In the more than 10 years I've been covering the automotive industry, I've driven plenty of cars — electric, hybrid, and gas-powered.
One of the perks of this job is having access to press fleets where I can try out all the cars I'm writing about every day. It gives me a better understanding of the evolution of technology and engineering in these cars as I cover this ever-changing industry.
But Teslas have always been harder to come by. Elon Musk's electric car company doesn't have a traditional press fleet. I've only been in Teslas for short periods of time, either to drive as a comparison to something else or in a ride-along capacity at auto shows.
Over the holidays, I decided it was finally time to get a Tesla in my driveway, and I rented a Model 3 from Hertz. Business Insider has reviewed the Model 3 before, but I would be going into this as a Tesla novice.
Along the way, I found that much of my past experience didn't serve me in a Tesla. Musk's cars are a wholly unique experience, from the drive and feel of the car down to the way you can interact with the technology.
Here's everything I learned from my five days with the Model 3.