The Prius has regen... it's a gear called "B" that essentially gives you the same thing that a Tesla does in "Auto Regen" mode.
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The Prius has regen... it's a gear called "B" that essentially gives you the same thing that a Tesla does in "Auto Regen" mode.
Brass Guy
Active Member
It was years ago now... but I thought I read in my mom's Prius manual not to stay in "B" mode because it'd be bad for fuel economy. I assumed "B" mode forced the engagement of the ICE for engine braking, rather than regen.
A quick (non-thorough) search came up with just that answer, too.
Either way, Prius has regen but mostly tied in with the brake pedal.
Jeff P
Member
"B" mode is intended to simulate down-shifting for the purpose of engine braking, if you're driving around Waimea Canyon, for example. Obviously in regular drive mode, braking normally squeezes the brakes but also engages the regen. When I lived in Seattle, there were a number of roads where I would consistently max out the battery on the way down. Heck, engine idling in park will charge the battery.
Why wait on the X? I'm pretty sure I don't want an X.
Actually, Autopilot is a HUGE deal to me and I thought lane-keeping was already working on current models. Maybe I should wait for this to get figured out.
I want AWD as well, being in CO.
Of course there's a whole thread on this, plus the related Price is Right guessing game.
I don't have a horse in this game with no AP h/w. I'll just ask a question for you to think about: do you have lane-keeping now? (Last time I read this thread was a few days ago, I can't remember if you stated upthread that you had a Mercedes with lane-keeping already). If you *don't* already have lane keeping in your current car, then, all you're doing by waiting is missing out on all the other HUGE advantages the Model S gives you. If you order now, you know you'll get lane keeping with an OTA software update, "soon"
. At least you're forewarned that it's not already included in the car. Somebody needs to fix a website somewhere (but that's well discussed elsewhere).
Which seems to have degenerated into a name-calling thread now...
Not unless you count my left knee!
Really? What if we need more hardware later to fully enable AP? Is it guaranteed that the hardware will be compatible with my MS? And free (parts and labor)? And what if the warrantee expires on unused hardware before the software releases? Will it be extended?If you order now, you know you'll get lane keeping with an OTA software update, "soon"
I doubt Tesla is guaranteeing any of the above.
Yeah, I did not read the website option as "by the way, this option isn't actually included" and the sales guy didn't point it out to me when I said it was a major reason I wanted the car.
I'm a forum lurker (not owner) and this is what I have read:
* Tesla AWD is a huge improvement over RWD.
* Autopilot availability and current implementation is a mess. Don't expect it, don't use it, and don't wait on it. If you do use the assist mode they have now, be ready to second guess it every time there is anything but a flat desert in any direction. Lots of people have been in nasty crashes because the assist mode didn't assist (at least not early enough to stop a bad crash).
All your Pro's are good and all your Con's are irrelevant except for:
Tesla in a bad neighborhood brainstorming:
I have never owned a Tesla, but I do have a decade old used super-shiny black MB E500. Many times I’ve been chased on the freeway by angry yelling dirty old failing paint Toyota Camry’s because their drivers have some genetic instinct to attack MB’s. I feel like they're targeting my $10,000 car like it's a $250,000 car. I’ve thus learned to be ultra-careful when I approach the types of neighborhoods housing those types of vehicles and drivers. Here is some brainstorming about an approach regarding bad neighborhoods:
* Perhaps park in the better parking spaces (perhaps nearer to better neighborhoods) and commute (bus, walk, bike). Always avoid areas where glass is on the road (indicating break-ins common). Often all I have to do is go 2-3 blocks for a change of neighborhood quality. I take this very seriously. Sometimes it can't beat parking in a psychologically very good spot at your target, though.
* Boring color pick, but not so boring you put everybody in a death mood.
* Plastic wrap (perhaps covering up an exciting color with a boring color!)
* With the plastic wrap, get it dirty, but not too dirty: just bad neighborhood dirty. Many people attack very dirty cars, and fewer people attack ultra-clean cars, but both exist. A happy medium does exist in those dirty neighborhoods; most of them don't have time and money to wash their cars and most are poor enough to be around dirty dust clouds more often. Clean it sort-of.
* Order it with no flamboyant badges. The less symbols, the better, to a point. Specifically ask how unbadged it can get. Don’t go overboard on this either: if it is TOO generic, many people attack those vehicles that don’t “fit a mold” or “have too much work done on them” like many cars that have lost their designations through too much work (a gangster will assume you are a rival gangster since this is a sign of being a gangster). Maybe ask the factory for the least profile branding they have and call it good. If you identify yourself properly then stop calling attention, that’s what the bad neighborhoods want, pretty much like cops (after all, that’s what bad neighborhoods are: enforcement by criminals, much like cops but a different tribe).
* Learn how to park close to the super conservative poor people that have well-kept cars and pimps with nice cars (but not tinkerers with flashy cars since these are bad news), since both categories want to treat their vehicles carefully since they both view their cars sort of as expensive investments. In general, look for the best out of the way but not out of sight parking spaces. This is a real art. It is a balance of a million things. After years of practice, you get good at it. Keep in mind sometimes this is who the thieves target and you can hone your skills.
* Don't call attention to yourself. But don't sneak up on anybody either -- this is almost as bad. Drive slow enough for people to not be surprised by your presence, but not so slow they size you up as a mark. Never look like you might speed into anybody wandering around the streets, but don't be timid. Graciously strong is my motto, for better or for worse.
But you have to also be ready for whatever. Avoid the problems but understand the risks and probabilities and don't get bewildered when something does happen -- have a realistic plan and be ready to learn and think clearly and in a way that instantly diffuses issues. Animals react to stimulae, and if you give the right stimulae, you can get out of anything without even so much as a thought or moment's notice.
I used to have beat up tanks of cars (Swedish bricks from pre-Ford era), and those things I could drive LIKE A TANK in those neighborhoods, and people would GET OUT OF MY WAY and give me ample respect. This doesn't happen in luxury cars: prettymuch the opposite. My car went from being an Unstoppable Force To Be Contended With to a stealth batman-like car that took back roads and hid all the time like a dainty thing (from predator to prey). If I do want to sound forceful, the muffled roar of my V8 helps, but to a point -- it's a subtle effect that can be overused (don't make them turn their gaze to you); I'm actually curious how the lack of this would make a Tesla feel in this situation.
You seem uninformed about the issue of insurance. Not all insurance is the same. Any insurer will send you a big bill, but very few insurance places actually pay out the proper value for Tesla (this is no nitpicky thing at all --- tens of thousands of dollars lost and huge overhead for dealing with bad insurance). Read these forums very thoroughly about the best insurance options to get.
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Cons:
Notice that my "Cons" have more to do with owning a nice car than anything to do with Tesla specifically. So, do you think my Pros are "the wrong reasons?" I don't really want a luxury car or a sportscar. I don't much car about performance or handling. But I want an all-electric with good range and AWD, so there's really no other option, correct?[/QUOTE]
For AWD and all electric, Tesla is really the only option.
I think in making the Model S, Tesla's options allow you to customize the car to suit your needs -- for the people who want Sport, they go for the P85/90s. For those who want luxury, there's a lot of options to make the interior feel more luxurious. I think just the base Model S is a pretty great car for the value.
It's all the options that hike up the price (which is why the P85/P90s get priority on the assembly line -- the faster those are delivered, the more income Tesla has coming in).
The Tesla is very technology-laden vehicle, but it doesn't make it a luxury vehicle.
However, if you want to make it look a little stealthier, I've noticed that if optioned without the panoramic roof, the car could pass at a glance for a Ford Fusion. The main thing for vandalism is not to draw attention. This is not just about the car, but also the driver's behavior. I was at breakfast at a strip mall, and the parking lot has a tendency to very packed, and a new and shiny BMW parks in the middle of two parking spots, taking up two spaces. When I came out from breakfast, someone had keyed every panel of the BMW from end to end, including the roof. Don't be a jerk, and people won't have any reason to retaliate.
I've not encountered people who view the Tesla as a display of wealth. Most of the time, people are more curious about Teslas and their all-electricness. Be prepared to recite the range of the Tesla, and the amount of time it takes to charge up the battery.
Electricity cost versus the cost of gasoline of a Prius for the same miles driven is about the same up to half the cost. (Depends on the cost of electricity and gasoline where you are).
I still keep my ICE around for parking in some parking lots with shopping carts. If I didn't have the ICE, I'd probably have wrapped my S in plastic.
You could just lease the Model S until the Model 3 comes out if you are waiting for the Model 3.
- I don't need a sportscar or a luxury car and neither aspect appeals to me.
- The Model 3 will be out in 2 years and I could just wait for a "more modest" car. Please talk me out of this!!
- I hate the idea of being seen as pretentious or being someone who cares about "conspicuous consumption" or displays of wealth.
- I occasionally have to travel to (and park in) bad neighborhoods. Vandalism target, no? (I'm thinking of keeping my Prius for THIS reason only! But really don't want to own two cars.)
Notice that my "Cons" have more to do with owning a nice car than anything to do with Tesla specifically. So, do you think my Pros are "the wrong reasons?" I don't really want a luxury car or a sportscar. I don't much car about performance or handling. But I want an all-electric with good range and AWD, so there's really no other option, correct?[/QUOTE]
For AWD and all electric, Tesla is really the only option.
I think in making the Model S, Tesla's options allow you to customize the car to suit your needs -- for the people who want Sport, they go for the P85/90s. For those who want luxury, there's a lot of options to make the interior feel more luxurious. I think just the base Model S is a pretty great car for the value.
It's all the options that hike up the price (which is why the P85/P90s get priority on the assembly line -- the faster those are delivered, the more income Tesla has coming in).
The Tesla is very technology-laden vehicle, but it doesn't make it a luxury vehicle.
However, if you want to make it look a little stealthier, I've noticed that if optioned without the panoramic roof, the car could pass at a glance for a Ford Fusion. The main thing for vandalism is not to draw attention. This is not just about the car, but also the driver's behavior. I was at breakfast at a strip mall, and the parking lot has a tendency to very packed, and a new and shiny BMW parks in the middle of two parking spots, taking up two spaces. When I came out from breakfast, someone had keyed every panel of the BMW from end to end, including the roof. Don't be a jerk, and people won't have any reason to retaliate.
I've not encountered people who view the Tesla as a display of wealth. Most of the time, people are more curious about Teslas and their all-electricness. Be prepared to recite the range of the Tesla, and the amount of time it takes to charge up the battery.
Electricity cost versus the cost of gasoline of a Prius for the same miles driven is about the same up to half the cost. (Depends on the cost of electricity and gasoline where you are).
I still keep my ICE around for parking in some parking lots with shopping carts. If I didn't have the ICE, I'd probably have wrapped my S in plastic.
You could just lease the Model S until the Model 3 comes out if you are waiting for the Model 3.
I have already had that discussion a few times and I don't even own a Tesla yet!
It will be hard to drive the Prius after I buy a Tesla, but I do go to Target now and then, so...
I need to look into leasing, since I have a consulting business and I understand leasing can be better for tax purposes sometimes.
DjiM
Member
I have already had that discussion a few times and I don't even own a Tesla yet!
It will be hard to drive the Prius after I buy a Tesla, but I do go to Target now and then, so...
I need to look into leasing, since I have a consulting business and I understand leasing can be better for tax purposes sometimes.
Just some insights from a fellow Prius owner and fellow IT consultant / computer scientist.
Before ordering the model S, the (only) family car was a 2012 Prius. My wife and I decided to keep it and we're happy that we took that decision.
Forget range anxiety; the only problem I experience with the Tesla is parking anxiety. The car is (really) wide and long and therefore not super-compatible with parallel parking situations in our local shops / malls. So basically, we keep the Prius as a shopping cart when going for groceries. Would it be impossible to do this with a Tesla? Not at all. But the Prius is better suited as a city car.
Apart from shopping trips, not a hair on my head would think about using the Prius when the Tesla is available. It's such an amazing car.
When it comes to the image that comes with the car: we're not considering ourselves / friends / family to be affluent people. Whenever one of them ask us how much it cost, I just tell them. And then I tell them that it is worth every penny (something I picked up somewhere on the forum
) and that cheaper models will come. And if they ask why I paid so much for a car, I just tell them that I believe in electric transportation and offer them a ride. That usually does the trick. Good luck with your purchase
Just thought I'd wrap up this thread I started a few weeks ago...
Ordered my Model S today. Now comes the wait....
Ordered my Model S today. Now comes the wait....
So did you really expect anyone here to try to talk you out of it?Just thought I'd wrap up this thread I started a few weeks ago...
Ordered my Model S today. Now comes the wait....
Full glasses of kool-aid have been distributed, fortunately only spiked with electrons.
Congrats!
Attachments
Just thought I'd wrap up this thread I started a few weeks ago...
Ordered my Model S today. Now comes the wait....
Congratulations...that's an excellent choice. Doesn't matter what options or variant you ordered, it's still an excellent choice.
Bruce.
mikes_fsd
Banned
I would love to know which config you went with in the end! It was a pretty spirited thread after allJust thought I'd wrap up this thread I started a few weeks ago...
Ordered my Model S today. Now comes the wait....
lucy
bluehair
Excellent! Judging by the wait for the MX, You would have been really hating life waiting for the next model after that.
The Great and Powerful Musk will be distracted by 10 other projects by then, if he is even still with the company.
Just sayin'...
The Great and Powerful Musk will be distracted by 10 other projects by then, if he is even still with the company.
Just sayin'...
I would love to know which config you went with in the end! It was a pretty spirited thread after all
85D (AWD) with pano roof, everything else standard. Pretty basic model considering you can get a P90D with 21" wheels and all the add-ons, but I decided to forgo all of that and just get a basic 85D.
It's a three-year lease, 12k annual mileage max, and I'm expecting to go for a Model 3 at the end of the lease.
kevincupp
Member
Congrats! This thread really resonated with me as I was going through the exact same pros and cons a few weeks ago, but I also ended up leasing a Model S (pretty basic 70D) with plans to go to a Model 3 at the end. I'm just hoping the Model 3 won't feel like too much of a downgrade after driving a Model S for three years.
Congrats! This thread really resonated with me as I was going through the exact same pros and cons a few weeks ago, but I also ended up leasing a Model S (pretty basic 70D) with plans to go to a Model 3 at the end. I'm just hoping the Model 3 won't feel like too much of a downgrade after driving a Model S for three years.
I figure if the S is vastly superior to the 3, I'll just lease another S (or buy one). By 2018 the S will probably be even more amazing.
I'm still within the 7 day change period... going down to Park Meadows on Saturday to drive a P85D and see if I want to switch out for that. But it's $300/mon more just to impress girls... hmm...
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