Anyone regret getting an X over an S?

[CardGuy]

I am ordering an X, but originally wanted an S. Ordering the X for its people moving ability, but the doors scare the crap out of me. They worry me in weather, and they worry me for long term reliability.

Just wondering if anyone who has the X is now regretting not going with an S. The way I see it, the S can move 5 people, just not quite as comfy as the X can with a 6 seat config, but is the extra seating worth the headache of the doors?

 

[disagree]

I think buying an X and planning to keep it for more than 4 years is basically a commitment to getting the extended warranty to protect you from door failures.

As for practicality, I actually love the doors on my 6 seat X. I have 3 kids and it is a positive relief to have them be able to get in and out so easily. Neither in rain nor snow have they been a problem.

 

[Khanhvngo]

Hi, I live in Maine where winter is a big deal here. We have own the X for about 6 month now and I can say that I was glad that we got the X. Here is some of the reason why.

*We have a 3 year old, I have never been so happy taking a toddler in an out of a car before the X. So easy, so comfortable, very much enjoyable.
* Very roomy compare to the S, 6 Asian people traveling is comfortable!
*FWD is amazing ( scary at first but have gotten use to them and I have falling in love with it)
* AWD is the best I have ever driven in the winter, >>>>> Mic drop>>>>>

You made the right choices in my Opinion. You will love it! My wife was very hard to win over, and she is very happy with the X.

 

[Xolt]

For the last few years I was going to buy a model S but purchased a new X just recently. We have had no problems at all yet but time will tell. My thoughts after the X came out were that I wondered who would still buy a model S with the huge difference in features and abilitys between the two. The S is about as close to a regular car as you can get and still be electric, not that it is a bad thing. They still sell the S so there is obviously a market to people who may be intimidated by the size difference between the two. A friend has an S and when traveling with him we blend in and can drive around in almost total anonymity while the X turns heads wherever we go. The things that set the two apart that I would hate to give up are the huge windshield driving experience, it alone sells the car, the SUV size, it's nice to have the extra height, towing capacity, may never use but nice to have the option, and yes the doors, the back doors are a fun party trick but complicated and I'm sure the self presenting fronts would be on the S if it were designed today. It just seems like, although expensive, you are getting so much more car and more modern features with the X, if that is what you want.

 

[MX1028]

I've had the X since 12/23/2016. After the initial excitement of Tesla kinda settling I have to say the best decision as a family man is to have bought the Model X. I have 2 kids (5 and 2 1/2 year old boys)
* Kids LOVE the car - I think that's an understatement. I think I may use them to make my home commercial for Tesla. Actually sent out a video of my 2 1/2 year old son started to sing a song he made up about the Falcon Wing doors.
* Other parents have mentioned it... the ease with putting kids in the car and taking them out.
* FWD - the double take and the smiles other people give you in parking lots
* The space of the Model X... I have the 6 seat config and I've not found myself second guessing on that decision. Best decision!

- The only reason I have considered the Model S after taking delivery is... If I were to get a second Tesla it would be Model S for me. If I wasn't a family man I would have gone with the Model S. The Sporty drive sitting low to the ground satisfies both the need for a big sedan with the quickness of a Porsche or any other fast sports car.

 

[Gwgan]

With a year driving the X interspersed with a few S loaners under my belt I much prefer the ease of ingress/egress of the X and the ride position. No regrets.

 

[DillyBop]

i'll say this.... i've been driving Model S for the past 4 years (two of them, actually).

i wanted AP2 so i decided to get my 3rd Tesla. thought about changing it up and getting an X.

then i realized, they basically cost the same. P100D S and X both cost between $160-165k fully loaded. but you get so much more with an X! more room obviously, but the FWD, amazing windshield, auto doors, etc. the only thing you get more of the in the S is half a second 0-60.

so IMO, you get more for the money with the X. i think the X should cost more, but it doesn't. so it was a no-brainer for me to switch it up and go X!

i'll get my X later this month and report back tho!

 

[G77P]

We have a 3 year old and twin 5 month old's with 6 seat MX. The FWD are more often frustrating then helpful - if you search the forum you'll find all the negatives (sensors won't open or close door with salt snow build up, hinges make noise, intermittently not fully open or close, not great to open in regular size garage). Several times my wife has come home and parked the car in the driveway and told me to go out and close the doors as she can't get them to close with nothing in the way. I heard all about how frustrating it is trying to close doors that are not working right getting home from work in the cold dark with 3 kids crying....

You need to be very careful that the doors do not close on kids hands or fingers - especially when they get bigger. I am also waiting for our 3 year old to start operating the pillar door mounted FWD on his own and close the door on himself (they all figure out quickly how to use the switches and lighted buttons right???).... Some things really need to be better thought out or changed, and you start to see those if you look objectively at things over a few months. I had a long discussion with my wife about the possible problems with FWD and toddlers, and (as always) you need to be vigilant - more so with FWD as currently configured.

There also really needs to be some sort of official training or warning from Tesla - like a safety video for kids. I submitted feedback to Tesla about changing the programming or capability of door safety sensors via software updates - I can't believe that you can buy a car with certain safety features (conductive sensors) and they the can disable or partially disable them with over the air updates without some sort of official communication or warning beyond software release notes. Bottom line is that you just really need to be extra careful with the kids.

That said, It all comes down to your family and how much space you need. I could not buy an MS with the jump seats as I'd never forgive myself if something were to happen in a rear end crash with kids back there. I think that jump seats would be for emergency use only but the kids would always want to ride back there - kids being kids. So you'd be paying a pretty high price and loss of space in the jump seat MS for seats that I personally have some pretty big safety reservations about....

 

[Jurnimon]

I originally ordered an X but then due to the early build issues with the Falcon Wing Doors (FWD's) we decided against it. Also it was unclear I could comfortably fit 3 large adults, one smaller adult, and two very small children in car seats as comfortably as our large so we got the Model S and kept our Large ICE SUV. I found a good price on an inventory Model S and for a while I did not look back. It was then and continues to be the best car I have ever owned.

From time to time on business trips out west, I would rent a Model X on Turo.com. My son also moved to a booster seat simplifying matters a bit. At the end of the year, I stumbled upon a great deal on an inventory Signature Model X with all the trimmings for cheaper than ordering a Model X 90D. I jumped on it and we are proud and lucky owners of two Tesla's.

I'm very happy with the Model X, the room and space it provides, and boy this P90D hauls! Just fantastic for a heavy SUV. The car, feels more upscale, probably due to the FWD's, the newer seats and the 22" wheels. The 6-passenger config is the way to go as it feels les cramp and allows even easier access to and from the third row. hose FWD's, sheesh! Whenever the FWD's go up, people stop to take a look and often people wander over to have a chat. I don't mind the FWD or the chats so much other than it just puts what is already a pretty lavish car over the top. My wife has a different opinion. She simply hates the doors as they've tried to "crunch" her on three separate occasions. Also, she's banged her head on the edge a couple of times because at 5' 3", she not used to needing to duck. Sometimes the doors do not levitate all the way leading to this issue. I got a pretty up-to-date release of the code earlier this week so I hope that helps!

The model S is about 30% more efficient in the harsh cold New England winters than the Model X; the range is something left to be desired on longer trips in the cold. I do not think the MX 100D fixes this completely. If I had to choose one, It would be very close but I would choose the S for its range and all around practical nature of the car when you need to carry less than 6 people. I can probably drive from Boston to Washington DC. in a MS 100D with a single stop to charge. That's just amazing!

 

[Super_Popular]

I have had several S's and currently drive an X. I would never go back to an S. The X is an amazing with all the cabin space, the windsheild and the comfy seats. Its a no brainer.

 

[Drone Flyer]

For the last few years I was going to buy a model S but purchased a new X just recently. We have had no problems at all yet but time will tell. My thoughts after the X came out were that I wondered who would still buy a model S with the huge difference in features and abilitys between the two. The S is about as close to a regular car as you can get and still be electric, not that it is a bad thing. They still sell the S so there is obviously a market to people who may be intimidated by the size difference between the two. A friend has an S and when traveling with him we blend in and can drive around in almost total anonymity while the X turns heads wherever we go. The things that set the two apart that I would hate to give up are the huge windshield driving experience, it alone sells the car, the SUV size, it's nice to have the extra height, towing capacity, may never use but nice to have the option, and yes the doors, the back doors are a fun party trick but complicated and I'm sure the self presenting fronts would be on the S if it were designed today. It just seems like, although expensive, you are getting so much more car and more modern features with the X, if that is what you want.

A friend has an S and when traveling with him we blend in and can drive around in almost total anonymity while the X turns heads wherever we go.

Excuse me?
The X is certainly not the head mover here, the S is. Everytime i drive my S, people always look to it and give a thumbs up.
Its a sexy looking car. I've been in the X a few times and it blends in with everything else. It gets no thumbs up as it looks ordinary while on the road, in my opinion.
You also say there are huge differences in features and abilities between the two. What nonsense!
They are basically the same except for the doors.

 

[timx]

G77P, do you have your 3yo in car seat in third row or second row? We have 2yo who will press any button or place her fingers anywhere we say no, such as refrigerator door, and this is a major concern. When seated, can your kid reach anywhere in danger of wing doors? I'd prefer not to put kids in third row, as there would seem to be much less protection in a rear collision; not sure what your impression is with your vehicle? We've ordered X100D 6 seater due in April.

 

[Tjhappel]

This is actually a very hard question to answer. I've had both, I drive about 200 miles a day and take the kids in my car about 3-5 times a week. With the s I never had to have the car seats in the car because we had jump seats and would use it for short jaunts here and there, if it was over 30 minutes we'd put the seats in or take my wife's car, in the x we have to leave the seats in, they sit middle row so we don't constantly get warnings about seats being unlocked etc.. that means anyone else has to squeeze in the back which isn't so easy.

We also took my model S for just about every road trip due to the mileage it was capable of even when loaded, forget about it with the x. It needs to be a 120-150kwh battery before you'd want to take all your kids plus luggage on a road trip. Stopping to fuel it is so inefficient and with little kids can be a real pain on long road trips. I'm lucky to get 175 miles before I need to stop, I'm positive with a 100d model s with 19's you'd get close to 280-300.

Also storage, not having folding seats can sometimes be a big deal. I can no longer put my road bike in my car without taking wheels off it. Not a huge deal but annoying nonetheless.

If we had older kids out of car seats and or this way my wife's car and not our road trip car I'd say yes to it over the s all day. For an everything car I'd take the S. I like the x a lot but I feel like 2-3 years from now it'll be a whole lot better than it is now.

 

[voltaren]

A friend has an S and when traveling with him we blend in and can drive around in almost total anonymity while the X turns heads wherever we go.

Excuse me?
The X is certainly not the head mover here, the S is. Everytime i drive my S, people always look to it and give a thumbs up.
Its a sexy looking car. I've been in the X a few times and it blends in with everything else. It gets no thumbs up as it looks ordinary while on the road, in my opinion.
You also say there are huge differences in features and abilities between the two. What nonsense!
They are basically the same except for the doors.

It is all perspective.

I see 1 MX to every 10 MS. The MS is ubiquitous in the DC metro area and has been so for 4 years - but I won't dispute your Canadian perspective. I used to see people using their phones to take photos of the S, but rarely if ever now because although they're sexy, they're no longer new and unique. I'm sure if I went to Saskatoon, the S would garner more attention.

The MX blends in, at least to the oblivious motorist - but to be fair, they're also oblivious to traffic laws, other drivers, common decency, etc. (sorry, DC frustration vent) However, to the educated driver and enthusiast, the X is a unicorn because of the sparsity and doors.

Features and abilities? Um, TOWING (in an EV!!), 7 adults, huge windshield, power doors, more interior cargo, nicer seats, larger wheels, and yes, those FW doors. Oh, and the 98 MPGe for an SUV - when most get 15-19 MPG.

 

[voltaren]

What nonsense!
They are basically the same except for the doors.

Doors are no minor thing.

There was probably a meeting years back, I imagine Elon and Franz said, "Let's make a unique car to get people talking. What can we do to a car to make it memorable? THE DOORS! Ok, now I gotta get back to designing space ships."

Those doors - for all the consternation they've caused the company and customers - were marketing gold. Any press is good press - right Mr. Trump? The doors have created millions in free press and have created an instant classic.

Some of the most memorable cars are memorable because of their doors:
- EVERYONE knows the Delorean - would the Delorean been picked for Back to the Future if not for the doors - I highly doubt it. Even without the movie affiliation, it still would be a collector car because of the doors and rarity. It really was a terrible car otherwise.
- The Mercedes gullwing, Lambo doors, suicide Bentleys, McLaren etc.
- Even the more obscure BMW Isetta, Z1, and i8 have crazy doors.

Crazy, complicated doors make the car unique, exotic, and collectible.

Genius and no small difference.

 

[Yinn]

Just wondering if anyone who has the X is now regretting not going with an S. The way I see it, the S can move 5 people, just not quite as comfy as the X can with a 6 seat config, but is the extra seating worth the headache of the doors?

I own both. It all comes down to what you are doing with the car.

If you are looking to move 3 or more larger/taller adults. The S is not a good vehicle for that. Adults will fit in the back with plenty of legroom/headroom, but it is an uncomfortable seating angle in the back seat. If it's two adults + an assortment of kids, the S is plenty. Especially when you order the rear facing seat option.

The X is better suited for moving 3 or more adults and is vastly more comfortable in doing so. The seating positions are higher which makes long trips more comfortable.

The x has more potential to break and is afar more complex vehicle. That part is undeniable. The complexity of the doors in my opinion do not pay off. I find power sliding doors on a minivan to require less space and offer more room. They open fully in my tight garage, my falcon wings do not. Resulting in me ducking under my falcon doors and essentially crawling in vs just sliding along the wall to get in. (Summon solves this)

I also find the S to be a much better looking car. With that said, I do not regret getting the X. We drive the S if it's just my wife, kids and myself. We drive the X whenever we need to move adults, tow, or are talking longer distance trips.

More than just how many people they fit. They move people in very different ways.

 

[G77P]

G77P, do you have your 3yo in car seat in third row or second row? We have 2yo who will press any button or place her fingers anywhere we say no, such as refrigerator door, and this is a major concern. When seated, can your kid reach anywhere in danger of wing doors? I'd prefer not to put kids in third row, as there would seem to be much less protection in a rear collision; not sure what your impression is with your vehicle? We've ordered X100D 6 seater due in April.

The 3 year old car seat is in the second row with one baby car seat in the other side second row and the other baby car seat in the middle of the third row for now. Our 3 year old is 15% percentile so he is pretty small. He can not reach the pillar door switch when in his car seat (seat all the way back), probably 3 inches away, he tries to get it though. He can also not reach up and get his hands in any part of the door when strapped in his car seat. He is certainly tall enough when standing on the floor to reach the pillar door switch. So we don't let him play in the car just in the car seat and out. He also would love to play with the touchscreen, but that is not allowed either. Eventually his arms will be long enough to reach the pillar switch when in his car seat (~ 4years old), and then we will move him to the 3rd row, he will be big enough to get in his seat on his own then so that will help (we will still need to strap him in but not lift him into the seat) and we can say he has his own row.

MX is fine for rear protection in the third row as the seats face forward IMHO, and any impact would push things forward, my issue with the MS jump seats is that the face rearward and legs are in well by the bumper.... Also MS jump seats facing wrong way for head and neck if hit from behind (head snaps back).

Nobody asked, but things that I think need to be updated to help with kids (all part of child mode you can select like valet mode):
- Child lock or screen disable on pillar door switch (could also switch to triple tap to close)
- For above, add red close buttons on the door jambs on both sides
- Child lock on center screen - something simple that locks the screen like they do for tablet child screen locks
- The screen needs to be updated to show why the doors won't open or close (some sort of better indication)
- The door chime needs to be updated (number of tones) for why the door won't open or close e.g. one beep for inside obstacle or switch, two beeps for outside door obstacle, three beeps for overhead obstacle....
- Child door mode, FWD closes 95% of the way then very slow close or push outside handle in or inside button in and hold to close the rest of the way (ensure can watch to make sure hands are not in door for kids)

Hope that helps, maybe Tesla will add a child mode in one of the next releases???

 

[Jurnimon]

We also took my model S for just about every road trip due to the mileage it was capable of even when loaded, forget about it with the x. It needs to be a 120-150kwh battery before you'd want to take all your kids plus luggage on a road trip. Stopping to fuel it is so inefficient and with little kids can be a real pain on long road trips. I'm lucky to get 175 miles before I need to stop, I'm positive with a 100d model s with 19's you'd get close to 280-300.

My thoughts as well. We have taken the kids and in laws on one trip to Connecticut. I could have made the trip there and back with out charging in the model S. We lucked out and charged the X in a the SC while grabbing a meal with the family; getting a ride from my brother in law to and from the car so it wasn't too much of a pain.

I took the X on a trip to Virginia by myself and I had to make an extra stop to charge (2 vs 3). There is a considerable difference in my energy usage in New England (~500 wh/mi) where it was 35 degrees as compared to Virginia where it was 70 degrees (~350 wh/mi). I think another reason for the higher energy usage is the 22" wheels. The trip convinced me that I need to get the 20" wheels or lighter 21" wheels. It also convinced me that, wow, the MX 60D is only meant for around town driving or driving in areas with a saturation of Superchargers. I would be worried taking a MX 60D with 22" wheels on a road trip in the cold (< 40 degrees). I estimate in that scenario, you would barely get 100 miles on a charge.

Also storage, not having folding seats can sometimes be a big deal. I can no longer put my road bike in my car without taking wheels off it. Not a huge deal but annoying nonetheless.

Good point! I'm looking to get the retro-fit accessory hitch on the MX to cary our bikes and ski gear but I'm not having a lot of progress with the Service Center. In terms of general luggage, it is quite the hauler due to the deep floor behind the third row and the larger space in the frunk compared to our dual motor Model S. The Model S is quite capable so we would just go with the S if we do not need to also cary more than 4 people.

 

[disagree]

I'm not proud of this, but I broke my kid's pinky shutting it in a "regular" car door.

My oldest has slammed a "regular" back door on my youngest's leg (maybe on purpose).

The FWD's require an adjustment, but you can disable the pillar buttons until your kids learn to adjust. I'm not convinced they are any more dangerous than regular car doors which can be shut HARD.

 

[Drone Flyer]

It is all perspective.

I see 1 MX to every 10 MS. The MS is ubiquitous in the DC metro area and has been so for 4 years - but I won't dispute your Canadian perspective. I used to see people using their phones to take photos of the S, but rarely if ever now because although they're sexy, they're no longer new and unique. I'm sure if I went to Saskatoon, the S would garner more attention.

The MX blends in, at least to the oblivious motorist - but to be fair, they're also oblivious to traffic laws, other drivers, common decency, etc. (sorry, DC frustration vent) However, to the educated driver and enthusiast, the X is a unicorn because of the sparsity and doors.

Features and abilities? Um, TOWING (in an EV!!), 7 adults, huge windshield, power doors, more interior cargo, nicer seats, larger wheels, and yes, those FW doors. Oh, and the 98 MPGe for an SUV - when most get 15-19 MPG.

The Model X does not have more cargo space than the Model S. The 5 seat model I'm not sure about as it is relatively new. The 6 and 7 seat models have far less cargo capacity than the Model S because the two seats behind the driver and passenger do not fold flat but merely move forward. They are a huge obstacle when you try to stuff cargo in the back of the car.