4 Things I Hated About Putting 1,700 Miles on a Tesla

There were things I loved too, but first, we need to talk about that touch screen.

- ROB PEGORARO

There may be no more pleasurable part of the Tesla Model 3 driving experience than when you tap the accelerator with some force. The vehicle immediately shoots forward, quicker than most gas-powered cars could ever translate your input into motion.

And there may be no more annoying part of that same scenario than what can follow: at 60 miles per hour on the highway when you turn to the Model 3's cluttered touch screen to cue up a road-trip soundtrack.

I spent almost 1,700 miles piloting an all-wheel-drive Model 3 Long Range rented from Hertz on the highways, byways, and streets of Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California for PCMag's Best Mobile Networks 2022 testing. It left me loving parts of the Tesla life but sour on others.

FIRST, THE GOOD

Performance: The Model 3's lag-free acceleration and its accompanying sense of control and power make the car a joy to drive. Tesla lists a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds for the Model 3 Long Range (base price: $51,390). Although I didn't test that on public roads, I can describe the sensation of flooring the accelerator as "gut-churningly fast."

Handling is terrific, too. The Model 3 kept planted on twisty roads such as US 101 in California's northernmost reaches, thanks to the low center of gravity provided by the heavy battery pack under the car's floor.

I enjoyed driving enough to save Tesla's Autosteer for a pre-dawn run to San Francisco International Airport at the end of the trip (Hertz disables Full SelfDriving). It kept the car at a constant speed in one lane through curves, but required too much manual intervention as traffic mounted to represent much of a game changer over traditional cruise control.