Scale model
Can you separate the art from the artist? Elon’s abrasive antics have taken the shine off a Tesla but somewhere in there there’s a car company crying to be taken seriously This new facelifted does look good though sharper more assertive and resolved It’s improved inside too with a sense that the quality of materials and overall design is finally catching up with the tech
You will still have to drive the car yourself though sorry about that The comes with Autopilot cruise control as standard but you can spend for the ‘Enhanced’ version and on ‘Full SelfDriving Capability’ The latter isn’t actually available it’s more a hope it’ll eventually be possible May as well go ahead and tick ‘World Peace’ on the options list while you’re at it
No yoke here but you will find that the indicators have moved to the steering wheel hub There are no stalks at all and it’ll probably be a few thousand miles before your hand is cured of Phantom Indicator Syndrome Mostly it all works fine but doesn’t feel like it’s been tested in an international setting it’s a nightmare on roundabouts and the tight turns of most UK towns occasionally just dangerous
The Model still sets a high bar for EVs the soothing balm on your ownership experience is the ready made charge network that’s quick convenient and simple to use Some of the prime locations are getting terribly busy but it helps that your car is able to tell you capacity levels Would love some of that action in other EVs
Range is improved thanks to slipperier aero and a newly reduced top speed miles is more than enough for a decent drive The experience itself falls short though The steering is grainy with little selfcorrection out of corners it’s like using a force feedback PC wheel from the early Noughties The is a decent enough tourer on the motorway but show it a country road and it starts to get a bit wibbly the front wheels failing to communicate what they’re up to and the skittish ride sending the car about the road
Tesla’s done just enough to freshen a car that’s been on the go since But then its fans never seemed to mind its shortcomings With so many more options available the pressure has piled on and that price is doing a lot of heavy lifting