock
braking tuning yielding a notable reduction in stopping distances. The 15-
cubic foot trunk is supplemented by a vast underfloor hold and a roomy front
trunk. The rear seats fold but the releases are inside the cabin
necessitating a field trip inside to drop them. A low hood and large windows
provide a clear view out while a glass roof provides a clear view up. I see green clouds. Front seats are comfortably
shaped, supportive and include adjustable lumbar support. The armrests are well
positioned and soft. Oh hey, happy squirrel. Rear passenger space is fine
for my average five-foot ten-inch body but the seat backs could use more
recline. It's like I got good posture, and low seat cushions place occupants knees
higher than we prefer the middle seat offers abundant flat foot space, but
shoulder room is super tight with three abreast. Yes we've heard about build
quality complaints by some customers, but as you might expect our test car was
well sorted aside from little stuff like. Wear marks near the electronic door
release, this bunching door seal, and chrome exterior door trim that didn't
quite line up. Interestingly any color besides black will cost between $1,500 and
$2,500 dollars. Tesla's screen-based vent controls are much better than Porsches,
and the Tesla app offers handy information about your vehicle. Plus the
ability to control various functions including the summon feature that lets
you remotely motor the vehicle into and out of tight spots, or you can just
ignore the legal department and ghost ride the whip. Is that something the kids
still do or is it all just Tide Pods now? Charging your Model 3 with a
standard household outlet is possible but dumb, gaining only one to two miles
of range per hour. A full charge would literally take this 240-volt charger
speeds things up adding roughly 14-miles per hour. Charged for overnights at home
that's fine, but on the go one of Tesla's nearly 1,400 supercharger
stations is the play. During our test we surged from 65- to more than 270-miles of
range in about an hour. Just keep in mind crowded stations mean
extra wait time, and unlike Model S and Model X owners Model 3 owners have
to pay it a super charge. In our case 200- miles of range cost a modest $14.04. A basic Model 3 includes eight airbags, automatic emergency braking,
Wi-Fi, an LTE Internet connectivity, dual zone climate control, rear wheel drive,
and 220 miles of electric range all for a base price around $36,000. Except as of
when we shot this video Tesla isn't building any of those the versions you
can get are the mid-range rear-wheel drive. The long-range dual motor
all-wheel drive and the all-wheel drive performance model like our tester that
adds a lowered suspension a higher top speed, 20-inch wheels,
performance brakes and carbon fiber bits to the equation. All of those prices
include destination charges, but exclude the federal government $7,500 tax credit.
A tax credit that may not exist or will likely be greatly reduced by the time
your Model 3 is actually built. Some folks might compare the Model 3
to the roomier Jaguar I-Pace, but starting at $70,000 it's much pricier.
Cheaper alternatives include the Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona EV and
Nissan Leaf, but none of those matched the Tesla's technical anesthetic cool
points. The BMW i3 occupies a vaguely similar price spectrum, but it's no match
for the Model 3's range and speed. Truth be told Model 3 is in a class by
itself. It's stupid quick, aggressively innovative, comfortable for its size, and
assuming they ever build the cheap one, excessively priced. I for one welcome our
new electric car overlords. So, about that flamethrower thing...
This is one of the better reviews I've seen.
Wish they would mention the Tesla Wall Charger that gets about 44mi/hour charge rate (when wired to a 60 amp 240 V circuit). Or the 32 mi/hour if you use the included mobile charger on a Nema 14-50.
Also on a standard 120V outlet, I get about 4-5 mi/hour, not the 2 mi/hour they were getting in the video.
If he had more time with the car he would have probably also figured out the other ways to get out of autopilot than using steering wheel force which he had issues with (button on the gear stalk, gear stalk movement, brakes etc), lots of options depending on ones preference.
Ah, the quiet clean streets of Irvine, CA.
This guy is really good, have seen his other reviews. What I like in this case is that the fact he is young and smart allows him apparently to just gets the car, ex how he loves the display controls which many older reviewers struggle with adapting to and shit all over. I freaking love it despite my age. He has a family so usually he brings some insight about liveability into the mix. Not all his reviews are nearly this favoriable
He reviewed the RX which I purchased and was spot on about it and how bad the handling was and how bad the control interfaces were. He missed some things like the wipers, auto high beams, stereo (rocks) since it was a press car. Also, my car has the exact same liner bump that his car had. The shop said it cannot be fixed easily and the part is way on back order and that the part is miss sized causing the bump. Thanks for posting, as of all the professional reviewers he is in my opinion tied with the CNET tech car reviewer guy.
Always love this guys review videos. Quirky and funny.
There are a couple minor inaccurate points regarding charging speed but everything else is great.
Lot of inaccurate information, had to stop before the end
Raaaaackitz.
I’ve heard 2 miles/hr on the basic home charger as well on a few other reviews, does anyone know why that would happen (assuming it’s accurate)?