Unexpected learnings or surprises about Model 3?

[$ Trillion Musk]

To those who have the pleasure of owning a Model 3, have you encountered any unexpected surprises or have you learned anything new about the car since you took delivery? Hoping to consolidate some aspects of the Model 3 that haven’t yet been discussed or are infrequently discussed in the forums.

 

[MarkB]

To those who have the pleasure of owning a Model 3, have you encountered any unexpected surprises or have you learned anything new about the car since you took delivery?

Very small thing, but.... in my previous vehicles (that used fobs), I needed to unlock the front doors. With my Model 3, I can unlock the back door without having to first unlock one of the front doors. Currently have a Chargepoint J1772 charger at home, and it's an easier reach to unlock the vehicle via back door so I can remove the J1772 adapter.

 

[SoFlaModel3]

To those who have the pleasure of owning a Model 3, have you encountered any unexpected surprises or have you learned anything new about the car since you took delivery? Hoping to consolidate some aspects of the Model 3 that haven’t yet been discussed or are infrequently discussed in the forums.

I have learned that homelink, while being software based is still limited to 3 doors like traditional cars with physical buttons.

 

[The McGee]

1. Did not know that the front dashboard speakers were actually a sound bar that spanned the entire width of the dashboard
2. Underestimated the usefulness of TACC (Traffic Aware Curise Control) on any road with stop and go traffic.
3. Usefulness of HOLD Feature for inclines, etc.
4. Ability to utilize one pedal driving through the use of Regenerative Braking. Did not know how little I would actually have to press the brake pedal.
5. The WOW factor each time I get in my Model 3. It looks so futuristic compared to any other vehicle that I've seen lately.
The actual ease associated with charging. I have a 240V 60amp plug installed in my garage located about 3 foot from the charging port.

 

[jlquinn]

I was surprised to learn there is no resume in the standard cruise control.
I was surprised to discover that while the white interior seats are very stain resistant, the same is NOT true of the ceiling fabric.
I was slightly and pleasantly surprised to discover the inflatable bolsters for front seats.

 

[Gavyne]

-Traction control is really good, "like really good" -Elon. With my previous ICE cars, I knew certain spots where my tires would spin out and my car would slip a bit. At times it was embarrassing to turn a corner and have my tries spin out as I stomp on the gas pedal. With the Model 3, I can feel when traction control kicks in. The car just keeps on going with little to no tire slips. The result is a safer car, and a much more fun driving experience because when you stomp on the accelerator pedal you just go. I have respect for German engineering, but can we get a hooah for 'murica engineering.

-Was surprised to see all 5 stars all category & sub-category crash rating from NHTSA. When I bought the car, Model 3 wasn't rated, so there was always a question mark on just how safe it is. FUDsters were spreading the rumor that the all glass roof was unsafe. I'm very happy to learn that the Model 3 is the safest car on the road.

-Was pleasantly surprised by how good the trunk's space usage is. I wasn't expecting that large space under the cargo cover, I love it. Also that deep compartment to the left of the trunk, genius design. That space is perfect for your interior/exterior car cleaning wash kits because you don't want to lay your spray bottles containing liquid sideways or they could leak. That's where I have my waterless wash bottle and microfiber towels, neatly stacked to the side, no leaks to worry about, and don't take up any usable space in the trunk or car. You never want to leave bird droppings to dry because they will etch your paint. Having cleaning kits with you at all time allows you to spot clean as needed.

-Phone key, the best thing since sliced bread. Yes I know some people don't like it, and I know it doesn't work well with android phones. But my gosh, being able to just walk up to your car, open either the door or trunk without pressing any buttons at all is just FREAKING FANTASTIC. And leaving the car, no fiddling around with keys, I just open & close the door, and walk away. Or getting my groceries out of the trunk, close it, and walk away with my hands full. I used to carry keys, the keyfob was of course the bulkiest one. Getting rid of that allowed me to now just be down to 1 house key. I now keep the house key in my wallet, so there goes any sort of key chain at all. I can't describe how much happier I am reducing bulk in my pocket and not having to fiddle with keys anymore.

-Unexpected peace of mind. I used to worry about my car, because where I lived, people have set off my car alarm multiple times before. Also I found car alarms to be generally inadequate. For one, they all sound the same. And nobody really cares if a car's alarm is set off. Plus if you're away from the car, such as at a dinner, you can't hear the alarm go off anyway. With the Model 3, you get an alert on your phone when the alarm is set off. You get to track your car's positions. And it just so happens to be one of the hardest cars to steal. I was a bit overprotective of my Model 3 initially. But this peace of mind quickly got me to feel a lot more comfortable.

 

[PNWmisty]

Phone key, the best thing since sliced bread. Yes I know some people don't like it, and I know it doesn't work well with android phones. But my gosh, being able to just walk up to your car, open either the door or trunk without pressing any buttons at all is just FREAKING FANTASTIC.

I share your enthusiasm for the phone key. And it's not whether the phone is Apple or Android that determines whether it works every time, it's the Bluetooth implementation of the phone (and potentially the power-saving configurations chosen by the user), regardless of Apple/Android. Older Apple phones are notoriously bad as a phone key as are older Android phones. Both my wife's Samsung S9 and my S8+ work perfectly, 100% of the time. We've had the Model 3 for 4 1/2 months and use it every day with multiple trips. Both our phones adhere to Bluetooth 5 specifications.

 

[PNWmisty]

I was impressed with how much daily driving one could do with 310 miles of range. That's 5 solid hours of cruising along at a mile/minute.

On delivery day I was surprised to learn Tesla throws in free digital radio over cellular. No subscription required.

I was blown away by how useful and nice the instant torque would be. ICE cars need to downshift and the motor needs to spool up. I didn't realize what a game-changer it would be to have instant throttle control.

I didn't realize how much more relaxing freeway driving would be with Autopilot engaged. It took a few weeks to master but it's so much more relaxing to travel on the Interstate now.

 

[kort677]

I was surprised to learn there is no resume in the standard cruise control.
I was surprised to discover that while the white interior seats are very stain resistant, the same is NOT true of the ceiling fabric.
I was slightly and pleasantly surprised to discover the inflatable bolsters for front seats.

inflatable bolsters? do you mean the lumber support or something else?

 

[systemBuilder]

The other day at 5pm I was looking at my phone app and it said the car was 98 degrees inside,so I changed it to 75 degrees (the car was 600 feet away, 4 buildings away), and watched in awe as the temperature descended. I actually worked super late that night, and rather than the cabin being 60 degrees it was 75 when I arrived. "Make it so, Captain!"

 

[kort677]

The other day at 5pm I was looking at my phone app and it said the car was 98 degrees inside,so I changed it to 75 degrees (the car was 600 feet away, 4 buildings away), and watched in awe as the temperature descended. I actually worked super late that night, and rather than the cabin being 60 degrees it was 75 when I arrived. "Make it so, Captain!"

fwiw: the distance from the car isn't relevant, your app is communicating with the car via cell phone

 

[FRC]

I have been very pleasantly surprised by the power of the regen brake. I have driven hybrids for 15 years previously and so am very familiar with the usefulness of regen in extending battery range. I was surprised at how much braking the P3D does on regen. It's great! Maximize range, any brake life to boot. I never needed a brake job on my Camry hybrid until year 11, this car may never need one. My only wish is a software change to adjust regen by degrees(like a 0-100 slide adjustment) because my wife hates driving regen, and might take to it if she could acclimate by degrees(Elon???).

 

[Love]

- I find that it's helpful to do a reset (hold both scroll wheels and depress the brake until the Tesla logo appears, then release) whenever your car does an update... think of it like new software on a computer that then needs to restart.

- Use the above method as a first means of fixing any odd/quirky software glitches or bugs you encounter.

- Make use of the right scroll wheel "bug report" feature whenever you can to help Tesla make their (and YOUR!) car even better!

- I'll be putting a piece of foam or rubber on the latching area of the center console. There's a vibration rattle at speeds and on rough roads. Nothing major at all but I hate rattle/vibration noises.

- Your doors will be difficult to close at first, be it for a break in period of the seals or due to them being different than other vehicles.

- When you make a list of things like this to try and be helpful, you can end up staring at your screen for awhile ...blankly... and forgetting you've owned the car for 8 months.

 

[MelindaV]

I was surprised at how hard the head rest is (when you inadvertently accelerate too fast and bang your head into it)

 

[$ Trillion Musk]

Just a note from Larry Benjamin’s latest video:

To set the car to neutral, hold the right stalk behind the steering wheel up for 2 seconds.

Please correct me if there’s anything missing from the above.

 

[iChris93]

Just a note from Larry Benjamin’s latest video:

To set the car to neutral, hold the right stalk behind the steering wheel up for 2 seconds.

Please correct me if there’s anything missing from the above.

This does happen. I’ve accidentally put the car into neutral when trying to turn off EAP. This was very scary as it turns off regen and I turned it off as I was coming to a light.

 

[Love]

This does happen. I’ve accidentally put the car into neutral when trying to turn off EAP. This was very scary as it turns off regen and I turned it off as I was coming to a light.

Just to add to this: I'm pretty sure that if you do accidentally shift out of drive you can push down on the stalk (putting the car back into drive) while the car is still moving. No harm, no foul. At least, that has been my experience

 

[Kizzy]

I was surprised at how annoying it is to use the keycard as the sole key.

I was surprised at how effortlessly easy it is to use my phone as a key (100% success out of the handful of times I've been able to use it now).

I'm also surprised at how quickly I've acclimated. Going back to an ICE car was surprising (that engine roar).

I've learned that hill hold is absolutely your friend if creep mode isn't enabled. I've also found using both feet to be safer than one when changing drive modes in precarious hill positions.

Also learned that AWD with all-season tires does not always work for making turns into steep, wet driveways.

 

[PNWmisty]

Also learned that AWD with all-season tires does not always work for making turns into steep, wet driveways.

???
That would have to be one heck of a steep, wet driveway for all-season radials to not work on with AWD! I think you are referring to the diagonal wheel problem (when the contour of the driving surface is such that two diagonally opposite wheels are both in the air). This is a potential issue for any AWD that doesn't have a limited slip differential. The secret is to "roll through" the problem spot and avoid trying to creep through it. So it's mostly a problem when going too slow. However, I thought the traction control in the Model 3 would apply the brakes of the elevated tires to transfer power to the weight bearing tires. Is this not the case?

 

[Kizzy]

???
That would have to be one heck of a steep, wet driveway for all-season radials to not work on with AWD! I think you are referring to the diagonal wheel problem (when the contour of the driving surface is such that two diagonally opposite wheels are both in the air). This is a potential issue for any AWD that doesn't have a limited slip differential. The secret is to "roll through" the problem spot and avoid trying to creep through it. So it's mostly a problem when going too slow. However, I thought the traction control in the Model 3 would apply the brakes of the elevated tires to transfer power to the weight bearing tires. Is this not the case?

I did to make a second attempt at a slightly different angle (and did so at higher speed).

I think the traction control limited the power to the wheels (I was afraid I'd bottomed out/gotten stuck or broke something).