7 Day Review - Attempt at a Unique Positives & Negatives Perspective.

[Cboy7]

Lastly, the main reasons I wouldn’t recommend you buy one…

• You can barely afford it. It’s cool, but make good life choices
• You have very specific needs like towing a horse trailer 1000 miles a week. Get something else
• You are not social and don’t want people talking to you
• You don’t appreciate the unique looks and engineering. If you are constantly comparing this unfavorably to other standard trucks, that’s a sign you’re stuck in group think and don’t get it. ?

So accurate. Don't ruin your finances to have the latest and greatest. We can all work together. Some buy it now and help test it and some buy it in 2 years when its cheaper and has less bugs.

Sponsored

 

[Derektsla]

Excellent post, with all of the points very well presented!

This was especially interesting to me, since I currently drive a Model-X.

My only personal concerns right now are the lack of a second display behind the steering wheel, and the vehicle length. Since I have awhile before my number comes up, I should get a chance to test drive one and make a final decision.

Thanks again for sharing!

I had the same concerns. They are legit, but they wouldn’t make me second guess my purchase. Easy for me to say, but here are a few reasons why.

I frequently park in parking garages and places that are not as friendly to large trucks. The size can require some extra maneuvering, but the tight turns with the rear wheel steering really help in this area. The vehicle is a lot wider than an X, which can make it hard to have much room between the lines. Just be careful with your doors. Others won’t dent yours! ?

I do miss my heads up display. When I get back in my X, it feels nice to have. However, I am getting used to it. My biggest annoyance is not having the nav in front of me zoomed in with my next turn.

Neither of these things will cause me to start driving the X again. It’s just not the same after driving the truck.

I am wondering what will happen when test drives start. I didn’t love a lot of things on day 1-3 that took getting used to. It’s possible I would walk off the lot without buying. I’m kind of glad I didn’t have the chance to do that.

 

[CyberGus]

the plastic/rubber in the bed smells bad

This odor seemed to emanate from the "smuggler's hatch", which I left open for a few days (with tailgate and tonneau closed). It helped quite a bit.

The insane attention

laughs in DeLorean

...You can barely afford it. It’s cool, but make good life choices

I YOLOed it

 

[CyberTW]

Wow. It’s been 7 days and I still can’t believe I own of these still. I’m going to try to write a review unique enough to be worth reading. But first. Some context.

I am coming from a 2018 Model X 100D with FSD. Great vehicle, but not all the newest Tesla tech. No horizontal screen, different UI, etc.

Summary:
I love this truck. It looks badass, drives great, and isn’t the same as everyone else’s truck. But, it isn’t perfect, there are things I don’t like, and things that don’t work well. Still, it’s more fun than anything else I have ever driven. This includes Ferraris, Lambos, Mclarens, Baja trucks, off-road UTVs, etc. Why? It’s hard to say exactly, there is something special about it, it’s magnetic. It’s simultaneously badass, luxury, tough and fast. I have never had a new vehicle this cool that I don’t have to worry about scratching or other people denting in the parking lot. When I drive this truck, all my small complaints mostly fade away.

Before I get into the positives and negatives, I’ll talk about the first 3 days. After my drive back from the dealer, of about 2 hours, I was thinking “This is cool, but I am not sure I am going to like this.” I hadn’t driven a pickup in a while, and never owned a king cab truck. On top of that, it was so different. It’s stiffer, has more body roll, more aggressive regen, steering was weird, no stalks, squirkle wheel, and it’s long. My 2018 X was basically a normal (but techie) midsize SUV that drove like a sports car. The truck doesn’t feel like that. It feels like a truck, but from far in the future when trucks are indestructible, high tech and very fast. All that is great, but will I want to drive this every day? The answer is a definite YES, but it took me a bit to get there

After day 3, I started loving the truck. I finally figured out the steering, regen, UI, turn signal buttons, etc. since then, it’s been a lot of fun.

Negatives:
Since that summary ended with the fact that I love the truck, let’s start with what I don’t like.

• Rear view mirror. It’s useless and will be removed. This is because it only works sometimes (if cover is open). If you can’t rely on it all the time, it’s annoying to look at it and see nothing. The rear view camera on the screen isn’t great. It’s not clear enough and too wide angle to see things accurately. But, I ended up realizing I don’t need to look at the rear view much anyway. I used to do it way too much.
• Side mirrors. The angles that make them look cool also mean that I see less. It’s fine for driving, but will suck for towing. Between the mediocre rear view on the screen and small side mirrors, I have no idea how I would see what I am towing. If Tesla indeed made them easy to take off, that’s awesome, because some of you will replace them for towing.
• The smell of the bed. I haven’t seen this anywhere else, but the plastic/rubber in the bed smells bad. It’s like a rubber item that just arrived from China that needs to off-gas. I hope this goes away.
• Learning curve. The steering is different, turn signal buttons that automatically turn off, etc. all awesome! But all strange It takes a bit to figure out.
• No parking sensors. This is still a frustration for me. it’s really hard for me to tell where the front right of the vehicle is. I have a front camera, but I can’t confidently tell if I will miss things due to the wide angle and confusing turning angle overlays. My X would tell me how many inches I was from something, and it was awesome. I will learn where my front end is, but it will take a bit.
• Annoying feature misses. No steam, supports only 2 wireless headphones in the back, and a few other small things.
• No heads-up display. This isn’t that big of a deal, but as things get farther to the right of the center screen, like navigation, it’s not nearly as easy to see as it was in my X.
• Ride quality. It’s fine, but if I am being picky, it rides like a truck. It’s stiffer and you feel more bumps. All terrain tires are noisier and have more vibration. The air suspension is great, but not nearly as smooth as my X. But this is a truck, so that’s fine.
• The insane attention (temporary). Outside of the hot spots, like TX or CA, everyone will look at you. After 7 days, I have seen people take HUNDREDS of pictures and videos of me. People honk, give me thumbs up, and often let me pass or pull out in front of them so they can see it. This abnormal behavior makes it harder to anticipate what others will do on the road. I will literally be ambushed by people in parking lots that ask questions the second I get out of the truck. The last time I stopped to grab snacks at Publix, I ended up being there for an hour doing a mini car show. I’m social, it’s fine, but I am pretty sure I get more attention than Taylor Swift would right now. I even had two teenagers see the truck in the parking lot, pull in, and search the store until they found me. All to ask if they could follow me for a bit and take video. This is not an exaggeration. My friends thought I was being dramatic until they rode with me.
• (New) It’s a bit buggy. Lots of people have had various issues. Luckily mine are mostly just annoying. Like I keep getting a charging error that scares me, but everything is still working fine for now.

Positives
Now back to the fun stuff. I know why people “think” they should love it, but I want to focus on the more subtle reasons. But in order to do that, I’ll first get all the stuff you expect in a quick list.

The looks, the speed, the futuristic interior, the bed cover, etc. all really cool. Now for my subtle personal favorites that others may not mention.

• The sounds. Most every noise this vehicle makes fits the style and I love that. The robust noise when the cabin door latches release is solid. The noise the metal tonneau cover slats make when retracting is so satisfying. The doors closing have a satisfying umph. Lastly, the drive motors are louder. Not an “this is annoying louder.” But a loudness like “This futuristic space machine has a flux capacitor that is spooling up to rocket me out of here!” I grew up near a race track, and some days I really miss the sounds of an engine so finely tuned to go fast, its barely able to stay running at idle! So this motor noise helps me feel like I have more power.
• The steering. I said it was hard to get used to, but once you do, it’s awesome. I’m pretty sure the Cybertruck turns a tighter U-turn than my X does. It feels like the truck needs a ton of space to turn into a parking spot, but it turns so sharp, it’s easy. It’s effortless with steer by wire + rear steer. I hopped in my wife’s minivan today and the normal steering was laughable. It felt like I was steering a pontoon boat that wasn’t moving in the water! Why so much turning? As someone here said, it completely ruins normal car steering, and everyone else should be ashamed
• Sound system. Best ever? not likely, but very good. Bass is lower and has a lot more punch than my X did. It’s not as insane as the 15” sub I had in my old pickup’s small cabin, but it’s good enough I don’t think about needing more. The highs are bright and clear, the mids seem a bit muddy, but are a bit better with mixer tweaks
• The User Interface. It’s very fast, intuitive, and easier to use than my X ever was. Everything is designed for the style of the truck.
• The way the doors open. I hate door handles now. How pointless they seem. I liked my X door buttons but I LOVE the truck buttons. I never loved the fully powered X doors either. It was cool to control remotely, but the door motors always fought me opening them up. Doors that open upwards are too slow and awkward (but I still love the Falcon wing doors!) Handles that pop out? Meh. But, walking up and seeing the white light about the door illuminate telling me the car sees me, then pressing a button and quickly opening the door seems like a perfect blend of tech without annoyances.
• Durability. The stainless is cool. Myself (and everyone posting) about how to keep the truck looking really good is missing the point a bit. It’s industrial design, and isn’t supposed to look perfect. It doesn’t come from the factory anywhere near perfect. People worry too much about this. Not a single person that has seen my truck has mentioned any stains or dirt on it. The stainless is so hard! I slammed my fist on it to show a friend how hard it was. He jumped and said “whoa, what are you doing?” It was a Bad idea, my hand still hurts. Every other vehicle would have had a large dent. I polished with bar keepers friend and I don’t see a single swirl mark that wasn’t already there from the factory. I don’t have to use a 2 bucket wash method when cleaning, or even a new microfiber mitt. I Just wash it. I can park right next to the shopping cart return and not be afraid, such freedom!
• Towing features. It has a built in brake controller for electronic brakes. Near the hitch it has the round trailer connector AND a 4 pin connector next to it. I don’t have to get a harness to convert it for small stuff like my jet-ski trailer that uses a 4-pin.
• Air suspension. Entry mode makes it really easy to get in. It’s nice to be able to ride higher without the need for running boards to step up into the vehicle.
• Cabin noise. The cabin has less air and road noise than my X. This is impressive. It’s harder to judge because the all terrain tires make it worse, but all else equal, it’s better!
• Glove box drawer. I don’t have to worry about crap falling out when I open it! So much better
• Bed locker. It’s great for ratchet strap storage, and other tools you want to have around. It has a drain. I loaded it with beer and ice for a tailgate, then drained it after. It was awesome
• It’s a pickup, but looks like a military vehicle. Not for everyone, but I love it. I am a fan of all the 80’s sci fi like Terminator, Blade Runner, etc. driving it feels like you are in the movie!

I could write a lot more, but I’m tired and this post is long. For me, the pros outweigh the cons by a lot. It’s not the best at any one truck thing, but it’s the best package of everything. When I read posts of potential buyers worried about range, or FSD not there yet, or any number of other small complaints, I just chuckle because most of that doesn’t matter day to day. I get to drive something most people thought would never exist, and it’s useful, capable, and techie.

Lastly, the main reasons I wouldn’t recommend you buy one…

• You can barely afford it. It’s cool, but make good life choices
• You have very specific needs like towing a horse trailer 1000 miles a week. Get something else
• You are not social and don’t want people talking to you
• You don’t appreciate the unique looks and engineering. If you are constantly comparing this unfavorably to other standard trucks, that’s a sign you’re stuck in group think and don’t get it. ?

If you read this far, I hope this helps your decision. I tried to really focus on the things not covered in other reviews, so ignore all the obvious misses.

Thanks for taking the time to write this!

 

[CyberTW]

Lost me at complaining about a rear view mirror. It's purpose is if you drive with the gate down. Removing it is less functional. Hilarious.

And unnecessary d*** reply of the thread goes to….

 

[Robesaw]

Wow. It’s been 7 days and I still can’t believe I own of these still. I’m going to try to write a review unique enough to be worth reading. But first. Some context.

I am coming from a 2018 Model X 100D with FSD. Great vehicle, but not all the newest Tesla tech. No horizontal screen, different UI, etc.

Summary:
I love this truck. It looks badass, drives great, and isn’t the same as everyone else’s truck. But, it isn’t perfect, there are things I don’t like, and things that don’t work well. Still, it’s more fun than anything else I have ever driven. This includes Ferraris, Lambos, Mclarens, Baja trucks, off-road UTVs, etc. Why? It’s hard to say exactly, there is something special about it, it’s magnetic. It’s simultaneously badass, luxury, tough and fast. I have never had a new vehicle this cool that I don’t have to worry about scratching or other people denting in the parking lot. When I drive this truck, all my small complaints mostly fade away.

Before I get into the positives and negatives, I’ll talk about the first 3 days. After my drive back from the dealer, of about 2 hours, I was thinking “This is cool, but I am not sure I am going to like this.” I hadn’t driven a pickup in a while, and never owned a king cab truck. On top of that, it was so different. It’s stiffer, has more body roll, more aggressive regen, steering was weird, no stalks, squirkle wheel, and it’s long. My 2018 X was basically a normal (but techie) midsize SUV that drove like a sports car. The truck doesn’t feel like that. It feels like a truck, but from far in the future when trucks are indestructible, high tech and very fast. All that is great, but will I want to drive this every day? The answer is a definite YES, but it took me a bit to get there

After day 3, I started loving the truck. I finally figured out the steering, regen, UI, turn signal buttons, etc. since then, it’s been a lot of fun.

Negatives:
Since that summary ended with the fact that I love the truck, let’s start with what I don’t like.

• Rear view mirror. It’s useless and will be removed. This is because it only works sometimes (if cover is open). If you can’t rely on it all the time, it’s annoying to look at it and see nothing. The rear view camera on the screen isn’t great. It’s not clear enough and too wide angle to see things accurately. But, I ended up realizing I don’t need to look at the rear view much anyway. I used to do it way too much.
• Side mirrors. The angles that make them look cool also mean that I see less. It’s fine for driving, but will suck for towing. Between the mediocre rear view on the screen and small side mirrors, I have no idea how I would see what I am towing. If Tesla indeed made them easy to take off, that’s awesome, because some of you will replace them for towing.
• The smell of the bed. I haven’t seen this anywhere else, but the plastic/rubber in the bed smells bad. It’s like a rubber item that just arrived from China that needs to off-gas. I hope this goes away.
• Learning curve. The steering is different, turn signal buttons that automatically turn off, etc. all awesome! But all strange It takes a bit to figure out.
• No parking sensors. This is still a frustration for me. it’s really hard for me to tell where the front right of the vehicle is. I have a front camera, but I can’t confidently tell if I will miss things due to the wide angle and confusing turning angle overlays. My X would tell me how many inches I was from something, and it was awesome. I will learn where my front end is, but it will take a bit.
• Annoying feature misses. No steam, supports only 2 wireless headphones in the back, and a few other small things.
• No heads-up display. This isn’t that big of a deal, but as things get farther to the right of the center screen, like navigation, it’s not nearly as easy to see as it was in my X.
• Ride quality. It’s fine, but if I am being picky, it rides like a truck. It’s stiffer and you feel more bumps. All terrain tires are noisier and have more vibration. The air suspension is great, but not nearly as smooth as my X. But this is a truck, so that’s fine.
• The insane attention (temporary). Outside of the hot spots, like TX or CA, everyone will look at you. After 7 days, I have seen people take HUNDREDS of pictures and videos of me. People honk, give me thumbs up, and often let me pass or pull out in front of them so they can see it. This abnormal behavior makes it harder to anticipate what others will do on the road. I will literally be ambushed by people in parking lots that ask questions the second I get out of the truck. The last time I stopped to grab snacks at Publix, I ended up being there for an hour doing a mini car show. I’m social, it’s fine, but I am pretty sure I get more attention than Taylor Swift would right now. I even had two teenagers see the truck in the parking lot, pull in, and search the store until they found me. All to ask if they could follow me for a bit and take video. This is not an exaggeration. My friends thought I was being dramatic until they rode with me.
• (New) It’s a bit buggy. Lots of people have had various issues. Luckily mine are mostly just annoying. Like I keep getting a charging error that scares me, but everything is still working fine for now.

Positives
Now back to the fun stuff. I know why people “think” they should love it, but I want to focus on the more subtle reasons. But in order to do that, I’ll first get all the stuff you expect in a quick list.

The looks, the speed, the futuristic interior, the bed cover, etc. all really cool. Now for my subtle personal favorites that others may not mention.

• The sounds. Most every noise this vehicle makes fits the style and I love that. The robust noise when the cabin door latches release is solid. The noise the metal tonneau cover slats make when retracting is so satisfying. The doors closing have a satisfying umph. Lastly, the drive motors are louder. Not an “this is annoying louder.” But a loudness like “This futuristic space machine has a flux capacitor that is spooling up to rocket me out of here!” I grew up near a race track, and some days I really miss the sounds of an engine so finely tuned to go fast, its barely able to stay running at idle! So this motor noise helps me feel like I have more power.
• The steering. I said it was hard to get used to, but once you do, it’s awesome. I’m pretty sure the Cybertruck turns a tighter U-turn than my X does. It feels like the truck needs a ton of space to turn into a parking spot, but it turns so sharp, it’s easy. It’s effortless with steer by wire + rear steer. I hopped in my wife’s minivan today and the normal steering was laughable. It felt like I was steering a pontoon boat that wasn’t moving in the water! Why so much turning? As someone here said, it completely ruins normal car steering, and everyone else should be ashamed
• Sound system. Best ever? not likely, but very good. Bass is lower and has a lot more punch than my X did. It’s not as insane as the 15” sub I had in my old pickup’s small cabin, but it’s good enough I don’t think about needing more. The highs are bright and clear, the mids seem a bit muddy, but are a bit better with mixer tweaks
• The User Interface. It’s very fast, intuitive, and easier to use than my X ever was. Everything is designed for the style of the truck.
• The way the doors open. I hate door handles now. How pointless they seem. I liked my X door buttons but I LOVE the truck buttons. I never loved the fully powered X doors either. It was cool to control remotely, but the door motors always fought me opening them up. Doors that open upwards are too slow and awkward (but I still love the Falcon wing doors!) Handles that pop out? Meh. But, walking up and seeing the white light about the door illuminate telling me the car sees me, then pressing a button and quickly opening the door seems like a perfect blend of tech without annoyances.
• Durability. The stainless is cool. Myself (and everyone posting) about how to keep the truck looking really good is missing the point a bit. It’s industrial design, and isn’t supposed to look perfect. It doesn’t come from the factory anywhere near perfect. People worry too much about this. Not a single person that has seen my truck has mentioned any stains or dirt on it. The stainless is so hard! I slammed my fist on it to show a friend how hard it was. He jumped and said “whoa, what are you doing?” It was a Bad idea, my hand still hurts. Every other vehicle would have had a large dent. I polished with bar keepers friend and I don’t see a single swirl mark that wasn’t already there from the factory. I don’t have to use a 2 bucket wash method when cleaning, or even a new microfiber mitt. I Just wash it. I can park right next to the shopping cart return and not be afraid, such freedom!
• Towing features. It has a built in brake controller for electronic brakes. Near the hitch it has the round trailer connector AND a 4 pin connector next to it. I don’t have to get a harness to convert it for small stuff like my jet-ski trailer that uses a 4-pin.
• Air suspension. Entry mode makes it really easy to get in. It’s nice to be able to ride higher without the need for running boards to step up into the vehicle.
• Cabin noise. The cabin has less air and road noise than my X. This is impressive. It’s harder to judge because the all terrain tires make it worse, but all else equal, it’s better!
• Glove box drawer. I don’t have to worry about crap falling out when I open it! So much better
• Bed locker. It’s great for ratchet strap storage, and other tools you want to have around. It has a drain. I loaded it with beer and ice for a tailgate, then drained it after. It was awesome
• It’s a pickup, but looks like a military vehicle. Not for everyone, but I love it. I am a fan of all the 80’s sci fi like Terminator, Blade Runner, etc. driving it feels like you are in the movie!

I could write a lot more, but I’m tired and this post is long. For me, the pros outweigh the cons by a lot. It’s not the best at any one truck thing, but it’s the best package of everything. When I read posts of potential buyers worried about range, or FSD not there yet, or any number of other small complaints, I just chuckle because most of that doesn’t matter day to day. I get to drive something most people thought would never exist, and it’s useful, capable, and techie.

Lastly, the main reasons I wouldn’t recommend you buy one…

• You can barely afford it. It’s cool, but make good life choices
• You have very specific needs like towing a horse trailer 1000 miles a week. Get something else
• You are not social and don’t want people talking to you
• You don’t appreciate the unique looks and engineering. If you are constantly comparing this unfavorably to other standard trucks, that’s a sign you’re stuck in group think and don’t get it. ?

If you read this far, I hope this helps your decision. I tried to really focus on the things not covered in other reviews, so ignore all the obvious misses.

Great review! And all unique thoughts/points.

 

[Robesaw]

Why did I reserve a CT early morning on day 2 of the reveal?

“Durability. The stainless is cool. Myself (and everyone posting) about how to keep the truck looking really good is missing the point a bit. It’s industrial design, and isn’t supposed to look perfect. It doesn’t come from the factory anywhere near perfect. People worry too much about this. Not a single person that has seen my truck has mentioned any stains or dirt on it. The stainless is so hard! I slammed my fist on it to show a friend how hard it was. He jumped and said “whoa, what are you doing?” It was a Bad idea, my hand still hurts. Every other vehicle would have had a large dent. I polished with bar keepers friend and I don’t see a single swirl mark that wasn’t already there from the factory. I don’t have to use a 2 bucket wash method when cleaning, or even a new microfiber mitt. I Just wash it. I can park right next to the shopping cart return and not be afraid, such freedom!”

The durability of the 1.8mm and 1.4mm thick stainless steel is a game changer. It’s virtually door ding proof.

Tesla, let’s open up non-FS ordering already!

Lifting a heavy box over the side of my R1T bed resulted in a $300 PDR repair bill

Does anyone worry that ass****s are going to trash their truck because of all the press about the indestructible nature of the design? I can see a pile of jerks coming across these in parking lots and deciding to kick and trash in a challenge to prove everyone wrong.

 

[BengalBoy]

Congrats! Thanks for your thoughts and observations about your CyberExperience!

 

[Robesaw]

You don’t have to agree. But let’s not get snippy about it.

You are correct that if the tailgate is down, you have to keep the mirror on or you have nothing. This is a good point I didn’t think of.

In all other situations… Even with the tonneau cover open, the mirror visibility isn’t very good. Once it’s removed, I will stop trying to look at it and adjust faster to the screen mirror. I can also 3D print and mount a custom garage button in the hole to get rid of my remote.

This is an interesting thought. I would likely take mine down too (when I get mine) but since the camera is useless when the gate is down, that leaves you blind at that point. I think the best solution would have been a second camera. I’m sure the rear view mirror is still a legal requirement at this point.

 

[CybertruckRN1127]

Nice write up. I agree with most things you said except ride quality. I think CT has the best ride of all the Tesla’s I’ve owned (2 model 3s and 2016 model X). Do you have the height on medium? I started with low, but really enjoyed the comfort on medium.

I'm the opposite. I find the ride to be too floaty and bouncy on both relaxed and focused. I never liked air suspensions over coils anyway. I prefer the Model 3 ride and feel. The refreshed Model 3's suspension is even nicer. I thought with a heavier car, the CT's air suspension will be stiffer and reacts closer to coil. My Cyberbeast's suspension just reacts too slow for me. It'll dip an inch before it realize it needs to stiffen up for the load.

 

[Texarado]

Wow. It’s been 7 days and I still can’t believe I own of these still. I’m going to try to write a review unique enough to be worth reading. But first. Some context.

I am coming from a 2018 Model X 100D with FSD. Great vehicle, but not all the newest Tesla tech. No horizontal screen, different UI, etc.

Summary:
I love this truck. It looks badass, drives great, and isn’t the same as everyone else’s truck. But, it isn’t perfect, there are things I don’t like, and things that don’t work well. Still, it’s more fun than anything else I have ever driven. This includes Ferraris, Lambos, Mclarens, Baja trucks, off-road UTVs, etc. Why? It’s hard to say exactly, there is something special about it, it’s magnetic. It’s simultaneously badass, luxury, tough and fast. I have never had a new vehicle this cool that I don’t have to worry about scratching or other people denting in the parking lot. When I drive this truck, all my small complaints mostly fade away.

Before I get into the positives and negatives, I’ll talk about the first 3 days. After my drive back from the dealer, of about 2 hours, I was thinking “This is cool, but I am not sure I am going to like this.” I hadn’t driven a pickup in a while, and never owned a king cab truck. On top of that, it was so different. It’s stiffer, has more body roll, more aggressive regen, steering was weird, no stalks, squirkle wheel, and it’s long. My 2018 X was basically a normal (but techie) midsize SUV that drove like a sports car. The truck doesn’t feel like that. It feels like a truck, but from far in the future when trucks are indestructible, high tech and very fast. All that is great, but will I want to drive this every day? The answer is a definite YES, but it took me a bit to get there

After day 3, I started loving the truck. I finally figured out the steering, regen, UI, turn signal buttons, etc. since then, it’s been a lot of fun.

Negatives:
Since that summary ended with the fact that I love the truck, let’s start with what I don’t like.

• Rear view mirror. It’s useless and will be removed. This is because it only works sometimes (if cover is open). If you can’t rely on it all the time, it’s annoying to look at it and see nothing. The rear view camera on the screen isn’t great. It’s not clear enough and too wide angle to see things accurately. But, I ended up realizing I don’t need to look at the rear view much anyway. I used to do it way too much.
• Side mirrors. The angles that make them look cool also mean that I see less. It’s fine for driving, but will suck for towing. Between the mediocre rear view on the screen and small side mirrors, I have no idea how I would see what I am towing. If Tesla indeed made them easy to take off, that’s awesome, because some of you will replace them for towing.
• The smell of the bed. I haven’t seen this anywhere else, but the plastic/rubber in the bed smells bad. It’s like a rubber item that just arrived from China that needs to off-gas. I hope this goes away.
• Learning curve. The steering is different, turn signal buttons that automatically turn off, etc. all awesome! But all strange It takes a bit to figure out.
• No parking sensors. This is still a frustration for me. it’s really hard for me to tell where the front right of the vehicle is. I have a front camera, but I can’t confidently tell if I will miss things due to the wide angle and confusing turning angle overlays. My X would tell me how many inches I was from something, and it was awesome. I will learn where my front end is, but it will take a bit.
• Annoying feature misses. No steam, supports only 2 wireless headphones in the back, and a few other small things.
• No heads-up display. This isn’t that big of a deal, but as things get farther to the right of the center screen, like navigation, it’s not nearly as easy to see as it was in my X.
• Ride quality. It’s fine, but if I am being picky, it rides like a truck. It’s stiffer and you feel more bumps. All terrain tires are noisier and have more vibration. The air suspension is great, but not nearly as smooth as my X. But this is a truck, so that’s fine.
• The insane attention (temporary). Outside of the hot spots, like TX or CA, everyone will look at you. After 7 days, I have seen people take HUNDREDS of pictures and videos of me. People honk, give me thumbs up, and often let me pass or pull out in front of them so they can see it. This abnormal behavior makes it harder to anticipate what others will do on the road. I will literally be ambushed by people in parking lots that ask questions the second I get out of the truck. The last time I stopped to grab snacks at Publix, I ended up being there for an hour doing a mini car show. I’m social, it’s fine, but I am pretty sure I get more attention than Taylor Swift would right now. I even had two teenagers see the truck in the parking lot, pull in, and search the store until they found me. All to ask if they could follow me for a bit and take video. This is not an exaggeration. My friends thought I was being dramatic until they rode with me.
• (New) It’s a bit buggy. Lots of people have had various issues. Luckily mine are mostly just annoying. Like I keep getting a charging error that scares me, but everything is still working fine for now.

Positives
Now back to the fun stuff. I know why people “think” they should love it, but I want to focus on the more subtle reasons. But in order to do that, I’ll first get all the stuff you expect in a quick list.

The looks, the speed, the futuristic interior, the bed cover, etc. all really cool. Now for my subtle personal favorites that others may not mention.

• The sounds. Most every noise this vehicle makes fits the style and I love that. The robust noise when the cabin door latches release is solid. The noise the metal tonneau cover slats make when retracting is so satisfying. The doors closing have a satisfying umph. Lastly, the drive motors are louder. Not an “this is annoying louder.” But a loudness like “This futuristic space machine has a flux capacitor that is spooling up to rocket me out of here!” I grew up near a race track, and some days I really miss the sounds of an engine so finely tuned to go fast, its barely able to stay running at idle! So this motor noise helps me feel like I have more power.
• The steering. I said it was hard to get used to, but once you do, it’s awesome. I’m pretty sure the Cybertruck turns a tighter U-turn than my X does. It feels like the truck needs a ton of space to turn into a parking spot, but it turns so sharp, it’s easy. It’s effortless with steer by wire + rear steer. I hopped in my wife’s minivan today and the normal steering was laughable. It felt like I was steering a pontoon boat that wasn’t moving in the water! Why so much turning? As someone here said, it completely ruins normal car steering, and everyone else should be ashamed
• Sound system. Best ever? not likely, but very good. Bass is lower and has a lot more punch than my X did. It’s not as insane as the 15” sub I had in my old pickup’s small cabin, but it’s good enough I don’t think about needing more. The highs are bright and clear, the mids seem a bit muddy, but are a bit better with mixer tweaks
• The User Interface. It’s very fast, intuitive, and easier to use than my X ever was. Everything is designed for the style of the truck.
• The way the doors open. I hate door handles now. How pointless they seem. I liked my X door buttons but I LOVE the truck buttons. I never loved the fully powered X doors either. It was cool to control remotely, but the door motors always fought me opening them up. Doors that open upwards are too slow and awkward (but I still love the Falcon wing doors!) Handles that pop out? Meh. But, walking up and seeing the white light about the door illuminate telling me the car sees me, then pressing a button and quickly opening the door seems like a perfect blend of tech without annoyances.
• Durability. The stainless is cool. Myself (and everyone posting) about how to keep the truck looking really good is missing the point a bit. It’s industrial design, and isn’t supposed to look perfect. It doesn’t come from the factory anywhere near perfect. People worry too much about this. Not a single person that has seen my truck has mentioned any stains or dirt on it. The stainless is so hard! I slammed my fist on it to show a friend how hard it was. He jumped and said “whoa, what are you doing?” It was a Bad idea, my hand still hurts. Every other vehicle would have had a large dent. I polished with bar keepers friend and I don’t see a single swirl mark that wasn’t already there from the factory. I don’t have to use a 2 bucket wash method when cleaning, or even a new microfiber mitt. I Just wash it. I can park right next to the shopping cart return and not be afraid, such freedom!
• Towing features. It has a built in brake controller for electronic brakes. Near the hitch it has the round trailer connector AND a 4 pin connector next to it. I don’t have to get a harness to convert it for small stuff like my jet-ski trailer that uses a 4-pin.
• Air suspension. Entry mode makes it really easy to get in. It’s nice to be able to ride higher without the need for running boards to step up into the vehicle.
• Cabin noise. The cabin has less air and road noise than my X. This is impressive. It’s harder to judge because the all terrain tires make it worse, but all else equal, it’s better!
• Glove box drawer. I don’t have to worry about crap falling out when I open it! So much better
• Bed locker. It’s great for ratchet strap storage, and other tools you want to have around. It has a drain. I loaded it with beer and ice for a tailgate, then drained it after. It was awesome
• It’s a pickup, but looks like a military vehicle. Not for everyone, but I love it. I am a fan of all the 80’s sci fi like Terminator, Blade Runner, etc. driving it feels like you are in the movie!

I could write a lot more, but I’m tired and this post is long. For me, the pros outweigh the cons by a lot. It’s not the best at any one truck thing, but it’s the best package of everything. When I read posts of potential buyers worried about range, or FSD not there yet, or any number of other small complaints, I just chuckle because most of that doesn’t matter day to day. I get to drive something most people thought would never exist, and it’s useful, capable, and techie.

Lastly, the main reasons I wouldn’t recommend you buy one…

• You can barely afford it. It’s cool, but make good life choices
• You have very specific needs like towing a horse trailer 1000 miles a week. Get something else
• You are not social and don’t want people talking to you
• You don’t appreciate the unique looks and engineering. If you are constantly comparing this unfavorably to other standard trucks, that’s a sign you’re stuck in group think and don’t get it. ?

If you read this far, I hope this helps your decision. I tried to really focus on the things not covered in other reviews, so ignore all the obvious misses.

As others have said, great post. The 3 day thing is so right. I think it may have been 2 for me, but I definitely had the “WTH did I do?” feeling. No more.

one disagreement—the mirrors are fine for towing. Combination of mirrors and turn signal cameras and you’re golden. Disclaimer I’ve only towed ~30 miles so far with my Airstream. But, a very good experience.

 

[2DVS4U]

I agree with everything you are saying, after renting a dual motor foundation series for a long weekend I have been wanting to make a review and you hit every nail right on the head, the only thing is the rear-view mirror that you could leave on yourself when you are driving to make sure you are looking good with all the pictures, videos, stares and looks you are attracting when driving around in such an awesome vehicle.

 

[SentinelOne]

I'm the opposite. I find the ride to be too floaty and bouncy on both relaxed and focused. I never liked air suspensions over coils anyway. I prefer the Model 3 ride and feel. The refreshed Model 3's suspension is even nicer. I thought with a heavier car, the CT's air suspension will be stiffer and reacts closer to coil. My Cyberbeast's suspension just reacts too slow for me. It'll dip an inch before it realize it needs to stiffen up for the load.

Take your word for it as I don't have my truck yet - but that's all sw configurable so there's hope for improvement or refinement of modes!

 

[SteelRhino]

I have the AWD model. I remember hearing that beast motors are louder?

I'll be making a video soon, hopefully it will capture what I am trying to say here.

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