After two months with the Cupra Tavascan, here is an honest review in direct comparison with Tesla. Tesla is slightly more expensive, but with comparable equipment the Cupra Tavascan and the Tesla Model 3 or Model Y are very close in price. Despite that, I have to be clear. The Cupra did not excite me.

The leasing offer is acceptable for the price, but in daily use it simply does not deliver the level of satisfaction I know from Tesla. What is particularly striking is that even a 2020 Tesla Model 3 would still be far ahead of a 2025 Cupra Tavascan in many areas. A 2022 Tesla feels technologically years ahead in direct comparison.

Volkswagen and the Internal Combustion Mindset

The impression becomes stronger that Volkswagen is trying to make its battery electric vehicles feel as close to combustion engine cars as possible in order to make the transition easier for new EV drivers. In my view, this is the core mistake.

Battery electric vehicles enable a completely different driving experience compared to internal combustion engine cars. That is exactly what makes them so attractive. Switching from an ICE car to a Tesla is radical. Strong regenerative braking, true one pedal driving, no simulated idle, no artificial creeping at traffic lights, and a radically simple autopilot.

In the Cupra Tavascan, it feels like sitting in a combustion car with an electric motor added. Creep mode, hold function, coasting, and constant switching between accelerator and brake. This is not progress. It feels like a step backwards.

User Interface and Controls. Why So Complicated?

Why do you need to press the brake pedal twice to start the vehicle? Once would be enough. Why is there a start button that simulates ignition? This is pure combustion engine nostalgia with no technical benefit.

Why does a BEV simulate idle and therefore avoid true one pedal driving? One pedal driving is exactly what makes EV driving so comfortable. Overall regenerative braking could be much stronger. The purpose of a D gear with adaptive regeneration and coasting is unclear. Adjustable regeneration for snow conditions can make sense. But please with proper one pedal driving and without simulated combustion behavior.

No Dog Mode, No Camp Mode. A Real Step Back

Why is there neither Dog Mode nor Camp Mode? Several times a week my children aged four and seven stay alone in the car for a few minutes while I go to the bakery and they listen to an episode of Ninjago.

In a Tesla, this is trivial. Activate Camp Mode and done. In the Cupra, you have to get out, manually restart the infotainment system that shuts down, turn the climate control back on, and the car must not be locked. This is simply impractical.

No Sentry Mode and Weak Remote Features

Why is there no Sentry Mode like in Tesla? Out of fear of data protection debates? In my case, Sentry Mode already saved me from two parking damage incidents totaling more than 6,000 euros. In both cases, doors were slammed into the car without the person noticing. Thanks to video recordings, the insurance companies covered the damage without discussion.

Remote access features and the ability to speak through the external speakers are also extremely useful in daily life.

The App. A Disappointment

It is hard to understand why Volkswagen, despite investing billions into Cariad, cannot deliver a responsive app. With Tesla, I start climate control four minutes before departure and the car is warm when I get in.

With Volkswagen, it often feels like it takes five minutes before an app command actually reaches the car. Otherwise, it is hard to explain the delay. It feels as if the app sends a request to a server, which then triggers a manual process.

Remote locking and unlocking was also a disaster. Identity verification using an ID card did not work properly. After that, every lock or unlock action requires a PIN or Face ID confirmation. Tesla uses the smartphone directly as the key. It works reliably and effortlessly. Carrying a bulky car key at all times feels like something from 2015.

And no, tens of thousands of Teslas are not stolen every day through hacked smartphones.

Volkswagen should make things as easy as possible for customers instead of overcomplicating everything due to theoretical edge cases that may happen once in a million years. Again. Do it like Tesla.

Parking, Cameras, and Driver Assistance

I am driving the base configuration, just like with my Tesla. Still, parking the Cupra is significantly harder due to the lack of fender cameras. You constantly have to switch between mirrors and a rear camera that is clearly inferior to Tesla’s. Tesla is far ahead here.

Apps, Software, and OTA Updates

Why are there no native apps for WhatsApp, Spotify, Apple Music, or Tidal? What exactly has Cariad been doing over the last few years?

And where are the OTA software updates? Tesla delivers new features and improvements every few weeks. I am curious when the first OTA update will arrive for the Cupra and what will actually change.

Ordering and Delivery. A Disaster

The ordering and handover process was extremely disappointing. A delivery delay of two months. No first aid kit, no warning triangle, and no charging cable included. The charging cable arrived by mail one week later. For people without private parking, this is a serious problem.

Online vehicle registration was not possible. Too new, they said.

The car also took two months to travel from Bremerhaven to Wolfsburg. With Tesla, I am used to a very different experience. Ordered and paid on Monday, registration documents arrived on Tuesday, pickup on Wednesday.

Entertainment and Family Friendliness

Tesla’s entertainment features make the car extremely attractive for children. Netflix and Disney Plus while charging, games, and the Santa Mode.

I regularly hear in the Cupra. Dad, why are we not driving the Tesla? It is much cooler. The Cupra does not have Santa Mode.

Charging Performance. Surprisingly Close

The charging curve of the Cupra is solid. The maximum 130 kW is held for a long time. In practice, the difference to Tesla when charging from ten to eighty percent is small. Tesla can reach 250 kW but drops below 100 kW after around fifty percent.

On long trips, I usually charge the Tesla from three to seventy percent. In that range, Tesla is faster due to the high peak power between three and fifteen percent. Overall, the difference is smaller than expected.

What Does Volkswagen Do Better Than Tesla?

There are a few areas where Volkswagen does perform better.

CarPlay is available. I genuinely miss that in Tesla, even though native Spotify and Apple Music apps exist.

Suspension, build quality, and panel gaps feel more mature. In everyday use, however, the difference is hardly noticeable. Both cars are mid range vehicles, not premium cars.

Speed limit recognition is clearly better in the Cupra. Tesla often starts braking too late after entering towns, which can be expensive in regions like Baden Württemberg if you do not intervene manually. The Cupra reliably reduces speed exactly at the sign.

Conclusion. Software Beats Sheet Metal

After driving several Chinese brands like BYD, MG, and Tesla, I wanted to give the European automotive industry another chance. The Cupra Tavascan is produced in Hefei in China, so I expected a more innovative vehicle.

Instead, Volkswagen seems to target very conservative combustion engine switchers who are afraid of change, new technologies, and different driving behavior. After the lease ends, my next car will definitely be a vehicle that is technologically years ahead of Volkswagen. Brands like BYD, Xiaomi, Huawei, Li Auto, Zeekr, or Xpeng.

The technological gap is so large that supporting Volkswagen currently makes little sense. And yet, it could be different. The Audi E5 shows that Volkswagen can build modern vehicles. Why such a car is reserved exclusively for the Chinese market is hard to understand.

I do not need a perfect suspension setup, German panel gaps, or a car that feels like it is stuck twenty years in the past. I need a high end computer on wheels. With maximum entertainment features, AI, apps, autonomous driving, and radically simple, customer focused usability. Around that, you can attach a body, four wheels, and two to four electric motors. Five hundred horsepower or more is fine, because with electric motors it simply does not matter.

The future belongs one hundred percent to software defined vehicles. Not to electric combustion simulators that feel like they are stuck in the past.