EatsShootsandLeafs said:
It's possible. I put my reservation before we knew all the deets. But the car is exactly what I expected it to be for $35k except for the EAP. I never expected that Tesla would demand a full $5k premium to have autopilot on a $35k car. I also never expected they would have the gall to sell it without power drivers' seats. Or XM radio (heck that isn't even an option in the premium version). But, the car overall looks nice, and it is perhaps quicker than I had hoped it would be.
Interesting thoughts.
I too reserved pre-reveal. My thoughts on the plusses/minuses:
Exterior appearance: with the exception of the nose (at first), far better than I expected. I actually really dislike the S & X nose, and especially the old S. So even though it initially looked funny to me, I thought the Model 3 nose was an improvement and figured they'd tweak it quite a bit anyway. While they did somewhat, I think it's more my tastes that have come around. I really like the nose of the Model 3 now. And the rest of the car is far more beautiful than I thought.
Interior appearance: Not a fan of any kind of screen that sticks out like the M3's, so this is a negative for me. But definitely not a deal breaker. I'm not the kind of person that appreciates a completely "clean" appearance. I don't mind a few real knobs and dials. I don't need everything to be run through a GUI, and in fact think there is some risk to relying on a computer to control everything. OTOH, I do trust that Tesla has the ability to make bugs right and continuously improve the UI.
Battery options: I never intended to get the base battery. This is going to be the EV that gets me off gas completely, so I had always planned on opting for a larger battery. The long range battery stunned me with its range, but also its price. I really would have liked to see a mid-range option with around 275 miles of range for $5-6K extra. I think this would be sufficient to enable long distance travel. I am still planning on getting the LR battery, but it may come at the expense of going for the PUP package.
Wheels: The aero wheels are somewhat controversial, but I think it's fantastic. I can take the covers off most of the time and then slap them on for long distance trips. I think the aero wheels without the covers are plenty attractive.
Performance: Probably a bit better than I expected, but that doesn't really matter that much to me. Standard RWD performance is going to be plenty for me.
PUP package: A bit disappointed that everything is bundled into one package, but I understand why they are doing it that way. I'm thinking I can probably live without it, but would like to see what it looks like without the glass roof and see if the center armrest is affected by the non-PUP. Everything else I think I can live without.
Supercharging access (lack of free supercharging): I never interpreted Elon's words as meaning that Supercharging would be free for Model 3's. Yes, slightly disappointed that there is not a 400kWh credit, or free Supercharging outside of a designated "home" area, but honestly, for the amount of time I'm planning on using SCs, it will hardly matter. And frankly, I think having to pay will discourage use that could just as easily be done at home, so I'm all for Model 3s having to pay.
Phone as key: Big fail. I just don't trust Bluetooth (or my phone) and think it would be clunky if we ever get a second Tesla. Still, not a deal breaker. I am hoping they can improve the software, and I will probably just disable the unlock on walkup (and hopefully I can disable lock on walk away) functionality to return it more or less to what I am used to on my LEAF.
EAP and FSD cost: I will probably forego EAP as well due to cost, but I would consider it in the future. Was hoping for more like a $3K price point for EAP and far more for FSD. Again, it would be awesome for one week out of the year, but other than that I just don't see myself using it much (even though I fully support the advance of autonomous driving).
All in all I was hoping to spend about $42K to get a longer range battery, glass roof and potentially EAP if I bumped it up to $45K. As it stands now I'll have to spend $45K to get the color I want and leave behind the glass roof and EAP. A tad disappointed on that, but none of it a dealbreaker. The positives of the car still completely outweigh the negatives, and I will stand behind my statement that there is no other car that will meet my needs (to get off gas completely) for the foreseeable future (until at least 2020, and even then I'm not so sure) in this price range.