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Current non-Tesla owners who plan to buy a Model ≡ ; Have you test driven a Model S?

Current non Telsa owners planning to purchase model ≡ ; have you test driven a Model S?

  • Yes

    Votes: 102 62.2%
  • No

    Votes: 62 37.8%

  • Total voters
    164
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I'm planning to buy a Model 3, and I have not driven a Model S. In fact the only plug-in I've driven is our Volt.

(I'm not voting because it's called a Model 3, not a Model <whatever that character is>.)
INATM (if I may use that contraction), for someone who's been on the forum so long and contributed so much I'm kind of amazed that you've never tried a Model S. Can you share why?
 
I've taken several test drives, because I was curious for the tech and wanted to understand the product as an investor (and will soon do the same for the X). Knowing how the car drives and handles with its software allows me to be confident about the Model 3.

Can't wait for this one!
 
I would suggest you test drive a Model S 70D or the lowest model you can find, preferably a single motor, non-D. It would have to be a couple years old. Your dealer may have one of these as a trade-in. The reason I suggest you take a test drive is because they drive different than a regular car. First there is regenerative breaking. They harness the forward movement of the car to recharge the battery. Somewhat like a Prius but I find it to be more noticeable. Wy wife had the first three generations of the Pruis so I though I knew what to expect. I didn't. When you take your foot off the peddle of a regular car it slowly decelerates. With an electric and you lift your foot from the peddle it quickly decelerates, almost like you had your foot lightly on the break. Where most people get use to this over time there are a few who never do. Our neighbor from Virginia purchased a Model S P85 and got rid of it within six months. I will admit she was strange bird and purchased other cars to only keep them short periods. The car dealers loved her.

The reason I say a 70, preferable non-D is this would be as close what you will probably see with a single motor non performance version of the Model 3. To get the 200 mile range they are saying the car will get and since the call will be 20% lighter than the S this means the battery will probably be in the 50-60 range. I am no engineer but what articles I have read indicate it will take to get this range. Therefore the lowest end of an S, maybe one before the dual motors, would approximate this. It has great acceleration but doesn't of course compared with a performance version of the S. This test drive may also make you decide you want more acceleration and decide to go with a performance version of the Model 3 which would have dual motors and a larger battery, of course for a lot more money. I would hate for someone to buy a base model 3 and then don't like of it because it doesn't have the acceleration they had envisioned and they would have been better off getting the next model up. As to size, I thought the Model S was wide, but the Model X is six to seven inches wider. There is a person on the X forum who purchased a Signature addition only to have to sell it as it wouldn't fit in his garage even with the windows folded in.

Another thing is you may also want to try a new Model S with the autopilot option. I think the autopilot is amazing and especially for us who are getting older and who's reaction time is less I think this could be a life saver. Again by trying the various options on an "S" will let you be better prepared to decide which options you want the day you get the invitation to configure. As a suggestion when you get your invite to design and configure and order don't delay. At this point you need to be prepared to configure, verify your configuration and press order. At this stage a delay of a day to think about what you want can delay you getting the cars by weeks or months. After pressing the order button you have seven days before your order is accepted by Tesla. A cooling down period. Any changes during this period extends you another seven day and delays when you get the car. After the seven days you will get a confirmation email. After that any change to your order costs $500. This is a nuisance fee to prevent people from continuing to make changes.
 
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I'll be in line to put a deposit down on a Model 3 next Thursday morning. I test drove a 90D Model S two weeks ago, and I have another test drive scheduled for 45 minutes from now to try out the 70 (RWD). Like the OP said, it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. As technological advancements go, compared to what I'm used to, it was the most impressive jump I'd ever experienced. I left the first test drive telling friends and family that if you told me there was a version of my Hyundai Sonata (probably about $25k MSRP) that could drive itself the way the Model S already can (still with an ICE and everything), I'd tell you it was worth the price difference. But that, combined with every other advantage a Tesla offers over an ICE makes me confident that a Model 3 is not only a worthy purchase but that it may be the last car brand I ever purchase.

To a few of Darryl's points, the regenative breaking is quite dramatic. I want to use today's test drive to pay better attention to how to manage it. As soon as you cross the threshold between accelerating and not accelerating, it feels like you're down-shifting in a manual immediately. That will definitely take some getting used to. I also want to try RWD to see how different it is and see if it matters enough to pay for the AWD upgrade. I live in LA, so weather-related driving conditions aren't an issue. I tend to be a bit of an acceleration junky though, even in my 4 cylinder Sonata, so if AWD sticks me to the road noticeably more so around exit ramps, I might cave.

Overall, the Model S, while obviously out of my price range, is definitely worth test driving for prospective Model 3 owners. It'll be unlike anything you've ever driven, and really unlike any experience you've ever had. Definitely try the Autopilot. The toughest part is preparing myself to come to terms with the options my Model 3 WON'T come with by comparison, but considering the car I drive now, as compared to the "technologically advanced driving machine" that is a Tesla, I know I'll be satisfied no matter what.
 
I haven't done a test drive of a Model S, but an employee did take me for a spin around the block. I was in Florida on vacation driving through the Miami area a few months after the Model S was launched when I saw the Tesla banners from the store. I remembered hearing about the company from a video where a Roadster took on a Ferrari, so I knew they made super-expensive cars. Still, I wanted to check it out. When I entered the store, I did my standard spiel with the salesperson that there was no way that I could afford their cars, but I would like to take a closer look (I didn't want to waste his time). To my surprise, he apologized that it was too late to set up a test drive, but would I like to go for a ride? He took us in a P85 around the block, which included a parking lot at an empty factory where he punched it. The experience made me question my choice of career.

As soon as I heard about the Model 3, I started following it, figuring out how to get enough money saved so the payments don't kill me. My current Prius was the most expensive car I've ever owned -- it's paid itself back in gas savings over my old hoopdee, including service. I was hoping to pull that trick off with the Model 3 vs. the Prius, but at current gas prices, it's looking dicier -- I should recover most of the price, though, as long as it's not a lemon. The Model 3 will definitely be the most expensive car I've ever gotten. Normally, I'd wait a few years to get a used one, but that ride of a few minutes a few years ago is making me seriously plan on driving to Cleveland to stand in line to get my name in. Good thing I didn't do a proper test drive -- the last few years would have been torture! :)

I keep reminding myself that cars are just about getting you from A to B, but that hasn't been working as well, lately. :p
 
Yes. Test drove the P85D in 2014. Why waste a free opportunity to drive a car that goes 0-60 in under 4 seconds. I don't think i can walk in to a Porsche dealership and ask for a test drive without them asking me many questions. can i?
 
No, because I'm literally scared of completely turning away from all other cars. This is coming from someone who considers himself an auto enthusiast, who has already changed his entire outlook on cars since the MS has been released, and made a name for itself in the automotive performance scene.
I have a weekend toy, a project car, if you will, that I'm afraid will become a display only piece that will do nothing but take up room in the garage if I were to test drive (and subsequently order) MS today.
I'm hoping M3 will make for a great daily driver, leaving the opportunity for the weekend toy to serve its purpose at the drag strip and curvy back roads. In fact, I still believe M3's performance may push me to finish the power adder project on the weekend toy to be somewhat comparable to it when it comes to acceleration.
 
I've driven an earlier S85. I've also driven a few other EVs, the most recent other being the Kia Soul EV. I liked the Soul well enough that if it had just a little longer range, I probably would have bought it. I'm sure the Model 3 will be orders of magnitude better than that, although the Soul is perfectly respectable in its own right.
 
Just finished my second test drive in two weeks. I think I'm cutting myself off there.. Sadly, I've come to the conclusion that, funds allowing, AWD and a bigger battery are must-haves for me. That's a hefty chunk of change, but the performance difference is pretty significant.
 
I test drove an S last June. I don't remember which version it was, as I was generally just looking for the overall impression of what a high performance electric car is like. It was at a test drive event in Las Vegas and as the starting point was on the strip there was quite a lot of traffic so I didn't get to punch it. But this drive was just getting to know what was different about EVs a little bit. The regen braking was surprisingly strong but the sales rep turned it down as I had such a short amount of time to drive it. If I had had more time with it I probably would have told her to leave it on full regen just to get a feel for it. I only got a chance to push the pedal down semi-hard one time but even so I loved it. There was no danger of me suddenly buying one though - the price is far out of my league.

I had never driven an EV or even a hybrid before that, so I had no expectations. Maybe the test drive will spoil me for lower performance on the Model 3, but I doubt it. The Model S is not something I ever could have owned so there is no 'woulda, coulda, shoulda' sentiment floating around my head.
 
Once you drive an EV, I had leased a Leaf for two years, it is hard to drive a conventional vehicle. The Model S is more than I need, the Model 3 should be a perfect blend of space and performance. I will head down early to Mt Kisco NY to place deposits. It will be a flood of demand.
 
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