Henry Payne Blog

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Posted by Talbot Payne on March 27, 2024

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Payne: Playing in the sandbox with Ford Ranger Raptor Jr.

Posted by Talbot Payne on March 21, 2024

Salt Lake City, Utah  At speed on Ford Performance Racing School’s slippery track, I stabbed the brakes and rotated my 2024 Ranger Raptor into a 90-degree right-hander. The beast skittered through the mud before the 33-inch all-terrain tires gripped like talons  my cue to floor the throttle across the apex before pitching the truck into an opposite, 90-degree left-hander. This is one swift predator.

Ford’s F-150 Raptor invented the off-road performance space and is the standard by which off-road production trucks are judged. But the 6,000-pound, sand-eating king of the desert might be better understood as a T-Rex.

The 5,325-pound Ranger Raptor is a velociraptor all right.

The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor’s chassis is specially-engineered for off-road punishment.
Ford, Ford

Lighter and more nimble than its stablemate, the newest member of the Raptor brood is a capable  and relatively affordable  entry into the Raptor family. That includes the Bronco Raptor, the most versatile of the herd, with tools like ginormous 37-inch tires and detached sway bar. But all that hardware means Bronco Raptor tips the scales at 5,764 pounds and empties your wallet of $91K. Another T-Rex.

Up a hill into the Oquirrh Mountains, my $57,065 Ranger Raptor ($34K less than Brother Bronc, which, ahem, is the price of a 2024 Ford Mustang) carved up a deep trail before tiptoeing along a narrow ridge overlooking the breathtaking Salt Lake valley. Tiptoeing isn’t as easy in Bronco and F-150 Raptors. At over 80 inches wide, these T-Rexes legally require three amber safety lights normally reserved for heavy-duty trucks.

Can you fit that in your garage? I can’t.

The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor has four-wheel-drive and special Fox shocks for off-roading.

The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor has four-wheel-drive and special Fox shocks for off-roading. Ford, Ford

I can’t wait to take Ranger Raptor through the narrow canyons of Holly Oaks north of Detroit. Or the concrete canyons of downtown Detroit. The pickup is based, of course, on the all-new Ranger, a midsize truck that will fit in your garage or your company’s parking garage, and won’t take out the ordering kiosk in a fast-food drive-thru. I say “based on” because Ranger Raptor shares Ranger’s interior upgrade including digital displays, 12-inch console screen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless charging, the works.

It also shares Ranger’s expanded wheelbase, which was ordered up with Raptor in mind. With the front axle pushed toward the front bumper, the Raptor boasts a 33-degree approach angle and an elongated engine bay to fit a longer V-6 engine like the 405-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6 the Ranger Raptor shares with the Bronco T-Rex  er, Raptor.

Over a series of moguls, I pushed the Ranger a little too hard (easy to do with 405 horses at the other end of the reins) and the pickup porpoised, but with no consequence thanks to the combination of approach angle, 10.7-inch ground clearance and the Raptor family’s secret sauce  live-valve Fox shocks.

An engineering marvel, the shocks quickly adapt to changing terrain. That capability offers a variety of modes from SPORT to OFF-ROAD to BAJA, with the last really loosening up the suspension for the Performance School’s punishing courses.

The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is controlled with a 10-speed automatic and digital displays.

The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is controlled with a 10-speed automatic and digital displays. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Owners should jump at the chance to explore the Raptor’s envelope. The Utah facility has been free to Raptor owners since 2020 (buy your own ticket and hotel, and the playground is yours for a day) and opens up to Ranger Raptor owners this summer.

Ford has made an international name with supercars like the Le Mans-winning Ford GT and Baja-winning, 720-horsepower F-150 Raptor R supertruck. But it’s accessible performance vehicles like the Fiesta ST and Mustang GT  and, now, Ranger Raptor  that have endeared it to fans everywhere.

My neighbor tracks his Mustang GT at Waterford and Gingerman. Mustang owners have the opportunity to track their sportscars for free at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s banked oval. And now here comes a trinity of Raptor bruisers pumped with off-road steroids so you can conquer everything from Silver Lake sand dunes in west Michigan to Drummond Island in the U.P. to Holly Oaks.

I’m partial to the latter because it’s so accessible to Metro Detroit, and because Holly is home to all manner of off-road talent including Raptor rivals like the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Chevy Colorado ZR2.

Don’t ask me to pick between them. Competition breeds excellence, and these vehicles are worthy rivals. While the TRD Pro leans toward rock crawling, the ZR2  which debuted in 2017  goes head-to-head with the Raptor with bespoke Multimatic spool-valve shocks and impressive high-speed hijinks. And these are hardly trailer queens.

Detroit News auto critic Henry Payne flogged the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor at Ford's Utah Performance School.

Detroit News auto critic Henry Payne flogged the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor at Ford’s Utah Performance School. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

I arrived at the Ford Performance School the same way owners will get to work every day: via a quiet road drive. The quiet is notable compared to the Bronco Raptor, which is inherently noisy thanks to its removable roof, doors and open plastic fenders.

The Ranger Raptor’s macho, by contrast, melted into the background on my 45-minute trip to Ford’s off-road playground. I dialed the meaty DRIVE MODE controller (shared by all Raptors) to NORMAL, set adaptive cruise control to 75 mph, and followed the Raptor train.

It’s a sight not unlike the pilgrimage off-road vehicle owners make to Holly Oaks on weekends. But, despite the huge all-terrain churning underneath me, I had an easy conversation with a media colleague riding shotgun. How far trucks have come.

Ranger Raptor also boasts the typical advantages of truck  like a five-foot bed out back that can swallow a couple of off-road bikes. Or the tow hitch out back that can drag a RZR side-by-side to the Outback with you. While we’re talking accessories, you also might want to buy a power washer for when your Raptor comes home dirty from off-road adventures.

The auto industry has seen unprecedented change in recent years with sedans giving way to SUVs, trucks competing with German brands in the luxury space, and governments forcing the industry to build electric vehicles. A lot of performance models have been lost in the shuffle, including the Fiesta and Focus ST lines.

The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor comes with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 shared with the Bronco Raptor.

The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor comes with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 shared with the Bronco Raptor. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

So its historic to see Ford bringing performance commitment to the truck/SUV space the same way they have built Mustang HiPos, GT350s and GT500s over the years. The Raptor lineup, from affordable Ranger to earth-shaking, $110K F-150 Raptor R, parallels the Mustang’s on-track terrors with off-road capability.

Who knows, maybe Maverick will join the Raptor family in the years ahead. As the Ranger proves, velociraptors are fierce no matter what size the package.

Next week: 2024 Lexus GX

2024 Ford Ranger Raptor

Vehicle type: Front-engine, four-wheel-drive, four-door pickup

Price: $57,065, including $1,595 destination charge ($59,045 as tested)

Powerplant: 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6

Power: 405 horsepower, 450 pound-feet-torque

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph (NA); payload, 1,375 pounds; towing, 5,510 pounds

Weight: 5,323 pounds

Fuel economy: EPA est. 16 mpg city/18 highway/17 combined

Report card

Highs: Most affordable Raptor; good manners on- and off-road

Lows: Wardrobe not as fearsome as peers; better exhaust note, please

Overall: 4 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

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Posted by Talbot Payne on March 20, 2024

Cartoon: Media Trump Fake News

Posted by Talbot Payne on March 19, 2024

Payne: Behind the wheel of the handsome, remade Ford Ranger

Posted by Talbot Payne on March 19, 2024

Salt Lake City, Utah — The midsize pickup wars are back with a vengeance. Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma have all raised the bar by recently introducing all-new models.

But no pickup war is complete without Ford. Big Blue. The King of Trucks.

The 2024 Ford Ranger has answered the bell and it is the most stylish, high-tech, smooth-riding and expensive mid-size Ford pickup yet. It brings more powertrains, more models (including — drool — a Raptor beast), more clever tricks like corner-bumper steps and all-digital displays. Ford left the segment in 2011, committing resources to build aluminum-bodied, full-sized F-150s. When it returned eight loooong years later, its entry was rushed, plastic, not fully baked.

The 2024 Ford Ranger comes standard with rear-wheel-drive and a 4×4 option for better grip off-road. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

The 2024 Ranger feels like the mid-sizer Ford wanted to build for the last decade. It’s a proper bridge between the popular, starter-kit Maverick and the F-150 patriarch.

Full-size pickups like F-150 are the Swiss Army knives of the automotive world, and Ranger’s big brother has dominated the class for over 40 years. Full-sizers tow your boat up north, transport the basketball team, haul mulch, chew trails and carry hunting dogs.

But I prefer midsize pickup trucks. Call them micro-Swiss Army knives.

Maybe it’s because they fit in my garage. Or because they only take up one space in the parking lot. Or can get through tight spaces at Holly Oaks ORV park.

I tore up a winding road through the Wasatch Mountains here, the Ranger ensuring confidence as I navigated roads with guardrail-less vertical drops. “The Ranger is the best-driving pickup I’ve ever had,” says my friend Jim of his 2019 model.

The ’24 adds 2 inches of wheelbase and 2 inches of track width to make the pickup even more sure-footed. But that length isn’t all about handling. While competitors have shrunk their engine choices to 4-bangers to satisfy government emissions nannies, Ranger (via shrewd product management that collects emissions credits with Lightning EVs and Maverick hybrids) is giving customers want they want: more engines.

The 2024 Ford Ranger is quiet and easy to drive on-road.

The 2024 Ford Ranger is quiet and easy to drive on-road. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

With two more inches of wheelbase to play with, the Ranger can now stuff in a longitudinal, 2.7-liter V-6 right out of big brother F-150, a major upgrade for the ‘24 model year. And that’s even before you get to the 3.0-liter turbo-V-6 that the top-drawer, $57K Ranger Raptor shares with the $91K Bronco Raptor. The rowdy Ranger Raptor is a whole ‘nother chapter, so I’ll review that separately in Thursday’s Drive section.

The 2.7-liter V-6 will come later this year, but, in the meantime, the base 2.3-liter 4-cylinder mill (shared with the entry-level Mustang) provides plenty of punch. I nailed it up Wasatch’s steep slopes, its twin rear pipes letting out a growl.

While engine options expand, others narrow. In contrast to segment sales leader Toyota Tacoma, Ford has opted to offer Ranger in one, four-door cab size (SuperCrew), one box size (five-foot), one transmission (10-speed automatic, no manual). Want more choices? Check out the Maverick and F-150.

Designers have translated Ranger’s larger dimensions into more sophisticated styling. Like F-150, Ranger gets a bold, horizontal face graphic that bisects the grille and headlights, forming a C-clamp headlight. We are family. Combined with a sculpted, rear tailgate, the design conveys a more planted Ranger — versus the last-gen model that always looked like it was on tippy-toe.

Ranger learns from little brother, too. Wee Maverick is generous at managing interior space, and Ranger adds clever touches like better forward console storage, cubby space below the glovebox, and fold-flat rear seats so you can more easily store, say, suitcases or shopping boxes.

Unfortunately, rear seat room didn’t benefit from the wheelbase extension: interior measurements remain the same. That means a tight fit for six-footers, but — thanks to useful scalloping in the back of the front seats — my knees breathe easier.

Ford even took ergonomic lessons from — gasp! — General Motors and now options corner steps so you can more easily access the bed.

The 2024 Ford Ranger options a corner bed step.

The 2024 Ford Ranger options a corner bed step. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Ford has always been a leader on tech, and the 2024 Ranger gets to share in the big-screen fun had by Mustang Mach-E and F-150. The base XL model comes with digital screens while XLT, Lariat and Raptor models option a 12-inch center screen.

Options, options, options. Jeez, pickup trucks are becoming like Porsche sports cars.

My XLT had separate option packages for its black Sport trim, adaptive cruise control, four-wheel-drive system, 17-inch wheels, tow hook, screen and sliding rear window. Well, at least the steering wheel comes standard.

All that nickel ‘n’ diming added up to $825-a-month lease or $49,265 in cash — a whopping 15 grand over the base price, which itself is six grand higher than the outgoing, $28,895, 2023 model. And my XLT still had a standard turn-key ignition starter.

Sure, the old, two-door base model is gone and electronics have been significantly upgraded – but a $27k Honda Civic Sport will deliver a suite of standard push-button start, adaptive cruise control and wireless smartphone app connectivity.

Like performance sports cars, like performance pickups. Watch your wallet.

The interior of the 2024 Ford Ranger is upgraded with digital screens - and an optional, 12-inch center tablet.
The interior of the 2024 Ford Ranger is upgraded with digital screens – and an optional, 12-inch center tablet. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

In a Utah field softened up by months of heavy snow, my tester sank into the soil. As I grunted around in rear-wheel drive, the Ranger sank further into the soil. 4×4 to the rescue.

I punched 4H on the console-mounted mode dial, and the Ranger hooked up all four wheels, delivering 400 pound-feet of torque to the grippy all-terrain tires. Suddenly, Ranger was as sure-footed as if on asphalt and I explored more deeply into the soggy terrain. I could have dialed up the grip further by engaging 4-low and a rear locker (you guessed it, another option package).

A FX4 package will add further underbody armor and Lariat, of course, options goodies like leather seats and an exterior chrome package. But my XLT Sport tester is the sweet spot once loaded with essential safety features and 12-inch screen.

The 2024 Ford Ranger offers a range of engines from standard, 2.3-liter turbo-4 (pictured) to a 2.7-liter turbo-V6 to a 3.0-liter turbo-V6 in the Raptor.
The 2024 Ford Ranger offers a range of engines from standard, 2.3-liter turbo-4 (pictured) to a 2.7-liter turbo-V6 to a 3.0-liter turbo-V6 in the Raptor. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

A decade ago, I couldn’t sit in Mustang cloth seats for more than two hours without suffering discomfort. In the Ranger I could have gone for hours in the agreeable cloth buckets.

I zipped back down the mountains on I-210 towards Salt Lake at 75 mph in adaptive cruise control. Utah’s highways can be curvy affairs through the canyons, and I passed an F-150 on my way. Sharing good looks, vertical digital screens and interior comfort (as well as V-6 engines and Raptor models), the two Fords made a nice pair of Swiss Army knives.

2024 Ford Ranger

Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear and four-wheel-drive, four-door pickup truck

Price: $34,265, including $1,595 destination charge ($49,250, 2.3-liter, 4×4 XLT as tested)

Powerplant: 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder; 2.7-liter turbocharged V-6 (available summer 2024)

Power: 270 horsepower, 310 pound-feet torque (4-cylinder); 315 horsepower, 400 pound-feet torque (V-6)

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.5 seconds (est.); Payload, 1,711-1,805 pounds; Towing, 7,500 pounds

Weight: 4,415 pounds (4×4 as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA est. 21 MPG city/25 highway/22 combined (RWD, 2.3L); 20 MPG city/24 highway/22 combined (4×4, 2.3L)

Report card

Highs: More engine options; major exterior/interior upgrades

Lows: Rear seat still tight; gets pricey

Overall: 4 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

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Payne: Sailing the screen-tastic Lincoln Nautilus land yacht

Posted by Talbot Payne on March 19, 2024

Palm Springs — Welcome to the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus. Call it the Lincoln Not-like-any-cabin-you’ve-seen-before.

A handsome, high-definition 48-inch screen wraps the front cabin from A-pillar to A-pillar. Like the twin screen sitting on your office desktop, its expanded space allows you to run multiple applications. Which means you can keep your eyes on the road while scanning information including speed, navigation map, Sirius XM channels, range and more.

Cruising hands-free in Blue Cruise down Interstate 10, I rested my hands on my knees and settled back in the comfy leather thrones. Ahhh, a comfortable day at the office.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus introduces the Lincoln Digital Experience with a 48-inch A pillar-to A pillar screen. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

With its emphasis on quiet luxury (current slogan: “Power of Sanctuary”), Lincoln has been about comfortable cabins rather than carving corners. Let Bimmer, Alfa and Caddy fly around Nürburgring setting lap records, Lincoln wants to fly you First Class. Now, with its Lincoln Digital Experience, the brand has created a high-tech environment to rival other transformative interiors from Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS and Cadillac Lyriq.

I first saw a pillar-to-pillar design on the Byton M-Byte, a Chinese electric vehicle, at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. It was a showstopper. Byton promised its 48-inch jumbotron would come to market in 2020. Didn’t happen.

With Nautilus, this is Lincoln’s chance to shine. At a dealer in North Miami Beach recently, I heard audible gasps from customers as they opened the Nautilus doors. I haven’t seen butts jump into seats so fast since the Model S screen wowed at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.

With its gorgeous new screens and hybrid engine, the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is the latest expression of Lincoln lux.
With its gorgeous new screens and hybrid engine, the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is the latest expression of Lincoln lux. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Tesla opened boutique stores at high-end malls (think Somerset) across the country so casual shoppers could try on their interiors as easily as fitting pants at J.McLaughlin. Lincoln, which has dabbled in the boutique store market, should do the same.

The 48-inch display works as well in practice as it looks. Like a TV screen paired with remote control, the touchless jumbotron is controlled via a console-mounted 11-inch tablet. Lincoln’s native navi system is run by Google — like Android Auto — and either can be used in the panoramic display’s center.

“Hey, Google, navigate to Idyllwild,” I barked, and the route populated the command tablet and megascreen. I gripped the wheel and eased into Palm Springs traffic for my trip to the San Jacinto Mountains.

The simple steering wheel (Tesla simple and square like a Corvette C8) is slick. It’s squared-off so as not to obstruct the megascreen. Like a head-up display, instrument and navigation information is always in your line of sight. The wheel’s simple interface is anchored by twin touchpads (Tesla uses scroll wheels): volume on the right, adaptive cruise control to the left. It shames over-engineered, button-infested wheels like Mercedes.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus's elegant door handles - mounted on the shoulder line - remind of 1950s Packards.
The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus’s elegant door handles – mounted on the shoulder line – remind of 1950s Packards. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

My instinct was to glance at the closer console pad for directions, but, with time, my eyes focused on the big screen. Its right half contains three more “pages,” which I filled with radio, trip information and clock. Want to change the selection to include tire pressure? Simply drag ‘n’ drop the icon on the command screen and — bingo! — it’s mirrored on the megascreen. A muscular Qualcomm chip makes for smartphone-fast touch speeds, a key to Tesla’s early popularity.

Also like Tesla, the Lincoln system is so cool you forgive Nautilus its dissonate notes.

Lincoln’s engine lineup is weak compared to competitors like Genesis and Mercedes (more on that later). Blue Cruise drive assist is sketchy — turning off multiple times during my interstate test. And there’s a wonky Drive Mode button on the console that doesn’t actually control the modes — it just gives you access to them in the command screen. It’s an awkward process not unlike Tesla’s two-button chore to open the glovebox. Happily, most Lincoln drivers will rarely use SPORT mode. Nautilus is no BMW M4.

Like the Bimmer, however, Nautilus is gas-powered. Lincoln teased a Star Concept EV two years ago, but has resisted the Sirens’ call to full-electrification like other small premium brands. Instead of tearing up its playbook, Lincoln’s refining it.

Nautilus’s state-of-the-art interior is executed atop a familiar gas-powered drivetrain lineup. Customers (Nautilus is part of an SUV family including Corsair, Aviator and Navigator) prize the “utility” in sports utility vehicle for summer trips up north or out west.

For all of Tesla’s innovation, the Silicon Valley brand copied Lincoln’s electronic button transmission for its 2024 Model 3 Highland. Tesla’s shifter buttons, naturally, are in the screen, whereas Lincoln offers hard buttons on the console. I played them like piano keys, shifting the DRIVE button with my middle finger and the REVERSE button with my forefinger as I backed in and out of a parking space.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus complements its big screens with striking materials and a quiet cabin.The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus can compliment its big screens with striking materials and a quiet cabin. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Once on the road, my hybrid turbo-4 cylinder purred along — a distant heartbeat from the hush-quiet cabin wrapped in acoustic glass and insulation. Despite the premium ride, the engine is Nautilus’s weak link.

The base 2.0-liter sounds like the Ford Escape egg-beater it’s shared with, and the hybrid lacks the visceral authority of a Detroit machine. Genesis, Acura, BMW — even Mazda’s premium CX-70/CX-90 — offer six-cylinder mills. Lincoln follows Lexus to hybrid fours, and it’s worth the $1,500 upcharge over the base engine. Coupled with a smooth CVT transmission, the battery provides good low-rev torque-fill to offset turbo lag.

Also worth the extra cents are the seven cabin scents on offer.

The electronic scent cartridges — standard Mystic Forest, Ozonic Azure, Violet Cashmere and additional Cloud Balsam, Serene Seashore, Twilight Embers and Sunlight Retreat — are loaded, three at a time, into a hidden chamber beneath the armrest. I hesitated at dispensing them, fearing my cabin would be doused in incense.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus contains its button shifter and volume knob on the console.
The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus contains its button shifter and volume knob on the console.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News

But the odors were mild and pleasant and complemented my refreshing interstate drive.

Passengers will enjoy the ride, too, as Nautilus offers best-in-class rear legroom (43.1 inches) and a giant panoramic roof so they can enjoy the treetops/sky/stars overhead. The hybrid’s 600-mile range will get you to Mackinaw City and back without ever having to stop at a gas station. Or, ahem, sit at an electric charger.

This rolling yacht is wrapped in a bold Lincoln exterior, including soft-squeeze, Packard-like door handles along the shoulder line. Mirroring the brand’s signature horizontal rear taillight, the front LED lamp now wraps ‘round the front. Lincoln also is hell on wheels (remember the turbine wheels on the Navigator?) and offers head-turning 22s that come with the Jet Package.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus offers game-changing tech for the veteran Ford lux brand.
The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus offers game-changing tech for the veteran Ford lux brand.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Big as it is, Nautilus sweats the little things.

Start with the door handles, then note the no-cap gas filler and double-pull hood tab under the dash so you don’t have to fish around the engine bay for the hood latch.

Buy it and you’ll be that guy giving neighbors interior tours.

Next week: 2024 Ford Ranger

2024 Lincoln Nautilus

Vehicle type: Gas-powered, all-wheel drive, five-passenger luxury SUV

Price: $52,210, including $1,595 destination charge (as tested)

Powerplant: 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder; hybrid-electric drivetrain with 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed transmission (2.0L); CVT (hybrid)

Weight: 4,517 pounds (hybrid, as tested)

Power: 250 horsepower, 280 pound-feet torque (2.0L); 295 horsepower, 310 pound-feet torque (hybrid)

Performance: 0-60 mph, NA; towing, 1,750 pounds

Fuel economy: EPA est. 21 city/29 highway/24 combined (2.0L); 30 city/31 highway/30 combined (2.0L);

Report card

Highs: Inspired interior tech, roomy, detailed design

Lows: Uninspired 4-cylinder engine lineup; Blue Cruise a work-in-progress

Overall: 4 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne

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Payne: Behind the (stalkless) wheel of the redesigned Tesla Model 3

Posted by Talbot Payne on March 7, 2024

Troy — The 2024 Tesla Model 3 is the sedan’s first major update and you have questions.

Did it get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Nope.

Sirius XM? Nope.

AM radio? Nope.

A head-up display? Nah.

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland (left) brings the first major refresh of the Model 3. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

More rear legroom? Nada.

A glovebox button? Negative.

Plastic surgery so its Lord Voldemort face doesn’t keep you up at night? Yup.

A quieter cabin? You bet.

The latter two answers will be welcomed by the Teslerati, and were pleasing upgrades for this (two-time) Model 3 owner. How time flies. It’s been six years since the Model 3 hit the market after a chaotic manufacturing process to meet off-the-chart demand. Codenamed Highland, the ‘24 Model 3 is Tesla’s first chance to tidy up some details.

The dimensions of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland are little changed as the car relishes its simple, iPhone look.

The dimensions of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland are little changed as the car relishes its simple, iPhone look. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

The quieter cabin was immediately apparent as I zipped out of Troy’s Somerset Collection for a test drive. Tesla says noise, vibration and harshness — NVH — have improved by 20%. Credit upgrades like laminated glass on all windows, improved door-sill sealing, suspension tweaks and upgraded Michelin E-Primacy tires.

The streamlined face is pleasing, even as it erases signature features like the heavy-eyebrow LED running lights. Everything but the doors and quarter panels are new (even aero wheel covers), adding up to aerodynamic efficiencies that help increase range to 341 miles — but you might not notice if you were just strolling by. Tesla makes smartphones on wheels, and is more focused on software upgrades than physical appearance (I honestly can’t remember the design differences between my last two Android smartphones).

Since its debut, Model 3 has marched to the beat of its own drummer. This is a car obsessed with simplification. Heck, Tesla even wants to get rid of you on its path to full self-driving.

So instead of answering basic questions (no AM radio? Really?) Model 3 asks new ones. Like: who needs steering wheel stalks?

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland features new aero wheels.

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland features new aero wheels.Henry Payne, The Detroit News

The original Model 3 consolidated functions onto the wheel and 15.4-inch center screen. Shift gears? Use the right-hand shift stalk. Turn signal? Left stalk. Everything else — mirrors, volume, adaptive cruise control — was on the steering wheel or screen.

Now the stalks are gone — following big brother Model S, which ditched stalks in 2021.

I shifted gears in the left screen margin: swipe UP for DRIVE, down for REVERSE, press P for PARK, N for NEUTRAL. Kinda’ like Lincoln dash buttons, and a distraction from the road. So are the turn signals, now accessed via buttons on the left of the steering wheel. Rather than adopt raised buttons like a Chevy or Kia, turn signal buttons are flat, requiring your eyes leave the road to find them. If the screen blacks out and you can’t shift? Tesla added redundant shifter buttons behind the rear-view mirror.

It’s a step back in the name of simplification. Other functions sacrificed to stalk removal are adaptive cruise and Autopilot, which now are in the right-side steering wheel roller. Voice commands and windshield wipers are now … less convenient buttons on the wheel.

2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland moves its shift buttons into the screen.

2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland moves its shift buttons into the screen. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Two steps forward, two steps back. But the EV GOAT remains as compelling as ever.

After Elon Musk debuted the Model 3 in Los Angeles in February 2016, a flood of 250,000 pre-orders followed from buyers who laid down $1,000 — including this curious auto reviewer.

That demand brought production pressures that nearly crushed the young company. Musk called the next two years “production hell.” The company put up a tent in its Fremont, California, factory parking lot to meet demand. Thousands of 3s had to be repaired due to paint shop glitches. Vehicles suffered gaffes like panel gaps the size of the Rio Grande, bumpers that fell off, and screens that went black.

And yet.

The car was futuristic. Unlike anything we’d seen. Blistering acceleration, constant over-the-air updates like Navigate on Autopilot, bespoke charging network, online, no-haggle ordering. Buyers not only coveted the 3, its popularity spawned an even more popular Model Y SUV version. The 3 is the best-selling luxury car in the market, and the 12th best-selling vehicle in America.

Assuming you could put up with that Voldemort mug. I ordered my cars in black to diminish the nose.

Merging onto Big Beaver, I stomped the throttle and the entry-level 3,891-pound, rear-wheel-drive model darted forward. Ahhh, sweet electric torque.

2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland has a new rear diffuser.

2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland has a new rear diffuser. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

It was noticeably livelier than the porky 5,200-pound Chevy Blazer EV I recently drove. In addition to the quieter cabin, the suspension upgrades make Model 3 feel tighter next to my 2019 Performance model. The all-wheel-drive Performance version of the Highland will arrive later — when it does, I’ll take it on track to see if the tighter steering translates to better corner-carving.

I’m a fan of the 3’s iPhone-simple horizontal interior anchored by a jumbotron screen. The ‘24 Highland brings upscale updates like a thinner screen bezel, heated/cooled seats and square-bottom steering wheel so I can more easily slide my long legs into the seat. The interior has been reskinned with trendy cloth inserts (replacing last gen’s wood accents) and a more organized center console that includes two standard wireless charging ports. Most noticeable is ambient lighting that circles the cabin and can be adjusted to the color of your choice.

Other hardware updates include crisper cameras, which help for backing into parking spaces (unless you just let the car park for you), and 17 speakers for better sound quality.

The user interface is the same, and I navigated the screen and its familiar controls.

At a Michigan turn on Big Beaver, I reached for the turn stalk, grabbing at thin air. Oh, yes — where are those turn signal buttons? Actuating adaptive cruise control was easier, as I punched the right scroll wheel with my thumb.

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland has redundant shift buttons on the ceiling.

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland has redundant shift buttons on the ceiling. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Blind-spot assist comes via a camera image in the screen (putting blind-spot lights in the mirrors would violate the simplification theme), just like the last gen.

Back-seat occupants may not gain legroom — but they do get their own 8-inch screen, which includes temperature controls, heated seat controls, access to Netflix shows and a valet mode so you can move the front passenger seat forward. It’s a small but mighty screen.

The console of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland has been reworked with twin smartphone charging docks.

The console of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland has been reworked with twin smartphone charging docks. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

All that standard equipment makes the Tesla a deal at $40,380. While the Model 3 still hasn’t hit its promised $35,000 mark from 2017, it’s satisfying to get this wealth of goo-gaws without being nickel-and-dimed like other luxury brands.

Save for Full Self-Driving capability, which will set you back, ahem, $12,000.

Next week: 2024 Lexus GX

2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland

Vehicle type: Electric, rear- and-all-wheel-drive, five-passenger luxury sedan

Price: $40,380, including $1,390 destination charge (as tested)

Powerplant: 80.5-kWh lithium-ion battery with electric motor(s) drive

Transmission: Single-speed transmission

Weight: 3,891 pounds (RWD, as tested); 4,030 pounds for long-range battery, AWD model

Power: NA

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.8 seconds, RWD as tested (mfr.); 4.2 seconds (AWD)

Fuel economy: EPA est. range, 272–341 miles

Report card

Highs: More attractive, simplified fascias; quieter cabin

Lows: Distracting screen button shifter; no AM radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

Overall: 4 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

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