I definitely do not want to defend Tesla here, but other manufacturers are unfortunately following the same path. It's ridiculous. BMW is putting most of the extra features into the car on a technical level, but lock them down so you can't use them unless you pay a fucking monthly subscription for e.g. the seat heaters. What the actual fuck has gotten into manufacturers?

And the touchscreens? I'm soooo glad that the German equivalent to road and safety announced that the safety rating of cars will go down in the future if there are no haptic controls. I definitely like a sleek appearance, but form follows function for fucks sake.

/rant

My mom has one, and the door handles are so awkward, I really don't think I'll ever get used to them. From the inside, it's easy enough, but it's also just a button, with no physical unlatching mechanism, and the window has to go down slightly when the door opens, so I would not want to be in there if it lost power.

She does generally like the thing though.

Also the doors freeze closed, because the stupid window design.

The high end Tesla's have the stupid doorhandles. The low end (Y and 3) have manual door handles, they're just recessed so you have to press the thick part in to present the handle. In practice it's a non issue unless things that are slightly different stun lock you into inaction.

The subscription thing is overblown in my opinion.

Autopilot is the big one where it matters. You get TACC and Auto steer on freeways for free.

Navigation on autopilot, auto Lane change, auto park, summoning the car and moving the car through the app are all locked behind an Enhanced Autopilot option you can buy.

FSD unlocks austosteer on city streets and auto stoping/going at stop signs and traffic lights. You can buy it outright or rent it on a month to month basis, and switch between the three modes at will.

Most non-autopilot features are free but require internet, so you can either pay Tesla ~$9 a month for unlimited car data, or connect your car to wifi (hotspot while driving).

I think only careoke, live traffic / satellite view on maps, and remotely interfacing with the car (viewing the car cameras through the app, etc) actually require a subscription to premium connectivity, but I'm not 100% sure those don't work over WiFi.

oh, there's also a one-time performance package you can buy if you want to destroy your tires even faster than normal.

And I won't defend the goofy Cybertruck (I would drive one of it had launched for at the promised price and range), but how does that existing count as a mark against owning an EV, or even a Tesla?

Not only EVs.

My '19 Honda hybrid has all the same features, save being an EV (I live in an apartment and have no place to reliably charge).

• Yes, cars being built today are copying features from Teslas. New ones still don’t match my UX from a 5 year old car.
• Micro-transactions are so very stupid, and I’m not saying Tesla doesn’t have any (think I paid a one-time fee to increase the 0-60 performance after Tesla improved the tuning of the same motors for another product), but IMO there is nothing being sold that a reasonable person would expect to have come with the initial purchase. Y’all make it sound like it needs a constant internet connection to check if you’re subscribed to Tesla+ in order to put the car in drive or something.
• The TESLA tablet is pretty incredible. Other vehicles tablets are not. I will die on this hill (should have happened by now according to the many people who haven’t used it). I can easily travel with zero screen taps or glances due to the amount of things that have been considered and automated. If I do need to change something, I DON’T need to look DOWN near the cup holders or try to decipher a couple stalks. I have zero disdain or concern for the lack of physical buttons. I realize that my generation may have some biases in this regard.
• The door handles are different and require a few seconds to figure out the first time, sure, but I’m not concerned. Firefighters are experienced and resourceful and the Tesla has a higher safety rating than other vehicles.
• Cybertruck pedal design flaw is horrible. It’ll be fixed before it causes further injury. The news of this is not enough to make me think I should be looking at other manufacturers yet (have you seen the flaws they produce?).
• Oh right forgot about that range SW. I do count that against them. Luckily for me and most other Tesla drivers, it didn’t make a difference due our ability to wake up to full range and access the really good routing and supercharging network. But yeah, glad it was caught.
• There are backup door handles that require no power. They are intuitive (most first timers use it instead of the electronic ones by accident).

Yeah man. People love to bash Elon and rightfully so. I live in Southern California, I drive a Tesla and a lot of my friends do also. I used to travel a lot for work, and would regularly rent nice cars for weeks on end. My Tesla is the car I've enjoyed most ever, and it's not really even close.

Yeah it has problems. But what car doesn't? Nothing is perfect. But for me, the features that Teslas have check all the boxes in a really novel and enjoyable way.

Yeah I’m doing the best I can for the place I’m in. Would much prefer proper public transport. Fuck cars.

Tesla maintenance costs consist of washer fluid and tires, essentially. That “minimally computerized” car you’re talking about costs significantly more to maintain its ability to transport the same amount. I know because I also have experience with ICE cars and have seen my transportation budget get cut in half over the 5 years I’ve owned this Tesla. Automating routine tasks isn’t required, but it’s really really nice.

https://electrek.co/2024/04/22/tesla-lowest-maintenance-repair-cost-any-brand/

It’s 100% the car I’d choose to escape from in a fire emergency — there’s nothing wrong with the doors or handles, and there’s less risk of me dying by explosion because the fire has no gas tank to spread to.