Wiki Model S Delivery Update

[WilliamG]

Would agree with this, but they have made a ton of quality of life improvements to the 3. The suspension differential will always be there as it is one time that justifies the cost between the two.

Absolutely. There have been some improvements to the 3, but in my humble opinion that's mostly down to materials quality and also how much more quiet it is. The LED ambient lighting is... well... rubbish. It's not even ambient, - it's direct, and it's ugly, and reflects off the windshield and is overall a complete disaster. Even if you turn it off you still get the metallic-looking strip reflecting off the windshield. I've no idea who greenlit that...

 

[jelyk]

Highland 3 is impressive. I have owned a 3 and currently drive an S, and the new 3 is no joke.

 

[reddogva99]

Also had the same debate. I ended up ordering the LR in ultra red. While Plaid of course commands bragging rights, one second faster to 60 compared to extra range the LR provides didn't seem worth it. If you press your foot to the floor and hold, the LR is still extremely impressive and will beat most everything else on the road. Regarding the opinions of others, no matter what you choose you will still own a Tesla Model S. Enough said...but remember the wise words of Vin Diesel: "It's not the car, it's the driver".

Wood trim and range for me. LR is by far the fastest car I’ve ever been in.

 

[Spdrcrj]

. Enough said...but remember the wise words of Vin Diesel: "It's not the car, it's the driver".

But Vin D was referring to true drivers who drove petrol powered cars with manual gearboxes. Any monkey can pull 9 sec quarters out of a Plaid, I’m a case in point.

 

[terranx]

But Vin D was referring to true drivers who drove petrol powered cars with manual gearboxes. Any monkey can pull 9 sec quarters out of a Plaid, I’m a case in point.

Yeah, that’s also why I don’t care about the numbers. We all will pull off the same numbers since there’s no real skill involved. What I care about is how exciting the car feels. And in that respect, the plaid handily beats the LR. It’s a much more visceral feeling. Even 5 months in I find myself saying “holy ****ing *sugar*” every time I go full throttle.

Hell even the model 3 performance feels more exciting down low than the LR. The lower speeds are gimped hard on the LR. High speed acceleration is much better though (but still tame compared to the plaid)

 

[zoomer0056]

I actually wish the S didn't have a dash display. You can't see it anyway, the wheel blocks a good portion of it.

No impairment or impediments at all with the yoke in my 2022 MSLR. I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Spdrcrj]

Yeah, that’s also why I don’t care about the numbers. We all will pull off the same numbers since there’s no real skill involved. What I care about is how exciting the car feels. And in that respect, the plaid handily beats the LR. It’s a much more visceral feeling. Even 5 months in I find myself saying “holy ****ing *sugar*” every time I go full throttle.

Hell even the model 3 performance feels more exciting down low than the LR. The lower speeds are gimped hard on the LR. High speed acceleration is much better though (but still tame compared to the plaid)

I’m with ya. Can’t wait to take delivery of mine so I can get the track pack available for purchase on the app. And it’s why I went with 19” wheels. Knew I was going to buy the TP. I get more excitement out of taking a corner properly than straight line acceleration. Amazing how good a 5k lb car feels and how dynamic it is. Defies physics.

 

[sorka]

from Plaid perspective LR is 50% slower...

The Plaid is severely traction limited up to 60 mph. The real comparison should be passing speed from 70-90 mph. The MSP is twice as fast compared to the MSLR in this metric.

 

[AMPd]

My gosh, I am in the exact same position! Going back and forth between the Plaid and the LR. I am also going ultra-red, cream interior w/ arachnids and a yoke. With Plaid, the interior switches to CF from the wood. I really wanted the wood and the MSLR is just as fast as my M3P; I don't need the speed. Yet, everyone will ask if I got the Plaid, and part of me thinks I would not regret it... but then 15K. Plaid will also put me on the couch. Le sigh.

A younger me would have gone with the plaid, but the older me saw the TSLA stock price drop and decided to park the money in there for the foreseeable future.

Plus it gives me something to upgrade to in a few years.

 

[WilliamG]

Yeah, that’s also why I don’t care about the numbers. We all will pull off the same numbers since there’s no real skill involved. What I care about is how exciting the car feels. And in that respect, the plaid handily beats the LR. It’s a much more visceral feeling. Even 5 months in I find myself saying “holy ****ing *sugar*” every time I go full throttle.

Hell even the model 3 performance feels more exciting down low than the LR. The lower speeds are gimped hard on the LR. High speed acceleration is much better though (but still tame compared to the plaid)

Yes. 2 years later I still yelled today when gunning it at 40mph. It’s otherworldly.

 

[TBrownTX]

A younger me would have gone with the plaid, but the older me saw the TSLA stock price drop and decided to park the money in there for the foreseeable future.

Exactly what I was thinking about the 15K

 

[TBrownTX]

If 3 seconds represents 100% of the of the acceleration time it takes LR for 0-60, the plaid takes 2 seconds which is 66% of that 100%, so you gain 33% with the plaid. That hits a little less different, for me at least.

We're all friends here so it just comes down to preference. For some, the extra second is worth it. For me, range is more important than one second. You can't go wrong with either version. I'm just not in the plaid or nothing camp.

I didn't even mention the range, which was one of the reasons I'm going S over, say, the new M3P. The S will get me back and forth to my brother's house in Tyler without a charging stop, which is a big win.

One other person mentioned "the younger me," and that's a factor as well. At 51, I don't have any physical issues preventing me from getting a Plaid, but I'm kind of getting to that age where comfort and practicality trump performance.

I need the power at the top end over the low end. My driving is mostly highway, and that's another thing that drives me nuts about the 3. The top end is terrible, although it's gas from 0 to 60. I also get headaches after riding roller coasters these days. Plaid would do the same, I bet!

It might be much more tempting if the Plaid offered some additional features outside of the speed, CF bits, and new seats. Coming from an M3P and having test-driven the LR, it's definitely not as go-cartish, but I found the performance excellent, nonetheless.

Thanks to those who shared their opinions and reasoning, but after thinking and making a list of pros/cons, I will be old and boring with the LR. I'll put the 15K into TSLA, which might end up paying for my Cybertruck when it eventually shows up!

 

[AMPd]

Exactly what I was thinking about the 15K

Great minds think alike!

 

[tofel]

Was given an early Plaid loaner, one with the enamel Plaid logo, while I was getting my door card replaced (wrinkle in the leather near the twill trim, replacement was flawless and didn't break anything/introduce new rattles) - was shocked to see how different the interiors are despite looking outwardly ~mostly identical (minus the new lights, of course). There were some pretty major differences in the door mouldings (indents and a fairly large bump in door pocket near the cup holder that seemingly were only there to clear something internally, not present in the new MS), and near the aero lens (end caps that aren't present in the new car and what looked like a different AC vent outlet) that indicate, at least to me, that there have been some massive revisions underneath the surface of the interior fittings. The pleather in the new car also seems to have either much denser or slightly thinner padding underneath the surface, which makes it feel much more taut like actual leather and less like the foamy pleather on a shoe or something. Felt like an entirely different car on the inside, especially when it came to the actual alignment/fitting of the interior. Was shockingly bad in the loaner despite it only having like 30k something miles.

Food for thought for anyone who was pricing the newer Plaids against used early Plaids, at least.

 

[n2mb_racing]

Exactly what I was thinking about the 15K

I didn't even mention the range, which was one of the reasons I'm going S over, say, the new M3P. The S will get me back and forth to my brother's house in Tyler without a charging stop, which is a big win.

One other person mentioned "the younger me," and that's a factor as well. At 51, I don't have any physical issues preventing me from getting a Plaid, but I'm kind of getting to that age where comfort and practicality trump performance.

I need the power at the top end over the low end. My driving is mostly highway, and that's another thing that drives me nuts about the 3. The top end is terrible, although it's gas from 0 to 60. I also get headaches after riding roller coasters these days. Plaid would do the same, I bet!

It might be much more tempting if the Plaid offered some additional features outside of the speed, CF bits, and new seats. Coming from an M3P and having test-driven the LR, it's definitely not as go-cartish, but I found the performance excellent, nonetheless.

Thanks to those who shared their opinions and reasoning, but after thinking and making a list of pros/cons, I will be old and boring with the LR. I'll put the 15K into TSLA, which might end up paying for my Cybertruck when it eventually shows up!

The top end on the new model 3 performance might be improved, based on what we've been hearing.

 

[Leftlane22]

I don’t regret getting the Plaid for one second. Of course the S LR would have been enough, but I always want more than enough. I try to knock out as many of the seven deadly sins as I can.

 

[ck1891]

I don’t regret getting the Plaid for one second. Of course the S LR would have been enough, but I always want more than enough. I try to knock out as many of the seven deadly sins as I can.

Relatable. Also, the main reason I ordered MSP is because I could, and also so I wouldn't have to be playing "what if" games in my mind after the fact. I don't get enough sleep as it is at night ...

 

[ginmqi]

Was given an early Plaid loaner, one with the enamel Plaid logo, while I was getting my door card replaced (wrinkle in the leather near the twill trim, replacement was flawless and didn't break anything/introduce new rattles) - was shocked to see how different the interiors are despite looking outwardly ~mostly identical (minus the new lights, of course). There were some pretty major differences in the door mouldings (indents and a fairly large bump in door pocket near the cup holder that seemingly were only there to clear something internally, not present in the new MS), and near the aero lens (end caps that aren't present in the new car and what looked like a different AC vent outlet) that indicate, at least to me, that there have been some massive revisions underneath the surface of the interior fittings. The pleather in the new car also seems to have either much denser or slightly thinner padding underneath the surface, which makes it feel much more taut like actual leather and less like the foamy pleather on a shoe or something. Felt like an entirely different car on the inside, especially when it came to the actual alignment/fitting of the interior. Was shockingly bad in the loaner despite it only having like 30k something miles.

Food for thought for anyone who was pricing the newer Plaids against used early Plaids, at least.

Small details like these are what lot of people don't realize when they ask if there's really that much difference between years of a same model gen car. Sure some of the big stuff are about the same, but many smaller details are improved every single year and they don't make headlines over at all the big car review outlets. Only the buyer can decide if the discount on an earlier model is worth the loss in so many improvements. Tesla more than other OEMs also do much more year to year and within-year improvements too and not just make same car for years then have a big refresh

 

[n2mb_racing]

Small details like these are what lot of people don't realize when they ask if there's really that much difference between years of a same model gen car. Sure some of the big stuff are about the same, but many smaller details are improved every single year and they don't make headlines over at all the big car review outlets. Only the buyer can decide if the discount on an earlier model is worth the loss in so many improvements. Tesla more than other OEMs also do much more year to year and within-year improvements too and not just make same car for years then have a big refresh

They also break new things like the startup vibration that was added in 2022 that wasn't there in 2021.

 

[DBV1]

I actually wish the S didn't have a dash display. You can't see it anyway, the wheel blocks a good portion of it. The 3 is much more open feeling and spacious with bigger glass. I had a model 3 for 3 years and S's for 5 years. It really isn't a big deal with the speed over on the main screen. Your eyes have to make a saccade anyway to look at the dash down, it takes the same amount of time to look down and right. I agree it is cost savings and being cheap...

Test drive the new highland 3, I think the suspension is as good as the model S suspension.

That is why the Yoke Steering Wheel is a must for me, as it blocks nothing. Don’t understand why people don’t get the Yoke. Absolutely love it and makes the Model S feel so much more modern and so easy to use after putting 49,000 miles on my Model S in all different driving conditions.

Love the dash display too, just wish Tesla would add Album Art and other options to it. One reason, why I would not get a Model 3 is that it has no dash/drivers infotainment system. Every other car in the Model S class does, just wish they had Yoke options too. Lol.