Hearing about the D just 9 days after taking delivery of P85+ merits a switch!!!

[tga]

Just reading this thread changed my opinion on whether I'd even want to be the kind of person who would buy a P-version Tesla.

+1

I didn't realize having the financial wherewithal to buy a $120,000 car makes you an inherently better person (or just more important) than someone with a $20,000 car. Thanks to the OP for setting me straight.

Too bad money doesn't buy humility, too...

 

[dsm363]

I agree that this sort of thing is a bit frustrating. I apparently missed the autopilot features by a day or two (my car finished production Sep 20th), and I missed the D by a little over a month.

That said, if they told you 10 days in advance, someone would complain because they ordered their car 12 days before. If they announced the D a month earlier, someone who ordered their car 2 months ago would be upset. Tesla has done nothing wrong. They had to announce new features at some point. Someone will always have purchased just a bit too early.

This is the main problem. It sucks for the people affected but there is always someone on the 'wrong' side of a deadline like that. Make it 10 days and person who took delivery 11 days ago is pissed. Make it 30 days and the 31 day person is pissed....etc

Also, you can't have a big Apple style event with free press like Tesla likes if you give everyone a month's heads up.

I do understand people being a little upset but not much Tesla can do. A loaded P85+ is still an awesome car. If you think about it, while the D is awesome, it had the same battery pack. I'd opt for keeping your new car for a year or two and seeing when Tesla comes out with a P100D or something similar.

 

[wk057]

People need to stop whining.

Everyone got what they ordered. No matter when they announced the update, or announced the update to the update, someone will have just ordered before then. Sorry, just go with it. The fact that Tesla seems to be working with some people who have orders in but not taken delivery to switch to the D is more than enough customer service on their part, IMO.

I love my P85. But you know what, I like the P85D better. Does Tesla owe me a P85D or something else because I'm an owner? Of course not.

My solution? I ordered a P85D.

 

[Krugerrand]

A loaded P85+ is still an awesome car.

I'm wondering if these might not be an eventual collector's item down the road.

 

[Thud]

Would it have been better if you received your car 3 months ago instead? 6 months ago? You would have the same hit in resale value. The only thing you would have gained is a few months of knowing you had a top of the line model, for whatever that is worth.

There will always be something better in the future. Those who are buying their lower tier models now will get Autopilot but they'll be missing out on the new seat design that will inevitably be offered in all models at some point. Who knows what amazing new hardware will come out next year too.

Your car did not suddenly get worse. It's still awesome. And resale value is a non issue, because you would have taken that hit eventually no matter when the D came out, unless your intent was to sell the car before something better was introduced. Why worry so much about resale anyway? Are cars a good financial investment in the first place?

 

[russman]

People are assuming that everyone at Tesla know about the exact timing and such. Unfortunately, when it comes to mfg in these type of CI environments, everyone who does know is under NDA and the majority of people actually don't know (including sales), because the company needs sales to sell the here and now, not the possible future. Revenues and bookings are critical to a companies success and a public company requires proper quarterly guidance and any thing that would prevent that is held in top secret and protected by NDA as well as can be scrutinized by the SEC as possible insider trading or manipulation. I know people in the tech mfg and engineering changes things on the fly and customers are upset that sales didn't tell them a better model is coming, but that's because sales doesn't know, because if they knew, they could manipulate sales.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

You got what you bought.

Not much sympathy here, sorry.

 

[toby_wan_kenoby]

MY T, what is your suggestion Tesla do for all effected?
I would assume everybody that took delivery before the announcement are effected. There is no real cut off date. The people in limbo are the ones that ordered but have not taken delivery.
They always have the option of forfeiting their deposit. Cheap option I would say. What about people that ordered, paid in full but have not taken delivery? That is a tough one.

But people that ordered, paid and took delivery.....

Unless you can lay down exactly what Tesla should do for how far back, you have no leg to stand on. And I am talking not just what they should do for you, but exactly what should their policy be.

I am curious what you will suggest, I do not have a good answer....

I assume a price increase will come in Europe when they announce P85D pricing over here (The $ has gotten very strong against Euro and CHF).. so everybody that has bought before will see their cars appreciate.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

This is Tesla's model. We need to get used to it. If Tesla isn't going to adhere to model years, then don't buy a Model S until right after an update event. Pretty simple.

 

[GinoG]

It astounds me that someone who DIDN'T order, and supposedly didn't WANT parking sensors is now complaining that they didn't get this $500 option FREE on their $100K amazing car! I didn't order fog lights on my MS because there's no fog in NM, so am I going to be upset if they add that to the package? No way! I wanted a spoiler, but not the whole P pkg, so ordered one and put it on and now have the car exactly the way I want it. Enjoy your car, it's what you ordered and received and be happy for those that got that little $500 present from Tesla.

 

[breser]

Unless you can lay down exactly what Tesla should do for how far back, you have no leg to stand on. And I am talking not just what they should do for you, but exactly what should their policy be.

I honestly can't see what they can reasonably do with delivered P85+ vehicles. The P85D is more, so the P85+ is already discounted in relation. The best I think Tesla could offer in his case would be a generous (but not too generous) trade offer. As others have pointed out Tesla can probably easily sell a maxed out P85+ with low miles on it to someone that doesn't want to wait and doesn't care about the D.

For that matter, I'd think that the P85+ would slightly appreciate in the resale market because it's a middle ground between a P85 and P85D that is no longer offered. If you want that little bit more than a base P85 but don't want to pay for the P85D you have to buy a P85+ on the used market. If it happens to be sold by Tesla through their (soon to be arriving) CPO program, I'd bet it'd sell for nearly what a new P85+ would have.

 

[tga]

This is Tesla's model. We need to get used to it. If Tesla isn't going to adhere to model years, then don't buy a Model S until right after an update event. Pretty simple.

Especially when your desired feature (ie, AWD) has been in the rumor mill for, literally, months.

 

[TexasEV]

Any technology product can be "obsolete" (meaning it works just fine, but someone else has a more advanced version) if a few months. Look at the 4K televisions, costing more than $10,000 for the early adopters and within a year the price dropped by thousands of dollars for better units. What is Tesla supposed to do, tell people not to order cars because something better is coming really soon? There were never any promises other features wouldn't be out for x amount of time, so you could enjoy knowing you had the "top of the line" car for that amount of time. Someone has to be the last person to get the previous version. How much more money you spent on the car than some of us who did have to think about whether or not to get leather seats has no relevance. It just plays into the stereotype many non-Tesla owners have that Tesla owners have a sense of entitlement.

 

[Killface]

Yes it sucks that many of us didn't get the autopilot sensors. My car seems to be one of the last ones off the line without them, and that sucks. A lot of us who took delivery in the past month would have ordered the P85D had we known it was coming. We didn't know, and that sucks.

But Tesla did nothing wrong. They had to announce new features at some point. We just happened to be the ones who barely missed the boat. We still got what we ordered, and we got what we paid for. We have the right to be sad and disappointed, but we shouldn't be angry at Tesla.

Some other guy got MORE than he ordered, and he got it for free. I'm excited for him. His bonus doesn't hurt me at all.

If you want a warning that in three months you'll be able to get a P85D, this is it. Buy one in three months. If you wanted the same warning a month ago, well, a guy named Steve wanted that warning TWO months ago, and a nice old lady named Barbara wanted that warning THREE months ago. If Tesla had announced the D a month ago, Steve and Barbara would be the ones bitching instead of you. Would that seem more fair to you?

In short, I'm sad I missed out on the autopilot sensors by mere hours. I'm sad I didn't know the D would be available so soon. But I've learned I need to quit being so concerned with what other people have and just be happy with what I have. I love my Model S, even though it's not quite as good as the newest ones.

 

[MassModel3]

I just bought a used 2013 Model S -- without even all the bells and whistles available when the car was new -- because it's the best I can afford. It doesn't have all the latest cool stuff, and I'll never be able to afford the latest. The best I can hope for is to pimp out a new Model 3 when it comes out in two or three years. By then, a lot of the cool tech available now, but not necessarily everything, will be included and/or available as options. I accept that I can't afford the latest and greatest in the current high end models.

So for that reason I am astounded to hear people complain about how their new top of the line $127K car isn't top of the line enough. People who would have spent a little more to get an even higher end top of the line car. Really??? Looking at this from the view point of someone who has to pinch pennies to own a Tesla, everyone who complains about not getting more for free, or not being afforded the opportunity to get to spend even more on their $120K+ car, you all look like spoiled brats. "I want what he has, blah, blah, blah..." Good grief. Suck it up.

 

[arondaniel]

Well, one consequence of continual upgrades is that eventually consumers will start to time orders to correspond with the product refresh cycle, ala Apple: iPhone, iPad, Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy For instance, now is a really bad time to buy an iPad.

I do hope they get better with hardware upgrades though. I got the folding mirrors added & love them, and I would certainly pay for all these sensors & a 2nd motor if possible & the cost was reasonable. Not in the company's best interests to offer upgrades now... Can certainly make more selling me a new car.

 

[Killface]

Well, one consequence of continual upgrades is that eventually consumers will start to time orders to correspond with the product refresh cycle, ala Apple: iPhone, iPad, Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy For instance, now is a really bad time to buy an iPad.

You might be right, but I suspect that the potential upgrades for a Model S are much more varied and new versions can be rolled out more frequently (and less predictably) than tablets and phones. One of the tricks with small electronics is just getting everything to fit. Cars have a lot more wiggle room so they don't have to plan each change so carefully.

 

[Hawaii J]

If you want that little bit more than a base P85 but don't want to pay for the P85D you have to buy a P85+ on the used market. If it happens to be sold by Tesla through their (soon to be arriving) CPO program, I'd bet it'd sell for nearly what a new P85+ would have.

I appreciate your optimism and like where your head's at, but I will take that bet. While I agree that there will be demand for P85+ CPO, especially for those who want it now, I would estimate they'll sell at a hefty discount, depending on typical used car details.

 

[castor]

It astounds me that someone who DIDN'T order, and supposedly didn't WANT parking sensors is now complaining that they didn't get this $500 option FREE on their $100K amazing car! I didn't order fog lights on my MS because there's no fog in NM, so am I going to be upset if they add that to the package? No way! I wanted a spoiler, but not the whole P pkg, so ordered one and put it on and now have the car exactly the way I want it. Enjoy your car, it's what you ordered and received and be happy for those that got that little $500 present from Tesla.

Please next time read first before reply.
I never complained that Tesla didn't give me parking sensors in my car.
Parking sensors came 3 months AFTER I took delivery so I wasn't looking for any retribution from Tesla.
My garage is small, I would have loved and for sure ordered parking sensors if they would have been available when I bought the car.
What I said was that all cars that worth 100K should have the parking sensors option, mine didn't have this option and until Tesla catch up with the rest of manufacture this will keep happening every new cycle.
I said I'm happy with my car as it is.
My personal experience is unrelated to the parking sensors.

Next time please read before reply.

 

[Tedkidd]

I read a suggestion somewhere that seemed a nice solution: Schedule hardware upgrade announcements every 4 months. (Feb, June, Oct)

Seemed a really good solution for everyone. It lets buyers understand announcement timing when making ordering plans, and thereby experience less remorse or feeling of being blindsided should the announcement be about a feature they find particularly appealing.

It also allows Tesla to continue their process of continuous improvement, and regular PR opportunity.