Is the P85 too fast/powerful?

[jcaspar]

Virtually all cars today have so many electronic controls, traction control, stability control, antilock brakes etc, that it is hard to get into trouble other than excessive speed. I would let anyone drive it. My 1997 Dodge Viper, without any of these controls, was a totally different beast. It was a true drivers car. Hit the gas too hard without the car pointing straight and you would spin. Brake too hard and the tires lock. That car was something only a select few I would let drive. This wasn't too much of a problem as few people today can drive stick, let alone know what that is!
Granted the Model S doesn't have as much nanny safety features as a Porsche or Mercedes, but the P85 is still a pussycat and anyone can drive it as safe as other cars.

 

[JohnnyMac]

....... and P85 will be beaten by most new AMG Mercedes cars and top of the line Audi's.
It's the fastest electric car and kudos to that.

Not quite true, a 2103 SLK AMG tried to outgun me to a merge from a stoplight today. He lit up his rear tires which screeched like a teenage girl at a Beeber concert but it was no contest. Did not even look over at me at the next light when I pulled up next to him (yes, I shut it down at five over the speed limit while his dual exhaust notified the entire area of his intent as he kept going to well over the limit). So yes, based on his reaction, it is.

 

[brianman]

Virtually all cars today have so many electronic controls, traction control, stability control, antilock brakes etc, that it is hard to get into trouble other than excessive speed. I would let anyone drive it. My 1997 Dodge Viper, without any of these controls, was a totally different beast. It was a true drivers car. Hit the gas too hard without the car pointing straight and you would spin. Brake too hard and the tires lock. That car was something only a select few I would let drive. This wasn't too much of a problem as few people today can drive stick, let alone know what that is!
Granted the Model S doesn't have as much nanny safety features as a Porsche or Mercedes, but the P85 is still a pussycat and anyone can drive it as safe as other cars.

Don't let those guest drivers turn off traction control.

 

[EXOTIC1]

Not quite true, a 2103 SLK AMG tried to outgun me to a merge from a stoplight today. He lit up his rear tires which screeched like a teenage girl at a Beeber concert but it was no contest. Did not even look over at me at the next light when I pulled up next to him (yes, I shut it down at five over the speed limit while his dual exhaust notified the entire area of his intent as he kept going to well over the limit). So yes, based on his reaction, it is.

I said most. I can think of 4-5 models that are made by mercedes that are faster that even have 4 doors LOL
S600 S65 CLS63 CLS55 C63 are a few that come to mind and some of those aren't even new.

Like i said before in the previous post it's a seriously fast electric car.

 

[ACDriveMotor]

@Brian, ouch that could be a bad day.

 

[redi]

I drove an S60 for the first time recently and found that under clear dry road conditions you can apply most/full pedal while glancing at the mfd, etc. Particularly starting at 40+

Can't do this with a P85+ - needs two hands and full forward attention if you are asking for max go now, imo. Even more so starting from low speed. Otherwise it is just as calm as any other model.

I would be careful with inexperienced "test" drivers and a P85+ as the instant thrust is, well... surprising.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

It's showing off when you turn on cruise control and let it follow another car, speed up when needed, slow down when needed and come to a complete stop on its own, and then you turn to the person next to you and say "Why can't your Tesla do that, Dad?" Whatever you say, you will be reminded that you spent four times as much on the Tesla as you did on the car for your daughter.

Because not being in control of your own vehicle is a good thing?

 

[ACDriveMotor]

Because not being in control of your own vehicle is a good thing?

Since most car crashes are caused by human error unfortunately the answer seems to be yes. It seems likely that insurance companies will continue to differentiate policy prices based on crash avoidance capability and eventually autonomous driving ability.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Research/Crash+Avoidance/Crash+Avoidance+Research+Program

 

[Kondo]

The Decision ........ what to get and not get ........ I went with the S85 after the owner advisor asked if I really needed to got 0 - 60 1.2 seconds faster, of course I didn't. After hanging up my wife entered the room with The LOOK. What did you just do?? I ordered the Tesla, I know .... the first thing you are going to say is after delivery is " I should have gotten the P" ..... Call Kimi back and order the P!!!!!

It helps when your wife has 20 / 20 vision

David

 

[jcaspar]

I think the P85 would beat most of the AMG's 0-30 and be close 0-60. Even the CL65 AMG has a 0-60 time more than the P85

2014 Mercedes CL65 AMG 0-60 mph 4.4 Quarter Mile 12.4

http://www.zeroto60times.com/Mercedes-Benz-0-60-mph-Times.html

Beyond that, I think the roadster would take the rest of them...

 

[danp]

@Kondo that's pretty much where I ended up. Confirmed the S85 after weeks of endless back and forth and multiple test drives, only to have my (normally conservative) wife flat out insist that I change it to the P, so I have no regrets later. I gladly obliged.

Now for the torturous wait.

 

[ACDriveMotor]

Though it will be painful, it is so worth the wait! FWIW, my wife told me "no regrets" as the reason when I did the same upgrade from S to P prior to production.

 

[ThosEM]

I would never say the SP/+ is too fast, but I would say the S is plenty fast enough for me as a family car. Maybe I'll get a Model 3P+ one of these days ;=D

 

[lloyds]

I think the + is subtle enough when not on full throttle, but when that power is needed, it is much appreciated.

 

[ACDriveMotor]

Is that due to slip/stability or just cornering?

 

[Tslynk67]

I'm very glad I took the P and after the first few months I don't often floor it any more, only when I do test-rides. I do find that when I want I can accelerate plenty without stomping on it. I'm getting more pleasure driving quite sedately for the moment.

When you've never driven a Model S, the S is fast. When you're a P owner, the S feels slow. Agreed, on paper you can hardly see much difference, but it sure as hell feels it. It's scary fast versus brutally fast IMO.

 

[mknox]

I own a S85 but have a P85 loaner today. To be honest, on the freeway I notice no difference in acceleration, but from a stop, absolutely.

 

[Gizmotoy]

I own a S85 but have a P85 loaner today. To be honest, on the freeway I notice no difference in acceleration, but from a stop, absolutely.

Once at speed the difference is less noticable. 10-15% faster instead of the 30% faster at lower speeds.

I spent a lot of time considering this table when deciding between the S and P:

Speed NP P diff.
 0-30 2.3 vs 1.7 (+0.6)
30-40 0.8 vs 0.7 (+0.1)
40-50 0.9 vs 0.7 (+0.2)
50-60 1.0 vs 0.9 (+0.1)
60-70 1.1 vs 1.0 (+0.1)
70-80 1.3 vs 1.3 (+0.0)
80-90 1.5 vs 1.4 (+0.1)
90-100 1.9 vs 1.8 (+0.1) 
45-65 1.9 vs 1.7 (+0.2)

 

[theheff]

I don't consider the P85 too fast and I love mine, but if I did it over again, I'd consider getting the S85. Even the S60 feels faster than most ICE sedans due to having instant torque, and the S85 is only 50 horses less than the P85. There's plenty of acceleration there for a normal person, including me, and I've owned a 430 HP Corvette and a 300+ HP BMW 335xi in recent years.

That being said, I find that keeping the energy usage graph pulled up tends to keep my foot off the accelerator more.

Go with what your heart desires and your pocketbook allows.

I have to follow up on this a bit. I've had a S85 loaner for a few days, and I can't wait to get back in my P85. The initial takeoff acceleration is completely different.

 

[mknox]

I have to follow up on this a bit. I've had a S85 loaner for a few days, and I can't wait to get back in my P85. The initial takeoff acceleration is completely different.

I noticed the same thing coming from an S85 to a loaner P85 today. My personal opinion is that the P85 isn't "too fast/powerful" but is unnecessarily fast/powerful.