Off Topic: Rent a Tesla for free

[Bill D]

OT:
My wife talked me into renting a Tesla model 3 from Hertz for a 800 mile road trip. Unlimited milage for one week is only $200. A little less with AAA discount. You have to pay to charge it up.
It will cost less to rent then to pay for gas for our SUV.
But no towing. Not really much room to have machines inside either.
Bill D

We were going to the LA area but had to cancel. All roads are closed due to snow, ice and rock slides. Maybe in the spring. The hotels from booking.com, with no refunds, refunded our reservations, no problem. Supposedly they refund all the time you just have to ask.

 

[Bill D]

Drove the car for just ten miles because the blizzard canceled travel plans. The Tesla reminded me of complaints here about button pushers are not real machinists.
Only the inside rear view mirror is not computer controlled. High tech for the sake of high tech. No knobs on the dash. No parking brake, etc. You just trust the brain has unlocked/applied the parking brake and locked the doors etc.
This short test drive showed me I do not want a Tesla. I had thought of buying one in a few years. I am not a slave to my cell phone nor do much beyound basics on the computer. Too old school to want to take my eyes off the road to adjust things while driving. I did start to view the screen traffic image more then the outside mirrors in that short time. I should have pulled over and figured out how to adjust the mirrors better.
Bill D

 

[anchorman]

Drove the car for just ten miles because the blizzard canceled travel plans. The Tesla reminded me of complaints here about button pushers are not real machinists.
Only the inside rear view mirror is not computer controlled. High tech for the sake of high tech. No knobs on the dash. No parking brake, etc. You just trust the brain has unlocked/applied the parking brake and locked the doors etc.
This short test drive showed me I do not want a Tesla. I had thought of buying one in a few years. I am not a slave to my cell phone nor do much beyound basics on the computer. Too old school to want to take my eyes off the road to adjust things while driving. I did start to view the screen traffic image more then the outside mirrors in that short time. I should have pulled over and figured out how to adjust the mirrors better.
Bill D

It's high tech for the sake of manufacturing simplicity. an LCD screen is cheaper than a bunch of gauges and purpose built switches. One part replaces many others, and simplifies inventory/repair. I don't like the idea of no buttons, but I understand why they did it.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

I've seen a few YT vids of people driving those cross country, check your route first to make sure there are charging stations. Some were able to run an extension cord from hotel room to car, but with limited amperage it takes something like 24hrs to get a full charge. Northern Nevada, other than Reno, is pretty sparse of charging stations.

 

[gustafson]

Drove the car for just ten miles because the blizzard canceled travel plans. The Tesla reminded me of complaints here about button pushers are not real machinists.
Only the inside rear view mirror is not computer controlled. High tech for the sake of high tech. No knobs on the dash. No parking brake, etc. You just trust the brain has unlocked/applied the parking brake and locked the doors etc.
This short test drive showed me I do not want a Tesla. I had thought of buying one in a few years. I am not a slave to my cell phone nor do much beyound basics on the computer. Too old school to want to take my eyes off the road to adjust things while driving. I did start to view the screen traffic image more then the outside mirrors in that short time. I should have pulled over and figured out how to adjust the mirrors better.
Bill D

They are definitely an acquired taste, I like buttons because I don't have to look them to push or turn.

I think unless they re engineer humans, cars will drift back to at least some buttons
Remember how no car stereos in the 90s had volume knobs?
Yeah, not so much anymore

 

[SIP6A]

OT:
My wife talked me into renting a Tesla model 3 from Hertz for a 800 mile road trip. Unlimited milage for one week is only $200. A little less with AAA discount. You have to pay to charge it up.
It will cost less to rent then to pay for gas for our SUV.
But no towing. Not really much room to have machines inside either.
Bill D

We were going to the LA area but had to cancel. All roads are closed due to snow, ice and rock slides. Maybe in the spring. The hotels from booking.com, with no refunds, refunded our reservations, no problem. Supposedly they refund all the time you just have to ask.

Where did you rent a Tesla for a week for $200.00? I'm seeing prices in the range of $100.00 - $200.00 a day. Plus $40.00 a day for the Loss damage waver.

 

[Bill D]

Hertz in central California. fifty five miles from silicon valley. Less then that from the Tesla factory in Fremont. I had seen those same 100-200$ a day prices until I actually checked Hertz. No idea if that is only here or nationwide. short term special deal or what.
Bill D
Modeso, CA

 

[Garwood]

You know, you could just schedule a Tesla test drive. We picked up a new model Y Friday afternoon, took the family to the coast and got it back Sunday.

IMO, you cannot form an opinion about the Tesla in 10 miles. You need to drive it more and get used to how the features work.

I drive a stickshift 12 valve Cummins F350 and a new Tesla Y. Kind of opposite ends of the spectrum. I love both vehicles. Initially, I disliked some of the Tesla "way of doing things", but I gave it a chance and find I have very few complaints. My only complaint is Tesla's adaptive cruise is "too safe" and won't let me drive 85mph in torrential rain or take 45mph corners at 70.

Tesla service has been exceptional. We drive the Tesla 3 times more miles than the Kia it replaced.

 

[adammil1]

Hertz in central California. fifty five miles from silicon valley. Less then that from the Tesla factory in Fremont. I had seen those same 100-200$ a day prices until I actually checked Hertz. No idea if that is only here or nationwide. short term special deal or what.
Bill D
Modeso, CA

Makes you wonder if that's a special deal where the factory is doing some amount of development testing in partnership with Hertz. A friend of mine told me about being in the town where one of the snowmobile factories is based out of. Said it was great you could rent a snowmobile for next to nothing and you were doing their development testing. He said it was cool too they had all sorts of machines with the latest and greatest features on them to try out. They didn't hesitate to let you have your pick of machines. Were the prices quoted only in town rentals or would they cover you if you are doing an out of town rental? Seems awfully low day rate for renting a $60,000 car.

 

[reggie_obe]

I've seen a few YT vids of people driving those cross country, check your route first to make sure there are charging stations. Some were able to run an extension cord from hotel room to car, but with limited amperage it takes something like 24hrs to get a full charge. Northern Nevada, other than Reno, is pretty sparse of charging stations.

Travel with your own Honda EU6500i for charging.

 

[Bill D]

I just checked. the LA airport Hertz wants double that rate for the same car. So it must be some special local deal.
San Jose same rate as here. San Francisco is double.
So I have no idea how they price them.
Lets all sue for geographic discrimination.
The ICE cars vary in the same way but not quite as much percentage wise.
Bill D

 

[reggie_obe]

I want to test drive a Mercedes Unimog for free for a week.

 

[Bill D]

I want to test drive a Mercedes Unimog for free for a week.

I do not think you will save anything on fuel costs to make it free. AFAIK they are all ICE powered.
Bill D