Model S First Drive Reviews

[NigelM]

Nice Bloomberg video, also includes George talking about store openings "25-30 per year world-wide"

http://bloom.bg/LcG0zG#ooid=s5dXI3NTqeSi_t2-AJ-IUTv9ZDp3-YhD

 

[todd6678]

I trust my two sources of range - ideal miles (if I were driving conservatively -ahem-) and estimated miles (based on how I'm actually driving). Both seem to be accurate. I pay more attention to the difference between the two when I need to eke out that last mile (meaning, I adjust my driving habits). Both are accurate and both are useful sources of information.

And yes, I've taken it down to a few stray electrons bouncing around in the battery box without ever running out of range.

That's basically what I expected Bonnie. How often would you judge that your odometer and electrical mileage range are in the same ballpark of each other, and how accurate? What I mean is, when your odometer says you have gone 190 miles, does the estimated miles read roughly 10 miles left (assuming 200 mile range)? Obviously driving conditions will variably change this.

So in my conclusion, it looks like Jalopnik was really just looking for an issue to complain about the Model S, and the range was their starting point. If I were Elon Musk, I wouldn't have invited them either.

 

[markb1]

I looked to me like they were in a center arm rest that folds down but I couldn't exactly tell either. Good news anyway.

Hmm... I don't really see what would fold down, though:

 

[dsm363]

Yeah, think you are right. Guess we will see what people at the event say.

 

[NigelM]

Another great video: San Mateo Patch

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

It's not like anyone reads the safety warnings anyways.. least of all the sales types posing a demo car. It's counter-intuitive to think you can't have three car seats if the car fits three car seats.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

List of reviews/First drive impressions to date:
-- MotorTrend: 2012 Tesla Model S First Drive - Motor Trend
-- co.exist: Inside The Tesla Model S | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation
-- forbes: Tesla Model S: 'If Apple Made A Car, This Would Be It' - Forbes
-- CNET: Tesla Model S first drive: Quiet satisfaction | The Car Tech blog - CNET Reviews
-- GigaOm: Video: We test drive Tesla Cleantech News and Analysis
-- Wired: Driving the Tesla Model S Quickly, And Briefly | Autopia | Wired.com
-- Yahoo Auto: Tesla Model S: First drive of the electric sedan that will change the world or die trying | The Lookout - Yahoo! News
-- Engadget: Tesla Model S first drive: the sports sedan goes electric (update: video) -- Engadget
-- Daily KOS: Daily Kos: Tesla Model S Has Arrived: You Have a Duty to Buy One (If you can afford)
-- Road&Track: 2012 Tesla Model S Review – What We Uncovered in a 10 Minute Test Drive – RoadandTrack.com
-- Jalopnik: Tesla Model S: The Full Meta Review

The Jalopnik "Meta Review" is just a mash of the other reviews without citing sources (hello copyright?). He's just trolling for page views which I personally refuse to give him (I read the cached page through Google).

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

Thanks for providing these links. I'm surprised at how poor the review is for this vehicle.

Hopefully the Model S's 17" screen will not suffer the same problems as the Fiskar such as: low contrast, difficult to see buttons in the sunlight.

I'm a little concerned about this. What is the general consensus of the Model S's ease-of-viewing the 17" display when in direct sunlight??

At least one of the first look reviews addressed this yesterday and claimed it was fine in direct sunlight and the display was bold enough to see from the corner of your eye. I imagine we need to see more reviews, or better yet see for ourselves on that issue.

 

[dsm363]

The Jalopnik "Meta Review" is just a mash of the other reviews without citing sources (hello copyright?). He's just trolling for page views which I personally refuse to give him (I read the cached page through Google).

When you click on each paragraph of the meta review, it takes you to the original article. They still have no class.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

Tesla Model S: The Full Meta Review

So was Jalopnik not invited? Where they specifically disinvited? This meta-review is kinda like the ones Gizmodo has to do for Apple events since that whole "prerelease iPhone4 found in a bar" incident.

The Jalopnik review is a straight cut and paste job from the other reviews without attribution. I'm not sure he added a single word of his own to it.

 

[Right_Said_Fred]

Hmm... I don't really see what would fold down, though:

View attachment 6985

This picture shows what imho cannot be anything else than an armrest with two cupholders that has been folded down:

 

[jerry33]

At least one of the first look reviews addressed this yesterday and claimed it was fine in direct sunlight and the display was bold enough to see from the corner of your eye. I imagine we need to see more reviews, or better yet see for ourselves on that issue.

I'm sure the screen brightness is fine in full sun. My concern is with the sun's reflection when the sun is at a low angle. The Prius' screen is unreadable then. If the screen was 100% vertical or if the top of the screen tilted towards the rear of the car (which would be better), then the sun's reflection would be a non-issue.

 

[mikevbf]

Another great video: San Mateo Patch

Nice find Nigel. This edited version of the launch event is wayyy more inspirational than the actual live feed was.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

When you click on each paragraph of the meta review, it takes you to the original article. They still have no class.

LOL.. I didn't click on any of it. It might not have worked anyways on the cached image that Google provides

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

This picture shows what imho cannot be anything else than an armrest with two cupholders that has been folded down:

View attachment 6988

I think that is actually the entire center seat back folded down and we are looking at the back of the headrest.. which might have cup holders.

We know the seats fold down for storage, and the location and size of that element (center of center seat, all the way forward on the bench) is completely wrong for armrests. The armrests (as shown in other photo by Markb1) are where they should be (between seats) and are ~2" x ~16" which would never reach the front of the bench.

So I think that is the headrest, though the height of the seat back would normally fold further forward than that (I assume) with the headrest forward of the front of the bench. Perhaps it hinges forward, then slides backward to fit flush to the floor of the trunk, while also leaving cup holders in a perfect position.

EDIT: Actually after looking closely at photos of the rear seat I am nearly certain that the head rest WOULD fold and line up with the front of the bench without any special engineering. It folds from a higher point on the seat than I assumed.

 

[spatterso911]

I think that is actually the entire center seat back folded down and we are looking at the back of the headrest.. which might have cup holders.

We know the seats fold down for storage, and the location and size of that element (center of center seat, all the way forward on the bench) is completely wrong for armrests. The armrests (as shown in other photo by Markb1) are where they should be (between seats) and are ~2" x ~16" which would never reach the front of the bench.

So I think that is the headrest, though the height of the seat back would normally fold further forward than that (I assume) with the headrest forward of the front of the bench. Perhaps it hinges forward, then slides backward to fit flush to the floor of the trunk, while also leaving cup holders in a perfect position.

It's a 60/40 split fold so the center seat does not fold independent of the outboards. It has been mentioned on a few of the reviews that Tesla is developing an "insert" which can be placed on the center position and contains a pair of cup holders, finished in the leather and trim choices of the vehicle. Perhaps it stows under the rear seats, perhaps it slides out from underneath them. Still a lot of unknowns.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

It's a 60/40 split fold so the center seat does not fold independent of the outboards. It has been mentioned on a few of the reviews that Tesla is developing an "insert" which can be placed on the center position and contains a pair of cup holders, finished in the leather and trim choices of the vehicle. Perhaps it stows under the rear seats, perhaps it slides out from underneath them. Still a lot of unknowns.

That makes a lot more sense. The rear of the seat back should be covered with a durable material since it is a part of the trunk, and that wouldn't be an attractive place to put your arms, while leaving an opening to the trunk area where stuff could tumble forward into your lap. What is shown in that photo is definitely not an arm rest. The size and location are wrong.

 

[ggr]

So, from the Roadster owners, how often does your computer seem to inaccurately display distance to empty? I'm sure there are a few of you that have, intentionally or not, tested the boundaries.

About 20 miles from empty one night, according to the counting down of the estimated range, my roadster said "cannot estimate range! Plug in now!" and stopped showing ranges. I was about 15 miles from home. Got there, very slowly at the end. I shouldn't have pushed it quite so far. But in essence the "ideal miles" gauge is very accurate, both in standard and range mode, on flat ground. If you're driving in the mountains, it can be scary; you lose a lot of range going up, and get a lot of it back coming back down. From my house to Julian, CA, is about 130 miles loop. When we got to Julian, about halfway, it showed less than half full, and my friend was a bit worried. We got home with about 1/4 charge left. Julian is about 4,500 feet up. This was with just a standard charge; knowing that there's another 20 miles switching to Range mode is always nice.

 

[gjunky]

Daily Kos: Tesla Model S Has Arrived: You Have a Duty to Buy One

Too bad they had pictures of the Alpha in there...

 

[SuperCoug]

Looking at the pics from the MT article, I saw they had the Obeche wood Lining the entire center console area, along with some vents in it. Is that the new standard? I have to admit, I look it MUCH better than just the carpet there. Makes it look more "finished."

+1. Nice little cubby to hold your phone or iPod. Where are the 2 USB ports that we've been reading about for so long?