My first impressions of the Tesla 3

Introduction

I finally picked up my Tesla 3 on Friday.  I was scheduled to pick it up on Tuesday, but on Monday, the service center called me to tell me of a “logistical issue” aka my car wasn’t there yet.  FACEPALM.  It was then scheduled for Thursday.  Then on Thursday morning, I got a call saying, “Eh the car is arriving on Thursday, so there’s not enough time for you to also pick it up.  How’s Friday?”  Luckily I FINALLY picked it up on Friday after a 20 minute “walk-through” of the car.  It had been a long 2+ year wait.

 

Removing the ugly hubcaps

I had ordered the Tesla 3 replacement wheel kit many months ago because I knew I didn’t want those ugly hubcaps.  It was very easy to remove the hubcaps after watching a Youtube video.  Took me all of 5 minutes to swap it out and then dust off the inner rims.  Here’s a pic after removal:

 

Window Tint

As I was driving home, I immediately thought, “man this sun is really beating down on me” and it wasn’t even that sunny of a day here in Seattle.  I had already planned to get the windows tinted, but now it was A MUST due to the amount of light that gets through the all glass roof.  I phoned the place that tinted my SUV a few years ago and luckily someone cancelled their appointment the next day.  I took that slot.

I had read that getting a ceramic tint is what you want because it helps the most with the heat protection.  The place I wanted charged me $399 for the sides and the rear window for the 3M ceramic tint.  There was another step up for $499, but even the salesguy told me I probably didn’t need it.  I also chose to tint the roof even though it was already tinted for an extra $80.  I was unsure what tint % to get, but after looking at pictures online, I went with the 20% tint all around (even roof top.)  I wanted to get 70% tint on the front windshield, but they didn’t have time to do it that day.  I’ll think about it later.  I also don’t think I needed to get the roof done either and probably could have waited to see how hot the car gets parked out in the sun.

First impressions

First off, I LOVE the car.  I definitely love it more than the Audi S5.  The car’s interior feels very Audi-esque meaning it’s more on the comfort side vs all the gadgets in a BMW.  It ‘envelopes’ you but also leaves a lot of room in front of you due to the lack of the instrument panel.  So comfort wise, I think it’s great.  I’ve driven the car about 100 miles and here’s are all the things I like so far:

1. The LCD panel.  Just a huge screen. I love it because it has navigation on it.  Most cars have crappy navigation; due to the Tesla’s big screen and very Google Maps like interface, I can see traffic wherever I go.  You know how when you run errands on weekend, you never use your navigation system or phone because you already know the routes… the problem with that is you usually don’t know how bad traffic is.  So having a map with traffic on all the time is AWESOME!
2. The sound system is very impressive.
3. I was worried about highway road noise, but either they fixed the problems or I turn on the music loud enough that it hasn’t bothered me.
4. Automatic lights and wipers (although I haven’t used it yet)
5. The seats move back when you exit the car and adjust to the last person’s profile.
6. Autopilot is A DREAM.  I thought we would take the Infiniti on road trips, but with Autopilot, we for sure are going to take the Tesla.  Even on short highways, I turn it on.  You never realize how comfortable it is to just sit back and relax versus having your hand on the wheel at all times.
7. No more key/keyfob – your phone locks/unlocks the car and turns the car on (even though I don’t have this working yet)
8. In theory, you can turn the A/C on remotely to cool the car before you get in it (although I haven’t tested)
9. The car is FAST.  I now look forward to the red lights on the highway onramps so I can punch it to get on the highway [and also not watch my fuel gauge decrease in front of my eyes like in the Audi.)   Also, the acceleration from 50mph to 70mph is FAST!
10. I haven’t used SUMMON or AUTOPARK yet, but I’m  sure those will be great features once I try them out.
11. Lots of room in the console compartment.  Place for 2 drinks in console and water bottles in each side door.
12. I rigged my center console to have wireless charging!  It’s not super fast, but I’m okay with it due to the convenience of no cords.
13. I’m sure there are more, but I’ve only gone on 3 long drives with it so far.

 

Cons so far

I’m nitpicking, but a few things:

1. I wish the clock was shown in the upper left of the instrument panel.  It’s hard to read in the far right, especially when it’s overlaid over the satellite map
2. The turn signal requires a hard push.  In my Audi and the Infiniti as well as most cars, you lightly tap for the 3 second change lane blinker and you do a full push for a turn signal.  The Tesla does the same, but the full turn signal requires more effort than it should.
3. Wish they had automatic trunk closure
4. I really don’t like the look of the car  in the front.  The car should have a sportier look in my opinion.

That’s sorta it.

 

Conclusion

The car was DEFINITELY worth the wait.  I’m no Tesla fan boy or Elon fan boy and you guys know I’m critical about these things, but the car is worth the hype.  I’m sure you’ve read a lot of reviews online, but you really don’t know how great the car is until you drive it for yourself.  As I get older, I want comfort and technology in my cars.