Mel
Elio Addict
I don't "spin" the tires every time I take off, if that's what you mean. But I carry my own weight in Dallas traffic.
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Model 3 Vs Elio
- Thread starter DwnSth
- Start date
RUCRAYZE
Elio Addict
Tesla Unveiled the Model 3 And I Got To Ride In One
Aki Sugawara
March 31, 2016
Affordability or luxury—traditionally you could choose only one when it came to electric cars. On the low end you had the spartan, $25,000 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, and on the other end there’s the Tesla Model S, the commuter chariot for the one percent, with little in between. Tesla has promised the seemingly impossible with the Model 3, an attainable premium electric car that won’t have you fretting about range, and the momentous response and long queues to reserve one echoes that of a new iPhone launch. Does it live to the hype?
I had a chance to ride in a preproduction sedan, and it blew away my expectations—with an asterisk.
As rumored the Model 3 will start at $35,000, but that’s before incentives. That means it’ll cost around $25,000 if you’re in California, costing only a couple grand more than the Volt and as much as a loaded Honda Civic. That’s ludicrous, insane. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is promising that buyers “won’t be disappointed” even with a base model, which will have a range of 215 miles and go from 0-60 in under six seconds. Musk adds that these are “minimum numbers” and “hopes to exceed them.”
Both Supercharging at Autopilot hardware come standard, and the five-seater touts more cargo capacity than any car with similar dimensions. It’s achieved with the firewall pushed forward while still providing space for a front and rear trunk. As a Tesla for the mass market, it will also appeal to families with a purported 5-star safety rating in every category.
We took a quick ride inside the higher end sport trim, with dual motors and an optional air suspension. Aside from the screen that looks like an high-definition PC monitor attached to the center console (there’s no dash cluster), it’s high-end luxury through and through. French-stitched leather adorn the door panels, with real metallic touches, and a stunning rear window arches over your head providing a panoramic view of your surroundings. While not providing the mind-bending acceleration of a P85D, the dual motor Model 3 feels like it has more kick from a stop than a BMW 340i, and my neck actually got sore from the snap of the low-end torque. The test driver did an impromptu mini-slalom on a closed off street, and there was minimal body roll with ample grip from the front 235/35/R20 and rear 275/30/R20 tires. Tesla gave no word of price for the pricier trims, but even at $50,000 it’d feel like a bargain.
Will the company pull off its audacious goals? Fervor from the throngs of brand evangelists aside, it’s hard to overstate the importance of the Model 3’s success—the company lost $889 million in 2015, marking its eighth consecutive year of losses. Elon Musk anticipates the company will be cash-positive at the end of the year, in spite of the early production woes of the Model X SUV that recently debuted. And there’s still the big question of the Model 3’s profitability. The Chevrolet Bolt launching at the end of this year also has a 200-mile range, yet with none of the luxury aspirations still costs $2,500 more. The bargain proposition will also diminish when the Federal tax credits expire, which starts phasing out when a manufacturer has sold 200,000 qualifying vehicles.
Aki Sugawara
March 31, 2016
Affordability or luxury—traditionally you could choose only one when it came to electric cars. On the low end you had the spartan, $25,000 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, and on the other end there’s the Tesla Model S, the commuter chariot for the one percent, with little in between. Tesla has promised the seemingly impossible with the Model 3, an attainable premium electric car that won’t have you fretting about range, and the momentous response and long queues to reserve one echoes that of a new iPhone launch. Does it live to the hype?
I had a chance to ride in a preproduction sedan, and it blew away my expectations—with an asterisk.
As rumored the Model 3 will start at $35,000, but that’s before incentives. That means it’ll cost around $25,000 if you’re in California, costing only a couple grand more than the Volt and as much as a loaded Honda Civic. That’s ludicrous, insane. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is promising that buyers “won’t be disappointed” even with a base model, which will have a range of 215 miles and go from 0-60 in under six seconds. Musk adds that these are “minimum numbers” and “hopes to exceed them.”
Both Supercharging at Autopilot hardware come standard, and the five-seater touts more cargo capacity than any car with similar dimensions. It’s achieved with the firewall pushed forward while still providing space for a front and rear trunk. As a Tesla for the mass market, it will also appeal to families with a purported 5-star safety rating in every category.
We took a quick ride inside the higher end sport trim, with dual motors and an optional air suspension. Aside from the screen that looks like an high-definition PC monitor attached to the center console (there’s no dash cluster), it’s high-end luxury through and through. French-stitched leather adorn the door panels, with real metallic touches, and a stunning rear window arches over your head providing a panoramic view of your surroundings. While not providing the mind-bending acceleration of a P85D, the dual motor Model 3 feels like it has more kick from a stop than a BMW 340i, and my neck actually got sore from the snap of the low-end torque. The test driver did an impromptu mini-slalom on a closed off street, and there was minimal body roll with ample grip from the front 235/35/R20 and rear 275/30/R20 tires. Tesla gave no word of price for the pricier trims, but even at $50,000 it’d feel like a bargain.
Will the company pull off its audacious goals? Fervor from the throngs of brand evangelists aside, it’s hard to overstate the importance of the Model 3’s success—the company lost $889 million in 2015, marking its eighth consecutive year of losses. Elon Musk anticipates the company will be cash-positive at the end of the year, in spite of the early production woes of the Model X SUV that recently debuted. And there’s still the big question of the Model 3’s profitability. The Chevrolet Bolt launching at the end of this year also has a 200-mile range, yet with none of the luxury aspirations still costs $2,500 more. The bargain proposition will also diminish when the Federal tax credits expire, which starts phasing out when a manufacturer has sold 200,000 qualifying vehicles.
bunchathrees
Elio Addict
I am trying to figure out the author's asterisk w.r.t. his/her expectations. Any insight?
~The extension chord?~
RUCRAYZE
Elio Addict
sorry no I pulled it from Yahoo
bunchathrees
Elio Addict
That sounds like a musical reference.
I just had this thought; can you imagine some teenage kids, running through a bunch of Tesla 3's and each one has a spring loaded center punch?
For some reason that's what comes to mind every time I see those all glass roofs.
(I used to have to replace things like that for a shop I worked for)
It used to really bother me that someone would do that, or something like it; and that's the biggest reason I would never own one.
(A spring loaded center punch will shatter tempered glass
For some reason that's what comes to mind every time I see those all glass roofs.
(I used to have to replace things like that for a shop I worked for)
It used to really bother me that someone would do that, or something like it; and that's the biggest reason I would never own one.
(A spring loaded center punch will shatter tempered glass
RUCRAYZE
Elio Addict
saw a vid with a piece of a cracked ceramic chip off a spark plug thrown right thru the glass- ahhhhh it might have been on this site -grrrrr the meds are NOT working, I'm staying on the herbs!! They too might not work, but it just feels better
The high risk will be worth the open overhead cabin feel while driving 215 miles and coming to a dead stop and looking at the blue sky above while waiting on AAA roadside assist.