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I just ordered my Tesla a few days ago after a 24 hour test drive in an 85D, so I'll give my thoughts on the options and why I chose what I did.

85D vs. P85D - I have honestly never driven the P85D, but the 85D is FAST. I gave quite a few test drives over those 24 hours and not a single person wasn't blown away and still talking to me about it. There was a lot of screaming and laughing going on. The force of the acceleration can make you a little sick and even briefly affected my vision a couple of times. I have no doubt the P85D is impressive, but I've been told that the difference is not that noticeable and 1.3 seconds just was not enough to justify $20k for me. The 85D is already dangerously fast - likely faster than any car you've been in. Even with the 85D, you can look around almost anywhere you are (at least in my area), and be pretty sure you're driving the best-performing vehicle around.

Dual vs. single - Dual is faster with better range. But, the real reason I went with it was that I'm living in Ohio and want it for the weather. I'm not so sure what I would have done in CA, but probably still went with dual due to the first two points.

Pano roof - Definitely went with it. I've heard that the heat transfer is minimal, and that was my experience over a very hot and sunny two days. It looks nice, makes the car feel more roomy, and is the only option compatible with a roof rack or hooks you can install in the back to hang coats from (or whatever else you'd hang from the hooks in the back of most vehicles, but by default missing from the Tesla).

UHFS - I haven't heard the high fidelity option but the model I tested didn't have it and I wasn't impressed. Something was missing and that something seemed to be bass (along with some clarity). I've heard that the UHFS isn't spectacular either, but it's got to be better than the base!

Autopilot - absolutely. My current vehicle has it's version of TACC and I wouldn't want to drive a vehicle again without it. The Tesla version is already better than mine (BMW) and will be much cooler in a month or so. As others have also mentioned, other features could eventually come to the vehicle down the road to make it even better. The car will already likely be outdated in a few months, so I want to future proof as much as possible.

Premium interior - Are the extra lights worth $3000? I'm not sure. But the power lift gate is what sold me on this option. Very clever of Tesla to throw that into this package. You're already buying a very expensive car though and the package doesn't add that much to your monthly payments. Might as well throw it in! There are a few things I don't think any luxury car should be without and a power lift gate is one of them.

Smart air suspension - smoother ride, never know when you might need the extra height. That, and it's just kind of neat to show off. I went with it.

Next gen seats - I think they're a lot more comfortable than standard and look a lot more premium. If you're spending any significant time in the car, you'll be glad you got them. Upgraded seats are actually the one option I didn't get in my BMW and really wish I had!
 
I have no doubt the P85D is impressive, but I've been told that the difference is not that noticeable....

This kind of advice is EXACTLY what made me buy the 85 instead of the P85 and I REGRET listening. I've driven the P85D and the 85D has similar numbers to the P85. The acceleration difference IS VERY noticeable. Personally, I think it's only people who have not driven fast cars that don't notice. To them, fast is fast. If you're one of those, then maybe the 85D is just fine. The P85D is ludicrous. I strongly advise that you experience all the features yourself before settling.
 
I'm not sure what happened but I replied to several suggestions made here but only one of my replies made it to the thread.

I'm not going to go back and recreate each reply but they essentially boil down to....
1) I'll have to compare the pano roof a non-pano roof to compare before deciding to judge the heat and noise levels before I decide. There were several comments in support of the pano roof.
2) I'll have to do the same with the premium audio system.
3) The 70D is worth considering based on what kuttakmina and others said.
4) I'll need to look more at the various charging options available.

Thanks for the inputs. I'll report back with more comments or questions as I learn more and get closer to ordering.

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Dual motor (for range, safety, and resale value)
19" wheels. I love mine, I love being able to rotate them, and I love the less harsh ride and road noise (especially with Pirelli P7 Cinturato All Season Plus!)
Pano roof is nice, and if you ever want to put a roof rack on, it's a must since it's the only way to get mounting points. Also, who in Cali wouldn't want a pano roof??
Sound? I skipped it since it didn't sound too different than the non-premium. Yes, there's a sub in the back with the package.
Autopilot, if it's the same price to enable later, just wait.
Lighting, skip it.
Air suspension is great in my opinion. It lowers the car at highway speeds for more range, it gets you up entryways that are steep, any offroading is easily handled by Very High.
Seats, it depends on how big your ass is, and which ones will be more comfortable for you with longer rides. You can only get leather in the new seats.

Which seat goes with which ass? Is the next gen more narrow or more accommodating? While mine isn't huge, time isn't helping (well time plus food).
 
Is cost a factor? 70D plus pano roof only is probably the best value, especially if you don't care that much about going crazy fast, 70D still hauls ass tho.

I have standard audio but have had a loaner with premium. Some difference, mostly in the low end bass, but not nearly enough for the extra cost. I am guessing standard with NVX upgrade is better bass and about half the cost.

Next gen seats are SUPER comfy, although I have textile and fine them very supportive...but there is a HUGE difference.

Get the pano roof....the look of the car from the outside is so much better, and you could always further tint it if heat/light is an issue for you.

Black headliner looks really cool, but you don't really notice anything wrong with the standard one, and if you go pano roof there isn't much of one anyway.

What colour are you thinking? Love my white!
 
Yes, if an analysis of the range you require (factoring in some degradation over time and cold weather effect, if applicable) shows that the 70D will offer more than enough travel distance, then I think it is by far the best value, with or without the pano roof - and pretty much all other options are not absolutely necessary to enjoy the Tesla experience. The 70 wasn't available when I ordered, and even if it was some trips I regularly take would have pushed me in the direction of getting the highest range possible (85D). I have lots of options which I enjoy - but if I didn't have any of them I can't say that my overall Tesla experience would be greatly diminished.

I have to agree with @Raven though, there is certainly a noticeable difference between acceleration from zero in the P85D vs. 85D and presumably the 70D. All are fast, but you may want to experience them all just so you know. Personally, the 85D is more than enough for me - frankly where I live there is heavy, almost 24-hour, traffic congestion on both highways and city streets and there is rarely a place I can push the car to its limits safely - it is certainly fast enough that I'm sure it will get me into plenty of trouble over time (tickets along with dirty looks from my wife). But if I lived somewhere where I would be more able to regularly experience all the P85D has to offer and range was not as important for me (especially in winter months), I would have been more than tempted.
 
If the difference in acceleration is really noticeable, then I'm glad I didn't try the P85D! I really didn't want to spend the extra money (it's not insignificant) and in my ignorance, I find the 85D to be insanely fast (as did everyone I took on a test drive). For the few times I'd use the extra acceleration, mostly just to show it off to people, I just can't justify it.

Also, regarding the 70D, I've only driven a Tesla over a 24 hour test drive period. However, during one leg of the trip (Columbus to Cleveland), I arrived with 20 miles of charge remaining in the 85D. Sure, I could have spent more time at the supercharger in Columbus or stopped at the Supercharger in Cleveland if I had a 70D, but I'd rather not have to. To get that extra mileage in Columbus, you'd be well into the top zone where supercharging is significantly slower. And to get the extra in Cleveland, it would just mean another stop. The difference between the 70 and 85D is half the difference between 85D and P85D. So in this case, the extra acceleration plus the added range is worth it to me. I won't make that trip often, but who knows what kind of situations I'll get myself into in the future. The range doesn't sound like much, but in only 24 hours, it made the difference between making it to my destination non-stop or not making it. In other situations, it may just allow me to have a little more fun driving the car, or drive a more normal highways speed, without having to worry about range.
 
judging from what OP said i don't think he/she is a speed demon.
I mean to say this but you already said it: "I strongly advise that you experience all the features yourself before settling."

Please get alcantara headliner, you are in a luxury car.

This kind of advice is EXACTLY what made me buy the 85 instead of the P85 and I REGRET listening. I've driven the P85D and the 85D has similar numbers to the P85. The acceleration difference IS VERY noticeable. Personally, I think it's only people who have not driven fast cars that don't notice. To them, fast is fast. If you're one of those, then maybe the 85D is just fine. The P85D is ludicrous. I strongly advise that you experience all the features yourself before settling.
 
@slevit1md - your thought process sounds just like mine was. Despite how fun the P85D can be, I realized there was probably going to be far more times I really appreciated the extra range of the 85D than I would actually floor a P85D it from a standing start. Sure, I would do it a few times when it was fairly new just to show off its capabilities to friends, but otherwise I'm really not that interested in constantly trying to impress people. Just in the last month alone there were two occasions I would have had to charge somewhere to complete a one-day round trip with a P85D, while with my 85D I made it home, albeit with a little anxiety, with a teenie bit of power left. That makes a big difference to me in the overall enjoyment of the car.
 
judging from what OP said i don't think he/she is a speed demon.
I mean to say this but you already said it: "I strongly advise that you experience all the features yourself before settling."

Please get alcantara headliner, you are in a luxury car.

Correct. I'm not a speed demon but I like having the power to pass when needed plus my daily commute has me on a canyon road that has a pretty steep climb for about a half mile of its 3 mile length. I assume the torque of all versions of the model S would handle that well. Maybe they'll let me take one for the day to try it out.

Isn't the alcantara headliner standard now? I thought the interior lighting upgrade ($3k) just gives you the option of choosing black as the headliner color. Am I reading that wrong?

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Just remember the roof rack mount points are NOT there with a solid roof. You only get them with the pano roof.

Yes. I understand that. Thanks. I don't see it as an issue for me since I don't think I ever used a roof rack before (maybe once many, many years ago but it could have been a rental car).
 
Test Drove an 85D Today

It had the Pano-roof, Standard Interior, Next Gen Seats, Standard Audio and the 19" wheels.

I was only aware of the Pano roof at the start of the test drive and I kind of figured out the rest as I was going.

I did notice radiant heat from the pano-roof (83 deg in Thousand Oaks, CA so not crazy hot). I didn't notice it on my head but could feel it on my face when I looked up - I know, not a typical driving position).

The ride was smooth so I guessed correctly that the car had the 19" wheels.

I played uncompressed Flac files from a USB stick - The sound was OK but kind of anemic without any punch. I hoped it was the standard audio system and it was.

Took the car on a local canyon road and it was a lot of fun. Plenty of power on the way up the steep twisting curves. More satisfying than my 2001 BMW 530 (which is great) but it made me feel like I wanted even more power (knowing I didn't need more power). I'm not a speed demon so I'm not sure why I'd want more power, but in that situation, it made me wonder how the P85D would feel. I think I'm going to set up another test drive with a P85D just to see what I'd be missing and if they don't mind, doing the same with the 70D to see if I'd really be missing anything with the 70D.

When we got back to the parking lot, I tried sitting in one that didn't have the Pano-Roof. Head room in the front was fine but in the back, I had to lean a bit to avoid touching my head to the top. It was hot in the car so it was hard to compare the heat transfer to the pano-roof but there was no radiant heat feel when I looked up (at the headliner).

I tried the premium Audio System in another car in the parking lot. It made a big difference. Maybe not worth the cost but way better than the standard audio system. I'm going to get it.

My overall thoughts are the car feels great. The one thing I noticed during the drive that I didn't like was a high pitched whine that supposedly comes from the motor (front or back, I couldn't be sure).
 
Here is my 2 cents: I'm in a similar situation, as I currently own (and love) my MC Red S85 (single motor) with no pano roof, coils (no air suspension), premium sound, 19" Cyclone Wheels and I'm thinking of upgrading to a P85D. Regarding the options first: I too live in SoCal, but in the desert, where I definitely don't miss the pano roof (many of us with Teslas here don't have the roof because of the baking heat) and although people say it doesn't heat up the car too much, I just don't like the look of the roof. If it was truly a single piece of glass I think it would look OK on a dark car, but IMO the various cuts in the glass (to allow venting, etc) ruin the lines of this beautiful vehicle. I much prefer my body colored roof, and if I do order a P85D it will definitely not have the pano. I also did an A/B test on the sound system and I found a definite difference (the premium sound is much clearer and the bass is better, although not booming) so I would definitely order this again. As far as air suspension, I have coils, and the ride and handling are superb. I don't have a steep driveway and our roads are fairly pot-hole free for the most part, and I have never scraped the bottom of my car on anything, even those annoying concrete bumpers in most parking lots (and I used to constantly scrape my Porsche on them). As I said, the ride in my S85 is very smooth, but I have not driven a P85D with coils as all the test cars are fully loaded. I am getting 21" wheels because I love of the look (particularly in grey) and think they will compliment the grey interior (with second gen seats -- they are far superior to the standard seats IMO).

Anyway, those are my thoughts...Good luck and remember, no matter what options you end up with, or whether it is a 70D, 85, 85D or P85D, this is the most fantastic, amazing vehicle you will ever drive, and no gas!!
 
It had the Pano-roof, Standard Interior, Next Gen Seats, Standard Audio and the 19" wheels.

I was only aware of the Pano roof at the start of the test drive and I kind of figured out the rest as I was going.

I did notice radiant heat from the pano-roof (83 deg in Thousand Oaks, CA so not crazy hot). I didn't notice it on my head but could feel it on my face when I looked up - I know, not a typical driving position).

The ride was smooth so I guessed correctly that the car had the 19" wheels.

I played uncompressed Flac files from a USB stick - The sound was OK but kind of anemic without any punch. I hoped it was the standard audio system and it was.

Took the car on a local canyon road and it was a lot of fun. Plenty of power on the way up the steep twisting curves. More satisfying than my 2001 BMW 530 (which is great) but it made me feel like I wanted even more power (knowing I didn't need more power). I'm not a speed demon so I'm not sure why I'd want more power, but in that situation, it made me wonder how the P85D would feel. I think I'm going to set up another test drive with a P85D just to see what I'd be missing and if they don't mind, doing the same with the 70D to see if I'd really be missing anything with the 70D.

When we got back to the parking lot, I tried sitting in one that didn't have the Pano-Roof. Head room in the front was fine but in the back, I had to lean a bit to avoid touching my head to the top. It was hot in the car so it was hard to compare the heat transfer to the pano-roof but there was no radiant heat feel when I looked up (at the headliner).

I tried the premium Audio System in another car in the parking lot. It made a big difference. Maybe not worth the cost but way better than the standard audio system. I'm going to get it.

My overall thoughts are the car feels great. The one thing I noticed during the drive that I didn't like was a high pitched whine that supposedly comes from the motor (front or back, I couldn't be sure).

Let us know your thoughts on P85D
 
Premium Interior and Lighting: Not sure.
Based on forum comments, this option seems to offer the least value though it’s dropped in price over time (I think mostly because some of the added benefits where added to the standard interior - I was told that alcantara accents on the dash are now standard).

Smart Air Suspension: Yes. Seems to be consistently recommended on the forums.

Next Generation Seats: Yes. Also seems to be consistently recommended on the forums.

That’s all I can think of at this point. Let me know if I’m missing any ‘must haves’.

I'd say yes to the Premium Interior, just for the auto tailgate. I can't believe they didn't make auto tailgate standard for this class of car -- I can't imaging having to reach up and slam the tailgate myself everytime I use it (and as I read what I just wrote, I realize what a spoiled brat I've become :) )

I never sat in a next gen seat, but I find the standard 2014 seat to be very comfortable for long distance cruising... I did the Refuel event this year at Laguna Seca and found the seats to be OK, though I wasn't really pushing the car to the max, just spirited driving around -- well, enough to squeal tires :).

Also I have coil springs, and they are more than adequate for spirited driving as well. My friend has air suspension, and it's good for him since he has to traverse a steep curb every day, but otherwise, I'm not sure I'd pay for that either.
 
I might even get the sub zero for the off chance that I might ever want to use it. In Sweden I would of course probably use it regularly…
To me, for $1000, this package has tremendous value. I thought about it and I'm in Florida!
Pro tip: Some women like to crank up the heat in their car seats even though it's not that cold outside (or in the car)... :wink:

…and just so there are no unfortunate misunderstandings here... I am of course talking about women in general here and nothing else.

(The above may be true for men as well, but that's not something I've personally experienced to date...)
 
The only option that is a total must have for me is the Autopilot Convenience Features. Seems to me that if you are buying a Tesla you are in to technology on at least some level that is greater than the average person - so I'd pop for the tech nerd stuff for sure.

I ordered mine with the following:
Autopilot - see above for reasons
Premium - wanted the power trunk (love it on my 535i) and black headliner
Obsidian - I like metalic paint
Pano - was on the fence but felt that for $1500 I'd insure against regrets

The only other option I seriously considered was the suspension. I couldn't get convinced it would make enough of a performance difference to warrant the price. Hopefully I don't regret this one.
 
I'm leaning toward pano, although I worry about heat. I like the look with White exterior. And resale is a concern without it.

Auto Pilot is a tough call. It's only $500 more to activate post delivery. I only care about auto emergency braking, but that is a standard feature. The TACC is cool, but $2,500 cool? Again I would have to pay sales tax and every year CO use tax based on a higher MSRP. And when Tesla does come out with really cool AP features, I can activate for $3k.

Coils I think are fine for me. I've repaired the air bladders on my wife's X5 more than once and it's pricey.

UHF I may get as I can't stand weak bass and don't want to mess with aftermarket.

Standard textile looks good to me. Next gen bolsters are too tight for my wide butt. And standard seat leather quickly in every Tesla I've seen.

Premium is is tough as I want the power lift gate. But $3k? I can't see $3k in the upgraded dash and armrests.

Sub zero I may get as its only $1k and I have always loved heated steering wheels, even sometimes in summer.

No rear seats as there are no air vents for occupants back there. And my 9-year old will quickly outgrow them.

Piano Black looks fine and I will need the center console installed. Since they only have a Piano Black console, that works for me. I'm not going to wait months for a carbon fiber console.

The toughest calls for me are exterior color and wheels. I like the look of the standard 19 inch. But I love the look of the grey 21's. The Cyclones don't look right to me. They look like Turbines that were bent during casting.

The silver 21's to me look too big for the car and the wheel wells. The greys mask this and look much better.
However, $4,500 is nothing to sneeze at. And tire tread life will be shorter and curb rash is a given.

If I went with greys, I would go with Pearl White or White. The Stormtrooper look I like.
Possibly gray with 21's. I like that look as well.
Black or blue is too much maintenance to keep clean. Red is a cop magnet.

Titanium is intriguing and has grown on me. But only with 19's. It doesn't look good with 21's.
And I would consider asking for the old Starlight Silver

Decisions, decisions.
 
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Great comments on how you all feel about the various options. I think I'm narrowing it down some but I still want to try the canyon road again with both the P85D and the 70D. As I said before, the 85D was great so let me see how much greated the P85 is and see if I notice anything significantly lacking in the 70D (compared to the 85D). Once I do that, I'll report back and list the options I decided to get.
 
Drove the P85D and 70D

I drove both the P85D and 70D yesterday. I took them up and down the same canyon road I drove the 85D on last week.

The P85 had 21" wheels and air suspension. The 70D had 19" wheels and standard suspension. Both of these were a little more stiff than the 85D with 19" wheels and air suspension. By stiff I mean I could feel the small road imperfections more. All three cars handled well and I'd be happy with any of the combinations so I'm going to go with the 19" wheels and air suspension. It will be a little more comfortable.

The biggest difference between the models is obviously the P85D's acceleration. It's like riding that magnetically launched roller coaster at California Adventure. If you want to own your own amusement park ride, this is the car for you. It’s really amazing.

For yesterday’s test drive, I purposely didn’t look at the exterior details of the first car so I wouldn’t know if it was a P85D or 70D. I didn’t want it to affect my opinion. I drove the first car down the canyon and it seemed fine. Based on my memory of driving the 85D last week, it seemed similar. Coming back up the canyon, driving as I normally would, it was great. It climbed hills easily and handled well. But with my style of driving, I really didn’t note any significant difference in the power compared with my memory of driving the 85D last week. At this point, I still didn’t know if it was in the P85D or the 70D. Once back at the top of the canyon road, and heading back to pick up the other car, I decided to try a full acceleration from a stop. I was definitely in the P85D. There is no mistaking that feel of acceleration beyond anything I’ve ever felt in a car. Very cool.

Several who contributed to this thread suggested I also consider the 70D and they were right. After returning the P85D we got into the 70D and headed for the same stretch of road. In my normal everyday driving mode, there was no way for me to tell the difference. Obviously, when accelerating from a stop, the 70D doesn’t come close to the P85D but as I said in my first post, I’m not a speed demon. I know I don’t need the power of the P85D but I’m glad I tried it before deciding. I can see how someone would want that power and for those people, the P85D is really the only choice.

So now the decision for me is between the 85D and the 70D. The 85D has more power and range but the 70D was plenty powerful for me. It climbed the steep canyon road with ease and has good acceleration.

For the major options, I plan to go with…
- Auto Pilot
- Premium Interior and Lighting
- Smart Air Suspension
- Ultra High Fidelity Sound
- Standard Body Color Roof
- Standard 19” wheels
- Next Gen Seats

Colors:
- Midnight Silver Metallic (looking for a color that hides dirt well – suggestions welcomed)
- Black Next Gen Seats
- Carbon Fiber Décor
- Black Alcantara Headliner
 
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