Ty
Elio Addict
You won't often find an honest review by someone who reserved one... it would basically be the owner admitting to making a mistake.
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Electra Meccanica (three Wheel Electric) Email-11/2/15
- Thread starter RUCRAYZE
- Start date
RSchneider
Elio Addict
That's like telling a Jets fan that they will not even make it to the Super Bowl next year or Ford fans, that Chevys are better. Fans are the worst when it comes to reviews. You need an outside source looking at it.
Here's what I know about the Solo:
1. Brakes are hard
2. Steering is heavy
3. Turn signal is sticky
4. Too small for tall people
Here's what I know about the Elio:
1. Short drives result in the fender falling off.
There you go, this is all people will remember no matter what the fans say. Every Solo test drive, people will be hyper sensitive about the 4 items listed no matter what you or 10K owners say. As for Elio, they are plagued with that fender problem (trust me it will come back in every article when the Elio is up and running).
This is just like when I was working on an massive package sorting system. We had it up and running in our building and still working out the issues. One was on a curve of the conveyor, boxes of a certain size would fall off onto the floor. While we were working on that and about 5 other items, the owner of the company that was buying the machine showed up unannounced and wanted to see it. He literally watched three boxes fall off of it. From there until it was running I heard 15 times that we need to make sure that was fixed (nothing about the other 5 issues). Even after a year of it running flawlessly, the owner brought up that we were lucky to get that box problem fixed. He just couldn't let it go.
People will take the few flaws, plant that into their brain and never let go. It's up to Solo to fix it and let it get out there with non owners or fans, that the car does not have those problems (even if they don't exist or are easily fixable).
Only a mistake after they actually buy one. I take reviews with a grain and require experience to form a well thought out decision to buy or not. Say you have a refundable or non-refundable deposit on a vehicle you’ve never test driven and finally get the opportunity for a test drive and it fails to meet your expectations .......do you buy it, get your deposit refunded, or take the loss on your reservation deposit? I’d like to think that reservationist would decide on a refund, take the loss, and provide an honest review to friends and family.
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RSchneider
Elio Addict
That sounds like patriots fan talking to a Jets fan when it comes to buying season tickets. Do you buy Jets season tickets even though you never seen next years team play? If you buy the tickets and they have a season that is not up to your expectations, do you give them a bad review or just buy another year of tickets?
The problem is that the reservationists were sold on it not by driving it but by the idea of it. Elio is the best example as nobody has ever driven one and many have never even seen one in person yet they managed 65K of them. Solo, Sondors and Arcimoto are no different but just did it with less. What I think you will find is people will take them and if they don't like it, put it up for sale. If they leave a review, it will be here and very negative all while the positive ones will come flowing in. In the end, it comes down to when you get past the excitement of the reservationists and into the real world. That's the true test and where people will walk into an Elio, Sondors, Solo or Acrimoto dealer and test drive one then decide. before that they will do what everyone that is young does, look at the reviews. Websites like Motor Trend will get those hits as the Elio/Solo/Sondors/Arcimoto Owners will not.
Just like with the Arcimoto. I know that there will be buyers of the Evergreen ones that will be here in a few months posting pics over and over again showing all of the FUV they are having. Will that FUV equate into what the real retail buyer will think? This will happen with all of the other three wheelers coming out soon. It's no different than in the past with the iPhone owners that waited in line for 2 days to get the latest one. They had thousands of positive reviews. It was until the general public got them that the honest ones came out.
TexasTesla
Elio Addict
My biggest take away from the review is the poor handling characteristic's of the Solo.
Possibly a basic chassis design flaw that every Solo might have.
Here's the driver impressions from the review...
"Initially, I don't necessarily feel any more vulnerable than I would in a Mazda Miata. Kroll claims the Solo is safe, but knowing that the Solo is categorized as a motorcycle by regulators—and therefore doesn't need to pass passenger-vehicle crash tests—is not encouraging. This proves especially true when an adjacent, inattentive BMW 3 Series swings too wide in a two-lane left turn and I am staring straight at the Bimmer's kidney grille, mere inches away from the Solo's thin composite shell. The low-slung Solo lacks the zip, maneuverability, and elevated 360-degree outward visibility of a proper motorcycle, and as such, I was a sitting duck. Had the BMW driver not suddenly course corrected, I would have been punted into the shoulder."
Possibly a basic chassis design flaw that every Solo might have.
Here's the driver impressions from the review...
"Initially, I don't necessarily feel any more vulnerable than I would in a Mazda Miata. Kroll claims the Solo is safe, but knowing that the Solo is categorized as a motorcycle by regulators—and therefore doesn't need to pass passenger-vehicle crash tests—is not encouraging. This proves especially true when an adjacent, inattentive BMW 3 Series swings too wide in a two-lane left turn and I am staring straight at the Bimmer's kidney grille, mere inches away from the Solo's thin composite shell. The low-slung Solo lacks the zip, maneuverability, and elevated 360-degree outward visibility of a proper motorcycle, and as such, I was a sitting duck. Had the BMW driver not suddenly course corrected, I would have been punted into the shoulder."
It’s one driver’s impressions/review. Read other professional and everyday driver reviews, compare, and then Drive it yourself to verify. The SOLO passed the Canadian required side crush testing requirements.
https://globenewswire.com/news-rele...ly-Completes-Canadian-Side-Crush-Testing.html
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Some people are still comparing the SOLO to a regular car which is kinda funny! SOLO is not as wide as a regular car and only has 3 wheels and is categorized as a motorcycle. And everything has it's elements of risk. The SOLO have no match in a frontal collision with a full size car, a full size car has no match with a full size track, etc. People get interested on the SOLO because it's unique and understand these risk driving a smaller 3 wheeled vehicle.
Eventually like you said, it'll be up to the individual liking it or not after test driving the China assembled production SOLO.
RSchneider
Elio Addict
I'll give you an example. My wife is into the Keto Diet. She knows that I love mashed potatoes. That means, we can't have them and thus the Keto way is Cauliflower Mash. Go and search that and you will find thousands of positive reviews along with the hundreds of great recipes. After two years of this with her and I making every recipe possible and the excellent reviews, they are not like mashed potatoes at all. Not even close. Cauliflower Rice is marginal but you better doctor it up. I found the spicy red curry rice is the best but in the end it's so hot that it doesn't matter. Again, the Keto fans all have rave reviews for it.
Making a three wheeler look like a four then expecting it to be the same is no different. You can preach to them and give thousands of positive reviews but in the end, if there was a 4 wheeler that met the requirement, they'd go for it. Just like Cauliflower mash and rice. If rice and potatoes were super low in carbs, nobody would choose the Cauliflower as the substitute. Preach all you want about three wheelers but there better be a significant advantage for people to switch to outweigh the shortcomings. This is why Elio has it right, it's dirt cheap and gives 84 mpg. As long as they can live up to the specs, people will live with the downfalls of owning a three wheeler over a four.
Making a three wheeler look like a four then expecting it to be the same is no different. You can preach to them and give thousands of positive reviews but in the end, if there was a 4 wheeler that met the requirement, they'd go for it. Just like Cauliflower mash and rice. If rice and potatoes were super low in carbs, nobody would choose the Cauliflower as the substitute. Preach all you want about three wheelers but there better be a significant advantage for people to switch to outweigh the shortcomings. This is why Elio has it right, it's dirt cheap and gives 84 mpg. As long as they can live up to the specs, people will live with the downfalls of owning a three wheeler over a four.
Drivers aren’t switching from cars to three wheelers. The three wheeler is intended to serve as a supplement to the family car. Most people will see advantages to owning both a four and three wheeler vehicle. Drive what you like, like what you drive. I plan on driving my three wheeler out for a burger, fresh cut fries, and a chocolate shake on the same day it delivers to celebrate the delivery. My wife knows I hate cauliflower.
RSchneider
Elio Addict
You are right but it's a play toy. Not a supplement for everyday transportation and it's geographically limited. It's just like a Miata. Yes there are people that use them for everyday transportation but most do not. They use it to take their wife out or go on weekend drives. Thus the reason why they don't sell many per year. As for Elio, it goes after the people that can use it to replace their everyday transportation. Then it's for the poor that need reliable transportation to get out of the poverty cycle, then the people that want to be green for the environment and lastly, the people that make it a garage queen. As we all know, you can't count on the last ones to make a living.
In the end, do I spend $20K on an Arcimoto or choose the multitude of various Miatas that are used and probably been a garage queen (if it hasn't been already turned int a Spec Miata) for half that price. At least if I have a Miata I can use it more often and not be weather limited.
In the end, do I spend $20K on an Arcimoto or choose the multitude of various Miatas that are used and probably been a garage queen (if it hasn't been already turned int a Spec Miata) for half that price. At least if I have a Miata I can use it more often and not be weather limited.