Originally Posted by Needsdecaf
I owned a Model 3 LR for a little over a year and a half, and a model 3 Performance for 2 and a half. During that time, I owned a 911 for a weekend driver. My basic synopsis:
Nothing gives you the performance for the money as a Tesla. Especially the Model 3 P. Nothing comes close.
Everyone way overblows the "spartan" interior thing. It's fine. You learn that the software is very good, and everything runs in auto.
The Model 3 suspension is pure garbage.
Brakes are not much better...
Tesla service was decent before they started selling the Model Y. Now it's a total CF.
Software updates giving you new features is amazing. Truly. But that slowed after December 2020.
Having a fast EV as a commuter car de-stresses you to no end and allows you to drive like a dirtbag without attracting much attention because no noise.
Most Tesla owners have never cared about a car before their Tesla. They are now car fans but know nothing and it shows. They think their car is the bomb because they believe Elon and don't know better to know when he's lying.
The original Tesla.com forum was more toxic than 4Chan. Tesla Motors Club is slightly less. TeslaOwnersOnline doesn't have much traffic but is WAY, WAY friendlier.
After 4 years, the auto wipers are still a hot steaming dumpster fire of a disaster.
Enhanced Auto Pilot was great, and now lags behind systems from GM, Ford, BMW, Mercedes, etc. I just spent 8 days in an X5 and it's WAY smoother than my Tesla was at braking, lane changes.
Tesla changes stuff ALL. THE. TIME. Anyone who says that the Model S is a 12 year old car doesn't understand Tesla. The only thing 12 years old about that car is the unibody. Everything else is new. Tesla doesn't do model years. They change stuff as soon as they figure out a better / different / cheaper way. This causes issues when trying to repair because sometimes they don't know what version is in your car.
The Model 3 has ok build quality, but parts quality is equivalent to early 2000's Acura. Very thin, no insulation, no weight or heft. It's a big reason why the cars are so light.
Tesla has figured out how to game the EPA tests and the highway range will never match the ratings. Having said that, they are still some of the most efficient EV's out there. And in the top 25% as far as charging speed goes.
It is very easy to road trip a Tesla with the Supercharger network.
You need to learn to do Math to drive an EV well. Understand the new lingo of kWh, charging speed, charging curves, Wh/mile consumption, etc.
The model 3 is like driving a 3 series BMW with a 3 gallon gas tank (including reserve) that gets 95 MPG all around, 70 MPG highway. Any rain, headwind, cold, etc., you're going to feel it and it's going to drastically effect your consumption and therefore range.
There is a huge cult of Tesla and if you're not into it, it can be a huge turnoff.
In the end, I had enough of dealing with Elon, incompetent service people, but moreover just dealing with a sub-par car with an amazing drivetrain. There are many things I miss and many more I don't.
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