AWD vs Cyberbeast - Things I've noticed

[smg]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that the "Slippery Surfaces" option on the CB will send power to the rear as well under normal acceleration. If that's the case, I wish there was an option to make it stay ON all of the time (until you turn it off).

I'd love to know about this too. And if anything can be done to equalize the understeer bias around town, not just offroad.

It definitely feels super planted when I have slippery surface on in snow compared to with it off—I can tell you that much.

Sponsored

 

[HaulingAss]

"Comparison is the thief of joy" holds true.

I can tell you I had no joy for my F-150 when I compared it to my Cybertruck. The F-150 drove so much worse in every way imaginable!

 

[smg]

I can tell you I had no joy for my F-150 when I compared it to my Cybertruck. The F-150 drove so much worse in every way imaginable!

I feel that. Still holding onto my 21 F-150 for roadtrips that I have to make without stopping. Like if I want to drive up to Mammoth and get on the slopes the same morning, or if I'm in a hurry to get to Vegas. Other than that, I've only filled it up once since March, because, yeah, it's just not fun to drive anymore!

 

[smg]

After getting my Beast back from service, I can say that Beast mode corrects the understeer - it feels "right" in the way that the AWD feels right in all the modes. It's just way more intense and spirited.. A bit less `playful` and a bit more `gnarly` to use technical terms.

Just like in Mario Kart when you go from 150cc to 200cc.

 

[btcrealm]

I've been loaned an AWD while my Beast is in the shop. Things I've noticed:

• I thought I'd feel AWD would be much slower in day-to-day driving but honestly, not really. This thing is insanely fast too. Even aggressively bombing around town in it doesn't feel appreciably slower at all and in some ways it feels better. More on that below.
• Using any more acceleration than what AWD provides, on city streets and just about any 'normal' driving, is inappropriate for the conditions in almost all cases. Stopping distances are shortened, and traction is pushed even further to the limit. When traffic is dense it just doesn't make sense.
• On the highway, the Beast gives you more for on-ramps and passing. Just no way around it. Beast wins here. It makes you brace for acceleration more, and smiles are wider when you do so. However, cruising noise is louder in the Beast with the PM motor in the front, so for road trips, it actually starts to get annoying, at least for me...
• The noise difference, at least in the current AWD I am loaned, is pretty significant. My Beast has some considerable snarl from the PM motor. I greatly prefer quiet.
• The RWD/FWD biases are real. Understeer is not an issue on the AWD. I feel like it handles a bit better because of this. Underfoot, while you're pushing thru a turn, it just feels 'right'. Perhaps Tesla could tweak Beast Mode a bit to bias the rear motors more? Or maybe they're already doing this and I don't spend enough time in Beast Mode to recognize what's going on. Either way it's not documented, AFAIK.
• The weight difference, coupled with the RWD bias make it also feel like it's a little easier to whip around the AWD in a playful way. It's honestly fantastic.
• I definitely prefer the Alcantara dash. The AWD one has some considerable glare.
• The Beast is in the shop partially for some interior creaks and squeaks, and I have to say, this AWD with half the mileage has it even worse. (although I'm sure there's no actual difference in practice, and its most likely just luck of the draw).
• Some people swear that a rear locker in the AWD makes it better for off-road and others swear that torque vectoring and more HP per wheel in the Beast is better for off road. I tend to lean toward the latter, but I won't be testing the loaner off-road.
• No light bar doesn't give any real difference in wind noise that I can tell, and I'm pretty sensitive to it.

I drive in beast mode all the time and on the windy hills I definitely felt like beast mode performed better than sport mode.
I also noticed an acceleration hit with the AWD off the line. It also seemed to give out a little somewhere between 60 and 70 MPH where the beast will pull hard much farther.

I tend to drive more rural.
Great overall writeup!

 

[HunterMt8]

I had to drop my FS AWD at the SC for some fixes. They gave me a Cyberbeast loaner. Besides the obvious things like interior changes and beast mode I've been paying attention to other things like ride, sounds, squeaks and rattles. Beast launch is cool but not sure it's worth the price difference for me for the second faster. Now my truck is a 16k vin and the beast is 33k vin. Below are seems things I noticed so far.

1- Different sounds with motors as I guess you'd expect with three vs two. The one thing I noticed with this particular truck is there is a noticeable high pitch whine at cruising speeds that I don't have in AWD. This was across all modes. This was a positive for my AWD for me.

2- The ride suspension and steering seems better than my AWD. Smoother and less twitchy. Normal speed bumps, pot holes and road issues the beast seems smoother along my daily commute. My AWD feels like the suspension bottoms out or clunks a little over the same terrain. I thought it was normal behavior. I notice it going over speed bumps where my AWD feels like hits harder where the beast seems softer. I feel like I should mention this to SC.

3- Air compressor on the beast seems more quiet than mine and it doesn't seem to work as much. I hear a puff when it adjusts but on AWD I notice it working more and seems louder.

It's been good to drive another cybertruck for comparison but I guess now I have some questions that I will ask the SC to have a look. The speed difference is cool, no doubt about that but I wanted to scrutinize ride, comfort, squeaks, rattles to see if my experience was my truck versus issues all CTs have.

Has anyone else had the opportunity to compare and contrast?

I drove both, and the CB was more of a comfortable drive, so I got the CB.

 

[Jacob]

If I had to do it all over again I'd still get the CB. Now, I've never driven a regular CT but the acceleration was the number 1 reason I bought my truck and I was NOT disappointed!

 

[smg]

I drive in beast mode all the time and on the windy hills I definitely felt like beast mode performed better than sport mode.
I also noticed an acceleration hit with the AWD off the line. It also seemed to give out a little somewhere between 60 and 70 MPH where the beast will pull hard much farther.

I tend to drive more rural.
Great overall writeup!

Agreed. You definitely notice less power when taking an uphill onramp in the AWD.

 

[donnymcdoodles]

After getting my Beast back from service, I can say that Beast mode corrects the understeer - it feels "right" in the way that the AWD feels right in all the modes. It's just way more intense and spirited.. A bit less `playful` and a bit more `gnarly` to use technical terms.

Just like in Mario Kart when you go from 150cc to 200cc.

This. I had a 2024 AWD (Oct build) and have a new 2025 CB. The AWD is just fun to drive at all speeds, the CB feels like a gnarly machine that is just always waiting to be a rocket. It is like trying to tame a cheetah at all speeds.

The biggest difference I notice is the rear tires pulling into my garage. Like everyone else, you have a little bump up in heigh when you first pull in. I obviously pull in super-slow. The AWD handled the little bump with no issues... very easy to control over that bump. The CB is like, I don't want to go over that bump unless you give me a little more throttle. But then if I give it a little more throttle it is WAY more touchy (since it just waiting to be a rocket).

Of course this is in Beast mode, but would you pay extra for a Beast if it isn't pretty much living in Beast mode?

Sponsored