Test Drove a Tesla (Page 2): Please do not mandate electric for all. Winter drive Kenai to Anchorage, Alaska. Normal time 3 hours. Accident at Turnagain Pass. stopped with cars in...

egegikbob

Please do not mandate electric for all. Winter drive Kenai to Anchorage, Alaska. Normal time 3 hours. Accident at Turnagain Pass. stopped with cars in front & Back;
3 hour delay. The 173 miles took 6 hours. Including need for head lights, interior heater, and external temps of 10F. Glad to have a full tank of Gasoline.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

gunner369 wrote:

I have a 2020 Hyundri Palisade (new model SUV came out in 2020) which drives it's self when its in cruise control, it follows the white lines on the road, will turn when there's curves, it also slows down when it comes upon a vehicle going slower in your lane. Here's the catch, when you take your hands off the steering wheel for 30 sec, a beeping sound will warn you to keep your hand on the wheel, but this is good for an old man like me who might fall asleep at the wheel, LOL

That sounds like a good deal for an old guy who might fall asleep.

But I wouldn't trust it as a self-driving car yet except in limited circumstances. The car depends on the lane markings to keep it in the lane. What does the car do when (1) the lane markings are obscured by snow; (2) the lane markings have worn off due to poor maintenance; (3) the lane markings get confusing at strange intersections?

I'm really not comfortable with using lane markings as the basis for automatic driving except in an emergency situation like the driver being distracted or falling asleep. Even then, I would want the car to slow down, head for the shoulder, and park.

Maybe it should beep for a couple minutes and if the driver doesn't respond it should call 911.

egegikbob

The Kenai>Anchorage trip was in my 2019 Subaru Forester. 17 inch wheels with Studded tires. During the 3 hour wait, 6 inches of new snow was added. All automatic viewing of highway lines turned off by snow and the danger of vehicle Auto steer systems causing loss of control. Once rolling again the Suby foraged through the 10-14inch snow areas without getting stuck. (perhaps mucho winter driving experience helped)
It was a lamb early March (white coat) it was a lion early March Ferocious winter.

gunner369 Loc: NV

Your right Dirt Farmer, It is only a help driver device for ease of driving and your hands always need to be on steering wheel, but is useful only when you take eye's off the road or get distracted, there's even a warning if you veer left or right from the lane your in.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

Very interesting review but I guess I am too independent. My wife and I own 4 cars (1 sports, 2 regular and 1 SUV) and I like to drive myself. I seldom even use curse control and I don't want to have to wonder if I am going to need to take control. Living in WV may influence my confidence in auto drivers since we have so many secondary roads where I travel. I lived in Maryland 30+ years and it might be different if I were still there.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Country Boy wrote:

Very interesting review but I guess I am too independent. My wife and I own 4 cars (1 sports, 2 regular and 1 SUV) and I like to drive myself. I seldom even use curse control and I don't want to have to wonder if I am going to need to take control. Living in WV may influence my confidence in auto drivers since we have so many secondary roads where I travel. I lived in Maryland 30+ years and it might be different if I were still there.

Well, you, too, will get older (hopefully). I know lots of people who have had to give up driving as they age. I'm 80 now and still in control (I think) but the time will come when I will have to let my wife do the driving (shudder).

I knew a woman who was still driving at age 97 in a small town. She gave up her drivers license after she drove over the police chief's foot.

(No damage to the foot, the car, or the driver).

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

Di'trtFarmer wrote:

Well, you, too, will get older (hopefully). I know lots of people who have had to give up driving as they age. I'm 80 now and still in control (I think) but the time will come when I will have to let my wife do the driving (shudder).

I knew a woman who was still driving at age 97 in a small town. She gave up her drivers license after she drove over the police chief's foot.

(No damage to the foot, the car, or the driver).

I totally agree, but that is taxi time (I hope). It is just the semi driving that I don't feel comfortable with. If I can't totally control a vehicle I think I would be better in the back seat!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Country Boy wrote:

I totally agree, but that is taxi time (I hope). It is just the semi driving that I don't feel comfortable with. If I can't totally control a vehicle I think I would be better in the back seat!

If you're near a city (your screen name implies you aren't), Uber/Lyft are options. I recently moved near NYCity and I really don't like driving in the crazy traffic there. When we go to an airport it's cost effective to use Uber (and save on parking fees). But in less travelled areas, we have found Uber/Lyft to be unreliable because there are few drivers and they can decide for themselves whether or not it's worth their while to make your trip if it's going to cost them too much time to get there and back to the area they service.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

I listen to a techy podcast where the moderator just came off a Tesla S lease. He “loved” the car when things were right (kind of like my long gone Peugeot 505S), but stated he wouldn’t never buy another “beta.”

fotostory

My wife is waiting for her Tesla Model Y to be delivered later this month. We are both looking forward to this car. Her Lexus was a great car too and will sell it later. I drive a Ford Super Duty F250 because I need to be able to tow a trailer with a dozer.

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

My company is putting in another set of charging stations this month in anticipation of all the employees that are going to run out and buy all electric cars. They also charge per charge and limit the time you can use the charger. That's not a problem since they are fairly quick chargers.

docerz

Flat out...best car I've EVER owned including several Corvettes, Lexus...you name it. Fun,fun.

oregon don

DirtFarmer wrote:

As I am getting older, I am looking forward to sel... (show quote)

I was leaving Cheyenne WY one Jan morning in a blizzard, It was snowing so hard and long the only way I could tell where the highway was to follow a semi, If he had run off the road I would have landed right on top of him!

Tinkwmobile

I don’t get it. High prices, limited range, limited chargers and slow fill up. We need long term alternate, don’t see Tesla as solution. If you only drive in a city/ short trips, I can see use, but not value. Lots of horror stories on maintenance. Interested to see what GM offers. Mining for battery minerals is long term iffy.

rvharvey Loc: Southern New Jersey

This ad was in the January 30, 1956 issue of LIFE Magazine. It must have been a Tesla.