Sponsored

You bought a Cybertruck and went with the ___ model, Do you wish you had gone the other direction?

Cyber_P

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 12, 2024
Threads
9
Messages
217
Reaction score
320
Location
Alabama
Vehicles
AWD Cybertruck
Country flag
When I got my 3, I did the pro/con thing and could not rationally justify the price tag for the performance upgrade. Regretted that decision every day since so I went with the Beast with no regrets. The difference in price isn't really a big deal amortized out over the life of the car. That said... now that my daughter is driving my 3, I'm glad I didn't get the performance version. ;-)
As a new CT and Tesla owner I feel this.

I do NOT need the beast. Acceleration is already insane. But.... I want it. It's dumb.
Sponsored

 

Coagulation

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2024
Threads
4
Messages
565
Reaction score
1,533
Location
Northeast
Vehicles
AWD
Country flag
Have AWD. I never really considered the beast since AWD is faster when any car I’ve ever had by far as it is… I find I’d almost nauseatingly fast. However, let’s say I trade my CT in down the line for a new CT… I’d go beast to change it up.

Taking money out of the equation, beast is of course the way to go.
 

IronJoe

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 13, 2024
Threads
6
Messages
76
Reaction score
185
Location
Pacific Northwest
Vehicles
Tesla Roadster Sport 2.0, Pink Cybertruck
Country flag
I’m a longtime car enthusiast who loves to go fast, and I’ll tell you why I *didn’t* get the Beast and have zero regrets.

First a bit of background - I like to build and drive mostly European sport coupes and sedans. I always go for the “performance” offering. My family has also owned Teslas since 2013 and have owned most of the Performance variants.

When considering the Beast vs AWD I should first say I paid cash for my truck and either model would have been fine cost-wise, but I also don’t throw away money so I expect a good amount of value for the extra $20k. Here’s what the Cyberbeast is lacking IMHO:

Performance (other than acceleration and top speed):
The CT is under-braked as is. Anyone who’s driven one in a performance manner who has had seat time on a track can tell you. It’s too heavy for the factory brakes. The wheel/tire combo isn’t optimal for sport driving. The suspension *could be* maybe with software? (Track mode would be ideal.) So basically all it’s good for is pinning the accelerator in a straight line. And once you get going? Good luck slowing down. I can say with confidence the brakes and suspension are underwhelming for the AWD version of the CT, I wouldn’t want more power without addressing these crucial areas and the Beast gets the exact same gear here.

Performance goodies: Tesla is notoriously bad at this, but even they could have done something. For twenty thousand dollars more, any other company would give you at least ONE of the following: sport-inspired exterior modifications, sport seats, interior touches, performance wheel option, etc. The Beast gets nothing but a cheap Alcantara wrap on the dash (that somehow looks worse than the AWD dash) and a tiny dog logo on the tailgate? That’s it? Really? For $20k more we should expect an optional zero-cost 22” or 24” sport wheel-tire upgrade, carbon fiber touches, reworked front/rear bumpers and fender flares, and maybe a subtle tailgate spoiler. Heavily bolstered front bucket seats (the factory truck seats simply don’t hold you in any performance driving scenario) and interior touches. Even the Model 3 Performance (the cheapest performance Tesla) gets a reworked front fascia, rear spoiler, interior touches, and Track Mode. Beast should at least have something.

The Beast seems to not know exactly what it wants to be. Is it supposed to be an off-road monster? If so, it’s missing quite a lot. Is it supposed to be a true Sport Truck that can hang with the Durango SRT Hellcats, Jeep Trackhawks, etc? Well then it’s also missing quite a lot.

I'm not saying the tri-motor technology of the Beast isn't awesome. But that by itself is pretty underwhelming in the exact same package as the Foundation Series AWD truck. I did a lot of research, chatted with owners of both, and am very happy with my AWD CT. I’ll probably use some of the $20k I saved in getting some actual performance-capable wheels and tires. I’d love to see a Performance wheel/tire and brake upgrade offered down the road like they did for the Model 3 performance.

If the Cyberbeast had truly been the modern-day F-150 SVT Lightning or Dodge SRT-10 like I wanted it to be, I'd be sitting in my garage right now. But OP, you're not me and everyone has different needs so take this with a grain of salt.
 
Last edited:

Art138

Well-known member
First Name
Art
Joined
May 25, 2023
Threads
14
Messages
1,183
Reaction score
1,088
Location
Weston,Florida
Vehicles
MYP,Ford GT & FS CYBERBEAST
Country flag
I’m a longtime car enthusiast who loves to go fast, and I’ll tell you why I *didn’t* get the Beast and have zero regrets.

First a bit of background - I like to build and drive mostly European sport coupes and sedans. I always go for the “performance” offering. My family has also owned Teslas since 2013 and have owned most of the Performance variants.

When considering the Beast vs AWD I should first say I paid cash for my truck and either model would have been fine cost-wise, but I also don’t throw away money so I expect a good amount of value for the extra $20k. Here’s what the Cyberbeast is lacking IMHO:

Performance (other than acceleration and top speed):
The CT is under-braked as is. Anyone who’s driven one in a performance manner who has had seat time on a track can tell you. It’s too heavy for the factory brakes. The wheel/tire combo isn’t optimal for sport driving. The suspension *could be* maybe with software? (Track mode would be ideal.) So basically all it’s good for is pinning the accelerator in a straight line. And once you get going? Good luck slowing down. I can say with confidence the brakes and suspension are underwhelming for the AWD version of the CT, I wouldn’t want more power without addressing these crucial areas and the Beast gets the exact same gear here.

Performance goodies: Tesla is notoriously bad at this, but even they could have done something. For twenty thousand dollars more, any other company would give you at least ONE of the following: sport-inspired exterior modifications, sport seats, interior touches, performance wheel option, etc. The Beast gets nothing but a cheap Alcantara wrap on the dash (that somehow looks worse than the AWD dash) and a tiny dog logo on the tailgate? That’s it? Really? For $20k more we should expect an optional zero-cost 22” or 24” sport wheel-tire upgrade, carbon fiber touches, reworked front/rear bumpers and fender flares, and maybe a subtle tailgate spoiler. Heavily bolstered front bucket seats (the factory truck seats simply don’t hold you in any performance driving scenario) and interior touches. Even the Model 3 Performance (the cheapest performance Tesla) gets a reworked front fascia, rear spoiler, interior touches, and Track Mode. Beast should at least have something.

The Beast seems to not know exactly what it wants to be. Is it supposed to be an off-road monster? If so, it’s missing quite a lot. Is it supposed to be a true Sport Truck that can hang with the Durango SRT Hellcats, Jeep Trackhawks, etc? Well then it’s also missing quite a lot.

I'm not saying the tri-motor technology of the Beast isn't awesome. But that by itself is pretty underwhelming in the exact same package as the Foundation Series AWD truck. I did a lot of research, chatted with owners of both, and am very happy with my AWD CT. I’ll probably use some of the $20k I saved in getting some actual performance-capable wheels and tires. I’d love to see a Performance wheel/tire and brake upgrade offered down the road like they did for the Model 3 performance.

If the Cyberbeast had truly been the modern-day F-150 SVT Lightning or Dodge SRT-10 like I wanted it to be, I'd be sitting in my garage right now. But OP, you're not me and everyone has different needs so take this with a grain of salt.
Well,most 0-60 bragging rights are straight line. Beast was never designed for track racing. It is fun to pull up to an exotic and punch it every now and then and get a thumbs up. I would venture to say most buyers did not buy the CT as a traditional truck-in fact many first time buyers (like me) never owned a truck.
 

Bill W.

Well-known member
First Name
Bill
Joined
Jan 24, 2022
Threads
1
Messages
179
Reaction score
343
Location
Delaware
Vehicles
AWD Cybertruck
Country flag
If you are patient enough, the same $100k that today will buy you an AWD may be able to buy you a non-foundation beast...
 
  • Like
Reactions: REM


HaulingAss

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2020
Threads
28
Messages
10,298
Reaction score
20,703
Location
Western Washington, USA
Vehicles
Cybertruck DM, 2010 F-150, 2018 Performance Model 3, 2024 Performance Model 3
Country flag
If you're asking this question, then you will regret if you're not going for the best.
I wouldn't consider the Dual Motor the "best" just because it has a bigger payload capacity (not everyone loads their truck to the full GVWR).

Nor would I consider the Dual Motor to be the "best" just because it weighs less (not everyone drives it hard enough in the corners to feel the difference or on soft enough surfaces where the front-end floatation would come into play).

Nor would I consider the Dual Motor the "best" just because it's rear wheel drive (some people prefer front wheel drive).

Nor would I consider the Dual Motor the "best" just because it's more efficient and goes further on the same charge (not everyone cares about electrical cost or needs the maximum range).

Nor would I consider the Dual Motor the "best" just because it costs $20K less (not everyone cares that much about the financial cost equation).

And, don't forget, if you have enough traction to utilize it, the Tri-Motor accelerates faster and isn't speed limited until 130 mph instead of 115. Even if you don't use that extra acceleration or top speed, you still have the bragging rights. So I think it's debatable whether the Dual Motor is actually "the best" for everyone. Some people will actually prefer the Tri-Motor. Everyone needs to weigh the pros and cons themselves to see which is the "best" for them. ;)
 

HaulingAss

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2020
Threads
28
Messages
10,298
Reaction score
20,703
Location
Western Washington, USA
Vehicles
Cybertruck DM, 2010 F-150, 2018 Performance Model 3, 2024 Performance Model 3
Country flag
If you have a competitive spirit in ANY WAY go with the beast. If you don't you'll regret it every time there is a "tough guy" in his big, tough truck next to you at the light just begging you to humble him.
Trust me, a "tough guy" in a big tough truck is no match for a Cybertruck of either configuration. They will lose every single time.
 

DZLHED

Active member
First Name
Todd
Joined
Apr 23, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
43
Reaction score
57
Location
Hawaii
Vehicles
Ford E-350
Occupation
Diver
Country flag
The interesting aspect of the Beast for me is largely in potential future software based upgrades. Things like torque vectoring and traction control are a shoe in for the two rear motors. I think moving forward the Beast configuration has loads of upgrade potential missing on the AWD.
 

carsly

Well-known member
First Name
Vin
Joined
Dec 13, 2023
Threads
93
Messages
1,529
Reaction score
2,898
Location
Princeton, NJ
Vehicles
LR Defender, CT AWD
Country flag
I like sports cars and sports SUV's having owned a number including a 911 Turbo and a BMW X5 4.6is in that long list of vehicles that I won't bore you with.

Most recently, and immediately preceding the Cybertruck, I had a Tesla Model S Plaid because who wouldn't want 1,000+ HP and 1,000+ lb-ft of torque in their daily? Unfortunately, living in NJ, there were precious few opportunities to unfurl the fury on public roads, most times I couldn't even get the pedal half-way down before needing to lift up to stay within legal speeds. I don't regret going Plaid, but it wasn't as much fun as I hoped for. Oh, did I mention it was horribly underbraked? I just did.

When my Cybertruck reservation was up for configuration my first reaction, as it always is, was to max out the power. But upon reflection I realized that for a truck I'd rather have a RWD dominant chassis and the ability to mechanically lock the front and rear diffs should I ever need to. A 0-60mph in the low 4's was still insanely quick and about the reasonable limits of public roadways. A little less weight, a little better efficiency and effectively no other differences inside or outside the vehicle and it was an easy call. For the first time ever I opted to skip the highest powertrain available.

Three+ months later I'm very happy with my choice. 600+ hp in sport mode and low ride height it's a blast. I'm averaging 3mi/kwh over nearly 3,000 miles of mixed driving for real-world range of 350+ miles on a full charge. I don't miss not going Beast but did pick up a used Model Y Performance last week to add something a little quicker and more nimble in the twisties and easier to park around town - Cybertruck is any variant is big and a lot of mass. I think they make a good 1-2 punch.

YMMV, there are no wrong answers.
 


Guylouis

Well-known member
First Name
Guy
Joined
Dec 18, 2023
Threads
14
Messages
678
Reaction score
1,064
Location
San Diego
Vehicles
F.S. CyberBeast, XP, YP, 3P
Country flag
I am beyond thankful that I went with the beast

They gave me the option of taking delivery of an all-wheel-drive December of last year Or wait until April for the beast. 1000% worth it

Took delivery April 20th lol
 

HaulingAss

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2020
Threads
28
Messages
10,298
Reaction score
20,703
Location
Western Washington, USA
Vehicles
Cybertruck DM, 2010 F-150, 2018 Performance Model 3, 2024 Performance Model 3
Country flag
Unless you have a pulling contest :p. My bets are on the big diesel (y)

This post makes me think some people still don't understand the physics of a tug-o-war contest.

With trucks powerful enough to break loose all four tires, it comes down to traction. And that largely comes down to weight and tires. If you want to win a tug-o-war against the truck in the video, make sure you have some grippy tires at the perfect pressure for the surface conditions, make sure the tires are warmed up, have the Cybertruck loaded to it's GVWR, make sure the angle of the tow rope and the road is level or sloping downwards towards the other vehicle and let 'er rip.

Once the physics are understood, not only is it easy to win, it's also very uninteresting and boring.
 

M0unt41nm4n

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2024
Threads
20
Messages
1,236
Reaction score
2,136
Location
Durango, CO and Moab, UT
Vehicles
23 Ford F350 Plat, 22 F150 Plat, 20 Jeep Gladiator, CT-AWD
Country flag
This post makes me think some people still don't understand the physics of a tug-o-war contest.

With trucks powerful enough to break loose all four tires, it comes down to traction. And that largely comes down to weight and tires. If you want to win a tug-o-war against the truck in the video, make sure you have some grippy tires at the perfect pressure for the surface conditions, make sure the tires are warmed up, have the Cybertruck loaded to it's GVWR, make sure the angle of the tow rope and the road is level or sloping downwards towards the other vehicle and let 'er rip.

Once the physics are understood, not only is it easy to win, it's also very uninteresting and boring.
Let's not do this. There are other threads on this subject. I know physics and have been towing for a long time. This has been discussed and discussed and discussed. The CT is never going to out pull a HO Diesel with 1200 ft lbs of torque... we don't need to argue this here.

I posted the above video here to make you smile and laugh. It was stated with tongue in cheek. Smile... it's a beautiful weekend. ?

But as I have said many times before. Right tool for the right job. If I need to haul something big and heavy, I will be choosing the F350 every single time.
 

Datatan

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2024
Threads
0
Messages
2
Reaction score
3
Location
Idaho
Vehicles
CyberBeast / Model Y Performance
Occupation
Cyber Security
Country flag
I would have preferred the BEAST. Go big or go home, right? For most people I meet, buying any Cybertruck is going big. I also have a performance M Y and the CT AWD feels sluggish compared to it. If the BEAST is anything like the performance M Y, I would have preferred that. No serious regrets, however. I love my CT more and more every day.
It's not dumb. Getting a beast at a 20k markup is like getting a truck and a sports car at the same time. My Beast accelerates like a 911, is as comfortable as a Cadillac and has the utility of a truck. Its like having everything rolled into one. I'm excited for FSD and our families first road trip.
 

L3it3R

Well-known member
First Name
Chris
Joined
Aug 20, 2023
Threads
15
Messages
1,038
Reaction score
2,050
Location
Maryland
Vehicles
'21 Model 3 Performance FSD, '26 Model Y Premium AWD
Occupation
AI | Software | Sales | etc.
Country flag
100% satisfied with the AWD even though I originally reserved a trimotor at the time of reveal like..... 10 million years ago

I found that I drive my Model 3 Performance like an old man, so I didn't need a ridiculous truck too.
Sponsored

 
 








Top