5 Surprises after 20 Days with Cybertruck

[HaulingAss]

Agree all except that clickable turn signal after 35 days 1850 miles. I am from GLS and found CT is a bit easier to maneuver but i am still struggling on the parallel parking due to its size.

Struggling with parallel parking is probably more due to it parking different than vehicles without 4 wheel steering, not so much the size (except to the extent that you need a longer space than a shorter car).

The secret is to back deeper towards the curb before cranking the steering wheel over to steer the front towards the curb. The reason you have to go deeper is that once you crank the steering wheel to tuck the front end into the curb (and just clear the bumper of the car parked in front of you) the rear wheels steer away from the curb. So you have to back closer to the curb so they end up next to the curb.

So yes, it does parallel park differently, but once you learn the difference, it allows you to fit in smaller spots than a similar sized vehicle without four-wheel steering.

Sponsored

 

[BillSirloin]

I 100% agree with you on the cleaning. Even compared to my Model 3, I can get all of the dog hair and dirt/grime out in 20-30 minutes. The mats do great and I think the carpeting material lets go of debris easier. The plastics also wipe clean nicely too.

 

[Lasttoy]

Get in a new Corvette. Rear view mirror is the same joke. Federal law. Remember Elon wanted no side mirrors? NTHSB said u will have side mirrors. I'm glad the back seat has leg room.
I wonder if AS tires will increase range???

 

[SentinelOne]

1. Super-easy to clean inside and out - self wash car wash + glass cleaner and elbow grease = perfect, not sure what ll the fuss was about - it's pretty simple, just takes 30min of work. Interior I'm a bit worried about - having 3 guys in the truck after riding dirt bikes all day = dirty bastards in the cab...hope she holds up. Really wanting someone to do Carbon Fiber to cover / replace the white bits
2. Drives like a sporty SUV - speed and comfort = yes, which is amazing for a big truck....handling is ok, wife's SQ7 does much better and while smaller / lighter it's not a small vehicle and it's fast (less so), comfortable (more so but not by much) and handles much better than the CT
3. Second row legroom for days - better than my 2500 HD and more usable space overall, happy
4. Bizarro rearview mirror - really want to remove but with dirt bikes in the back I need the ability to check periodically and the tailgate is down so with no mirror at all I'd be screwed...so on it stays, hope someone makes a bit bigger / clearer version
5. Efficiency is outstanding - averaging 500kw/mi - but it's new, will never break records the way I drive, if the truck had 400mi EPA rating I'd be in heaven, but it'll do
6. Steering - it's outstanding, comparable to SQ7 (with rear steer and 199"), absolutely Fantastic vs. traditional truck
7. Other: would like a street Hoon mode that lets reduce traction control / rear bias, etc - yes you can do it in off-road but a street optimized would be cool! Smugglers bay holds most of my truck stuff very well! Bed Cover is awesome, put tie downs in every spot - very flexible. Back seat cargo is fantastic, tires do well for al they have to handle; good lights for what they are, software fantastic good storage, no issues with front visibility, big a pillars but not a big deal, stereo is awesome, suspension is excellent

Few challenges:
- my home charger won't charge over 16 amps (gen 2 charger, works fine on my m3p) - service ticket opened
- Fingerprints come out easily with glass cleaner but they occur constantly - no biggie but could have been solved with some sort of handle/strip, etc
- Would like another USB-C in the center compartment and one on the back of the monitor for powering alternate phone mount or gps etc
- hurry up with FSD, Parking Warning, 130mph top speed, tweaked / improved charging curve, off-road light
- wish they would have done active roll stabilization like the wife's SQ7 - I mean they have the 48v system already and Audi's had it for years - could have been done easily and would have helped handling and off-road for moderate incremental cost
- headlights - they work well for what they are, but I dont believe they have the capabilities of the newer M3/y and they surely dont have the capabilities of the SQ7 active matrix (same priced vehicles) - sw bug on mine (20.6) that it forgets the auto high beams setting and I have to toggle it
- they should sell a converter for the 48v in the frunk to make it plug and play for power up front, guessing they might in the future
- dont like the white interior bits - waiting for grey parts or aftermarket
- would like to buy some fully rated summer performance tires that meet speed/weight/quietness criteria - sure they're comming but want to have 2 sets of tires - winter/offroad and Haul Ass/Mileage
- Jury is out on brakes, dont use them much at all, but when unleashing the beast they're necessary and havent built confidence with them yet

Overall, she's a marvel of engineering and I'm very, very happy with it! Everything can be improved!

 

[RayzorBEV]

I'm sure like many of you, I've watched most YouTube reviews (often more than once) and read just about every article before having the good fortune of taking delivery of my Cybertruck AWD 20 days and some 600 miles ago. With that backdrop, I thought I'd share my top five list of surprises, in no particular order:

1. Super-easy to clean inside and out - we're a family of five with three teenage boys and two dogs. Stuff gets dirty, especially our vehicles. With the all weather mats, a few wipes for the interior and a hose and Sprayway ammonia free glass cleaner I can do a quick clean inside and out of the entire truck in under 30 minutes. With our SUV's I'm looking at least two hours for a similar quick clean. Didn't expect it to be this easy.
2. Drives like a sporty SUV - yes, it's a 220+ inch long pickup truck. But it handles similarly to a BMW X5 4.6is (what would have been an X5 M at the time) that was one of my favorite vehicles. The mass is evident, but it carries itself with a structural firmness and rigidity that exceeds today's X7 or Mercedes GLS. It's not a canyon carver, but for sporting duty this is tough to beat in this size/weight class.
3. Second row legroom for days - why I am talking about second row legroom? I've got three teenage boys who seem to get taller by the day. From 5'2" to 5'11" that's a lot of arms and legs and second row legroom is always a concern. With elevated front seats the second row legroom in the Cybertruck readily exceeds that in the Audi Q7 we owned previously and even in the Defender 130. For two rows of seating, this is really tough to beat and second row comfort - seat width, back support, leg room, etc. is really top-notch and exceeds that of any luxury SUV I've test driven.
4. Bizarro rearview mirror - c'mon Tesla. Even with the tonneau open this micro-mirror was manufactured to have distortion along every edge. Why? Adding a camera-based rearview mirror - that's not embedded in the main screen - should have been done. I've adapted by using my side mirrors more often, and using the rear view in the main screen, but I prefer a bigger, clearer, view of what's behind me. This should be an easy solve.
5. Efficiency is outstanding - I just took a 69.1 mile trip and used 19.5% of my battery. Doing the math, that's 350miles of real-world range (against rated range of 318 miles) on 35" all terrain tires. What? How? In a Tesla?! Tell me again how the Rivians struggle to get 2 mi/kwh and I'm pulling closer to 3 mi/kwh! Forget about the Hummer EV, I'm basically at double plus the efficiency of that bloated oaf. Oh, I'm also within spitting distance of the efficiency I previously achieved with my Model S Plaid. In a 6,000+lb wedge-shape truck.

I didn't leave myself any more room, but the 4 wheel steering is super-easy and its progressive nature just takes minutes to adapt to while driving. It really shortens the effective length of the truck. I like using the frunk for groceries. I did install the vault divider, with substantial difficulty, installed the mud flaps in about 15 minutes, have the snap in sunshade in place (5 mins, maybe) and found some Amazon wheel hub caps that probably took 2 mins to install all four and they subtly match the wheel design and style of the vehicle. RainX is on the front windscreen and it performed well in this mornings rain - as RainX often does. No noticeable noise at speed from the all terrain tires and the hint of motor whine under acceleration is surprisingly welcome. The regen is particularly strong, stronger than the Model S I had, but really simple to modulate. Love the clickable turn signal buttons as opposed to the haptic touch buttons from the Model S and the return of a horn in the middle of the steering yoke. All in all, very happy with the machine and appreciate the ingenuity and inventiveness of the engineering that went into more and more with each passing mile and day.

Finally, 95+% of the people have positive reactions. Many have no idea what it is. Kids see it and often exclaim excitedly "Cybertruck!". The novelty will pass but driving this machine will put smiles on our faces for years and miles to come.

Spot on with your observation, especially #4. I've been advocating for Tesla and Rivian to add a digital rearview mirror to their trucks for years to avail. Maybe an aftermarket vendor will take on this task.

 

[mhaze]

...They fit in my Raptor but I’m playing on daily driving my CT and the backseat has me worried since I can’t see it until delivery day.

I have a 2020 Raptor and the AW Cybertruck.

Short story - don't worry, the back seats are very comparable.

 

[jditom]

Agree 100%
But that shit mirror had to go.

 

[MadMad007]

Great post OP. I like the mirror to watch my dog or my kids in that back seat, but ? on everything else

 

[carsly]

Great post OP. I like the mirror to watch my dog or my kids in that back seat, but ? on everything else

The thing that annoys me about the rearview mirror, and maybe it's just mine, is that it's beveled around all the edges which introduces distortion at the edges when using it. I wish it were just flat.

 

[CyberT1]

I'm sure like many of you, I've watched most YouTube reviews (often more than once) and read just about every article before having the good fortune of taking delivery of my Cybertruck AWD 20 days and some 600 miles ago. With that backdrop, I thought I'd share my top five list of surprises, in no particular order:

1. Super-easy to clean inside and out - we're a family of five with three teenage boys and two dogs. Stuff gets dirty, especially our vehicles. With the all weather mats, a few wipes for the interior and a hose and Sprayway ammonia free glass cleaner I can do a quick clean inside and out of the entire truck in under 30 minutes. With our SUV's I'm looking at least two hours for a similar quick clean. Didn't expect it to be this easy.
2. Drives like a sporty SUV - yes, it's a 220+ inch long pickup truck. But it handles similarly to a BMW X5 4.6is (what would have been an X5 M at the time) that was one of my favorite vehicles. The mass is evident, but it carries itself with a structural firmness and rigidity that exceeds today's X7 or Mercedes GLS. It's not a canyon carver, but for sporting duty this is tough to beat in this size/weight class.
3. Second row legroom for days - why I am talking about second row legroom? I've got three teenage boys who seem to get taller by the day. From 5'2" to 5'11" that's a lot of arms and legs and second row legroom is always a concern. With elevated front seats the second row legroom in the Cybertruck readily exceeds that in the Audi Q7 we owned previously and even in the Defender 130. For two rows of seating, this is really tough to beat and second row comfort - seat width, back support, leg room, etc. is really top-notch and exceeds that of any luxury SUV I've test driven.
4. Bizarro rearview mirror - c'mon Tesla. Even with the tonneau open this micro-mirror was manufactured to have distortion along every edge. Why? Adding a camera-based rearview mirror - that's not embedded in the main screen - should have been done. I've adapted by using my side mirrors more often, and using the rear view in the main screen, but I prefer a bigger, clearer, view of what's behind me. This should be an easy solve.
5. Efficiency is outstanding - I just took a 69.1 mile trip and used 19.5% of my battery. Doing the math, that's 350miles of real-world range (against rated range of 318 miles) on 35" all terrain tires. What? How? In a Tesla?! Tell me again how the Rivians struggle to get 2 mi/kwh and I'm pulling closer to 3 mi/kwh! Forget about the Hummer EV, I'm basically at double plus the efficiency of that bloated oaf. Oh, I'm also within spitting distance of the efficiency I previously achieved with my Model S Plaid. In a 6,000+lb wedge-shape truck.

I didn't leave myself any more room, but the 4 wheel steering is super-easy and its progressive nature just takes minutes to adapt to while driving. It really shortens the effective length of the truck. I like using the frunk for groceries. I did install the vault divider, with substantial difficulty, installed the mud flaps in about 15 minutes, have the snap in sunshade in place (5 mins, maybe) and found some Amazon wheel hub caps that probably took 2 mins to install all four and they subtly match the wheel design and style of the vehicle. RainX is on the front windscreen and it performed well in this mornings rain - as RainX often does. No noticeable noise at speed from the all terrain tires and the hint of motor whine under acceleration is surprisingly welcome. The regen is particularly strong, stronger than the Model S I had, but really simple to modulate. Love the clickable turn signal buttons as opposed to the haptic touch buttons from the Model S and the return of a horn in the middle of the steering yoke. All in all, very happy with the machine and appreciate the ingenuity and inventiveness of the engineering that went into more and more with each passing mile and day.

Finally, 95+% of the people have positive reactions. Many have no idea what it is. Kids see it and often exclaim excitedly "Cybertruck!". The novelty will pass but driving this machine will put smiles on our faces for years and miles to come.

I removed the mirror. Where did you buy the wheel covers and do you like them?

 

[CyberNickOH]

For parallel parking, which I rarely need to do, but have once or twice, is to remember that the front end is way shorter than most comparable ICE trucks. Turn the front camera on and you can pivot very close up front, I always think im close, turn on the camera and have 18-24" left.

 

[carsly]

I removed the mirror. Where did you buy the wheel covers and do you like them?

I bought these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3DV7B2J?psc=1&ref=product_details on another members review/recommendation and really like them. Have about 100 miles since installation, have not fallen out and fit/look great IMHO. Subtle and covers up the open wheel hub. Not sure I'll ever use whatever modified covers Tesla comes up with.

 

[CyberT1]

Great Thank You I just ordered Them

 

[CyberNickOH]

Where is this rear view mirror cap that was referenced? Its time to go, was just going to 3D print one.

 

[DerekCyber80s]

Rocklin has one on display

Sponsored