How is the Model S as a family car?

[richkae]

Need to know the ages/heights of the kids to know how long the rear seats will be useful and if that matches how long you plan to keep the car.

Even though we only have 2 kids we added the rear seats to our S because it is convenient for playdates.
Fitting 3 kids in the back seat ( with one in a full child seat ) works great, but with the rear facing seats we can easily haul 4 or 5 kids for outings/playdates.
Our oldest will probably not fit in the rear seats in a couple of years, but the youngest ( and his group of friends ) will be able to use them for a very long time.
That works out well because now our older son ( and one friend ) can go in the rear seats, while the younger ones are within arms reach.
When the older ones no longer fit in the rear seats, the younger ones will be self sufficient and wont need to be that close.

The S is a fantastic family car.

 

[Zythryn]

Thanks! Very helpful. I am waiting for approval from tesla for the rear facing seats. It's very weird how they decide whether to do something or not. Apparently it's not a big deal. Add one bar. Add the seats. Not much price difference from the factory price.

No, it is a huge deal.
The back of the car is engineered differently.
The first X number of cars were all built with a shorter crumble zone to accommodate the jump seats.
So, what you are looking for is a 2012 or early 2013, or a CPO that already has them.

What I really don't understand is why you would want the X over the S. Your wife gets the X with additional utility, and you get a sportier car. Seems a perfect fit?

 

[drewnick]

Just to chime in we have 3 kids, aged 7,4,1 and we use the Tesla over the Suburban almost every trip. There's a bit less room to move around of course, but it feels safer in almost all dimensions (kids buckled in, no chance of roaming around in the back) and the superior driving dynamic.

The only thing I miss from the Suburban is the visibility of the SUV on road trips. Other than that the S is great for small kids.

 

[SFOTurtle]

I have 3 kids and two Model S's. I've had my Model S for 3 years, took delivery of it a week before our twins were born. We traded in a Toyota Highlander for a second Model S 15 months ago and have loved every minute of owning two of these cars. The second Model S has the rear facing seats, which are 3 year olds love. Yes, they will eventually outgrow the seats in a few years, but still don't imagine getting a minivan. Perhaps a used Model X by then if we really need to shuttle around 6 or more bigger kids and/or adults consistently. That seems like it won't happen too often, but in your case, you do have the Model X to cover this. I don't know why you would get a minivan if you have a Model X on the way and you can afford a Model S.

BTW, my wife and I frequently swap cars depending on the car seat situation. My 60 has the three kids seats in the back row all the time, while her 85 only has a base for the infant Kraco seat. If I need to make a longer trip or haul more adults around (like I will do with an airport run tomorrow night when I'm picking up four adults), I'll just use her car and if necessary unhook the base.

 

[Nototrader]

No, it is a huge deal.
The back of the car is engineered differently.
The first X number of cars were all built with a shorter crumble zone to accommodate the jump seats.
So, what you are looking for is a 2012 or early 2013, or a CPO that already has them.

What I really don't understand is why you would want the X over the S. Your wife gets the X with additional utility, and you get a sportier car. Seems a perfect fit?

I like gadgets. Don't get the X till next week, so I don't know which one I will ultimately like more. But knowing my wife, I'm not in love with her taking my new 150k truck and turning it into garbage in the first month. At least with a 1 year old S, I feel better with a 40k discount from the original price.

 

[Mike K]

We have two kids, both in car seats. Our other car is an FX35. The Infiniti hasn't even been started in two months if that tells you anything. In many cases the S has more utility than a smaller SUV. The back has tons of luggage space and when you add on the frunk you really end up with more space than you know what to do with. Between the FX and the S, the S has more usable space, more storage space and most importantly: doesn't need to have it's front seats moved up nearly as much with car seats installed.

 

[m2140]

I have 2 kids and my model S has the rear facing seats. My kids are 12 and 13. My 13 year old is 5'4" and can't fit in the back. My 12 year old does but barely and he is about 4'10". If you have younger kids you will get a lot of use out of the seats. The trunk is huge but having the 3rd seat you loose the cavity at the back of the car behind the rear drive unit. There is more than enough space for a large stroller and groceries.

If you plan on having more utility to have the same storage space don't get the rear seats so that you have more storage in the trunk. If taking 2 more people along is important just be aware of the space the seat takes up. With the seats up and kids in the seats there is only storage in the frunk. You could pile stuff on the kids but in can get uncomfortable.

We did a couple of long trips with 6 people in the car last summer and I had to get a small battery powered camping fan for my son to keep him cool back there.

 

[cmu5p]

I have the rear facing seat. If you want that you must get it with the car. It cannot be added later.

I have carpool duty 2-3 days a week with 2 1st graders and 1 kindergartner. My first grade daughter rides in the 3rd row and the other two are on boosters in the back with an aftermarket armrest/storage thing in between so nobody is in anyone else's space on accident. Works great.

Seems like a family car to me, but I moved up in size from driving a Chevy Volt.

@Drucifer- what aftermarket armrest are you using? I need something to separate twin boys are always getting into each others' space. Thank goodness for rear seats (aka the penalty box).

Sorry to derail thread.

 

[Drucifer]

@Drucifer- what aftermarket armrest are you using? I need something to separate twin boys are always getting into each others' space. Thank goodness for rear seats (aka the penalty box).

Sorry to derail thread.

I went cheap on this - and picked a large and WIDE one. I hooked it into the center LATCH in the center back of the seat by running a bungee cord from the unit through the space between the seat bottom and seat back and up the back of the seat to the latch. Works great. Tan leather interior, BTW. Not exact match but close enough.

It also solves the cupholder problem in the back.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CQFX22?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

 

[FlasherZ]

It was my family's daily hauler until we got the Model X.

A Family's Tesla Affair | Tesla Motors
(Look at the misaligned door on that beta car! Yikes!)

(One child is missing from that picture, he chose to go see his high school's cheerleading team in the state finals rather than enjoy Model X delivery. )

- - - Updated - - -

My model X is coming next week. She will try to steal it from me but I already squashed that idea. Too many options for her to appreciate it. So, what to do? Tesla is an expensive mistake to make if it's not the right fit. Resell prices drop quickly.

My wife considers the X (P90DL) as "her car". I get the sig S.

 

[Max*]

The Model S is a great family car. I've had it for... 8 months now, 16.5k miles, and it's my wife and 2 kids. We don't use her ICE almost at all (looking to get a Model 3 for her once it's out).

I have the rear facing seats. Be sure you can retrofit them. You need the bumper reinforced, and there have been stories of Tesla doing it for a fee, and other stories that Tesla only does it at the factory.

Rear circulation in the summer sucks. It gets hot. I have tints, the Tesla sunshade, and I got my kids fans. My daughter likes the concept of sitting in the RFS, but apparently she gets car sick back there, so she rarely likes to do it. In the spring/winter she occasionally sat there.

We recently had to give 2 people a ride, and there were 4 of us in the car. Dropped the kids in the trunk, stacked the carseat/booster, folded the parcel shelf, and fit 6 people in the car relatively easily (I've fit 7, but then I left the parcel shelf and carseats/boosters in the house).

So yes, the Model S is huge and a great family car.

 

[Chickenlittle]

Why not just keep the van forever.
Can't beat the van for utility.
The rear jump seats will only last a few years before they out grow them.

Family cars need to be safe cars. Vans are no where near as safe as model S. It's strange how far we get away from safety concerns when buying cars

 

[supratachophobia]

How is the air circulation if you have the rear seats?i was told that it was an issue..

Abysmal. Plain and simple. However, you can mitigate this. Rear widow tint and rear sun shade fix the problem for the most part. For the days when you can't pre cool, battery operated fans are fun, but we prefer doing something we call "explosive decompression". Open the sun roof and both rear windows all the way. Bonus points if everyone yells as loud as they can.

 

[Nototrader]

It was my family's daily hauler until we got the Model X.

A Family's Tesla Affair | Tesla Motors
(Look at the misaligned door on that beta car! Yikes!)

(One child is missing from that picture, he chose to go see his high school's cheerleading team in the state finals rather than enjoy Model X delivery. )

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My wife considers the X (P90DL) as "her car". I get the sig S.

Very nice post. I guess we will decide after this weekend's two nights test drive. I'm not ready to give up my X before it even arrives.

 

[Kandiru]

Perfect for family or five. The kids really appreciate the comfort and wide open spaces in front of their knees as opposed to sitting shoulder to shoulder and knees to backrests in my S4 (A4 on roids).
Out 6'1" 12yo loves the headroom in our panoramic sunroof car.

Now with the second charger I acquired at last service we confidently go shopping to the mall 3 hours away where HPWCs take us back to full in the time it takes my wife and two daughters to get facials at Nordstrom and shop until our son and I look like sherpas carrying the material proof of their well developed handbag-shoe cortical coordination centers. Oh well, I could have stayed in the Balkans and wonder how to pay the heating bill while still having food on the table LMFAO.

 

[whitex]

My worry is that I will get a 100k car that sits in the garage and does nothing most of the time. Trying to figure it out. Anybody with three kids and a model s? Sufficient? Lacking?

My point was about replacing the utility of the van that your wife is used to, not what can be a workable solution (heck, I grew up in Europe where our family of 5 got around in a Fiat 126, something smaller than the size of the Fiat500 today, so yes, it *can* work). A while back my wife thought she wanted an SUV instead of the van (her friend had one), however having similar worry as you, I rented her one for just over a week before going to shop for one. After driving it for a week she came back saying "nope, I'm keeping my van". Surprisingly one of the first things she noticed is the rear doors and the need to walk around them while opened to get to the kids. There were other drawbacks. Bottom line was when it came to replacing it couple of years ago, there was no doubt, she wanted another Sienna, so we got one. Today, she'd be open to the Model X, but not Model S. We only have 2 kids btw and we do go out comfortably in the Model S all the time, however the van lets my wife carry their friends if needed, let's her carry spare clothing or whatever other supplies she may need while lagging the kids around, it serves as a changing room sometimes for kids activities, it makes it easier to shop for things, big and small, etc, etc.

My suggestion, rent your wife a Model S for a week, and if you can't do that, rent her a sedan of similar size for a few days to see whether she is willing to give up the utility. Or at least try to get the "overnight test-drive" for whatever part of the week your wife drives most rigorous routine.

 

[Nototrader]

My point was about replacing the utility of the van that your wife is used to, not what can be a workable solution (heck, I grew up in Europe where our family of 5 got around in a Fiat 126, something smaller than the size of the Fiat500 today, so yes, it *can* work). A while back my wife thought she wanted an SUV instead of the van (her friend had one), however having similar worry as you, I rented her one for just over a week before going to shop for one. After driving it for a week she came back saying "nope, I'm keeping my van". Surprisingly one of the first things she noticed is the rear doors and the need to walk around them while opened to get to the kids. There were other drawbacks. Bottom line was when it came to replacing it couple of years ago, there was no doubt, she wanted another Sienna, so we got one. Today, she'd be open to the Model X, but not Model S. We only have 2 kids btw and we do go out comfortably in the Model S all the time, however the van lets my wife carry their friends if needed, let's her carry spare clothing or whatever other supplies she may need while lagging the kids around, it serves as a changing room sometimes for kids activities, it makes it easier to shop for things, big and small, etc, etc.

My suggestion, rent your wife a Model S for a week, and if you can't do that, rent her a sedan of similar size for a few days to see whether she is willing to give up the utility. Or at least try to get the "overnight test-drive" for whatever part of the week your wife drives most rigorous routine.

have a two night test drive this Saturday. Not the same as a real week in the real world, but better than nothing. I appreciate all the different opinions.

 

[MikeBur]

My point was about replacing the utility of the van that your wife is used to, not what can be a workable solution (heck, I grew up in Europe where our family of 5 got around in a Fiat 126, something smaller than the size of the Fiat500 today, so yes, it *can* work). A while back my wife thought she wanted an SUV instead of the van (her friend had one), however having similar worry as you, I rented her one for just over a week before going to shop for one. After driving it for a week she came back saying "nope, I'm keeping my van". Surprisingly one of the first things she noticed is the rear doors and the need to walk around them while opened to get to the kids. There were other drawbacks. Bottom line was when it came to replacing it couple of years ago, there was no doubt, she wanted another Sienna, so we got one. Today, she'd be open to the Model X, but not Model S. We only have 2 kids btw and we do go out comfortably in the Model S all the time, however the van lets my wife carry their friends if needed, let's her carry spare clothing or whatever other supplies she may need while lagging the kids around, it serves as a changing room sometimes for kids activities, it makes it easier to shop for things, big and small, etc, etc.

My suggestion, rent your wife a Model S for a week, and if you can't do that, rent her a sedan of similar size for a few days to see whether she is willing to give up the utility. Or at least try to get the "overnight test-drive" for whatever part of the week your wife drives most rigorous routine.

+1, though we started with a Mini Traveller, and we soon upgraded to a Morris Minor Traveller (with real wood trim on the outside!) - that was a family of 6 and I cringe at the way we had to fit. Seat belts - lol, we were lucky if we managed to not bust the doors open and spill out on the motorways.

In all seriousness, I hear you on the ride height for the driver. I regularly flip from big pickup to my S and I'm fine, though this is a big issue for my wife. I'd have a word with your local sales office, say this is a key decision, and ask if you could loan one over a weekend, eg. Friday night through Monday morning. I'm optimistic you'd all fall in love with it.

Also the adaptive cruise control (TACC) as part of the autopilot package is such a stress reliever that it may well be worth it in its own right. Particularly with a car full of children

 

[Canuck]

Anybody with three kids and a model s? Sufficient? Lacking?

Three kids here. I've had my S for 2 years. They were 16, 14, 12 (all girls) when I got it. We drive it a lot to our cabin and back (with my wife in the front and the kids in the back) and it's more than sufficient. I also have a Tahoe Hybrid that we take in the winter, and they do prefer to ride up higher in the Tahoe, but they have no problems with the Tesla. I keep a mouse in the back so they can control the music (since I usually listen to Howard Stern with one earphone on long drives). Get the winter package if you can for the rear heated seats.

 

[mmccord]

The biggest hassle compared to a minivan or SUV is the height (or lack thereof). I have three boys (and a fourth child on the way) and we take the S on our family outings. We have a trailblazer, but my wife only uses it when I'm using the S.

Getting kids in and out of the second row is killer on my back though, especially the three year old out of his car seat in the middle.