Looking to buy our first Tesla Model S, is a 2015 P85D a good idea ?

[TimboZipZap]

Hi Guys,

Ok so here goes, I have managed to scrape together enough to get a second hand Tesla and so I before I do was just after a bit of insight before handing over the most I've ever spent on a car

I'm looking at 2015 P85D with 50000 on the clock, any one else have one and what are they like ? issues / range / good / bad.

Who do people use to insure theirs ?

Is the performance model really better in the real world ?

Should I buy from a dealer, private sale or only from Tesla ?


Thanks in advance.

Tim

 

[Fred42]

Hi Guys,

Ok so here goes, I have managed to scrape together enough to get a second hand Tesla and so I before I do was just after a bit of insight before handing over the most I've ever spent on a car

I'm looking at 2015 P85D with 50000 on the clock, any one else have one and what are they like ? issues / range / good / bad.

Who do people use to insure theirs ?

Is the performance model really better in the real world ?

Should I buy from a dealer, private sale or only from Tesla ?


Thanks in advance.

Tim

Are you sure you want a four year old S vs. a new 3? It won't have the features of the new car and repairs are expensive. Did you test drive a 3? It will have a new car warranty. You might want to pay for at least a partial PPF with the 3.

 

[ckoval7]

Are you buying it from Tesla or through a private sale? Tesla will provide a warranty that makes it worth it.

 

[TimboZipZap]

Are you sure you want a four year old S vs. a new 3? It won't have the features of the new car and repairs are expensive. Did you test drive a 3? It will have a new car warranty. You might want to pay for at least a partial PPF with the 3.

The 3 is too small, I'm moving from a BMW 5 series GT, so the model S is the best EV I can go to. It's still got warranty until 2023. I was more looking to understand wether to buy a performance or a standard long range.

 

[TimboZipZap]

Are you buying it from Tesla or through a private sale? Tesla will provide a warranty that makes it worth it.

I'd be buying through a non Tesla dealership, but get a years cover from them, but the car itself is still under warranty until 2023. Just more after info on what owners thought of the car in terms of handling, range etc. Having never owned one I'm just after owners honest reviews.

 

[BrokerDon]

We absolutely LOVE our 2015 P85D. It has just over 48,000 awesome miles on it and has been very reliable. Our 90% "overnight" charge = 223 mile rated mies and 100% charge is ~ 248 rated miles... very little battery degradation.

I just bought the 4-year extended warranty "just in case" something major fails. I'd recommend getting a used P85D with a 4-year Tesla warranty which should be available to the original Tesla owner in his Tesla.com account (that's how I bought our extended warranty for $4,250 on 3 months ago).

 

[TimboZipZap]

We absolutely LOVE our 2015 P85D. It has just over 48,000 awesome miles on it and has been very reliable. Our 90% "overnight" charge = 223 mile rated mies and 100% charge is ~ 248 rated miles... very little battery degradation.

I just bought the 4-year extended warranty "just in case" something major fails. I'd recommend getting a used P85D with a 4-year Tesla warranty which should be available to the original Tesla owner in his Tesla.com account (that's how I bought our extended warranty for $4,250 on 3 months ago).

View attachment 425637

Nice looking car, thanks for you assistance.

 

[BrokerDon]

I'd be buying through a non Tesla dealership, but get a years cover from them, but the car itself is still under warranty until 2023. Just more after info on what owners thought of the car in terms of handling, range etc. Having never owned one I'm just after owners honest reviews.

Handling on our March 2015 built P85D with the Plus Suspension (a.k.a. P85D+) and 21" Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires on staggered Tesla Arachnid wheels is great IMHO. Definitely handles better than the Model S's without it although it does ride firmer.

Real world range is 200 road miles MAX. We did that driving through Monument Valley between Page AZ and Blanding UT in March in mild ambient temperatures and essentially no wind. If it had been really hot, cold, windy or significant elevation gain, our range would have been less (~ 125 to 150 miles). Not an issue "road tripping" since Tesla Superchargers are typically < 150 miles apart... and you plan ahead using EVTripPlanner.com or ABetterRoutePlanner.com and watch you estimated % charge at destination in your Tesla navigation.

 

[ckoval7]

but the car itself is still under warranty until 2023.

The battery and drive train have a warranty until 2023. It will not cover the screen, door handles, HVAC, and other items that can break. Make sure you check the car fax. The used car dealers near me buy Teslas at auction and usually have an accident on their record.

 

[SilverGS]

Not sure if my 2 cents will help you or not since I just bought a 2016 MS 75D and not a P model.

I also considered a 2015 P85D but ended up getting a 75D for the following reasons.

1. The P85D is an awesome car - I drove a 2015 P90D and its fantastic. However in terms of acceleration, its obviously faster than a 75D, but its mainly faster from a stop. From 30 - 40 mph. However, its a very close race between the two from 30/40mph and higher. Only you can determine how important that is to you.
2. You cannot get the P85D with the refreshed front bumper. I decided it was important enough to me to rule out the P85D (one of the reasons anyway). It looks so much better than the old front bumper (and all the lights are LED now). But this can be personal preference.
3. I bought mine directly from Tesla and it comes with a brand new bumper to bumper warranty for an additional 4 years and 80K km/50K miles. The existing drive unit and battery warranty is still in effect for another 5 years
4. Not sure how Tesla sells used in the US, but in Canada, they occasionally have a "whole sale" on some cars and if you're not watching the site very often, those deals get snapped up by other car dealers. I lost one like that.
5. The range on a 75D is almost identical to the P85D

I've already driven 450 miles in 2 days since I've had it and it has been an absolute blast!!!! Every time I get in the car, its as if the car is bending over backwards to make me happy. It drives and parks itself, the torque is just mind blowing ( I can go on forever on this point), the one-pedal operation is so cool. You can "summon" it from your garage (you are outside using the Tesla app on your phone). Its the best car I've ever driven (and I've driven quite a few in my day) or had.

 

[commasign]

Depends on the price and condition of the car, but overall yes. Love my 2014 P85D. All the fun of Tesla, without the drama (or at least, most of the drama was in the past).

 

[IslandHydro]

I recently bought a 2015 P85D with (when I bought it) 27K miles on it. I got it from Tesla, so it came with a 4 year / 50K miles warranty. Love the car, not sure I'd be brave enough to buy one without the warranty. I debated between an 85D and a P85D quite a bit. All EV's have great low end torque, but the power rolls off with higher speeds. The 85D is more than quick enough off the line for most any situation. Highway passing is where I'm more likely to need the extra power (as apposed to a sprint from full stop). I test drove both an 85D and a P85D and specifically tested the 50-70 acceleration on both. The P was nearly a second faster 50-70, which was enough to make me go for the P. LOVE the car!

 

[Shadious]

I did the opposite of what everyone here is suggesting. I got a one owner 2014 P 85D with ludicrous upgrade from a private party. It had 82,500 on the odometer. It had all the options aside from sub zero and interior lighting upgrade. I paid $38K so I figured I have about $5K savings to play with for repairs. The car is amazing, super fast, way more stylish than our model 3 and the red can’t be beat. I am taking it in to fix a sunroof noise this week, so we will see how much I have left in the repair budget.

 

[P85_DA]

Had a 2014 P85DL+...mechanically the only thing I did was change tires about 4 times over 64k miles ...great car to get ..as poster above mentioned real world range I never got over 210 miles at a 90% charge but with spacing and proliferation of SCs won’t be an issue .. I never had issues with handles, drive units or anything else ..unless you are getting a newer refreshed model I would take the P over a standard range

 

[BlueOvalFan]

Absolutely love my P85D. Went through the same dilemma as you; 85D vs P85D (I happen to come out of a modified 500hp SRT8 Dodge Charger) and decided on the later based on wanting the best performance sedan—the difference between the two was noticeable but not overwhelming so you’ll have to decided if the $6-8k price bump is worth it. Love the off-the-line acceleration—makes me burst out in laughter every time I stab the go peddle.

I purchased through Tesla ($51.3k w/34k miles) because I specifically wanted a warranty in this used sedan (4yt/50k mi), otherwise I would have bought a model 3 for piece of mind. I would never have bought used/private party without some sort of remaining warranty.

I’m insured through USAA and my rate only increased by $40 a month or so.

Hope you find what you’re looking for. Good luck!

 

[Doanster1]

Another “I love my P85D - go for it!” response.
Would def buy from Tesla to get the (shorter) warranty. I’ve had 3/4 door handles replaced so far and one window regulator, so see if you can get any service history on the car.
I did have the rear motor replaced fairly recently due to the infamous milling noise, but you’re well covered there.
Good luck and hope to see an updated post stating you pulled the trigger and can’t stop smiling...

 

[BlueOvalFan]

”I did have the rear motor replaced fairly recently due to the infamous milling noise, ...

Just curious what model year and the mileage at time of replacement

 

[Blitz3RS]

I did the opposite of what everyone here is suggesting. I got a one owner 2014 P 85D with ludicrous upgrade from a private party. It had 82,500 on the odometer. It had all the options aside from sub zero and interior lighting upgrade. I paid $38K so I figured I have about $5K savings to play with for repairs. The car is amazing, super fast, way more stylish than our model 3 and the red can’t be beat. I am taking it in to fix a sunroof noise this week, so we will see how much I have left in the repair budget.

Just wanted to comment that that's a fantastic deal. Beautiful car!

 

[Doanster1]

Just curious what model year and the mileage at time of replacement

Dec’14 build and DU had 55K on it. Didn’t drive any differently. The milling noise just got louder as time went on. I was able to control the “beat” via the go pedal.

 

[croman]

No brainer. P85DL was my favorite loaner car. My daughter (2yo at the time). LOVED IT. Her toys would fly all over the car when I punched it at red lights. Much more violent acceleration than my 75D but the P85D has AP1 (if you care, AP2 is hit or miss for a lot of things but its still getting development love whereas AP1 is pretty much in graveyard territory for changes (which can be a great thing since it works well and doesn't need to be broken)).

I get 245 miles at 100% so probably similar to a P85D but if you can get a + suspension, do it. I drove a P85+ and it was hella fun (definitely not as punchy as the DL but the suspension was sweet). There are very few P85D+ but they do exist and some have AP1.