Choosing Options - For a Newbie

[CirrusPilot]

Tesla fans...this is my first post and I'm totally new to the Tesla world. I do participate heavily in forums for my other toy, a Cirrus SR22 plane. (Anyone else here from COPA?)

I have two dumb questions typical of a first time poster. First, though, I have decided against the Model X, due to all the problems I see on this site and now in Consumer Reports. It looks cool; in fact my plane has similar gull wings. But I'm not prepared to deal with all the issues.

So, on to the Model S:

1. Choosing Options: Is there a link here with advice on how to choose the right model (will probably go for longest range) and options? I don't expect anyone to write a long answer...just hoping it's written up somewhere else here (as it is on the Cirrus site....SR20 versus SR22 model).

2. When is the "next generation" of Model S, and should I wait? I really want the "autopilot" capabilities and realize they are in their infancy. I don't want to buy, only to find out a new model was right around the corner and everyone knew it.

Any advice appreciated before I take the plunge!!!

 

[CalBlue 85D]

Good questions and I'm sure there are a lot of other people thinking the same thing. I don't think anyone knows the answer to #2, and based upon how Tesla releases updates mid-cycle when they are ready, I don't think we will get any notice before Tesla makes an announcement of the next car. That said, they are going to be pretty busy with the Model 3, so I predict that the MS will continue to have a long life with periodic upgrades such as AP2. The recent hire of the Volvo interior design guru might indicate that an interior refresh is likely before major exterior changes arrive. (And looking at a MS, who wants to change that design? Love it!)

For options, take them for a test drive and see what you like. I was on the fence for AP until I drove one and then it was at the top of my list. I had the large battery, pano roof and leather interior as must have options and I didn't originally want the 21 inch wheels due to risk of curb damage. I ended up buying used, and the car I found had 21's and now that I have lived with them for 6 months I really like them. You never know....

 

[ecarfan]

Is there a link here with advice on how to choose the right model (will probably go for longest range)

Always glad to hear from people who are seriously interested in buying a Tesla. There is no single "link" about which model is "right" because personal preferences vary widely. There are many threads discussing the pros and cons of the S vs. the X. I think if you carefully study the model descriptions on the Tesla website you will have a good understanding of the differences between the two.

When is the "next generation" of Model S, and should I wait?

Tesla does not follow the conventional car "model year" practice of introducing the majority of their new features at the same time in the fall. Tesla starts offering new features when they are done with developing them and can start building them into their cars. That can occur at any time during the year and Tesla does not announce the new features in advance. People love to guess as to when a certain rumored new feature will appear but they are speculating. They don't know.

If the Teslas being currently produced meet your needs, buy one. If they don't, wait. But be prepared to wait an undetermined amount of time. Elon has said many times something like this: "The best Tesla ever made is the one we are making right now." Meaning, don't wait for a better one because Tesla is constantly improving their cars, in very tiny and unnoticeable ways and in major ways.

If you are determined to wait for a "better" Tesla than you will wait forever because the cars continually improve. Why wait? Buy now and start enjoying in a few weeks!

 

[GasKilla]

2. When is the "next generation" of Model S, and should I wait? I really want the "autopilot" capabilities and realize they are in their infancy. I don't want to buy, only to find out a new model was right around the corner and everyone knew it.

Any advice appreciated before I take the plunge!!!

According to Tesla the current hardware being supplied on all Teslas (whether you pay for it or not) is capable of full autonomy, so there is no reason to wait for a "model change" to increase autopilot capabilities, that will be accomplished through software updates. The great thing about Tesla is your car receives more functionality after you purchase it, autopilot will only get better as time passes and you won't have to buy a new "model" for that to happen. Aslo until the gigafactory is fully online, the 100kWh pack will be the largest available in a Tesla, so if you are waiting for more capacity than 100kWh you will be waiting a few years.

Go for for it! You won't be disappointed! Plus if you order befor the end of the year you will have free unlimited superchargering for life, wait until next year and you will have to pay for supercharger use more than 1k miles. Feel free to PM me with any questions, and when you order I'd appreciate it if you used the referal link in my signature. You have until January 15 to get your $1k discount via the referal program.

 

[Akikiki]

Battery size? If money is not a big problem, select the battery size that will serve your purpose then bump it up to the next larger one. You will not regret that choice later. Gaskilla is correct about ordering before year end to protect your unlimited supercharging free feature. There's an excellent guide for the less informed. Its called Owning Model S, and you can get it at Amazon and EVannex.com And in your case you might want to order then - buy the book. You will not regret getting the book while waiting for your car.
I too would be grateful if you use my referral link. PM me and I will reply the link to you.

 

[gjunky]

Welcome to the forum!

I think going with the longest range you can afford is always good. You will find yourself wanting to take road trips even if you didn't before

Also, we ordered a bunch of options on our X and these are probably what we like best about the car beside of course the fantastic drive.

As to #2: We never know. AP2 came out 4 months after we bought our AP1 car without warning. It is nice to know that all cars now have AP2 in it and will be upgraded to full autonomous capabilities in the future through software updates. As KF94563 pointed out, they are pretty busy with the Model 3 so it "seems" safe to buy one just about now.

Either way, you won't be disappointed but make sure to go test drive the different models.

a shameless plug: You can of course use my signature referral link for a $1000 discount...

 

[Andyw2100]

Plus if you order befor the end of the year you will have free unlimited superchargering for life, wait until next year and you will have to pay for supercharger use more than 1k miles.

It may be too late to get the unlimited free supercharging.

In another thread someone posted that the order needed to be locked in / confirmed before the end of the year, and that there was no longer an option to confim/lock the order sooner than the week or ten day or whatever it is waiting period. If that information is accurate, an order placed today would not confirm in time.

Of course if the OP is considering ordering this year, that is definitely something work inquiring about, and possibly trying to negotiate. Perhaps the order could be confirmed by a Tesla associate, even if it can't be done easily online.

Another issue no one has brought up is that the 100 kWh battery is only currently available on the P100DL. If the OP doesn't want a performance model, but wants maximum range he should probably wait until the S100D is available. People seem to think that is likely to be fairly soon, so that should probably be a consideration for the OP.

 

[CirrusPilot]

Thanks for the helpful info. I do plan to buy before year end, but I promised the referral to my flight instructor, who was an early Model S owner.

How can I find out more about Supercharging in case it's free for life? Have no idea what this is...

 

[Andyw2100]

Thanks for the helpful info. I do plan to buy before year end, but I promised the referral to my flight instructor, who was an early Model S owner.

How can I find out more about Supercharging in case it's free for life? Have no idea what this is...

You definitely want free supercharging if, in fact, there is still any way for you to get it.

There are superchargers all over the world that allow for free, fast charging, at this point for Teslas only, for travel. Tesla is constantly expanding the supercharger network.

Cars purchased after this year will be limited to a relatively small amount of free supercharging per year, and will have to pay for charging beyond that. So if you are ordering this year, you should find out if there is any way to finalize your order this year so that you may get the free supercharging for life (meaning the life of the car.)

 

[CirrusPilot]

Got it...thanks. Will research. I tend to fly my plane (or fly commercially) for distance travel, so this may not be as meaningful for me.

 

[Akikiki]

We understand how it might not be as meaningful to some buyers. But when it cost nothing to position yourself now for the future resale of your Tesla later, it could make a difference when you are competing with sellers that have it on theirs.

Another option in insuring free lifetime supercharging is buying one of the existing inventory cars. Tesla currently has several hundred new cars with literally zero miles and already built. Look at EV-CPO.com and under New Inventory on the Tesla page next to "Custom". Type in a zip code to find out what's available new you. There's still time to close a deal before year end.

 

[NeverFollow]

... my other toy, a Cirrus SR22 plane. (Anyone else here from COPA?)
... my plane has similar gull wings.

1. Choosing Options: Is there a link here with advice on how to choose the right model....
2. ... I really want the "autopilot" capabilities and realize they are in their infancy.

Hi, I got basic PPL on a tiny Cessna 155, and did a lot of sky diving from Cessna 185 Skywagon
(with a side falcon door which can be open during flight for jumping...)

1) I would get the D (Dual engine) if you plan to keep the car for while, less stress on the rear engine
and better for cruising (front get longer speed ratio), and feel less failure prone (like twin-engine plane).

2) I would not like to spend too much for an advanced Auto Pilot, might be $8/10k option?

- I would just like to have a basic smart cruise control, to relax in stop and go traffic jams or long freeway driving trips.

- I like to drive otherwise, in city I prefer been preemptive and cautious not to rely on a computer for handling situations
like dealing with aggressive drivers cutting you off to make a left turn in front of in-coming traffic or merging from the right,
or dealing with hesitating pedestrians crossing at a street corner, and cyclists passing you from the right side...

- Also on roadway, on curvy roads I wonder how an Auto Pilot could decide at what speed to drive since the visibility is like nothing?
I imagine that a car then would be constantly slowing down and accelerate?

Also the AP would not be able to anticipate how much acceleration or breaking is need
when a curb is going up or down, or if a road is slanted toward the inside of a curb,
or slanted toward the outside (this occurs to avoid having large water puddles).

- Honestly, I like to drive my current car which has a stick shift, so I can decide which gear to use and when to downshift.
I hate when I have to rent an automatic car when I travel... it's like flying and landing using a joystick and no yoke or rudder pedals.

Hope this help!

 

[NeverFollow]

I have decided against the Model X, due to all the problems I see on this site and now in Consumer Reports.

Regarding the MS versus MX I would consider usability and price: should I need a three rows sitting, towing...

 

[rw86347]

Tesla fans...this is my first post and I'm totally new to the Tesla world. I do participate heavily in forums for my other toy, a Cirrus SR22 plane. (Anyone else here from COPA?)

I have two dumb questions typical of a first time poster. First, though, I have decided against the Model X, due to all the problems I see on this site and now in Consumer Reports. It looks cool; in fact my plane has similar gull wings. But I'm not prepared to deal with all the issues.

So, on to the Model S:

1. Choosing Options: Is there a link here with advice on how to choose the right model (will probably go for longest range) and options? I don't expect anyone to write a long answer...just hoping it's written up somewhere else here (as it is on the Cirrus site....SR20 versus SR22 model).

2. When is the "next generation" of Model S, and should I wait? I really want the "autopilot" capabilities and realize they are in their infancy. I don't want to buy, only to find out a new model was right around the corner and everyone knew it.

Any advice appreciated before I take the plunge!!!

I just bought a 99D (picked it up today). The price was over the top ($105,000), which made me pass on some features. Here is what I choose and my first impressions.

- 90 KWH ... coming from a Nissan Leaf I think I could have lived with a 60 KWH but my wife wanted the 90. My drive home from Tesla would have used 80% of my Leaf, but I used just a fraction of the 90, which should make it a good road trip car. I still think I would consider a 60 KWH.

- D I choose the Dual motor because Colorado has snow the the Dual motors her better mileage and are faster. No regrets. The 90D is blazing fast.

- Glass roof. Cool and beautiful, but I would pass next time. When looking out the front you can hardly see the roof. Moreover the tinting is VERY dark.

- 90D cloth seats. These things ROCK!!! I promised myself I would buy leather, but I REALLY like the 90D cloth seats. I *think* I like them more then the leather seats. These should not be confused the with 60-75D cloth seats which I hate.

- Enhanced Auto Pilot. I can't imagine buying one without it, but who knows it is still missing.

- Autonomous Driving. I hope this was a good decision, but I wonder if I should have waited on this one.

- Winter driving. Very nice! I am happy I got this.

- Dark Ash Wood. AMAZING!!! I would have paid extra for this.

- Premium Stereo Skipped. I wanted it but the price was too much, and if I really want to listen to a truly kick ass stereo I will head home.

- Black Wheels Skipped. I loved the color but I didn't want bigger wheels and $5000 was just too much for something I would nick.

- Grey Blue Paint Skipped. Awesome color but then again I was done spending money. Then again the black is AMAZING!!!

- P Skipped. The 90D is too fast! it actually makes me sick to my stomach and I love speed.

- Air Suspension Skipped. I doubt I will miss it.

- High Amp Charger Skipped. Super Charger network is getting really big. I don't plan on doing any camp ground chargers. I doubt I will miss it.

 

[NathanielHrnblwr]

Hi,

where's the "custom" field? I can't seem to find it.

 

[Akikiki]

Hi, its not a field. Its a selection choice. Go to tesla.com, select Model S, it takes you to the page where you see Custom and New Inventory. Selecting Custom opens the Design Studio. But you can also select New Inventory. Then type in zip codes to check in your area or other areas.

 

[NathanielHrnblwr]

Hi, its not a field. Its a selection choice. Go to tesla.com, select Model S, it takes you to the page where you see Custom and New Inventory. Selecting Custom opens the Design Studio. But you can also select New Inventory. Then type in zip codes to check in your area or other areas.

Ah, thank you. I was looking on ev-cpo.

 

[Vic_F]

Can you post some pics of the textile interior premium front and rear?