I had better revisit that comment about the 100D not feeling as fast. I stomped it a few (dozen) times over the past few days. It is plenty fast!
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Model S Impressions After 3
- Thread starter spesler
- Start date
Had a MS 75D loaner the past day while they upgraded the BMS SW on my 3. Base car, cloth seats. Overall, I was very impressed with the S. Very smooth driving car. It is large though, noticeable larger than the 3. And it has a big steering wheel. Took some adjustments to find a position I liked without feeling like I was driving a bus. Seats were very comfy. Fast as well. Felt noticeable faster than my 3 (RWD LR) but that could just be the sensation of accelerating so much mass fast. And it was real easy to figure out the controls/screens/operating system as it's very similar to the 3 - most all the features/config settings are the same or similar, albeit the S has a few more.
Draw-backs - quite thirsty compared to the 3. I averaged around 350 Wh/mi compared to 230 Wh/mi for the 3 on similar routes (work n back). While the S is very smooth, the 3 feels tighter, more nimble in busy traffic. Weirdly, I like the M3 doors better. Feel more solid. As it was a 75D, the range was less (200 miles @ 80% vs 250+ on the 3 @ 80%). And the charging was slower. 23 miles/hr vs 32 mi/hr using the same charger in the garage - not sure why?
Draw-backs - quite thirsty compared to the 3. I averaged around 350 Wh/mi compared to 230 Wh/mi for the 3 on similar routes (work n back). While the S is very smooth, the 3 feels tighter, more nimble in busy traffic. Weirdly, I like the M3 doors better. Feel more solid. As it was a 75D, the range was less (200 miles @ 80% vs 250+ on the 3 @ 80%). And the charging was slower. 23 miles/hr vs 32 mi/hr using the same charger in the garage - not sure why?
chronopc
Active Member
I think the slower charging makes sense. A 75D has the same size battery as the Model 3 RWD LR. So assuming you are adding the same amount of electricity to both, the amount of miles you can go for that same amount of KW is less in the Model S compared to the Model 3.
You answered your own question. Thirstier car means each watt-hour takes you less far means you add less range per hour charging at the same current.
chronopc
Active Member
clostridium
Member
Yeah, my experience between my S (trades in) and my 3 is that road noise is very similar in volume though the character of it is different so maybe it’s more objectionable to some people’s ears. The tire part of the noise is louder in the 3 for sure. I have less wind leak noise in the 3 and less rattles but it’s early yet.
Overall I like the 3 better. They are both great cars for sure. If we didn’t already have a larger car in the family I’d have probably kept the S but we didn’t need the room.
We've recently swapped our Ss for 3s and here is how it compares for me so far:
The 3 has better forward and side visibility than the S, and generally feels less closed-in, however the rear visibility in the 3 is actually more limited. The rear window (or rear suspension?) seems too high, or the front seats are low in relation to it. There can be a small or mid-sized car stopped behind me at a fairly normal distance and without the rear camera I often can't see the windshield or driver at all, maybe just a bit of the roof. I've never experienced this in any car I've driven. I'm not short and I've adjusted the seat as high as feels comfortable in relation to the screen. I haven't seen anyone else mention this, I'm surprised.
Acceleration and maneuverability in the 3 (LR AWD) is awesome! There is less of a sensation of G forces pulling me into the seat compared to my S70D, maybe because the car is lighter, but it gets to speed more quickly and feels really zippy and fun to drive. It's not as quick as my husband's S90D was, but he says the maneuverability and overall feel of driving makes up for it.
Turning radius in the 3 is impressive! U-turns are fun.
The climate system in the 3 seems vastly improved. Rear A/C is way more effective over the Model S.
Headroom is better in the 3, front and rear. My son is 6' and no longer feels the need to lean toward center when sitting in the rear seats. There is somewhat less legroom in the 3 and, while noticeable, it's still adequate for my tallish crew.
The 3 has much improved interior storage features - cup holders, hooks, console, etc. Front cup holder positioning in the 3 is so much better and no longer in my way. The ambient lighting inside the car is so dim I thought it wasn't working at first - fortunately there are aftermarket replacements for these.
Trunk space in the 3 is significantly less than the S and the S hatchback is just amazing. I've hauled furniture, bikes, helped move houses, etc. with the S. No sedan compares for trunk capacity and ease of access. Also, I miss the auto-closing trunk in the S. A simple but super-convenient feature when juggling cargo, etc.
The lack of instrument cluster directly in front of me took about 5 minutes to get used to. I didn't miss it after that. I do miss split-screen in the S, I used it a lot and I hope they bring this feature to the M3.
No sunroof option is a major bummer for my husband, while I rarely used it. The glass roof brings all the open feel I need.
I don't use autopilot but my husband does and feels like AP2 is a significant improvement over AP1, less abrupt braking, more stable lane keeping, and it handles poor lane markings better. This isn't strictly a S/3 comparison but it's a new feature to us.
For driving and parking purposes I prefer the somewhat smaller dimensions of the 3. It fits better in the garage, parks around town more easily, etc. The S is a sexier-looking car, I think - sleeker looking, especially because of the longer front, but the 3 is still a head-turner, a really attractive vehicle.
I appreciate the additional range over my S70D. Range anxiety never was an issue in normal daily driving, of course, but the additional miles will now make occasional road trips more relaxing and convenient.
There are a few things I preferred about the S and will always remember it really fondly, but my M3 has some major advantages, yet costs substantially less. I really like this math!
The 3 has better forward and side visibility than the S, and generally feels less closed-in, however the rear visibility in the 3 is actually more limited. The rear window (or rear suspension?) seems too high, or the front seats are low in relation to it. There can be a small or mid-sized car stopped behind me at a fairly normal distance and without the rear camera I often can't see the windshield or driver at all, maybe just a bit of the roof. I've never experienced this in any car I've driven. I'm not short and I've adjusted the seat as high as feels comfortable in relation to the screen. I haven't seen anyone else mention this, I'm surprised.
Acceleration and maneuverability in the 3 (LR AWD) is awesome! There is less of a sensation of G forces pulling me into the seat compared to my S70D, maybe because the car is lighter, but it gets to speed more quickly and feels really zippy and fun to drive. It's not as quick as my husband's S90D was, but he says the maneuverability and overall feel of driving makes up for it.
Turning radius in the 3 is impressive! U-turns are fun.
The climate system in the 3 seems vastly improved. Rear A/C is way more effective over the Model S.
Headroom is better in the 3, front and rear. My son is 6' and no longer feels the need to lean toward center when sitting in the rear seats. There is somewhat less legroom in the 3 and, while noticeable, it's still adequate for my tallish crew.
The 3 has much improved interior storage features - cup holders, hooks, console, etc. Front cup holder positioning in the 3 is so much better and no longer in my way. The ambient lighting inside the car is so dim I thought it wasn't working at first - fortunately there are aftermarket replacements for these.
Trunk space in the 3 is significantly less than the S and the S hatchback is just amazing. I've hauled furniture, bikes, helped move houses, etc. with the S. No sedan compares for trunk capacity and ease of access. Also, I miss the auto-closing trunk in the S. A simple but super-convenient feature when juggling cargo, etc.
The lack of instrument cluster directly in front of me took about 5 minutes to get used to. I didn't miss it after that. I do miss split-screen in the S, I used it a lot and I hope they bring this feature to the M3.
No sunroof option is a major bummer for my husband, while I rarely used it. The glass roof brings all the open feel I need.
I don't use autopilot but my husband does and feels like AP2 is a significant improvement over AP1, less abrupt braking, more stable lane keeping, and it handles poor lane markings better. This isn't strictly a S/3 comparison but it's a new feature to us.
For driving and parking purposes I prefer the somewhat smaller dimensions of the 3. It fits better in the garage, parks around town more easily, etc. The S is a sexier-looking car, I think - sleeker looking, especially because of the longer front, but the 3 is still a head-turner, a really attractive vehicle.
I appreciate the additional range over my S70D. Range anxiety never was an issue in normal daily driving, of course, but the additional miles will now make occasional road trips more relaxing and convenient.
There are a few things I preferred about the S and will always remember it really fondly, but my M3 has some major advantages, yet costs substantially less. I really like this math!
I agree with your rear visibility comment 100%. My previous worst cars for visibility were a 1993 Honda Prelude (complete with 90's spoiler) and a 2008 350z. The Model 3 has worst visibility that either.
Oldschool496
Member
There is bass in the doors and the dash as well in the right side trunk lower compartment. Thats why it feels like the bass is right on you in the UHF upgrade of the S. It kicks you in the chest, of course I am used to it and running 9-10 is not unusual for a good song.
Its quite an honest assessment of the S. That being said I love my S. For the price also I will be loving it for a while.
I like big cars and when I look out over that hood and those two right and left wings are in my sight, I feel like I am really driving something substantial. Its wide also, real wide.
Your being honest about the 3s steering wheel I think as well. I personally do not like what I see. Its supposed to be less and it is. Having something to grip with the S is perfect for many. The very first 3 I sat in at the showroom, I think they rushed it out, It definitely did not have leather wrap and was spongy rubber. Perhaps that rubber is going in the short range model??? This was definitely LR RWD first showroom sit in model.
Since then I have never seen that on a 3. All are wrapped in leather.
I had my daughter sit in the 3 only in the showroom, another surprise she does not like how the center console is not integral. That probably she would get over if she actually owned one. The S is a chore to park sometimes and handling which includes slow moving in parking lots and parking is cumbersome if your not patient.
Yup, rear visibility is atrocious, as is rear 3/4 visibility. Combined with the huge B-pillar in the way (I'm used to driving 2-seaters) and the fairly bad side mirrors, blind spots are insane. I can't wait until I can buy euro mirror glass for the driver's side so I can actually see. The driver's mirror doesn't adjust far enough out for "proper" adjustment for me so there's overlap between rear and side mirrors (or, there would be, if it was possible to see out the rearview!)
I almost took someone out in my 2nd week with the car, changing lanes to the left. I checked all mirrors AND did a shoulder check, and still somehow missed it.
It took me awhile to find an adjustment where I liked the vents in the 3. It kept blowing on my hands to hard in the steering wheel position. I split the air and direct it up or down so it doesn't blow directly on me. Not sure about rear AC but I remember on a roadtrip my mom and sister in the back of the S saying it was hot.
the 3's fan always seems a hair louder than I want it to be, but if I turn the A/C down a notch, it starts getting too warm in the car.
Yeah, the 3 feels like a nicer car than the S in a lot of these ways -- more of a 'finished product'.
The trunk in the 3 is HUGE but yeah, smaller than the S, and I love hatchbacks too. Frankly, the sedan design of the 3 (and even the S, despite the fact that it's technically a hatch) is a HUGE drawback for me. I just don't like sedans. It's honestly the reason the 3 is more of an "appliance" to me than a car I'm really passionate about. It's a fantastic appliance, and it looks good, but it's not something I get excited about the appearance of.
I still can't get used to the lack of instruments under the wheel. After 5000 miles, I still sometimes glance down at night and wonder why the car turned off. I don't mean it's a bad thing, it's just still surprising. I really, really wish the 3 had the screen real estate of the S -- not so much the tall screen, but the gauge area.
earlier this year, i do recall a lot of people talking about the poor rear visibility. The conclusion was that between the Mar 2016 reveal and production, they increased the trunk opening and space based on customer feedback, and as a result, made a sacrifice to rear visibility.
@JanetM: agree with all your assessments. we got the 3 in addition to the S. I was pleasantly surprised at how many ways the 3 was better than the S, especially given the price differential. But no doubt S is still better in some ways too.
@JanetM: agree with all your assessments. we got the 3 in addition to the S. I was pleasantly surprised at how many ways the 3 was better than the S, especially given the price differential. But no doubt S is still better in some ways too.
Oldschool496
Member
Thats it. The 3 after looking at it is not showy in any way. Its there, its serves a purpose and most likely does it well. The S is another kind of car altogether. When someone sees my S its thumbs up from teens to the over 50 crowd. Surprising the teens take to it much more then you would ever think.
It's crazy to see grade-school aged kids gawking and pointing at Teslas. They know their cars and what's good
Incidentally, I do get noticed in the 3 a lot. Maybe not as much as in the S, but I think being the new Tesla, people do react. I also think the color matters too.
Oldschool496
Member
I totally agree, I see a lot of good looking M3, they all look great to me. Drives to me and the front of course, that all feels like slightly higher in stature Porsche. Nimble, strong and worthy.
Glamisduner
Active Member
Nice that they gave you a 100D, they gave me a 2014 S85 and the regen is terrible and the car is slow. Still not the worst loaner ever!
I do like the power lift gate, and real time power gauge on the dash, the premium sound, sounds better to me, maybe a bit lacking in the highs compared to the 3, but better over all, and the air suspension is allot more floaty and soft but the car does not feel as planted to the road and you can really feel the weight, I also like the ability to turn on the AC from the steering wheel, and the handles are allot nicer too. The S I have has gen 1 seats and autopilot 1 which does not work on my morning commute and no center console.
The plain white paint on this 4 year old S is smooth and shiny and in general looks better and is smoother than the white paint on my brand new 3 that's back at tesla.
People do make more comments to me on the S than they did toward my brand new 3 which everyone thinks of as the cheaper version. The Performance 3 is WAY faster and more agile than the S85.
I do like the power lift gate, and real time power gauge on the dash, the premium sound, sounds better to me, maybe a bit lacking in the highs compared to the 3, but better over all, and the air suspension is allot more floaty and soft but the car does not feel as planted to the road and you can really feel the weight, I also like the ability to turn on the AC from the steering wheel, and the handles are allot nicer too. The S I have has gen 1 seats and autopilot 1 which does not work on my morning commute and no center console.
The plain white paint on this 4 year old S is smooth and shiny and in general looks better and is smoother than the white paint on my brand new 3 that's back at tesla.
People do make more comments to me on the S than they did toward my brand new 3 which everyone thinks of as the cheaper version. The Performance 3 is WAY faster and more agile than the S85.
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