Wiki Model S Delivery Update

[BobbyRitz]

We’re all gonna get @AnselmDante ’d

You've definitely arrived when you become a verb.

 

[uthatcher]

In an effort stay as completely on topics as all the other topics, I thought I’d report that I just drove an EQS 480. I have a friend over at Keyes European that I stopped to say hi to. He let me drive the EQS.

It looks better in person than in pictures, but that’s not really hard to achieve, IMHO. The details inside are excellent, as expected from MB. Very nice seats, switches, smell, etc.

One thing I didn’t expect was the sheer mass of information it presents to the driver and passenger. This car had the Hyperscreen, and that name is an utter understatement. I’m pretty techy, but I have to say it was a bit much. Maybe Id adjust if I had it for awhile, most likely that’s the case.

Getting in I jabbed the brake a couple times to try to start it. That didn’t work of course, so then I pressed the starter button. So, so lame. Really. When I got out my buddy hit the button again to turn it off. So, so lame. Why? Why have it function that way?

Driving was very nice for sure. Very quiet, smooth…just everything extremely nice. As in, they better get their own autonomous driving figured out soon because this car will coddle someone right to sleep, kind of nice.

It was a 480, so one motor. One very underpowered motor. It was too slow. My new Bronco feels faster, no exaggeration. I’m sure the 580 is fast enough, but I’m talking about my LR Y will demolish the 480 in a race.

It does make an interesting, almost but not really ICE type of sound under acceleration. It’s a pretty pleasant sound, but I’m not sure it’s doing anything really.

Overall the car was very much what I would expect from a company that doesn’t quite know what to do about the world transitioning around them. One foot in the past, one in trying to make up 10 years of lost time. Or a minimum of 3-4 years had they been paying attention.

And at the same time they’re selling every vehicle for over MSRP, validating the current ICE path. G63’s are $100k over sticker. Regular E-classes are $5k over. This masks the current reality of the sea change happening in the auto sector. These short term profits are validating the desire to take the easier, current ICE path. This will haunt them, guaranteed.

The people working there are clueless about how the automotive world is pivoting around them. They hadn’t even heard of Rivian. This does not bode well for legacy manufacturers.

Oh, and they have a white, 19”, CF, black interior Plaid for $160k. It has 65 miles. If anyone here wants it DM me and I’ll give you the name of my friend.

How’s that for a Model S delivery update?

 

[EndlessPlaid]

In an effort stay as completely on topics as all the other topics, I thought I’d report that I just drove an EQS 480. I have a friend over at Keyes European that I stopped to say hi to. He let me drive the EQS.

It looks better in person than in pictures, but that’s not really hard to achieve, IMHO. The details inside are excellent, as expected from MB. Very nice seats, switches, smell, etc.

One thing I didn’t expect was the sheer mass of information it presents to the driver and passenger. This car had the Hyperscreen, and that name is an utter understatement. I’m pretty techy, but I have to say it was a bit much. Maybe Id adjust if I had it for awhile, most likely that’s the case.

Getting in I jabbed the brake a couple times to try to start it. That didn’t work of course, so then I pressed the starter button. So, so lame. Really. When I got out my buddy hit the button again to turn it off. So, so lame. Why? Why have it function that way?

Driving was very nice for sure. Very quiet, smooth…just everything extremely nice. As in, they better get their own autonomous driving figured out soon because this car will coddle someone right to sleep, kind of nice.

It was a 480, so one motor. One very underpowered motor. It was too slow. My new Bronco feels faster, no exaggeration. I’m sure the 580 is fast enough, but I’m talking about my LR Y will demolish the 480 in a race.

It does make an interesting, almost but not really ICE type of sound under acceleration. It’s a pretty pleasant sound, but I’m not sure it’s doing anything really.

Overall the car was very much what I would expect from a company that doesn’t quite know what to do about the world transitioning around them. One foot in the past, one in trying to make up 10 years of lost time. Or a minimum of 3-4 years had they been paying attention.

And at the same time they’re selling every vehicle for over MSRP, validating the current ICE path. G63’s are $100k over sticker. Regular E-classes are $5k over. This masks the current reality of the sea change happening in the auto sector. These short term profits are validating the desire to take the easier, current ICE path. This will haunt them, guaranteed.

The people working there are clueless about how the automotive world is pivoting around them. They hadn’t even heard of Rivian. This does not bode well for legacy manufacturers.

Oh, and they have a white, 19”, CF, black interior Plaid for $160k. It has 65 miles. If anyone here wants it DM me and I’ll give you the name of my friend.

How’s that for a Model S delivery update?

Great write up! Yeah I'm not surprised. It seems to be a MB in the traditional sense of smoothness, etc..., but also as in legacy auto. They've got a long way to go for sure. I saw my first one IRL the other day, and I like the styling actually. Looks like a straight-up windtunnel car to me, and I think that's cool.

 

[uthatcher]

Great write up! Yeah I'm not surprised. It seems to be a MB in the traditional sense of smoothness, etc..., but also as in legacy auto. They've got a long way to go for sure. I saw my first one IRL the other day, and I like the styling actually. Looks like a straight-up windtunnel car to me, and I think that's cool.

Thanks. Yeah I can’t say I find it attractive. But it’s nice enough I would drive it. I could see myself talking myself into getting one. And then 3 months later be like, why? Why did I do it?

For sure some aspects are very, very nice, particularly fit and finish.

 

[EndlessPlaid]

Thanks. Yeah I can’t say I find it attractive. But it’s nice enough I would drive it. I could see myself talking myself into getting one. And then 3 months later be like, why? Why did I do it?

For sure some aspects are very, very nice, particularly fit and finish.

Yeah the only one I would buy is the upcoming EQS 53 AMG, but the 580 is like 110-120k, so this will be what, 130 or 150k? And it won't even be that fast for the money. Nope, Plaid FTW!!!!!

 

[uthatcher]

Yeah the only one I would buy is the upcoming EQS 53 AMG, but the 580 is like 110-120k, so this will be what, 130 or 150k? And it won't even be that fast for the money. Nope, Plaid FTW!!!!!

Yep, they had a 580 as well that was $123k.

Oh, one thing I forgot. The window stickers have a bunch of negative options. It was so funny to see…minus $50, minus $500, etc. all for options the cars do not have because of the chip shortage. It was very interesting to see a window sticker like that.

 

[EndlessPlaid]

Yep, they had a 580 as well that was $123k.

Oh, one thing I forgot. The window stickers have a bunch of negative options. It was so funny to see…minus $50, minus $500, etc. all for options the cars do not have because of the chip shortage. It was very interesting to see a window sticker like that.

Damn that's sad. Hopefully everyone can get back up on their feet and this shortage can be done with.

 

[uthatcher]

Damn that's sad. Hopefully everyone can get back up on their feet and this shortage can be done with.

Ah, they’ll be alright. The dealers are loving it…EQS’s are $25k over.

 

[EndlessPlaid]

Ah, they’ll be alright. The dealers are loving it…EQS’s are $25k over.

HAH WHAT?! Effing dummies! Wow. That's why dealers in general just are outdated.

 

[NavyZW]

After 100 miles, my only complaint is noise in the headliner left side when on uneven surfaces (I-10) at highways speeds.
The rear hatch alignment was slightly off so I didn’t ask about since it would definitely be within specs.
There seems to be a tiny light (LED) just to the left of the odometer reading that shines thru at times.

No paint issues. No seat issues. No rear windshield waviness. No dings or bumps in the front or rear lower edges. No apparent driveline vibration.

I did get the worm in the steering wheel for no extra charge.

Steering wheel? What is a steering wheel?

 

[NavyZW]

Just took delivery. Photos to follow tomorrow. A number of scratches that I will have buffed out but beyond that pretty darn great. Does your A/C make noise that sounds like a heat pump charging? I only hear it when the fans are low.

I never use the AC trying to get my Wh/M down to 280 average. Soon. Soon I will be there

 

[uthatcher]

HAH WHAT?! Effing dummies! Wow. That's why dealers in general just are outdated.

They’re in a difficult, precarious position. They need to make hay when the sun shines, selling vehicles over MSRP because inventory is so dry. But they’re also not making any friends doing so. It’s a difficult position.

 

[EndlessPlaid]

They’re in a difficult, precarious position. They need to make rain when the sun shines, selling vehicles over MSRP because inventory is so dry. But they’re also not making any friends doing so. It’s a difficult position.

I get that but the whole "Because we can" *sugar* is really annoying. They will end up making themselves extinct because of it. Who's to say that after the shortages, they go back to MSRP and below? They will try to not. Along with that, EVs have almost no maintenance! So they will also lose the service side of income for new cars, making them even more money hungry; trying to cling on to every last dollar they can. This will piss off automakers trying to sell vehicles, and there's a really strong chance that they will then eliminate that middle man, especially after seeing Tesla's model. I thought I read somewhere where VW was already looking into it.

 

[uthatcher]

I get that but the whole "Because we can" *sugar* is really annoying. They will end up making themselves extinct because of it. Who's to say that after the shortages, they go back to MSRP and below? They will try to not. Along with that, EVs have almost no maintenance! So they will also lose the service side of income for new cars, making them even more money hungry; trying to cling on to every last dollar they can. This will piss off automakers trying to sell vehicles, and there's a really strong chance that they will then eliminate that middle man, especially after seeing Tesla's model. I thought I read somewhere where VW was already looking into it.

100% agreed. The dealer lobby is strong and there are plenty of laws protecting them. But over time the dealer concept will fade, at least as long as the direct to consumer auto sales are permitted to expand. There is the possibility that dealers are simply legislated into perpetuity.

Ford is trying to lower dealer inventories and have people order online and pickup at the dealer. This may be a plausible way for the legacy manufacturers to proceed. In this method I was able to purchase a First Edition Bronco at MSRP. No funny business by the dealer. That’s a vehicle that’s goes for $50k over at the moment, so I was pretty happy, needless to say.

But in the meantime they’ve stopped taking orders this way so maybe they’re not really committed after all. Or, more likely, the dealer body got together and screamed that they cannot markup vehicles with this method AND have no inventory with the current chip shortage.

Basically everything that is driving the market right now will stop. Prices will come down, dealers will discount again. That’s when the rubber meets the road, so to speak. That’s when we’ll see who’s prepared to survive. It’s coming and it won’t be pretty. Not for them anyway.

 

[impastu]

I get that but the whole "Because we can" *sugar* is really annoying.

you could as easily be describing Tesla’s approach to QC and customer service.

 

[uthatcher]

you could as easily be describing Tesla’s approach to QC and customer service.

I have to say, this would be difficult to argue. At least on the QC side, I’ve largely had good interactions with customer service. But I’m aware that’s not always the case.

 

[impastu]

I have to say, this would be difficult to argue. At least on the QC side, I’ve largely had good interactions with customer service. But I’m aware that’s not always the case.

My customer service experience has been quite good but I suspect that I’m one of the fortunate and it’s not the rule based on TMC experiences. Quality control however I have much first hand experience with and there a long, long row to hoe.

 

[EndlessPlaid]

you could as easily be describing Tesla’s approach to QC and customer service.

Uhh not so much. The dealers have been around for decades, and know better.
Tesla definitely knows better as well, but as I'm sure we'll see from Berlin and Texas, the QC issues will likely be a thing of the past. Tesla is doing things in around 10 years that traditional auto makers haven't learned in nearly a century. I'm sure they will get this down as well. They are learning more each and every day.

 

[uthatcher]

Uhh not so much. The dealers have been around for decades, and know better. You could look at markups as a form of indirect theft from people who don't know better.
Tesla definitely knows better as well, but as I'm sure we'll see from Berlin and Texas, the QC issues will likely be a thing of the past. Tesla is doing things in around 10 years that traditional auto makers haven't learned in nearly a century. I'm sure they will get this down as well. They are learning more each and every day.

I don’t see markups as indirect theft from unsuspecting consumers. No one is forcing anyone to buy a G63 for $100k over. And when prices invert to discounting below MSRP again, does that make dealers de facto gift givers?

 

[EndlessPlaid]

I don’t see markups as indirect theft from unsuspecting consumers. No one is forcing anyone to buy a G63 for $100k over. And when prices invert to discounting below MSRP again, does that make dealers de facto gift givers?

Ya know that was effing dumb lol. Kinda stupid to say. One of the few times I let my emotions get in a post lol! Sorry about that guys.