Gripes about the Beta interior

[Jeeps17]

I just went out and had a look at the back seat of my 2011 BMW 335d... It has zero storage. Nothing on the seatbacks, nothing on the doors. So the lack of storage in the backseat definitely isn't unique to the Model S.

I happen to like it this way. Less places for garbage and gives a really simple and clean looking design.

Missing cupholders isn't a huge issue for me since my kids are still in boosters seats etc. which have cupholders built in. I guess 8+ years from now I may have to figure out something. Although by then they're less likely to need a drink while riding around in the car.

my 2 cents...

My Infiniti G37X (not exactly a car know for family friendliness) has mesh pockets on the back of the front seats, and a fold-down armrest in the middle of the back seat with built-in cup holders. The rear seats themselves, however, do not fold down, and while it would be nice to think it was built with the comfort of the rear passengers in mind, the armrest exists essentially to allow a passthrough from the trunk for narrow long items like skis.

I also plan to make use of my kid's childseat cup holders, but they also use lots of books / travel toys, etc... that it would be nice to tuck away without having it look like I am a hoarder living in my car.

 

[AnOutsider]

Mesh and pulldown cupholders in the Q5 and A6:

Again, rarely use them, but the implementation doesn't seem hard to do. Guess we'll see what they come up with in the RCs in a couple weeks.

 

[Todd Burch]

I think Tesla needs to address this directly instead of beating around the bush--like they addressed the satellite/pano roof issue, etc. It's concerning a lot of reservation holders. For offering a free loan to Tesla, we deserve that much.

Tesla, we're nervous. Please quell our fears...

 

[Dale Adams]

I just went out and had a look at the back seat of my 2011 BMW 335d... It has zero storage. Nothing on the seatbacks, nothing on the doors. So the lack of storage in the backseat definitely isn't unique to the Model S.

I happen to like it this way. Less places for garbage and gives a really simple and clean looking design.

+1

Regardless of what some here think, not everyone wants the interior cluttered up with storage bins, bags and cupholders.

 

[Doug_G]

My Infiniti G37X (not exactly a car know for family friendliness) has mesh pockets on the back of the front seats, and a fold-down armrest in the middle of the back seat with built-in cup holders.

And a hidden pocket in the side. I only discovered that by accident two weeks ago. :redface:

I use my seat-back pockets all the time. You can reach the passenger side one from the driver's seat. A bit of mesh wouldn't hurt the styling.

 

[neroden]

I use my seat-back pockets all the time. You can reach the passenger side one from the driver's seat. A bit of mesh wouldn't hurt the styling.

Seatback pockets are the thing I consider essential. I usually store Kleenex in there. Then when someone in the back seat starts sneezing, I can tell them not to sneeze on my seats....

Nowadays people I know who bring drinks bring them in canteens with screw tops. But it's still less than ideal to leave them rolling around on the floor. Sticking them into the mesh pocket allows them to stay upright when they're not being held, rather than turning over (which tends to increase risk of leakage)....

On a *long* road trip, this is where extra maps and flyers and tickets go, after the glove compartment fills up...

Et cetera et cetera. The pockets on the back of the front seats were a great development of 1980s car design and it's just pathetic to not have them in this day and age. It's not like they're difficult to add, but it's a pain to take the car into a custom shop, undo the leather stitching, etc....

 

[neroden]

I just went out and had a look at the back seat of my 2011 BMW 335d... It has zero storage. Nothing on the seatbacks, nothing on the doors. So the lack of storage in the backseat definitely isn't unique to the Model S.

I happen to like it this way. Less places for garbage and gives a really simple and clean looking design.

Missing cupholders isn't a huge issue for me since my kids are still in boosters seats etc. which have cupholders built in. I guess 8+ years from now I may have to figure out something. Although by then they're less likely to need a drink while riding around in the car.

my 2 cents...

When your kids are older you'll want some sort of storage in the back seats. Trust me. You won't like that "clean" design once you have people old enough to talk in the back seats -- or at least they won't like it!

 

[smoothoperator]

When your kids are older you'll want some sort of storage in the back seats. Trust me. You won't like that "clean" design once you have people old enough to talk in the back seats -- or at least they won't like it!

A lot of people on here are confusing clean with spartan...big difference between the two

 

[mnx]

A bit of mesh wouldn't hurt the styling.

See that picture of the Audi above. eww

I like hard plastic on the back of the seats... If it was leather back there with a seatback pocket it wouldn't hold up so well to my 4 year old getting his dirty shoes all over it.

A lot of people on here are confusing clean with spartan...big difference between the two

Clean? Spartan? Minimalist? Whatever you want to call it, that's my thing.

 

[ckessel]

My RX8 has leather pockets (not mesh) on the back of the front seats. Works nice for thin items: travel tissue pack, owner's manual, iPad, paperback book, etc. It's about the size of the pocket on the back of an airline seat under the tray table.

 

[BYT_P1837]

As a Model S reservation holder I would like to see some additional storage but this will not prevent me from buying this car and I know it's been discussed a lot on the main TM forums page in regards to the center console and easy access discreet space. The focus here is more on the passengers in the rear seats. I can see how some who don't use the backseats much or travel no more then 50 miles with passengers can say, "I don't need clutter space in my car, keep it simple like my iPhone! Just because others want it doesn’t mean that I have to!" On the other hand the need for storage space or even a couple cupholders is a bigger issue then some may realize. Google the subject or just check out this one link example:

For Car Buyers, Cupholders Can Be an Emotional Issue | News Analysis content from WardsAuto

As a stockholder of Tesla Motors, this is my concern. The car needs to be what Elon set it out to be, a beautiful, no compromise car! Although you can NEVER please everyone and shouldn't try, it's best to give options to those who really feel the need to address their own issues with such a large investment.

The Model S isn't a Roadster that is the weekend hobby car for the upper class. The Model S is the everyday family driver and transporter, which needs a few more creature comforts then that of the beautiful sports car they discontinued. Now, TM has said they will address the issues for those who have issue with the lack of storage, and I know we all have been very patient. My point in writing this is to help push home the need for TM to get it right, or make it as right as possible so that this car, and they company, can be a success.

TM is already in an uphill battle to get the electric car to become mainstream over the next 10 years and we all want it, no, need it to succeed. It’s bad enough that it’s compared to the failures of Fisker with the Karma or the Leaf with it’s lack of range(see also Mitsubishi MiEV or the Infiniti LE that is 2 years out still), or the Aptera that my father put money down on and they are no longer an option. Or cars get focused on and loans that aren’t even a true EV like the Chevy Volt.

This is what makes us so passionate about this car is that it’s not those cars or companies and I think this is why we are even here.

It’s not about my investment in the company,
It’s not about that it's a really cool car,
It’s not just that its performance is awesome,
It’s not just because gas is an unsustainable resource,
It’s not just because the environmental impacts if the EV doesn't succeed…

It’s a combination of all of these things and much more. This realize this maybe a little over dramatic but, I need this so I can lay my head on my pillow at night. Knowing that the children I have brought into this world and for those I help everyday at my job(I work at a school) have a future that doesn’t require a filter to breath in clean air. They wouldn’t have to work 2 jobs to pay the rising cost of bad food because of the cost impacts of growing and delivering it to their local supermarkets. Farmers that have to cut even more corners and grow even more unhealthy food to feed the masses that demand an affordable meal. An electric car will not solve the worlds problems, but it’s a damn start!!

 

[smoothoperator]

Clean? Spartan? Minimalist? Whatever you want to call it, that's my thing.

Yea but they are all not the same thing...

Clean & Spartan are two different things...The lack of features is spartan...Clean can be accomplished without features being omitted.

There was a link on here on how some auto manufacturer implemented a leather storage pouch into the door panel...It was pretty impressive I wish I could find the youtube link. I wish Tesla had come up with innovative storage that would be useful but also would not clutter up the interior.

 

[Arnold Panz]

I was cleaning out old e-mails and found one from Tesla about the Model S from 2009 that talked about the interior design and had a mini FAQ that had a question specifically about cupholders and storage space. The response, as I recall, said something to the effect that Tesla understood the importance of this issue to drivers and because of the flexibility they'd have in designing the car they'd be sure to include plenty of both! I unfortunately deleted my e-mail and it's not in my trash anymore, but thought it was interesting in light of this thread.

I have three young kids (ages 10, 8 and 4), but almost never use cupholders in the back or storage in the front. I like to keep my car clean and uncluttered, so I've been pretty sanguine about this whole issue. It's clear that others are much more reliant on these things, and I wonder if the designers at Tesla underestimated how much some people rely on these things in their cars?

 

[Robert.Boston]

There is plenty of storage -- for duffel bags! It's the storage space for at-hand items that's gone missing.

 

[smoothoperator]

There is plenty of storage -- for duffel bags! It's the storage space for at-hand items that's gone missing.

a box van also has a lot of storage space

 

[dadaleus]

I was cleaning out old e-mails and found one from Tesla about the Model S from 2009 that talked about the interior design and had a mini FAQ that had a question specifically about cupholders and storage space. The response, as I recall, said something to the effect that Tesla understood the importance of this issue to drivers and because of the flexibility they'd have in designing the car they'd be sure to include plenty of both! I unfortunately deleted my e-mail and it's not in my trash anymore, but thought it was interesting in light of this thread.

I also remember this reading exactly as you say. I think it was an FAQ on TeslaMotors.com though. I thought of that answer when I realized there were no cup holders in the 2nd row for the kids. I fear for my seats when we pick up shakes at In-n-Out.

 

[AnOutsider]

I also remember this reading exactly as you say. I think it was an FAQ on TeslaMotors.com though.

Must've gone the way of the 1 minute battery swap:

I didn't see anything in this FAQ though other than this:

4) How many people and how much cargo can it hold?
a. Model S can seat up to 7 people, with room for 5 adults, plus 2 child seats in the rear. There is more storage capacity than most stations wagons, and the large rear opening allows for the flexibility to carry large objects that cannot fit in the trunk opening of a traditional sedan.

 

[Andrew Wolfe]

+1

Regardless of what some here think, not everyone wants the interior cluttered up with storage bins, bags and cupholders.

Exactly. All those things take up space and/or make seats less comfortable. The only time I ever remember using seat-back pockets is when I figured out that my daughter had stuffed my MP3 player in one after I couldn't find it for 3 months. Sometimes space to stretch out is the ultimate luxury.
I'm confident there will be accessories available to solve many of the storage problems for those who are concerned.

 

[Jeeps17]

Exactly. All those things take up space and/or make seats less comfortable. The only time I ever remember using seat-back pockets is when I figured out that my daughter had stuffed my MP3 player in one after I couldn't find it for 3 months. Sometimes space to stretch out is the ultimate luxury.
I'm confident there will be accessories available to solve many of the storage problems for those who are concerned.

Obviously nobody wants the S to have minivan-like storage all over the place, although if done properly, much of it can be next to invisible (I have a Sienna, the design of some of their nooks is brilliant, others not so much).

The point is that if you really are going to use this car to move 6-7 people (as I am), you need at least the basics for the second row... nevermind what I'll have to do for the kids in the trunk

The storage issue has been beaten to death, resuscitated, and beaten again enough times (insert your ACLS anecdotes here), but I personally do not think that the owner of a "no-compromise" sedan in this price range should have to spend extra for a bit of well-placed storage accessible to the driver and passengers. Those who need the truly extra (like that sushi fridge) can buy the accessories.

My (soon to be discontinued) CAN 0.02$.

JP

PS: I'm pretty sure seat-back pockets should not prevent you from stretching too much (unless you take Elon's statements rather literally and try to fit the large-screen TV into one :biggrin.

 

[neroden]

It's pretty obvious that the Model S needs to have SOME "at-hand" storage in the back seat. Pockets behind the front seat take up precisely no room if not in use, so they are the optimal choice.

Cupholders would be strongly desirable but are harder to fit in, so I can deal with that.

People who think they don't need any at-hand storage space in the back seat, clearly don't take long trips with people in the backseat. Not including this storage space is going to deter a large number of buyers. Period. Including it will deter precisely nobody.

Even mnx is going to want back seat storage space when his/her kids are older. Guaranteed.