Tesla Model 3 - Now I get the hype.

[RJM62]

I've had 7 flats in the last 8 years - three of them on the Tesla. It was simply a matter of using their inflator thingy plugged into the lighter socket and inflating the tire enough to get me 20 miles to the nearest tire place. I have Fix-A-Flat that I can use in an extreme emergency, knowing I'll have to buy a new wheel after. But I'll call a tow truck if possible before that.

My other 4 flats were all on my F350 - thank goodness always on the dually axis. Just keep on driving!

Despite of all that, I still have no issues continuing to drive without a spare. I just don't see myself changing a wheel even if I had the option.

I have the AAA Premier plan, but I haven't used it in years. It's a holdover from my days as a Saturn enthusiast. Not that Saturns were innately unreliable, mind you. Quite the contrary. But the ones I owned were old, and old cars are more prone to breakdowns.

Nowadays I probably don't need AAA. But I figure I recoup about half to two-thirds of the cost in discounts, some of which aren't available to me from various other memberships I hold. The rest is just a gamble of the remaining cost of the membership versus the cost of a 200-mile tow if I ever need it. 200 miles will get me home or to my mechanic of choice from anywhere I regularly travel.

A lot of people don't know this, but AAA will respond even if your problem occurs in your driveway. If your car won't start, they'll tow it to a shop. If you wake up and find you have a flat, they'll come to your house and change it. If your battery dies, they'll send someone to sell you a new one, usually at a lower cost than most garages will. With the Premier plan, they'll even send a locksmith if you lock yourself out of your house. If you use some of the discounts that come with membership, it's not a bad investment.

Rich

 

[jsstevens]

I had a Mini Cooper S for 5 years. It had run flat tires and no spare. I had at least 5 punctures in that car. I swear the tires had magnets to attract nails & screws. It also had an indirect tire inflation sensor (used the wheel speed sensor to detect differences in rotation speed since a low tire will have slightly less effective radius and will turn faster than the other tires). That said, without the run flats I'd have probably had to get a tow perhaps twice.

My current 370Z does not have a spare nor run flats but it does have tire pressure monitors. It has not had a puncture yet despite having much larger tires than the Mini and driving the same places. And despite the fact that folks won't read this far, I'm not (nor have I been) driving either car at construction sites. So don't bother telling me its because of where I drive.

I still prefer a spare. Our 2018 Honda mini van has one and I've used it once. Tire sidewall got a curb pinch (I wasn't driving) and wouldn't hold air for more than a minute or so.

John

 

[SoonerAviator]

I've had 7 flats in the last 8 years - three of them on the Tesla. It was simply a matter of using their inflator thingy plugged into the lighter socket and inflating the tire enough to get me 20 miles to the nearest tire place. I have Fix-A-Flat that I can use in an extreme emergency, knowing I'll have to buy a new wheel after. But I'll call a tow truck if possible before that.

My other 4 flats were all on my F350 - thank goodness always on the dually axis. Just keep on driving!

Despite of all that, I still have no issues continuing to drive without a spare. I just don't see myself changing a wheel even if I had the option.

You driving through a construction disposal site every day or what?!

 

[deonb]

You driving through a construction disposal site every day or what?!

No, just the worse luck on the Teslas. Blade and nails.

On the F350 however I just found out that the factory TPMS sensors are crappy plastic and tend to become brittle and leak. I've replaced two so far but I have to replace them all at some point.

 

[Zeldman]

I haven't had to change a tire on the side of the road in over 30 years... in a car or my pickup.

Trailer tires, on the other hand, that do not have to meet standards like the tires on your car, now there is a blowout waiting to happen. When I used my 5th wheel on a regular basis, one would blow on each trip. I finally put truck tires on it.

Not having a spare tire on a Tesla is not the deal killer for me. I am not against electric vehicles at all, they just don't meet my mission needs yet. But as I get older, the mission will change.

 

[genna]

Living overseas in a pretty big city, my wife and I have no need for a car. We're actually dreading going back to the States and having to buy and use a car on a daily basis. Having said that, I have been thinking about a Model 3 to the point where test drove one when we were back in Phoenix last month. I have to say, for the 15-20 minutes that I drove it, it was great. It pushed me further into the "buy" side of the equation.

But, I had a couple of concerns that nag at me and can't seem to get a straight answer.

First and foremost in my mind (believe it or not) is the lack of spare tire. When the salesman told me there was no spare, I automatically assumed it had run-flats on them. Nope. They dispatch someone to change the tire for you. That concerns me. I know... how many flat tires does one person get in a year? I don't know. Maybe I get one every other year, not that often, right? But... I can change a tire in what, 20 minutes. Anytime I had to wait for roadside assistance from AAA, BMW, it took FOREVER. Does Tesla contract out with local providers to do this? What happens if I'm out in New Mexico somewhere on the way to Texas to visit my other kids and get a flat?

This is a concern of mine. Am I overthinking this?

Not much of an issue usually. I have no spare, I have no run-flats. I've been in this situation since 2007. That's 2 used vehicles. 1 came with ran-flats originally that i promptly junked. The other i don't remember, but it has had a number of tire changes already. All non run-flats. I really dislike the run-flats.

I have a plug kit in all my cars(even ones that have spare). I've used it a few times in these 12 years. Also a few times on my motorcycles. Unlike run-flats or donut spares, It's a pretty permanent fix that can be done for 90% of tire issues in less than 1/2 hour. If you do it right, I have full confidence(from experience) to drive on the fixed tire at any speed i choose. In 12 years have had 1 failure that could not be fixed by a plug kit. That took towing(insurance paid), a patch, and a few hours(primarily because the first shop was ill equipped to deal with my wheels). In my entire driving life(29 years) I have had 1 other failure that could not be fixed by a plug kit(had spare in that car)

Both cars had low profile, performance tires and I live in a suburbia of major, pot-hole ridden city.

 

[SoCal RV Flyer]

If you do it right, I have full confidence(from experience) to drive on the fixed tire at any speed i choose. In 12 years have had 1 failure that could not be fixed by a plug kit.

Years ago, I did a couple of 20-minute sessions around Willow Springs racetrack on an externally plugged tire (Toyo Proxes RA-1, IIRC). Held up just fine!

 

[genna]

Years ago, I did a couple of 20-minute sessions around Willow Springs racetrack on an externally plugged tire (Toyo Proxes RA-1, IIRC). Held up just fine!

I'd done motorcycle track days on a plugged tire and then rode it on street hard until it wore out. Done right the plug will hold. Done wrong, the tire is ruined .

 

[Sluggo63]

Ok. You guys convinced me that I'm probably overthinking the no-spare-tire thing (although, it does look I'm unluckier than most with the amount of times I've changed a tire in the last decade).

My next question has to do with the battery charge level while left unattended. If I fully charge a Tesla at home, drive it 20 minutes to the airport and park it in the employee lot (I'm assuming no charging there) and leave it for one week, will I have enough juice to make it home? How about two weeks left unplugged?

 

[SoonerAviator]

Ok. You guys convinced me that I'm probably overthinking the no-spare-tire thing (although, it does look I'm unluckier than most with the amount of times I've changed a tire in the last decade).

My next question has to do with the battery charge level while left unattended. If I fully charge a Tesla at home, drive it 20 minutes to the airport and park it in the employee lot (I'm assuming no charging there) and leave it for one week, will I have enough juice to make it home? How about two weeks left unplugged?

I'm sure it'd be fine. Otherwise, anyone who ever went to the airport on a trip would have a dead Tesla when they got back. EV customers wouldn't accept that their car battery would be essentially dead if they didn't drive it for a week. If it were sitting for months, then it's a different story.

 

[tspear]

Ok. You guys convinced me that I'm probably overthinking the no-spare-tire thing (although, it does look I'm unluckier than most with the amount of times I've changed a tire in the last decade).

My next question has to do with the battery charge level while left unattended. If I fully charge a Tesla at home, drive it 20 minutes to the airport and park it in the employee lot (I'm assuming no charging there) and leave it for one week, will I have enough juice to make it home? How about two weeks left unplugged?

My Subaru battery will not last two weeks in the dead of winter (the battery was three years old, so I replaced it). My brother has left a Nissan Leaf and now a Chevy Bolt at the airport for a week or longer and had no issues. Longest I am aware of was around twelve days.

Tim

 

[mjburian]

My next question has to do with the battery charge level while left unattended. If I fully charge a Tesla at home, drive it 20 minutes to the airport and park it in the employee lot (I'm assuming no charging there) and leave it for one week, will I have enough juice to make it home? How about two weeks left unplugged?

I've left my Model 3 at the airport for trips in September, December, February and April in Wisconsin (to give you an idea of outside temps).

In September, the car was parked (and not plugged in) for 11 days. I lost 26 miles of range. (Parked it with 289, drove it away with 263). In December (the coldest weather of all the trips), it was parked for 8 days and I lost 28 miles of range. February was a 7 day trip and I lost 22 miles of range. And in April, I left Sentry Mode on the entire 6 days it was parked (so the car never went to sleep) and I lost 134 miles of range.

I figure 2-4 miles of range lost per day if the car is allowed to sleep. And about 25 miles of range lost per day if you're leaving Sentry Mode activated (Sentry Mode will automatically turn off once the battery gets to 20%).

 

[flyingcheesehead]

My next question has to do with the battery charge level while left unattended. If I fully charge a Tesla at home, drive it 20 minutes to the airport and park it in the employee lot (I'm assuming no charging there) and leave it for one week, will I have enough juice to make it home? How about two weeks left unplugged?

I was going to say "leave it alone and it'll be fine", but @mjburian provided a great real-world answer there. If you get on your phone and check on your car every hour, it won't go to sleep and it'll drain a fair amount. Sentry mode keeps it awake all the time and clearly eats up some juice, so be careful there.

But, comparing it to what you'd do with any other car (where you probably don't have a mobile app that talks to it and you definitely don't have Sentry mode), and it'll be fine, as long as you don't park it near empty. If you do live really far from whatever airport you're departing from, maybe hit up a Supercharger before you park.

Also, some of the commercial airport parking services have some charging stations and you can have the valets charge it when you drop it off and again before you pick it up.

 

[patrick wentworth]

parked my model 3 for 40 days lost 85 miles (5 miles to the airport). So starting with 320 miles charge you have to have a 1% income to have a vacation long enough to run out of charge

 

[JOhnH]

parked my model 3 for 40 days lost 85 miles (5 miles to the airport). So starting with 320 miles charge you have to have a 1% income to have a vacation long enough to run out of charge

My only question is, wouldn't it be cheaper to take Uber or a cab or something than to pay for airport parking for 40 days (and 40 nights)? Even at $5/day that would be over $200 parking, and most airports charge a lot more than that? Even little old KDAB, which has a discounted $65/weekly rate, would charge almost $400. That would buy a really long Uber ride.

 

[EdFred]

My only question is, wouldn't it be cheaper to take Uber or a cab or something than to pay for airport parking for 40 days (and 40 nights)? Even at $5/day that would be over $200 parking, and most airports charge a lot more than that? Even little old KDAB, which has a discounted $65/weekly rate, would charge almost $400. That would buy a really long Uber ride.

When you're gonna look down on others because you drive a Tesla, you have to go all in.

 

[jesse]

My only question is, wouldn't it be cheaper to take Uber or a cab or something than to pay for airport parking for 40 days (and 40 nights)? Even at $5/day that would be over $200 parking, and most airports charge a lot more than that? Even little old KDAB, which has a discounted $65/weekly rate, would charge almost $400. That would buy a really long Uber ride.

You can park in the FBO parking lot for quite a long time at many places without any fees. Not that I’ve ever done that or anything...

 

[SoonerAviator]

My only question is, wouldn't it be cheaper to take Uber or a cab or something than to pay for airport parking for 40 days (and 40 nights)? Even at $5/day that would be over $200 parking, and most airports charge a lot more than that? Even little old KDAB, which has a discounted $65/weekly rate, would charge almost $400. That would buy a really long Uber ride.

Depends on who's paying that bill, and whether I get any perks that go along with it.

 

[JOhnH]

When you're gonna look down on others because you drive a Tesla, you have to go all in.

You can park in the FBO parking lot for quite a long time at many places without any fees. Not that I’ve ever done that or anything...

Depends on who's paying that bill, and whether I get any perks that go along with it.

All good answers that I never thought of.
I didn't think of FBO parking because I always park my car in my hangar when I leave home by plane. But I guess I was thinking of commercial flying.
And I haven't had anyone else pay my parking fees since I left the corporate world in the last century.

 

[scottfromboston]

All good answers that I never thought of.
I didn't think of FBO parking because I always park my car in my hangar when I leave home by plane. But I guess I was thinking of commercial flying.
And I haven't had anyone else pay my parking fees since I left the corporate world in the last century.

He didn't say anything about being at the airport for 40 days.

I could probably charter a flight from my home drome to the "big" airport for less than 40 days of parking there, never mind Uber...

 

[EdFred]

He didn't say anything about being at the airport for 40 days.

I could probably charter a flight from my home drome to the "big" airport for less than 40 days of parking there, never mind Uber...

Why mention the 5 miles to the airport then?

 

[JOhnH]

He didn't say anything about being at the airport for 40 days.

parked my model 3 for 40 days lost 85 miles (5 miles to the airport). So starting with 320 miles charge you have to have a 1% income to have a vacation long enough to run out of charge

I'm not sure exactly what he meant. But the current thread detour is about what happens if you park your car at the airport for an extended period, so I inferred that was where he parked for 40 days.

 

[olasek]

I feel like Tesla in many ways at least from a perception perspective, is the Cirrus of the driving world.

We all have our subjective perspectives, at least to me it is the Lexus that seem similar enough to the Cirrus, I even purchased an IS 350 because it's 'cockpit' reminded me so much of the Cirrus.
BTW, this latest Miata is great and I agree - it is superbly designed interior, too small a car for me however plus I already have nice roadster/manual.
Tesla with its Ipad-like driving experience doesn't appeal to my sense of ergonomics as well as touch&feel..

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Well, the apocalypse must be soon. @Jay Honeck bought a Tesla!

 

[EdFred]

Well, the apocalypse must be soon. @Jay Honeck bought a Tesla!

Nah. remember when he had his Dakota. All he would do is yammer on about how he would never buy a "deathtrap plane built in a shed"
Then he goes out and gets the RV and says the complete opposite. I believe the word I'm looking for is "hypocrite."

Pretty much anything Jay says, within 5 years he will have have flipped.

 

[patrick wentworth]

Sorry for any confusion. I was responding to the concern for mileage loss while sitting. When we travel I drive 5 miles to the airport and park next to our plane (no airport fees) and at 2 miles a day loss while sitting waiting for our return using 300 miles charge / 2 miles a day = 150 day vacation... a true tv1 percent-er vacation
For me the sitting loss is a non issue.
The model 3 320 mile range has a lot of flexibility for us.

 

[JOhnH]

Sorry for any confusion. I was responding to the concern for mileage loss while sitting. When we travel I drive 5 miles to the airport and park next to our plane (no airport fees) and at 2 miles a day loss while sitting waiting for our return using 300 miles charge / 2 miles a day = 150 day vacation... a true tv1 percent-er vacation
For me the sitting loss is a non issue.
The model 3 320 mile range has a lot of flexibility for us.

Thanks for the clarification. And just for the record, I would love to own a Tesla some day. As far as how much charge will be left after leaving the car for an extended period, there is also the fact that leaving ANY car unattended for a month or more may just as well lead to a dead battery on return.

 

[AggieMike88]

I believe the word I'm looking for

Even so, the Zoom Climb video you did has always been one of my favorites to an aviation discussion. Especially when you know the context and back story.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Nah. remember when he had his Dakota. All he would do is yammer on about how he would never buy a "deathtrap plane built in a shed"
Then he goes out and gets the RV and says the complete opposite. I believe the word I'm looking for is "hypocrite."

Pretty much anything Jay says, within 5 years he will have have flipped.

I wouldn't expect you to understand what having an open mind is like.

When you start to learn by past experience, your views will evolve. Some never figure that out.

Never owned a Dakota, by the way.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Well, the apocalypse must be soon. @Jay Honeck bought a Tesla!

I've been looking for an EV since 2012. The Model 3 represents the fact that EVs have finally evolved to the point where they are not just practical -- they are AWESOME cars.

We were finally able to obtain a test drive in March, after unsuccessfully trying to get one, off and on, for several years. We were in Houston to attend an event, and the test drive was absolutely remarkable.

There we were, in 8 lanes of rush hour Houston traffic, with the car driving on autopilot! It effortlessly navigated the traffic, with lane changes initiated by me -- simply by flipping on the turn signal. It was eye-opening.

Then, when we returned to the Tesla store, the guy demonstrated how you could summon the car with your cell phone. Amazing!

And, of course, there's the power. The acceleration is simply unbelievable. It makes my classic Corvette, or even my LS swapped El Camino rat rod, seem like granny cars.

So, just as it was after my first ride in an RV-8, I needed one. Picked it up 2 weeks ago, and marveled as the car drove us back to the coast from San Antonio!

In that time we've already had 3 software updates pushed out to the car. It's so advanced, it simply makes every other car feel old and out of date. I've installed two chargers at the hotel, so that our EV driving guests can top off for free when they reserve a room.

I've never been happier with a car.

 

[ktup-flyer]

I've been looking for an EV since 2012. The Model 3 represents the fact that EVs have finally evolved to the point where they are not just practical -- they are AWESOME cars.

We were finally able to obtain a test drive in March, after unsuccessfully trying to get one, off and on, for several years. We were in Houston to attend an event, and the test drive was absolutely remarkable.

There we were, in 8 lanes of rush hour Houston traffic, with the car driving on autopilot! It effortlessly navigated the traffic, with lane changes initiated by me -- simply by flipping on the turn signal. It was eye-opening.

Then, when we returned to the Tesla store, the guy demonstrated how you could summon the car with your cell phone. Amazing!

And, of course, there's the power. The acceleration is simply unbelievable. It makes my classic Corvette, or even my LS swapped El Camino rat rod, seem like granny cars.

So, just as it was after my first ride in an RV-8, I needed one. Picked it up 2 weeks ago, and marveled as the car drove us back to the coast from San Antonio!

In that time we've already had 3 software updates pushed out to the car. It's so advanced, it simply makes every other car feel old and out of date. I've installed two chargers at the hotel, so that our EV driving guests can top off for free when they reserve a room.

I've never been happier with a car.

Long time, no see

 

[JOhnH]

I've been looking for an EV since 2012. The Model 3 represents the fact that EVs have finally evolved to the point where they are not just practical -- they are AWESOME cars.

We were finally able to obtain a test drive in March, after unsuccessfully trying to get one, off and on, for several years. We were in Houston to attend an event, and the test drive was absolutely remarkable.

There we were, in 8 lanes of rush hour Houston traffic, with the car driving on autopilot! It effortlessly navigated the traffic, with lane changes initiated by me -- simply by flipping on the turn signal. It was eye-opening.

Then, when we returned to the Tesla store, the guy demonstrated how you could summon the car with your cell phone. Amazing!

And, of course, there's the power. The acceleration is simply unbelievable. It makes my classic Corvette, or even my LS swapped El Camino rat rod, seem like granny cars.

So, just as it was after my first ride in an RV-8, I needed one. Picked it up 2 weeks ago, and marveled as the car drove us back to the coast from San Antonio!

In that time we've already had 3 software updates pushed out to the car. It's so advanced, it simply makes every other car feel old and out of date. I've installed two chargers at the hotel, so that our EV driving guests can top off for free when they reserve a room.

I've never been happier with a car.

Hi Jay,
I agree with everything you said about the Tesla. Until someone actually drives one,they are just supposing. A good friend of mine that owns a Tesla ran into a great deal on a vintage Corvette that he had always been looking for, so he bought it. But he found that next to his Tesla, he never desired to drive the Vette. It just seemed boring.

But remember, Tesla's don't like being submerged even more so than other cars.

 

[deonb]

But remember, Tesla's don't like being submerged even more so than other cars.

Woah! Too soon. However...

 

[Lowflynjack]

I recently ferried a plane to a nearby airport for an annual. Someone was supposed to fly over and get me, but suddenly decided he didn't really want to! The guy who was selling the plane came to get me in his Tesla Model X.

I'm not a Tesla hater. In fact, my company makes a few parts for Tesla. I can honestly say I was not impressed with this car in the slightest bit.

I was sitting in the second row, on the right side of the car. The owner's wife was in the front seat. The back of the seat was touching my knees (I'm 6' tall), and it was a hard plastic. There was no way you could put 7 adults in it as they advertise. I'm pretty sure normal-sized adults could not fit in the third row. To be fair, this is the same with most smaller SUVs.

I didn't like the display, it was huge. I know this is a positive for some. I didn't like the fact that the windshield curved up over your head in the front. Both of these were just cosmetic issues for me though.

It has gull-wing doors on the rear that you can't open if a car is parked next to you. Luckily you can have the car come to you!

The car did not like on-ramps, it got confused. It didn't know whether to enter the ramp or stay in the current lane. Once it jerked fairly rapidly back and forth.

The driver put on the left blinker once when a truck was to the left of us. This was driver error of course, but the car tried to change lanes into the truck three times, jerking back and forth and then over-correcting and putting us slightly on the shoulder of the road.

But, the worst thing about the car was, I couldn't hear the driver even when he looked back and said something to me. The road noise was terrible and negates any positives from having an electric motor.

I've never been in any other Tesla, hopefully the 3 is a much better car. I hope I never have to ride in a Model X again.

 

[tspear]

Sorry for any confusion. I was responding to the concern for mileage loss while sitting. When we travel I drive 5 miles to the airport and park next to our plane (no airport fees) and at 2 miles a day loss while sitting waiting for our return using 300 miles charge / 2 miles a day = 150 day vacation... a true tv1 percent-er vacation
For me the sitting loss is a non issue.
The model 3 320 mile range has a lot of flexibility for us.

Nah, at that point you will have a nice enough hangar that has an electric outlet. In which, you leave the car plugged in.

 

[EdFred]

Nah, at that point you will have a nice enough hangar that has an electric outlet. In which, you leave the car plugged in.

Wait, electricity in the hangar means I'm a 1%er??

 

[JOhnH]

Wait, electricity in the hangar means I'm a 1%er??

Not necessarily,
But being a 1%er means you will have electricity in your hangar.

 

[tspear]

Wait, electricity in the hangar means I'm a 1%er??

Nope. The plane does that.
In all seriousness, if you have a Tesla and go on vacation for five months, you are highly likely to be in a newer hangar; which includes electricity.

Tim

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I wouldn't expect you to understand what having an open mind is like.

When you start to learn by past experience, your views will evolve. Some never figure that out.

Have you ever called a politician a flip-flopper?

Having a mind one can change is one of the best parts about being human. I wish people were more accepting of it.

Of course, the louder you spout the "old" opinion, the more feathers you ruffle when you change to the new one.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

The Model 3 represents the fact that EVs have finally evolved to the point where they are not just practical -- they are AWESOME cars.

We were finally able to obtain a test drive in March, after unsuccessfully trying to get one, off and on, for several years. We were in Houston to attend an event, and the test drive was absolutely remarkable.

There we were, in 8 lanes of rush hour Houston traffic, with the car driving on autopilot! It effortlessly navigated the traffic, with lane changes initiated by me -- simply by flipping on the turn signal. It was eye-opening.

Then, when we returned to the Tesla store, the guy demonstrated how you could summon the car with your cell phone. Amazing!

And, of course, there's the power. The acceleration is simply unbelievable. It makes my classic Corvette, or even my LS swapped El Camino rat rod, seem like granny cars.

So, just as it was after my first ride in an RV-8, I needed one. Picked it up 2 weeks ago, and marveled as the car drove us back to the coast from San Antonio!

In that time we've already had 3 software updates pushed out to the car. It's so advanced, it simply makes every other car feel old and out of date. I've installed two chargers at the hotel, so that our EV driving guests can top off for free when they reserve a room.

I've never been happier with a car.

Aha! And now Jay gets how I felt when I wrote the original post in this thread.

It is really hard to understand how superlative these things are until you drive one, because they completely break the "car" mold as we know it. It's a completely different experience than any other car.