First impressions

[mewantcookiez]

Gotta be honest. I would’ve figured it would be the other way around in terms of regrets.

 

[El joe]

Gotta be honest. I would’ve figured it would be the other way around in terms of regrets.

Agreed. Extra range seems like a nice problem/regret to have.

 

[Siciliano]

I'm really surprised no one has mentioned the difference in speed. It's pretty much night and day! The SR+ runs a 5.3s 0-60, while the LR AWD is 4.4s **with the ability to purchase the boost bringing it down to 3.9/3.8s.

That's like the difference between a fast 4cyl with a turbo vs an 8 cyl with a twin turbo! Do some price comparisons between those two types of cars (apples to apples...similar make/year/etc...)

You really don't seem like a speed junkie (you would have gotten the performance over FSD ), but it's definitely worth noting - it's like a completely different car than the SR.

 

[Michelle_eriw]

I'm really surprised no one has mentioned the difference in speed. It's pretty much night and day! The SR+ runs a 5.3s 0-60, while the LR AWD is 4.4s **with the ability to purchase the boost bringing it down to 3.9/3.8s.

That's like the difference between a fast 4cyl with a turbo vs an 8 cyl with a twin turbo! Do some price comparisons between those two types of cars (apples to apples...similar make/year/etc...)

You really don't seem like a speed junkie (you would have gotten the performance over FSD ), but it's definitely worth noting - it's like a completely different car than the SR.

You are right; I am not a speed junkie. Having enough speed to safely pass a slow moving 18 wheeler is fast enough for me. And having enough acceleration to get up to the speed limit from the on ramp is likewise enough for me.

Two major reasons I bought a Tesla: it's electric, and the safety features. All the rest is gravy.

 

[pianomankd]

Congratulations on your new arrival!

I ordered my 2020 M3 Long Range two days ago and I'm over the moon excited!

 

[Gasaraki]

First of all, I have no regrets about buying this M3. I do wonder, though, whether I should have bought the SR+ instead of the LR. I wonder whether the nine grand is worth the extra 72 miles EPA range, considering that that would be a concern only two or three times a year. Oh well, done is done.

I have no second thoughts, recriminations, or regrets about getting FSD. After the cameras were calibrated, I drove with it on a freeway, and it was a delight. One thing, however, is that it wouldn't work at night; I could still get AP, but not FSD. Is that a known limitation, or what?

I used Summon to drive the car out of my driveway, just to test it. I do have one question about Summon: Is it straight-line only, or can it turn at all, even slightly, like to avoid something in the driveway or garage?

I'm going to take the car to an empty portion of a parking lot to try out Smart Summon; I'm not going to try it around other cars yet. I just want to get a feel for it.

No one should be buying the short range versions. With temperature fluctuations, sentry mode, overheat protection, phantom drain, lead foot, sticker tires, bigger tires, different rims, passengers, high winds, rain, AND EVERYTHING ELSE that phantomly drains your energy, you want the extra power, trust me. I feel a 400 mile battery is the perfect size to remove range anxiety.

 

[Mattopotamus]

I'm really surprised no one has mentioned the difference in speed. It's pretty much night and day! The SR+ runs a 5.3s 0-60, while the LR AWD is 4.4s **with the ability to purchase the boost bringing it down to 3.9/3.8s.

That's like the difference between a fast 4cyl with a turbo vs an 8 cyl with a twin turbo! Do some price comparisons between those two types of cars (apples to apples...similar make/year/etc...)

You really don't seem like a speed junkie (you would have gotten the performance over FSD ), but it's definitely worth noting - it's like a completely different car than the SR.

I wouldn't exactly call that night and day having driven all variants. The P is night and day though.

Congrats OP! As others said, you may appreciate the range if you live in a colder climate. If it came down to FSD or Range, I think range is the right choice. Hopefully we get that subscription model soon.

 

[El joe]

No one should be buying the short range versions. With temperature fluctuations, sentry mode, overheat protection, phantom drain, lead foot, sticker tires, bigger tires, different rims, passengers, high winds, rain, AND EVERYTHING ELSE that phantomly drains your energy, you want the extra power, trust me. I feel a 400 mile battery is the perfect size to remove range anxiety.

Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if 315 of LR is enough to satisfy long-term range anxiety. For every day usage, the LR or even SR is fine but once we start talking about road trips and such, 400 is starting to sound even better and I think Elon is saying 300 is going to be the minimum acceptable range moving forward.

 

[valaeyron]

Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if 315 of LR is enough to satisfy long-term range anxiety. For every day usage, the LR or even SR is fine but once we start talking about road trips and such, 400 is starting to sound even better and I think Elon is saying 300 is going to be the minimum acceptable range moving forward.

I agree, but I am willing to rethink how I drive those long trips though. I also think the "fill 'er up and get going" mindset is different with a gasoline vehicle, and there is some pressure to just "push on through"...which would be a change, but potentially a nice one... after having been on multiple 9 to 12 hour "pushed on through" drives, maybe having something that forces everyone to take a break wouldn't have been bad after all!

 

[El joe]

I agree, but I am willing to rethink how I drive those long trips though. I also think the "fill 'er up and get going" mindset is different with a gasoline vehicle, and there is some pressure to just "push on through"...which would be a change, but potentially a nice one... after having been on multiple 9 to 12 hour "pushed on through" drives, maybe having something that forces everyone to take a break wouldn't have been bad after all!

Oh yeah, I agree. Especially with kids who are bugging the crap out of ya every 100 miles or so, a mandated charging break is nice to get them out of the car and stretch their annoying little legs. Still, the option to push through on late night or early morning trips would be nice.

 

[dmurphy]

I agree, but I am willing to rethink how I drive those long trips though. I also think the "fill 'er up and get going" mindset is different with a gasoline vehicle, and there is some pressure to just "push on through"...which would be a change, but potentially a nice one... after having been on multiple 9 to 12 hour "pushed on through" drives, maybe having something that forces everyone to take a break wouldn't have been bad after all!

It's not bad *AT ALL*. We just did a 7,000 mile round trip in our X. Breaking the trip up into 2-2 1/2 hour segments with 15-20 minute charging breaks was spectacular. All of us commented how refreshed we felt after even long days of driving. Those breaks make ALL the difference.

Slow down, stop and see the world, and enjoy it.

Sometimes, we'd order a meal as takeout, and have a picnic while charging.

I genuinely *cannot wait* to do it again! We had an incredible time. Next time, we're adding a travel trailer .... Even more stops, but that's just fine... our country deserves to be seen.

 

[ftmaybe]

No one should be buying the short range versions. With temperature fluctuations, sentry mode, overheat protection, phantom drain, lead foot, sticker tires, bigger tires, different rims, passengers, high winds, rain, AND EVERYTHING ELSE that phantomly drains your energy, you want the extra power, trust me. I feel a 400 mile battery is the perfect size to remove range anxiety.

Nonsense. Not everyone drives 1000 mile marathon trips or lives in extreme weather conditions.

My wife bought an SR+ and has driven up and down CA with zero issues all year. That car was just recently totaled, and she ordered ........ another SR+.

Even if we did want to travel 1000 miles somewhere we'd probably just fly. Otherwise if we decided to drive and there was any range anxiety, we'd just rent a car. The cost difference between the SR+ and the LR is almost $10k when you add in state taxes. $10k buys more rental cars and airplane flights than we'll use in the next 10 years. Beyond that, where I live you could throw that $10k you saved at a solar array on your house and drop a thousand bucks or two a year off of your electric bill.

 

[valaeyron]

Nonsense. Not everyone drives 1000 mile marathon trips or lives in extreme weather conditions.

My wife bought an SR+ and has driven up and down CA with zero issues all year. That car was just recently totaled, and she ordered ........ another SR+.

Even if we did want to travel 1000 miles somewhere we'd probably just fly. Otherwise if we decided to drive and there was any range anxiety, we'd just rent a car. The cost difference between the SR+ and the LR is almost $10k when you add in state taxes. $10k buys more rental cars and airplane flights than we'll use in the next 10 years. Beyond that, where I live you could throw that $10k you saved at a solar array on your house and drop a thousand bucks or two a year off of your electric bill.

Exactly. That’s why we don’t own a truck with a long bed - if we NEED it (once in a blue moon) we can rent one or borrow a friend’s for a 6-pack...

 

[Siciliano]

Nonsense. Not everyone drives 1000 mile marathon trips or lives in extreme weather conditions.

My wife bought an SR+ and has driven up and down CA with zero issues all year. That car was just recently totaled, and she ordered ........ another SR+.

Even if we did want to travel 1000 miles somewhere we'd probably just fly. Otherwise if we decided to drive and there was any range anxiety, we'd just rent a car. The cost difference between the SR+ and the LR is almost $10k when you add in state taxes. $10k buys more rental cars and airplane flights than we'll use in the next 10 years. Beyond that, where I live you could throw that $10k you saved at a solar array on your house and drop a thousand bucks or two a year off of your electric bill.

Yes. Either that or just have patience and plan the trip accordingly with stops at superchargers along the way. Sure it's mildly annoying, but consider it a luxury tax on owning 100% electric. It's the future; it might save the planet. We have WAY more than enough energy from the sun to power these cars across the globe 10 times over.

Hopefully soon PV cell technology will mature enough to get us off the coal teet... EVERY supercharger will be powered by the sun. Good days lie ahead...

 

[Xambler]

In my younger days (20s) wife and I did the 1700 mile MInnesota to Disneyworld run straight through in a Ford Econoline van several times, but that ended when we were able to switch to just interstates the whole way in our 30s and the monotony made us break trips up into 800-900 mile per day segments. As we got older (retired now) and a dog tagged along with us we normalized on 600-650 miles per day as a decent goal as it allowed for surprise delays along the way (90% always seemed to occur near Atlanta). Now we do a 650 mile run every couple months between our homes in south Florida and extreme north tip of Georgia and found that we averaged 11-12 hours each way with ICE vehicles and so far just under 12 hours with the Tesla. We charge up 100% before each trip and basically pull into our mountain home with 20% charge and our Florida home with 5% charge (I have this fear of getting to our mountain home and finding a bear took out our outdoor charger...one ripped the cover off already ). We generally just stop where the car says it wants to stop for a charge along the way and drive 5mph over speed limit except for parts of GA where that is so slow it puts you in danger (ie Atlanta). Impressions so far...no range anxiety, don’t have to peel your fingers off the steering wheel after driving through Atlanta in the late afternoon/early evening, no massive crack as you flex your shoulders every time you get out of the car at stops, much less annoyance when traffic comes to a standstill for almost an hour near Atlanta, and much more relaxed overall at end of the trip.

Now, a caveat. For ICE vehicles I’ve always tried to drive safe and comfortable vehicles on long trips but since I drive vehicles forever that comfort level goes down with age as issues start popping up that make the drive more stressful. The 1991 Miata, well never drive a 155k mile Miata 1800 miles in 3 days wIthout cruise control. 2000 Chrysler 300M, great car until it’s old age and would just start turning itself off at highway speed, then starting itself up ok 10 minutes later. 1997 Jaguar Xk8..dream when it worked, absolute nightmare when deciding to run rough or go into limp mode 700 miles from home or halfway up a steep mountain road, suburban and Tahoe...comfortable, safe, gas guzzlers, rough idles as they age, not as much fun to drive but still have the Tahoe. 1998 BMW M3 convertible...nice ride but thickest stack of minor repairs of any vehicle I’ve had (by 10x). 2008 BMW X5...beautiful ride except for the pucker factor waiting for the next water pump to fail and leave you stranded (3 times), the check light caused by rough idle staring at you for 1000s of miles, limp mode multiple times, etc. That old econoline? Minnesota snow and salt killed it. Nothing like stamping your feet on the floorboards while having trouble starting the van in the winter and having your feet go through the floorboards. I just mention all this as your experiences may differ if you tend to replace ice vehicles with new ones every few years.. we had a few other new SUVs, pickups, and cars that didn’t pass the comfort test for long driving so only lasted a few years in our family...can’t think of any that didn’t develop rough idles at one point...probably a MN car stress thing .

Some people ask if I miss the sound of the engine...I just smile.