SpaceX the Alan Notes

Fluvio |

Cox, don't sweat the replies, I'm with you 100%. I don't care if my car is a sedan, coupe, sport wagon, or SUV; I'm going to haul bikes, skis, kayaks, lumber, ladders, whatever, on the roof before I would succumb to getting a pickup. I'm especially going to do this with a sport wagon (first choice) or an SUV. We don't have to buy the X if it doesn't meet our needs. But it's certainly okay to use a forum like this one to share concerns we might have about specific design criteria on these otherwise great cars.

Now, we could get into the topic of SUV owners that never take their rigs off the pavement, or pickup truck owners that never seem to be carrying anything, or folks that live within 5 miles of work, but choose to drive their oversized vehicle instead of cycling, walking, or taking the bus, but let's save that for another forum. It seems like a lot of people buy vehicles and don't really use them for what they're inherently designed for.

4utoo |

I totally agree with Cox. I really want to order a Tesla, but have to wait until they get a SUV with regular back doors, because the falcon doors are just silly (and I prefer to sit up high as you do in a SUV). They look good, but are totally impractical. Having had several SUVs and raised 3 kids over the last 23 years, I know that getting in and out of the third seat row or being able to stand up while putting a kid into a car seat, is not as important as being able to open the doors just a little bit to throw in grocery bags, clothes, or my purse on the second row. The extra work to fold down the back of the second seat row or bending over the baby's car seat is nothing compared to the hassle with falcon wing doors. I often park in thight spaces (parking garages where I live - in Norway - are not made for wide cars) and sometimes we can only open the doors 12-15" before we get out. Not to mention the low ceilings in these garages. On my SUV, I sometimes have to hold down the door to the trunk so it doesn't hit the ceiling! And what if I want to carry a surfboard or a kayak or a ski box on my roof? No, pleeeeaaaase Tesla, give us the option to order regular back doors!

grega |

I can see how some people really need these features - only 2 rows of seats, plus roof racks, side doors - but I think what Tesla is doing is a little like Apple did with the early iPhones.