"wantafuncar" (wantafuncar)
02/03/2016 at 15:12 • Filed to: oppositelock, tesla, review, model s, demuro
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"wantafuncar" (wantafuncar)
02/03/2016 at 15:12 • Filed to: oppositelock, tesla, review, model s, demuro | 3
| 13 |
I drove a Tesla Model s recently and thought oppo may want to hear my thoughts. Of course you have nothing better to do than read the musings of a fellow driver, right?
The car:
2014 Model S. Black. Base model.
Like this, except black:
First impressions on the exterior:
It looks very nice (in my opinion). Enough to warrant its price tag, but not so much as to go full Dave Chappelle “I’m rich, $*&%.” Most cars look good in black, and the Model S was no exception.
It looked bigger than I expected. By comparison, my 3g TL did not look like it was in the same class of car size. I thought it was more comparable to a large sedan from BMW/Mercedes/Audi in terms of scale.
Once inside:
A Tesla does not ‘start’ or ‘run’ in traditional terms. Coming from a gas car with a manual transmission, this was not at all what I was used to. Instead of gauges, it has screens. The screens are really quite interesting, and full customizable. Here is a picture of the interior:
The cabin was nicely appointed, but honestly I was disappointed. It felt a little too sparse. I expected more quality finishes and touches for a car with this sort of price tag. To the cars credit, it looked very modern and it was quite nice. Everything I touched was soft, and comfortable. It was natural to get in and go - not a ton of adjustment, which I thought was impressive given the level of technology here. Overall, there was no single element that I felt was lacking, I think it was more of a general feeling that it did not live up to my expectations. I know you are paying Tesla primarily for other reasons besides luxury, but I couldn’t help but think that I liked the interior in my 3g TL far more – that should not be true of a car that costs this much. Would it kill you to make it feel special & nice? I’m looking at you Elon Musk. To be fair, it has some really cool features (like the large by huge screen in the middle) and I was generally happy with it, just not as luxurious as I thought it would be.
It had more space than I expected. It all seemed very usable, and it was generally well-designed and well-appointed (just maybe not for $75k). The seats were very comfortable. With very little time, I was able to adjust the seat, mirrors, and controls into a good position for me. I am 6' and had plenty of head room. The controls were unique but remained intuitive. For example, it does not have a gear lever like a traditional automatic. Instead, it has a stalk on the steering wheel that looks and feels more like a turn signal. I found it easy to use, much easier than say a Prius with its Gameboy-esque paddle gear selector.
Driving impressions:
I think this is what you pay for…. It drives very, very well. It has a very low center of gravity, and you can tell as soon as you attain any speed at all. It handles well from what I could tell. Steering feel was very light at low speeds but seemed to build. I was not able to take it on any challenging roads in terms of handling, so I could not really gauge the suspension and brakes for handling, nor the steering for feel at anything above 4 or 5/10ths. The suspension felt complaint and gave a nice ride. I had the sense I could tell where the car was and what it was doing. I was definitely satisfied with the way that it drove, but I would prefer to take it through some twisty roads to give it the real test (or, in DeMuro style, enter it into an ice race demolition derby cannonball run combo).
Acceleration was superb. It felt like a fast car to me, probably mostly because the torque is instantaneous. I felt as if I would never be wanting for more power or speed, the car went as fast (or faster) than I wanted it to every time, all the time. I was not able to measure acceleration in traditional terms, but it felt really strong coming out of a stop and equally strong from a roll.
It was initially weird to not have any engine sound, but I quickly got used to it. Really, I did not really notice the lack of noise after a few minutes – particularly true when driving with music or a companion. The ‘transmission’ was good in the sense that I did not notice it – it did not interfere with driving (I’m using quotes here because I honestly have no idea what transmission the Tesla uses, if any). Overall, I found the drive enjoyable. I think it is fun enough to wring it out when you want and really enjoy it, but comfortable and practical enough to transport the family or business associates, go to the grocery store, etc.
The biggest surprise was the intrusion of regenerative braking into normal driving habits. If you are on the gas, it drove like a normal automatic car minus the noise, and plus power (depending on what you’re used to). As soon as you left off the gas, the regenerative braking kicks in and kicks in hard. To give you an idea of how effective it was, I could basically drive with only the accelerator. I only used the actual brakes to come to a complete stop, and even then you only need it right before you are about to stop – the regenerative brake will take care of it. When I did use the actual brakes, they felt more than adequate. I did not really test them much because I did not have any twisty roads and the regenerative brake system was so darn good.
Will it baby? Yes. The owner has small children, and it appeared to have ample room. While I was not able to personally test this, but reports were good and it looked plenty adequate from what I saw. Also, it has a frunk which helps with storage of child-related items (and potentially children if you’re really brazen).
I honestly believe that I would purchase this car (or perhaps a similar Tesla yet to be introduced with a cheaper price tag). I think it has enough of a nod to the enthusiast while remaining comfortable, practical, and environmentally friendly. It helps that I live in an area with a service center and really do not need more than ~150 miles of range at a time. As far as charging - won’t you be home at night anyway? I believe it takes about 4 hours to get a full charge. I realize it won’t work for everyone, but for me, if I need more than its range, I could take my wife’s car.
TheOnelectronic
> wantafuncar
02/03/2016 at 15:23 |
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Keep in mind that if the Tesla did have an interior more in line with cars in its price range, it would probably cost a good deal more. The non-interior parts of the car are comparatively more expensive.
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wantafuncar
> TheOnelectronic
02/03/2016 at 15:28 |
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Yeah, thats why I said “I know you are paying Tesla primarily for other reasons besides luxury” and that I think the driving dynamics are what you pay for.
I think I would absolutely still buy one for the enthusiast driving factor with super-enviro status.
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TheOnelectronic
> wantafuncar
02/03/2016 at 15:31 |
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Ah, sorry. I must have missed that part somehow.
Saracen
> wantafuncar
02/03/2016 at 15:39 |
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My review of a loaded P85+ I drove in 2013:
Holy fuck! [When I mashed the go pedal]
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> wantafuncar
02/03/2016 at 15:49 |
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Nice review. Pretty spot in with what I’ve heard from friends who work for Tesla.
It doesn’t have a transmission like you would be familiar with. It more or less just has a gear box with a differential/final drive. It doesn’t shift. The motor can spin to a theoretical “infinite” (I know it’s not infinite, but it will spin much faster than it will ever be able to make the car move) speed, so the faster the car moves the faster the motor is turning. Mercedes B-class uses a Tesla drive train, so I’ve got a fair amount of experience with that aspect of them.
LeaksOil
> AMGtech - now with more recalls!
02/03/2016 at 17:17 |
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I’ve always wondered this, does it “burn” more electricity/charge by spinning faster to maintain speed? Or no? I know purpose built EVs don’t have transmissions, but is there any hope for a proper manual one in a sports EV? Yeah i love ye olde clutch pedal, what can I say…
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LeaksOil
> wantafuncar
02/03/2016 at 17:22 |
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Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve seen fairly recent stuff like “the tesla isn’t cool” but as someone who can count on one hand the times he has seen one,…I disagree. I’d love to be able to ride in one, or better yet drive one.
Did you fiddle with stuff like the radio and HVAC controls? I highly prefer proper knobs and buttons, so I’m curious how distracting these are to use.
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LeaksOil
> TheOnelectronic
02/03/2016 at 17:24 |
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Great point,…personally I didn't think of it that way …
Supercharged-V8-Jag
> wantafuncar
02/03/2016 at 18:08 |
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Nice review! I’ve driven quite a few Model S’ myself, and while they are fun to drive I would just never buy one; especially as they are horribly built..
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AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> LeaksOil
02/03/2016 at 18:34 |
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Yeah it will use more energy, but I don’t honestly know if it’s a because of aerodynamic resistance or just the energy required to turn the motor at higher speeds, or a combination thereof. Maintaining speed doesn’t use nearly as much energy as accelerating, much like a conventional ICE.
Having a standard transmission with a clutch would be pointless since the motor stops turning when the vehicle stops moving. But I’m sure someone could rig up a standard transmission to work on one just fine. Don’t hold your breath waiting for an OE to build a car that way though!
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> LeaksOil
02/03/2016 at 20:28 |
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wind resistance increases by speed. it was the rational behind the 55 mph hour speed limit as it was a balance between mechanical drag and wind resistance
(this graph is for an un-aerodynamic wheelchair so lower speed.
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wantafuncar
> Supercharged-V8-Jag
02/03/2016 at 22:24 |
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It did not feel horribly built. I mean obviously this was not a long term test, and I really do not know the longevity and reliability of the car. I know CR rated them pretty bad, but I didn’t think jalops put a lot of stock into CR
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Supercharged-V8-Jag
> wantafuncar
02/03/2016 at 22:26 |
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I just know a few people within the factory that have told me about the horrible quality control Tesla have..