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Post by racingteatray on Jun 17, 2019 10:12:40 GMT
Was in Barcelona last week and, whilst being dragged around the bit of it where all the upmarket shops are by my wife, I happened across a Tesla showroom with a Tesla 3 in it. So I inflicted a bit of male shopping on her.
I have hitherto been rather unimpressed by the Tesla 3 in photos I've seen so far. Too dumpy outside with a weird ducks-bill face. Too austere inside.
But it was in fact a much more attractive looking car in the show-room. It helped that this one was painted a fetching shade of blue similar to BMW's Interlagos Blue and equipped with some rather nice alloys and natty red calipers. Plus it had a pale leather interior and a slab of lightish wood across the dashboard that helped to add some interest beyond just the vast iPad mounted in the middle of the dashboard. It is still austere overall, and some of the material fit and finish is not Audi-tastic by any means, but not unduly so.
It also felt considerably better made than the last S that I sat in too, starting with some appealing anodised blade doorhandles that look much more durable and attractive than the pop-out jobs on other Teslas, and the whole "no instrument binnacle" thing wasn't as off-putting as I imagined. The frameless doors thunk more than you'd expect as well. Plenty of space too - it looked like it has a similar overall footprint to my 4GC but with a taller roofline and a more accommodating back seat, helped by a vast glass roof.
However, it does have one very odd design flaw. It's not (unlike an S) a hatchback. Instead it simply has a rather small and short saloon-style boot opening rather like an Allegro or Maxi. The boot itself isn't small at all, and you can fold the rear seats, (and yes there is a small "frunk" as well) but the limited overall aperture means antiques dealers need not apply and I bet it makes dealing with a pram harder. This just seems like a pointless bullet through one foot to me. |
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Post by ChrisM on Jun 17, 2019 10:15:55 GMT
..... it simply has a rather small and short saloon-style boot opening rather like an Allegro or Maxi. The boot itself isn't small at all, and you can fold the rear seats, (and yes there is a small "frunk" as well) but the limited overall aperture means antiques dealers need not apply and I bet it makes dealing with a pram harder. This just seems like a pointless bullet through one foot to me.
I really cannot see the appeal of a saloon over a hatch or estate, and never have. Maybe it's my practical nature showing through, though |
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Post by Tim on Jun 17, 2019 10:44:01 GMT
The Maxi was a hatch (unless the earlier iterations were booted?).
Perhaps you're thinking of the Princess which had a massive boot but a tiny opening. This flaw was resolved when they redesigned it slightly to become the (forgettable) Ambassador.
Alfa went through the same progression with the Alfasud.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2019 10:51:52 GMT
There's one parked outside our next door neighbours as I type, all black. And I do mean all black...
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Post by racingteatray on Jun 17, 2019 10:53:02 GMT
The Maxi was a hatch (unless the earlier iterations were booted?). Perhaps you're thinking of the Princess which had a massive boot but a tiny opening. This flaw was resolved when they redesigned it slightly to become the (forgettable) Ambassador. Alfa went through the same progression with the Alfasud. Maybe. Other than the Mini, Metro and Montego, I have been spared first-hand exposure to Austin's back catalogue. |
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Post by Tim on Jun 17, 2019 10:55:41 GMT
The Maxi was a hatch (unless the earlier iterations were booted?). Perhaps you're thinking of the Princess which had a massive boot but a tiny opening. This flaw was resolved when they redesigned it slightly to become the (forgettable) Ambassador. Alfa went through the same progression with the Alfasud. Maybe. Other than the Mini, Metro and Montego, I have been spared first-hand exposure to Austin's back catalogue. You're a lucky boy - my dad was a British Leyland, then Austin Rover man. |
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Post by PG on Jun 17, 2019 11:17:46 GMT
I think the Tesla 3 being a saloon is mistake too, but I suspect it a combination of US view that saloons are more classy than hatchbacks (which I think is also the case in Asia), plus the European thing that what is the car that everybody tells everyone they must be better than in the small exec market? Ah yes, the BMW 3 series saloon.....
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Post by cbeaks1 on Jun 17, 2019 11:48:56 GMT
Maybe. Other than the Mini, Metro and Montego, I have been spared first-hand exposure to Austin's back catalogue. You're a lucky boy - my dad was a British Leyland, then Austin Rover man. You are also a lucky boy - my dad worked for them through most of my childhood. I still remember the excitement of the first Montego he had as it had built in rear head rests. |
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Post by racingteatray on Jun 17, 2019 12:06:59 GMT
Maybe. Other than the Mini, Metro and Montego, I have been spared first-hand exposure to Austin's back catalogue. You're a lucky boy - my dad was a British Leyland, then Austin Rover man. Mine wasn't - he was a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm in the '60s and '70s, and they always had salary spare for flashy foreign cars. He did own an MGB GT V8 at one point, but had a Mercedes 280SL by the time my got parents married, before swapping it for a more practical BMW 2002tii when I came along, and later a Lancia Beta HPE.
Mum on the other hand had several Minis, before getting one of the original MG Metros when they first came out. And later she had a couple of Montego estates (F-reg and J-reg) before switching to Volvos.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jun 17, 2019 16:29:47 GMT
I think the Tesla 3 being a saloon is mistake too, but I suspect it a combination of US view that saloons are more classy than hatchbacks (which I think is also the case in Asia), plus the European thing that what is the car that everybody tells everyone they must be better than in the small exec market? Ah yes, the BMW 3 series saloon..... Correct. The Yanks don't like hunchbacks and prefer sedans. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2019 17:08:17 GMT
I clocked the boot thing in an early LHD review video and was immediately put off. Daft idea.
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Post by racingteatray on Jun 18, 2019 9:35:51 GMT
I think the Tesla 3 being a saloon is mistake too, but I suspect it a combination of US view that saloons are more classy than hatchbacks (which I think is also the case in Asia), plus the European thing that what is the car that everybody tells everyone they must be better than in the small exec market? Ah yes, the BMW 3 series saloon..... Correct. The Yanks don't like hunchbacks and prefer sedans. But what then is the point of a sedan that looks like a hunchback?
Surely the better approach is that of the new Peugeot 508, which looks like a rakish saloon but is in fact a hatchback?
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Post by racingteatray on Jun 18, 2019 9:36:32 GMT
And anyway the S has always been a fastback, so odd that the 3 isn't.
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Post by rodge on Jun 24, 2019 4:05:20 GMT
I was in one that one of our suppliers owns earlier in the year.
It’s not a bad car to sit in the back, it’s spacious enough and very quiet.
I didn’t get to drive it though.
They are a big improvement on some of the other electric cars that are available, but I’m still not convinced by them.
I’d still pick a German exec over one, mainly for the advantage of longer journeys and build quality.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jun 24, 2019 12:21:35 GMT
I'm frankly astonished how far Tesla has come in the 10 years since it launched the Roadster. The volume of vehicles, the innovation and the quality levels they've reached is extraordinary.
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Post by PG on Jun 24, 2019 13:15:00 GMT
I'm frankly astonished how far Tesla has come in the 10 years since it launched the Roadster. The volume of vehicles, the innovation and the quality levels they've reached is extraordinary. They've also put a rocket up the backside of the rest of the automotive industry. And even if they don't become as successful or as long lived as they want to be, they've been a classic disruptor and forced the pace of change. I think the biggest advantage that they have for the future is that they have no history or investment in ICE technology to worry about or hold them back. Plus they have the supercharger network. |
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Post by racingteatray on Jun 24, 2019 13:34:55 GMT
I'm frankly astonished how far Tesla has come in the 10 years since it launched the Roadster. The volume of vehicles, the innovation and the quality levels they've reached is extraordinary. Agreed. |
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Post by Big Blue on Jun 25, 2019 14:10:21 GMT
I came across a Tesla model S on Sunday evening on the A3. I joined at Liphook and saw a car join a couple behind me at mental speeds (I should say ludicrous but i refuse to pander). We went through the tunnel at Hindhead at normal average-speed-camera speeds then when the last yellow gantry was passed I duly joined my accelerator pedal with the bulkhead. He did too but he had to pull behind me as I was pulling away. Then comes the telling part.....
The downhill section as you bypass Brook and approach the Milford bypass section has some sweeping turns. Bear in mind we are still at speed we entered these and the Gorilla was on rails as it jolly well should be with brand new dampers. In my rear view mirror the Model S was anything but! All that battery weight and a lack of chassis expertise showed up plain and simple. He stayed behind me until he changed lanes in the traffic on the Guildford flyover and it was.....
....a P100D.
I guess once they’ve done that initial no-torque delay thing they don’t have an answer for proper horses.
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Post by Tim on Jun 25, 2019 15:02:46 GMT
I bet he felt no inclination to open his window through the tunnel unless it was to hear your car - certainly not his own
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Post by ChrisM on Jul 4, 2019 14:52:21 GMT
.... I happened to chance upon the Tesla showroom at Cribbs Causeway yesterday and there was a 3 on display, the only car in a huge showroom for a mall. It was left-hand drive and grey, which didn't do it any favours.
I Must be getting old as it was literally a bit of a pain to get into the car, having to stoop down to enter, but it was a reasonably nice place to be as it had a fantastic light grey upholstered interior.... leather or synthetic leather. Some evidence of poor quality (an odd mis-shapen part to both rear door seals for example) and interior door trims already showing plenty of evidence of contact with footwear. I'm really not a fan of no instruments in front of the driver, or the huge tablet in the centre that acts as the entire control centre and dash display. I suppose in an electric car, all you really need in front of the driver is the speedo, so why not at the very least have that where it should be?
The whole roof appears to be glass, from the tall swept-up windscreen through to the rear window which starts a long way into the roof too. All 4 doors are pillarless; looked and felt slightly strange with all the windows down (except that the rear ones do not disappear fully into the doors).
It's a long way from being on my shortlist, even assuming I could afford it (which I can't). At least the interior door release handles were fairly easy to find.
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Post by racingteatray on Jul 4, 2019 16:19:29 GMT
.... All 4 doors are pillarless; looked and felt slightly strange with all the windows down (except that the rear ones do not disappear fully into the doors). My car is four door and pillarless as well, so I am used to that...I like it. Makes the car feel a bit more special (silly really, but it does). |
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Post by Martin on Jul 4, 2019 17:36:09 GMT
My Dads 6 GT is pillarless, not what you’d expect when you look at it. I agree that it does make a car feel more special. Sometimes what some people would think are minor/pointless details make a car feel special, soft close doors is a great example.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2019 18:37:57 GMT
Saw one of the tall ones with funny doors earlier.
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Post by Big Blue on Jul 4, 2019 18:52:08 GMT
I saw a 3 in London earlier this week
Remember how the Sierra was called “Jellymould” when it came out? Well they would seem like knife edged creases next to one of these. I couldn’t see one redeeming visual feature to the exterior.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2019 19:23:45 GMT
Most people I know who've driven a Tesla were impressed by the acceleration but very little else. Apparently Chris Harris has bought one. Expect he got a nice discount, though.
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Post by PG on Jul 4, 2019 20:50:32 GMT
Pedant alert.....When you all say pillarless, do you mean frameless? I love frameless doors on cars.
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Post by ChrisM on Jul 4, 2019 21:31:49 GMT
Frameless.... it has pillars with cameras or sensors in them for lane monitoring and autonomous driving purposes
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Post by racingteatray on Jul 5, 2019 12:02:15 GMT
Pedant alert.....When you all say pillarless, do you mean frameless? I love frameless doors on cars. Oops. Yes, I meant frameless. |
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Post by johnc on Jul 5, 2019 13:42:02 GMT
My Dads 6 GT is pillarless, not what you’d expect when you look at it. I agree that it does make a car feel more special. Sometimes what some people would think are minor/pointless details make a car feel special, soft close doors is a great example. Do you find that every other car feels a bit crude and that you never close the doors on other cars properly first time? It really annoys my wife when it takes me two goes to close the doors on her car. |
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Post by Martin on Jul 5, 2019 13:53:04 GMT
My Dads 6 GT is pillarless, not what you’d expect when you look at it. I agree that it does make a car feel more special. Sometimes what some people would think are minor/pointless details make a car feel special, soft close doors is a great example. Do you find that every other car feels a bit crude and that you never close the doors on other cars properly first time? It really annoys my wife when it takes me two goes to close the doors on her car. I do! I don’t do it that often in the Golf, but I’ve done it several times in the X5 and it’s really annoying. |
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