Seamless integration with your phone, unparalleled ease of use, a tech-heavy interior, off-the-charts quality of life features, a comfortable ride, excellent driver assistance, and no range anxiety are how Six Colors‘ Jason Snell would describe his first 1,800 miles-long trip in a Tesla.
Snell is a long-time and well-known columnist covering all things Apple, and his review of the Tesla Model 3 offers a unique perspective from someone who has never driven the electric sedan before.
When one of Snell’s friends was kind enough to lend him their Tesla Model 3 for a trip across the desert to Arizona, Snell decided to thoroughly test the Tesla out and form his own opinion of the revolutionary EV.
Snell was entirely impressed with how quick and hassle-free binding your iPhone to a Tesla is. The official Tesla app left little to be desired, but using third-party shortcuts designed to pull from the same API as the Tesla app definitely add a cherry on top of that sundae.
Being able to pre-heat (or pre-cool) your car before you even get in was a godsend for the tech enthusiast, and being able to leave temperature controls running while you’re outside the vehicle for anyone still in there is so simple yet so valuable.
Snell found the 15-inch touchscreen on the dash to defy his expectations and not be clunky at all, displaying the most essential stats and controls right in his peripheral vision. Snell and his wife did feel the lack of accessibility options on the interface, however, such as the ability to move important controls out of menus and to the forefront and the ability to increase font and icon size, as well as the lack of support for CarPlay (and Android Auto).
Snell found the driving and riding experience to be simply unprecedented, and Tesla’s superior network of Superchargers easily did away with Snell’s range anxiety.
Snell drove with regenerative braking and driver assistance technologies like Autosteer and cruise control enabled, leaving his wife with a few safety concerns. Tesla specifically designed the Model 3 to be the safest car in the world, so users may rest assured in that regard.
Autosteer’s utter confusion at suddenly appearing and merging lanes as well as its struggles with extreme changes in lighting did a number on Snell’s faith in Tesla’s self-driving technology, but at the same time reaffirmed the effectiveness of Tesla’s offerings as simply driver assistance.
“I love the fact that the car feels like a single product, designed as a unit”, said Snell. “The car’s interior is delightful. The touchscreen system works well. It’s a pleasure to drive. The charging network is great.”
“If I had to buy a new car today, it would almost certainly be a Tesla”, he concluded. That’s high praise from a respected Apple reviewer such as Snell.
