Many thanks for the above to assure that my decision for a 85D. My only remaining question is: should I take the autopilot convenience features and/or the ultra HiFi Sound option(s)?
I suggest the autopilot convenience features. The HiFi sound option only if you are _really_ into sound.
Autopilot if you want to experience cool stuff like self-parking, and handless+footless driving in the near future. BTW, no one is posting new P85D photos here even though the title suggests so.
Not so. Autopilot (handless and footless driving) is not allowed in HK yet. Even if allowed, PS of Tesla said it was still under testing. For self-parking, I don't really need it. According to another Tesla guy, the feature was only good for parallel parking. For Traffic-aware cruise control, the PS said that there was no guarantee that your car would not hit the car(s) in the front if their stop was so abrupt that the sensors and cameras were unable to react so quickly to make the car stop right before hitting anything in the front. It may however minimize the "loss" if the hit is inevitable. Now, are the automatic high/low beam headlights and the lane keeping with automatic steering really worth the additional $19K+? BTW, any owners or prospective owners have got this autopilot convenience features option? What is your comment if you have got it?
My opinion is that this is a Hi-Tech car. Whatever the state of allowed/disallowed features today in Hong Kong, we just know that Tesla is going to keep adding stuff to the tech options on this car. Ordering a car without the tech features would be a mistake IMHO. So, I would always just pay for the 'autopilot convenience features' (or whatever else Tesla calls them next month).
I chose Hi-Fi upgrade but not the autopilot. reason is Hi -Fi upgrade cannot be added later, but we can add autopilot later at a higher price. Also, the detailed features of autopilot and whether it is allowed in HK is not known yet. Even it allows you to drive handless and footless, I doubt if I will use it often.
i have the hi fi upgrade, it isn't that impressive compare to after market. i would go with tech pack!
Every new model s has emergency braking. I've found the (optional) tacc to be very effective, and feels solid. The tech pack value will improve over time as the new features evolve. The upgraded sound system is great too.
What is "autopilot convenience features"? If it is TACC traffic aware cruise control, this is must have!
I have Autopilot as it comes with the car as basic. TACC is fun because of the footless experience. I basically can drive on normal roads and highways without touching brakes or accelerators. Mercedez S-class has lane keeping "handless" for awhile now (see video) so I have full confidence that HK TD will allow handless+footless soon! The future will be tapping the 17", or even better say the name of the destination, and your car will get you there! [video]https://youtu.be/z87U8qVxNio?t=9m13s[/video]
Tesla divided them into 'safety' and 'convenience' features. Everyone with autopilot gets the 'safety' features. Only those who either had the tech package or now pay for it, get the 'convenience' features.
Are you sure this is safe? occasionally i see these posts where TACC goes haywire and if you don't have your foot on the break, it becomes hazardess. And in HK where we spend less time on the high way, i don't see myself using this feature at all.
I have the same opinion as yours. Even it has all kind of autopilot features, I will not reply on it for safety reason. If I need to put my feet on the brake to back up the TACC/autopilot, I prefer not having it.
My Own Opinion, Convenience features are not too useful in Hong Kong 1. Parallel self parking. Most parallel parking likely to be roadside metered parking, if you use autopilot to park, I am pretty sure you will never get that space. Someone will take it from your back before your tesla even started to turn into that space 2. Parallel self parking in parking lot is useless too, Hong Kong parking lot is way too tight. I make pretty sure the computer can't handle it 3. Lane keeping cruise control. If you have a car that accelerates from 0-100kph in 3.3 or 4.4s you don't want to keep in lane too often, and Hong Kong longest highway route is probably just one hour. 4. Auto Hi/Lo beam, 99.9% of the road in Hong Kong have very bright street lamps and 99.9999% of the time they are turn on. Chances you are on High-beam = 0.0001% and probably 50% of the road is have the opposite direction seperated by concrete blocks which your headbeam won't affect them driving. The most annoying headbeam is not coming from your Tesla, but the China-Hong Kong License Alphards and Vellfires with a mainland china driver in it. 5. Auto lane change hitting the indicator lights, could be more annoying than not having one. In Hong Kong, whenever you hit the indicator lights, the driver in the car behind you at that side immediate floor his throttle instead of braking. I use the indicator lights in this way: a. Turn the indicator light on b. the driver behind me will act like a frenzy bug (without any brain structure), and floor his pedal c. I deliberately let him pass me, then I move to the lane after he pass, he creates the roomy space behind his wheels for me to change lane. Because of that, the normal North American logic auto lane change won't work here.
