Getting ready to place an order

[niranjan]

Getting close to placing an order for a model S. I could definitely use some help. First, a little background - I currently have a 335xi which fits both of our car seats in the back row. Our third son is due this Christmas so I'm going to need something larger to fit three car seats across the back. I drive 25-35 miles on most days and 100 miles once a week. My wife is a realtor and would probably use my car instead of her X5 if she has longer drives to do for showings. I also looked at an Audi A6/S6 or BMW 535. Both seem to be quite a bit tighter fitting everyone in. There is a good chance we will move in the next 6 months, so I'm considering not having a charger installed in this house. It's kind of a tricky install and I'd prefer not to spend on the install twice. I've looked at plugshare and there seem to be a couple of chargers near my home and work. Contemplating between a 70D, 85D, or 90D. We live in Chicago, so cold weather performance and snow handling are important.

1. Do you guys think the 85D or 90D would be worth the extra $10000-$13000 for me? I definitely enjoyed the acceleration and can afford to spend it, but it just feels like a lot. Is the 90D battery technology a plus?
2. Any regrets with the panoramic roof in the summer with heat coming through?
3. We take a 400 mile trip a couple of times per year. How many stops would I have to make along the way? How much extra time would I need to plan for?
4. I saw that there is a $2000 credit for referrals from OH or VA. Any way to make sure that they are in fact in one of those states?
5. Any better loan options I should be looking at?
6. I've heard some grumblings of some changes this February or March. I don't mind waiting a couple of months if in fact this may be true. I will probably wait until January to take delivery of a 2016 model.

Thanks in advance.

Jin

 

[Max*]

1. If you enjoy the accel, go for it. I went for the 70D because it's enough acceleration for me, and I don't need the extra 30 miles of range for $10k (though if the 90D was out when I got my car, I would have a hard time deciding between the 70D and 90D)
2. Nope. And some people get it tinted too
3. evtripplanner.com When I take my 250mile trip, I leave with 100% charge, and do 1 stop for like 10mins (bathroom break with kids). For my 500mile trip we do 3 stops, each 10-30minutes, due to the supercharger placement and lack of destination charging (otherwise, could probably get away with only 2 stops). With 3 kids, your car will be ready before all the kids go take a bathroom break, are fed and get to stretch their legs.
At least that's the way it [often] is for me during road trips. We also plan the longer roadtrip stop around food. So if you need a 30minute charge to get to the next Supercharger, plan it around food. That way, if you eat for 45mins, you get more charge, and the next stop turns out shorter too.
4. I'd give you my referal, I'm from VA, but I know other people are closer to 5/10, so I'll let them have it since the promo expires in 3 days.
5. Credit unions give great APRs. Alliant and DCU come to mind. Also check locally.
6. Tesla is always improving, you can wait forever. No one knows when the next improvement will be. People thought with the Model X release there would be new AP hardware. Nope, didn't happen. I'd buy now and enjoy the car. Otherwise you'll always be chasing the next update.

I would not get the rear-facing seats (I have them), my kids used them a few times, novelty wore off, and now we only use them when our kids friends want to ride back there. And even with tints, in the summer, it gets REALLY hot back there.


ETA: About charging, you can charge at home on 120V and get about 30-40miles recharged per night, and then only use public charging/supercharging when you need it. For most days travel, 120V will meet your needs. For the long trips, use public charging or supercharge and you wont need to install a NEMA 14-50 before you move.
I did this for a few months (daily commute about 20 miles) until I got my 14-50.

 

[Bifff67]

Agree with Max.

I have one for 3 yrs and pano has no issue with heat or glare on the screen.

I might suggest otherwise that you get a 14-50 installed. At least get some cost estimates. It counts for value in the home sale too, be sure to add it to the listing, and makes charging better for those days you were out long. You get Full charge the next morning worst case! I can't say what the balance is. Mine was 1500 due to length from the box at the other end of the house.

I would go D for the northern area but don't worry, even the least batt may be enough. Super chargers are mostly 150 miles apart. (But go into store and in the car plan your trip on the gps and see what it tells you!)

i go almost that long a trip and hit 2 SC for less than 60 mins. You should plan on less than 90 mins I think.

Yes, as soon as you buy your car some new features will come out. C'est la Elon.

I'm VA but please try to use people who have less than 5, they get tickets to the Gigafactory opening. Ask them what they have. I'm fine.

Have fun, best regards. msg me/us if questions.

 

[CHG-ON]

I agree with what all that has been said. The only thing I can add is that I have a P85+ (old now, oh well) and I am still completely pleased with the accel and power. I'm a power hog, but how much do I really use? Not that much on a daily basis. Oh, yes, it is fun. But it wears off because it becomes completely normal after a time. I can squirt into any place I want to be on the road. That's all that really matters to me.

That said, I don't think the money is worth it. Spend it on the kids!

I love my pano. I did get the sunscreens for the hot months and then put them away when it is cool. They make no diff when driving. But they make a big diff when parked for a time.

Charging really depends upon where you are driving. I don't know your area. I have never been stranded in CA. We have a pretty good network (not great). But that is a very important consideration. I suggest doing your homework on this.

 

[BertL]

I have a 3-week old 90D.

- If you have the ultimate in range anxiety, or have done your research and the extra approx 6% range a 90D has over an 85D would be helpful because of your commutes, go for the 90D. I bought it simply because I like having the extra buffer as I don't plan to be a hypermiler -- never was driving my two Lexus RXh for the past 10 years, and won't be in my MS except likely on longer road trips.

- I have the pano. I'd buy it again. Looks great and passengers really like how open the inside of the vehicle becomes to them. It is a little bit warmer, but as CHG-ON suggests, putting in the optional sunscreens make a difference in the blaring heat or when parked. My dog does not pant as much riding on her canine cover in the back seat when I have the sunscreen in place -- she is much less tolerant of heat them I am. To me, the front windshield impacts heat as much or more than the pano.

- Yes, you need to spend some time with evtripplanner to get a feel for where recharge will be necessary. Your speed, distance, altitude changes, temperature, and even really bad weather will impact range.

- As others have said, it's only rumor and speculation about what the future may hold for a refreshed MS. Tesla makes changes all the time, so just like buying a PC or some electronic gadget or appliance for your home, you need to decide when the MS has what you need and you have the dollars to flip for it, then pull the trigger on the order. There will always be something new around the corner -- e.g. I ordered my MS when the rear parcel shelf was a $250 option -- when I took delivery a month later, it was included as standard -- a free-bee that caused me to return the parcel shelf I'd ordered independently!

Good luck with your decision.

 

[brucet999]

Don't forget that the price difference for bigger batteries is before taxes. Here in CA where sales tax is 8%, that makes it $10,800 or $14,040 difference plus higher registration fee.

 

[tstafford]

FWIW - I wouldn't get the pano again. Not worth the money for me. If I was buying today I'd probably go 85d with AP, Premium and UHFS.

 

[Ruby&Red]

Her are a few additional considerations:
1 - you said you plan to move soon - if you are moving to a state with better incentives, that might well be reason enough to put off the decision. Just check the tesla site for the state you are considering and see if your total costs change much when you factor in taxes, incentives, and the cost of capital.
2 - Tesla will almost always let you test a car for a day if you are really a serious buyer. We did this before getting our car and it helps us decide against the 85D with a sunroof because 1) the roof was creeky and let in too much heat and light for our tastes; 2) the 70D had enough zip for us; 3) the air suspension was not worth it to us.
3 - If you are willing to wait, used AWD cars might soon be an option. Given the CPO pricing on the P85D, that might not represent sufficient incentive for your to wait, but if time is on your side you might save 10-20K by going CPO.

Good luck. By the way, if you want to pull the trigger today, I can give you a 2K referral.

 

[vapor trail]

Living in a colder climate region, you may want to favor getting a larger battery capacity. From what I've read, the cold weather can zap battery power in winter.

One thing to keep in mind when debating the pano roof is rear seat headroom. There is a significant difference. When sitting in the back seat in a MS with standard roof I had to slouch down in seat to keep from rubbing the headliner. Not a problem with the pano roof which provides a noticeable height difference. I was fearful my pano roof would rattle. It's been totally silent and I love how it opens the cabin.

 

[cmu5p]

Getting close to placing an order for a model S. I could definitely use some help. First, a little background - I currently have a 335xi which fits both of our car seats in the back row. Our third son is due this Christmas so I'm going to need something larger to fit three car seats across the back. I drive 25-35 miles on most days and 100 miles once a week. My wife is a realtor and would probably use my car instead of her X5 if she has longer drives to do for showings. I also looked at an Audi A6/S6 or BMW 535. Both seem to be quite a bit tighter fitting everyone in. There is a good chance we will move in the next 6 months, so I'm considering not having a charger installed in this house. It's kind of a tricky install and I'd prefer not to spend on the install twice. I've looked at plugshare and there seem to be a couple of chargers near my home and work. Contemplating between a 70D, 85D, or 90D. We live in Chicago, so cold weather performance and snow handling are important.

1. Do you guys think the 85D or 90D would be worth the extra $10000-$13000 for me? I definitely enjoyed the acceleration and can afford to spend it, but it just feels like a lot. Is the 90D battery technology a plus?
2. Any regrets with the panoramic roof in the summer with heat coming through?
3. We take a 400 mile trip a couple of times per year. How many stops would I have to make along the way? How much extra time would I need to plan for?
4. I saw that there is a $2000 credit for referrals from OH or VA. Any way to make sure that they are in fact in one of those states?
5. Any better loan options I should be looking at?
6. I've heard some grumblings of some changes this February or March. I don't mind waiting a couple of months if in fact this may be true. I will probably wait until January to take delivery of a 2016 model.

Thanks in advance.

Jin

Here's my take. Car primarily used for work (40mi each way) and kid school (20mi each way) transport. Would three car seats fit across the second row? I have a set of twins and their sister is 16mos older and we had a tough time fitting three front facing Britax seats (granted these were huge) across an Inifiniti FX45's back seat. They are now big enough to wear seat dogs, which partially influenced the timing of Model S purchase.

1- Range is my first priority, so if buying now, I would go for 90D, esp with your 100mi commute (each way?) That said, I drive my 85 any way I want without range anxiety for daily commute/s with nightly charging. On road trips, I've always been pretty conservative and have never gone close to <10%.

2- Pano roof surprisingly does a great job keeping car cool. That trunk glass on the jump seats however......
We max tinted all windows and hatch (50/35% legal in VA) and it makes a difference. Also have the hatch sunshade for summer.

3- play with evtripplanner.com. Driving electric has changed my approach to road tripping from "just get there" to "enjoying the journey". Kids actually look forward to our rest/eating/charging stops and treat that as part of the vacation, too.

4- if I didn't share with you already, here's VA referral code for 2K off: Model S Design Studio | Tesla Motors. I am 1 away from gigafactory invite and would appreciate the opportunity.

5- Pentagon Federal Credit Union was offering a 1.49 (maybe even 0.99?) new car loan awhile back. Might be worth a look.

6- I have no opinion on speculations. Many others here with better insight on that.

good luck on big decisions ahead. Whichever way you go, though, you can't go wrong with the Model S and will soon be sporting that infamous grin. (Or jazz hands when employing AP)

Claire

 

[niranjan]

Thank you for all of the help. I placed an order for an 85D on Saturday. I got the panoramic roof, autopilot, next gen seats, subzero, rear facing seats, and the premium interior.

I'm still contemplating a couple of the options. I got the premium interior because I am worried about having the tan headliner get dirty from the little kids and feel like a $90000 car should have a power liftgate. I don't really find as much value in the lighting and am still having a hard time justifying $3000 for the option. The other one was the next generation seats. With the infant seat rear facing behind the passenger seat, every bit of space matters and I'm concerned that the next gen seats might be a couple of inches thicker. Anyone know if there is a noticeable difference?

As far as three car seats in the back, they do fit. I took all of the car seats to the dealer to make sure before I placed the order.

 

[Max*]

rear facing seats

I would think about this feature some more. Actually a lot more, before placing an order.

I don't know how hot St. Charles gets, but I would think long and hard about the RFS. I got them, thinking they'll be great. They're bad. No air circulation in the back. I decided, hey probably user error. I tinted the car all around AND got the Tesla rear-sunshade to prevent heat. My kids refuse to sit back there when it's hotter than 75F outside. And now that it's finally cooler, the novelty wore off, and they just plain refuse to sit there.

The only time one of them gets back there, is when a friend wants to ride along with us, and the friend loves the novelty of the RFS. Then one of my kids will sit back there with the friend. Otherwise, they refuse to sit there.

They loved the seats on the test drive, which is why I got them, but in hindsight I would 100% NOT get them again. Total waste of money. Tesla really needs to think about the air circulation issue.

In addition, unless you get the UHFS there are no spears in the hatch. So if the kids want to listen to music, and you want to have a conversation with your significant other, you need to shift the balance to the rear seats, and crank it up.

/getting off my soapbox now

 

[cmu5p]

I would think about this feature some more. Actually a lot more, before placing an order.

I don't know how hot St. Charles gets, but I would think long and hard about the RFS. I got them, thinking they'll be great. They're bad. No air circulation in the back. I decided, hey probably user error. I tinted the car all around AND got the Tesla rear-sunshade to prevent heat. My kids refuse to sit back there when it's hotter than 75F outside. And now that it's finally cooler, the novelty wore off, and they just plain refuse to sit there.

The only time one of them gets back there, is when a friend wants to ride along with us, and the friend loves the novelty of the RFS. Then one of my kids will sit back there with the friend. Otherwise, they refuse to sit there.

They loved the seats on the test drive, which is why I got them, but in hindsight I would 100% NOT get them again. Total waste of money. Tesla really needs to think about the air circulation issue.

In addition, unless you get the UHFS there are no spears in the hatch. So if the kids want to listen to music, and you want to have a conversation with your significant other, you need to shift the balance to the rear seats, and crank it up.

/getting off my soapbox now

Agree with most of this. Poor design makes me think about an X, but not ready to go back to SUV height quite yet (I stand all of 5'2"). Not entirely a waste of money for us as its addition equals our minivan's carrying capacity. I try not to put them back there for trips greater than 30mins. Max tint and rear hatch sunshade makes a noticeable difference.

All that said, I think OP was referring to rear-facing infant car seats behind driver's seat, no?

 

[Max*]

All that said, I think OP was referring to rear-facing infant car seats behind driver's seat, no?

Not the way I read it:

Thank you for all of the help. I placed an order for an 85D on Saturday. I got the panoramic roof, autopilot, next gen seats, subzero, rear facing seats, and the premium interior.

 

[niranjan]

Thanks for the input. I was referring to a rear facing infant seat behind the passenger seat in terms of deciding between the next generation seats or the original seats.

I did also mention that I ordered the rear facing seats. We do have a few hot months in the summer here in Chicago, but the rest of the year is mild or cold. I like the option of being able to stick kids back there when we have family in town. Similar to Max, my son loved it back there on the test drive and wouldn't stop talking about it. We don't use the third row on my wife's X5 much, but it is nice to have the option of putting kids back there when we need to haul more people rather than taking two cars.