CT FS Fit and Finish

[MC1987]

I recently visited the Portland Oregon store to see the CT in person. What a sight!!!
It was a foundation series in the service center. I tried to examine the exterior from a fit and finish perspective and here’s my thought and some pictures to go along with it.
1- I still saw >1mm misalignment. Not sure if this is very common or not. The previous RC versions had a lot of misalignment issues in multiple places. I thought that the ones given to customers would probably be flawless.
2- the tail gate to side of ct body panel area had a large gap>3mm and it was inconsistent.
3- the top triangular bend was extending out and was not in plane with the top glass corner.
4- all the edges are rough as confirmed by multiple reviews previously. I didn’t get to test it myself.
5- although, I didn’t see the interior but I presume it also will have quality issues.

i just want to know from all of you if you think this is a deal breaker if it remains like this and you pay >100k for this.

My wife gave her unbiased opinion and it seemed she would not buy it given it is a 120k. She felt it was built in somebody’s garage. I didn’t have that strong of an opinion since i am biased but i also couldn’t ignore the defects that i saw. When time comes, i will probably buy it but it certainly have raised some confusion in my mind.

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[Woodrick]

Did you ask her the question after showing her the "issues"

One of the forums I read where a husband and wife had made a hobby in going to different dealers and looking at the gaps. All model and manufacturers had issues.
If you go in looking for them, you will find them. Just as I looked at your pictures and had to look extremely closely to find ANY issue. I'm quite sure that over 99% of the people walking through the store didn't see any issues.

 

[Wraven]

Since you have asked for a perspective, please keep an open mind as I am saying this with positive intent.

If you are expecting perfection as a weighted value of X expense. If cosmetic appearance over usable features and functionality is a tipping point, don't buy it.

or....

Realign your expectations, look at the competition and ask what you are getting for the money in as a total package (not just cosmetic) and see what you come up with. It might change yours and your wife's perspective.

If you look at even higher priced cars like McLarens you will find they have far worse fit and finish (doors open and hit the body/scratch the paint, huge uneven gaps) than what your examples are, and those cars are far more expensive than this. Perspective.

 

[REM]

1mm misalignment

I can't tell if this is a serious post or not. Are you being sarcastic and I'm just missing it?

 

[jb15]

Please not the panel gap people coming back.

 

[Cyberer]

One could get a Toyota Tundra: ICE, no possibility for FSD...ever, slow, 100-year-old manufacturing techniques and materials, near perfect panel gaps.

Or...

CT: Practically zero-maintenance EV, drives me around town (eventually, people), fast, the future (see 48-volt, exo-skeleton, HFS), and...oh my GOSH! A handful of mis-matched panels.

What a great country. We each get to choose.

 

[MC1987]

Did you ask her the question after showing her the "issues"

One of the forums I read where a husband and wife had made a hobby in going to different dealers and looking at the gaps. All model and manufacturers had issues.
If you go in looking for them, you will find them. Just as I looked at your pictures and had to look extremely closely to find ANY issue. I'm quite sure that over 99% of the people walking through the store didn't see any issues.

I own a 2018 mazda cx5 currently. I do not see any major gaps/misalignment issues with that and that with a 32k price tag. One of my friend recently bought a R1S and it looked solid both from outside and inside. I have always been nit-picking when it comes to cars. I didn’t have a tesla before and maybe that is the reason a lot of those folks in the 99% would probably not see anything since their eyes are calibrated to seeing it as common.

 

[ATXHOCKEYGAMER]

This guy can't be serious. I personally don't care. I spend less than 1% of my time looking at my car from the outside and 99% of the time driving it from the inside. That will dictate it for me.

And I promise your eye ain't catching my 1mm panel gap when I'm blasting past you on the highway.

 

[Unemployed]

I think it is a lot about expectations.

I have being addicted to the forum for the last few months and have read many, many posts about terrible panel gaps, the CT looking great in person, looking smaller in person.

I went to the Portland store this weekend and saw the same CT.

I was expecting to see terrible panel gaps and it to look smaller in person than in pictures.

I scrutinized the truck and was pleasantly surprised with the panel gaps, it was a hell of a lot better that loads of other pics I have seen. I did notice what I would consider minor imperfections. (Contrary to my user name, my career is focused on precision and fit and finish) So I went in expecting it to be a mess.

With that said I thought it looked huge in person. Much bigger than expected and appeared much bigger than my friends F150 lightning and Rivian R1S (both I saw outside, not inside)
In fact my wife didn’t belief that the f150 is technically larger in almost all dimensions.

 

[SentinelOne]

IDGAF! More than close enough for me!

 

[Darth abbott]

I recently visited the Portland Oregon store to see the CT in person. What a sight!!!
It was a foundation series in the service center. I tried to examine the exterior from a fit and finish perspective and here’s my thought and some pictures to go along with it.
1- I still saw >1mm misalignment. Not sure if this is very common or not. The previous RC versions had a lot of misalignment issues in multiple places. I thought that the ones given to customers would probably be flawless.
2- the tail gate to side of ct body panel area had a large gap>3mm and it was inconsistent.
3- the top triangular bend was extending out and was not in plane with the top glass corner.
4- all the edges are rough as confirmed by multiple reviews previously. I didn’t get to test it myself.
5- although, I didn’t see the interior but I presume it also will have quality issues.

i just want to know from all of you if you think this is a deal breaker if it remains like this and you pay >100k for this.

My wife gave her unbiased opinion and it seemed she would not buy it given it is a 120k. She felt it was built in somebody’s garage. I didn’t have that strong of an opinion since i am biased but i also couldn’t ignore the defects that i saw. When time comes, i will probably buy it but it certainly have raised some confusion in my mind.

The truck yet in the pictures is not a foundation serious truck, it's a pre-production truck that was sent to be on display. Doesn't say foundation on it so it's not that model. Preproduction trucks had a lot of issues.

 

[DumpsterFire]

This guy can't be serious. I personally don't care. I spend less than 1% of my time looking at my car from the outside and 99% of the time driving it from the inside. That will dictate it for me.

And I promise your eye ain't catching my 1mm panel gap when I'm blaming past you on the highway.

He’s serious and his thoughts are valid. $100-$120kis a lot to spend on a truck I don’t think it’s too much to ask that the panels line up.

but if you’re cool with it, then good for you!

 

[Celiboy]

I own a 2018 mazda cx5 currently. I do not see any major gaps/misalignment issues with that and that with a 32k price tag. One of my friend recently bought a R1S and it looked solid both from outside and inside. I have always been nit-picking when it comes to cars. I didn’t have a tesla before and maybe that is the reason a lot of those folks in the 99% would probably not see anything since their eyes are calibrated to seeing it as common.

You may be right about 99% of people’s eyes being calibrated to seeing it as common or it could mean that the 99% aren’t nit-picky over their car. I have good friend who is similarly nit-picky and you know what? He’s absolutely the only one who cares about the little things he sees wrong. It sounds like panel gaps are your main concern so maybe a brand new Mazda cx5 is the way to go.

 

[Unemployed]

The truck yet in the pictures is not a foundation serious truck, it's a pre-production truck that was sent to be on display. Doesn't say foundation on it so it's not that model. Preproduction trucks had a lot of issues.

It does say foundation series on the truck. Hard to see in the photo but I saw it etched on the side of the truck with my own eyes.

 

[Darth abbott]

That's interesting, it doesn't seem to say it on the tailgate.

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