So I just got my Tesla MY AWD LR yesterday and drove it home. It was the ultimate in leap of faith because I haven't ever driven ANY Tesla before- not even test drive or rental. So I wanted to write something for those who were like me and ordered the car and didn't know what to expect when first driving it out of the lot.
Here are my top 5 Wow/What? as a very first time Tesla driver:
- Standard Regen is REALLY slowing. So I'm sure like me you know when you get off the gas the car regenerates power- and people have said you can drive "with one foot." I had no idea what that meant till yesterday. I wrote in a different thread that it was like learning stick shift. I would step on the gas and the car would lunge forward in power, so I would get completely off the gas and the standard regen would act like firmly (not emergency) applying the brake- and my passengers would whiplash forward. So like learning a stick everyone in the car is swaying forward and backward as I step on the gas and off the gas (it was hysterical actually). I would say it similar to driving a bumper car. And if you stick it out for a few miles, you'll get the hang of how to finesse the gas pedal so it slows gently and accelerates gently. You can also reduce the regen to "mild" I think- you still feel it but it isn't as powerful. I will tell you I decided to go full regen and get used to it- and by the time I got home I love it- and I think I used the brake twice in 50 miles (not an exaggeration).
- How do I turn it off? So I know your supposed to just walk away and it turns off. But really? The A/C is still on, screen still blaring the "P" - just walk away? YES- take your phone and walk away, then go visit the car without your phone and you'll see it has gone dark. Its funny, the idea of getting into the car and having it ready seemed completely natural, but just walking away? I've been driving cars for nearly 35 years- it will take some time to learn not to worry about "turning it off."
- Autopilot. So after about 10 miles my car's cameras were calibrated so Autopilot said it could be used. So then I stopped at a rest stop and turned on the features- then is was off to the highway to try it out. On the highway it did well- it saw a car swerving into my lane (clearly texting while driving) and it slowed down appropriately. I will say it was on "mild" aggressiveness for lane changing- and if you're from NY that will just drive you crazy, you have to at least go to standard otherwise your autopilot won't want to change lanes unless you're like 10 below the speed limit. BUT the weirdest thing was driving Autopilot on a state, curvy road. IMO autopilot likes to turn the wheel about a half second after I would have turned the wheel- so I'm constantly like "should I take over" and then the car moves the wheel and takes care of the turn... that half second I'm sure I'll get used to, but it will take learning. Overall though I can see myself using this a lot.
- The car is big- but not minivan big. So I got this car so my family of four could go on vacation and travel to see the grandparents, etc all comfortably. And both my kids have less school in front of them than behind them, so my wife and I see this car as our future "empty nest" car. For that I think this car is perfect. Now I will say, I've watched WAY too many videos reviewing the MY- and every camera angle shows the trunk as HUGE. Its big, its like a large hatchback- I do love it, but its not minivan big. I guess when I lifted the hatchback for the first time I was expecting a cavern like I've seen on YouTube- no cavern but a nicely sized hatchback. So I'm thrilled- it is perfect for what I want it to do, but if you're coming from a big SUV or Minivan, go look at one first. They are showing up in Tesla dealerships and you can at least snag a glimpse at one.
- The Doors are Heavy- so opening and closing the doors require some serious pull/push. I mean not like weightlifter effort, but coming from a Toyota Camry and Sienna, yeah, more. Plus you have to get used to pushing the button to get out (maybe BMWs, etc have this already, but if you're coming from a simple Camry this is all new). These door are solid. I certainly feel safe, but watch your screen because its not unusual so far for one of the kids doors to be registering as open when they think its closed (besides the screen, the giveaway is also the window isn't up).
Those are my top 5 things as a first time Tesla Driver. Now let me just note a few things I was worried about but it was no big deal:
- Do I need a HUD or speedometer in front of me? Nope, I was really worried about this but it took all of 1 min to learn to glance right. I really couldn't believe how non-important this was to me until I drove the car.
- Night Driving- so we took the car out last night when it got dark to see what its like. Its weird because there is no light in front of you when you're driving. I knew this but it is different to experience it yourself. I'm not saying its bad, actually I felt like it was easier to see everything in front of me without the dim lights of the dashboard-but its different.
- Everything in the "iPad" in the middle. Ok, I haven't driven in the rain yet so I'm not sure about the windshield wipers, but honestly- it was way easier than I thought. I put this in the no big deal category.
- Everyone comments on your speed- because the speedometer is so big and centered and now everyone is a critic- and its incredibly easy to speed in this car, which is why I see me using Autopilot so much.
Hope some new Tesla people find this useful... And its fun to have joined the Tesla Family.