RE: Tesla Model S: PH Carpool

RE: Tesla Model S: PH Carpool

Monday 18th April 2016

Tesla Model S: PH Carpool

How much has this PHer enjoyed the Tesla experience? He's just ordered a Model 3 as well...



Name: Mike_C
Car: Tesla Model S P85+
Owned since: February 2016
Previously owned: Porsche Cayman S, BMW 335d M Sport Touring, BMW 330Ci M Sport, Honda S2000, Range Rover Sport G4 Challenge and a host of other expedition-prepped 4x4s, a raft of French hot hatches from my early days. Also many motorbikes, including Ducati Multistrada 1200, Suzuki GSX-R750 K6, Triumph Speed Triple, Aprilia RSV and a couple of track bikes.

When your friend has an 85, you get an 85+
When your friend has an 85, you get an 85+
Why I bought it:
"A friend of mine purchased a Model S 85 when they first arrived in the UK, and I was blown away. This wasn't just a good electric vehicle, it was a good car full stop! The power delivery, even on his mid-range 85, was brilliant, and it did everything I would need in a car. From that moment, I was hooked on the idea of having one - it was when, not if! I spent ages looking at new vehicle options and working through different configurations on the website, but then my sales contact rang me about this P85+ ex-demo vehicle coming up for sale - fully loaded with every option apart from the third-row seats. It was a deal I couldn't miss out on, so I put a deposit down immediately."

What I wish I'd known:
"Nothing really; due to my friend having one already, and the very helpful staff at Tesla West Drayton, I was pretty well informed. Being such a new vehicle, there aren't many problems and anything that is an issue is fixed under warranty. As an ex-demo, the car was given a full service, check and refurb as required before I took delivery."

Mike's a big fan of the "vast and understated" looks
Mike's a big fan of the "vast and understated" looks
Things I love:
"Pretty much everything! Mine is a P85+, so has the largest motor of the RWD cars before being discontinued, so it's quick. Really quick! 0-62mph in a tad over four seconds is impressive, but it's the instantaneous torque that is truly shocking! I also think it looks great; it's pretty vast and understated, yet distinctive enough that people take a second look.

"The interior is a lovely place to be; the 17-inch touchscreen is very clear and intuitive, so much better than any other vehicle I've ever been in. Autopilot is a revelation, it makes motorway journeys infinitely more bearable and it even works on well-marked A- and B-roads well too. The mobile app is also good, allowing you to pre-heat the car on cold days (and cool it on hot days), track the car's location, check on charging and so on. Speaking of which, the Tesla Supercharger network is fantastic too!"

Things I hate:
"Not having a P90D with Ludicrous mode? Since the P85+ was discontinued, all the performance variants have been dual motor vehicles (and therefore AWD), so they're the P85D and P90D. It's not really worth upgrading mine to one of these just yet, but 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds is pretty darn tempting... That being said, having one of the last RWD Performance variants is nice - a (distant) future classic, maybe? Rear tyres don't seem to last long; I'm down to 4-5mm of tread after only 2,500 miles, but that might be from showing so many people how it accelerates...

"Weight is also an issue; it's a fairly heavy old beast due to all those batteries, and pressing on down a fast twisty bit of road you can really feel it. Lastly, the steering is pretty numb, the brakes are not up to sustained heavy use and the interior packaging could be improved too, with more storage space required in particular. Oh, and the 'typical range' calculation on the dash should be more realistic, it's not very 'typical' if you ask me!"

Getting Supercharged with friends!
Getting Supercharged with friends!
Costs:
"Nothing. Literally, nothing. No fuel, no servicing costs, no repair costs. It's been back for some warranty work and everything was fixed for free. I haven't noticed any increase in my home electricity bills as yet, but I reckon it will cost me around 10 per cent of what I was paying for in diesel or petrol previously. New rear tyres will be around £200-£250 a corner as they're 21-inch wheels and take a 265-section tyre."

Where I've been:
"Several weekends away to the Cotswolds, South Downs and a skiing/snowboarding trip to Scotland. There were not any charging issues, although thanks to bad weather and a strong headwind we did arrive at one Supercharger station with only six per cent battery remaining! Having said that, we could have stopped much earlier at a third party charging station at almost any motorway services. I'm planning a bigger trip into Europe next, either up into Scandinavia or across France and towards Italy."

What next?
"Nothing immediately, although I have put a deposit down on the new Model 3 (along with 325,000 other people!). This may end up being for my wife as I think I'd prefer another Model S, but either way I'm totally sold on the brand, its vision and its products. If you haven't tried one, you really should! I'm also planning on getting an S2 Elise as a weekend toy, I need something light and with plenty of feel as an antidote to the Tesla's supreme refinement!"

Author
Discussion

Pooh

Original Poster:

3,692 posts

252 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
Sounds great, I am test driving one on Friday and I'm very much looking forward to it.

samoht

5,633 posts

145 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
Tesla seem to be nailing the 'customer satisfaction' bit of the auto business, at least smile Good to hear it managed some decently long trips too, always a consideration with battery-electric cars.

Can you say what the issues were that you had fixed under warranty? Minor niggles with fit and finish are about the only negative I've heard for the Tesla, wondering what things to look out for once they start to become available more cheaply as used buys in a few years time.

MrBarry123

6,025 posts

120 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
Looks cool - I LOL'd at the costs i.e. nothing.

Nice choice of hotel for the picture!

MIP1983

210 posts

204 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
Sounds great, I think I'd like a model 3 as a daily. If you have to go somewhere quite far, does the car do anything clever like incorporate a supercharger stop en-route?

lotus116tornado

311 posts

151 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
You talk about the range but then fail to mention its range.

How far will it go on a full charge and have you ever managed to break 200 miles?

rtz62

3,340 posts

154 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
There are several of these, silently rampaging the roads around the Chesterfield area, and seem to be exclusively Midnight Silver a metallic or Obsidian Black Metallic.
I have had the experience of being silently 'zoomed' by one, accelerating away from me on the M1 like some giant invisible hand had pulled an exceedingly strong, and equally invisible, rubber band and then suddenly let it go.
My only negative comment would be that from any distance, they look very much like a Mondeo from behind, or a Passat / Insignia, especially depending which alloy wheels it has fitted.
I would love to try, and possibly own one of these, my only concerns would be the availability of charging stations (notwithstanding the ones at motorway service stations, IKEA etc), and the cost of replacing the battery packs I a few years time - does anyone know how much they will be?
I'm aware that 2 years ago the battery pack was circa $45k, but I'd guess prices will fall as battery production is ramped up and as soon as different models start using the same basic battery.
Still, a hell of a hit if you're unfortunate enough to havdan incident whereby the battery is damaged

tonyshepp

28 posts

122 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
I've sat in the back of one at Schipol airport (Amsterdamn), they are very common there.

The back wasnt comfy and the interior quality, me be being used to german vehicles, felt very underwhelming.

They are quick and quiet but the driver spent more time looking at his overlarge IPAD then the view outfront.

Tis the future though and we should embrace it, wont be long before you can upload your MP3 of your favorite engine note and listen to that, if you wanted to, internally - ala new BMW's.

Blue62

8,745 posts

151 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
I've been tempted but range anxiety has put me off. A guy in the same office building is desperately trying to get out of his as he struggles to get anywhere near the claimed 320 miles, so round trips of over 200 miles are, in his words 'nail biting.' I'm sure they will improve but I wouldn't risk it just yet.

Kemlo

61 posts

139 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
I test drove a P90d the other week. Totally hooked. Will shortly be putting down a deposit on the model 3, but if there's a way I can get into an S I'd be in there in a flash.

Minor niggles - no door pockets. The interior space is great & I love the front boot, but there's a dearth of storage pockets etc... in the cabin. (updated version fixes that I think - be nice if you could retrofit).

I always thought the massive screen looked awkward in the photo's, but in the flesh it's great and super intuitive. Love how you drag the icon into the screen for the option you want to use.

Great that you get free 3G data too so you can stream music etc...

There wasn't a lot I could fault it on.

bertie

8,545 posts

283 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
I took a test drive a while ago and was instantly hooked and put a deposit down.

So I'm replacing my RR Sport with a Model S 90D, delivery scheduled in a few weeks.

Can't wait.

fatboy b

9,492 posts

215 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
So no pics of the comedy interior then hehe


bertie

8,545 posts

283 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
fatboy b said:
So no pics of the comedy interior then hehe
Not sure what you mean?

The single crappest piece of car interior I've ever had the misfortune to own is the current JLR touchscreen system.

Utterly hopeless, the Tesla tech murders it, but then so does anything!

Quhet

2,409 posts

145 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
I'm starting to see more and more of these about. I must say, if I was in the market for an executive saloon, a Tesla would be near the top of my list.
It's great to see them getting established

Mosdef

1,733 posts

226 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
tonyshepp said:
I've sat in the back of one at Schipol airport (Amsterdamn), they are very common there.

The back wasnt comfy and the interior quality, me be being used to german vehicles, felt very underwhelming.

They are quick and quiet but the driver spent more time looking at his overlarge IPAD then the view outfront.

Tis the future though and we should embrace it, wont be long before you can upload your MP3 of your favorite engine note and listen to that, if you wanted to, internally - ala new BMW's.
I've not sat in the back but I took one out on a test drive and was very underwhelmed. If it is looked at as mere transport, it's a great product but it was about as exciting as old blancmange. I can see the environmental merits, how it would be a great car for everyday use and the technology is extremely impressive but the interior felt very poor quality (Toyota levels of plastics and quality), I didn't like the dominance of the screen and there was zero engagement. The handling was stable and predictable but again, this car offers nothing to the driver other than extreme straight line pace.

As a single car owner, it is not for me but I think it's an excellent proposition for someone who wants efficient everyday transport and who has more interesting cars in the garage for weekends/trackdays.

I'd wait until the charging infrastructure is a little better before being comfortable about having one.

eastsider

1,101 posts

222 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
Range is the thing - real world reports please!

One of my Le Mans group is bringing his P85. I think he'll be routing via Paris for an Ikea based supercharger. Will be interesting to see how he gets on.

Otispunkmeyer

12,555 posts

154 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
rtz62 said:
There are several of these, silently rampaging the roads around the Chesterfield area, and seem to be exclusively Midnight Silver a metallic or Obsidian Black Metallic.
I have had the experience of being silently 'zoomed' by one, accelerating away from me on the M1 like some giant invisible hand had pulled an exceedingly strong, and equally invisible, rubber band and then suddenly let it go.
My only negative comment would be that from any distance, they look very much like a Mondeo from behind, or a Passat / Insignia, especially depending which alloy wheels it has fitted.
I would love to try, and possibly own one of these, my only concerns would be the availability of charging stations (notwithstanding the ones at motorway service stations, IKEA etc), and the cost of replacing the battery packs I a few years time - does anyone know how much they will be?
I'm aware that 2 years ago the battery pack was circa $45k, but I'd guess prices will fall as battery production is ramped up and as soon as different models start using the same basic battery.
Still, a hell of a hit if you're unfortunate enough to havdan incident whereby the battery is damaged
According to Tesla the battery packs are meant to last 15 years.... not sure if that will come true, but even at 10 years most people will have "disposed" of their car as being too old and it'll be on its 4th owner or something. I rather suspect that with electric vehicles, they just won't be worth keeping around like you can do with cars today. The body isn't worth a great deal, its just sheet metal. All the value is in the battery which will be removed for recycling before the rest of the car is binned/recycled itself.

Otispunkmeyer

12,555 posts

154 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
Kemlo said:
I test drove a P90d the other week. Totally hooked. Will shortly be putting down a deposit on the model 3, but if there's a way I can get into an S I'd be in there in a flash.

Minor niggles - no door pockets. The interior space is great & I love the front boot, but there's a dearth of storage pockets etc... in the cabin. (updated version fixes that I think - be nice if you could retrofit).

I always thought the massive screen looked awkward in the photo's, but in the flesh it's great and super intuitive. Love how you drag the icon into the screen for the option you want to use.

Great that you get free 3G data too so you can stream music etc...

There wasn't a lot I could fault it on.
Re the free 3G...apparently needed for the maps to work. There is no local storage for the maps. They're downloaded as and when (at least if the recent video of the Model X I watched is right). They're also no vector maps, but tiled images so its quite data intensive. Given the crap state of our 3G/4G in this country I wonder how well it works.

(I am sat 10 minutes from Notts right now with not even a phone signal, never mind 2G/3G/4G!)

Jonny TVR

4,533 posts

280 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
I was in Hong Kong last week and every other car seemed to be a Tesla model S. Loved the "nothing" comment!

considering one now

Itsallicanafford

2,759 posts

158 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
17 Inch info screen...i've only got a 26 inch telly in my front room...

How Tesla has managed to blindside every other motor manufacturer from a standing start is truly amazing.

rtz62

3,340 posts

154 months

Monday 18th April 2016
quotequote all
Otispunkmeyer said:
rtz62 said:
There are several of these, silently rampaging the roads around the Chesterfield area, and seem to be exclusively Midnight Silver a metallic or Obsidian Black Metallic.
I have had the experience of being silently 'zoomed' by one, accelerating away from me on the M1 like some giant invisible hand had pulled an exceedingly strong, and equally invisible, rubber band and then suddenly let it go.
My only negative comment would be that from any distance, they look very much like a Mondeo from behind, or a Passat / Insignia, especially depending which alloy wheels it has fitted.
I would love to try, and possibly own one of these, my only concerns would be the availability of charging stations (notwithstanding the ones at motorway service stations, IKEA etc), and the cost of replacing the battery packs I a few years time - does anyone know how much they will be?
I'm aware that 2 years ago the battery pack was circa $45k, but I'd guess prices will fall as battery production is ramped up and as soon as different models start using the same basic battery.
Still, a hell of a hit if you're unfortunate enough to havdan incident whereby the battery is damaged
According to Tesla the battery packs are meant to last 15 years.... not sure if that will come true, but even at 10 years most people will have "disposed" of their car as being too old and it'll be on its 4th owner or something. I rather suspect that with electric vehicles, they just won't be worth keeping around like you can do with cars today. The body isn't worth a great deal, its just sheet metal. All the value is in the battery which will be removed for recycling before the rest of the car is binned/recycled itself.
I agree with your thoughts on this. However, a car at that age will drop down to owners who aren't so bothered about maintenance, and probably may use second hand or pattern parts etc where necessary.
I can imagine subsequent owners being quite happy about replacing suspension or brake parts on the Tesla (if they are available), but the killer will be the battery, no matter how much the unit cost comes down. It's not like an internal combustion engines car, where one can obtain a new cylinder head, gearbox, clutch etc (of course there may be other electrickity components in the Tesla that are replaceable at lower cost)
Not withstanding that, I like the idea of the Tesla, it makes me think of it as a Paul Smith dark grey suit, all sharp lines and style, versus (for instance, a Mondeo) a similar looking Marks & Spencer suit, which although ostensibly similar just doesn't somehow feel as good
Both do the same thing, but in different ways.
I'm not sure how that analogy came about, but I'm overdue my medication, so please feel free to rip the arse out of me!!!