Tesla Model S Thoughts...

I referred to this car in another thread and it was suggested that I write up my thoughts in detail and post them here. So...

I've had my Model S for ten months and, while it's certainly nice to skip the gas lines, I'm less than thrilled overall with Tesla in general and this car in particular.

Why haven't I enjoyed the Tesla experience? The short version is that the car just hasn't been what we expected. Tesla is clearly not in the automotive business (purely incidental), but the software business - and their software is buggy and not ready for prime time.

I don't want my car to behave like a computer (despite, of course, being largely software-driven these days). Bugs and unpredictable behavior are unacceptable. I'd much rather have a more limited feature set that is absolutely perfect. I don't care about regular upgrades; I get a new primary car every 2-3 years anyway.

My sense (from the raves online, as well as the over-the-top fanboy forbearance with respect to the company's over-promising & under-delivering ways) is that Tesla is really attractive to people for whom it's the nicest, fastest, and/or most luxurious vehicle they've ever driven/owned. For me, it's none of those things. Absent the electric systems and judging it solely on fit, finish, and quality of interior appointments, it's not a $100K+ car, but (maybe) a $60K car. I made a conscious decision - not without reservations - to compromise my luxury standards in favor of trying the tech, but the tech isn't ready. In 35+ years of driving and 30+ years of new cars, this is the only one about which I've ever experienced any significant regret. That one kit car aside...

I'll be paying attention these next few years to see what MB does (an all-electric S Class would be interesting), as well as Bentley, Aston, etc. For now, I'll probably go to back to MB (most likely an S Coupe) as a daily driver and keep my F430 as a toy car.

Clearly, lots of other people disagree and that's fine. I certainly wish the company (and its stock price!) well.

 

What were the issues...??? What failed???

 

OK, a few failures first, then my principal issues (off the top of my head, so undoubtedly an incomplete list):

• An a/c electrical component died and was replaced.
• The touchscreen froze, resisted several repair attempts and escalation to the "experts" in CA, and finally wound up being traced (following my suggestion) to a GPS-related fault.
• Various panel gaps are less than perfectly even.
• Autopilot 2 is terrible. Much less capable than AP1 even today, nearly a year on.
• Only just added auto-high beams a few months ago and still don't have auto-wipers. Trivial, yes, but indicative of how the car lags behind its competitors on user-experience features.

Tesla loves to position the Model S as a "luxury" car, but they clearly don't know the meaning of the term. As a company, they seem to spend more time/effort on juvenile whimsy (rainbow road, Easter eggs, etc.) vs. constructive advances for grownups. Don't even get me started on their staffing choices. I've yet to meet an employee over 30, nevermind one with an automotive background. All those kids seem to be about two months past stocking jeans at the Gap and entirely unequipped to render appropriately proactive service to customers of their overpriced vehicles. I'm a fairly easy-going friendly guy in person, but have zero tolerance for being lied to and otherwise shined on by staff. The concept of taking ownership for an issue, then following up with the customer when promised - and before he has to chase you down days later - is apparently a foreign one at Tesla. I've never had anything like those customer service problems with Mercedes, Porsche, or Ferrari. Anyway...

Cool, I'll check it out.

The torque is great, no doubt, and clearly unmatched by any non-electric car. That said, my Ultima GTR was every bit as quick and faster to 60MPH than any non-P Tesla. I'd love to have run the two side-by-side, but never did. My suspicion is that the Tesla would jump out, but be reeled in within 50-100 feet before vanishing in the mirrors.

Glad to hear that you guys are enjoying yours. I know that mine has been an atypical Tesla experience; some of that is probably just bitterness over the autopilot debacle and not having gotten the car that I really wanted last fall, but that's life.

Good vid - that'll be a popular one as more folks begin seeking basic info on electric cars. Well done.

 

I shopped for a Tesla before getting my MB ML63 Other than the novelty of the super fast 0-60 there wasnt much I liked about it. Felt like driving an appliance from my kitchen

 

Some like it some don't.
I had the car for a long weekend and wanted to like it (P90D) and as much as I am a sucker for superior acceleration I did not like the way it drove, did not like the performance at higher speeds, did not like that it had lowered power at the end of hard driving, did not like the fact that the only sound is the tires and road noise (will take the sound of a 4cyl econobox over it any day) and definitely did not like the austere and cold interior.
For a daily commuter though it might be the best choice for most people, I'm convinced.
When Mission comes out I will give it another try.

 

I'm not a fan of Tesla. I'm also not a fan of the new American Top Gear. They last week had a gas 308 and one converted too electric. Showed that the electric was better around the track. I like the old days of Rolls Royce. Ask how much power? Adequate, Sir! I like my Spur, not because its a Rolls. I appreciate how its made. The quality will remain, long after the price is forgotten. I'm not saying you can't love an electric car. Or I'm putting people down for them. I just like that in the old days, before Rolls and Bentley outsourced to BMW. The engines made the old fashioned way with modern materials. Hand made tooling and die making to make the engine parts for each engine part. Except the fuel injection. Or even a Porsche head new from Porsche for a 928, when they still made that model. Was expensive because Porsche did the same. So does Ferrari still. I'm embarrassed when kids go that's a Rolls holly......... I liked when the old retired guy in a new Mercedes stops as says, wow very nice. I like that following the care instructions. My veneers in my Rolls are brand new in appearance. The paint is perfect too. Most make the mistake of using furniture polish on the veneers trim in their Rolls and even 1980's era Jaguars, here. So it looks like crap in a few short years. They have redo the seats, etc. If they followed the recommendations, the car would still look new 30 years latter. I just don't see a Tesla or Lexus doing that..... Save a penny will cost a pound latter. That's why I buy a Merc over a Cadillac or a 930 over a new Corvette. Depreciation is the cost of Quality, so I don't have to have a car that the majority will be a coke can in 10 years.......

 

It seems to me that the after sales support is not what it should be perhaps. If the car has no issues then all well and good but if it does.
Unfortunately it only takes one bad experience of a brand to put one off. I've just come from a "Ferrari 360 burned" thread in the F430/360 section. There were two posters with car fires. The recent one totalled the car and he said he probably won't ever have another. I fully get that, I feel the same about VW but I do realise VW mostly make great cars.

Keep thinking about a Model 3 but I doubt I'll go there. Current idea is an older Maserati (toy 2) and some regular car.

 

We've had our Tesla Model S for more than 3 years now and have generally been thrilled with it. To start with though, regardless of how fast it is in a straight line, its a 7-seat ~5000lb car and shouldn't be compared to anything out of Maranello. Looks are obviously subjective, but I think its the best looking sedan out there, and I love the interior design as well. The interior quality is, as others have said, not comparable to other cars in its price range though.

While Tesla as a company does some rather shady things, and the whole Autopilot 2.0 thing has certainly been a debacle our experience has been fantastic. We have had somethings go wrong but the service center has always been great to deal with. On multiple occasions they have come and gotten the car and dropped off a loaner without us having to do anything.

From a performance perspective, our S85 predates the Insane and Ludicrious P85D->P100Ds so its not super fast off the line. Still much faster than my wife will let me drive anyway though. I've always considered that kind of acceleration more of a party trick as well. What is truly amazing though is the passing power. The time to go from 60-80 is ridiculously short. By the time a normal car has shifted down the Tesla is already going 80.

 

I remember, I think in the 70's, when RR started using GM automatic transmissions, but still their own V8. After the bankruptcy of RR due to the jet engine business (which just about killed Lockheed too) the government took over, then sold RR cars to Vickers. They began at some point using BMW engines, etc. Then sold to BMW. Even VW's Bentley used BMW for several years.

But, as you say, the quality of interiors, paint, etc. remained exemplary... They used to advertise how long it took a craftsman to build the RR grille.

 

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I think it's interesting that the company that was RR is now Bentley.
VW bought RR in it's entirety... except for a HUGE glitch... they neglected to buy the name and logo for Rolls Royce... They got the company but not the name.

BMW got the name and logo only and had to start an entirely new, different company to use the Rolls Royce name that they bought. the only link to the old RR is the name.

Of course, VW says that they were really only interested in Bentley...much higher sales volume than RR. This sounds like a bit of face-saving, though.

 

I've had Teslas for 4 years now, and am on my second Model S. I quite like it as a daily driver-- my first (early) one had a few glitches, but this one has been flawless, and AP1 makes long freeway trips much more pleasant... and I can take it up skiing and prewarm the cabin on my way down to the car.

I think the argument about people who like Teslas not having experience with other high end cars is simply BS. Tesla intentionally went with a minimalist aesthetic, and it's a matter of opinion as to whether you like it or not. I happen to like it.

As for reliability, I think they've generally been pretty good (after the early cars, and those have usually been fixed by now), but of course there are always people who have issues with any automotive brand.

 

I still Jane my 2013 S with 69k miles.

Best commute car ever.

Kai

 

Guess my question is - any Tesla owner you know of upgrading to anything but another Tesla?


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I wanted to like the Tesla but after a visit to the dealer a month ago, I bought a very well optioned S class. I found the big screen annoying, and it seemed to me other than that screen the car is worth about 35K. I know I am a dinosaur (I get told so every day), but I like cars, the Tesla is a tablet on wheels not a car, at least to this old dinosaur. I did do well with the stock, so thanks all you Tesla owners!

 

I agree the S class has way too much stuff, but I don't use most of it. Part of the reason I have a 4C, my modified 997 and Evora 400 is that they have nothing in them. The S Class and the Range Rover Autobiography have so much in them, but the part I like about them is the luxury (these old bones need that), and unfortunately the Tesla was about as luxurious as a Malibu (do they still make those) at least to me. But I did plug in the i8 yesterday so at least I have something with electric power.

 

Morrie - pls check out the i8 thread in other cars....

 

If you think driving a Lexus is boring (albeit a well-made automobile) you should drive a Tesla. Please note: electric cars just won't get you home if you live in a rural area like Aspen. So you have to spend the night to get your car charged before we can get back home.

 

There is a supercharger in Glenwood Springs and Silverthorne that would easily get you home to Aspen if you're coming on I-70. In the next month or so one will open in Poncha Springs and in the next year or so one will open in Montrose and Aspen itself. You would have no issues getting home and would certainly not have to wait overnight.

While dynamically obviously a big heavy sedan is not going to hold a candle to a Ferrari, nailing the accelerator when you want to pass someone and going from 60-80mph faster than anything this side of a LaFerrari is quite exciting.

 

It's just a perspective Rob. I've yet to drive an electric car and am curious and did mention before a Model 3 I'd like to try (not in the market for anything more expensive) but I'm not sure without the drama i.e looks and the sound, oh the sound, I'll be properly taken.

In essence the outright performance has never really been my thing. I've only ever once been on a track driving a bit hard and it was in a Gallardo
0-60 traffic light GP's I don't do in anything (I know there are other uses of 700 torques).

 

All that grin-inducing performance aside.....the 100 is a BIG car, and imho commute cut & thrust is not its strong point.....(does not even fit into my garage length-wise).....
at this point still going to wait for the mission-e