If you had to chose between a 2013 P85 and a 2014 85, almost identical packages, 2014 85 has about 6k more miles, and costs about $3.5k more, which would be the better choice? I definitely like the P and the slightly less miles and slightly less cost on the 2013, but my thought is the 2014 because of newer technology/newer build, folding mirrors and parking sensors, but I'd like to get some opinions and thoughts.
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I had the same choice and bought the 2013 P85. Later got an S85 as a loaner and missed the extra acceleration. My 2013 does have the parking sensors, which are really nice. I think some 2013s have folding mirrors as well. I thought I needed those for my garage, but it turns out I don't.
IMO, folding mirrors are not a big deal to have unless you tend to park in crowded places. Parking sensors are practical, in particular in winter when the rear camera gets dirty (and it gets dirty very fast). However, I LOVE the P acceleration that I have in my car and would never go with something with less performance.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. Is it reasonable to think the 2014 will have better overall reliability because its a year newer and they had a year more experience making cars? They both would be CPO, so not sure if that neutralizes the year issue or not because they supposedly tear them apart and fix everything they see wrong and even things that often do go wrong, if true. I definitely prefer the price and the performance of the 2013, even the miles. I could live without the folding mirrors, the parking sensors would be nice for sure, but not a deal breaker at all. My biggest fear is reliability.
Kenriko
Former Vendor
FWIW, my Feb 2013 S85 has been virtually trouble-free for 84K miles. The two issues I had were early on--an onboard charger replacement, and a 12V battery. I upgraded 3G to LTE, and Tesla installed the newer tire sensors during the last annual visit so I now have pressure readings for each tire.
Take a look at the actual VIN difference to see how far apart the cars were built. You could be looking at a December 2013 and a January 2014, at which point the differences would be negligible. I think the advisor at Tesla can give you build months if you ask.
whitex
Well-Known Member
2013 vs. 2014 could be almost identical if it's December 2013 and January 2014. You will need to know manufacture dates to know for sure. I had a 2013 that did come with folding mirrors. One other thing to check, prior to folding, the mirrors were never listed as heated, so I'm not sure whether they are. As for quality - initial quality doesn't matter for CPO so only use/abuse and long term reliability needs to be considered.
whitex
Well-Known Member
davidc18
Active Member
If you like the acceleration of the P cars, then get the P - the standard 'non' P cars are nice for everyday driving.
I found a VIN decoder, and entered the VIN's, but I can't see the build month using that, am I missing something? I see the year, just no month.
I like it, but its definitely not a must have at all, and I would much rather have reliability over it IF there is any advantage in reliability, which I cannot tell.
When I was seven or eight the father of one of my friends, a mechanic, told us that every time we accelerate or go around a corner too fast, it costs extra due to the extra wear on the parts. I suspect that the only reason P cars seem to have more problems is that they tend to be driven harder than non-P cars*. I don't have any data to back this up, but, you know, it makes sense.
* Not a judgement statement, if you purchase a P car, you likely did it so that you could drive it hard. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
outerlimits
Member
I have a 2013 P85 with both power folding mirrors and parking sensors. It was manufactured in 12/2013 with a VIN of just over 28500. Parking sensors were added in August 2013 and power folding mirrors in October 2013. Folding mirrors were essential for my tight garage. I didn't think much of the parking sensors, but they are a nice aid as the MS is a surprising large car. P vs non-P: the MS is a amazingly fun car to drive. The P just makes it a bit more fun. It's doesn't really have a practical application for me, other than dropping the jaws of non-EV driving friends. It feels a bit like a party trick. 99% of the time I drive the MS, I challenge myself to drive in a way that maximizes efficiency. But it's nice to know the power is there when I need it.
My CPO P85+ was built in that little window in late '13 where it came with parking sensors but didn't come with power folding mirrors. I had the service center retrofit PFM onto the car along with the LTE upgrade ($1,600 and $500 respectively) after I picked it up. Hindsight being 20/20 I probably didn't need the PFM for my use case, but as others have mentioned they may be useful for you.
Parking sensors have been a godsend though, as I came from a smaller car and navigating the S into some spots was/is quite the challenge at times.
/edit Regarding build quality, most every problem I've had with the car Tesla has fixed no questions asked. I wouldn't worry too much about that.
Parking sensors have been a godsend though, as I came from a smaller car and navigating the S into some spots was/is quite the challenge at times.
/edit Regarding build quality, most every problem I've had with the car Tesla has fixed no questions asked. I wouldn't worry too much about that.