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Hard time deciding between Model S and Model X

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Need some advice from TMC

I want to the Paramus, NJ store today and spent 2 hours with the sales specialist test driving the Model S and the Model X. I've been waiting for autopilot 2.0 hardware, and after the recent announcement I am now ready.

I went in pretty confident that I wanted a Model S 75D with Rear Facing Seats. But after test driving both, the Model X is looking to be a more practical option.

My main gripe with the Model S is the 2nd row leg/knee room. My wife and I are not tall people (I'm 5'5"), but seat bench seamed really low with my knees at a higher height then my hips. My wife is shorter than me and sat in the back for the test drives and wasn't very comfortable with the leg room. Head room is not a problem for us.

The Model X was night and day difference in interior comfort and spaciousness. I also brought my 7 year old to try the Model S rear facing seats, and he fits great, but probably only has another 1 to 2 years before he is too big for them.

The Tesla will be our main family car and my commuting car as well (90 mile roundtrip commute/day).

I love love love the look of the S but the X seems more logical for a car I want to use for the next 6 to 7 years.

I'm torn between the following optioned cars:
1. Model S 75D, Black, Pano roof, RFS, Subzero, Autopilot+self Driving, Multi-pattern seats
2. Model X 75D, Black, 6 seater, Subzero, Autopilot+self Driving, Multi-pattern seats

Thoughts, advice? Please help!
 
I came very close to purchasing an X but found the increased interior carrying capacity of the S the deciding factor. The X second row seats do not fold flat limiting carrying bikes inside the vehicle.

I don't like the safety of rear facing seats and would choose an X if you need to transport > 5 persons. If you have kids in car seats, you can't beat the folding wing doors.
 
The rear facing jump seats are really the last resort if you must carry more than 5. They are not only uncomfortable to sit, it's also much hotter back there under the heat. Then there's the safety issue as stated above.

For the X the middle row doesn't fold. It's a good human carrier (kids and adults) but not cargo carrier. The middle row is much more spacious than the S, in both width and legroom especially if your family is not too tall. My wife could sit in the middle center seat between two car seats comfortably, and could rest her legs on the center console.

The X is also heavier which means it's less efficient. It uses more energy (as much as 2x for my kids school, downhill and back up, many stop signs). The FWDs have its pluses and minuses.

Depends how long you plan to keep the car... your kid will grow out of the jump seats pretty soon. Get what makes sense for yourself, your wife, and your family. Practical or not varies from person to person, so I can't really say the X is definitely more practical. If you have specific question feel free to ask.
 
I'm kind of in the same situation. I have a P85 2014. I did test drive an X 75D. the back seats are definitely more comfortable than my S. My knees were also higher. The X back seats to me are similar to the front seats. Not too often would I have anybody in the back seats so that normally would not be a problem.

The X would be for my wife. The main thing holding me from getting an X is the concerns with multiple images in the windshield that some have seen, especially at night. I have not driven the X at night but would not want to take a chance on ordering one and find out it had that problem.I was going to wait till next year sometime and see if others are still having these multiple images. My other concern at the moment is that I live over 3 hours to a service center and would not want to take a chance on having problems that require a SC instead of a Tesla Ranger.

My alternative to getting the X is for me to get a P100D and my wife would get my current S. Maybe the concern would be solved over time in the X or maybe if Tesla comes out with a Model Y. SUV, that might not have the problem.

I do think that the Model X is a better people mover than the S especially if you need to use the rear seats often.
 
I went through a similar evaluation with the S and X. I so wanted to get the S, but we have 4 year old twins and putting them in the back seat was taxing. The X ended up meeting our needs with the ease of car seats and the FWD's are great for tight spot and parking lots. We do not move "things" only people so the space is fine in the X.
 
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Classic 60 with RFS here. Not sure the concerns about safety mentioned above. Do the research on them as well as on rear-facing and decide for yourself on that. My 4 and 6 year old do great back there, easily hop in and out, buckle themselves, with no need for boosters. Our newborn and 2 yr old fit fine in car seats in the back.
 
I've had a small SUV (Honda CR-V) for nearly 20 years. I was really looking forward to the X since the seating position is higher and I expected a similar amount of cargo room. When it was released last year, many of us were disappointed to find the the second row seats didn't fold. I very rarely have more than two people in the car but often use my current car for transporting cargo or my two large Rhodesian Ridgebacks. While my daily commute is relatively short, when I go on road trips, they are 800 to 1000 miles roundtrip. While I-70 is fairly well covered with Superchargers, they are non-existent on I-80 in Nebraska. Due to the reduced range and cargo limitations of the X, I changed my order to the S and will be receiving it on the coming weeks. If the X seats folded and there was coverage on I-80, I would've gotten the X but for now, it won't work for me. I will be keeping the CR-V for now to handle trips to the vet and Home Depot. Eventually, I'll replace it with the Y or a redesigned X and trade in the S.

With that being said, it sounds to me like the X is probably a better fit for you. With your kids growing up, they will fit much better in the second and third row seats and it doesn't sound like you'd need the longer range and longer cargo capacity of the S.

Good luck with your purchase.
 
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I have both cars and they are very different, the S is sleek and works well for most everything. The X is my wife's car and we will use it for going to the snow and although the second row seats do not fold there is room for cargo, we got the 6 seat version. You sit higher and it is easier to get in and out than the S. I love both but it just depends on your situation and what works best for your family.
 
I have an X and driving a loaner S for the past week. One observation from my kids, was that the door opening was small for them on the S and much easier in and out on the X. (My kids are young, but like many small kiddos, are all ready teens...)

From my comparison, the X has a much better command and view. Really does not feel like a car, more like a space ship, that is if I ever get into a space ship. On longer drives, i am used to the S as it is feels like a regular sedan in terms of view, but this is biased as drove regular sedans all the time. Much better view in the X compared to SUVs, both big and small.

Also, FWD are great in parking lots, I'm not worried like regular doors that have to swing wide just to get in and out.

Finally wow factor of X is fantastic. Kids love that part too!
 
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I haven't driven an x yet, so only have a partial picture but here is what I would consider:


- would an x spend more time at the shop vs. an s? Someone mentioned ghosting and that would be something I would be cautious about for instance. There are many other stories here that make me pause. Yes, build quality is getting better, but not on par with an s IMHO.
- does slightly reduced range matter?
- how often would you/your wife sit in the back? I've yet to sit in the back of my car, but then again I've been told i am selfish and always want to drive :)
- I'm not a big fan of the RFS concept but have never used them.
 
We've had an S85 with RFS for the last month and appreciate the flexibility this option adds. While we don't use the RFS every day (we don't have 4+ kids), they are indispensable on the occasions when we want to carry an extra passenger or two. Further, I understand that Tesla has added reinforcement to the rear frame, for safety, on vehicles with RFS. The main negative is that it can get hot all the way in the back, so we're considering buying a 12V fan as other RFS owners have done.

Personally, I think the Model S is better looking than the X (though the X isn't bad), the S has better range at highway speeds, and the lack of fancy doors probably means fewer service center visits at this stage. (We also wanted to buy used and older X's are nonexistent, but that's another story.)
 
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I went through a similar evaluation with the S and X. I so wanted to get the S, but we have 4 year old twins and putting them in the back seat was taxing. The X ended up meeting our needs with the ease of car seats and the FWD's are great for tight spot and parking lots. We do not move "things" only people so the space is fine in the X.

Sounds like we are in a similar situation. Do you regret the X purchase?
 
I haven't driven an x yet, so only have a partial picture but here is what I would consider:


- would an x spend more time at the shop vs. an s? Someone mentioned ghosting and that would be something I would be cautious about for instance. There are many other stories here that make me pause. Yes, build quality is getting better, but not on par with an s IMHO.
- does slightly reduced range matter?
- how often would you/your wife sit in the back? I've yet to sit in the back of my car, but then again I've been told i am selfish and always want to drive :)
- I'm not a big fan of the RFS concept but have never used them.
We had had our X for 4 months and only minor fit and finish problems which the sc took care of. We do not have ghosting and the watts per mile are only slightly more on the X. Keep in mind and this has been said many times before if you are on this forum you will here the good the bad and the ugly.
 
I'm still very torn. I think it may be also for having unrealistic expectations. I was assuming the 2nd row on the Model S was as spacious as a Mercedes S Class or BMW 7 Series or even a Town Car. But its about as roomy as an Audi A4 just without the center hump and lower bench position.

I'm driving an Audi Q5 right now, some I do like the interior spaciousness and sitting higher up. We do a lot of family trips together in the car so I want something the kids can last in for several hours without getting too antsy.

I agree with all the concerns above for the X over the S: fit and finish issues, FWD longevity, range hit, price, and exterior look of the S vs. the X.

I'll probably have to stop by the store again to sit in the back seat of the S again to get a feel. My 7 year old mini me is upset that I'm leaning towards the X and not the S as the sedan is his favorite car. :)
 
How many kids do you have that you need the rear facing seats?

Your seat is adjustable, including tilt which would change your comment about your hips.

We love our X, but currently one FWD will not open or close at all. So that mixed with having two kids (2T and 2 month old) makes this a very bad situation. Not to mention I'm starting to really dislike the service I'm getting versus what other people are saying.

Kind of also depends on what is safer and more reliable, the S has been in production for so long that most of the issues have been resolved while the X is still new and you will most likely have a couple of things come up here and there. The Model S now gets some of the interior things that the X used to have, like the seats from what I recall, aside from that it'll pretty much be the same. I'd say go for the X if you want to take the chance, but the S is a very good option. Keep in mind under standard heights, the X only sits about 2" higher than the S. That for me in Colorado can be important but also not a make it or break it factor.
 
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Just my opinion, the rear facing seats on the S at $4K is way expensive for what you get. We've rarely used it and my kids don't want to sit there because it's too hot (even with 3m crystalline tint). We're short people and my kids are short so they can still sit there if we need the extra seating.

I've been considering the X on the next upgrade, mainly for our dogs that can sit in the back with the 3rd row folded down. There are vents back there in the X to keep them cool.