Sponsored

Drove A Tesla Today

Dr. Zaius

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dennis
Joined
Dec 20, 2019
Threads
80
Messages
6,905
Reaction score
42,183
Location
Living The Dream
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger XLT FX4

Dr. Zaius

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dennis
Joined
Dec 20, 2019
Threads
80
Messages
6,905
Reaction score
42,183
Location
Living The Dream
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger XLT FX4
Does a Tesla really need a damper ??????
No, but for some folks, a first ride in a Performance version might make a Diaper handy.
 


OP
OP
AzScorpion

AzScorpion

Moderator
First Name
Dave
Joined
Jul 25, 2019
Threads
342
Messages
27,016
Reaction score
136,685
Location
Back Home In AZ!
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Ranger Tremor
Occupation
Retired...Full Time Slacker
Does a Tesla really need a damper ??????
Of course they do..... silly man! 😜

It has 2 factory ones on the rear trunk and 2 on the front frunk.
 

Grumpaw

Well-Known Member
First Name
Steve
Joined
Jul 1, 2021
Threads
84
Messages
5,959
Reaction score
29,766
Location
Fishersville, Va.
Vehicle(s)
Previous 2021 Ranger, Now 2019 Ford Expedition
Occupation
Navy Vet., Retired Police Sgt., Grumpy Old Senior Citizen
Of course they do..... silly man! 😜

It has 2 factory ones on the rear trunk and 2 on the front frunk.
So, the ones up front in the frunk are called "frampers".......
 

Doc

Well-Known Member
First Name
Doc
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Threads
94
Messages
5,805
Reaction score
23,430
Location
Live oak fla
Vehicle(s)
2026 5.0 Mustang GT, 2024 Ranger STX
Occupation
Retired
So we were out up in Tucson and I broke down and drove a Tesla Model 3 Premium RWD. All I can say is Wow! I've only driven hybrids and have always heard how much power and torque Evs have and they're not kidding.

First I have to say the dealer experience is one of the best I've ever had. The salesman Kevin was super laid back and very informative about all the features the car has. They don't work on commission so there was never any pressure to buy. The one on their showroom was the exact one I was looking at and speced out online so it was nice to see it there. After showing me all the features he asked if I'd like to try one which of course I did. He went outside around the back and turned it on and came back and we sat at the table and he took out his phone and opened the app. You could see the overhead view of the car and he put the dot in front of the front door and the car drove itself over to the front and parked. Crazy!

After adjusting the mirrors and seat he set it up to self drive us to a park about 4 miles away. I have to say it was really strange just sitting there while the car drove and did everything for you. Changing lanes, signaling, right on red and then even parking itself at the park. I'm still amazed what that car can do.

Now the fun part. I took control of it and he took me down a long straightaway and said "put it to the floor". I've never had a car put me back in the seat like this one did! Even my 400hp Z28 couldn't come close to it. There's no lag at all and anytime you hit the pedal there's instant power and torque. It has one pedal driving which was a little hard to get use to because as soon as you let up on it it'll slow down fast. At highway speeds it's much more gradual but still fast braking. We got back to the dealer and he told us to take it out and have fun. Errr, you don't have to tell me twice! 😜

We took it for a good hour long ride all over Tucson on main roads, back roads and highway driving. Everything is on the touch screen which at first was strange but it's pretty easy to navigate because all the essential things are on the screen like a quick guide. Plus you can just use voice commands and never touch anything. I drove way out almost into Oro Valley and then just hit Home (which is the dealer) and then hit Self Drive. I'm really amazed at how smooth and accurate this thing is and how precise it turns and moves through traffic in Self Drive mode.

I gotta say it was super comfortable inside, great field of view because the A pillars are stretched way out and I love the cooled seats. The screen is huge but I honestly did think it was distracting and what's nice is you can stretch out the map to see the whole street view. The cameras are insane and IIRC there's 6 or 8 of them giving you a crystal clear view all around the car. Putting it in P-D -R is strange because there's no shifter. You press and slide the car on the left side of the screen and it goes into R then you slide it up to D. You can also do this on the overhead control where the interior lights are by just pressing the buttons there. Once parked you just exit the car and it auto shuts down. Everything is controlled by the app and they give you a key card for your wallet which will give you access to the car and controls.

This model has a 363 mile range and with the upgraded 19" tires & wheels it drops to 343 which is still better than I thought it would get. He showed me how to program a trip (we did the Grand Canyon) and there you'll see all the Superchargers along the route and the suggested ones to stop at. It tells you how many miles it'll take to get there and how much battery life is left when there. You can also set the battery life higher (or lower) and more charges will come up if you don't want to go down to say 15% charge.

I have to say I now have to take back everything I've said about EVs over the years but they have come a long way in the last several years. Price is about $10,000 more than the Camry I looked at but this one has every option you can imagine and the Camry only had a few. The premium paint was $2,000 extra and the 19" wheels were another $1,500 bringing it to $46,000 plus tax, registration and fees.

IMG_6328.webp


IMG_6330.webp


IMG_6326.webp


IMG_6324.webp


The rear seat even has a touch screen with separate controls.

IMG_6325.webp


The trunk is pretty roomy and the seats fold almost flat.

IMG_6327.webp


I told him I'd order one today if he would throw this guy in for free. lol


IMG_6329.webp
Ooooooh Twin Dampers !
 

jflogerzi

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jeff
Joined
Dec 17, 2021
Threads
30
Messages
1,457
Reaction score
3,682
Location
Moreno Valley, CA
Vehicle(s)
DD/Tow CG MY22 Ranger XLT 2WD, Track Car FRS 2013
So we were out up in Tucson and I broke down and drove a Tesla Model 3 Premium RWD. All I can say is Wow! I've only driven hybrids and have always heard how much power and torque Evs have and they're not kidding.

First I have to say the dealer experience is one of the best I've ever had. The salesman Kevin was super laid back and very informative about all the features the car has. They don't work on commission so there was never any pressure to buy. The one on their showroom was the exact one I was looking at and speced out online so it was nice to see it there. After showing me all the features he asked if I'd like to try one which of course I did. He went outside around the back and turned it on and came back and we sat at the table and he took out his phone and opened the app. You could see the overhead view of the car and he put the dot in front of the front door and the car drove itself over to the front and parked. Crazy!

After adjusting the mirrors and seat he set it up to self drive us to a park about 4 miles away. I have to say it was really strange just sitting there while the car drove and did everything for you. Changing lanes, signaling, right on red and then even parking itself at the park. I'm still amazed what that car can do.

Now the fun part. I took control of it and he took me down a long straightaway and said "put it to the floor". I've never had a car put me back in the seat like this one did! Even my 400hp Z28 couldn't come close to it. There's no lag at all and anytime you hit the pedal there's instant power and torque. It has one pedal driving which was a little hard to get use to because as soon as you let up on it it'll slow down fast. At highway speeds it's much more gradual but still fast braking. We got back to the dealer and he told us to take it out and have fun. Errr, you don't have to tell me twice! 😜

We took it for a good hour long ride all over Tucson on main roads, back roads and highway driving. Everything is on the touch screen which at first was strange but it's pretty easy to navigate because all the essential things are on the screen like a quick guide. Plus you can just use voice commands and never touch anything. I drove way out almost into Oro Valley and then just hit Home (which is the dealer) and then hit Self Drive. I'm really amazed at how smooth and accurate this thing is and how precise it turns and moves through traffic in Self Drive mode.

I gotta say it was super comfortable inside, great field of view because the A pillars are stretched way out and I love the cooled seats. The screen is huge but I honestly did think it was distracting and what's nice is you can stretch out the map to see the whole street view. The cameras are insane and IIRC there's 6 or 8 of them giving you a crystal clear view all around the car. Putting it in P-D -R is strange because there's no shifter. You press and slide the car on the left side of the screen and it goes into R then you slide it up to D. You can also do this on the overhead control where the interior lights are by just pressing the buttons there. Once parked you just exit the car and it auto shuts down. Everything is controlled by the app and they give you a key card for your wallet which will give you access to the car and controls.

This model has a 363 mile range and with the upgraded 19" tires & wheels it drops to 343 which is still better than I thought it would get. He showed me how to program a trip (we did the Grand Canyon) and there you'll see all the Superchargers along the route and the suggested ones to stop at. It tells you how many miles it'll take to get there and how much battery life is left when there. You can also set the battery life higher (or lower) and more charges will come up if you don't want to go down to say 15% charge.

I have to say I now have to take back everything I've said about EVs over the years but they have come a long way in the last several years. Price is about $10,000 more than the Camry I looked at but this one has every option you can imagine and the Camry only had a few. The premium paint was $2,000 extra and the 19" wheels were another $1,500 bringing it to $46,000 plus tax, registration and fees.

IMG_6328.webp


IMG_6330.webp


IMG_6326.webp


IMG_6324.webp


The rear seat even has a touch screen with separate controls.

IMG_6325.webp


The trunk is pretty roomy and the seats fold almost flat.

IMG_6327.webp


I told him I'd order one today if he would throw this guy in for free. lol


IMG_6329.webp
come to the dark side... or just have both 😉
 
OP
OP
AzScorpion

AzScorpion

Moderator
First Name
Dave
Joined
Jul 25, 2019
Threads
342
Messages
27,016
Reaction score
136,685
Location
Back Home In AZ!
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Ranger Tremor
Occupation
Retired...Full Time Slacker
come to the dark side... or just have both 😉
At 0.99% financing I'd most likely keep both. I'm big enough to admit I was wrong (to an extent) about EVs and bashing them over the years. While charging is/was one of my main concerns I've talked to and read many forums where they say it's really a non issue for most people. It started out as one of their concerns but after owning one for a while they realized it's easier than they thought.

I still wish the range was a little better on this Premium model but it would work for 80 - 90% of my driving. I'll see what my agent has to say on Monday on how much it would be to insure one and that might be the clincher right now.
 

jflogerzi

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jeff
Joined
Dec 17, 2021
Threads
30
Messages
1,457
Reaction score
3,682
Location
Moreno Valley, CA
Vehicle(s)
DD/Tow CG MY22 Ranger XLT 2WD, Track Car FRS 2013
At 0.99% financing I'd most likely keep both. I'm big enough to admit I was wrong (to an extent) about EVs and bashing them over the years. While charging is/was one of my main concerns I've talked to and read many forums where they say it's really a non issue for most people. It started out as one of their concerns but after owning one for a while they realized it's easier than they thought.

I still wish the range was a little better on this Premium model but it would work for 80 - 90% of my driving. I'll see what my agent has to say on Monday on how much it would be to insure one and that might be the clincher right now.
our bolt euv is pretty cheap to insure. We have my ranger, and my wife's bolt EUV. We get the best of both worlds
 

Fordup

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ed
Joined
Jun 3, 2022
Threads
19
Messages
2,088
Reaction score
10,330
Location
NY
Website
youtube.com
Vehicle(s)
2022 Black Lariat Crew , 1966 Chevrolet Biscayne
Occupation
Retired YouTube Creator
You live in a perfect area for an EV. Lack of extremely cold winters and heavy snow is a big plus for current battery technology. Low maintenance and the ability to charge with solar is also a big plus as energy prices surge. The biggest negative I hear around here is the 100 days a year we are below freezing with snow causing serious range reduction and power consumption increases. You can't make gas at home but it's easy to make electricity from the sun is why I will also switch someday when battery technology advances to have more cold tolerant. Only minus I have seen is pot holes can total the vehicle when the battery gets dented.
 

fob63

Well-Known Member
First Name
bill
Joined
Jun 27, 2020
Threads
26
Messages
348
Reaction score
743
Location
Springdale Arkansas
Vehicle(s)
2019 ranger
Occupation
retired
You live in a perfect area for an EV. Lack of extremely cold winters and heavy snow is a big plus for current battery technology. Low maintenance and the ability to charge with solar is also a big plus as energy prices surge. The biggest negative I hear around here is the 100 days a year we are below freezing with snow causing serious range reduction and power consumption increases. You can't make gas at home but it's easy to make electricity from the sun is why I will also switch someday when battery technology advances to have more cold tolerant. Only minus I have seen is pot holes can total the vehicle when the battery gets dented.
When we bought the KIA hybrid it came with the level 1 120/volt charger. That is a joke.
My costs were around $785.00 to install a Level 2 EV Charger J1772-compliant. With a maximum charge rate of up to 9.6 kW.
I was lucky, The Load center was in the garage and Following codes for city/state and NEC along with permits. I was able to do so. Utility company gave a onetime rebate of $400.00. The state charges me $125.00 every year for road taxes. My KWH usage is flat rated at $0.9.5 cents. Charging at early morning times during the summer is a must for heat related inducements plus utility company friendly.
Gasoline consumption increases in wintertime due to having cabin heat. Still, it's nice to have if your driving miles are limited.
 
OP
OP
AzScorpion

AzScorpion

Moderator
First Name
Dave
Joined
Jul 25, 2019
Threads
342
Messages
27,016
Reaction score
136,685
Location
Back Home In AZ!
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Ranger Tremor
Occupation
Retired...Full Time Slacker
You live in a perfect area for an EV. Lack of extremely cold winters and heavy snow is a big plus for current battery technology. Low maintenance and the ability to charge with solar is also a big plus as energy prices surge. The biggest negative I hear around here is the 100 days a year we are below freezing with snow causing serious range reduction and power consumption increases. You can't make gas at home but it's easy to make electricity from the sun is why I will also switch someday when battery technology advances to have more cold tolerant. Only minus I have seen is pot holes can total the vehicle when the battery gets dented.
My house up in Goodyear would've been ideal having an EV because I had solar which covered more than enough production for the house. I thought about getting it here but without the government subsidies along with all the electric companies taking away net metering it's not worth it anymore. Luckily my house was grandfathered in (for 20 years) and when I sold it the new owner still had 10 years left which was a huge selling point. You're lucky you have enough room on your property to build your own which is what I would do if I had just a little more space here.

I just saw this where Walmart is now getting into the charging game. They just started adding charging station in July of 2025 and in just over a year they now have a little over 600 stations and growing. Smart move on their part because one of the biggest complains is sitting there for 45 minutes waiting for your vehicle to charge. Unlike an ICE vehicle you can keep the AC blasting, tilt your seat back and watch a movie on the main screen. Now people can hook up and grab a few things inside WM and be charged by the time they're back to the vehicle. This is great while traveling even if you just need house the rest room and just grab a couple snacks.

https://insideevs.com/news/800682/walmart-ev-charging-network-no-slowing-down/

Right now, Walmart’s EV charging stations are present in 17 U.S. states, with a total of 73 locations that offer 612 individual connectors, according to YouTuber The Arkansas eTraveler, who sourced information from PlugShare and other community sources. The Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), which is a little slow to update, shows 66 locations and 528 ports for Walmart’s DC charging network.

All of this means that the retail giant is serious about growing this business. As a reminder, Walmart got into the EV fast charging game in April 2025, and since then, it has consistently expanded its footprint. Back in May, the company had over 300 individual ports at 50 stores in the U.S., so in roughly two months, Walmart has managed to double the number of ports available to EV drivers.

Speaking of payment, it costs an average of $0.46 to fill up with one kilowatt-hour of energy at Walmart’s chargers. However, some stations offer off-peak rates, which, coupled with the membership discounts, can shave as much as $0.20/kWh.
Sponsored

 
 








Top