Actually, since we did the test, it's the battery pack.
2013 Tesla Model S P85+ Long-Term Update 4 - Motor Trend
Did you have access to the screen Tesla hides from users that shows motor/battery/inverter temperature?
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Actually, since we did the test, it's the battery pack.
2013 Tesla Model S P85+ Long-Term Update 4 - Motor Trend
what are car reviews if not 100% a persons opinion of a car?
I asked a similar question on youtube, but here it is again:
If both the Model S and the S550 were contenders for Car of the Year on the same year, would you have picked the S550 over the Model S? And why?
Actually, since we did the test, it's the battery pack.
2013 Tesla Model S P85+ Long-Term Update 4 - Motor Trend
It's the basis of the opinion that is important. The more knowledgeable (and independent) the reviewer, the better the opinion. These are the foundations that give rise to credibility -- and we only want to read credible reviews. It's a waste of time to read a grade 6 kid's review because we expect nonsensical comments like:
"TRUTH! as the kids would say."
"And if you really cared... Leaf."
"Even if I had a Supercharger in my bed and only had to drive 5 feet"
"Call me weird"
I know these are not in the review, they are in this thread. But if they are actually the words of the author of the review, he has undermined his credibility. I have lost all respect for the reviewer. He shows a complete lack of professionalism and judgment. I was really hoping it was a prank because I'd like to think his employer would hire a better quality reviewer. I don't mind the S-series being picked the better car (well, okay, I do mind it) but at least if the review was supported here with knowledgeable and thoughtful arguments it could be accepted. Instead, we are fed drivel in support of the decision by the likes of: ...I drive 300 to 500 miles a day... I'm weird.. types of arguments. That's almost the equivalent to the 6 year old's "I know you are are but what am I?"
Now there's a GREAT question. Boy, that's very difficult to answer. Car of the Year -- unlike the video in question -- is NOT a comparison test. We use a whole bunch of criteria to determine the winner, and please always keep in mind the OF THE YEAR part. Many people discount it and say, "You picked the Renault Alliance!" Not, "In 1983 you picked the Renault Alliance -- what was the competition?"
So... these two...
They both hit it out of the park in terms of Performance of Intended Function. And Safety. Value is tricky, because they're so expensive. But as you ALL have pointed out, the Telsa is cheap to run. However, the S-Class is all new and they lowered the price (and they sold over 530,000 of the previous gen). Tesla would beat the Benz in terms of Advancement in Design (though you could argue that the Model S looks too much like a conventional car and they could have made it wilder). Efficiency, no question here, Telsa murders it, though I should point out that the Mercedes gets better mileage than the car it replaces and makes more power and we've just been talking about the S550, not the hybrid, diesel or (coming soon) plug-in. But yeah, Tesla here. Then there's Engineering Excellence. I'd give it to the Mercedes. Everything not only works, but works freakishly well. The Tesla's a moon shot, but there are bugs. The car I used for the video was built in April of 2014 and the video was filmed in... April of 2014. All sorts of stuff was wrong (faulty traction and stability control, problems charging, a buzzing speaker). The Benz is just so much better made.
All that said, one of the big things we look for at Car of the Year is how far a car moves the needle. Another is how a car stacks up against its competitive set. The Tesla kicks the needle into next week. Totally advances the state of the art. However, the Benz is so far superior than the cars it competes against, that we'd have to take that into account. In fact, I would say the gap between the S-Class and the other cars it directly competes against is wider than we've ever seen.
So... I'd vote for the Model S. It really was a game changer. I still think the Benz is a better overall car, but for an Of The Year award, the Tesla would win it.
An anecdote if I may. I recently drove the BMW i8. A brilliant car. I came back to the office raving about it. My boss asked me if I liked it better than the Model S. I said yes, in like driving it more. Then he asked something interesting. "Are you more impressed with the BMW than you were by the Tesla the first time you drove it?" I answered no, absolutely not.
Hope that sheds some light.
From the video, and the fact that it made the cut from hours of recording, I got the sense that range anxiety was one of the few heavyweight deciding factors.
I was rather shocked (not necessarily surprised, being journalism) to find out in this thread that you reviewed an EV without a proper power source at home and didn't mention it in the review.
If, like about 99% of Model S owners, you didn't have to think about filling up and always started each day full, how much difference would it make in your opinion?
On the flip-side, if like most people with an S550 who drive like you, you had to pay for the gas at 17mpg without compensation, would that also impact your opinion? I'm going on the assumption that Motor Trend covers the cost of gas for car reviews.
If you factor those in, I don't really see how the S550 comes close to the Model S, even though it is a night club on wheels. I have a feeling the lights will get a little boring after a few months (as pretty lights have always done for me before), really just something to show off and has pretty much zero impact on actual driving experience.
I'm buying Model S because I don't like to waste time and money on gas and maintenance, and I like the flexibility of choice with how cleanly my vehicle is powered and where I fill it up. Also safety and reliability was a major factor, something that turned me away from the Leaf or Focus Electric as a stop-gap car. Just to name a few of very many reasons. Before Tesla, I would have never imagined spending over maybe $30k for a car if I were to buy one new. In fact, I can't recall spending more than $1k on anything other than TSLA stock and my Model S deposit, I'm that crazy about saving money and that crazy about Tesla.
I should say that it is my opinion that Model S is the best car, for me in particular. Given the very many different factors that make a car, it is not very wise to say that a car is the "best" or "better" car outside the context of opinion let alone the target market, especially in a professional review subjected to the public microscope.
You've lost all credibility with me x2.
I see, so I point out your childish comments and your comment is the oldest school yard comment in the books. Perhaps you can defend the reason for your childish comments that I have quoted instead of "times two'ing" me?
For what reasons?Oh yeah, the Benz will depreciate like a rock.
You're attacking the messenger, which is fine. But you can't say the Model S is better because it's more efficient and then turn around and play down the better efficiency of the Leaf when I point it out because it doesn't have a Tesla badge. So, I short handed my comments because if you can't see that inconsistency in your own argument then I can't help you.
Plus, for a Canadian, you're being rude. I say this as a proud half-Canuck.
You're attacking the messenger, which is fine. But you can't say the Model S is better because it's more efficient and then turn around and play down the better efficiency of the Leaf when I point it out because it doesn't have a Tesla badge. So, I short handed my comments because if you can't see that inconsistency in your own argument then I can't help you.
Plus, for a Canadian, you're being rude. I say this as a proud half-Canuck.
You're attacking the messenger, which is fine. But you can't say the Model S is better because it's more efficient and then turn around and play down the better efficiency of the Leaf when I point it out because it doesn't have a Tesla badge.
Can you at least acknowledge that having a large piece of metal in an engine in front of the driver doesn't make that person safer? If not, please explain.
Depends on how the car is designed. If you're talking about a 1959 Cadillac, the engine makes the car more dangerous because no one thought about crash safety back then, at least not in terms of engineering. The story is completely different with modern cars. Engines can be part of the crash structure, just like wheels and tires can. It's all in the design. If you're claiming that the S550 is unsafe because it has an engine, that's simply ludicrous.