I had to take the new Model Y to the Tesla Service Center to correct a minor liftgate misalignment yesterday. We opted to wait for them to perform the fix, which was estimated to take two hours, and they asked if we wanted to do a demo drive of anything while we were waiting.
Of course, it took me about two seconds to blurt out Cybertruck!
Although I’ve seen them up close before I’ve never sat in one or driven it so I was curious to say the least. They gave us a forty minute window for our demo drive and I decided to make the most of it. My first impression was that the truck is very solid, like I’m talking almost military grade. The doors feel like they’re carved from a solid block of steel. Surprisingly, getting into the cabin was as easy as my Model Y thanks to the air suspension that lowers the truck by about 8.5” as you’re entering or exiting the vehicle.
The Tesla rep who helped us explained the user interface is like every other Tesla so the controls should feel familiar. That proved to be true. Although the Cybertruck’s UI has its own futuristic skin compared to other Teslas, all the features are the same making everything easy to find.
The rep also warned us about the Cybertruck’s steering. Since it’s steer-by-wire and the truck has four wheel steering you only need to turn the steering wheel about a quarter as much as traditional vehicles require. This proved to be true because this enormous vehicle maneuvered as well or better than my Model Y despite being almost twice its size. The nimble maneuverability of the Cybertruck was, by far, my favorite feature of the vehicle—it felt like pure engineering magic. The truck’s steering wheel is shaped like a rounded rectangle, halfway between a traditional wheel and a yoke.
The dashboard seemed as big as a twin sized bed—pictures just don’t show how much room is between the dashboard and the bottom of the windshield. The ride was very quiet, smooth, and power delivery was instantaneous. I punched the accelerator on the freeway on ramp, waking up the full 650hp of the mid-range version of the truck we were driving (the top of the line CyberBeast version has 845hp) and we were up to 75mph in the blink of an eye. Because of its weight you didn’t feel the violent surge that you do with other high powered Tesla models but it was pretty impressive for a vehicle that weighs nearly 7,000lbs, easily twice the weight of an average car.
The regenerative braking took me a little off guard. It doesn’t slow the vehicle down from highway speeds quite as well as other Teslas I’ve driven, which is understandable considering the truck’s weight. I had to use the brake pedal to slow down in time for a red light and this never happened with my Model 3 or my Model Y. I almost never have to touch the brakes in those vehicles. This is something Cybertruck owners quickly get used to I assume.
The cabin was comfortable, minimalistic, and spacious. It easily had as much interior passenger space as my Model Y except there was a six foot truck bed behind it, more engineering sorcery.
Before I knew it we had crossed the state line into Wisconsin and I had to turn the truck around and head back to Tesla’s Lake Elmo service center. It was a pretty cool experience to have the chance to drive such an amazing feat of engineering.
Would I buy one? Probably not. I just don’t have a need for a full size truck but for those who do I’d recommend they take the Cybertruck for a demo drive. The truck is like a swiss army knife for those who need the utility of a rugged full-sized truck that can also tow but also do errands and family road trips comfortably. This one vehicle would do it all.
After driving the Cybertruck and then getting into my Model Y Premium I quickly realized the Model Y was the perfect choice for me.
All for now. Thanks so much for reading.
