acoste

This is the usual Elon Musk announcement where you need to read in between lines. They had one day where the production reached 1000 cars either in real or in theory. But the everyday production is far from that.
Bloomberg Tesla Model 3 Tracker

Lorenfb

Ah yes, electrek the shill for Tesla!

manitou202

My wife took delivery of her Model X 100D yesterday and wow, it's quite the car!

Now I'm comparing it to her 2017 Volvo XC90 Hyrbrid (which was traded in) and my 2018 Panamera Sport Turismo hybrid.

Interior
They are all very nice. I don't agree with people who say Tesla's don't have high end interiors like Audi, Porsche, Mercedes. The interior is on par with her Volvo. Alcantara roof lining, leather dash, and soft touch surfaces almost everywhere. It has more leather, alcantara, and soft touch surfaces then my Panamera. Now I know I could have upgraded my Panamera further, but my sticker price was $140k, so it's not like it was low on options.

The center screen in the Tesla hands down destroys the Panamera and especially the Volvo. No comparison. I'm still getting used to the menus and controls of the Tesla, but I love how it's much more like a computer than typical car infotainment systems. Very logical.

The Tesla has the best features overall but it's also missing several key features which is disappointing. Some of the features I love are things like the automatic open and close of the garage door (let's you program how close to your door before it activates the opener), the radar sensors with the precise distance to objects and a detailed contour of the objects, the display that shows all of the traffic around you like a video game (very helpful in heavy traffic), automatically opens the driver door when approaching and locks the vehicle when walking away. Lot's of little things that begs the question why haven't other automakers figured these things out?

Key features that are missing include 360 camera (this is the biggest one for me), cooled seats, and apple car play.

The sound system in the Model X is on par with the Bose system in my Panamera. Neither system is as nice as the Bowers and Wilkins in the Volvo. But I'm not one to spend a ton of money on sound systems, and the Tesla's is all I could ask for.

The seats are very nice. Very soft and comfortable, good for a family cruiser. They aren't as supportive and sporty as the Panamera, but my wife prefers them over the Porsche. However, neither the Tesla nor the Porsche can touch the seats in the Volvo. They are some of the best in the industry.

We optioned the six seater without center console which I think is the best setup. The kids can easily move around the middle and back of the Model X without having to fold or slide the middle seats forward. Also having the large space between the middle seats allows for tons of leg room for people sitting in the third row. I also really like how the floor of the back half of the car is very simple and flat. An unfortunate reality with kids is stuff gets spilled in the back. The Volvo was a nightmare because of all of the little cracks and crevices that crumbs and dirt can hide. With the Tesla it's going to be much easier to keep clean.

Driving / Performance

The published numbers have the Panamera beating the Model X to 60 by 0.3 seconds, but I would argue that's in perfect conditions and using launch control on the Panamera. In normal driving where you just simply hit the accelerator in traffic the Tesla feels unbelievably fast. This isn't even the performance model. The Volvo doesn't come close to either of these cars in terms of acceleration.

The Volvo had the most comfortable ride and was possibly the quietest. However, it was also very numb and felt like a big heavy SUV. The Porsche definitely handles the best (no comparison really) but also has the harshest ride. The Tesla is honestly a nice sweet spot. I'm not a fan of SUV's and this drives closer to a Cayenne or Macan in terms of handling and ride comfort. We have the 22" wheels which make the steering very responsive. They do add to a rougher ride and some tire noise, but my wife and I are willing to sacrifice some comfort for a sportier drive.

All three vehicles have air suspension. The Panamera and Model X are pretty similar in terms of being able to change the height in most conditions. The Volvo changed height based on drive setting (hybrid, offload, sport, etc) which I thought was silly. I would rather control the height myself.

Braking in the Panamera is on another level, but my biggest complaint with the Panamera hybrid is no electric regeneration when lifting off of the gas pedal. One of the biggest benefits of electric cars is the ability to drive using just the gas pedal (accept for hard stopping and coming to a complete stop). The Panamera coasts when lifting off the gas which I don't like. I'm sure Porsche can change this with a software update. The Tesla has pretty strong regeneration, but it doesn't completely stop you like a Nissan Leaf. Tesla needs to add this ability.

Buying Experience

I'll start by saying the Volvo was terrible. We bought it from a Volvo, Mazda, VW dealer and they are used to selling entry level vehicles. We had to put up with the typical dealership BS.

Overall I've been extremely happy with more local Porsche dealer. I always use them as a benchmark and have yet to experience a better buying experience. The Tesla experience was better in some ways, and a bit disappointing in others. Ordering the vehicle is very easy. You can order it at a Tesla store or in your living room. But, once you've ordered the car, communication with Tesla is mixed. We had poor response from our Sales Advisor (the first person you are connected with). It took a while to get our trade-in value for the Volvo and updates about the order status were a bit confusing.

The trade-in process was different. Upload pictures and details of your vehicle on their website (they walk you through which pictures and details to get). Then you get a trade-in offer. No negotiating. They were a bit low, but because we get to offset our sales tax (9% where I live) it made the most sense to trade-in the Volvo. I was a bit concerned that they were going to be difficult on the day of delivery because the Volvo had a 6in scuff on the front bumper (someone clipped the car) that would require a respray to make it look perfect. I included details in the online form but was worried this wouldn't be clear. But when dropping off the Volvo they combed it over and never said a thing. So it ended up being a very smooth process.

Picking up the Tesla was very fast. You take care of everything online before arriving at the store. You upload your drivers license, insurance, registration, etc so all you need to do is sign a few pieces of paper when you get to the store. Took about 30 minutes total. They had a nice lounge with food and beverages for the kids to hang out in while we waiting. No pressure of any sort for additional upgrades. The delivery staff were super professional.

We don't have any obvious flaws with the Tesla (I've heard about horror stories) other than a few imperfections in the paint. Very minor and I should be able to buff most of them out when I detail the car in the next few weeks. Nothing worth complaining about.

Biggest thing I would like to see on Tesla's high end models (X and S) is some more customization. I would have liked to spec black trim (instead of chromo) and maybe a few more color and interior options. But otherwise the car pretty much comes fully loaded.


Overall we are very excited. The Model X is very impressive. In many ways I like it better than the Panamera. I would miss the engine sound of the Panamera occasionally but the addictive acceleration of the Tesla will make you forget about the sound pretty quick. If Tesla can get through the next few years without going bankrupt, I predict they will easily become one of the largest three automakers in the next 20 years. Their products are 5-10 years ahead of the competition. I can't think of another time in my life where an automaker came out with a new product that felt so much ahead of the competition.

I am very excited to see the Taycan in its final form. My plan is still to trade-in my Panamera and order a Taycan, but if Porsche doesn't deliver then a Model S P100D will probably be my next purchase (maybe I'll wait for the next big refresh).

earl pottinger

Two things:

1) As for the garage door, I think I have seen that done with Teslas controlled by phones. The phone send two different signals, one to the door opener and on to the car. I think setup is not easy however.

2) The more I read this forum, the more I think Porsche dealers are the ones who will have the least problems selling BEVs of all the non-Tesla companies. Every one of them seems to give great service to their customers. I can tell you the GM dealers I had to deal with were horrible experiences.

Earl Colby Pottinger (Tesla and Bollinger fan)

whiz944

Good choice going for the 100 kWh pack.

The center screen car display essentially shows proximity to other cars and objects all around the car. Cooled seats have come and gone. Not sure why they are currently n/a. You won't miss CarPlay.

Lots of differing opinions on how and when to do regen between manufacturers. Regen is a big energy saver over friction brakes but it isn't 100% efficient. If one is really into hypermiling, one wants to use any form of braking as little as possible - anticipating slowdowns as far in advance as possible and coasting as much as you can. Tesla has two menu-selectable levels of regen - "normal" (lots) and "low" (not as much). Both apply when lifting the GO pedal. The brake pedal is strictly friction brakes. When feathering the GO pedal, it is easier to find the "coast" point in "low" than in "normal". Nonetheless, I suspect most folks just drive in "normal" mode. Note that (at least in my Model 3) you can press the brake pedal a bit harder at full stop and it will engage a "Hold" mode - so you don't have to keep your foot on the pedal. Also there is also a menu option for turning "creep" on and off. I always keep creep turned off. But some that really want it to feel like an ICE car with automatic tranny can turn creep on.

My Volt is somewhat different. Driving in "D" mode has modest amount of regen when lifting the GO pedal. Then when pressing the brake pedal, it initially dials in more regen - then, if needed, blends in the friction brakes. Driving with the shifter in "L" mode has more regen on lift, and again blends regen->friction on the brake pedal. There is also a little paddle behind the steering wheel that adds in regen without touching the brake pedal. The paddle is kinda like downshifting while braking in an ICE car with a manual tranny. It always has creep turned on. I always drive the Volt in "L" and until we bought the Tesla, I got pretty good at using the paddle to help with one-pedal driving.

Which is better? Who knows. I do know that after driving the Tesla for a while, the regen on the Volt seems mild by comparison. (And I keep forgetting to use paddle now. Takes me a few minutes to get back in the swing of it.) Also in the Volt I'd tend to use "D" out on the open highway instead of "L" - just because it makes the GO pedal less touchy. Funny thing is that I don't make the equivalent switch to "Low" regen when highway driving in the Tesla. Perhaps because I'm still having fun messing with Autopilot...

They've been in "delivery h*ll" the past few months pushing Model 3s out as fast as possible...

The blue with white interior and black wheels looks great, btw!

hf1

What's the idea behind putting a snow-white interior in a family hauler?

earl pottinger

To me it sounds like we need more custom options available. The manufacturer may have 2-5 default settings available in a menu, but there should also be a custom menu setting when the driver of the car has fine control of how strong the regen is, limited control of using the brake pads (press hard on the brake pedals the brake pads will always engage) and the way one pedal driving works too should be user configurable.

All this is mostly just computer settings, give users access to them, just don't let them 100% turn off safety features. I don't want a car where the user can turn the brake-pad off completely for example.

Earl Colby Pottinger (Tesla and Bollinger fan)

earl pottinger

It works because it is easy to clean and resists staining. People with families love it.

Earl Colby Pottinger (Tesla and Bollinger fan)

daveo4porsche

congrats - I hope you end up liking yours as much my wife and I like ours - lots and lots of complaints about Teslas, but then people buy one and for hte most part (not always) they tend to then see the advantages - 6 months from now you'll wonder why you waited so long.

congrats - they are really great cars.

acoste

I certainly want to hear the 6 months experience. Model X has the worst reliability of all and the service department is now clogged up by Model 3s.

Apart from this, thank you manitou202 for the write up.

daveo4porsche

15,000 miles - 18 months - zero issues - way fewer issues than any of my Porsches.

rm21

I have to say that I couldn't agree more with Dave's quote. I've been driving nothing but Porsche's for the last 5 years and then about a year ago I tried a car subscription service for my daily. I drove all the german brands and found most of them pretty boring. I decided to test drive a Model 3 and really liked the fundamental rethinking of what a car can be, particularly for my circumstances - mostly city driving in Atlanta over not so great roads. With the tax breaks being reduced on Jan 1, that was all the motivation I needed to pull the trigger. I placed an order in October and had the car in less than 3 weeks. I got the two wheel drive extended range model, which is no longer offered. I can't think of a better daily for my situation, especially since our condo has free charging. I end up charging about every two weeks. The quality and service aren't Porsche level, but neither is the price. The most surprising thing is the fun factor. After having had two GT3s, I thought I could never get excited about an electric car, but is is amazing how much fun I'm having with the instant torque and all the technology. I love minimalism, so the interior and use of a phone as a key are huge positives for me. When I look back on all the german sedans I drove over the course of the past year, I feel like I've been transported to the future and can't imagine going back to an ICE for my daily. I'm hoping I'll always have a flat-six in the garage for the weekend, but I think Tesla hit a home run with the Model 3, at least for my circumstances. Can't wait to see what the Taycan is like.

unclewill

whiz944

Yikes! Once in a while I remove built-up blue jeans dye from the brandy (tan) seats in my Volt. Meguiars Gold Class leather wipes take it right out. Not sure how they'd work with the fake leather in the Model 3. (But my TM3 seats are black - so who cares.)

Is that what the upcoming "toilet humor" Easter egg is? Elon also tweeted that there will be a "romance mode". "Santa mode" is always fun when showing folks the car for the first time. Though with the v9 update, they got rid of the reindeer. One of my sons is also a big fan of the "More cowbell/Rainbow Road" mode. He says the Rainbow Road is a Mario-Kart thing. (Can you imagine the suits/stiffs at GM/Ford/VW/MB/etc allowing fun stuff like this in their cars UI? )

manitou202

We played the Christmas song with the lights and doors three times this weekend. It's quite the hit with the kids.

Honestly it's fun stuff like this that my kids will remember about Tesla when they get older. My Porsche's are turning into the "old" boring car that dad likes.