My Cybertruck test drive experience: magnificent machine!

[gc2488]

How long was your Cybertruck test drive? 30 minutes, or what?

I'm on a business trip and may just get to drive a Cybertruck soon, today, we'll see. Sounds like a really interesting experience, and I'd like to do it again once FSD is operational on Cybertruck. Really interested in the least expensive Cybertruck, RWD may be just fine for us.

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[Stuck4ger]

My CT test drive experience was a route preplanned by Tesla to showcase the truck’s capabilities with bumps, u-turns, acceleration, and cruising. All in about 5 minutes.

 

[TrukduSyber]

my test drive was 2 minutes in the manhasset parking lot. my S/O and I regret it deeply as now we have to go back to daily driving our 24' crosstrek (which is a great vehicle btw)

 

[Cybertruck26]

Reserved in 2019, took delivery of my Beast on 7/3/24... I will say, I lost hope a few time, and almost thought about getting an X Plaid, but... PLEASE WAIT! I assure you, as OP stated, this is unlike any vehicle you will ever own/drive, WELL worth the wait.

As discouraging and unknown as the journey is, at least you're among others and can get important feedback BEFORE you take delivery (this was EXTREMELY valuable).

Little things like purchasing accessories, cleaning tips, and even nailing down your Cybertruck Playlist ALL helped me pass the time. Good luck! You will LOVE IT!

 

[rrizzi7210]

I'm a total noob with all things Tesla. I have a CB ordered with an estimated delivery date of Oct-Dec. I am wondering if I should go on a test drive in one of the cars to familiarize myself with the general theory of operation. It is about 220 miles to the nearest test drive location so it would take a whole day to go there and back. They have Models S, 3, X and Y but no CTs available for test drive. Do the tesla employees go on the test drive with you? Are they helpful in answering questions and training on the system? Is that even necessary? If not I guess I'll test drive mine out of the delivery center.

I have a 2022 MYP and have put 83K miles since March of 2022. I scheduled my CT test drive on the weekend as soon as I learned about it from a Tesla employee, and was in the driver's seat of an AWD CT yesterday, at 10:30 AM in West Palm Beach, FL. First time.

Like you, I have a CT CB accepted since May 8th, 2024 and I am in the Oct-Dec 2024 delivery time frame.

First overall impressions are very consistent with everything I have read. The dash is extremely deep, steering is out of this world, and ride quality is 10/10.

To elaborate.....

Once inside, behind the wheel (and yes they have a customer-facing chaperone who helps you with just about everything you need to do and need to know), you immediately notice this perception of how far away the bottom on the windshield is from you and the steering wheel. The reason I mention this, is because you might also feel that the front end of the truck is also super far away, which it is not. It's just one of those things you will overcome in about 2 minutes.

Another very subtle thing I noticed compared to my Model YP is when you approach a speed bump at extremely low speed, and I mean like one foot per second or even less, the CT just rolls over the speed bump like it isn't even there with the accelerator held to get you as little as one foot per second. Compare to every other car I have ever driven in my life, when you hit a speed bump at very low speed, the vehicle will roll up a tiny bit, stall or roll backwards until to depress the accelerator to get over it. NOT WITH THE CT. It just rolls right over whatever that speed bump is trying to do to slow you down. It's almost as if Tesla designed the CT to sense the stall current or demand, and says, do whatever we have to do to hold the vehicle speed constant as long as the angle of attack has not changed.

Steer-by-wire is very easy to get used to, and you will notice it at first and you will overcompensate just a bit, but your brain quickly senses the feedback your eyes and body are providing you and you correct the over steer immediately. Within a few miles or minutes of driving, you know about it, and you handle it correctly. At least that worked for me.

I didn't have any issues with signals (left or right), because I already knew about this, but never used a Tesla yoke before, so no big deal there.

The ride quality is EXTREMELY smooth compared to a Model 3 or a Model Y, or my YP. You can target manhole covers that are recessed about an inch below grade at 45 MPH and you barely even feel it. In my MYP, it goes "bump" and my drink in my cup holder shakes and rattles.

I also found backing up into a parking space at the Tesla Service Center easy to get within 90% of perfect on the first try. All-wheel steering is noticeably helpful and it's actually quite cool to see the back of the truck "swing out" a bit when making a sharp left or right at slow speed. I made a U turn using 1.5 lanes after he Tesla employee asked me to make the U-turn. My MYP does the same turn in 2.5 lanes or maybe 2.2 lanes so, it is difficult to do.

Overall, you MUST make the trip to test drive, because it is kind of like going to Disney World or something for the first time as a kid. No matter how long you have to drive to get there, it is worth it, and even afterwards. Bring someone with you to take video, because you will be too busy enjoying and taking in the moment.

 

[rrizzi7210]

I’m glad to hear that. You are the second person who is saying that traveling in Cybertruck makes the chronic pain extremely manageable. Another owner said the same thing with the steering wheel. His wife gets severe wrist pains when she drivers any car. As steer by wire greatly reduces or technically eliminates the micro vibrations from the wheels, she can drive it without any pain. So many side benefits of this engineering marvel. Enjoy and have fun! ?

I did my first CT AWD Test Drive yesterday at 10:30AM, so just 24 hours ago. Aside from amazing, one thing you can do extremely comfortably and naturally is put your left or right hand on top of the steering wheel (top dead center) and just drive like that the whole time (except when signaling). The feedback through the system is perfect and linear, so it will be awesome for long trips until we get AP or FSD.

 

[DaBagBoy]

picked up my AWD in mid-May, glad to hear so many similar experiences.....this truck truly hits different!

No one here mentioned it but I've already taken mine flying.....

 

[Hunky Dory]

I have a 2022 MYP and have put 83K miles since March of 2022. I scheduled my CT test drive on the weekend as soon as I learned about it from a Tesla employee, and was in the driver's seat of an AWD CT yesterday, at 10:30 AM in West Palm Beach, FL. First time.

Like you, I have a CT CB accepted since May 8th, 2024 and I am in the Oct-Dec 2024 delivery time frame.

First overall impressions are very consistent with everything I have read. The dash is extremely deep, steering is out of this world, and ride quality is 10/10.

To elaborate.....

Once inside, behind the wheel (and yes they have a customer-facing chaperone who helps you with just about everything you need to do and need to know), you immediately notice this perception of how far away the bottom on the windshield is from you and the steering wheel. The reason I mention this, is because you might also feel that the front end of the truck is also super far away, which it is not. It's just one of those things you will overcome in about 2 minutes.

Another very subtle thing I noticed compared to my Model YP is when you approach a speed bump at extremely low speed, and I mean like one foot per second or even less, the CT just rolls over the speed bump like it isn't even there with the accelerator held to get you as little as one foot per second. Compare to every other car I have ever driven in my life, when you hit a speed bump at very low speed, the vehicle will roll up a tiny bit, stall or roll backwards until to depress the accelerator to get over it. NOT WITH THE CT. It just rolls right over whatever that speed bump is trying to do to slow you down. It's almost as if Tesla designed the CT to sense the stall current or demand, and says, do whatever we have to do to hold the vehicle speed constant as long as the angle of attack has not changed.

Steer-by-wire is very easy to get used to, and you will notice it at first and you will overcompensate just a bit, but your brain quickly senses the feedback your eyes and body are providing you and you correct the over steer immediately. Within a few miles or minutes of driving, you know about it, and you handle it correctly. At least that worked for me.

I didn't have any issues with signals (left or right), because I already knew about this, but never used a Tesla yoke before, so no big deal there.

The ride quality is EXTREMELY smooth compared to a Model 3 or a Model Y, or my YP. You can target manhole covers that are recessed about an inch below grade at 45 MPH and you barely even feel it. In my MYP, it goes "bump" and my drink in my cup holder shakes and rattles.

I also found backing up into a parking space at the Tesla Service Center easy to get within 90% of perfect on the first try. All-wheel steering is noticeably helpful and it's actually quite cool to see the back of the truck "swing out" a bit when making a sharp left or right at slow speed. I made a U turn using 1.5 lanes after he Tesla employee asked me to make the U-turn. My MYP does the same turn in 2.5 lanes or maybe 2.2 lanes so, it is difficult to do.

Overall, you MUST make the trip to test drive, because it is kind of like going to Disney World or something for the first time as a kid. No matter how long you have to drive to get there, it is worth it, and even afterwards. Bring someone with you to take video, because you will be too busy enjoying and taking in the moment.

Thanks for the great post. You have whet my appetite. Sadly the test drive center does not yet have a Cybertruck. If they do get a CT to test drive I will make that trip.

 

[Cyber Man]

How long was your Cybertruck test drive? 30 minutes, or what?

I'm on a business trip and may just get to drive a Cybertruck soon, today, we'll see. Sounds like a really interesting experience, and I'd like to do it again once FSD is operational on Cybertruck. Really interested in the least expensive Cybertruck, RWD may be just fine for us.

I think I drove for 30 mins or more. I didn’t even check as I was so lost in space and time. It felt 5 mins but when I came back home, one hour had passed. The center is only 7 mins from my home and the rep didn’t spend more than 2 mins pulling the truck out. Tesla generally allows 10-15 mins for test drives. I booked the last slot (5pm) to avoid rushing back, and the rep and I were having a great conversation while test driving. I think she didn’t take the usual route but not sure. I didn’t get to try a few things - audio, wipers, bumpy roads, different modes, ride height, etc. Probably I would have fallen in love more if I had driven longer with different settings.

 

[LexusCyber]

I have been waiting for this day to sit in a Cybertruck and press that pedal to experience what it is really. Fortunately Dublin CA center opened up CT for demo drives. Thanks to another forum member for notifying us. CT demos are available now in several SCs. Folks at Dublin center were super awesome.

Some background on my driving habits - I enjoy driving/riding fast vehicles. I’m very sensitive to all the subtle things that happen while driving. I’m one of those people who others think I’m hearing voices in my head for some rattling noise that nobody hears, but when they open the system for the third time, they will find the loose screw. True story ?. I’m very attuned to how the vehicle performs and operates, and I have a high bar on how the vehicle should drive. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed with other Teslas (3, X, and Y) in terms of how they drive. They are good, but it’s not out of ordinary.

Though I knew CT drives really well, I can’t put it in words on what it feels like when you drive this thing for real. It’s like sitting in a military Tank that drives like a sports car. This is a very unnatural combo.

The sheer size, acceleration, cornering experience, feedback from the steering wheel, center of gravity, and all the physics/aero dynamics, are just out of the world and perfectly tuned for optimal driving experience. It doesn’t budge when there are heavy winds. Suspension is at the perfect sweet spot. Road noise is very low. I didn’t get to try the audio system. Rear view camera was not a problem for me. Indicators took few mins to get used to. After the test drive, when I jumped back into my Porsche, I felt like I was riding an old horse! lol ?. No disrespect to Porsche, but steer by wire is the big secret sauce IMO. If not for this one element, I don’t think Cybertruck driving experience would have been this amazing.

Even the psychological feeling is different. It’s like an untamed machine that just wants to mind its business and doesn’t want to pickup a fight, but all hell will break loose if you mess with it (not hinting at road rage by any means ?). It’s so powerful and strong yet very sophisticated. It doesn’t command anything but still knows it’s better than 99% of the vehicles around it. It’s like the Hulk - he doesn’t care about fighting because he knows he will win. You kinda get that feeling when you are driving a 6000 lbs bullet resistant massive truck with incredible torque, but it can turn on a dime. Probably that’s why people show so much middle finger. They are just intimidated ?.

Yes price is double of what we expected, wait is 5x longer, but man once you drive this thing, all those negative feelings will go into an oblivion. It’s a blissful state. Hard to explain without experiencing it. If you are someone who really enjoys driving experience, Cybertruck will absolutely not let you down!

After test driving this thing, I have nothing but great respect for people behind the screens who built this magnificent machine. I hope the innovation continues and Cybertruck gets better! I’m happy for all those who have FS models. I can’t wait to get my non FS soon. Cheers!

great post! thank you for sharing... you said the " Road noise is very low. " can you clarify what you meant by that? what does very low mean ... I drive a Lexus LS460 2015 and that is one of the quietest cars ever... I am really interested to dig deeper an get more details from you based on your exp driving your Porsche and the CT.

 

[Cyber Man]

I have a 2022 MYP and have put 83K miles since March of 2022. I scheduled my CT test drive on the weekend as soon as I learned about it from a Tesla employee, and was in the driver's seat of an AWD CT yesterday, at 10:30 AM in West Palm Beach, FL. First time.

Like you, I have a CT CB accepted since May 8th, 2024 and I am in the Oct-Dec 2024 delivery time frame.

First overall impressions are very consistent with everything I have read. The dash is extremely deep, steering is out of this world, and ride quality is 10/10.

To elaborate.....

Once inside, behind the wheel (and yes they have a customer-facing chaperone who helps you with just about everything you need to do and need to know), you immediately notice this perception of how far away the bottom on the windshield is from you and the steering wheel. The reason I mention this, is because you might also feel that the front end of the truck is also super far away, which it is not. It's just one of those things you will overcome in about 2 minutes.

Another very subtle thing I noticed compared to my Model YP is when you approach a speed bump at extremely low speed, and I mean like one foot per second or even less, the CT just rolls over the speed bump like it isn't even there with the accelerator held to get you as little as one foot per second. Compare to every other car I have ever driven in my life, when you hit a speed bump at very low speed, the vehicle will roll up a tiny bit, stall or roll backwards until to depress the accelerator to get over it. NOT WITH THE CT. It just rolls right over whatever that speed bump is trying to do to slow you down. It's almost as if Tesla designed the CT to sense the stall current or demand, and says, do whatever we have to do to hold the vehicle speed constant as long as the angle of attack has not changed.

Steer-by-wire is very easy to get used to, and you will notice it at first and you will overcompensate just a bit, but your brain quickly senses the feedback your eyes and body are providing you and you correct the over steer immediately. Within a few miles or minutes of driving, you know about it, and you handle it correctly. At least that worked for me.

I didn't have any issues with signals (left or right), because I already knew about this, but never used a Tesla yoke before, so no big deal there.

The ride quality is EXTREMELY smooth compared to a Model 3 or a Model Y, or my YP. You can target manhole covers that are recessed about an inch below grade at 45 MPH and you barely even feel it. In my MYP, it goes "bump" and my drink in my cup holder shakes and rattles.

I also found backing up into a parking space at the Tesla Service Center easy to get within 90% of perfect on the first try. All-wheel steering is noticeably helpful and it's actually quite cool to see the back of the truck "swing out" a bit when making a sharp left or right at slow speed. I made a U turn using 1.5 lanes after he Tesla employee asked me to make the U-turn. My MYP does the same turn in 2.5 lanes or maybe 2.2 lanes so, it is difficult to do.

Overall, you MUST make the trip to test drive, because it is kind of like going to Disney World or something for the first time as a kid. No matter how long you have to drive to get there, it is worth it, and even afterwards. Bring someone with you to take video, because you will be too busy enjoying and taking in the moment.

Great analysis! Thanks for sharing. You are so right on taking someone along to take videos. CT test drive is indeed like going to Disney. ?

 

[Cyber Man]

great post! thank you for sharing... you said the " Road noise is very low. " can you clarify what you meant by that? what does very low mean ... I drive a Lexus LS460 2015 and that is one of the quietest cars ever... I am really interested to dig deeper an get more details from you based on your exp driving your Porsche and the CT.

As someone who is super sensitive to all the noises in the cabin, two particular noises I hate are the constant friction noise I hear from the tires and the wind noise during freeway windy conditions. I previously owned Lexus RX 350 before buying Porsche. I also have BMW X1. Lexus and BMWs are great with road noise, but Porsche is at a different level. .

I like to have as much silence as possible inside the cabin. Porsche really has done a great job in dampening the noise. If you checkout some of their inner works, they used vibration sensors (similar to seismographs) to tune PASM (Porsche Adaptive Suspension Management) as much as possible. Hands down, it’s top of the line suspension that keeps road noise to the minimum. It also helps with body roll significantly. Even when you corner on a bumpy surface at high speed, you will feel relatively you are going straight on a flat surface. I mean relative to how other cars would drive in the same spot. Road noise also depends on the type of asphalt and road texture. I know certain stretches of freeways near my home where my Porsche road noise increases significantly as the roads were repaired at different times. It’s an uneven surface. When I drove CT in those areas, it exceeded my expectations for both road noise and body roll. It was straight out smooth and that too in Sports mode. My Porsche sports mode tightens suspension, increasing road noise slightly. Again, these are very subtle things. Also, when I start driving aggressively in my Porsche, somehow the vehicle knows I’m pushing hard, so driving dynamics changes significantly. The engine stays at a higher rev, suspension adapts. With CT, I felt it was always in the aggressive stance but yet at perfect suspension setting. It could be a combination of the weight, air suspension, software, drag coefficient, insulation, and several other things. Not to mention the EVs don’t have engine noise, so road noise should be more apparent. This shocked me more as I was supposed to hear more road noise than the top of the line Porsche, but it was the opposite. It was a surreal experience. My biggest agony is now waiting. I’m so close to just screwing the damn FS thing and pull the trigger on FS. As other user said, test driving a CT will make the wait hard.. very hard. Tesla has mastered the skills to psychologically torture potential CT owners. First they don’t allow test drive, and now when FS is ending, they allow! ?

 

[LexusCyber]

As someone who is super sensitive to all the noises in the cabin, two particular noises I hate are the constant friction noise I hear from the tires and the wind noise during freeway windy conditions. I previously owned Lexus RX 350 before buying Porsche. I also have BMW X1. Lexus and BMWs are great with road noise, but Porsche is at a different level. .

I like to have as much silence as possible inside the cabin. Porsche really has done a great job in dampening the noise. If you checkout some of their inner works, they used vibration sensors (similar to seismographs) to tune PASM (Porsche Adaptive Suspension Management) as much as possible. Hands down, it’s top of the line suspension that keeps road noise to the minimum. It also helps with body roll significantly. Even when you corner on a bumpy surface at high speed, you will feel relatively you are going straight on a flat surface. I mean relative to how other cars would drive in the same spot. Road noise also depends on the type of asphalt and road texture. I know certain stretches of freeways near my home where my Porsche road noise increases significantly as the roads were repaired at different times. It’s an uneven surface. When I drove CT in those areas, it exceeded my expectations for both road noise and body roll. It was straight out smooth and that too in Sports mode. My Porsche sports mode tightens suspension, increasing road noise slightly. Again, these are very subtle things. Also, when I start driving aggressively in my Porsche, somehow the vehicle knows I’m pushing hard, so driving dynamics changes significantly. The engine stays at a higher rev, suspension adapts. With CT, I felt it was always in the aggressive stance but yet at perfect suspension setting. It could be a combination of the weight, air suspension, software, drag coefficient, insulation, and several other things. Not to mention the EVs don’t have engine noise, so road noise should be more apparent. This shocked me more as I was supposed to hear more road noise than the top of the line Porsche, but it was the opposite. It was a surreal experience. My biggest agony is now waiting. I’m so close to just screwing the damn FS thing and pull the trigger on FS. As other user said, test driving a CT will make the wait hard.. very hard. Tesla has mastered the skills to psychologically torture potential CT owners. First they don’t allow test drive, and now when FS is ending, they allow! ?

thank you for offering this detailed explanation of your experience... indeed, sounds like CT is knocking it out of the park when in comes to road noise it can control/adjust.... if the road is bad, then inevitably there is more noise, but CT still does a great job of dampening/managing it. thank you a million @Cyberman

 

[Kamin]

I'm a total noob with all things Tesla. I have a CB ordered with an estimated delivery date of Oct-Dec. I am wondering if I should go on a test drive in one of the cars to familiarize myself with the general theory of operation. It is about 220 miles to the nearest test drive location so it would take a whole day to go there and back. They have Models S, 3, X and Y but no CTs available for test drive. Do the tesla employees go on the test drive with you? Are they helpful in answering questions and training on the system? Is that even necessary? If not I guess I'll test drive mine out of the delivery center.

You won't need the test drive if it just to familiarize the operation. I had not even seen a CT in person until I picked mine up in May. The drive by wire and handling took all of 2 minutes to get used to and I still love how it drives.

 

[Oscar]

I have been waiting for this day to sit in a Cybertruck and press that pedal to experience what it is really. Fortunately Dublin CA center opened up CT for demo drives. Thanks to another forum member for notifying us. CT demos are available now in several SCs. Folks at Dublin center were super awesome.

Some background on my driving habits - I enjoy driving/riding fast vehicles. I’m very sensitive to all the subtle things that happen while driving. I’m one of those people who others think I’m hearing voices in my head for some rattling noise that nobody hears, but when they open the system for the third time, they will find the loose screw. True story ?. I’m very attuned to how the vehicle performs and operates, and I have a high bar on how the vehicle should drive. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed with other Teslas (3, X, and Y) in terms of how they drive. They are good, but it’s not out of ordinary.

Though I knew CT drives really well, I can’t put it in words on what it feels like when you drive this thing for real. It’s like sitting in a military Tank that drives like a sports car. This is a very unnatural combo.

The sheer size, acceleration, cornering experience, feedback from the steering wheel, center of gravity, and all the physics/aero dynamics, are just out of the world and perfectly tuned for optimal driving experience. It doesn’t budge when there are heavy winds. Suspension is at the perfect sweet spot. Road noise is very low. I didn’t get to try the audio system. Rear view camera was not a problem for me. Indicators took few mins to get used to. After the test drive, when I jumped back into my Porsche, I felt like I was riding an old horse! lol ?. No disrespect to Porsche, but steer by wire is the big secret sauce IMO. If not for this one element, I don’t think Cybertruck driving experience would have been this amazing.

Even the psychological feeling is different. It’s like an untamed machine that just wants to mind its business and doesn’t want to pickup a fight, but all hell will break loose if you mess with it (not hinting at road rage by any means ?). It’s so powerful and strong yet very sophisticated. It doesn’t command anything but still knows it’s better than 99% of the vehicles around it. It’s like the Hulk - he doesn’t care about fighting because he knows he will win. You kinda get that feeling when you are driving a 6000 lbs bullet resistant massive truck with incredible torque, but it can turn on a dime. Probably that’s why people show so much middle finger. They are just intimidated ?.

Yes price is double of what we expected, wait is 5x longer, but man once you drive this thing, all those negative feelings will go into an oblivion. It’s a blissful state. Hard to explain without experiencing it. If you are someone who really enjoys driving experience, Cybertruck will absolutely not let you down!

After test driving this thing, I have nothing but great respect for people behind the screens who built this magnificent machine. I hope the innovation continues and Cybertruck gets better! I’m happy for all those who have FS models. I can’t wait to get my non FS soon. Cheers!

“After the test drive, when I jumped back into my Porsche, I felt like I was riding an old horse! lol ?. “ I had the similar feeling. Only two days after I had my CT, I felt my 2024 Nissan Frontier Pickup so difficult to drive.

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