I have. Like most cars, there are good and bad points. I’ve driven my brother’s Model 3 a few times.
Good:
- Performance. Pressing the “go” pedal never fails to elicit a grin.
- Styling. I happen to like the looks of all the Tesla models.
- Electric. It’s the future - what we need to keep the planet inhabitable over the long term.
Bad:
- Ergonomics. I don’t fit in a Model 3 very well. It’s hard to get into and out of. One of these days I’ll have to give a Model Y a shot.
- Entertainment system. The entertainment controls are terrible. Well, they’re OK when you’re sitting in a parking lot. But there isn’t a single knob on them. Navigating that system while you are driving is downright dangerous. You are forced to look AT the screen rather than simply feel for a button or knob while keeping your eyes on the road. Yes, some controls are available as buttons on the steering wheel. But that’s a learning process I’m not going to bother with on a borrowed car.
- AC and heating. Again - controls. Where are they? On the screen - somewhere. Vents can’t be adjusted to blow the air where you like. I don’t like cold air blowing on my face, but that’s what I get.
- One pedal driving. I don’t like it. It’s more work. But my brother does, and I’m not going to turn it off. Mainly because I can’t figure out how.
- No display behind the steering wheel. Yes, other models have a screen there. But the Model 3 doesn’t. To check your speed, you have to look down and to the side at that center screen. That’s much harder and slower than looking straight down. The longer you have to look at places not outside the car, the more dangerous it is.
- Digital speed. A dial is much faster to interpret than a digital display of numbers. The difference between 44 and 45 is rarely important. The difference between 40 and 50 often is. A graphical display is perfectly capable of displaying a graph. So display a graph and not just numbers.
- Lack of service options. Yes, I know that Teslas don’t need much service. But it’s still a machine and every machine needs some service. Tesla seems to be going down the path of disposable cars. Something break? Your choices are to live with it, wait a long time to get it fixed properly, or throw it away and get a new one.
I’m not trying to convince you or anyone else that a Tesla is a bad car. Because it’s not. But they are also not for everyone. They have problems and trade offs just like every other car on the road.
–Peter