# Tell me what you like and dislike about driving a Tesla automobile **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 28, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054 "2022-06-28T16:26:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/61 "2022-07-19T01:46:53Z")
Right, which is how I knew they weren’t on when I was decelerating at a rate that could only be accomplished by at least gently tapping the brake in a regular gas-powered car. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/62 "2022-07-19T01:57:18Z")
I guess it may depend on what you’re coming from. A manual in third gear definitely has more engine braking effect than what triggers the brake lights on the Model 3. I sometimes did two-foot driving in my old manual just to make sure I didn’t get rear-ended in traffic. Haven’t had that worry in the 3. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/63 "2022-07-19T03:57:53Z")
> [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > less comfortable by pitching the headrest forward for some stupid reason like it reduces the number of crash test dummies that get their heads snapped off or something, Don’t know about the Tesla, but the headrest angle on my '19 Subaru is adjustable. Pull all the way forward and it will go all the way back when released. Then pull forward and it ratchets through several angles and will stay where set. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/64 "2022-07-19T13:38:29Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > How do you do this normally just to turn them on or off? Is it on the screen only? It’s automatic. It’s three screen taps otherwise: car icon in the lower left, lights menu option in middle right, on or off buttons in upper right. Not safe to do while driving. (I know this off the top of my head because I turn them off manually while waiting in the car after dark for my kids to get out of class.) ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/65 "2022-07-19T13:46:37Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > > [@CookingWithGas](#): > > > > > [@Pleonast](#): > > > > > > The Model 3 has trouble with shadows on the road, cars in adjacent lanes (including parked cars), pedestrians milling at the corner. So I can’t trust it to maintain speed, > > > > I thought cruise control was for highways, not city streets. I’m not surprised you have issues under those conditions. > > Autopilot and Full Self-Driving both work on city streets, except of course occasions where the computer gets confused. The car will slow down until it determines the dangerous situation has been avoided, something that deeply irritates the drivers behind you. Teslas have three levels of automation. 1, cruise control which maintains speed. 2, autopilot which maintains speed and lane. 3, full self-drive which does everything. In my other two cars (Chevy Bolt, Lexus RX450h) I use cruise control any time I don’t expect to have to change speeds. Those cars will happily maintain the set speed no matter the conditions. Their cruise controls works just as fine on side streets at 25 as the freeway at 70. The Tesla Model 3 will “cleverly” decide that doesn’t want to keep speed any more. I compare it to a horse that gets spooked easily. Edited to add: I love the euphemism “deeply irritating the drivers behind you”. 😍 ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/66 "2022-07-19T13:56:32Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > > [@Pleonast](#): > > > > First reason this matters is the Tesla navigation isn’t as good as the Waze app. > > Depends on what you need out of it, though. The integration of Superchargers into the navigation is a pretty key element. The built-in nav tells you where the Superchargers are, how occupied they are, and the charging speed. If you plan out a route, it’ll tell you where to stop and what your charge level will be when you get there. Good point. My electric cars are commuters. Waze is a commuter-focused app and does it really well. It’s great when there’s many ways to get where you’re going. It’s not so useful on longer trips where there’s not many alternative routes. On the occasional trip, we’ve never driven the Tesla far enough that we’ve needed to stop for a charge en route, rather than charging at the destination. (It’s more an issue of space for all the luggage than range anxiety. Although I’ve heard horror stories of Sunday afternoons coming back to L.A. from Las Vegas.) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/67 "2022-07-19T15:45:30Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Waze is […] not so useful on longer trips where there’s not many alternative routes. I find the opposite. On short trips it can provide really oddball shortcut routes that save 10 seconds. On highway trips, aside from the route, it provides route hazard/speed trap information that I find useful even if I already know how to get there. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/68 "2022-07-19T16:22:21Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > It’s automatic. It’s three screen taps otherwise: car icon in the lower left, lights menu option There is a slightly faster, if still stupid, way to do it. Press the left side stalk forward, to put the high beams into automatic mode, that will bring up the lights mini control at the bottom left of the screen, then you can tap the appropriate button to adjust the lights. That what I use to turn on and off the fog lights. What it _should_ have is the headlight and foglight icons greyed out on the screen, and then a tap to toggle them. There is probably a way to talk to the car to turn them on and off, too, but I’m sure if I ask for fog lights the car’s going to start streaming CCR. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/69 "2022-07-19T19:41:26Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Don’t know about the Tesla, but the headrest angle on my '19 Subaru is adjustable. Pull all the way forward and it will go all the way back when released. Then pull forward and it ratchets through several angles and will stay where set. Interesting; I seem to remember Subaru being one of the worst offenders for the forward tilt. Perhaps this is a recent innovation in response to frustrated drivers turning the headrests around or just pulling them out entirely. My Mazda3’s headrests aren’t too bad, but they definitely only adjust up and down, not to different angles. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/70 "2022-07-19T22:38:55Z")
I like the cut of this guy’s jib: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6SYT0upjNac/maxresdefault.jpg "Jet Powered Tesla") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SYT0upjNac) ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/71 "2022-07-19T23:02:26Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > There is probably a way to talk to the car to turn them on and off, too, but I’m sure if I ask for fog lights the car’s going to start streaming CCR. Come on, the voice recognition is not _that_ bad. You’d get Foghat. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/72 "2022-07-19T23:45:18Z")
The angle usually adjusts where the rest is attached to the stalk. And most of the cars I’ve driven recently have adjustable angle head rests. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2022, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/73 "2022-07-19T23:49:40Z")
That reminds me of another thing I like about our Tesla (not EV related, any manufacturer could do this. Maybe others do) You can set drivers, for example, my wife might be “Mary” and I’m “Joe.” When I get in I hit “Joe” on the touch screen, and _everything_ adjusts to my settings. The side mirrors, the seat position, the radio favorites, the gauge layout, etc. When she gets in she hit’s “Mary” and everything is back to the way she likes it. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/74 "2022-07-20T00:00:37Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > That reminds me of another thing I like about our Tesla (not EV related, any manufacturer could do this. Maybe others do) Our 2011 Lexus does it. Our 2017 Bolt does not. I’m guessing it’s one of those “luxury” features that’ll trickle down to every model eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/75 "2022-07-20T00:44:37Z")
> [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > There’s been a trend toward making car seats less comfortable by pitching the headrest forward for some stupid reason like it reduces the number of crash test dummies that get their heads snapped off or something, and it’s sucking a lot of the pleasure out of long recreational drives. But that Tesla seat, man. I want a recliner that’s basically one of those on a post with a foot rest. For the 3 not the Y (at first). They use the same seat but the way the seat is mounted the Y has an angle that makes it feel like your head is always shoved forward. It was a deal-breaker for us until the dealer explained it and we found we could recline the seat into a comfortable position. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/76 "2022-07-20T04:38:22Z")
OK, last thing and I swear I’ll drop the seat discussion. I looked it up, and it appears Subaru first introduced the ability to tilt the Forester’s headrests, instead of just moving them up and down, in 2014. Here’s the 2013 manual showing they only go up and down: [https://carmanuals2.com/subaru/forester-2013-owner-s-manual-88541/page-14/](https://carmanuals2.com/subaru/forester-2013-owner-s-manual-88541/page-14/) Here’s the 2014 manual showing how you can now adjust the tilt: [https://viewer.joomag.com/subaru-forester-manuals-2014-forester-owners-manual/0921220001386912047?page=68](https://viewer.joomag.com/subaru-forester-manuals-2014-forester-owners-manual/0921220001386912047?page=68) Here’s an old message board thread from the mid-aughts, after Subaru started making the headrests pitch way forward and almost a decade before they introduced the ability to adjust the angle: [Forester Headrest - 1990 to Present Legacy, Impreza, Outback, Forester, Baja, WRX&WrxSTI, SVX - Ultimate Subaru Message Board](https://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/43044-forester-headrest/) And here’s’s the manual showing the headrests on my Mazda3 indeed only go up and down: [https://owners-manual.mazda.com/gen/en/mazda3/mazda3\_8fj4ee16e/contents/03010600.html#:~:text=To%20raise%20a%20head%20restraint,top%20of%20the%20passenger’s%20ears.&text=To%20remove%20the%20head%20restraint,while%20pressing%20the%20stop-catch](https://owners-manual.mazda.com/gen/en/mazda3/mazda3_8fj4ee16e/contents/03010600.html#:~:text=To%20raise%20a%20head%20restraint,top%20of%20the%20passenger's%20ears.&text=To%20remove%20the%20head%20restraint,while%20pressing%20the%20stop%2Dcatch). At least as of 2019, Kia only made the headrests 4-way adjustable on certain models: [Cure Your Headrest Headache – Lawton Kia Blog](https://www.lawtonkia.com/blogs/3676/headrest-headache) GM apparently removed the adjustable tilt feature from their vehicles recently: [https://gmauthority.com/blog/2021/04/not-a-single-gm-vehicle-currently-in-production-offers-tilting-headrests/](https://gmauthority.com/blog/2021/04/not-a-single-gm-vehicle-currently-in-production-offers-tilting-headrests/) So in conclusion, different makes and models of cars have varying seats, which may or may not be adjustable and which may have comfort implications for some of us, which may be worth remarking upon if someone asks what you like or dislike about a particular car. Tesla: seat good. IMO. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/77 "2022-07-20T11:41:29Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > any manufacturer could do this. Maybe others do) > > You can set drivers My Inifiniti has buttons for two drivers linked to two key fobs, and it automatically selects the driver depending on which key fob opened the car. But it only sets seat, steering wheel, and mirrors. In a Tesla there are so many soft controls that Tesla can basically customize the whole environment. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/78 "2022-07-20T15:01:57Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > it automatically selects the driver depending on which key fob opened the car. But it only sets seat, steering wheel, and mirrors. In a Tesla there are so many soft controls that Tesla can basically customize the whole environment. Not only are there a bunch more settings on the Tesla that are controlled by the profile, but the phone as key stuff is sensitive enough to choose the profile for the phone that is on the driver side of the car when two phone-keys are present. This seems to work correctly about 95% of the time. Another thing I like is the “easy entry” profile which can be set to activate when the car is in park. It moves the steering wheel out of the way, and the seat back a bit to make getting in and out easier. Nothing too unique about that, as lots of cars that have it, but the thing with the Tesla is that it’s fast. The seat moves quickly enough that I never feel like I’m waiting for it to get into position. I drove a rental Suburban (I think) that had that, but it moved so slow I ended up disabling it. I was constantly waiting for the seat to finish moving forward before I could drive. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/79 "2022-07-20T15:20:41Z")
I see a market for a sticker. “Please DO NOT SMASH THE WINDOW to let the pet out. We have a smart dog™ who knows how to use the climate controls.” ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054/80 "2022-07-20T16:00:36Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > the phone as key stuff I never heard of this. I test drove one and the sales guy didn’t mention it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-you-like-and-dislike-about-driving-a-tesla-automobile/967054.md?page=5)