First Impressions in Helsinki (Finally allowed to sit in one)

[HaulingAss]

This thing reminds me of my old 80s cruiser. That was also like a tank but drove like a tractor lol. Didn’t care where I parked it because the steel was thick and hard to dent.

Basically all cars and trucks from that era were stamped out of mild steel body panels. Yes, it was thicker than modern cars, but still subject to dents relatively easily. I guarantee that the 110 lb. firewood round that bounced off my Cybertruck's door would have totally collapsed (caved in) whatever body panel it hit on an 80's cruiser. It would not have been pretty! Instead, not even a minor scratch!

People don't understand just how durable that super-hard exoskeleton is (and how much value it offers).

Sponsored

 

[MSL2]

lol that is a bad panel gap, that is not standard!

Within spec.... That is REALLY bad. Large gaps don't even bother me as much as uneven gaps.

 

[Setok]

Either the frunk hood is not closed all the way or someone twisted the little rubber/plastic nubbins under the hood that act as stops when the frunk closes. They have 10mm-20mm of adjustment built into them when you turn them with your fingers.

It can be counter-intuitive how to adjust them. I think there are four of them two on horizontal surfaces, two on vertical surfaces.

It was definitely closed all the way. In fact I opened and closed the cover to peek inside.

 

[Setok]

Decent observations but as mentioned, you really need to drive it! Although it seems big (and it is measurement wise), the steer by wire makes it feel and maneuver like a sports car. As for the buttons icing up, no issues so far here in Canada with temperatures reaching -20°C. And as for panel gaps, that’s about the worst I’ve ever seen… definitely not the norm!

I’m sure it’s manoeuvrable enough but the issue is that parking spots are generally a bit too small for a vehicle like that here, not to mention parking halls. When I (rarely) see an American pickup parked, it will be sticking well out of the parking spot and be a very tight squeeze on width. Some parking halls have ramps that are so tight that fitting a Cybertruck round might even be impossible.

Roads too can be tight around the city, though Finland isn’t quite as bad as some places in Central Europe.

Now, as mentioned, there are vans that are the same size or bigger. They still do their jobs. So it would not be completely impossible, though it would be a real compromise. After all, that size vans aren’t usually used to pick up groceries (and they won’t be able to use many parking halls)!

Even some Americans seem to wish it was a bit smaller. I’d definitely vote for that! Don’t take that to mean it should be some city runabout. I’d want to use it for actual hauling and occasionally in rough places. Just that I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of firewood to get more daily practicality

 

[Setok]

Absolutely! Until you drive it you will have no idea how mind-blowing it really is (compared to every other pickup truck out there). Even with a full payload or a big trailer the handling doesn't deteriorate noticeably, unlike every legacy truck I've ever used or owned. Night and day difference.

I was cutting rounds of firewood off the top of a large log that was laying high on a very steep slope. I had to kick steps into the slope with my boots to climb to the top and start cutting. After climbing the slope I knew why no one had beat me to this nice log, too much climbing. Each round of green firewood weighed over 100 lbs. I was letting them tumble down the steep bank since there was a road cut that kept the rounds captive and the road had essentially zero traffic. One of them got into a good tumble, it was bouncing 4-5 feet high, and bounced off the road one final time before smashing at a 90 degree angle right into the rear passenger door of my Cybertruck, about 30 inches off the ground, with a sickening (and very loud) "thud". All 110 lbs. of it. It bounced off the door panel and rolled away into the ditch. I was like "ooops", I hustled down the slope to inspect the damage and was flabbergasted there was nothing more than a brown scuff mark that came right off with some saliva and the tip of my finger. Not even a hint of a dent. I couldn't believe it.

Since then I have proven repeatedly how tough the exoskeleton of this truck is. What would cause thousands of dollars to repair on my Ford, doesn't even leave a mark on my Cybertruck. I would expect a truck this damage resistant to drive like a Sherman tank, or an armored personnel carrier, instead it drives like a sports car!

And to think a regular person can actually buy one of these online, for the same price as a gasoline powered truck with less capabilities, just shocks my sensibilities. You won't know what it's really like until you get to drive one!

This is one of the major aspects that appeal to me in the Cybertruck. To be able to haul stuff and go through some rough terrain without having to worry about expensive dents and the onslaught of rust.

A lot of people ridicule the vehicle, saying it’s the stupidest thing they’ve seen. Now a big part of that is due to Elon’s escapades, which I totally get (and is a major turnoff for me too), but that aside, if I then ask OK, what EV would they recommend instead that can do some rough work, drive through rough terrain, and which has such a solid exterior that bumps and scratches are no issue … I get silence.

Apart from maybe the Scottish Munro there is nothing available in Europe (of course no Cybertruck either), and very little competition in the US. The competition that does exist lacks stainless steel.

It’s great that at least some company has been bold enough to try something different, even if it sadly doesn’t match the launch pricing and specs.

 

[HaulingAss]

Roads too can be tight around the city, though Finland isn’t quite as bad as some places in Central Europe.

America has some tight cities too, on average, not as tight, but plenty of places I wouldn't dream of parking my moderately sized F-150 (18.6' long). I regularly park the Cybertruck in those same spots. The rear wheel steering makes it easier to get in straight without a lot of fore/aft jockeying and the doors are better designed for squeezing out (and of course no worries about door dings).

On the open road, or doing work, you will be glad for the extra size on the inside and the bed. The Cybertruck is noticeable smaller on the outside (and maneuvers much more adeptly) while still being functionally larger on the inside and in the bed.

 

[Setok]

America has some tight cities too, on average, not as tight, but plenty of places I wouldn't dream of parking my moderately sized F-150 (18.6' long). I regularly park the Cybertruck in those same spots. The rear wheel steering makes it easier to get in straight without a lot of fore/aft jockeying and the doors are better designed for squeezing out (and of course no worries about door dings).

On the open road, or doing work, you will be glad for the extra size on the inside and the bed. The Cybertruck is noticeable smaller on the outside (and maneuvers much more adeptly) while still being functionally larger on the inside and in the bed.

Well, the F-150, in all variations, is a big car by European standards. It's good to hear the Cybertruck is manoeuvrable but without having some TARDIS type technology, it will stick out from parking spots here, and be a squeeze for width. Parking spots are just the size they are and four-wheel steering can't compensate for that. So it's not ideal, though probably not utterly impossible.

As a comparison: one van I was looking at, the e-Jumpy, is 5.31m long, and 1.92m wide. I did an extensive test drive with it and it wasn't quite as bad as I thought (though I didn't attempt any tight parking halls). I reckoned I could live with that. It was helped by the squarish shape, good visibility, birds eye camera view, and big mirrors. That's definitely considered a big vehicle by European standards, though perhaps mid-sized for a van. It, and its siblings (some of which are shorter), is the most popular van here. The Cybertruck is 5.68m long and 2.03m wide. That might not sound like much of a difference, but it does add up when you need to fit into a parking spot!

Vans btw are completely underrated. That could haul a good amount of stuff (more than the Cybertruck) and was a nice, comfortable drive with a great high-up view of everything.

 

[Setok]

Btw the Cybertruck was still at the Helsinki dealer today. That was a bit of a surprise as the staff said it was only there for the weekend. I wonder if they'll just leave it there as a permanent exhibition. There are quite many available, after all

 

[bosshog]

Btw the Cybertruck was still at the Helsinki dealer today. That was a bit of a surprise as the staff said it was only there for the weekend. I wonder if they'll just leave it there as a permanent exhibition. There are quite many available, after all

I had the same concerns about size as you do but now it’s not even a synapse of worry in my brain anymore . The cybertruck parking is easier than my other 2 cars . In tight areas just use self parking and it does it perfectly and in reverse so you have an easy exit ….. nothing like it out there .

 

[koolio]

Good write up on your 1st in-person impressions.

From someone who owned a Model Y prior to the CT (and we have a Model 3 as our 2nd vehicle), I will say that the blind spot isn't an issue (at least for me or my wife, who's daily driver is the 3). I remember my first impression was a big blindspot when I test drove it but once I drove it more (and purchased it), it's not an issue.

Like others have said, take it for an extended test drive and that's really when the magic of the CT will become apparent (and I think you'll notice the blind spot isn't really as bad as it seems).

As for the size, the 4 wheel steering and steer by wire make moving the vehicle around in parking lots, etc. seem much smaller than it is. The only thing I had to get used to was remembering it's length (only took a week) when backing out of a parking spot.

 

[Setok]

Good write up on your 1st in-person impressions.

From someone who owned a Model Y prior to the CT (and we have a Model 3 as our 2nd vehicle), I will say that the blind spot isn't an issue (at least for me or my wife, who's daily driver is the 3). I remember my first impression was a big blindspot when I test drove it but once I drove it more (and purchased it), it's not an issue.

Like others have said, take it for an extended test drive and that's really when the magic of the CT will become apparent (and I think you'll notice the blind spot isn't really as bad as it seems).

As for the size, the 4 wheel steering and steer by wire make moving the vehicle around in parking lots, etc. seem much smaller than it is. The only thing I had to get used to was remembering it's length (only took a week) when backing out of a parking spot.

Unfortunately no chance for a test drive for now as it's not road legal in Europe. Some day I definitely hope to properly get behind the ... uhm ... square.

 

[bosshog]

Unfortunately no chance for a test drive for now as it's not road legal in Europe. Some day I definitely hope to properly get behind the ... uhm ... square.

once you drive it you will quickly realize your land rover defender is a relic of the past .

 

[Setok]

once you drive it you will quickly realize your land rover defender is a relic of the past .

It’s always been a relic of the past. That’s what makes it so charming. You can fix it up with a spanner and duct tape.

 

[BrockN]

If this is any indication… I have an air cooled Porsche that hibernates in my garage all winter and I usually can’t wait to get it on the road each spring… It’s still sitting in the garage and probably won’t make it on the road this year. I’m just having too much fun with this truck on the back roads of the mountains in my backyard

You might just as well get rid of it.

I had a very clean Alfa Spider Quadrifoglio that I thought I'd never let go. When my S arrived in 2015, the Alfa sat in the garage and only got out a handful of times that summer. And it felt so heavy, slow and cumbersome! Stunk, too...

After one winter of parking the S outside so the Alfa could be kept warm and safe inside, I thought, 'what the hell am I doing?' and put it up for sale. Someone in Texas bought it sight unseen and had it shipped down to him. I thought I'd feel the tears well up when it was loaded in the trailer, but no... I felt nothing. Still don't.

If anyone in Magnolia Texas sees a silver Alfa cruising around, give it a wave for me...

Sponsored