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Tesla Model S Plaid : Controversial Steering Wheel Wins Over Popular Tech YouTuber

The idea that the Tesla Model S Plaid would come with a strangely shaped steering yoke caused owners of the electric vehicle to split down the middle when it came to their thoughts on the new design. But as deliveries of the car began, CEO Elon Musk revealed on Twitter that the Model S Plaid’s steering yoke was here to stay, and it would be the standard option for Tesla’s next flagship automobile. In fact, the traditional circular wheel would be deleted from the car entirely, dividing fans even further.

The Tesla Model S Plaid has received a mix of reviews from qualified critics, with some declaring that the yoke steering wheel should not be on the car, especially one that boasts such high performance. Even YouTube tech reviewer Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) acknowledged that the steering yoke was the only significant flaw in an otherwise nearly perfect automobile. This viewpoint was shared by many reviewers, including professional drivers such as Jason Cammisa and other prominent auto critics such as Doug DeMuro. But now, after 6,000 miles with the car, Brownlee has revealed that he’s now got used to the wheel and wouldn’t change it even if it was an option.

https://twitter.com/MKBHD/status/1444642379647029251

Elon Musk continues to insist that the steering yoke is the future of the wheel. When Australian adventurer and Brownlee posted his first Tesla Model S Plaid review, in which he criticized the shape of the wheel, Musk responded that the reviewer’s findings were a “fair criticism.” Despite this, Musk still insists that this is, and will be, the only wheel to be offered with the car.

Over the 6,806 miles that Brownlee has driven his Tesla Model S Plaid, he has grown so accustomed to the vehicle’s steering yoke that he now admits that he would probably refuse a normal steering wheel even if given the option. He also stated that the Model S Plaid’s performance was something that he would never get used to.

“Everything else is ruined lol,” he tweeted.

Brownlee claimed that the Tesla Model S Plaid’s yoke is actually quite pleasant to utilize while driving manually, adding that the Tesla Model S Plaid’s yoke is really comfortable to use when he drives it manually. While he previously criticized the yoke’s layout of capacitive touch buttons on the yoke for features like the left and right turn signals, Brownlee stated in his later comments that he has now built up such muscle memory that he no longer activates accidently any of the capacitive buttons.

In addition to reporting on his Model S Plaid’s steering yoke experience, Brownlee also discussed some of his thoughts on the vehicle’s Auto Shift out of Park function. He revealed that the vehicle is about 90% correct in anticipating which gear should be engaged if the car needs to be shifted out of Park, according to Brownlee. As a result, while the feature still requires a manual override now and then, its current effectiveness is good enough for it to be quite intuitive.

You can watch the full review from Brownlee below:

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