# Model 3 Owners: What's Your One Favorite Thing?



## Callahan (Sep 23, 2017)

Hey all!

After spending a few minutes in You You Xue's Model 3, there were so many amazing things about the car I enjoyed, but the *one thing* that specifically stood out to me was the handling. It felt incredibly tight and _immediate_. As cheesy as it sounds, I felt one with the car in a way I'd never experienced. It actually weirded me out - not in a bad way, it was just... a feeling I'd never had before. And it has stuck with me ever since. 

But the wonderful thing about the Model 3 is that everyone I've spoken with who's driven one seems to have their own, unique One Favorite Thing, so to speak.

I host a podcast on technology, and as The Ramp begins in earnest this year and more Model 3 reservation holders have their orders fulfilled, I thought it would be fun to hear from new owners (or non-owners who have driven the 3) about their *One Favorite Thing*. I'd provide a toll-free number to call in and record your messages, and then I'd feature them all on an upcoming episode

Is this something the Model 3 Owners Club community would be interested in? Are there Model 3 owners (or drivers!) out there who would like to participate?

Thanks!

(Posted on TMC as well but I want to cast as wide a net as possible.)


----------



## ng0 (Apr 11, 2017)

Callahan said:


> Hey all!
> 
> After spending a few minutes in You You Xue's Model 3, there were so many amazing things about the car I enjoyed, but the *one thing* that specifically stood out to me was the handling. It felt incredibly tight and _immediate_. As cheesy as it sounds, I felt one with the car in a way I'd never experienced. It actually weirded me out - not in a bad way, it was just... a feeling I'd never had before. And it has stuck with me ever since.
> 
> ...


I'm not an owner, but I've been fortunate enough to drive one for a bit (you can see my whole review in another thread). I probably won't call into the podcast, but I figured I'd chime in anyway. I think my one favorite thing about driving the car is the obvious one, which is just RIDICULOUS acceleration. Sure 0-60 in 5.1 seconds (some are reporting a real life # of 4.9) isn't the fastest car on the road, but holy crap it's fast! With very little effort the car just takes off! That combined with the quietness of it just feels surreal. Also not having anything on the dash makes it feel so open.

Ok, so that's 3 things, but yea I'd go with acceleration as #1. It's a beautiful car! As others have said, seeing it in pictures just doesn't do it justice. It's better in person, even better when you can sit in it... and driving it is even more amazing.


----------



## Callahan (Sep 23, 2017)

ng0 said:


> I'm not an owner, but I've been fortunate enough to drive one for a bit (you can see my whole review in another thread). I probably won't call into the podcast, but I figured I'd chime in anyway. I think my one favorite thing about driving the car is the obvious one, which is just RIDICULOUS acceleration. Sure 0-60 in 5.1 seconds (some are reporting a real life # of 4.9) isn't the fastest car on the road, but holy crap it's fast! With very little effort the car just takes off! That combined with the quietness of it just feels surreal. Also not having anything on the dash makes it feel so open.
> 
> Ok, so that's 3 things, but yea I'd go with acceleration as #1. It's a beautiful car! As others have said, seeing it in pictures just doesn't do it justice. It's better in person, even better when you can sit in it... and driving it is even more amazing.


Agreed on all counts! Coming from my 2008 Scion TC, the quietness of the Model 3 was wonderful. And the lack of engine vibration! And I love the minimalist dash.


----------



## ng0 (Apr 11, 2017)

Callahan said:


> Agreed on all counts! Coming from my 2008 Scion TC, the quietness of the Model 3 was wonderful. And the lack of engine vibration! And I love the minimalist dash.


Yup! My wife has a BMW X3 and it's a nice car, but there's just nothing like a Tesla. It really is hard to pinpoint all the great things about it. And on top of everything else, no more going to a gas station or needing oil changes! Oh and something I like to point out all the time is true keyless entry. No more keyfob!


----------



## Callahan (Sep 23, 2017)

ng0 said:


> Yup! My wife has a BMW X3 and it's a nice car, but there's just nothing like a Tesla. It really is hard to pinpoint all the great things about it. And on top of everything else, no more going to a gas station or needing oil changes! Oh and something I like to point out all the time is true keyless entry. No more keyfob!


I'm not sure exactly why, but I find the idea of a key I can keep in my wallet credit card slot SO cool!!


----------



## Poobah (Oct 10, 2017)

Callahan said:


> I'm not sure exactly why, but I find the idea of a key I can keep in my wallet credit card slot SO cool!!


Even better is that you never even have to take the card out unless you lose your phone!


----------



## ng0 (Apr 11, 2017)

Poobah said:


> Even better is that you never even have to take the card out unless you lose your phone!


Exactly what I was thinking. This is totally what I've been waiting for, for a very long time. I actually had tweeted Musk a long time ago (before they announced the feature) to ask if they would do bluetooth entry for the Model 3. He never responded, but I'd like to think that my idea was used. ;-) I use my phone to open the front door on my house too, so this officially means that I don't have to carry around keys anymore! So excited about that.


----------



## Callahan (Sep 23, 2017)

Me too! I absolutely hate carrying keys.


----------



## Maevra (Oct 24, 2017)

I had to think about my fave feature because there are so many, but if I HAD to pick just one: the wide-open view thanks to the minimal dash! :hearteyes:

As a petite person used to having half their view taken up by big dashboards, the increased viewing space is the first thing I notice and the first thing I miss when getting behind the wheel of another car.


----------



## Callahan (Sep 23, 2017)

Maevra said:


> I had to think about my fave feature because there are so many, but if I HAD to pick just one: the wide-open view thanks to the minimal dash! :hearteyes:
> 
> As a petite person used to having half their view taken up by big dashboards, the increased viewing space is the first thing I notice and the first thing I miss when getting behind the wheel of another car.


Maevra, yes! That was one of the first things I noticed when I sat in You You's Model 3. Even as someone six feet tall, I LOVE the lack of a binnacle in front of me. Makes the view out front feel so expansive.


----------



## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

My cheesy answer is that my one favorite thing is *everything*!

I love:

The design inside and out 
The acceleration and instant torque 
The glass everywhere (even if I'm still worried about how to tint it best)
The screen!
The range
The fact that I "gas up" at home 
There is a frunk 
The silence
The sound system is great
The seats are very comfortable
The fun factor of driving 
The permanent grin
The price point (although I guess I wish I was spending $10k less)
The autopilot effect on my daily stress levels
Ok so that was a lot more than one... but you get the point. I truly love everything about this car!


----------



## Poobah (Oct 10, 2017)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> My cheesy answer is that my one favorite thing is *everything*!
> 
> I love:
> 
> ...


Great point, the overall "package" of this car is what makes it so appealing! It's really HARD to pick just one! I'll add a few:

OTA updates
Being able to precondition the cabin from the comfort of my home or office via the app
Minimal impact on the environment while not sacrificing performance (Prius owner here)


----------



## ng0 (Apr 11, 2017)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> My cheesy answer is that my one favorite thing is *everything*!
> 
> I love:
> 
> ...


LoL. 1000% agreed. I really really tried to name just one thing and still ended up naming 3. I'm definitely a little disappointed that my $35k car is now almost a $60k car but I love it so much that I can justify the high cost.


----------



## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

ng0 said:


> LoL. 1000% agreed. I really really tried to name just one thing and still ended up naming 3. I'm definitely a little disappointed that my $35k car is now almost a $60k car but I love it so much that I can justify the high cost.


Yup! I couldn't be happier that after nearly 2 years of imaging the car that it's not a let down and in fact it's even better than imagined!!


----------



## ng0 (Apr 11, 2017)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> Yup! I couldn't be happier that after nearly 2 years of imaging the car that it's not a let down and in fact it's even better than imagined!!


I'd say with some additional app support (SiriusXM, Waze, iheartradio, spotify, etc) and some updates to the steering wheel controls, the car would be nearly perfect for me. Sure you could always have more range or faster charging or FSD or a lot of other unreasonable expectations, but if you're realistic this car is amazing!


----------



## Callahan (Sep 23, 2017)

I wish wish wish that Tesla would add the third party app support they long ago promised. Give me Spotify! Give me Overcast!

Also - I'm absolutely loving all these answers!! It's proving my original point: Show me a Tesla Model 3 owner, and I'll show you a different awesome feature of the car. 

...but... um... can I get any of you to go on the record on the podcast?


----------



## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

Callahan said:


> I wish wish wish that Tesla would add the third party app support they long ago promised. Give me Spotify! Give me Overcast!
> 
> Also - I'm absolutely loving all these answers!! It's proving my original point: Show me a Tesla Model 3 owner, and I'll show you a different awesome feature of the car.
> 
> ...but... um... can I get any of you to go on the record on the podcast?


The good news on app support is that with Bluetooth audio and voice commands it's very easy to use your smart phone to do whatever you want.


----------



## Callahan (Sep 23, 2017)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> The good news on app support is that with Bluetooth audio and voice commands it's very easy to use your smart phone to do whatever you want.


So, the voice commands can interact with my iPhone? That's news to me. I can say, "Play XYZ song on Spotify" and it will do it? Surprising, if true!


----------



## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

Callahan said:


> So, the voice commands can interact with my iPhone? That's news to me. I can say, "Play XYZ song on Spotify" and it will do it? Surprising, if true!


Whoops sorry didn't mean to mislead you.

I meant voice commands for your phone... "Hey Siri..." or "OK Google...".

As a for instance I do this in my car today. I've used Apple Music via Bluetooth Audio for years as my only source of music. Generally I make playlists and play on random but for anything for complex... "Hey Siri... play Californiacation by Red Hot Chili Peppers" and boom it's on!


----------



## Callahan (Sep 23, 2017)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> Whoops sorry didn't mean to mislead you.
> 
> I meant voice commands for your phone... "Hey Siri..." or "OK Google...".
> 
> As a for instance I do this in my car today. I've used Apple Music via Bluetooth Audio for years as my only source of music. Generally I make playlists and play on random but for anything for complex... "Hey Siri... play Californiacation by Red Hot Chili Peppers" and boom it's on!


Ah, I see. Unfortunately, I'm too deep in the Spotify strew to switch to Apple Music (though I hear it's much improved since its launch). Well, I don't plan on buying anything BUT the Model 3, so I'll make do.


----------



## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

Callahan said:


> Ah, I see. Unfortunately, I'm too deep in the Spotify strew to switch to Apple Music (though I hear it's much improved since its launch). Well, I don't plan on buying anything BUT the Model 3, so I'll make do.


It may not be perfect yet, but check this out...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/iO...i-to-control-Spotify-on-my/td-p/930847/page/2


----------



## ng0 (Apr 11, 2017)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> Whoops sorry didn't mean to mislead you.
> 
> I meant voice commands for your phone... "Hey Siri..." or "OK Google...".
> 
> As a for instance I do this in my car today. I've used Apple Music via Bluetooth Audio for years as my only source of music. Generally I make playlists and play on random but for anything for complex... "Hey Siri... play Californiacation by Red Hot Chili Peppers" and boom it's on!


You make a good point, but it's unfortunate not to be able to control everything from the car (and steering wheel controls). It's going to be distracting to look down at your phone screen. I guess I'll have to try to learn to do voice commands on my phone better.


----------



## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

ng0 said:


> You make a good point, but it's unfortunate not to be able to control everything from the car (and steering wheel controls). It's going to be distracting to look down at your phone screen. I guess I'll have to try to learn to do voice commands on my phone better.


Yeah I suppose it's second nature at this point. I get in the car, select a playlist on shuffle, control next/back through my steering wheel and only use voice commands if I want to change drastically.


----------



## ng0 (Apr 11, 2017)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> Yeah I suppose it's second nature at this point. I get in the car, select a playlist on shuffle, control next/back through my steering wheel and only use voice commands if I want to change drastically.


makes sense. I actually played a little with google voice assistant after you mentioned it. I rarely use it except an occasional search. I did figure out how to set my default nav software to waze, so I can ask to navigate somewhere and it will use waze instead of google maps. Also, I was able to listen to different audio apps fairly easily. Still not ideal, but it's not as bad as I was thinking. One awesome thing is that a listen to some AM talk radio stations that are only available on iheartradio (not tunein) and just saying "play blah blah radio station" automatically opened iheartradio and played that station.

One thing that was a problem was that when I played some music/audio the phone seemed to have a lot of problem hearing me say "ok google". I could see that being a huge problem especially if the phone is down below the screen.


----------

