by "Clemsie McKenzie" (thestirringcolumn)
Published 01/15/2017 at 13:32
by "Clemsie McKenzie" (thestirringcolumn)
Published 01/15/2017 at 13:32
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STARS: 3
Of course it’s hard to get to know a lot of the car in a few miles, but this is such a cool thing, I couldn’t resist writing a small review here!
The 90D is kinda mid-range in that it has a big battery pack but doesn’t get the performance package. Your everyday Tesla, basically, with a decent range and still amazing performance. It sells for about €100k here in France.
It really feels like a plane taking off, but more brutal because there’s no build up or gap in acceleration. In a normal car, you have to rev it to get the most out of it, so when you floor it there’s always a bit of a build up in acceleration. Here, you punch the throttle, and you’re a mile away. Even if I expected it, I was still surprised by the force of it. I can’t even imagine what a P100D feels like.
But yeah, all of this you kinda know about already. But the small things are what amazed me the most I have to say. It is a very comfy car, and I was amazed to see how well they hid the rolling and wind noises, which is very hard to do in an electric car. For comparison, my parents drive a gen 3 Prius, and when you’re in EV mode all you can hear is tire noise. None of that here. Incredibly refined.
I was not a big fan of the interior, but I think it would have been a bit better if specced in anything other than all black (including the wood), which makes it feel a bit generic, boring and empty. I think the fact that you have nothing to fiddle with except the screen doesn’t help getting a quality feeling. Not a €100k feeling, in other words. But hey, that’s not what you pay for in a Tesla. You pay for being 5 years ahead of everything else.
And it’s amazing how quickly you get used to it all. The steering is quite direct, but I guess that’s just me being too used to my Clio. Visibility is quite good, although it is a huge car by EU standards so that would take a while to get used to, especially when parking.
Everything is controled via the giant screen (it’s bigger than my PC screen), including the lights, but we all have smartphones. We know how it works. Google Earth is amazing to watch as you go!
Really, the most difficult thing for me to get used to in these 5 miles has been the off-throttle regen, but I suppose in a couple of hours it would all become natural. I was just lifting off way too early. And then I didn’t like the brake pedal, but that might just be personal preference.
Apart from that... yeah. It’s amazing. Quiet, looks good, comfortable, will drive for you, will let you propel yourself to the moon/jail time in a couple of seconds, won’t cost you anything in fuel.
Really, the absolutely perfect commuter. If you need a car that’s good at car-ing and you have a hundred grand, I don’t see why you’d buy anything else. Too bad my dad had to give it back.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
01/15/2017 at 13:50, STARS: 0
The regen braking is very underrated. I test drove a Leaf for fun and the regen braking alone made me want it more than anything else. With the regen turned up you can drive around the city only using one pedal for the most part. It’s incredible.
"Clemsie McKenzie" (thestirringcolumn)
01/15/2017 at 13:53, STARS: 1
Yeah in traffic it must be awesome. Just in the forest for a few miles, it was a bit weird, but I see how awesome it can be!
"Rico" (ricorich)
01/15/2017 at 14:53, STARS: 1
You can make the regen less aggressive in the menu. I found the less aggressive setting to feel more like a gas powered car.
"Rico" (ricorich)
01/15/2017 at 14:54, STARS: 0
Feeling like a jet taking off is really accurate. That sensation I get in my stomach/chest was incredible when I floored a P85D.
"Clemsie McKenzie" (thestirringcolumn)
01/15/2017 at 15:35, STARS: 0
I can imagine! The acceleration in a P must be crazy.