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Originally Posted by Z OH 6
I got to disagree with you on a Tesla being a boring experience. My wife just bought a used 2021 Model Y Long Range, that's the "slow" version which still does 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, and a 1/4 in 12.4 seconds. It doesn't feel boring at all, in fact it's quite exciting. I can't really explain it, you just have to drive one. EVs are far more exciting than most people think. I love driving it and I have a 800hp ZL1 sitting in the garage. My wife loves it so much that we ordered a Model Y Performance, which should be built in 4-5 months and we'll trade the Long Range in for it. She's got a 2020 AMG G63 as her gas guzzling toy but she's even considering replacing it with a Model X Plaid. I can't say enough good things about the Tesla EVs, they are amazingly fun to drive. I can't even imagine how much fun a Plaid is. The instant torque makes throttle response instant, no waiting for rpm's to climb and the battery packs are very low in the vehicle so it distributes all the weight for more performance, for a 4300lbs vehicle it feels just as light as a ZL1. Handling in these will surprise you for a vehicle not made for a road course like a ZL1.
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So, I owned a Tesla Model 3 Performance for the past couple years and we still own a Model 3 SR+, which is great for daily driving duty. I will agree that the instant torque is nice and the tech is cool but that is about where it ends for me. After a couple of years I started to miss the personality that you get from performance based vehicles.
Here is my synopsis of my Model 3 Performance before I traded it for a ZL1.
- No exhaust note, can be good if you like being a silent assassin and not attract any attention but otherwise the lack of pleasing noises and vibration tends to create a numb driving experience.
- Torque is instant and flat but falls off after 60mph due to lack of gearing or enough power like the Plaid has. The power is more like an on/off switch versus being able to build power and wind out the gears. While you are blistering fast off the line the Model 3 is pretty lame at highways speeds. Any ICE performance vehicle will easily pull on it. Plaid power costs $140k but maybe it will eventually trickle down to the $60-70k price point.
- No drive modes
- No magnetic ride suspension
- Uninspiring interior for a sports sedan, no gauges, no HUD, no sporty cockpit feel.
- Seats have no support for a car with this kind of performance, no bolstering to hold you in place.
- No LSD and the car is on nanny overload. You can't spin a tire, kick the rear out, nothing. Track mode only available on the Performance Trim and you have to put it in Park to engage it, makes all kinds of high pitches noises as it tries to cool the battery, not ideal for spirited driving.
- Lacks driving engagement, no manual, no paddles, nothing...
- Not enough differentiation between the Performance and LR Models. Same performance once you hit 60mph.
- These cars also lose quite a bit of Performance once the state of charge drops below 80%. At 50% charge they are down around 74hp vs. 90% charge.
So, I would drive the Model 3 Performance and SR+ back to back all the time and I actually prefer the handling characteristics of the slower SR+. Without the front motor the car actually feels more like a mid-engine car from a handling perspective.
I agree that Tesla makes a great vehicle, which is why I still own one but when it comes to a performance car/sports car it just doesn't tug at the heartstrings for me. It doesn't have the styling or stance to generate much excitement. We shall see what Dodge "E-muscle" is all about in a year or so but I am not sure I would want to own a first generation EV from some of these companies until they can prove they won't burn your house down.
I traded a C7 Grand Sport for the Tesla Model 3 when I got all caught up in the hype of the instant torque but after a while the novelty wore off and I missed all the character and engagement you can get from a performance based ICE vehicle.