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We bought a model Y for two years of mortgage payments. It's a dream to drive! But the user experience is abysmal. Menus are deep, the entire dashboard is wast

We bought a model Y for two years of mortgage payments. It's a dream to drive! But the user experience is abysmal. Menus are deep, the entire dashboard is wasted, including the most valuable real estate in front of the driver, and everything is just too hard. E.g. Adjusting mirrors takes 3 menu clicks, don't even think of doing it while driving. Adjusting heating takes two clicks, and when you adjust temp, it clears all your other settings and goes to "auto", which half the time will engage A/C because it's over desired temp by a small amount. Seat warmer? 2+ clicks on center console. Radio stations? 2+ menus, minimum two if you set up a hotkey bar on the bottom of the tablet. Map? You're practically looking at the passenger glove box to see it. As mentioned below, the glove box itself is two menus deep. I find my wife has a mental thermostat model where she expects the heat to turn off if she dials down the climate control, but that just turns on AC full blast. I'd pay 5k more to have buttons and dials. I love the car for its drive, but really hate the interior interfaces. This model of "Bolt an ipad to the dash" needs to die.

_ea1k 4y ago
Regarding climate, I've found this really depends on how much you like auto. I'm fine with auto most of the time, so I haven't had an issue. Even the auto seat warmers actually work pretty well for me. They barely get warm and then turn off on their own, which is really what I prefer. Also, you can put the seat warmer icon on the bottom bar, so its just one tap to toggle off/levels 1-3/auto. I'm not sure what you mean about the map. Every car that I've used has that to the right in a similar position. The tesla layout seems fine to me. The glovebox is my biggest annoyance, in general. I wish there was a button somewhere.
toss1 4y ago
>> Adjusting mirrors takes 3 menu clicks, don't even think of doing it while driving. Wow, that's horrible! While I set my mirrors initially while parked, I often find the need to make fine adjustments while driving (in low-stress situations). Having to use a 3-layer-deep menu for that —on the center console, no less— is just a complete dealbreaker. Thank you for posting that! Makes my decision tree easier and another key item to check in evaluating new cars. EDIT: "fine adjustments" => "fine"
doph 4y ago
Give the voice controls a try! It's the only way I adjust my mirrors. I have come to appreciate my Model Y's interface for its uniformity. I do love a well designed physical interface, but what you get in most other cars is a total mishmash of control schemes and design languages that change make to make, model to model, and button to button.
ridgered4 4y ago
I recently watched a youtube video where a guy rented a Tesla and was frustrated that he needed to dig through touchscreen menus to open the glove box. Apparently it did not have a release latch.
- cptskippy 4y ago
  The Model 3/Y are not good rental cars. They're fantastic cars IMO but they take some time to get accustom to, that's not something you want in a rental car. To open the glove box requires 2 screen presses or activating the voice controls. On the one hand it's an uncommonly used feature, I think I've opened mine once this year. On the other hand it's rather silly that there isn't a button or sensor to allow you to open it physically. Consider that my Model 3 has a sensor that detects if I close the center console improperly and displays a message on screen, same with the frunk. I would gladly replace one of those sensors for one that detects me groping the glovebox door.
  - _ea1k 4y ago
    > The Model 3/Y are not good rental cars. That's an interesting way to think about it. I own a Y and have rented a 3 after owning it for more than a year. Even in that situation, the rental was less good than ownership. The rental didn't have app access, so I had to use a keycard. That made locking/unlocking much more awkward. I also couldn't precondition from the app. It was still a great car, but it felt nothing like the day to day experience of owning one.
  - jvanderbot 4y ago
    The only upside to all the lack of buttons and switches is security. You cannot open the glove box, trunk, drink, or the vehicle without your phone or car key card.
    - cptskippy 4y ago
      I don't know that it matters. I believe if the car is unlocked, then the screen can be used to open the glove box. If the car isn't unlocked, then you broke in and prying open the glove box isn't beyond what you're willing to do.
saturn_vk 4y ago
> E.g. Adjusting mirrors takes 3 menu clicks, don't even think of doing it while driving. 20 years ago I was taught that mirrors should have already been adjusted by the time you turn the key. Has this changed? Why would you ever need to adjust the mirrors while driving? > it clears all your other settings and goes to "auto", No it doesn't > Seat warmer? 2+ clicks on center console It's over click. It's still awful because you have to look at the screen, but it's still only 1 click. There is no reason to lie, it's still terrible. > Map? You're practically looking at the passenger glove box to see it. Unless you display is overlapping the glove box somehow, this is not the case.
- _ea1k 4y ago
  Yeah, that and owners will save the mirror positions to their profile. I've never found this aspect annoying, tbh.
- ender341341 4y ago
  > Why would you ever need to adjust the mirrors while driving? I find it hard to get a really good setting on my mirrors unless I'm driving (I do at least only mess with it on slow roads with no one around).

_ea1k 4y ago

Regarding climate, I've found this really depends on how much you like auto. I'm fine with auto most of the time, so I haven't had an issue. Even the auto seat warmers actually work pretty well for me. They barely get warm and then turn off on their own, which is really what I prefer. Also, you can put the seat warmer icon on the bottom bar, so its just one tap to toggle off/levels 1-3/auto. I'm not sure what you mean about the map. Every car that I've used has that to the right in a similar position. The tesla layout seems fine to me. The glovebox is my biggest annoyance, in general. I wish there was a button somewhere.

toss1 4y ago

>> Adjusting mirrors takes 3 menu clicks, don't even think of doing it while driving. Wow, that's horrible! While I set my mirrors initially while parked, I often find the need to make fine adjustments while driving (in low-stress situations). Having to use a 3-layer-deep menu for that —on the center console, no less— is just a complete dealbreaker. Thank you for posting that! Makes my decision tree easier and another key item to check in evaluating new cars. EDIT: "fine adjustments" => "fine"

doph 4y ago

Give the voice controls a try! It's the only way I adjust my mirrors. I have come to appreciate my Model Y's interface for its uniformity. I do love a well designed physical interface, but what you get in most other cars is a total mishmash of control schemes and design languages that change make to make, model to model, and button to button.

ridgered4 4y ago

I recently watched a youtube video where a guy rented a Tesla and was frustrated that he needed to dig through touchscreen menus to open the glove box. Apparently it did not have a release latch.

cptskippy 4y ago
The Model 3/Y are not good rental cars. They're fantastic cars IMO but they take some time to get accustom to, that's not something you want in a rental car. To open the glove box requires 2 screen presses or activating the voice controls. On the one hand it's an uncommonly used feature, I think I've opened mine once this year. On the other hand it's rather silly that there isn't a button or sensor to allow you to open it physically. Consider that my Model 3 has a sensor that detects if I close the center console improperly and displays a message on screen, same with the frunk. I would gladly replace one of those sensors for one that detects me groping the glovebox door.
- _ea1k 4y ago
  > The Model 3/Y are not good rental cars. That's an interesting way to think about it. I own a Y and have rented a 3 after owning it for more than a year. Even in that situation, the rental was less good than ownership. The rental didn't have app access, so I had to use a keycard. That made locking/unlocking much more awkward. I also couldn't precondition from the app. It was still a great car, but it felt nothing like the day to day experience of owning one.
- jvanderbot 4y ago
  The only upside to all the lack of buttons and switches is security. You cannot open the glove box, trunk, drink, or the vehicle without your phone or car key card.
  - cptskippy 4y ago
    I don't know that it matters. I believe if the car is unlocked, then the screen can be used to open the glove box. If the car isn't unlocked, then you broke in and prying open the glove box isn't beyond what you're willing to do.

saturn_vk 4y ago

> E.g. Adjusting mirrors takes 3 menu clicks, don't even think of doing it while driving. 20 years ago I was taught that mirrors should have already been adjusted by the time you turn the key. Has this changed? Why would you ever need to adjust the mirrors while driving? > it clears all your other settings and goes to "auto", No it doesn't > Seat warmer? 2+ clicks on center console It's over click. It's still awful because you have to look at the screen, but it's still only 1 click. There is no reason to lie, it's still terrible. > Map? You're practically looking at the passenger glove box to see it. Unless you display is overlapping the glove box somehow, this is not the case.

_ea1k 4y ago
Yeah, that and owners will save the mirror positions to their profile. I've never found this aspect annoying, tbh.
ender341341 4y ago
> Why would you ever need to adjust the mirrors while driving? I find it hard to get a really good setting on my mirrors unless I'm driving (I do at least only mess with it on slow roads with no one around).