First EV owner here. I am one of those guys who kept saying "I will be the last guy to buy an EV". I am (was) a piston head kind of guy who loves V8s, and somewhat high end cars. But I really like everything with wheels on. I just wanted to share my subjective feelings about the purchasing experience and the vehicle.
Purchase Experience:
It reminded me of buying a Mac or an iPhone. They are definitely going for the look and feel of Apple. Since we are Apple users, it felt familiar.
Pros:
- No negotiations. Also no price hike due to COVID by the dealership, since there is no dealership.
- Online signing through the app.
- Nobody is trying to sell you tire protection or other add on junk products at delivery.
Cons:
- It was not obvious to me that you do not need to apply for financing when ordering. I felt that was needed for the order to move to the next step. Actually, the credit approval is only good for 90 days. Therefore, if you order something that is a few months out, you should select cash to avoid a credit inquiry. Tesla should not even allow you to apply IMHO. Cash can be changed top lease or financing later, so you can apply once within the 90 days window. Since we ended up with multiple orders, and multiple approvals, Tesla's Finance department started question why I have applied for multiple vehicles and this last order almost got denied, even though my credit or income was not an issue.
- Your "sales advisor", or should I say "sales contact", is not much of a help. Mine was not. When we started to run into issues with the above he had no idea what to do, and provided bad information. He finally just stopped talking to me. This was a senior advisor too who is in charge of a demo location.
Delivery:
Pros:
- Everything through the app. All the paperwork, the payment, the signing. Great!
Cons:
- $100k car, $5 treatment. This is not the most expensive car I have bought. But you do expect a bit of attention especially with a very techie car like this. I didn't need any VIP treatment. All I wanted was to get me going with the app and the key cards. Maybe a 10 min orientation. She told me to watch videos. Literarily, she told me to just go and do that on my phone. Meanwhile there were maybe two other customers there. What if an elder couple picks up a car?
- They would not allow me inside the car until I unlocked it, which meant I had to accept delivery. How do you inspect the inside for defects? You don't.
- Car's tire pressure was all over the place to the point that it pulled to the left when accelerating. The windshield was not cleaned from the inside either.
- I went into the service department to buy a 14-50 adapter, and it looked like a very unorganized place. The advisors were sitting in a huge hangar like structure with open doors, without AC, right next to the cars. This in FL. Must be fun during August.
The Car:
This Model S LR replaced a 2019 BMW M5 Competition. So I am comparing it to that.
Pros:
- First and foremost, I have no build issues except a tiny 2mm misalignment on the door trim where it connects into the main console. Reading others having the same experience, maybe Tesla did up the game by 2022.
- To me, this is the best looking EV at the moment. Only the rear lights are a bit dated with the white red pattern. I feel a solid red color would provide a cleaner look.
- Excellent cornering due to the low CG, and yet it is also a smooth ride. I have no idea how that is even possible. M5 was a somewhat rough ride. Definitely worse than this yet I don't feel the Model S has worse handling. The vehicle feels light to me, when I know it is heavy. Btw, great tire choice. I love the Michelins. You do go though them quick (10k on FL roads) but they are quiet and they stick.
- The availability of instant power and torque is a game changer. In 0-60 the S LR is comparable to the M5 but there is no delay and that makes it feel faster.
- All the gadgets and tech is very nice if you like gadgets. I do. This would be a huge list so I won't get into the details but the things I really dig are: Instrument cluster shows traffic in blind sports, and other cars around me. Garage opens when arriving. I have a TV in the car and "free" AC when I sit and wait. The streaming service is great for news channels that I had no access to otherwise. Basic autopilot works very well. Much better than on my previous BMWs. (I have FSD but I have not tried it. I will never qualify for beta.) Green traffic light alert is awesome. Many more...
- The low air resistance has a nice side effect of not having wind noise either.
- More interior space than the M5. More storage space in the cabin and in the trunk. More rear seat leg room but the rear seats do have a bad angle.
- Frunk... yay. Though it is a bit finicky to close.
- Finally someone got the seat ventilation right. On the BMW you could barely feel it. On other cars it is usually too cold or too loud even on low. This is quiet and perfect on low setting.
- The glass roof is great but you can't adjust how much light it allows through. It would be nice to be able to make it brighter. MB has that option.
- The yoke is fine. I got used to it within days. Now I prefer it over the wheel for looks. It is a tiny bit too big but the size allows for a very comfortable hand and elbow position. The steering ratio should be a bit higher or maybe adjustable. Personal preference.
- My actual range available is around 280 miles. My commute is 90 miles (round trip), which is way more than what most drivers do daily. If I charge to 80%, I can do two days. If I would forget to charge one night, I would still be fine. If this works for me, it will work for 90% of the population. Not to mention fast chargers are becoming available more and more.
- Leaving with a "tank" 80% full every morning is great.
Cons:
- The interior quality is good but not at the level of a 100k vehicle. Especially the fake wood inserts are kind of cheap looking. Is plastic really that much more environmental friendly than a bit of real wood? Just drop the wood look and go for something else. The vegan leather is totally fine though. It looks and feels great.
- The AC goes nuts once in a while. If I go from 73F to 74F it sometimes goes into heating mode when outside air temperature is close to the selected temperature.
- No in car Wifi.
- No top down parking view.
- Lights do not turn into the direction of the turn. Again, $100k car.
- No soft close doors. Probably weight saving. It is fine, but it is hard to go back once you had them. I am always applying too little force and thus I have to shut the door twice most the time. I will get used to it.
- No HUD, though not a big negative since with the yoke the instrument cluster almost feels like I have a HUD. But it would be great if Tesla would make a nice HUD like the new Mercedes EQS.
- Current lights are just ok. They are not bad but definitely behind industry average. I guess that is just about to change with the matrix lights.
- Buckling up your little ones in the rear is a project even with a booster seat. I could not even put in my proper child seats so far. I am waiting for an extension.
- My 4 years old said the rear screen is too small LOL. I think it is fine, but the iPad is there to stay.
- The horn on the yoke is a button. Seriously?
- The range does not really adjust to current driving dynamics. You learn to take X percentage off of it and thus it works. It is also consistent. But it should learn your driving habits. I think this is a bit of a marketing choice and to help with anxiety. No big deal really.
Granted this is still honeymoon times, but my initial impression is: I can't wait for the other S to arrive so I don't have to share the car with my wife. ) At the moment our other car is a fully loaded 2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD with a 6.6 diesel. Talking about opposites. The GMC is a great truck. So far I never had second thoughts when paying at the pump. I guess you just get used to getting ripped off and ignore it. But yesterday, firs time in weeks I had to fill the tank. I paid $115. The first time in my life it really sunk in that I just threw $115 through the window. Needless to say, we are parking the truck as much as we can until the second S is here.
Purchase Experience:
It reminded me of buying a Mac or an iPhone. They are definitely going for the look and feel of Apple. Since we are Apple users, it felt familiar.
Pros:
- No negotiations. Also no price hike due to COVID by the dealership, since there is no dealership.
- Online signing through the app.
- Nobody is trying to sell you tire protection or other add on junk products at delivery.
Cons:
- It was not obvious to me that you do not need to apply for financing when ordering. I felt that was needed for the order to move to the next step. Actually, the credit approval is only good for 90 days. Therefore, if you order something that is a few months out, you should select cash to avoid a credit inquiry. Tesla should not even allow you to apply IMHO. Cash can be changed top lease or financing later, so you can apply once within the 90 days window. Since we ended up with multiple orders, and multiple approvals, Tesla's Finance department started question why I have applied for multiple vehicles and this last order almost got denied, even though my credit or income was not an issue.
- Your "sales advisor", or should I say "sales contact", is not much of a help. Mine was not. When we started to run into issues with the above he had no idea what to do, and provided bad information. He finally just stopped talking to me. This was a senior advisor too who is in charge of a demo location.
Delivery:
Pros:
- Everything through the app. All the paperwork, the payment, the signing. Great!
Cons:
- $100k car, $5 treatment. This is not the most expensive car I have bought. But you do expect a bit of attention especially with a very techie car like this. I didn't need any VIP treatment. All I wanted was to get me going with the app and the key cards. Maybe a 10 min orientation. She told me to watch videos. Literarily, she told me to just go and do that on my phone. Meanwhile there were maybe two other customers there. What if an elder couple picks up a car?
- They would not allow me inside the car until I unlocked it, which meant I had to accept delivery. How do you inspect the inside for defects? You don't.
- Car's tire pressure was all over the place to the point that it pulled to the left when accelerating. The windshield was not cleaned from the inside either.
- I went into the service department to buy a 14-50 adapter, and it looked like a very unorganized place. The advisors were sitting in a huge hangar like structure with open doors, without AC, right next to the cars. This in FL. Must be fun during August.
The Car:
This Model S LR replaced a 2019 BMW M5 Competition. So I am comparing it to that.
Pros:
- First and foremost, I have no build issues except a tiny 2mm misalignment on the door trim where it connects into the main console. Reading others having the same experience, maybe Tesla did up the game by 2022.
- To me, this is the best looking EV at the moment. Only the rear lights are a bit dated with the white red pattern. I feel a solid red color would provide a cleaner look.
- Excellent cornering due to the low CG, and yet it is also a smooth ride. I have no idea how that is even possible. M5 was a somewhat rough ride. Definitely worse than this yet I don't feel the Model S has worse handling. The vehicle feels light to me, when I know it is heavy. Btw, great tire choice. I love the Michelins. You do go though them quick (10k on FL roads) but they are quiet and they stick.
- The availability of instant power and torque is a game changer. In 0-60 the S LR is comparable to the M5 but there is no delay and that makes it feel faster.
- All the gadgets and tech is very nice if you like gadgets. I do. This would be a huge list so I won't get into the details but the things I really dig are: Instrument cluster shows traffic in blind sports, and other cars around me. Garage opens when arriving. I have a TV in the car and "free" AC when I sit and wait. The streaming service is great for news channels that I had no access to otherwise. Basic autopilot works very well. Much better than on my previous BMWs. (I have FSD but I have not tried it. I will never qualify for beta.) Green traffic light alert is awesome. Many more...
- The low air resistance has a nice side effect of not having wind noise either.
- More interior space than the M5. More storage space in the cabin and in the trunk. More rear seat leg room but the rear seats do have a bad angle.
- Frunk... yay. Though it is a bit finicky to close.
- Finally someone got the seat ventilation right. On the BMW you could barely feel it. On other cars it is usually too cold or too loud even on low. This is quiet and perfect on low setting.
- The glass roof is great but you can't adjust how much light it allows through. It would be nice to be able to make it brighter. MB has that option.
- The yoke is fine. I got used to it within days. Now I prefer it over the wheel for looks. It is a tiny bit too big but the size allows for a very comfortable hand and elbow position. The steering ratio should be a bit higher or maybe adjustable. Personal preference.
- My actual range available is around 280 miles. My commute is 90 miles (round trip), which is way more than what most drivers do daily. If I charge to 80%, I can do two days. If I would forget to charge one night, I would still be fine. If this works for me, it will work for 90% of the population. Not to mention fast chargers are becoming available more and more.
- Leaving with a "tank" 80% full every morning is great.
Cons:
- The interior quality is good but not at the level of a 100k vehicle. Especially the fake wood inserts are kind of cheap looking. Is plastic really that much more environmental friendly than a bit of real wood? Just drop the wood look and go for something else. The vegan leather is totally fine though. It looks and feels great.
- The AC goes nuts once in a while. If I go from 73F to 74F it sometimes goes into heating mode when outside air temperature is close to the selected temperature.
- No in car Wifi.
- No top down parking view.
- Lights do not turn into the direction of the turn. Again, $100k car.
- No soft close doors. Probably weight saving. It is fine, but it is hard to go back once you had them. I am always applying too little force and thus I have to shut the door twice most the time. I will get used to it.
- No HUD, though not a big negative since with the yoke the instrument cluster almost feels like I have a HUD. But it would be great if Tesla would make a nice HUD like the new Mercedes EQS.
- Current lights are just ok. They are not bad but definitely behind industry average. I guess that is just about to change with the matrix lights.
- Buckling up your little ones in the rear is a project even with a booster seat. I could not even put in my proper child seats so far. I am waiting for an extension.
- My 4 years old said the rear screen is too small LOL. I think it is fine, but the iPad is there to stay.
- The horn on the yoke is a button. Seriously?
- The range does not really adjust to current driving dynamics. You learn to take X percentage off of it and thus it works. It is also consistent. But it should learn your driving habits. I think this is a bit of a marketing choice and to help with anxiety. No big deal really.
Granted this is still honeymoon times, but my initial impression is: I can't wait for the other S to arrive so I don't have to share the car with my wife. ) At the moment our other car is a fully loaded 2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD with a 6.6 diesel. Talking about opposites. The GMC is a great truck. So far I never had second thoughts when paying at the pump. I guess you just get used to getting ripped off and ignore it. But yesterday, firs time in weeks I had to fill the tank. I paid $115. The first time in my life it really sunk in that I just threw $115 through the window. Needless to say, we are parking the truck as much as we can until the second S is here.
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