My Cybertruck test drive experience: magnificent machine!

[rrizzi7210]

That effect in legacy autos is the torque converter that plays by its rules, not yours.

Yesterday morning I had to drive our F-150 from the street into our carport (about 30 seconds). It drove just like it did when new, which I now know is awful, frantic busy work that is overly demanding relative to the Cybertruck.

The V8 was at high idle because the engine was cold. So when I put it into gear with a huge clunky movement of an awkward lever on the steering column, it wanted to take off. I had to ride the brake to control my speed. I was trying to turn the wheel for a three-point turn but I had to keep turning it, it felt so nerfed, so ineffective. Finally I hit the steering stop and felt the steering pump stall out against the stops, so I had to back off a little bit. No big deal, I know how to drive legacy vehicles, it just surprised me. There was a quite a contrast between having to spin the wheel around real fast to get to the steering stop, which seemed to be in a nebulous location since I had spun the steering wheel around an indeterminate number of turns, and then suddenly having to be gentle with it against the steering stop. Then I had to move the big awkward shift lever again, it wasn't a small movement, and when I took my foot off the brake it accelerated in reverse requiring me to immediately put my foot back on the brake to slow it down as I spun the wheel back the other way as fast as I could. It felt like the truck was possessed because all my actions were in response to its actions, rather than what I wanted the truck to actually do. It felt like the truck was controlling me instead of the other way around. Then more of the same as I spun the wheel fast to the left and then spun it all the way back to the right into the carport and brought it to a stop. I actually breathed a sigh of relief as I put it into park and extract the key.

To think I used to think this kind of frantic spinning of the wheel was normal! The Cybertruck is so serene the way it does exactly what you tell it to without having spin the wheel like crazy or modify your actions to accommodate a machine that behaves as if it's possessed. A vehicle that is only responsive to the operators simple and direct commands frees the spirit.

Well written. I would not be surprised if a future novelist used your content 200+ hundred years from now to bring the reader back to how things were before fully autonomous driving vehicles were the norm for the last 180 or so years.

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[BlueLightning]

I have been waiting for this day to sit in a Cybertruck and press that pedal to experience what it is really…

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!

Yes Tesla created a good money maker and benched their remaining S3XY fleet.

Anyone? Bueller, Bueller?

You possibly get a free snake or possum with every purchase?!

 

[Cyber Man]

Yes Tesla created a good money maker and benched their remaining S3XY fleet.

Anyone? Bueller, Bueller?

You possibly get a free snake or possum with every purchase?!

lol! You just want to find something to trash Tesla, ain’t that right Mr Lightning ?. You might actually be right. Now I understand why Elon said they dug their own grave with Cybertruck. Hands down owners won’t drive other Teslas or any car for that matter once they are accustomed to this magnificent machine. Hope Tesla discontinues all models and just makes three variants of Cybertruck: Cyber mini, Cybertruck and Cyber Van! ??

 

[BlueLightning]

lol!… Hope Tesla discontinues all models and just makes three variants of Cybertruck: Cyber mini, Cybertruck and Cyber Van! ??

Not true. LOL. I am an advent supporter of Tesla, just waiting my turn…and maybe by chance for the price to level out to a more affordable AWD price.

Note: Loved my M3, minus changing out cabin filters every six months, and bumpiness of the ride. Great vehicles.

Finally; Yes other variants of the CT are highly welcome in the possible future.

One day hope to be able to test drive one in my area.

 

[HaulingAss]

I like the Cybertruck's interior. Premium materials, premium seats, premium sound, very nice climate control, expansive views outside, plenty of storage and pockets, easy to keep clean and very Zen like.

 

[SentinelOne]

Personally I think the interior is fine, not in the same league as wife's Audi SQ7 for sure, but for a truck it works for me- just dislike the white (fixable) and have concerns on overall durability with rough usage (exterior plastics and interior), only time will tell.

 

[Outlaw1]

I was a noob to all things Tesla too prior to taking delivery of a Beast on 8/3.

Just my 0.02 here, I highly recommend not test driving it. The Test drive will only make every day without one in the garage absolutely miserable. You’ll quickly find that driving anything else is unbearable. I recommend enjoying ignorance in this case.

Sad but true. After my test drive I hopelessly check my app multiple times a day hoping I get a VIN (Aug - Sept). ?

Just checked now...no VIN.

 

[Killlbox]

Sad but true. After my test drive I hopelessly check my app multiple times a day hoping I get a VIN (Aug - Sept). ?

Just checked now...no VIN.

If it helps you feel better the app said Oct - Dec for me. Then a VIN showed up in July.

 

[Outlaw1]

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.

I did the same thing on my test drive ?. It just felt natural while getting used to the squircle.

 

[rrizzi7210]

If it helps you feel better the app said Oct - Dec for me. Then a VIN showed up in July.

Was yours an AWD or CB?

 

[Killlbox]

Was yours an AWD or CB?

Grey Beast.

 

[H2CT]

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!

Dude what a great review! Very thorough and articulate and gave words to some of my experience. Thanks!

 

[Bill W.]

Great post, with a lot of good information here! To me, test driving a vehicle is the only way to know if it is a good fit for yourself and your family. Everyone else's opinions may not be what's best for you. That said, I'll add my recent test drives of the 3 vehicles that I have been considering, in the order that I drove them:

• Silverado RST - this was a nice truck. There were many good features, and the software was fairly responsive. The RWS was ok, limited by not having enough turn-in. Because of this, the truck felt a little like you were driving a locomotive.
• Hummer EV Pickup - this truck felt very nimble compared to the Silverado. I believe that the RWS on this one matches the turn-in on the CT. Again, there were many welcome features (digital rear-view mirror, 2nd display in front of the driver, parking sensors, birds-eye camera view, assist handles, etc.). The software responsiveness was too laggy for me. Additionally, the software navigation between screens/settings was very clunky.
• Cybertruck - first thing I noticed was that the entry level height was lower than the other 2 trucks. This made entry and exit much easier. During the drive, I made sure to mentally run through my list of possible negatives:
  • Sqircle - it felt very comfortable, no matter where I put my hands. Responsiveness of the SBW was simply amazing.
  • Lack of stalks - not a problem, especially since the sqircle does not need to be turned very far.
  • Lack of a 2nd driver display - due to the size and positioning of the center screen, this was not an issue at all. The size/shape of the sqircle allowed all sections of the screen to be readily visible.
  • Forward view - blind spots be the A-pillar were easily manageable. The driving view was great.
  • Lack of a digital mirror - surprisingly, I found the mirror view in the center screen was very doable.

The bottom line for me was that the Cybertruck blew away the other two trucks. The driving experience, appearance, seamless Tesla software performance could not be beat. The only downside was that now I am pushing myself hard to justify pulling the trigger on the Foundation Series.

Good luck to all on your own journeys!

 

[Outlaw1]

If it helps you feel better the app said Oct - Dec for me. Then a VIN showed up in July.

It did help me feel better...and I got my VIN today!? Thanks for the positive energy!

 

[Killlbox]

It did help me feel better...and I got my VIN today!? Thanks for the positive energy!

Yay!!!!!

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