Fuel Efficient Vehicle with 3rd Row

[Isaac Zachary]

So one thing that threw me off with the Tesla Model Y is I can't find (quickly enough) how much space there is in the cargo area. I keep getting 68 sqft with the rear seats down, which isn't helpful comparing to cars that measure the cargo space with the seats up.

Anyhow, capacity comparison:

2007 Honda Fit 850lbs 21.3sqft
2014 Mazda MAZDA2 952 to 957lbs 13.3sqft
2020 Toyota Yaris 915 to 964lbs 15.6sqft
2019 Golf Sportwagen 1,152 to 1,217lbs 30.4sqft
2017 Toyota Prius v 981lbs 34.3sqft (67 with seats down)


2021 Tesla Model 3 822 to 893lbs 15sqft
2021 Tesla Model Y EDIT 1,157lbs 35sqft? (68 with seats down)

So the Model Y is similar in interior space to a Prius v, which also got a third row in some markets. But even though the Prius v can't haul a lot of weight, the Model Y holds 100lbs less.

[redpoint5]

Don't understand all this fear about going over the "limit" on things. Ratings are super conservative to account for people that are terrible at estimating weight, have tires inflated to a quarter of what they should be, are horrible at driving, exceed the speed limits...

You know, if you're loaded to exactly the weight rating you're 110% safe, but if you go 1 pound over you're totally screwed.

I guess I better ask the state what I should eat for dinner because I'm incompetent to use my own judgement.

I'm not done here. I once transported something like 8 people in my Subaru Legacy, plus me driving. Their durango had burned and they needed a ride. I even came around a corner where a deer was standing in the middle of the road and I yelled to everyone to hang on as I stopped the car as quickly and safely as possible, sparing the deer and the passengers.

Y'all are going to die of heart disease or cancer like everyone else. Nobody on this forum is dying from exceeding the weight rating of their car by 37 pounds. Refer to my signature. It never needs to be revised.

[Isaac Zachary]

Maybe your experiences in life have been different than mine. I've had to deal with things like broken axles and failed brakes going down steep mountain passes and with weigh stations and keeping my load within limits.

You can't go wrong if you respect the manufacturer's limits. Once you step outside of those limits does it become anyone's and everyone's opinion as to what the "actual limit" really is.

I also know of people who swear by two or three year oil changes or using oil that's several grades thicker than what the manufacturer says. It still doesn't convinced me though.

It's also one thing for me to on-purposely overload my car
It's another for the manufacturer to seemingly expect you to.

My question would be to Tesla: If I put 7 passengers in the vehicle with 20lbs luggage each and go over their 106lbs per each and every of all 7 passengers average, is that ok? If not, then what? Do they expect my family to be anorexic or something?

If I have 4 average sized adults and want to put kids in the other three seats, so they need to be 54lbs or less each? What if I want to carry something else along that's 50lbs or so? That's why I'd pay $50,000 for the thing?

[ksa8907]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Don't understand all this fear about going over the "limit" on things. Ratings are super conservative to account for people that are terrible at estimating weight, have tires inflated to a quarter of what they should be, are horrible at driving, exceed the speed limits...

You know, if you're loaded to exactly the weight rating you're 110% safe, but if you go 1 pound over you're totally screwed.

I guess I better ask the state what I should eat for dinner because I'm incompetent to use my own judgement.

I'm not done here. I once transported something like 8 people in my Subaru Legacy, plus me driving. Their durango had burned and they needed a ride. I even came around a corner where a deer was standing in the middle of the road and I yelled to everyone to hang on as I stopped the car as quickly and safely as possible, sparing the deer and the passengers.

Y'all are going to die of heart disease or cancer like everyone else. Nobody on this forum is dying from exceeding the weight rating of their car by 37 pounds. Refer to my signature. It never needs to be revised.

Ratings have nothing to do with capability, it's about defining a limit for legal reasons. The only point I was making is that .oat customers don't care about ratings and the manufacturer likes it that way.

[Piotrsko]

You won't pony up the 50 large for a Tesla, you should let that go.

However that point is somewhat valid. On my Pacer, I had a legal 1000 lbs payload, but I know for a fact the previous owners in Alaska went way over limits hauling things. It was airworthy when I got it, airworthy when I sold it and flew decent.

[Isaac Zachary]

Agreed.

Many people get away with going over limits all the time usually without any problems.

It sure wasn't fun that one time we were stuck in the middle of Missouri with a broken axle on the ol' pickup though with all our belongings in it.

But still, I think we all agree on what people do with their vehicles and what can be done.

What I was referring to is why do they make such a big vehicle with such a low payload rating. It just seems like selling a hammer that says on the box that it isn't meant to be used as a hammer. Regardless if people can or are going to use it as a hammer, why sell it like that?

[redpoint5]

The hypocrisy from people who are alarmist on their favorite "danger" topic is fun to observe.

How many people exceed speed limits? Heck, those are maximums anyhow, and it's up to the driver to assess the conditions, capabilities of the vehicle, and skill. I drove up a mountain pass that was covered in a sheet of ice. It wasn't possible to drive at the speed limit with my vehicle configuration and conditions and keep the car on the road. There wasn't a manual I could reference that told me exactly what the safe limits were.

100% of people break some traffic law on 100% of trips. Where are the online safety philosophers on subjects like coming to a complete stop, signalling 100 ft before a turn or lane change, walking behind the vehicle before reversing, etc, etc.

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

What I was referring to is why do they make such a big vehicle with such a low payload rating.

They don't. The payload given in the manual is 954 lbs. The tow rating is 3,500 lbs.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

The hypocrisy from people who are alarmist on their favorite "danger" topic is fun to observe.

How many people exceed speed limits? Heck, those are maximums anyhow, and it's up to the driver to assess the conditions, capabilities of the vehicle, and skill. I drove up a mountain pass that was covered in a sheet of ice. It wasn't possible to drive at the speed limit with my vehicle configuration and conditions and keep the car on the road. There wasn't a manual I could reference that told me exactly what the safe limits were.

100% of people break some traffic law on 100% of trips. Where are the online safety philosophers on subjects like coming to a complete stop, signalling 100 ft before a turn or lane change, walking behind the vehicle before reversing, etc, etc.

They don't. The payload given in the manual is 954 lbs. The tow rating is 3,500 lbs.

To me it's not so much of a danger topic as it is about the ironny. Would you by a motorcycle that's marketed as having the advantage for having two seats and a large cargo compartment but has a payload limit of 225lbs? And if you wouldn't, what's the difference bettween a motor cycle with 113lbs per passenger average and a car with 113lbs per passenger average in it's rating?

It's nice the Model Y actually has a better payload rating than what Google turns up. I also found this picture of a sticker that says 1,157lbs, claimed to be on a Model Y. So maybe it's not as bad as I was making it seem like.

I don't excede speed limits, at least not on purpose. I know, I'm the weird one. Going just 10 miles an hour faster than the limit can double your stopping distance. Personally I'm through with hitting deer and dogs and getting tickets. I have friends that that's their life because they can't leave home 5 minutes earlier than they do. But not me. I'd rather go the speed limit and pay more attention to what I'm doing.

The rule of thumb, at least taught to us in CDL school, is to drive at least 2/3 the speed limit anytime there's snowpack. This is what I do even in my own car. While usually not a problem it town, once on the highway people have the tendancy to keep increasing their speed until they're at or over the speed limit, even if it's snow packed or icy. Until you get to that first sharp corner where all the cars have gone off the road. Just following the 2/3 speed rule will almost certainly prevent that from happening.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

So one thing that threw me off with the Tesla Model Y is I can't find (quickly enough) how much space there is in the cargo area. I keep getting 68 sqft with the rear seats down, which isn't helpful comparing to cars that measure the cargo space with the seats up.

Anyhow, capacity comparison:

2007 Honda Fit 850lbs 21.3sqft
2014 Mazda MAZDA2 952 to 957lbs 13.3sqft
2020 Toyota Yaris 915 to 964lbs 15.6sqft
2019 Golf Sportwagen 1,152 to 1,217lbs 30.4sqft
2017 Toyota Prius v 981lbs 34.3sqft (67 with seats down)


2021 Tesla Model 3 822 to 893lbs 15sqft
2021 Tesla Model Y EDIT 1,157lbs 35sqft? (68 with seats down)

So the Model Y is similar in interior space to a Prius v, which also got a third row in some markets. But even though the Prius v can't haul a lot of weight, the Model Y holds 100lbs less.

That 68 cu ft number includes the frunk and the area below the cargo floor in the rear.

Lots of Model Y dimensions here:
https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesm...r-measurements

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

To me it's not so much of a danger topic as it is about the ironny. Would you by a motorcycle that's marketed as having the advantage for having two seats and a large cargo compartment but has a payload limit of 225lbs? And if you wouldn't, what's the difference bettween a motor cycle with 113lbs per passenger average and a car with 113lbs per passenger average in it's rating?

It's nice the Model Y actually has a better payload rating than what Google turns up. I also found this picture of a sticker that says 1,157lbs, claimed to be on a Model Y. So maybe it's not as bad as I was making it seem like.

I don't excede speed limits, at least not on purpose. I know, I'm the weird one. Going just 10 miles an hour faster than the limit can double your stopping distance. Personally I'm through with hitting deer and dogs and getting tickets. I have friends that that's their life because they can't leave home 5 minutes earlier than they do. But not me. I'd rather go the speed limit and pay more attention to what I'm doing.

The rule of thumb, at least taught to us in CDL school, is to drive at least 2/3 the speed limit anytime there's snowpack. This is what I do even in my own car. While usually not a problem it town, once on the highway people have the tendancy to keep increasing their speed until they're at or over the speed limit, even if it's snow packed or icy. Until you get to that first sharp corner where all the cars have gone off the road. Just following the 2/3 speed rule will almost certainly prevent that from happening.

Guidelines are important for the inexperienced or the unfamiliar. Unfortunately the way we become experienced is to survive being inexperienced. Finding the operating limits in a safe environment can go a long way to understanding the dynamics of a system though. For instance, I'll periodically check road conditions as I drive when they are slippery. I'll check my braking power and ability to swerve.

I generally travel 5 MPH over the speed limit and won't exceed 7 unless I'm on a motorcycle on a country road. I don't get speeding tickets, never hit a deer or dog, and don't get in wrecks. I don't even slow down when I know a speed trap is coming because you won't get pulled over for doing 5 over if that's the only infraction.

Rule followers are absolutely crucial to an orderly and well-functioning society. I never curse a person doing the speed limit when I'd rather be traveling faster. I also don't curse the person passing me. I do curse the person doing 40 in a 55 on a perfect day. If they are too scared to drive they shoulda stayed home or asked someone else to drive for them.