#1 - First EV Drive With Tesla Model Y Performance - Expensive Ending!
I'm backing the Model Y Performance as rental worthy and from what I hear the base models are nice too. From driving this I know I’ll like the Model 3. One main concern was how they handle, which checked out as good. I have no plans to own a car like this anytime soon. I’m not entirely sold on what its like living with as a daily. Specifically a Tesla with its quirkiness and over-intrusive abilities when compared to other manufacturer EV.
Steering input and wheel size was just right. Regenerative braking works most efficiently in its most aggressive setting, which was easy to adjust to. It was nice to rarely tap on the brakes. Michelin Pilot Sports were sticky with no noise and felt just right on the Model Y. I didn’t push it enough to feel body roll or tire grip limit, but I've been told EVs usually lack body roll and that these do well on track at their limits. It was perfectly fun doing 7/10ths in canyons. Only had time to go up Laurel and hit some of Mulholland. Its well balanced switching between lanes and traffic in highway/street driving.
Acceleration is great and I think it can make some of us dizzy, but as you go about your day-to-day, it doesn't seem to be a problem where symptom relief is necessary. Nice interior balance of simplicity (didn’t just seem cheap imo) and modern tech in the big display screen. No rear window visibility, but not much missed with the rear cameras working when changing lanes and reversing to assist your view.
Minus the quite hideous front-center view, the exterior looks cool. Of course the carbon fiber trim throughout is nice, including the lip spoiler ($800 option). Many of us in LA are annoyed by the sheer number of Tesla on the road now, its weird to become apart of that herd. Seeing similar or same optioned specs driving past is funny and despising.
The learning curve is mostly positive and a welcomed new experience. Time is needed to go through the on-screen controls and no doubt a few Youtube videos for learning. In drive mode, I tried to change my shirt (don't recommend this) and learned it goes into park mode, adjusting the seat and steering wheel to a strange default position if you take your seat-belt off. I proceeded to fight against the car in slow traffic while changing my shirt and repeatedly putting it back into Drive.
I hear they are fun at the limit. From my first driving experience, it seems dangerous having a car with this lack of feedback if you get comfortable enough to push it too hard, but I’d need to live with it longer term to discover that. Besides lack of feedback the silence was fine to live with and I don't mind the pulsating noise it makes. It compliments the unusual experience of moving that quick and effortlessly.
I didn’t try to clock the time, but 0-60mph felt like 3 second range and its listed online at 3.5 to 4.8 seconds. This car perfectly compliments the concept on my mind lately of having a lot of power on tap and not needing to use it. So much power that you hardly ever need to tap the pedal to produce it and you know you have hellfire at your feet if you want. That's how I justify people driving cars that are meant for the track to cars and coffee instead.
The Tesla Supercharger station worked good as expected. Looks like there's a 5-15 min wait average to get hooked up, then up to another 30 minutes charging isn’t bad. I think we all have stuff we can do with that time. Saw people grabbing coffee, going for a run, and I was out car spotting and getting content on the Model Y.
It’s a wide car, which I don’t prefer, but I've found this review to be much more positives than negatives. The ending was bittersweet, as I curbed the wheel parking the night before returning the car. If I saw the $250 Curbed Wheel charge in the Turo hosts listing prior to booking, I would’ve not booked, or been that much more careful, and not risked parallel parking.
PRICE BREAKDOWN - listed at $62 per day, $15 minimum grade insurance (3k out of pocket max), $20 trip fee (ranges but this was higher for being one-day rental), and $20 Supercharger fee (100-120 miles driven) - $120 worth it for the day and experience, but ending at $370 with the curbed wheels is the punch in the gut. “Big L, R.I.P.”