Motor1’s Latest Review Claims The Cybertruck Is Actually ‘Good At Towing’ – And I’m Choosing Violence
Look, I get it. We’re all living in the dystopian timeline where the economy is held together by duct tape and vibes, and apparently, the Cybertruck is now “good” at something other than looking like a polygon that lost a fight with a cheese grater. Motor1, the automotive outlet that I usually respect for not shilling *too* hard, dropped a review yesterday claiming that Tesla’s stainless steel dumpster fire is actually competent at towing a trailer. And I’m not saying they’re wrong, but I am saying that my spidey-sense for corporate bootlicking is tingling harder than a 5G tower in a thunderstorm.
Let’s set the stage. The Cybertruck has been the punchline of the automotive world since Elon Musk unveiled it in 2019 and shattered a window on live TV like a clumsy oaf trying to impress a date. Since then, we’ve seen the truck get recalled for a stuck accelerator pedal that could send you into a ditch, get rust spots that look like a meth lab exploded on the hood, and generally be about as reliable as a $20 Amazon drone. But now, Motor1 is telling us that if you hook up a 7,000-pound travel trailer to this triangle of terror, it actually handles like a “proper truck.” Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious. A 6,000-pound electric vehicle with 845 lb-ft of torque can move a heavy thing. More breaking news: water is wet and the sky is blue.
The review, which I read while aggressively side-eyeing my monitor, claims that the Cybertruck’s “steer-by-wire” system makes reversing a trailer a breeze. They even said it’s “easier than most half-ton trucks.” Cool. So I need to spend $100,000 on a vehicle with build quality that would make a Yugo blush, just so I can back my camper into a campsite without having a meltdown? Meanwhile, my buddy’s 1998 F-150 with a cracked dashboard and a check engine light that’s been on since the Clinton administration does the same thing for $3,500. But sure, let’s pretend this is innovation.
The worst part? Motor1’s reviewer, who I’m now convinced is either a paid shill or a cyborg programmed by Elon himself, gushed about the “regenerative braking” while towing. They said it “reduces brake fade and gives you instant torque on demand.” Oh, wow, regenerative braking. What a groundbreaking concept that literally every EV has had since the Nissan Leaf debuted in 2010. And “instant torque”? My neighbor’s Tesla Model Y has that, and it’s not a pickup truck that looks like it escaped from a Silicon Valley fever dream.
But let’s talk about the elephant in the room—or rather, the trapezoid in the parking lot. The Cybertruck has a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds, which, on paper, puts it in the same league as a Ram 1500 or an F-150. But here’s the thing: those trucks have been doing this for decades without needing a software update to stop the windshield from flying off. The Cybertruck’s towing test involved a 7,000-pound Airstream, which is a pretty standard load. And Motor1 said it “felt stable” at highway speeds. Congratulations. My 2014 Tacoma with 200,000 miles also feels stable towing my jet ski. That’s not a flex; that’s the bare minimum for a vehicle marketed as a workhorse.
Now, I’m not saying the Cybertruck is *completely* useless. It has a frunk that can be used as a cooler, which is neat if you’re the type of person who tailgates at a crypto conference. And the air suspension is fancy enough to make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud of investor money. But towing? That’s the hill Motor1 chose to die on? The same truck that had to be recalled because the accelerator pedal could get stuck, causing you to plow through a kid’s birthday party? The same truck that has a steering wheel that looks like it was ripped from a spaceship in a bad sci-fi movie? Yeah, I’ll pass.
Let’s also address the elephant in the room: the range. When you’re towing, your EV range takes a nosedive faster than my 401(k) during a recession. Motor1 conveniently glossed over this, only mentioning that the Cybertruck’s range “drops significantly” but that the charging network is “improving.” Cool. So I can drive 150 miles to the campsite, then spend an hour charging at a Supercharger that’s probably in the parking lot of a Waffle House while a homeless man yells at me. Meanwhile, my buddy with the F-150 fills up in five minutes and is already drunk by the campfire. But sure, let’s pretend this is the future.
And can we talk about the aesthetics? The Cybertruck looks like it was designed by a committee of engineers who hate joy. It’s a slab of stainless steel that screams “I have more money than taste.” When you’re towing a sleek Airstream, the contrast is hilarious. It’s like watching a bulldog try to pull a model down the runway. Motor1 tried to spin this as a “bold design choice,” but let’s be real: it’s a truck that looks like it’s perpetually about to ask for the manager. And the fact that it’s “good at towing” doesn’t fix the fact that it’s a nightmare to park, impossible to see out of, and will probably require a full repaint if you look at it wrong.
So here’s my AITA verdict: Motor1, YTA for trying to gaslight us into thinking the Cybertruck is a viable towing option. It
Final Thoughts
Having followed the industry long enough to see the hype cycle spin on everything from hydrogen to hub motors, this latest development from 'motor1' feels less like a gimmick and more like a genuine pivot toward engineering pragmatism. The real takeaway isn't just the technical specs, but the quiet admission that electrification's next frontier isn't raw power—it's making the daily drive feel less like a chore and more like a conversation between driver and machine. If this signals a broader trend, we might finally be past the era of performance numbers for their own sake, entering a phase where nuance and usability define the real winners.