csf

So my neightbor got a new Tesla Model 3 with all-wheel drive on Friday, after driving Chevrolet Suburbans for the last 20 years.
He is unbelievably excited as he now spends $80/week on gas alone. The Tesla was $50k , he got $18k for the Suburban with 100,000 miles on it, he got over $6000 in tax credits, and he got a 5 year loan at 3%.

Saturday he brought it over and I drove it for about 30 minutes. In addition to my Corvette we have an Audi SQ5 ( a pretty quick German SUV with a nice interior ), a BMW 3 series convertible, and an Infiniti SUV ( another nice SUV ). My wife and daughters, who love their iPhones, loved the Tesla but its not for me . . . in fact it made me appreciate my GS even more.

For those who have never seen or driven a Model 3 there are no gauges anywhere . . . just two stalks off the steering wheel and a huge iPad type display in the center. Almost every function is controlled off the display . . . even the wipers are on there. There is an app on the phone to control a lot of stuff too, and the key is a credit card you swipe across the door . . . sort of like a hotel key.

The two things I will say are the Model 3 is quiet and the Model 3 is shockingly fast. Pulling out of the driveway was silent. There simply is no noise. And I am sure I got to 80 mph faster than I can shifting my C6 GS. There is immediate torque and it just keeps going. Once you let off the accelerator pedal the car immediately starts slowing . . almost as if the brakes were applied. You really only need the brakes to create a full stop or stop very quickly.

That said, as a 59 year old male who has grown up loving cars my entire life, I came away totally bored by the entire Tesla driving experience. I like the look of gauges showing me what's happening. I like the sound of the motor revving towards redline. I don't need Google while I'm driving. I like the feel of buttons and *****. And I like knowing where they are by memory and feel as opposed to reading an iPad placed in the center of the dash.

I guess these Teslas are not for hard core car people . . . . but rather people who want to drive a giant cell phone. Even the concept of having to charge your car every night just like your phone is similar. I get the complete elimination of needing to buy gasoline is a great thing . . . but the rest of the package is just not for me.

After driving the Model 3 I got my GS out . . . first time in about 3 months. It was almost 70 degrees so I took the roof out and fired up the motor . . . sounded great. Went for a 30 minute drive, NPP exhaust making noise, watching the gauges and the HUD, shifting the gears, working the Bose system and using premium gasoline constantly. Huge smile on my face the whole time.

This whole Tesla experience has made me realize even more why I appreciate my C6 GS . . . at the core it is still a basic sports car, not overfilled with too much unnecessary technology. You don't need a Master's degree to put on the A/C. The beauty of the C6 is as much what its not as what it is.

So I'm keeping mine . . . at least until gas is $9.00/gallon.

Verrückt ZR1

Nice review. Thanks. The electrics are quick, but soulless. I'll stick with my ICE dinosaur for the foreseeable future.

FAUEE

The biggest issue (outside of range and them being hideous) is looking like a complete douchebag everywhere driving a Tesla.

EVs are a flash in the pan idea. When hydrogen fuel becomes a bit more available electric motors will work well, but the main problem with all these is insufficient power production on the grid. And since we wont invest in new nuke plants, most of the new power generation is still fossil fuels.

enventr

No thank you. I’ll stick to my C6 especially when it’s time to replace the batteries!

J3TVETTE

A good friend purchased the Model 3 when they were first announced. He placed the order immediately. I asked him for his 6 month review and he told me he wishes he kept his Audi S3 as the Tesla is VERY low build quality. He told me he can even see glue coming out of some of the edges. I expect him to get rid of it shortly.

Mike's LS3

We share the same age and the same thoughts. Nothing against Tesla, just not my thing. I have a CRM 2008 Z51 that is elven years old and in excellent condition. The car is set up with the mods I want and enjoy. The sound of a LS motor is music to my ears. I receive compliments and get thumbs up when driving down the street. People ask what year my car is and are surprised that it's a 2008. After 11 years of ownership, the car continues to put a smile on my face. I wonder, how many Tesla owners will say the same thing after 11 years of ownership?

Joshchewbacca

I’m 33 and bought my 05 C6 last October. I suppose I fill the age group/ income of people these electric cars are marketed toward. I can’t get behind the idea. I like that when something breaks there are a plethora of mechanics that are able to get me fixed up. I like that I am able to work on my car should I choose. The biggest down side to the electric vechile is that if something breaks or goes wrong it’s no so easily repaired. You can’t take the car to any garage to have it looked at. Never mind having to get your electrical service to your house re configured to install a fast charge system.

More importantly I love the sound makes as the motor climbs through its rpm range. I love the sound of the exhaust. I love the warm feeling of being successful in my own life that has allowed me the privilege of getting to drive a great sports car. The electric car is just a car. I never grew up with posters on my wall fantasizing about driving a buzzing electric car. For me it doesn’t matter the brand of electric car and it won’t matter the performance of one either. The driving experience is what is important to me. It’s the reliability and easy of use that sells me on a gasoline vehicle.

Jaydubgt

I have a 2017 Ford Fusion Plug-In Hybrid in addition to my 2013 GS Anniversary Coupe. I bought the Fusion so I'd be able to drive in the car pool lanes while commuting to and from work. As you may know, a Plug-In Hybrid is an EV with a small gasoline engine. The car travels up to 25 miles on battery only, then switches to a conventional hybrid, alternating between electric and gasoline modes for a total range of about 500 miles per tankful.



By far, the biggest issue is the battery recharging time. It's currently measured in hours for all EV's. Not very convenient for a cross-country trip, unless your drives are equal to the range of a single charge. But once the technology is found to recharge batteries in minutes vs hours, their sales will take-off. The other benefits of EV have been expressed in other posts.



Having said all that, at 67, I still prefer the internal combustion engine (ICE), due to my history growing up with it and how more engaging it is.



My 2 cents.

captain vette

My advice is to get a normally aspirated V8 while they’re still making them

Joshchewbacca

If they were anywhere close to being able to recharge a car battery in minutes, I think we would have already seen the technology in our phones

dkpnkc

The looks of the Model 3 makes it look like Musk went out and bought the blueprints to the old Ford Taurus.

Plan C

Very enlightening review! Thanks for satisfying my curiosity!! I can't imagine not having a Corvette in the garage, but I have wondered why the Model 3s seem to be popping up everywhere these days - great for those drivers who simply refuse to put down their cell phones.....

marinablu67

The ultimate car for the Prius driver!

doctor_charly

utterly interesting are your comments ! But hey here in France Gaz is ALREADY at almost 9$/gallon. in fact its 1.60-1.70€/L and yet my vette is even more appreciated because its a Huge luxury

SPSandman

Funny you mentioned it. Coworker has a Tesla, now sure which one and he was talking about a trip they took and how the charge time, which I think he said was around 90 minutes unless not a Super Stations which is MUCH longer, was actually a benefit. As they got to eat, stretch, and have some family time. Sorry on a long trip, we don't need to eat that often and there is family time in the vehicle. Granted I don't take the family in the GS, but wife and I do go on long trips alone at times and can't wait to take the C6. Get to the destination with minimal stops and have all the family time I want when we get there and as we go there. Who wants to drive 3 - 3.5 hours and then wait another 1.5 hour to do it again?

The Electric car is only a shell game. The fossil fuels are still be burned to create that electricity, and then you have to deal with recycling/disposing of batteries.

Why do they have to be so quiet? I know of people that have been hit walking through a parking lot because they didn't hear the car and the driver wasn't paying attention. Neither were they, but if a real car was coming they would have. Why not at least simulate some exhaust notes? Or have that option. I love the sound of a loud V8.

As mentioned, when Hydrogen and other forms of fuel is here EVs will be a blip on the road map of cars.

cgladish

regardless of ones preference for a telsa, that is one of the cars that I will not touch in a stoplight drag.
I'm still firmly entrenched on the ICE side of the equation.
for those die-hard ICE fans, how long do you feel that they will be around?
at some point, that technology ( ICE ) will die out ( not for long time I hope ).
I'm guessing that the current supporters of it, will be long gone by then too.
the transition from horse & buggy to cars, was a big deal too.
just imagine what going from electric to whatever the next thing will be(?)!

gn85

You can't deny the acceleration that the Tesla is capable of. My wife and I seriously looked at the Tesla since she has a fairly long commute into and out of the city. But she's always wanted a Corvette.

There are several things we considered carefully and our concerns were similar to what has been brought up in this thread. Tesla folks call it 'range anxiety'. I give Tesla credit for trying their best to address this with the car being able to calculate range, plot courses to find charging stations and fast charging opportunities. However, my wife and I found that even with these clever options, it just doesn't meet our needs on long trips. I have done the drive from Maryland to Florida more times than I care to count. I usually do this drive thru the night. So that means, we'd be sitting somewhere in the middle of the night waiting for the car to charge or charging stations wouldn't even be open. Right now, if we do the drive to Tampa in my F150, it literally is only one stop for gas (at South of the Border).

The other thing that would bother me about owning a Tesla is the fact that I'm pretty handy under the hood (frunk in the case of the Tesla). I wouldn't even know where to begin with the Tesla for many things and would be at the mercy of the stealer ship.

I'm definitely not a fan of the spartan nature of the Model 3.

doomi

Interesting. I see similar comments about people driving Vettes from non enthusiasts.

jimijam

Jaydubgt

True. But those are watts as compared to the cars kilowatts.

But, there's a big market demand for fast charging car batteries, the market will fulfill that demand.

As of now, it's not here yet. It takes about 4 hours to fully recharge my car 2017 Fusion Energi and it's good for ~20 miles or so. From there, the ICE takes over.

Even with a Tesla, you can't go anywhere to get a recharge in anywhere the time it takes to refill a gas tank. But when that day happens, and it will, that'll be the final nail for the ICE, except for hobbyists like us.