Well, this week, my Tesla is getting some window tint (post on that in a few days), which takes several days….so we are commuting in my wife’s car this week. And…well, it sucks. I know, first world problems here.
My wife’s car is actually a sweet ride. A 2020 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring. It has a 2.5L with Turbo capable of 250 HP and it really has some zip. It might actually be the best car we have ever owned… until…. The Tesla.
This is the first time in over a year that I have gone back to driving another car for more than a day, so I thought I would share some of my observations. After 3 days of driving an ICE again, here are my impressions:
- One pedal driving - I think I miss this the most. You don’t realize how many times you have to hit the brakes in an ICE vehicle. Its a lot. If not driving around idiots, I can go days without hitting the brake pedal in my Tesla. I think the brake pads and rotors might outlive the rest of the car.
- ICE Engines are LOUD - like seriously loud, I forgot how loud they were.
- The CX-5 has better sound proofing: At highway speeds, with the engine at a nominal RPM, it is actually quieter than the Tesla. The Tesla motors are so quiet, that their is no need for all the sound deadening materials to block the engine noise, but there is more wind noise.
- The Tesla UI is just better - I never liked the CX-5 interface to begin with, but I have noticed this in othere vehicles as well. The simple, one display approach by Tesla is just better IMO.
- The Tesla has a rough ride - I knew this going in… the seats are awesome, and on smooth highways and long rides, it is amazing, but when bopping around locally, the CX-5 has smoother ride.
- I miss the APP/connectivity - it is so nice to be able to control the Tesla HVAC for example from my phone, or to have the car programmed to cool down at 4pm every day before I leave for work. Getting in a hot car after work sucks.
- Everything in the Tesla happens instantly - in an ICE, there is a definite delay between pressing the gas pedal and getting power out of the engine… not in the Tesla. Also, with regen braking, the second your foot comes off the pedal, the car is slowing down before you even get to the brake (when needed), but you don’t get that in an ICE. The responsiveness makes the Tesla feel safer.
- I miss the acceleration - The Tesla is rediculously fast. The CX-5 does 0-60 in 6.1 seconds… the Tesla with the Acceleration Boost does it in in 4.3….there is no comparison. Look at the cars on the list that can do sub 4.5 seconds. After the supercars, just about everything is a Porche, BWM, Aston-Martin, Audi, Mercedes. Many ”affordable” muscle cars (<$80k) like Mustangs, Chargers, Corvettes, and Cameros are all slower than 4.3. Not bad for a $60-70k Crossover. That’s all. While these thoughts were all fresh on my mind, I thought I would share.
This week’s ride when we picked it up June 2020. I have added crossbars since, but otherwise, it looks just like this today.
