Width of car including mirrors is listed at 86.2"! Seems like an oversight to not include electrically folding mirrors for such a wide car (wider than some SUVs). Will anyone else have to manual fold their mirrors every time when parking in their garage, or even on the street?
Also, forgot to mention NO heated mirrors or washer nozzles. A little odd, considering they come standard on a $20k VW Golf. They seem to have forgotten about customers living north of California! :smile:
With my 'texas-sized' garage it's not an issue (104" door), but if I was still living back in the UK, my garage doors were each 8ft wide, meaning I'd be 2" short with the mirrors out, and probably still too close to call with them folded in.
I'm having a hard time determining just how wide it really is since I none of the cars I've checked give with and without mirrors folded stats. So, for example, I looked up the Acura MDX width, but I don't know if that includes its mirrors or not.
The S is as wide as my Yukon SUV which has folding mirrors. Folding mirrors are needed in tight parking spaces!
Nice feature to have but keep in mind the Tesla may have wanted to stay within a particular price range. Also, TM is not producing 250,00 units so parts pricing could have been too high at the time.
8ft wide is 96" so you'd still have 10" of slop (5" on each side) with the mirrors out. 8' is pretty standard for a single car garage. Although I agree, it'll be a tight fit in some places!
Would have liked to have the option to fold electronically. With some shelves and a refrigerator along the walls on one side, my 2-car garage can barely fit two cars and the Model S would be pushing the limits there. More first-world problems
Darn my maths....I still have a hard time switching from metric these days . Either way, with the actual door jambs, and tracking rail, it would likely be closer to 2 inches each side, which going in would be a challenge, backing out would be downright ugly. My house over there was new, there's plenty with narrower doors, but, equally, there's plenty of garages used for anything other than storing a car. My last car over there was an SLK, and that, apaprently, is only 79 inches wide, and that felt tight.
No heated mirrors? How the hell will I see behind me on day at -20c or freezing rain? Safest car on the road my eye.,.
I have a nice house, but the architect decided to provide individual garage doors for each bay. That leaves a 96" opening (less hardware). Electrically folding mirrors would be nice to have. I wonder whether there might be a down-the-line solution—"opportunity mirrors"—that Tesla might install after the fact? I don't think an aftermarket, third party solution would be viable because it would have to be integrated with the display and accessory control software.
FYI, the BMW X6M is 86.4" wide with the mirrors: BMW X6M - Features & Specs - Specifications - BMW North America So, it's not the widest. But the BMW's mirrors have electric folding option. Worst case, you can manually fold in the driver's side as you park to give you another 4.5" or so of play.
My X3 has folding mirrors but I never use them. Useless. Heated mirrors are a must in my side of this planet.
There is definitely a need for retracting mirrors, and not just to assist parking in one's garage. I park on a public road used by bicyclists a lot (Pacific Coast Highway) while I get my morning coffee. Between the parked cars and traffic there is not a lot of room for these bicyclists to maneuver; most drivers who do park either fold their mirrors in manually, do it electrically…. or have an errant bicyclist do it for them. Unfortunately, the mirrors don't fold very well folded forward. A car this wide needs electrically folding mirrors.
+1 to that. I understand that this is v1.0, but if you want to sell cars where there are real winters, you have to include the basics... Non-heated mirrors are fine in most situations (even when it's very cold), but as Steph pointed out, freezing rain can make them useless in seconds. And I don't think this is something that is expensive or complex to implement compared to the tech in the rest of the car. Still hoping for some sort of cold weather package, although time is running a bit short for the first Canadian reservation holders...
Must as in "you won't buy it unless it has"? Similarly, I say it MUST have foldable mirrors. It SHOULD HAVE electric folding mirrors. IMO, "must" is strong word in both cases.
It may actually force me to delay my purchase, or to wait for the X that I really need (the heated mirrors, not the power folding ones). Winters here are no joke, and I will not compromise with features that could put my family in harm's way. Not seeing adequately behind me when driving in freezing rain is a no-no. Trying to scrape side mirrors while stopped at a red light is too ludicrous to consider in a car of this price in 2012. If you ever have to drive in freezing rain, you'll know why this is not a SHOULD, but a MUST. Mind you I don't want all S owners to have to pay for such a feature, simply that it be offered in a package for those who need it.
Went to school in Troy, NY and grew up in NYC, so I'm aware of winter weather. I don't doubt your desire to have it. If its a must for you, I understand. But know that some people who live in the same environment won't feel the same. Some simply can't afford cars that have it as a feature or option. I agree it would be great as an option. And as feedback for Tesla to offer it in the future that's great.
Totally agree, hence my desire for an optional package. There, I'm not so sure. Heated mirrors are available (in Canada at least) as standard equipment in many entry-level cars, which is why, in my mind, a car like the S should at least offer it.