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Old 07-30-2018, 09:44 PM   #351
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Originally Posted by wdc330i View Post
Is this your second or third Tesla?
2nd.

I’ve had the first one for over 5 years now. Longest I’ve ever kept a car
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Old 07-30-2018, 09:46 PM   #352
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Originally Posted by clyde View Post
Cool!



How did build quality appear?

Unrelated, I think I mentioned seeing a gray one pretty frequently near my house? Don't think I will see it again.

Last week, I saw it getting pulled onto a flatbed after a collision with something else (that was already gone when I got there).
His build quality is great. Looked perfect. His is also silver...

I was at Costco on Sat and saw another in silver. Driver was stopped waiting for a car to pull out when a car almost backed into her. She got on the horn the other car stopped only a couple inches shy of smushing her new 3...
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Old 07-31-2018, 12:02 AM   #353
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I placed an order for a Model 3 this evening. Dual Motor, Red, black interior, 19”wheels.

Delivery window is October to December... Full tax credit avail throUgh Dec deliveries, so I should still get it.

The Model S turned 91.5k miles this week, and I had planned to sell it before 100k all along. I held off on the order for a bit for non-car reasons, but decided to go ahead this weekend.

A guy who works for me took delivery of his Model 3 last week, and he gave me a ride on Friday. I’d still prefer a tan interior, but I can live with the black for a few years.
Cool! Interesting point about the tax credit expiring in December. I've now seen enough Model 3s on the road to the point that the design has grown on me. One sticking point (no pun), I have has to do with the so-called "vegan leather" on the seats. From what I can tell, it's similar to BMW's sensatec, MB TEx, VW's leatherette, etc. I find that type of plastic-based upholstery to get hot/sweaty on long trips even when it's not that hot. Is it, in fact, the same stuff that these other manufacturer's use? Curious if you've tried it out.
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Old 07-31-2018, 05:22 AM   #354
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Regarding the tax credit - Tesla confirmed a couple weeks ago that they delivered the 200,000th vehicle in the US in early July, which triggered the tax credit phase out. The full $7500 credit is avail through December, then it will be cut in half to $3500 for 6 months, and cut again to $1750 for another 6 months. After 2019 it will be gone.

For the seats, I’ve had loaners with the vegan material. Longest drive I did in one was about 90 min out to the airport and back to pick up my mom in a Model X loaner. I didn’t notice any issues. The material gets good reviews by owners and doesn’t show wear like leather. It’s apparently a newer material than the other makers use - we’ll see how it goes.
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Old 07-31-2018, 12:02 PM   #355
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I saw four model hamburgers on the road on my way home from work last night. Four. Up to this point, I'd only seen a few on transport trucks and the occasional one driving around.

I'm not going to say it's a good looking car, but it's not as heinous as it looks in pictures and I'm sort of getting used to the goofiness of it. The greenhouse is way out of proportion with the rest of the car, so it kind of looks like the Jetson's car. In dark colors, with a front license plate, I didn't really notice the lack of a front grille. Lighter colors don't work as well.

The panel gaps look much improved from the Model X's that I've seen around, which all look like they were assembled at the end of first shift on a Friday.
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Old 08-08-2018, 11:38 PM   #356
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Test drove a 3 Performance today. Dynamically, it’s as the various reviews have described it—smaller, much more nimble, very stiff feeling. Suspension is tighter and has better body control; it also crashes less over bumps. Extra tire sidewall is helpful, I guess.

It’s fast. Faster than my car, by the numbers, and it feels like it. It digs from the hole a lot better, of course, but feels faster even at highway speeds.

Having over 300 miles of Range is cool.

Negatives:

-not sure the steering feel is really any better

-smaller inside, though the trunk is bigger than you think

-I’m mostly fine with the controls in the screen, except for the mirrors and the glovebox. Lack of speedo in front is weird but I think you’d get used to it.

-no opening roof. Boo.

For me it comes down to cargo space. Could I take this car on a trip with all four of us? Will have to do a luggage test fit to find out.
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Old 08-09-2018, 02:40 PM   #357
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The reviews are highly enticing... I'll be thinking about one in a few years. Interesting about the steering feel, the reviews had been very positive and in general it was written up like the second coming of the 3-series (like the e46 conquering all its competition 20 years ago).
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Old 08-09-2018, 05:02 PM   #358
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Quote:
Originally Posted by equ View Post
The reviews are highly enticing... I'll be thinking about one in a few years. Interesting about the steering feel, the reviews had been very positive and in general it was written up like the second coming of the 3-series (like the e46 conquering all its competition 20 years ago).
In fairness, my test loop was basically all downtown DC, so maybe it's more apparent in a little more interesting environment.
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Old 08-09-2018, 08:36 PM   #359
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Did the one you drive have the 18s or 20s? I ordered the 19s on mine (I didn’t order the P, just the Dual Motor...)

I haven’t driven one yet. As a passenger, the rear wheel drive feels very similar to a Model S.

The passengers compartment feels about the same size, just a bit narrower. Back seat entry is better than the S (the rear top has more head clearance, and the door opens slightly further back).

I’m going to miss the hatch and gigantic frunk. The early RWD model S had an absolutely huge frunk that we used on road trips. The 3”s frunk is slightly larger than a carry on suitcase... The rear trunk is siurprisingly big — I think it’s deeper than the S trunk... I’m sure we can fit our normal luggage group in — but we are only a family of 3.
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Old 08-09-2018, 11:18 PM   #360
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The one I drove had the 20s. They felt good, but then again my baseline is the dumbass 21s that weigh 4000 lbs and are made of tissue paper. You know that joke about wheels, cheap, light, strong—pick 2? Tesla picked 0.

Yeah the frunk on the Model 3 is small. You’re right about the trunk, but I want to actually do a test fit.

Rear seat room is noticeablely smaller, with less head and knee room, but it still should be ok for kids. I’d really prefer something more hatchbacky though, like the current panamera wagon or the Audi A3 hatch/etron.
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