Tesla Model 3 test drive: A masterwork … in progress

Of all the cars on sale today, the only one that would qualify as an influence would have been the Tesla Model 3. Love it. Loathe it. It does not matter how you feel. There's no other car than that's changing the conversation that the sleek sedan is. The Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf? Not trending.

I recently got around to spending some time in a Model 3 I borrowed from a private owner. It was not long-awaited $ 35,000 model, which is a long-range dual-motor with a premium interior and about 6,000 miles on it. All problem-free, according to him.

He said he paid $ 53,000 for it last year. Last week a similar car cost $ 48,500. Today it's $ 49,500. This is how Tesla 's direct sales model works. It is a question of adjustments, sometimes dramatic, instead of offering incentives. It differs from industry practice, and is an honest way of doing things, but for the value of their cars, or Wall Street investors watching the company, comes across as a bit frenetic.

One thing that will not change the size of the Model 3, which is more of a compact 4-door than the midsize Elon Musk and Tesla bill it as. It's not as long and has the same rear view as BMW 3-Series, a chief competitor and the quintessential compact. What makes the difference is that the overall interior volume – boosted by a front trunk where an internal combustion engine would usually be – squeezes it over the threshold for a midsize on the EPA scale.

In reality, if 6-footers are in the front seats, they are completely comfortable, or no one is. There's nothing wrong with this. Some cars are just smaller than others, but if you're buying a Model 3 unseen sight, do not expect a limousine to get dropped off in front of your house.

The cabin is airy, however, thanks to a full glass roof that 's just enough to dim the sunlight to a pleasant level. At least in New York in early spring. Even rear seat passengers have the sky above their heads. It is a synthetic leather that is so supple it feels more like a fabric than a hide. If I could, I would upholster my entire life with it. The front seats are showstoppers that fully live up to the "premium" billing and do a lot to the fact that the rest of the cabin is not so nice that you find in a Mazda these days.

The minimalist design of the dashboard is visually stunning, however, as it stretches the door to the door. With atari 2600 console, it reminds me of an Atari. This is an interesting coincidence since the 15-inch touchscreen is mounted in the center of the archive.

The screen is also showing you everything in the Model 3 and it houses all of its displays, including the speedometer. The positioning is fine, but considering how much is available, some of the text is smaller than necessary. Executing simple tasks, like adjusting the steering wheel or climate control, also require more steps than knobs or buttons. The fact that it is so many things is impressive, the ease and it does not matter.

That's where Autopilot comes in. Tesla's SEMI-autonomous driving is a countermeasure to distractions, although it can be a bit of one. It has an evolving feature set that makes it hard to resist pushing the limits to see what it is capable of when you should be relying on it as a backup to your own driving.

Autopilot can control the speed of the car and steer it within a lane, which it excels at on the highway. As long as it has a bead on things, it's a smoother than you would be likely to be. The slower and windier the road gets, the jerkier its inputs become, but I can see why videos have started to popping up "sleeping" Tesla drivers, because it lulls you into a sense of confidence in its abilities.

If you take your hand off the wheel, it will eventually be disengage. Tesla has not made it clear exactly how long the model has been, but it has gone on a minute before it posted a message on the screen, followed by a flashing light and then an audible alarm as it was signed off. Autopilot again, if you make it that far. If you do not do anything, it is programmed to turn the hazard lights on and bring yourself to a stop in the lane. But keep checking in and autopilot will cruise indefinitely.

There are Mercedes-Benzes that can do this, but the Tesla does it better. Both systems will also change lanes with a flick of the turn signal, but here the Mercedes-Benz might have the Tesla beat. In a couple of instances, when there was a way forward, the Model could not seem to figure out if it was going to start and sniff a serpentine before making the move. In my experience, Mercedes-Benz's system is more decisive.

Soon, you will be in the Tesla. It offers a Navigate on Autopilot feature that allows you to travel to the destination of your destination. Initially, it would only suggest the maneuvers and require you to know them with the turn signal stalk, but there's an update rolling out that it's going to be, as long as it's going to as it senses any sort of "user" input, according to Musk.

The version I tried was a mixed bag. It was most of the time, but often abruptly adjusted to its speed and speed. I did not wait to see you and I was going out of the woods and tapped the brakes.

Negotiating off ramps was both inconsistent and consistent. I used the same exit as a control. I would have liked it, but exactly the same one try each other. Tesla collects data from all of its cars on the road to an Autopilot works, and I got the impression that it was more specific to the information.

Autopilot is a work in progress and far from perfect, and my experience suggests that you should resist the urge to convince yourself that it is. People have gotten hurt and worse by doing that. But if you treat it as an assistant, it can save your bacon someday. According to Tesla, its data indicates that you're much less likely to get into an accident with it turned on.

The Model 3 is a car you will want to drive yourself, anyway. And with 325 miles of range you can be 80 percent in about 40 minutes at the newest Supercharger stations, you can do plenty of that. The new book is only available when it is new, but an over-the-air software has been added. The tooth fairy is on notice.

Tesla's a bit hazy on how much power the Model 3 has on tap, but says it will accelerate to 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds. That speed arrives in near silence with all of the immediacy that electric motors are known for.

The steering is similarly responsive and the Model 3 feels strong as a steel brick, despite being raised by Consumer Reports and others over its long-term reliability. They are a little stiff for the New York metro area's rutted roads, but they do not have an electronically controlled suspension. Turn up the juice in a bend and you'll find that it's tail-happier than a typical all-wheel-drive because, but that's the fun way around one. If not the most reassuring for everyone onboard.

The problem with making a final assessment of the Model. Even in the time since I started writing this, Tesla altered its model lineup and added a leasing program. One thing is for certain: There's no point in getting close to competing with it, and a lot of liquid-fueled ones have trouble, too.

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