In a few days I will be giving up my model S and I am sad....

[Yinn]

We still have a used S we bought last year but just picked up a LR RWD 3. I am experiencing buyer’s remorse. The S or X makes a better family vehicle for sure. I thought the power hatch and presenting handles were gimmicky. Now, I understand why the 3 doesnt have it. It puts the S in a different class.

New is not better. Things may change if more AP software/features are released but at this time we should have just bought a used X through Tesla or bought a used 3 one/two years later. Well, if money is bo object the point is moot.

My advice, dont get another 3.

Wait until you buy that used AP1 MX. Everytime I go from the X to the S, I feel like I lose even more luxuries. I never fail to feel like some sort of stuck up snob when I try to explain to someone that I'm waiting for my car doors to open or close themselves (when I'm not in the X)

With that said, we really do love our S and our X. Both capable family cars (S has rear facing seats) just in different ways.

 

[SemiS3XYR]

@Yinn
Hahaha
I am looking several times a day. I’m not a snob but if I spend significant money on a car it damn well have some extra bells and whistles. My daily is a LEAF haha

I was just about to PM you and ask do all X with premium package have power front doors or only after a certain build date?

BTW our S also has the RFS. They are boss.

 

[Silence88]

My wife won't give up her minivan. I've had her sit in a X (I drive an S), and she is unmovable. Minivans have a place in this world, and I have to admit they are the most functional vehicle in the world. We have literally carried a live goat in the back of the thing...

I wasn't going to do it, but this is just too funny. I gotta ask why did you have a live goat in the back of your minivan!?! And, just to keep it Tesla related, would you put a goat in a Model X had you talked your wife in to one?

 

[Cycle11111]

We have an MX and a M3. The MX is incredible as the family truckster - not mini-van big, but we have hauled and hauled in that thing and with the trailer hitch bikes etc are piled on it plus skiis, snowboards etc. Also the seven seats have been used many times. Now for roadtrips I prefer the M3 if it is just my wife and I - short of rough roads it is just as smooth and the range is better and suffers less in major hills and holy crap is it fast (we have a P3D). Zinging around town the M3 also wins. For long trips with gear and 4 people clearly the MX. Also both the MX and M3 do great in snowy conditions although the MX can deal with more due to the higher clearance and the ability to raise it up.

As for the screens and layouts I prefer the M3 - the visibility is way better and the cluster in front of me on the MX immediately felt like it cramped you. Net net we love both the MX and M3 but having one of each is awesome due to the different sweet spot. Funny my wife and I have talked about replacing both with a MY and a Tesla pickup combo when that is an option.

 

[Yinn]

@Yinn
Hahaha

I was just about to PM you and ask do all X with premium package have power front doors or only after a certain build date?

All with premium package have power front doors. In fact, all X's will have powered front doors. They just function differently depending on if you have premium or not.

No premium package:
Doors will open with a push of a button on the screen.
Doors will close with a push of a button on the screen.
Driver door will close when you step on the brake pedal.
Trunk and Falcon Wing Doors can be opened and closed with the key fob.
All doors will close with a triple push of the key fob.

Premium adds to the above:
Automatically opens when you approach the car.
Automatically closes when you walk away from the car.
Front doors can be opened with the key fob.

*Premium package wasn't included in all X's though until July 2017 IIRC (need to double check that date)

Sorry for the thread hijack in the S forums. Blah blah, Model S is great, love mine.

 

[SemiS3XYR]

@Yinn
Did not know those differences! Thanks!

@srthomas21
Size mainly. Just that couple inches car width is a big difference. Cargo space. Big frunk (rwd S frunk). It depends your style. I already have small cars and could use a bigger option when road tripping. The 3 isnt all that small but smaller than the S. I personally like the S styling and presence more too. Cruises on the hwy better and it feels like the S puts the power down better then the 3. Wider and stabile. I’m never going to track any Teslas at this point. I have a couple more capable track cars (that i dont even track ha). That’s not why we like and drive electric cars. So that quicker handling of the 3 is moot to me.

How do you travel all together? (yourself, wife, and 4 kids) Do you usually drive two cars?

I personally would look into a X if we had 4 kiddos.

 

[srthomas21]

@Yinn
Did not know those differences! Thanks!

@srthomas21
Size mainly. Just that couple inches car width is a big difference. Cargo space. Big frunk (rwd S frunk). It depends your style. I already have small cars and could use a bigger option when road tripping. The 3 isnt all that small but smaller than the S. I personally like the S styling and presence more too. Cruises on the hwy better and it feels like the S puts the power down better then the 3. Wider and stabile. I’m never going to track any Teslas at this point. I have a couple more capable track cars (that i dont even track ha). That’s not why we like and drive electric cars. So that quicker handling of the 3 is moot to me.

How do you travel all together? (yourself, wife, and 4 kids) Do you usually drive two cars?

I personally would look into a X if we had 4 kiddos.

Right now we have a Van, a Jeep and a model S. We are selling the Jeep and replacing with a model 3 for my wifes daily driver.

90% of the time it's just me in the model S but it's been really nice to be able to put the family in the S when we do day trips up the canyon or to my parents. I don't do many road trips so road tripping isn't too important to me.

We test drove the model X when it first came out and my wife chose a Van over it but we've had the minvan for 2 years and only put like 12K miles on it so the only time we use it is for road trips or when we want more room on day trips.

The ideal set up for us would probably be one model 3 and one model X. I just have a year left on my stupid van lease.

 

[iCharge]

Your wife must know my wife. She would love an all electric mini-van (Tesla) if they made one. She doesn't understand the Y and the pickup truck and ignoring the minivan segment. Of course minivans aren't cool or sexy, but they are incredibly practical for families and (with the miles she puts on ours) an electric option would be great. Whoever gets first to market with a decent electric minivan that has a realistic range of at least 200 miles is going to dominate that part of the market...

This is no van but check this out Rivian
$1000 to reserve

 

[Yinn]

Right now we have a Van, a Jeep and a model S. We are selling the Jeep and replacing with a model 3 for my wifes daily driver.

90% of the time it's just me in the model S but it's been really nice to be able to put the family in the S when we do day trips up the canyon or to my parents. I don't do many road trips so road tripping isn't too important to me.

We test drove the model X when it first came out and my wife chose a Van over it but we've had the minvan for 2 years and only put like 12K miles on it so the only time we use it is for road trips or when we want more room on day trips.

The ideal set up for us would probably be one model 3 and one model X. I just have a year left on my stupid van lease.

We had a “stupid van lease” too. A Toyota Sienna. Once we got the S, we rarely used the van and couldn’t wait to get rid of it. The S became our main car and we justified it with the rear facing seats. Then we got an X...and quickly caught up to the S in mileage. We drive the X 99% of the time when traveling as a family now.

The exception being actually day trips (4hrs each way max) which is counter intuitive. But if we are doing a longer day trip with limited superchargers, we’ll take the S which gets about 10%-20% more range. For long road trips we still take the X for storage and overall comfort.

 

[bomquito]

This is no van but check this out Rivian
$1000 to reserve

The spec looks great but boy that design is terrible. The lights in the front definitely a deal breaker for me.

 

[srthomas21]

The spec looks great but boy that design is terrible. The lights in the front definitely a deal breaker for me.

Yeah who wants a charge bar light in the front of your car? Hopefully they ditch that idea.

 

[drklain]

This is no van but check this out Rivian
$1000 to reserve

Unfortunately, that's not a minivan, it's an SUV somewhat analogous to the old-style Jeep Grand Cherokee (80's vintage). The whole point of why minivans are so popular with families is:
- sliding doors on side make it easy for kids to get in/out quickly.
- folding seats allow for seating for up to 7 or 8, or seating for 4/5 with a HUGE amount of space in the back, or seating for 2 with a massive amount of space in the back.
- a much lower rear bumper/loading area making it easy to load cargo in.

For people like my wife (who is driving around several teens and assorted sports/school equipment or a cart with all sorts of stuff to move in/out of after-school activities, a minivan just makes sense.

 

[iCharge]

Yeah who wants a charge bar light in the front of your car? Hopefully they ditch that idea.

totally agree, that is very odd if it makes to production models
I am sure there will be a switch since there are regulations [ restrictions] in almost all states banning lights in front of vehicle other than headlights.

 

[Lifeinabox]

I assume your kids will grow, or at least mine seem to do by the day. My oldest just turned 15 and is 5'10" and I assume he's got a couple more inches in him. My 10 and 3 year olds aren't too far behind. I'm have a deposit down on a 3 that will replace my S. I'm having serious second thoughts. Kids these size can fit in a 3 but are more comfortable in an S (or X). I can't imagine hauling 4 kids comfortably in a 3 even if it was only 20% of the time. I'm drawn by the new tech and sportier driving experience as I'm sure the OP is as well, but have to be pragmatic. Now shopping for an X to see if that could be my daily driver or just put down for another S.

 

[drklain]

totally agree, that is very odd if it makes to production models
I am sure there will be a switch since there are regulations [ restrictions] in almost all states banning lights in front of vehicle other than headlights.

Their website says that the light bar is the daytime running light, it just doubles as a charge indicator (presumably when you are charging the car). I'm also not aware of any laws that says the only forward facing lights on a car can be headlights...If that was the case, spotlights, daytime running lights, and fog lights would all not exist, yet they do and are perfectly legal...

 

[iCharge]

Their website says that the light bar is the daytime running light, it just doubles as a charge indicator (presumably when you are charging the car). I'm also not aware of any laws that says the only forward facing lights on a car can be headlights...If that was the case, spotlights, daytime running lights, and fog lights would all not exist, yet they do and are perfectly legal...

In NE, I have gotten stopped for a lighted Vehicle Logo by cops and cited as it as a 'after market front lighting'
per them, only factory installed lights on vehicles are OK - which I forgot to mention in my earlier post
I have NOT looked up the laws myself
my friend with a lighted chevy sign on his truck got stopped as well, but he told the cops that that was how the truck came from factory - and that was it !

 

[iCharge]

DMV: Frequently Asked Questions on Customizing Vehicles

J2442: Harmonized Provisions for Installation of Exterior Lamps and Retro-Reflecting Devices on Road Vehicles Except Motorcycles - SAE International

Tips from a Trooper: Vehicle lights laws

 

[jeffro01]

I couldn't and wouldn't give up the heated steering wheel so I ended up getting an X... LOL

Jeff

 

[drklain]

@iCharge - none of the links you list are applicable to the light in question:

• Your first link is about after market add-ons
• Your second link is an SAE link, not a law.
• Your third link again talks about add-on lights

I have no interest in the SUV in question, but it appears they are proposing that a WHITE bar across the front act as the daytime running light (DRL), which is legal. They also propose that, when the car is plugged in and charging, it will change color and turn green when fully charged. As this is not when the vehicle is in motion, again, not a violation of the law in the US. In no cases, are they proposing an add-on light. They are proposing using the factory designed (and certified) DRL to change colors when the car is not operating/being charged to show charge status.

Personally, I think the SUV is ugly and I think the white DRL crossbar is ugly, with it changing colors when charging to be stupid, but it is not illegal.

 

[TMeister]

That was my initial thought as well but I haven't been able to find a model S in the configuration I want. Not many have the rear facing seats and Autopilot 2 . If you know of any resources to locate let me know!

I did the lease return buy my own car at current prices on the i3. Residual was high about $26K and I returned it and then 10 minutes later bought it for $19K. BMW doesn't allow that anymore but last year they did. Maybe you can strike such a deal at the SLC Tesla store? That way you get your EXACT car back at a substantial savings over paying the residual. You may also be in a position to keep free supercharging in the deal.