Trigger warning: In spite of any discussion of EV's getting some forum members undies in a bunch, I thought I'd give an update anyway and give y'all more fodder for discussion (and subsequent flame posts).
Since I already posted about my experience driving 3 Performance and Y Long range a couple weeks ago, yesterday I took out the opposite trim levels; a 3 Long Range and a Y Performance to hopefully get some better insight on both of these extremely popular vehicles.
The damn things are everywhere in my city so I think it's worth the Alfa faithful forum member's time to hear what's going on at Tesla and hopefully get a little insight into our inevitable EV future with Alfa.
Tesla Y Performance:
After the initial thrill of the acceleration on my first go 'round, this time I wanted to focus more on how these things drive. Well, at least on paper it all looks great for the number #1 selling vehicle on the planet last quarter.
However, the reality of how they drive, isn't the least bit great in my opinion. Even though the Y is derived from the 3, they feel a lot different, and not in a good way. The platform is shaky, literally. I'm not sure what the lateral stiffness in "mega hurts" actually is, but, you can't even get a clear view out of the rear view mirror because it's bouncing around so much. Lots of NVH in the form of rattles and body creak type noise. Any rapid acceleration, braking, or turning seems to upset the car and it seems entirely unhappy with any sporty moves. The ride is certainly stiff, but what is most jarring is how loud and tinny it feels.
Looks wise, packaging, outward visibility and general comfort are excellent, especially the very comfortable seats. They've dropped the price on these things 20% since December '22 and and actual 35% total when considering the $7,500 IRA incentive that most buyers qualify for.
Regular folks are clamoring for the Y given the new price point, but they most definitely aren't for driving enthusiasts like us. Great on paper, great numbers, excellent value, but surprisingly poorly executed.
The Stelvio feels like a bank vault by comparison.
Tesla 3 Long Range with 19 in. wheel upgrade:
In a word, a remarkable contrast to the Y. Even though it's a "closely related" platform, the 3's driving dynamics are absolutely buttoned up. A legit sports sedan in my view, rivaling BMW 3 series, or even Giulia.
Absolutely zero body stiffness issues, great turn in, and seemingly very comfortable with changing direction. The front seats are also uber comfortable, although not as firm and sporting as the sport seats on the Stelvio / Giulia.
One thing that is also refreshing is Tesla found a way to have impressive glass area and a very low cowl for a compact sedan. The driving position and feel of command is excellent. Quick steering ratio (2.0 turns) makes the 3 feel very responsive. Center feel and tracking is spot on as well.
The only drawback vs. the Y would be utility. The Y is very roomy, has an excellent back seat, and a relatively huge hatch with lots of room behind the 2nd. seat. People pop in an inflatable mattress and camp in these things.
The 3's back seat has decent leg room but the seat is quite low in comparison and not very comfortable for someone on a long trip. No hatch either, although the trunk is roomy and you could still throw a bike back there with the seats folded down if you took off the front wheel.
The other question I had is how much slower would a LR feel compared to the Performance model? The reality is the LR is not really slower, it's just less fast. In other words, a 12.7 sec. Qtr. mile instead of an 11.7 sec. Qtr. mile. More power than 98% of us would ever need. You can show tail lights to a whole bunch of muscle cars if you want to, just not a McLaren, etc.
So, in my view, the 3 is a drivers car. The Y is a tinny soccer dad mobile with lots of power.
Since I already posted about my experience driving 3 Performance and Y Long range a couple weeks ago, yesterday I took out the opposite trim levels; a 3 Long Range and a Y Performance to hopefully get some better insight on both of these extremely popular vehicles.
The damn things are everywhere in my city so I think it's worth the Alfa faithful forum member's time to hear what's going on at Tesla and hopefully get a little insight into our inevitable EV future with Alfa.
Tesla Y Performance:
After the initial thrill of the acceleration on my first go 'round, this time I wanted to focus more on how these things drive. Well, at least on paper it all looks great for the number #1 selling vehicle on the planet last quarter.
However, the reality of how they drive, isn't the least bit great in my opinion. Even though the Y is derived from the 3, they feel a lot different, and not in a good way. The platform is shaky, literally. I'm not sure what the lateral stiffness in "mega hurts" actually is, but, you can't even get a clear view out of the rear view mirror because it's bouncing around so much. Lots of NVH in the form of rattles and body creak type noise. Any rapid acceleration, braking, or turning seems to upset the car and it seems entirely unhappy with any sporty moves. The ride is certainly stiff, but what is most jarring is how loud and tinny it feels.
Looks wise, packaging, outward visibility and general comfort are excellent, especially the very comfortable seats. They've dropped the price on these things 20% since December '22 and and actual 35% total when considering the $7,500 IRA incentive that most buyers qualify for.
Regular folks are clamoring for the Y given the new price point, but they most definitely aren't for driving enthusiasts like us. Great on paper, great numbers, excellent value, but surprisingly poorly executed.
The Stelvio feels like a bank vault by comparison.
Tesla 3 Long Range with 19 in. wheel upgrade:
In a word, a remarkable contrast to the Y. Even though it's a "closely related" platform, the 3's driving dynamics are absolutely buttoned up. A legit sports sedan in my view, rivaling BMW 3 series, or even Giulia.
Absolutely zero body stiffness issues, great turn in, and seemingly very comfortable with changing direction. The front seats are also uber comfortable, although not as firm and sporting as the sport seats on the Stelvio / Giulia.
One thing that is also refreshing is Tesla found a way to have impressive glass area and a very low cowl for a compact sedan. The driving position and feel of command is excellent. Quick steering ratio (2.0 turns) makes the 3 feel very responsive. Center feel and tracking is spot on as well.
The only drawback vs. the Y would be utility. The Y is very roomy, has an excellent back seat, and a relatively huge hatch with lots of room behind the 2nd. seat. People pop in an inflatable mattress and camp in these things.
The 3's back seat has decent leg room but the seat is quite low in comparison and not very comfortable for someone on a long trip. No hatch either, although the trunk is roomy and you could still throw a bike back there with the seats folded down if you took off the front wheel.
The other question I had is how much slower would a LR feel compared to the Performance model? The reality is the LR is not really slower, it's just less fast. In other words, a 12.7 sec. Qtr. mile instead of an 11.7 sec. Qtr. mile. More power than 98% of us would ever need. You can show tail lights to a whole bunch of muscle cars if you want to, just not a McLaren, etc.
So, in my view, the 3 is a drivers car. The Y is a tinny soccer dad mobile with lots of power.
