Tesla Has Come Home! (Part 2)｜Driving Impressions Beyond Expectations! Has It Surpassed Porsche!?
公開日：2024.05.27
コンテンツ
In Part 1, I reported on the delivery, the interior and exterior, and impressions of one-pedal driving around town. This time, I’d like to focus on impressions from the highway and winding roads.
Highway Impressions: Like the “Nozomi” Shinkansen
The impression on the highway is exactly like the “Nozomi” bullet train. It accelerates smoothly right from the tollgate and quickly reaches cruising speed.
With no engine noise, you only hear the wind rushing by, making it feel as if you’re riding a Shinkansen.
Straight-line stability and high-speed stability are outstanding, fully matching the level of European cars. The tires grip the road firmly, and the steering responds precisely without slipping. It faithfully follows the driver’s inputs, so you’re unlikely to feel fatigued even on long drives.
So how does it compare to our Taycan? The Model 3 feels quicker off the line, but when you press the accelerator hard and check the speedometer after a while, the Taycan is cruising at a much higher speed. This shows the Taycan’s lack of speed sensation, and the higher the speed, the more impressive its flatness and lack of speed awareness are.
The standard 18-inch wheels currently come with Michelin tires. There is a significant difference in range between the 18-inch and optional 19-inch wheels, with the 18-inch offering about 40 km more range.
The Autopilot feature is also excellent and works better than many online comments suggest. For details, please refer to the tweets below.
My impressions comparing Tesla’s Autopilot with the Mercedes-Benz GLB (2022 model):
- Tesla has much less jerkiness in curves.
- Tesla better maintains the center of the lane.
- Starts and stops in traffic jams feel smoother than GLB (contrary to online opinions)…
— Hiro@Welcome Home, PORSCHE (@boxster_gts) May 20, 2024
After driving about 200 km round-trip on the highway today, I learned more about Autopilot. It seems to have a slightly different concept than typical ACC systems from other manufacturers.
- The steering wheel only needs a light touch with one hand; no warnings are triggered.
- It handles fast speeds in the passing lane with ease…
— Hiro@Welcome Home, PORSCHE (@boxster_gts) May 25, 2024
Comparing to Porsche on Winding Roads! Driving Performance Beyond Expectations
After experiencing the Model 3’s comfort, quietness, and power on city streets and highways, I wanted to test it on winding roads next. I headed to the Royu Driveway, where I usually drive my Porsche.
I started in Comfort mode. Even in Comfort mode, the power and handling were more than sufficient, and the car took corners with stability. I was impressed by how it drove like a textbook example of a sporty sedan, comfortably and confidently.
Up to this point, I was already admiring the Model 3’s fundamental performance, just as I had on city streets.
Then, after passing the tollgate, I switched from Comfort to Standard mode and set the steering to Sport mode.
At that moment, the car transformed.
Like a sleeping beast awakened, it unleashed fierce acceleration. Pressing the accelerator, I felt the G-force pressing me into the seat as the speed climbed rapidly. The acceleration felt stronger than a Taycan 4S, almost like a Taycan Turbo.
Entering corners, the car moved with an agility I hadn’t imagined. The steering responded precisely to inputs, tracing the intended line. Body roll was minimal and stopped sharply at a fixed angle. The tires gripped the road firmly, with no instability in lateral load transfer. It cornered with true stability.
The sensation was like a flying carpet glued to the ground, racing through corners. It’s a bit different from the Porsche feeling of sticking to the road and directly sensing tire contact. Yet the Model 3 delivers cornering performance on a completely different level.
On corner exits, the strong traction of the AWD system kicks in, accelerating powerfully.
Combined with the sharp response of the accelerator and motors, the acceleration is exhilarating—no, downright thrilling.
Honestly, I didn’t expect a car this fun to drive on winding roads. I was genuinely amazed, thinking, “Tesla is this incredible!”
Until now, the joy of driving on winding roads was something I’d only experienced with Porsche sports cars like the 911 and Boxster. But the Model 3 taught me a new kind of driving pleasure with a completely different approach.
It was like experiencing a new game for the first time—fresh and exciting.
Has It Surpassed Porsche?
So, has the Model 3 surpassed Porsche?
Of course, Porsche remains an amazing car brand. The unique feel passed down from the 911 lineage is something no other car can replicate. In fact, there are many areas where Tesla can’t match Porsche, such as tire contact feel, road surface feedback, and behavioral feedback.
However, the Model 3 represents a car with an entirely new set of values. It holds the potential to overturn traditional car concepts, much like how smartphones replaced feature phones.
Aerodynamics are carefully considered here. This attention to detail is one reason I love imported cars.
Porsche cherishes the driving feel inherited from the 911, even in the Taycan. But Tesla seems to build vehicle behavior and feel from scratch, free from tradition. That’s why it can create such innovative and shocking cars.
The Model 3 is truly a “game changer.”
Looking Forward to the Future of My Car Life!
It’s only been a few days since the Model 3 was delivered, but I’m already hooked on this car.
I can’t wait to enjoy my future car life.
Tesla as a company is still evolving. I’m excited to see what cars they’ll create next and what updates they’ll roll out.
I plan to keep a close eye on Tesla’s developments and continue sharing the appeal of both gasoline and electric cars as a car enthusiast through this blog.
For reference, here is my Tesla referral link.
You’ll get a discount on the vehicle price, so it’s a great deal. Please be sure to use it if you decide to purchase a Tesla.
このブログが気に入ったらフォローしてね！
Comment ( 0 )
Trackbacks are closed.
No comments yet.