Tesla Model S - My first experience with a fully electric car

I have been seriously considering a Tesla Model S since I saw the beta cars in Houston and I have been following the development, production, and technical details of the car with a thought of purchasing the 40kWh car. Towards that end, I took a long drive the other day in 1 and here are my personal observations (so as to avoid any libel suit from Elon):

The car looks great; inside and out. The finish is tight and sporty. The car appears well built without gaps and there is about the same wind noise on this car as on my 5 series despite the Tesla mirrors sticking about 3" further out.

There is a ton of room in the car due to the fact there is no engine or transmission. 3 people can easily fit in the back seats (although I'm not sure why anyone would put 2 more people in the trunk for a $1,500 option). I was, however, disappointed that the rear seat headrests are quite small. In fact, they don't even extend up to the neck.

I don't like the fact that Tesla runs all of the features of the car through that giant touch screen. My personal opinion is I like to have a few buttons in addition to the screen to run climate and radio. Granted, the climate buttons seemed to have been always visible at the bottom of the screen most (if not all) of the time. Maybe this is just a function of getting used to configuring the screen.

I didn't like the fact that the navigation screen doesn't show a direction-of-travel view. Even my cell phone has that. However, you can set up a direction-of-travel view in the instrument cluster display.

I really liked the ride with the air suspension.

I didn't like the fact that there are no parking sensors (or an option for them).

I was surprised by the fact that there was no sunshade for the 2-panel glass sunroof. I like a sunshade.

The car drove and handled great. It had a feel somewhere between a BMW and a Lexus. Not as stiff/tight as a German car but not as loose as a Japanese. You really notice a difference turning the brake regeneration on/off. I kept it on most of the time. In the “sport” mode, the steering was firm and the response was excellent and it handled well in sharp turns while accelerating hard. Acceleration was great from a stop and braking was equally good. The car handled great at high speeds (again with minimal wind noise) but the car would not let me go over 80 mph (the store manager said the demo car is programmed that way) (officer, I swear the speed limit sign said 80 !).

The battery has a warranty of 8 yrs/100k miles and the rest of the car 4 yrs/50k miles. However, in order to get a warranty repair for free, I’d need to take the car to the Rockville, MD service center. Not convenient at all. Tesla would come to me, but I’d have to pay $100 (unless I purchased some additional pre-paid maintenance plan). Sorry, but I shouldn’t have to pay anything for a warranty repair nor should I have to go a long distance to find a repair shop.

Then there’s the financial stability of Tesla. I love the concept; I love the car; I think the company is great (I even bought stock in at). But, would I pay $67,000 for a well-equipped Model S that will go about 160 miles on a single charge? I don’t know. If BMW or any other major manufacturer sold this car at this price; I would buy it because I have more faith in a major car company being around 6 yrs from now if I need major service and I am not confident that the US gov’t would bail-out Tesla as they did GM.

Final thoughts: No car is the perfect car; that’s why they keep getting more improvements every year. While not perfect, the Model S is a great driving car; at a great price; looks great; and doesn’t require me to buy gas ever again. But would I trade in my 2012 5 series M-Sport for it?

Shared this on another thread since I saw a Tesla up close the other day, and though to share:

Here's why I would never buy a Tesla, at least not right now:

First off, up close it doesn't look all that attractive, though I admit it does have a striking and great road presence from afar.

The big kicker is the horrid fit and finish. The chrome wrap around the greenhouse isn't aligned through all panels. The front and rear doors aren't perfectly smoothly aligned, you can see areas that are wider in gap than others, and when you run your finger front one door to another, you can feel the points/raised edges of the metal and trim where they meet.

It's detail stuff like this that makes the fit and finish akin to a 10+ year old Ford to me. Yes they can throw all kinds of fancy lights and materials on it, however a detail freak like myself needs to see flawlessness in fundamental areas like fit and finish. IMO that is what truly spells out a luxury car. If they don't pay close enough attention to simple fitment and alignment/gaps, who knows where else they're skimping.

They look big, cheap, and Japanese, Tesla hasn't earned my trust, and at this point in time I consider the Tesla S a $100K+ Roomba!

Originally Posted by vabmws

I have been seriously considering a Tesla Model S since I saw the beta cars in Houston and I have been following the development, production, and technical details of the car with a thought of purchasing the 40kWh car. Towards that end, I took a long drive the other day in 1 and here are my personal observations (so as to avoid any libel suit from Elon):

The car looks great; inside and out. The finish is tight and sporty. The car appears well built without gaps and there is about the same wind noise on this car as on my 5 series despite the Tesla mirrors sticking about 3" further out.

There is a ton of room in the car due to the fact there is no engine or transmission. 3 people can easily fit in the back seats (although I'm not sure why anyone would put 2 more people in the trunk for a $1,500 option). I was, however, disappointed that the rear seat headrests are quite small. In fact, they don't even extend up to the neck.

I don't like the fact that Tesla runs all of the features of the car through that giant touch screen. My personal opinion is I like to have a few buttons in addition to the screen to run climate and radio. Granted, the climate buttons seemed to have been always visible at the bottom of the screen most (if not all) of the time. Maybe this is just a function of getting used to configuring the screen.

I didn't like the fact that the navigation screen doesn't show a direction-of-travel view. Even my cell phone has that. However, you can set up a direction-of-travel view in the instrument cluster display.

I really liked the ride with the air suspension.

I didn't like the fact that there are no parking sensors (or an option for them).

I was surprised by the fact that there was no sunshade for the 2-panel glass sunroof. I like a sunshade.

The car drove and handled great. It had a feel somewhere between a BMW and a Lexus. Not as stiff/tight as a German car but not as loose as a Japanese. You really notice a difference turning the brake regeneration on/off. I kept it on most of the time. In the "sport" mode, the steering was firm and the response was excellent and it handled well in sharp turns while accelerating hard. Acceleration was great from a stop and braking was equally good. The car handled great at high speeds (again with minimal wind noise) but the car would not let me go over 80 mph (the store manager said the demo car is programmed that way) (officer, I swear the speed limit sign said 80 !).

The battery has a warranty of 8 yrs/100k miles and the rest of the car 4 yrs/50k miles. However, in order to get a warranty repair for free, I'd need to take the car to the Rockville, MD service center. Not convenient at all. Tesla would come to me, but I'd have to pay $100 (unless I purchased some additional pre-paid maintenance plan). Sorry, but I shouldn't have to pay anything for a warranty repair nor should I have to go a long distance to find a repair shop.

Then there's the financial stability of Tesla. I love the concept; I love the car; I think the company is great (I even bought stock in at). But, would I pay $67,000 for a well-equipped Model S that will go about 160 miles on a single charge? I don't know. If BMW or any other major manufacturer sold this car at this price; I would buy it because I have more faith in a major car company being around 6 yrs from now if I need major service and I am not confident that the US gov't would bail-out Tesla as they did GM.

Final thoughts: No car is the perfect car; that's why they keep getting more improvements every year. While not perfect, the Model S is a great driving car; at a great price; looks great; and doesn't require me to buy gas ever again. But would I trade in my 2012 5 series M-Sport for it?

Geez, you get to pay $70+ for a simple oil change at my ex-Lexus dealership. Once you get through the first oil change, the rest of them come out of your pocket. No, they do not come to your house either! Oh, the latest Lexus uses synthetic oil, so if you have a new Lexus, God knows how much they'll hit your wallet for, after having to travel to the dealer's shop. Not fun, my friend!

Originally Posted by HugH

Geez, you get to pay $70+ for a simple oil change at my ex-Lexus dealership. Once you get through the first oil change, the rest of them come out of your pocket. No, they do not come to your house either! Oh, the latest Lexus uses synthetic oil, so if you have a new Lexus, God knows how much they'll hit your wallet for, after having to travel to the dealer's shop. Not fun, my friend!

...

Originally Posted by vabmws

I have been seriously considering a Tesla Model S since I saw the beta cars in Houston and I have been following the development, production, and technical details of the car with a thought of purchasing the 40kWh car. Towards that end, I took a long drive the other day in 1 and here are my personal observations (so as to avoid any libel suit from Elon):

The car looks great; inside and out. The finish is tight and sporty. The car appears well built without gaps and there is about the same wind noise on this car as on my 5 series despite the Tesla mirrors sticking about 3" further out.

There is a ton of room in the car due to the fact there is no engine or transmission. 3 people can easily fit in the back seats (although I'm not sure why anyone would put 2 more people in the trunk for a $1,500 option). I was, however, disappointed that the rear seat headrests are quite small. In fact, they don't even extend up to the neck.

I don't like the fact that Tesla runs all of the features of the car through that giant touch screen. My personal opinion is I like to have a few buttons in addition to the screen to run climate and radio. Granted, the climate buttons seemed to have been always visible at the bottom of the screen most (if not all) of the time. Maybe this is just a function of getting used to configuring the screen.

I didn't like the fact that the navigation screen doesn't show a direction-of-travel view. Even my cell phone has that. However, you can set up a direction-of-travel view in the instrument cluster display.

I really liked the ride with the air suspension.

I didn't like the fact that there are no parking sensors (or an option for them).

I was surprised by the fact that there was no sunshade for the 2-panel glass sunroof. I like a sunshade.

The car drove and handled great. It had a feel somewhere between a BMW and a Lexus. Not as stiff/tight as a German car but not as loose as a Japanese. You really notice a difference turning the brake regeneration on/off. I kept it on most of the time. In the “sport” mode, the steering was firm and the response was excellent and it handled well in sharp turns while accelerating hard. Acceleration was great from a stop and braking was equally good. The car handled great at high speeds (again with minimal wind noise) but the car would not let me go over 80 mph (the store manager said the demo car is programmed that way) (officer, I swear the speed limit sign said 80 !).

The battery has a warranty of 8 yrs/100k miles and the rest of the car 4 yrs/50k miles. However, in order to get a warranty repair for free, I’d need to take the car to the Rockville, MD service center. Not convenient at all. Tesla would come to me, but I’d have to pay $100 (unless I purchased some additional pre-paid maintenance plan). Sorry, but I shouldn’t have to pay anything for a warranty repair nor should I have to go a long distance to find a repair shop.

Then there’s the financial stability of Tesla. I love the concept; I love the car; I think the company is great (I even bought stock in at). But, would I pay $67,000 for a well-equipped Model S that will go about 160 miles on a single charge? I don’t know. If BMW or any other major manufacturer sold this car at this price; I would buy it because I have more faith in a major car company being around 6 yrs from now if I need major service and I am not confident that the US gov’t would bail-out Tesla as they did GM.

Final thoughts: No car is the perfect car; that’s why they keep getting more improvements every year. While not perfect, the Model S is a great driving car; at a great price; looks great; and doesn’t require me to buy gas ever again. But would I trade in my 2012 5 series M-Sport for it?

Would you know if the steering is electric or hydraulic? Maybe BMW has something to learn from Elon.

Originally Posted by Ace535i

Would you know if the steering is electric or hydraulic? Maybe BMW has something to learn from Elon.

Electric, it was the first thing I asked our dealer.

Great discussion nice write up current BMW CAR CLUB mag.

Those who lease might find this interesting….

Lease on a Tesla Model S:
http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla...ncement-2013-4

Originally Posted by kidrock

Those who lease might find this interesting….

Lease on a Tesla Model S:
http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla...ncement-2013-4

Heard about that. I'm not a fan of the cars yet due to the shoddy fit/finish but Tesla stock might.... just might, be one of those "once-in-a-lifetime" buys.

Here Are The Ridiculous Assumptions That Tesla Is Using When It Says You Can Get A Model S For Less Than $500/Month

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/can-y...#ixzz2PLYQkFvJ

Tony Hsieh's Downtown Vegas Project Just Bought 100 Teslas

What's this, a belated April Fools prank?

http://www.businessinsider.com/tony-...-teslas-2013-4

Originally Posted by HugH

Here Are The Ridiculous Assumptions That Tesla Is Using When It Says You Can Get A Model S For Less Than $500/Month

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/can-y...#ixzz2PLYQkFvJ

I plugged in my info.

My "assumptions" lowered the monthly "cost" by $150. BFD.

I would lease this car, but there is basically no infrastructure to charge it. I understand its gonna take forever till we can actually drive this car long distances without having to plan the "pit stops" ahead of time, but even within the NYC there aren't enough charging stations.

Those few spots that Bloomberg put together are just not enough. If every 5th or maybe even every 10th gas station had a place to charge I would consider, but till then Tesla is just a dysfunctional novelty to me (aka second car).

If one has money, it's still a perfect daily commuter, even if you work an hour away. Charging at gas stations and restaurants = ridiculous and a fantasy-land. Charging overnight in your garage = awesome. The car is ready for a busy day with a lot of city driving by the time you wake up.

Safety

It seems this car is very safe for the occupants but not necessarily for the other car.

From Jalopnik:


Tesla Model S Driver Veers Into Oncoming Traffic, Kills Two In Mangled Accord
Early this morning, a Tesla Model S was involved in a head-on collision with a Honda Accord in Laguna Beach, California. The occupants of the Accord were declared dead at the scene and the Tesla driver escaped with minor injuries.

The incident occurred early this morning around 6:40 AM. Witness accounts say that the Tesla was the car that veered into oncoming traffic and hit the Accord nearly head on.

Two people in the older Accord were killed in the accident. The Tesla is a solid, solid car thanks to all the batteries and a very rigid structure. That's possibly why the Accord basically disintegrated, because it came into contact with a very strong chunk of metal.

The Tesla driver had minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital. There is no word on what exactly caused the driver to veer into oncoming traffic at this point.

http://jalopnik.com/tesla-model-s-dr...ills-466292380

I saw this one charging at a random Walgreens in Tampa, Florida.

We have had our Model S for several months now, with over 7,000 miles on it. We've actually ordered our second, which will be in in 2 weeks. Never before have we had two of the same cars. I've just sold my X5 diesel and have had in the past a 530, 535, and 550. It's an absolutely awesome car. Yes, when we decide to go from Sacramento to San Diego, like we do once a year, we will probably take our 3rd car. It's doable in the S, but it would take planning. Since we only take longer road trips rarely, it made perfect sense for us. I have to drive it every day just to get my fix. Our current one is the 60 kwh battery. Our next one has the 85.

I'm really starting to become a big Tesla believer. The company, the car, Elon Musk. I think it's the real deal and a potential world changer.

Congrats, cablue and post pics.

It's amazing how some analysts are calling Telsa the 4th US automaker. I'm liking the car more and more- if they had a dealership nearby- maybe, just maybe....

Here is ours on delivery day. Love it!

Here is a bit of interesting info:

Model S outsells its closes luxury car competitors: Mercedes-Benz S Class, BMW Series 7, and Audi A8 in first quarter of 2013.

http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=30238

I like the Testa model S and find the car very interesting, but I am not in the financial situation of buying a 2nd car that cost close to $100,000.

I was visiting L.A. for several days last week and in addition to the McClaren I saw on the streets in Santa Monica and the R8 and Aventator I viewed in Century City, I saw more Teslas, Panameras, and late model 6 Series cars than I could count. Count me among those admirers of Teslas...I've already purchased several shares of stock in that company.

It appears for the last year TSLA is a better buy than Model S. The other day a Model S cut me and others off across 3 lanes and nearly lost control in a right turn while its rear wheels smoked, I guess low CG can only do that much to compensate the weight and driving styles.

Originally Posted by namelessman

It appears for the last year TSLA is a better buy than Model S. The other day a Model S cut me and others off across 3 lanes and nearly lost control in a right turn while its rear wheels smoked, I guess low CG can only do that much to compensate the weight and driving styles.

The $7500 federal tax rebate certainly helps. I am starting to see a lot more Tesla on the road here in the Northeast as well. Electric cars generally do not do well in the sub freezing temp. here in the Northeast due to the battery's lower efficiency in the cold weather.