Consumer Reports tested the Tesla yoke — hated it

When Tesla first shows images of its yoke-style steering "wheel" for the updated Model S and Model X, critics were, including us, almost universally skeptical. Most snap judgments had to do with the inability to maneuver hand-over-hand in a consistent manner when turning. After some real-world testing, however, Consumer Reports reveals that it's actually much worse than those initial observations predicted.

Of course, 10 test drivers at CR confirmed the blindingly obvious — that it was easy for hands to slip off the wheel during turns. The hand-over-hand motion that's been at the core of driving since time immemorial was difficult to execute, not simply because the top section of the wheel was absent, but because the bottom of it has a squared-off shape. While many sports cars have a flat-bottom steering wheel, Tesla has a longer and wider horizontal base than those. CR found that when combined with the missing top section, a simple turn meant that you might reach out to grab a corner, a flat section, or nothing at all. Each action required exertion of varying degrees.

And that's just the beginning. CR found that the unorthodox shape also made it difficult to find a comfortable resting position. Instead, it forces drivers to tightly grip the handles of the yoke, which, incidentally, have poor padding. One tester reported that the grips were too thick for her hands, having been seemingly engineered for larger mitts. Multiple CR testers logged complaints about hand pain after a long trip.

If that wasn't bad enough, the yoke design dispenses with traditional stalks for the turn signals, wipers, and high beams. Instead, controls for all of those functions, plus the horn, are located on flat touch-sensitive pads on the yoke's spokes. As a result, CR found them both easily activated inadvertently (bad for high beams) and difficult to find when you needed them (bad for the horn).