Consumer Reports Dropped Tesla in Its Rankings and It's Because of the Yoke

If it wasn't for the charging network advantage I'd dabble in another EV brand next. Maybe as a second non-roadtrip car only, or wait 5 years for competing networks to catchup.

It's not just the yoke, its the complete removal of the control stalks on the steering column. The gear shift is now "predictive" between D/N/R, but you can override it on the stupid touch screen. I cannot imagine having to do a tight parallel parking job in NYC with this garbage interface.

The turn signals are touch on the wheel, people are adding stupid 3d bump stickers to give themselves something they can feel for without sight.. to use a stupid turn signal.

This also means the wipers are fully auto with only the touch screen override.

Tesla is designed by/for 25-35 year old dudes in sunny California with dry weather and wide well marked freeways, infrequent parallel parking, and I guess don't use their signals..

There's replacement wheels but they are $3k, look like Fisher Price toys, and .. you need to trust your mechanic swaps them correctly enough that the air bags still work flawlessly. No thanks.

This feels like the automotive version of the designers forcing a backwards UI/UX change because it looks good in promotional photos and slide decks but makes the app worse to use for users.

It feels like there is too much of armchair design than actually helping the driver. Everything is designed around people looking at the screen and not at the road.

But the move from intuitive, easy controls to touchscreens is horrible. Touchscreens do not work correctly if your fingers are wet, dusty, covered with something like a patch over a wound. Maybe you want to use gloves?

Additionally, placing those controls on the turning part of the yoke is a very bad design decision. There horn's main function is to warn other drivers in dangerous situations. You need to be able to use it quickly without thinking. That's why good car makers place it right in the middle of the steering wheel and the whole middle can be used. It is a proven design.

> Tesla Inc’s new “yoke” steering wheel installed in Model S sedans and Model X sport utility vehicles is so difficult to use that it dropped the most valuable automaker’s position in the Consumer Reports annual car brand rankings by seven spots to 23rd place - below average, the independent testing organization said on Thursday.

When your car drives more and more autonomously having manual controls that can accidentally be activated start to make less sense, we’re not there yet, but someday there will likely be no steering wheel at all and people will react the same way they are now.