Cruising Memory Lane in a 2012 Model S loaner

[Chopr147]

So I dropped my 2016 S off for service and am driving a loaner this weekend.
I noticed a few things of course and others who have had new/old S know many of these observations.
First thing this car is a VERY early S , a 2012 with a VIN# of XXX01272.
I believe that makes it just under the first 1300 model S's made?
It is an 85kwh, No "P" or "D".
It only has 20,200 miles so maybe it has always been a service center car and it is in really good condition, surprisingly. A few scuff marks here and there that I made sure were noted before I drove away
Couple observations:

It is the dark green color that looks black at certain angles. Not my thing but a very nice color option.
I never liked the front grill look. Tesla +1 for improving
Headlights/tailights Tesla +1 for improving
Slightly quieter to my 2016 if only because it is RWD. No low speed front motor whine.
No Pano roof. I miss it. Feels more constricted. IMHO Headroom in rear is really low.
The dashboard trim is fading and scuffed. Appears lower quality than the current trim options. Tesla +1 for improving
The interior headliner is hard plastic. Today it is a nice soft velour type feel. Tesla +1 for improving
The leather seats are uncomfortable. I remember reading on this forum about the early seats being thin.
Tesla +1 for improving
The regeneration is so much less aggressive but works well and I like it better at highway speeds than my current regen. Tesla : No points for or against but this is opinion. Probably deserves a +1 for better regen. today but.....
Creep: This car creeps a little bit and the "Creep" mode is off. Also no "HOLD" function. Tesla +1 for improving
Have to remember to hold the brake at traffic lights for even the slightest road grade.
No Autopilot! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I have to drive ALL weekend! Feels like a dinosaur
I keep flipping the cruise control stalk for turn signals. They were opposite then apparently. Gear shifter stalk is also different. Were these early stalks also from Mercedes? Tesla +1 for improving
No middle console, just a big open space. Tesla +1 for improving
The middle arm rest stitching is right where I lean my arm and "scratchy" Tesla +1 for improving
If the early adopters can add to this i would be very interested in how they have improved upon some subtle points.
And hey, early adopters: Thank you!
I am enjoying getting a chance to drive one of the first made. Despite some faults that have been improved upon and some maybe still needed, it is a great car that just needed refinement. And little by little that refinement is clear to see.
I think Tesla still has more improvements for the S, including quality control and an interior "plush" feel that is missing IMHO.
I can see why car magazines and CR rated this car so highly almost 5 years ago.
We can all argue the merits and negatives, beat 'em like a dead horse here but remember the 2012 Model S was a game changer.

 

[ChadS]

Hi Chopr;

My wife has a 2012 Signature S85; it is #112. It has 76k miles on it now. I also picked up an inventory P90DL last month to replace my Roadster. Here are some of my impressions:

The newer cars obviously have the P and D options, as well as autopilot. And the new nose, which I definitely prefer (and has better aero). Those are important improvements that I appreciate, but frankly I don't notice much else. I guess the new one has the subzero package that adds heated rear seats and steering wheel, but I haven't had cause to use that yet. Oh, and the first one or two thousand cars had pretty soft rear suspension bushings; the newer cars settle in much better on hard corners. That matters to me, but the way my wife drives, she doesn't notice or care.

This will obviously vary by car, old and new, but my Sig is a LOT quieter than the new one. The old one is just quiet; the new one has a rattle, squeaky brakes, scrapes on wheel lock, window wind noise on the highway, and pano wind noise when it's windy.

Fit and finish seem pretty much identical. My 2012 has pano and the alcantara headliner, so they are the same there. There is very little wear on the interior of my 2012; some scuffs, obviously. My wife FAR prefers the old seats. I am comfortable in either. And while I would prefer a front console, my wife loves and uses the open space every day. And of course the old RWD cars had a far larger frunk, which my wife uses constantly.

As for regen differences, I think (?) that's more of an RWD vs AWD issue than and old vs new issue.

The Sigs were available in Sig Red, which is by far my wife's favorite color and actually I guess it is probably mine too. For that reason alone my wife never wants to trade it in; add in the fact that she prefers the older seats and the open console space, and is a bit afraid of autopilot - she gets mad at me if I even suggest "upgrading" it. She sees nothing in the new cars that is better than what she has; in fact for her purposes she would see it as a slight downgrade.

A couple other really minor things we like about the older cars: even the base model came with the "performance" pedals. The cupholders have cinchers so they hold your drink much better. The front and rear cargo loading plates are chromish rather than black plastic.

 

[Chopr147]

That signature red is a beautiful color! I can see the open middle console being preferred by some people but I like my car neat and tidy so it wouldn't work for me.
Isn't the headliner and pillar panels hard plastic? The newer, softer materials are nice.
Sorry to hear yo have rattles etc...... I don't have any of that in mine. I would notice. I had a moonroof rattle in my last car and it drove me nuts! Never got used to it.
So you have been driving Tesla's for years? Good for you.
A couple years ago my plan was in about 2016 or so buy a BMW 535i . A car for me
Kids are older, no need for SUV etc...
Once I started looking Tesla, I forgot why I liked the BMW

 

[ChadS]

Isn't the headliner and pillar panels hard plastic? The newer, softer materials are nice.

Nope, they are both alcantara in both of our cars. That was something they did for the first ~1000 "Signature" cars.

I had electric cars before the Roadster, but since buying the Roadster in 2009 we have only purchased Teslas. The Roadster because it was the only EV available in 2009 AND it had a long range, which was critical given that we already had a short-range EV but wanted to get rid of our other gas car. And the 2012 Model S because it not only added a lot of utility what with the rear seat and all that cargo space, but it also promised Supercharging. (I used to take the Roadster on road trips; but charging at Level 2 speeds got kind of old. The Model S is fantastic for road trips. We just got back from another one yesterday).

I had hoped to keep the Roadster until the Model 3 was available, but finally needed a little more utility than the Roadster offered so I did a 2-year lease on a second Model S. Having 2 Model S seems like overkill, but it's the only BEV that can handle a weekly trip that I make; and after not burning gas since 2009 I am not going to revert to a PHEV now. I considered other cars to save money (I had never paid over $20k for an ICE), but my wife just kind of looked at me sideways and said "I think we are Tesla people now."

 

[johnnyS]

That loaner is almost 4 years old, not five. My slightly higher VIN was delivered December 22. Tesla delivered less than 3000 model Ss in 2012. I went and test drove a model X to see what it is like a couple of weeks ago. I much prefer the open center counsel to the new version. Did you compare the frunk? I carry a full size spare tire in mine. Our seats have been comfortable and show little wear after 60,000 miles, but the new seats are probably better. We have no rattles in our rear wheel drive S.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

My first Model S wasn't quite as early, VIN 9555, but still fairly early. I do like the next gen seats, but sometimes i think I miss my old ones. My headliner wasn't alcantara, but it wasn't hard plastic, either. It was a beige sort of scratchy fabric. The B pillar showed a little road grime from driving with the windows open so much.

The driver display had a thicker metal bezel, and on mine the armrests were covered in the nicer material than a newer loaner I got once, even though there was no upgrade for that when I ordered. I think early on there was a lot of mix and match as they worked out supply chain challenges. My old S had the chromish plates in the frunk, but the black plastic ones in the trunk. I missed out the performance pedals. Also, early ones didn't have the option of a matching yacht floor, so I had to add that after. The price was ridiculous, of course. I do miss my yacht floor space.

Even with my dual motor version now, I think it's quieter than my old 2013. No squeaks or rattles, except the HEPA filter rumbles once in a while at low speeds. I think it just isn't seated right, I'll get around to it eventually.

I thought I'd miss my bigger frunk, but I can still fit a week's worth of groceries in my shrunken frunk after all.

Other than that, not much has changed beyond AP, of course!

 

[Chopr147]

Did you compare the frunk?

Yes, my frunk is much smaller. I have the D but it doesn't matter anymore. All the refresh frunks are smaller. Between the frunk and the compartment under the rear cargo area I love that I can keep almost all everyday items out of view.

That loaner is almost 4 years old, not five.

There are many subtle changes but Tesla has come a long way in 4 years

 

[msnow]

I like both the new and old nose. IMHO they both look good in their own way. Other than that they're pretty close to the same. Agree the more subtle changes are improvements.

 

[ChadS]

In addition to my wife's Sig, I have a Sig loaner today (its VIN is almost 3x my wife's, but it only has about 1/3 the miles).

Walking around it and my new P90DL in the garage, fit and finish look pretty close. Some of the gaps on the Sig are a little bigger, but at least they are even.

This loaner is also quieter than my P90DL, though it has more road noise than my wife's Sig. The difference between Sigs is probably largely the tires (my wife has 19's).

The loaner also shows a little wear in the B-pillar area on the driver's side that my wife's Sig does not have.

This loaner is not perfect, but it's pretty darn good and is another Sig that I would be happy to own. I am sure there are some out there that I would rather not have, however.

 

[Az_Rael]

It only has 20,200 miles so maybe it has always been a service center car and it is in really good condition, surprisingly. A few scuff marks here and there that I made sure were noted before I drove away

Its a CPO, so be kind to it Someone might buy her someday.

85 kWh Model S 5YJSA1DN9CFP01272 | Tesla

 

[Chopr147]

Link no longer there
We are sorry, the vehicle you are trying to look at is no longer available,
Hmmmm, wonder if it was purchased?
I was nice to it but did try the sitting acceleration a few times to compare
Realized a week later I may have left my camping chair in the car, never got a call. No big deal, $20 chair.

 

[Model S M.D.]

Hi Chopr;

My wife has a 2012 Signature S85; it is #112. It has 76k miles on it now. I also picked up an inventory P90DL last month to replace my Roadster. Here are some of my impressions:

The newer cars obviously have the P and D options, as well as autopilot. And the new nose, which I definitely prefer (and has better aero). Those are important improvements that I appreciate, but frankly I don't notice much else. I guess the new one has the subzero package that adds heated rear seats and steering wheel, but I haven't had cause to use that yet. Oh, and the first one or two thousand cars had pretty soft rear suspension bushings; the newer cars settle in much better on hard corners. That matters to me, but the way my wife drives, she doesn't notice or care.

This will obviously vary by car, old and new, but my Sig is a LOT quieter than the new one. The old one is just quiet; the new one has a rattle, squeaky brakes, scrapes on wheel lock, window wind noise on the highway, and pano wind noise when it's windy.

Fit and finish seem pretty much identical. My 2012 has pano and the alcantara headliner, so they are the same there. There is very little wear on the interior of my 2012; some scuffs, obviously. My wife FAR prefers the old seats. I am comfortable in either. And while I would prefer a front console, my wife loves and uses the open space every day. And of course the old RWD cars had a far larger frunk, which my wife uses constantly.

As for regen differences, I think (?) that's more of an RWD vs AWD issue than and old vs new issue.

The Sigs were available in Sig Red, which is by far my wife's favorite color and actually I guess it is probably mine too. For that reason alone my wife never wants to trade it in; add in the fact that she prefers the older seats and the open console space, and is a bit afraid of autopilot - she gets mad at me if I even suggest "upgrading" it. She sees nothing in the new cars that is better than what she has; in fact for her purposes she would see it as a slight downgrade.

A couple other really minor things we like about the older cars: even the base model came with the "performance" pedals. The cupholders have cinchers so they hold your drink much better. The front and rear cargo loading plates are chromish rather than black plastic.

My wife prefers the open space too (maybe she needs a smaller purse!). I actually got a quote from Tesla and it will cost upwards of $2300 to remove the center console and install a yacht floor. Might as well just get another purse for that price, she agreed

 

[apacheguy]

I still love my Sig. Thank god it doesn't have AP. I'd never use it. The dash trim and headliner in my Sig is far superior to any of the more recent loaners. I love the old nose cone. The new ones still look defaced to me.

 

[contaygious]

Woah there dont make fun of my car! I love the grill! Never selling because of that until amroadster comes out! The only issue i have is the newer ones have way comfier seats, mine feels like a rock after driving a new loaner.

 

[Model S M.D.]

Woah there dont make fun of my car! I love the grill! Never selling because of that until amroadster comes out! The only issue i have is the newer ones have way comfier seats, mine feels like a rock after driving a new loaner.

The premium seats are even better

I actually prefer the old seats to the next gens. Too much side bolstering on the next gens.

 

[pilotSteve]

The premium seats are even better

I actually prefer the old seats to the next gens. Too much side bolstering on the next gens.

I agree. Original (sig) seats are comfortable to me, the Next Gen (Recargo) seats just don't fit my body, the new Premium seats are ideal to me.