Model S

So I rented a 2024 Model S with full self driving for 5 days and drove it 900 miles. It cost me $900. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed. I rented it through Turo which is like an Airbnb for cars. The car was brand new, 2024 model with 1500 miles on it so what could go wrong? Well, first off, the key card stopped working. When I picked up the car, I asked for 2 cards and to be added to the Tesla app, but the host refused. Around 9pm the first night, the keycard just stopped working. Read below for more of my experience with the Model S and Turo.

Cons:

  1. Phone charge bay not tall enough for big phones like my Google Pixel 7 Pro with a case. The height is actually smaller than my Model 3! This is really odd and surprising.
  2. Rear display is unlocked, but doesn’t respond to touch. Seriously. I locked and unlocked it back and forth, but only a reboot would fix.
  3. Fan is really loud like it’s on the max setting even when it’s set to 1-2. Temporarily fixed this by turning the fan off and on. I think turning it up or down doesn’t have any impact when it makes this loud noise either. This problem was only resolved by doing a reboot!
  4. Yoke steering wheel is absolutely terrible. Definitely order this car with a regular steering wheel. If you buy a used one, note that you can get it changed by Tesla for $700. When making a U turn or just wanting to rest your hand(s) at the top of the wheel, it’s inconvenient at best or not possible at worst. Moreover, the shape of the tubing is also not round so it makes it difficult to grip properly. I absolutely hated this steering wheel. Who thought this one up? Did they make a U turn when testing or go on a long drive?
  5. Screen above steering wheel is redundant and unnecessary. This doesn’t improve the usability, and coming from a Y or a 3 you wonder why does this screen even exists as it doesn’t give you additional information. It will show the GPS info on the left when you have that on the main screen so why?
  6. Horn button placement is not intuitive and should be in the center of wheel. You have to look for it and find it and then press it. This is really a safety hazard.
  7. Frunk and lower trunk are not as big as a Y or 3 at least they don’t appear to be as large.
  8. Navigation screen went black so I pulled over and rebooted. This fixed the blacked out Navigation and rear screen not responding. If I wasn’t already a Tesla owner, I would not know how to reboot the car.
  9. The Navigation font isn’t big enough compared to a 3. I suppose this is configurable.
  10. Much harder to park and maneuver around compared to a Model 3 due to long wheelbase and weight.
  11. Drivers side door makes a really annoying buzzing noise, not a rattle but a buzzing vibration. It is noticeable at 0:15 with headphones. See https://youtu.be/Edq53xbTaBM
  12. Got an error message how my side camera didn’t work due to obstruction. This is common when the sun is shining right into the camera, but I was driving in the morning before the sun rose so what’s the problem? I had this happen on both sides.
  13. Door handles are over engineered and although cool, aren’t really necessary. I hear when a handle motor needs to be replaced it’s really expensive. Not sure how they would perform when frozen. My Model 3 door handles froze shut, so I had to smack them with the side of my fist to get them unstuck. Not sure if that would work with these handles.
  14. The keycard initially worked fine when I picked up the car, but then later just stopped working. I was without use of the car from the evening until the morning of the first day I rented it. The owner added me as a driver to the app so I could operate the car the next morning.

    15. Neutral:

    1. Mirrors rotate down when backing up. This isn’t necessary, but since it’s configurable it’s not an issue.
    2. Suspension adjustability, though I would adjust it high, and then it would just go back down to medium, so not sure how useful this feature is the way it’s implemented.

    Pros:

    1. Ride is much smoother than a Y or 3.
    2. Range is higher than a Y or 3, but again, the estimated range is an over estimation. Figure a reduction of 10-20% of stated range if driving 65-85 mph. The range is longer than the Y or 3 but not as much as advertised. Still, we only have to stop once at Kettleman City to charge on the way to and from Los Angeles.
    3. Interior noise is much lower than a Y or 3, at least the 2018-2023 Model 3, not sure about the latest Model 3.
    4. Much more interior space and legroom compared to a Y or 3
    5. Sound system is really good, but only marginally better than my Model 3.

    There were so many software glitches, I was honestly shocked. This model is over 10 years old, has been through a few major updates, and it still has this many problems? Even after they all get resolved and even with a regular steering wheel, I like my Model 3 better. I would recommend getting the an older Model 3 or a Highland Model 3 before a new S. I guess in summation it was worth $900 to learn that this isn’t the car I want to buy. If I did, and ended up selling it, I would lose much more than $900.

Turo

  1. Turo is pretty good. I would use the app and website again to rent a car I want to try out. The host refused to refund any money to me though the car was not usable for 12 hours. The car also has a buzzing noise and had to be rebooted when the navigation screen went blank. I went to Turo and they apologized and refunded me $100. Not a full days worth, but I think it was fair.
  2. Turo should require Tesla hosts to give out 2 keycards or 1 keycard and access to the Tesla app so the user won’t get locked out of their car like we were.
  3. I wouldn’t rent from this host Yutong T. I know, 5 stars but car didn’t work correctly making it undriveable, host wouldn’t address quickly or after rental.