Tesla Actual Real World Performance
Discussion
Hi all I’m hoping people who are more knowledgeable than me, with real world experience of a Tesla can enlighten me.
I currently drive a Mercedes A35 which I like but I’m being pushed/forced into EV by a change to the company car policy…including the cash allowance option which I’m currently on. I don’t have a real problem with this and have a test drive booked on Saturday in a Model Y LR (I need a hatchback/boot that fully opens, so Model 3 is a no go).
So I’m trying to establish how fast Teslas actually are and if they just have ‘headline’ grabbing 0-60’s and the acceleration tails off?
The reason I say that is I have had a few on road interactions with model 3 LR and tbh they were slower than I expected, I thought I would get dropped but not the case.
I am trying to decide between a MYLR or an MYP which to me is a £190 per month difference (the way the car scheme works) which I’m happy to pay….BUT
Take the Y performance for example, from what I can see and from you tube vids does 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and 0-100 mph in 9.1 seconds, so 60 to 100 in 5.6.
My A35 does it in about 6 seconds, so not much slower and it has to change gear?
To be clear I 99% will get a model Y, just trying to get my head around how fast they actually are as I find all the BHP and performance claims to be somewhat inconsistent and odd……am I missing something?
Please share your knowledge…..I’m only 2 days into researching this but things don’t seem to add up, especially seeming vids of the performance getting quite close to a Lamborghini.
I currently drive a Mercedes A35 which I like but I’m being pushed/forced into EV by a change to the company car policy…including the cash allowance option which I’m currently on. I don’t have a real problem with this and have a test drive booked on Saturday in a Model Y LR (I need a hatchback/boot that fully opens, so Model 3 is a no go).
So I’m trying to establish how fast Teslas actually are and if they just have ‘headline’ grabbing 0-60’s and the acceleration tails off?
The reason I say that is I have had a few on road interactions with model 3 LR and tbh they were slower than I expected, I thought I would get dropped but not the case.
I am trying to decide between a MYLR or an MYP which to me is a £190 per month difference (the way the car scheme works) which I’m happy to pay….BUT
Take the Y performance for example, from what I can see and from you tube vids does 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and 0-100 mph in 9.1 seconds, so 60 to 100 in 5.6.
My A35 does it in about 6 seconds, so not much slower and it has to change gear?
To be clear I 99% will get a model Y, just trying to get my head around how fast they actually are as I find all the BHP and performance claims to be somewhat inconsistent and odd……am I missing something?
Please share your knowledge…..I’m only 2 days into researching this but things don’t seem to add up, especially seeming vids of the performance getting quite close to a Lamborghini.
Thank you for your response. I agree with everything you stated and I appreciate it’s a totally different driving experience and the handling will be different.
I am purely trying to determine how fast the MYP is and whether the difference between the MYP and MYLR is worth the extra money to me.
I guess I will get a better idea on Saturday.
I am purely trying to determine how fast the MYP is and whether the difference between the MYP and MYLR is worth the extra money to me.
I guess I will get a better idea on Saturday.
So I test drove a MYP today and I’m not sure what I think. I expected to come away really wanting one and loving it. Unfortunately this was not the case.
There lots a positives but it was a ‘meh’ really but I get why people like them.
For me personally, compared to my current car -
Pro’s
It’s relaxing and nice to drive (slowly), I actually caught myself driving at 10 mph below the speed limit a few times (30 in a 40) it seemed to feel right there.
The stereo is on par with the burmester in my car (although that’s not necessarily a good thing).
Loads of space (which I need).
It’s fast but didn’t blow me away.
I thought the ride was good, I don’t get the negatives you hear relating to this, but my cars quite hard so it depends what your used to.
Con’s
It’s fast but didn’t blow me away….I don’t really get the vids of people screaming and shouting at the performances. It’s quick to 60 but that’s about it.
The seats are really not great (to be fair I didn’t spend much time adjusting them so maybe my fault).
The interior materials/quality are no way near as nice as a £60k merc or bmw.
As I said I get why people love them, especially if they are not used to faster cars and the tax breaks make them a no brainier for those who car take advantage of them.
Overall I thought it was nice and quick enough. I dare say I will end off with one as I am being pushed into EV’s by work but it’s far from perfect for what I’d like from a car.
I didn’t mention handling because it is what is and was never expected to match my current car.
There lots a positives but it was a ‘meh’ really but I get why people like them.
For me personally, compared to my current car -
Pro’s
It’s relaxing and nice to drive (slowly), I actually caught myself driving at 10 mph below the speed limit a few times (30 in a 40) it seemed to feel right there.
The stereo is on par with the burmester in my car (although that’s not necessarily a good thing).
Loads of space (which I need).
It’s fast but didn’t blow me away.
I thought the ride was good, I don’t get the negatives you hear relating to this, but my cars quite hard so it depends what your used to.
Con’s
It’s fast but didn’t blow me away….I don’t really get the vids of people screaming and shouting at the performances. It’s quick to 60 but that’s about it.
The seats are really not great (to be fair I didn’t spend much time adjusting them so maybe my fault).
The interior materials/quality are no way near as nice as a £60k merc or bmw.
As I said I get why people love them, especially if they are not used to faster cars and the tax breaks make them a no brainier for those who car take advantage of them.
Overall I thought it was nice and quick enough. I dare say I will end off with one as I am being pushed into EV’s by work but it’s far from perfect for what I’d like from a car.
I didn’t mention handling because it is what is and was never expected to match my current car.
I get that and mainly agree with you, I don’t think the ride is poor though.
The performance is more than adequate, particularly in the performance, BUT a lot of the ‘hype’ around Tesla is the performance and tbh I was underwhelmed.
I also purposefully mentioned that I did mention the handling because I am fully aware it’s not a sports car.
The performance is more than adequate, particularly in the performance, BUT a lot of the ‘hype’ around Tesla is the performance and tbh I was underwhelmed.
I also purposefully mentioned that I did mention the handling because I am fully aware it’s not a sports car.
Marc p said:
Driven a few electric cars(including a couple of Teslas) and although the instant power was fun at first, it didn’t take long to get bored of using it (like flappy paddles on a 330d auto).
I think you have to look at it as an a-b commuter car (which it does well) and not the car to take out for a Sunday drive along the twisty b-roads. If having a fun car is important and circumstances allow, I’d just get the LR and use the additional £190pm that a Performance would cost for a 2nd fun car.
That’s an option worth considering. There are cars on the company car list that if I ‘downgrade’ to I get paid some of the difference. I think you have to look at it as an a-b commuter car (which it does well) and not the car to take out for a Sunday drive along the twisty b-roads. If having a fun car is important and circumstances allow, I’d just get the LR and use the additional £190pm that a Performance would cost for a 2nd fun car.
So the MG electric SUV (not sure which one I’d need to check) is plus about £100 a month, so it’s a free car plus £100 minus tax. Which would leave the cost of the Tesla plus what’s left of the £100 to fund a fun car.
The downside of that is 80% of my driving would be in the MG (I have no idea if the MG is good or bad, never driven or seen inside one)…….off to have a look, thanks.
I still have fond memories of my first company car, a 172 Cup……maybe a trophy or caterham (if she lets me).
It’s an option worth checking out.
If I wasn’t being forced down the EV route I would have been happy with a 340i touring….but computer says no.
NSS89 said:
I've had my MY LR since March and racked up 12.5k miles on it. My previous car was a 2017 Audi S5 and before that I had a 2015 Golf R.
In regards to "fun", there isn't much to be had, apart from just accelerating at any given speed and being knocked back by it. The handling is really bad if you start throwing it around like you would in your A35, but as others have mentioned it is a family car and not a performance car so those things are expected. I think its the acceleration (in most EV's) that have you feeling like you are in performance car but its far from it. Even the brakes aren't good enough for the power the car has IMO but again others will argue you shouldn't drive it that way.
The biggest benefit will be its running costs. I've got a home charger and on an Octopus EV tariff meaning between 23:30-05:30 I'm only paying 7p per kWh. So those 12.5k miles have cost me around £350-400 lol which is just absurd. So to think you can have a pretty fast car that costs this little to run is an amazing thing IMO.
Agreed the interior etc isn't all that but their OTA software updates are really good. Since I've had it they pushed an update out which basically added blind spot monitoring when indicating, so when you indicate the camera on the wing activates and shows you the image on the big screen. Pretty cool for a free upgrade. That's just an example but there have been other nice updates.
The fact your phone is your key is also nice, just walk up to the car and open the door. You can also turn the climate control on via the app so when you get in its all nice and warm, or cool. The cameras also act as dashcams so another expense saved there.
All in all, I think you will be ok with it. I don't massively miss my previous cars so for me that shows that even though the Tesla lacks some things in comparison to the cars mentioned, the stuff it has over them makes up for it IMO.
Thank you for taking the time to write that. In regards to "fun", there isn't much to be had, apart from just accelerating at any given speed and being knocked back by it. The handling is really bad if you start throwing it around like you would in your A35, but as others have mentioned it is a family car and not a performance car so those things are expected. I think its the acceleration (in most EV's) that have you feeling like you are in performance car but its far from it. Even the brakes aren't good enough for the power the car has IMO but again others will argue you shouldn't drive it that way.
The biggest benefit will be its running costs. I've got a home charger and on an Octopus EV tariff meaning between 23:30-05:30 I'm only paying 7p per kWh. So those 12.5k miles have cost me around £350-400 lol which is just absurd. So to think you can have a pretty fast car that costs this little to run is an amazing thing IMO.
Agreed the interior etc isn't all that but their OTA software updates are really good. Since I've had it they pushed an update out which basically added blind spot monitoring when indicating, so when you indicate the camera on the wing activates and shows you the image on the big screen. Pretty cool for a free upgrade. That's just an example but there have been other nice updates.
The fact your phone is your key is also nice, just walk up to the car and open the door. You can also turn the climate control on via the app so when you get in its all nice and warm, or cool. The cameras also act as dashcams so another expense saved there.
All in all, I think you will be ok with it. I don't massively miss my previous cars so for me that shows that even though the Tesla lacks some things in comparison to the cars mentioned, the stuff it has over them makes up for it IMO.
It sums up fairly succinctly what I found after an hour with the performance version, particularly the brakes, but I guess it depends what you’re used to. As others as well have pointed out, it’s a fast in a straight line family car, nothing more nothing less, which tbh will suit me and is fine, I guess I was expecting something more ‘sporty’.
So my current thinking is a blue/black LR and enjoy it for what it is and as you pointed out it will be miles cheaper than the current car to run (22.3 mpg over 24k miles).
I can also charge for free at work, so basically free to run.
Thanks again.
stef1808 said:
Interesting the speed didn’t blow you away 0-60. When I first test drove the m3p I had never felt instant acceleration like that before and had to have one. Lacking top end keeps me out of trouble which I now embrace although things might change when the plaid arrives 
Don’t get me wrong, it’s fast, and 30 to 60 overtaking is very fast, but no, I wasnt blown away….i possibly expected to much (although I have driven cars that fast before) it’s ‘only’ a second quicker than my car, so I’m fairly used to similar acceleration. Maybe it’s the lack of noise, im not sure.Edited by stef1808 on Sunday 22 January 20:21
I honestly expected to feel like you after driving it, ‘and I’d have to have one’, but I didn’t which did surprise me.
Enjoy the Plaid….I’m 100% sure that would blow me away.
Keith R said:
I'm like stef. I test drove a M3 LR and *had* to have one. Based on that, I got the M3P. It's a hugely capable car in pretty much all scenarios, and nearly 12 months I'm still blown away by it. Whilst it doesn't have the same acceleration advantage above 70mph that it does below, it's still a fast car and would have easily pulled away from my previous remapped F31 330d.
I'm inclined to think an A35 wouldn't bother me too much if it tried it on. I'd be wishing it were the A45! But I've never driven one so can't really comment.
I agree an A35 wouldn’t trouble an M3P, or a MYP (which this thread is about) but it would be close above 60, not that that particularly matters in the real world I suppose. However in my experience it is faster than a M3LR. I'm inclined to think an A35 wouldn't bother me too much if it tried it on. I'd be wishing it were the A45! But I've never driven one so can't really comment.
Throughout this thread I have acknowledged the performance Tesla’s are quick, very quick below 60, but I was not blown away by the performance.
I’m starting to think I may need another test drive though. I still think the interior is average. And I will still refrain from saying what I think about the handling (of the Model Y) because it’s a big heavy SUV.
I guess if you like going fast in a straight line only……
I am still 99% getting a Model Y, if the Model S was a hatchback I would get a M3P without a doubt. But unfortunately it’s not.
RobbyJ said:
The M3P has a 0-60 of 3.1
The A35 AMG has a 0-60 of 4.5
The numbers speak for themselves, that's a very big difference regardless of how it feels.
Yep thanks for that? I’m sure two posts or so up I agreed that an A35 is not as fast as a M3P, but much appreciated.The A35 AMG has a 0-60 of 4.5
The numbers speak for themselves, that's a very big difference regardless of how it feels.
Which was also not my original question and I was never comparing the two.
NSS89 said:
Have you decided between the LR or P yet? I forgot to mention that with any non P model you can purchase “acceleration boost” for £1500 and it basically takes half a second off the 0-60. I think people who have it, mentioned a more noticeable difference in the 40-80 range (can’t remember the exact numbers).
You can also trial it for 24 hours before deciding if you want to keep it or not.
Thanks I had seen that but thought it was £2000, maybe that was dollars. You can also trial it for 24 hours before deciding if you want to keep it or not.
With regard to buying it I’m not sure how that would work with the company car insurance, but I can only ask. But then you may as well go the whole hog i suppose.
Currently it feels like the sensible thing to do is get the long range which would be plenty fast enough but I know deep down I would always want the performance.
I think I need to test drive the LR and see how it feels.
NSS89 said:
You’re right - it’s £2k lol not sure where I got £1500 from.
I’d assume as it’s an official Tesla option you just tell them and they make a note. Would be surprised if it made any difference to the policy price.
Yeah I hear you but I think it’s a nice middle ground option to have. I also think it’s good if you get bored of cars quickly as it’s a bit like getting a remap mid ownership to keep you interested.
Honestly though you can’t go wrong with the LR. Running costs are just ridiculously cheap, if you have access to free/cheap charging. You can actually enjoy the power without worrying about atrociously low MPG numbers/high running costs. One pedal driving is so good once you get used to it. There’s just a lot of pros and hardly any cons. I think you’re feeling the way you are because you’re being forced into having an EV versus actually wanting one yourself. But trust me it’s not a bad thing. 100% recommend a test drive either way. You’ll have it to yourself for an hour which is a good amount of time.
Thanks again and I agree.I’d assume as it’s an official Tesla option you just tell them and they make a note. Would be surprised if it made any difference to the policy price.
Yeah I hear you but I think it’s a nice middle ground option to have. I also think it’s good if you get bored of cars quickly as it’s a bit like getting a remap mid ownership to keep you interested.
Honestly though you can’t go wrong with the LR. Running costs are just ridiculously cheap, if you have access to free/cheap charging. You can actually enjoy the power without worrying about atrociously low MPG numbers/high running costs. One pedal driving is so good once you get used to it. There’s just a lot of pros and hardly any cons. I think you’re feeling the way you are because you’re being forced into having an EV versus actually wanting one yourself. But trust me it’s not a bad thing. 100% recommend a test drive either way. You’ll have it to yourself for an hour which is a good amount of time.
I can charge for free at work and also technically claim the 8p a mile….but surely that won’t last…can’t do both.
The one foot driving I took to straight away, it’s probably the thing I liked the most. Also sub 20mpg around town does get tiresome in my current car.
And yes your totally correct, I suspect I would feel a lot more positive about a Tesla or any EV if I wasn’t being ‘forced’ into it.
So lots of positives, and the boot with the seats down is like a cave, so I can buy even more fishing stuff I don’t need!
RobbyJ said:
It was this comment that did it for me. Officially there's a 1.4 second difference, 32%, nearly a third faster. It's not similar acceleration, it's much much faster.
It could well be the lack of noise, it could be other factors that impact EV performance like battery temp or state of charge too. I'm not lobbying for Tesla, just making a point.
A Rimac Nevera does 0-60 in 1.85 seconds, my P90DL does it in 2.8, yeah there's only a second in it, I'm used to powerful cars, I'm sure I could barely notice the difference
Thanks another helpful comment….It could well be the lack of noise, it could be other factors that impact EV performance like battery temp or state of charge too. I'm not lobbying for Tesla, just making a point.
A Rimac Nevera does 0-60 in 1.85 seconds, my P90DL does it in 2.8, yeah there's only a second in it, I'm used to powerful cars, I'm sure I could barely notice the difference
reefer110 said:
I'm not 100% sure on this but I have a feeling the test drive cars might be locked in Chill mode, could be talking out of my ar$e but worth checking.
When I test drove the performance I asked them to show me how to put it in sport, and they did so it’s not locked in chill mode, it was however limited to 87mph.georgezippy said:
Another new Y LR owner here.
Be wary of the 1 hour test drive - of anything really, you're blown away by the tech/ shinyness and unless you're used to an utter weapon already, the performance.
After a month of ownership, I don't regret, am not selling or changing, am in it for the long haul, but have quite mixed feelings about it.
Everything on one central screen is annoying. You're refocussing to touch the right icon and taking your eyes off the road for just a fraction too long.
You get used to where everything is on there but that will always be an issue.
The clock display is tiny. Good luck reading it from the back seat.
Ride is appalling (19" wheels, 40psi)
Parcel shelf is an afterthought, that shouldn't have been hard to get right.
It's very very wide.
Lack of geek info on the screen (unless I've not found it) instantaneous power/regen info etc. I like that sort of thing.
I missed the price drop so that's irritated me, nothing I can do but it's spoiled the experience.
Elon Musk is a bit of tool.
I like the performance but am not blown away by it, (former biker speaking) I thought it would launch quicker, I will save up for the AB to make it what it should be. Flooring it at 50 is more impressive as you don't expect a car to go that hard from a cruising speed.
You do get used to driving it smoothly but a badly driven one will make you feel queasy in no time.
The boot / load space is massive, one of the main reasons I bought it, it replaces an estate so needs to carry lots of things which it will.
Defrost/pre condition from your phone is nice (although most EVs do that).
Whilst the tech is very clever, you never get away from the fact it's an appliance to take you from one place to another.
Many other things have been pointed out in this thread, good and bad.
Am going for a trip this weekend and taking the Saab (before the ULEZ makes me sell it) as it's more comfortable and handles better.
That’s kinda where I am after an hour test drive in the performance, I have another test drive in the LR tomorrow, I plan to spend half driving and half fiddling with big screen, and also I will make sure i adjust the seats properly this time. Be wary of the 1 hour test drive - of anything really, you're blown away by the tech/ shinyness and unless you're used to an utter weapon already, the performance.
After a month of ownership, I don't regret, am not selling or changing, am in it for the long haul, but have quite mixed feelings about it.
Everything on one central screen is annoying. You're refocussing to touch the right icon and taking your eyes off the road for just a fraction too long.
You get used to where everything is on there but that will always be an issue.
The clock display is tiny. Good luck reading it from the back seat.
Ride is appalling (19" wheels, 40psi)
Parcel shelf is an afterthought, that shouldn't have been hard to get right.
It's very very wide.
Lack of geek info on the screen (unless I've not found it) instantaneous power/regen info etc. I like that sort of thing.
I missed the price drop so that's irritated me, nothing I can do but it's spoiled the experience.
Elon Musk is a bit of tool.
I like the performance but am not blown away by it, (former biker speaking) I thought it would launch quicker, I will save up for the AB to make it what it should be. Flooring it at 50 is more impressive as you don't expect a car to go that hard from a cruising speed.
You do get used to driving it smoothly but a badly driven one will make you feel queasy in no time.
The boot / load space is massive, one of the main reasons I bought it, it replaces an estate so needs to carry lots of things which it will.
Defrost/pre condition from your phone is nice (although most EVs do that).
Whilst the tech is very clever, you never get away from the fact it's an appliance to take you from one place to another.
Many other things have been pointed out in this thread, good and bad.
Am going for a trip this weekend and taking the Saab (before the ULEZ makes me sell it) as it's more comfortable and handles better.
To follow up after starting this thread I took delivery of a MY LR today and there is a lot to like about it. So far very pleased.
I will say, I wish I never test drove the Performance, but the LR is fast enough for what it is, and to me it was £270 a month cheaper than the Performance.
So far so good, I’m happy and don’t think I will miss the Mercedes.
Thanks to those who provided useful advice.
I will say, I wish I never test drove the Performance, but the LR is fast enough for what it is, and to me it was £270 a month cheaper than the Performance.
So far so good, I’m happy and don’t think I will miss the Mercedes.
Thanks to those who provided useful advice.
Zcd1 said:
RichA35 said:
To follow up after starting this thread I took delivery of a MY LR today and there is a lot to like about it. So far very pleased.
I will say, I wish I never test drove the Performance, but the LR is fast enough for what it is, and to me it was £270 a month cheaper than the Performance.
So far so good, I’m happy and don’t think I will miss the Mercedes.
Thanks to those who provided useful advice.
Congratulations and !enjoy! Let us know if you have any other questions…I will say, I wish I never test drove the Performance, but the LR is fast enough for what it is, and to me it was £270 a month cheaper than the Performance.
So far so good, I’m happy and don’t think I will miss the Mercedes.
Thanks to those who provided useful advice.
Do u happen to know how to mute the sat nav audio/voice. Everything else seems to just work, like an iPhone. But can’t work that out, or couldn’t while driving, I suspect it’s not to hard?
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