Model S First Drive Reviews

[CapitalistOppressor]

I haven't watched the video end to end yet (have to wait till I have time), but I don't think it's one we've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm_cTd4t-uY

 

[mikevbf]

I haven't watched the video end to end yet (have to wait till I have time), but I don't think it's one we've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm_cTd4t-uY

That's the Engadget review.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

LOL.. when I read the Engadget review they didn't have a video up yet.. thats what I get for having Model S alerts set up

 

[tdelta1000]

What I took from reading all of the reviews is that the Model S has gotten a great reception from the automotive journalism community.

 

[todd6678]

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.

Thanks ggr

 

[doug]

Please discuss console stuff in the console thread. Opportunity Console

 

[brianman]

Add a very mature "Meta review" by Jalponik: http://jalopnik.com/5920748/tesla-model-s-the-full-meta-review

At best, seemed lazy to me.

 

[Trnsl8r]

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.

Mystery solved here: Untitled | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Courtesy of Lyon, see his post here: Get Amped Tour, Fremont, 6/23-24

 

[hj-45]

ABC News just a segment on the Model S. Funny, since my wife emailed David Muir about doing a segment for his Made in America series.

 

[cinergi]

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.

I just did a trip today. See this: Some numbers on a trip I did today

 

[jimbakker666]

These reviews are phenomenal. The only nitpicks I'm seeing have to do with interior touches, something that Tesla will have no problem addressing down the road as they fine-tune. The vehicle performance itself is what matters, and so far it's killing in every review :smile:

 

[loganss]

Owner Bill Lee's thoughts on the car:
Tesla Model S Owner: It's Better Than An Aston Martin - Forbes

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Owner Bill Lee's thoughts on the car:
Tesla Model S Owner: It's Better Than An Aston Martin - Forbes

Now, that's high praise! Doesn't Bill Lee have a vested interest in saying so?!

"The mayor was there." Ahem, it was the Governor of the Great State of California! (Maybe, the mayor of Fremont was there too...)

 

[AnOutsider]

Owner Bill Lee's thoughts on the car:
Tesla Model S Owner: It's Better Than An Aston Martin - Forbes

I like that he openly talked about competitors getting behind the wheel and realizing they need to step it up. Might be bad for TM over time, but in the "now" it's yet another "WTF were you guys doing? THIS is how it should be done" moment.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

I like that he openly talked about competitors getting behind the wheel and realizing they need to step it up. Might be bad for TM over time, but in the "now" it's yet another "WTF were you guys doing? THIS is how it should be done" moment.

no one has really built a good production car until now



to below post: screen in full sunlight through the opened roof is perfect with and w/out polarized glasses!
dash screen is very nice too (I'm getting sad to wait now, I was just anxious before. now I don't want to be in any other car(that I'd have a chance to drive), really very nice. I could just keep on posting comments all day, everyday, until I get mine and I still wouldn't be able to say enough

not sure if I said the 2 negatives yet here-

Rear seatbelts on the sides are difficult to pull out and get pinched/ restrict your movement too easily, Both my wife and other side passenger said this
- no comment from the middle about the belts but it was tight with 3 people w/ German bone structures

second negative, hehe, the wait
I was worried about sight / blind spots since I think the LS430 I've been driving has pretty good pillars and rear sight. I didn't have an issue with the sigh from the S

 

[doug]

"The mayor was there." Ahem, it was the Governor of the Great State of California! (Maybe, the mayor of Fremont was there too...)

To be fair, for most of that last decade Jerry Brown was mayor of near-by Oakland.

 

[vfx]

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??

Watch the Engadget video.

 

[onlinespending]

I like that he openly talked about competitors getting behind the wheel and realizing they need to step it up. Might be bad for TM over time, but in the "now" it's yet another "WTF were you guys doing? THIS is how it should be done" moment.

I think the proliferation of EVs is only a good thing for Tesla. I think Tesla will make a bulk of its money not from selling cars, but from selling EV powertrain technology to other car manufacturers. That's where the real volume is at. And if they can get others to adopt their SuperCharging technology that too works into the hands of Tesla.

 

[Mike_Schlechter]

I think the proliferation of EVs is only a good thing for Tesla. I think Tesla will make a bulk of its money not from selling cars, but from selling EV powertrain technology to other car manufacturers. That's where the real volume is at. And if they can get others to adopt their SuperCharging technology that too works into the hands of Tesla.

Great point. Given that Saab is now moving towards being an EV brand, and they have a legacy as a quirky semi-luxury brand, they would be a great candidate for buying instead of building powertrains. They also come with a large following.

 

[thelastdeadmouse]

2012 Tesla Model S: Drive review - Autoweek