Little was the name of my favorite bird whose death I still mourn. I named my first 2018 Tesla - Little, and now 8 years later I named my second Tesla Little 2. Then I decided to be cute and reversed the name to 2-Little, which is a misnomer since the 2026 is slightly longer than the 2018 version with the other dimensions being virtually identical.
I purchased the new Model 3 because my 2028 battery was weakening, my warranty was ending, and the hardware of the new 2026 Tesla 3 allowed for autonomous driving after paying a monthly charge. The autonomous driving capability was not something I had considered in the past, but over time, my ability to drive at night with my aging eyes and worsening night vision = nyctalopia, prompted me to reconsider this viable remedy to address this diminishing property. The fact is that the autonomous driving feature of the new tesla is something that one can easily get addicted to!
My old tesla was black; my new one is pearl white. I had shinny alloy wheels on my 2018 version with 19-inch wheels; my 2026 wheels are 18-inches and the curvy pattern of black spokes under the cheap black plastic wheel covers is much more appealing. The 18-inch tires are better suited with running more miles per charge than the 19-inch tires – at least that is what I was told. Taken together, my 2026 tesla looked markedly different than its 2018 predecessor.
I never thought my new Tesla would provide any major advantage over my old one. I thought I wouldn’t even appreciate I was driving a new car. I knew that Elon Musk was trying to make this lowest end Tesla model more affordable and competitive with not only other electric car manufacturers but also with the world of combustion engine vehicles. But it’s clear that unless you purchase the performance model, the car feels less substantial. The beep that sounds after the car doors lock is squeaky and less convincing than the 2018 Model 3. Other elements inside the car are seem cheaply made and a little less elegant. I don’t like the absence of physical stalks that heretofore allowed for gear changing, windshield wiper activation, etc, etc. Now everything is either on the steering wheel, the computer screen, or above on an overhead console panel.
Nevertheless, I wasn’t considering the advances/changes that have been incrementally added over the 8-year interval between Teslas. For example, the car’s suspension is smoother, and the inside noise level is quieter. The seats feel as comfortable as my 2018 relic, but this is not a universally accepted notion. Driving controls were similar except for the lack of steering wheel stalks as mentioned above, which to me is an irritating miscalculation on Tesla’s part, but nonetheless a tolerable deficiency. A silly surrounding line of light encircling the interior of the car was available in every color imaginable to remind me that I was indeed driving a new Tesla. The self-driving component was fun and surprisingly accommodating, and depending upon the source, it results in fewer accidents as compared to having humans fully in charge (4-fold difference).
Historically, I’ve had my share of new cars so I didn’t think that driving a new TESLA out of the showroom would again be exciting. But it was, and to show my love, I have been careful to avoid any parking areas that would surreptitiously allow a careless driver to inflict a needless first ding on my car door. It felt good to drive a new car, virgin with that new car smell. I felt like a little kid with a new toy!
Allegedly, it will most likely be the last car that I will purchase in my life. Another eight years from now I will be 88. By then my tesla self-drive mobile will not only drive me to where I deem to go, it will remind me where I need to go, and maybe even drive me to where it wants me to go. That is if I remember where I left it the night before.
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