Would love to hear what you thought of the test drive.
Well I have a few points. I squeezed in a quick parking lot tour, then took a proper test drive a couple hours later. I had really high expectations for this car.
I didn't go through all the settings for the first drive. Just set the mirrors and went.
Did a 0-50 at about 60-70% accelerator. I wimped out. But still, WOW!
Got back to the store.
Looked at the beta they had in the showroom. Looked at their color panels. Saw a Black Performance S ready for delivery. Went got some coffee and talked about the car with my wife. 85kWh it was, and green.
We went back for our full test drive and there was a Broward County Sheriff camping on the 0-60 strip. So no 100% accelerator, but I was never really worried about it. Took some curvy roads, and a Florida hill (overpass), the car handled great. I swapped drivers with my wife and she drove it. Big Tesla grin. It handled above my expectations, and well after all my time hear those were some hefty expectations.
The steering wheel is great. Nice and thick, and nicely contoured. The blinker stalk is about a quarter inch too low. I hit the cruise stalk about half my bilnks, as well as my wife. Seemingly like everyone else that doesn't drive a MB.
The car was much better behaved in the parking lot. It didn't seem all that large. The hood seemed a bit longer than it looked from the drivers seat, but I didn't run into any problems.
It took the railroad tracks really well. Smooth and much quieter than most cars.
Regen on its max setting feels much like downshifting 2 gears in my GTI. There was less pedal travel from coast to full regen, but enough to control it well. Although it will take a little while to master it. Below about 10mph regen doesn't seem to do much.
This car is QUIET. So much that light AC fans produce more noise than anything else until you get to about 35 mph.
When I got back to Atlanta and my GTI I decided to punch it getting onto the interstate. And it was disappointing. There is nothing like the Tesla.
Now to bed.