ARRIVAL OCTOBER 2019
DEPARTURE SEPTEMBER 2021
We ordered a long-term Tesla Model 3 for one primary reason: to be able to report on using Tesla's Full Self-Driving software over time. Well, the joke's on us, because after we spent $6000 on that option (the price is now double that) in 2019, our car came and went without ever getting it. Paying for an option we didn't receive is definitely a first, one of many when it came to the Model 3. Had we instead invested that money in Tesla stock, we could've cashed out with as much as $150,000. Another new experience was being alerted via a mobile app that our car had a catastrophic breakdown while parked. Other than that biggie, which required a new $2500 rear-motor assembly that was replaced under warranty, our car had no major mechanical issues. After coming to terms with the minimalist interior and lack of gauge-cluster display in front of the driver, we generally liked the Model 3. It's quick, reasonably spacious, and comfortable if a bit noisy over the road.
This was only our second long-term EV ever. The previous one was a Model S five years ago, back when Tesla service was white glove and Supercharging was free. A lot has changed since then, and today there's much more noise about EVs as well as bold claims about the cost (or lack thereof) of charging and service. What follows is a series of things to know regarding both Tesla and EV ownership before you decide to take the plunge.
EFFICIENCY IS EXTREMELY VARIABLE
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The Best Odds
SOMETIMES-NOT OFTEN, BUT sometimes-car manufacturers create something semi-wondrous that is also borderline irrational and three-quarters inexplicable to their own marketing types.
Mileage Booster
Kia Carnival Hybrid HIGHS: Big mpg bump, no CVT weirdness, solid ride and handling. LOWS: Shared HVAC and audio controls, second-row loungers can't be removed, changing brake-pedal feel.
Medium Spicy
Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo HIGHS: Lengthy list of features, spacious interior, generous trunk. LOWS: Uncomfortably flat seats, rivals are quicker, only modest grip.
Drivelines
HORACIO PAGANI IS A visionary designer and self-taught engineer.
Suspensions of Disbelief
It's easy to say a vehicle rides well but much more difficult to explain the nuanced implications of that highly subjective statement.
PUMPED-UP KICKS
NISSAN ISN'T SHY about experimenting with its subcompact of ferings. In the recent past, it briefly gave us the adorable Cube, seemingly designed by Hello Kitty, followed by the frog-eyed Juke that somehow spawned a six-figure R-badged super-SUV in other markets.
THE ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO. THE BMW M3 COMPETITION. AND THE CADILLAC CT4-VBLACKWING HEAD SOUTH ONA ROAD TRIP TO FIND OUT WHICH ONE BEST DELIVERS ON THE SPORTS-SEDAN PROMISE.
One of us, gassing up the 2025 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, says, \"No, we drove from Michigan.
SINCE WE APPRECIATE GREAT TALENT IN ALL ITS FORMS, WE ALSO HONOR THE 10BEST TRUCKS, SUVS, AND VANS. INCLUDING ONE WINNER WITH LITERAL BUZZ.
THE DISCUSSION AROUND this year's 10Best Trucks competition had some editors wishing the award were called 12Best.
OUR VERSION OF A 2024 AUTOMOTIVE AWARDS SHOW (SOMETIMES HUMOROUS, SOMETIMES NOT).
America's fastest senior citizen made the save of the year when his Funny Car's engine exploded at Virginia Motorsports Park.
"A ROMANCE THAT BUILDS WITH SPECTACULAR PASSION. THE LONGER YOU DRIVE IT, THE BETTER IT GETS."
When the history of the sports sedan is written, the late-narrative plot twist that few would have seen coming is the emergence of CadillacCadillac!-as the keeper of the flame. And yet, that's exactly what's happened.
