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What am I getting with Plaid vs Long Range?

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I'm interested in this thread because I'm looking into the X because my wife had twins and we now have 3 children total and the Model 3 will no longer do. My question is what exactly does a minivan have that the X does not? When we looked at it I thought it really was a minivan in disguise? Low seats, big side doors, entertainment system, etc... Why should I get a minivan besides the charging on long trips issue?
 
I'm interested in this thread because I'm looking into the X because my wife had twins and we now have 3 children total and the Model 3 will no longer do. My question is what exactly does a minivan have that the X does not? When we looked at it I thought it really was a minivan in disguise? Low seats, big side doors, entertainment system, etc... Why should I get a minivan besides the charging on long trips issue?
I have a 6 seat MXP and it is very close to a minivan. I went to it from a Roadster for exactly that reason - needed to be able to haul kids to all of their activities. FWDs are huge and Captains chairs that slide forward to access the 3rd row makes it very minivan like. Car seats fit great in Captains chairs and with the height you aren't breaking your back getting them in and out. Entertainment system is meh but for me the kids typically want to watch/do different things so iPads are more useful anyway (although them love challenging each other on the 2048 game). I do wish that Tesla would include Wi-Fi access (which Elon promised to my face back in 2012) but using the hotspot on my phone works ok.

Minivans will typically seat 3 across the back (for 7 total seats) and can be more versatile as far as removing and/or stowing seats but for hauling people it's basically the same.

Also I really don't get the aversion to stopping on a road trip. I find that my life is much better if I stop every 2 hours and let the kids run around for a bit. It really cuts down on the fights IMO.
 
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I have a 6 seat MXP and it is very close to a minivan. I went to it from a Roadster for exactly that reason - needed to be able to haul kids to all of their activities. FWDs are huge and Captains chairs that slide forward to access the 3rd row makes it very minivan like. Car seats fit great in Captains chairs and with the height you aren't breaking your back getting them in and out. Entertainment system is meh but for me the kids typically want to watch/do different things so iPads are more useful anyway (although them love challenging each other on the 2048 game). I do wish that Tesla would include Wi-Fi access (which Elon promised to my face back in 2012) but using the hotspot on my phone works ok.

Minivans will typically seat 3 across the back (for 7 total seats) and can be more versatile as far as removing and/or stowing seats but for hauling people it's basically the same.

Also I really don't get the aversion to stopping on a road trip. I find that my life is much better if I stop every 2 hours and let the kids run around for a bit. It really cuts down on the fights IMO.
I agree with your last statement. I just feel like it shouldn't be hidden. People who say the trips are the same exact time are not correct. We've adapted and it's better, but it's not apples to apples.
 
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I'm interested in this thread because I'm looking into the X because my wife had twins and we now have 3 children total and the Model 3 will no longer do. My question is what exactly does a minivan have that the X does not? When we looked at it I thought it really was a minivan in disguise? Low seats, big side doors, entertainment system, etc... Why should I get a minivan besides the charging on long trips issue?

Let me offer some guidance as Ive had two model 3's, a model y, and now an X plaid. We've also had a 2020 Odyssey for 2 years and now a 2022 Sienna for 2+ years.

The third row in the Sienna is useful for two full grown adults. Meaning someone like 5'10" can fit back there comfortably. Long trip, short trip whatever. Its perfectly fine. Model X, no way. You would need to be under 5' to sit back there for a period of time. My wife is 5'2" and she says it's "okay". Guys know what this means. Third row leg room is very limited. 2nd row in 6 seater X doesnt have a lot of travel back and forth like a minivan. Sienna is 5" longer than an X. 2nd row in the seinna has foot rests. Way more comfortable on a long trip than an X. It also has rear entertainment, and you can plug in HDMI to it. Cant do that on an X. Screen is on the ceiling which is more useful with kids. I like how Tesla builds in apps instead of using a streaming stick, but with the streaming stick more options. Its silly there isnt HDMi on the X.

The sliding doors on a minivan cant be beat. They open faster and wider. You can access the third row much easier on a minivan. I pull a latch on the side and slide the seat front to back, quick and easy. X doors take a long time to open and they can be finicky.

Minivan is way more durable than an X. It will stand up to kids much better. Not even a comparison.

i just got my Plaid yesterday. Its absolutely insane. Our Sienna sounds like it's struggling when you mash the gas pedal, but if we could only have one family vehicle it would be that. 600 miles on a tank and refill in 5 minutes. Yeah I will take that all day long. Boring as hell to drive but toyota reliable and very comfortable.


Sienna:
Pros: way more range, faster to fill, more room inside in 2nd and 3rd row, 2nd row stupid comfortable, reliable, more room to store stuff, more durable, better resale, hdmi rear entertainment so much more options, large trunk even with 3rd row up.
Cons: Slow as sh*t, looks are okay not great, tech is not as good as tesla, infotainment is also meh.

X:
pros: Literally a rocket ship, fun to drive, looks better, handles better, more flashy, better tech.
Cons: 3rd row is smallish, doors are slow and finicky, range cant compete with a ICE, 2nd row is decent but not as comfortable, rear entertainment is limited but works well, small trunk with 3rd row up.

What matters most to you? We have both, so best of both worlds but again I would choose a sienna if I could only have one. It's a more functional family vehicle and significantly less expensive. You could buy a sienna and a fun $25k-$35k car for the price of a base X with a tax credit. Limited Sienna is $49k (platinum trim is dumb and overpriced). X is $70k with a tax credit and very limited options. $84k if you want 6 seats. Not even a plaid which is around $100k.
 
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I have both a 23 X Plaid for me in June and our family car is a 23 X LR 7 seater in Nov. The incentives were so good last year we upgraded our stable to full electric from a 2020 X LR 7 seater.

The difference in power is substantial between the Plaid and LR. Even though the LR is quick, the Plaid is brutal and achieves over 1g of acceleration. The other notable difference is the suspension in sport/firm on the Plaid has a much higher damping being used which most don’t know unless you have lived with both. Comfort mode feels the same between the cars. Both have factory 20 inch rims

The Plaid will be getting UP-03 in 22s, camber arms, toe arms and lowering kit hopefully this month when the parts arrive
 
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I have both a 23 X Plaid for me in June and our family car is a 23 X LR 7 seater in Nov. The incentives were so good last year we upgraded our stable to full electric from a 2020 X LR 7 seater.

The difference in power is substantial between the Plaid and LR. Even though the LR is quick, the Plaid is brutal and achieves over 1g of acceleration. The other notable difference is the suspension in sport/firm on the Plaid has a much higher damping being used which most don’t know unless you have lived with both. Comfort mode feels the same between the cars. Both have factory 20 inch rims

The Plaid will be getting UP-03 in 22s, camber arms, toe arms and lowering kit hopefully this month when the parts arrive
I would love to do some stek PPF and look at camber/etc, but I've spent way to much money in the last 8 months so need to save up some... plus PPF up here is like 8-10K for a full wrap... even buying your own PPF is 7k...
 
I would love to do some stek PPF and look at camber/etc, but I've spent way to much money in the last 8 months so need to save up some... plus PPF up here is like 8-10K for a full wrap... even buying your own PPF is 7k...
Unless you're doing Stealth (Matte) PPF full vehicle coverage is way overkill IMO, especially if you don't plan on keeping it 10+ years. I average like 3-5yrs at most. You won't get any return on resale for it and there are some panels that really don't take any typical abuse.

Just do the front end high traffic areas, bumper, hood, lights & mirrors. I added lower Falcon door corners (known rock kick spot) and rear bumper on my X and it was $1500 TOTAL at my local highly reputable detailer here in NJ I've been using since 2018 with my first Model 3.

As for camber correction, unless you're tracking it you really don't need adjustability either, just got with the simple and inexpensive camber shim options.

 
I would love to do some stek PPF and look at camber/etc, but I've spent way to much money in the last 8 months so need to save up some... plus PPF up here is like 8-10K for a full wrap... even buying your own PPF is 7k...

Tires are expensive. In the meanwhile get some camber shims and a lifetime alignment, then you can get another one for free when you start swapping better parts.