TeslaTrips: Visiting the kid sister...

February 8, 2018

We've had our reservation for a Tesla Model 3 since April 2017 . We've followed the press articles on the Model 3 production rate ramp-ups and challenges. We've viewed countless YouTube videos on the good, the bad, and the ecstatic about the new Model 3. More recently, we've received emails from Tesla about configuring our future Model 3. Our plan is for an all-wheel drive, longer drive capacity model, which means projected availability in mid-2018.

Earlier this week, we received an invite from the new "gold coast", downtown Chicago Tesla sales office or gallery. Just off Chicago's Magnificent Mile shopping district, the Chicago Rush Street sales office was opened in late 2017. The invitation was to get a hands-on preview of the new Model 3. Even though it was on short notice, why not go?

Chicago had been suffering under heavy snowfall since the beginning of the week, and the Tesla preview was on a Thursday evening with more heavy snow predicted. A good opportunity to winter drive our Model S (Nikola) to the venue under snow-packed roads. Plan ahead for a long drive there and back home.

We planned to depart at 5 PM for a program start of 6:30 PM (this allowed a 50% time margin). We started our drive just as the snow was also to begin. An expected road crawl started almost immediately - a great use of the Autopilot capability though! It is amazing how slow crawls become easy with Autopilot. Our navigation system worked flawlessly, guiding us to the convenient parking ramp next to the showroom entrance. Up the parking ramp we passed a dozen Tesla Supercharger spaces, all filled with hungry Teslas.

We arrived about 6:40 PM and saw the showroom already filled with about 100 anxious Tesla devotees. The sales office was tastefully presented and an abundant Tesla staff dressed in coordinated Model 3 T-shirts, black pants and black sport coats assisted the interested crowd. Drinks were plentiful, as well as hors d'oeuvres served by staff. You could touch and sit in the Model X, Model S and the featured Model 3, but no test drives were offered.

A line to sit behind the wheel of the Model 3 had already formed, so we joined them. While waiting we captured a few shots of the red Model 3 that they displayed.

The rear trunk did not have the button-activated closure (cost saving from the Model S) but was ample in volume, including a covered lower storage compartment, similar to the Model S.

Driver side overhead shot.

We tried the new door handles. Since they do not present themselves to the occupant (as is on the Model S and X), some criticism has been voiced. The technique is to push in with your thumb and pull out the handle with your remaining fingers. A few practice attempts made the process easy.

The interior was clean and uncluttered. But the 15" landscape presented monitor was very busy. Some have criticized the position of the display for basic speed information - a matter of getting accustomed to it. The ventilation control was very elegant.