Model S First Drive Reviews

[medved]

Ok, I can't find the comments on there at all. Could someone post a link?

Try to change the browser. It works in IE but not in Firefox.

 

[Brian H]

Here's what I took away from the AutomobileMag.com article...


...
Typo "the the" should have been caught by editorial review.
Sentence structure makes it sound like Tesla obtained "state tax breaks". This is news to me, and a footnote would be great so that I could learn more.
...

Sorry for the time jump on this; just doing some re-reading.

If you recall, TM was all set to build a factory in NM when the Governator snatched it away with a tax break deal. Details were never made public, of course.

 

[Brian H]

...
Hopefully Obama or his surrogates don't use Tesla success to push back on Solyndra accusations (justified though it might be).

Actually, Elon is unique. I suspect that TM is the one and only truly successful as-advertised stimulus initiative of the entire Administration. They got lucky, this once, with Elon Musk.

SpaceX is likely (IMO) to be the premier, maybe only, "stellar" success of the COTS program, too. Same reason.

 

[vfx]

Love how Dan took the opportunity to wax deeper in ways he could not for general readership.

Mike Spinelli "This is a great conversation to have, and I'm glad we're having it here."

Original author

Matt Hardigree I'm enjoying it too.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

Actually, Elon is unique. I suspect that TM is the one and only truly successful as-advertised stimulus initiative of the entire Administration. They got lucky, this once, with Elon Musk.

SpaceX is likely (IMO) to be the premier, maybe only, "stellar" success of the COTS program, too. Same reason.

In terms of SpaceX I totally agree. Only other COTS competitor is Orbital and they are a retread government contractor who markets themselves as a "system integrator," trying to launch a kluge rocket using a few refurbished Soviet engines built in the 1960's. Even if it works it does nothing for our industrial base or technology development.

In terms of the other loans, I agree Tesla is likely to be by far the star performer. But the government is unlikely to take huge losses on the loan program. Most of the big loans went to huge public utilities or major corporations like Ford and Nissan. Those loans will be paid back

The program assumed a 10% loss (~$3 billion) and the program is well under that figure so far. It's a speculative venture capital type program and if Tesla is a hit it could easily be generating ~$40 billion in annual revenue in a decade or two. Even a total loss on all of the other government loans would be a success under those circumstances.

All of this is tremendously off topic

My point was that I have some hope that Tesla wont turn into the kind of political football that it easily could. Every interview I've seen Musk give he is forced to address government support for his companies. I hope that good reviews from publications like WSJ, which is likely to adopt the same editorial position as Fox News, will defuse some of that criticism that Tesla has faced.

 

[brianman]

I just got through my "dead tree" version of the WSJ, and couldn't believe the coverage of the Dan Neil review.

This placement sold another copy (to me). I never buy newspapers for reading, only for milestones.

 

[ferrarimanf355]

Woah. Sorry for the fecal storm I unleashed here... :scared:

 

[Arnold Panz]

This placement sold another copy (to me). I never buy newspapers for reading, only for milestones.

I actually took that section of the paper out of the recycling pile so I could save it. Not sure what for, but it just felt wrong to toss it when it's such a great spread in such an influential paper.

 

[ckessel]

... The Model S represents something very big and very important. I cannot shake the feeling of a corner turned. As an American, as a car-lover, and as a parent, it makes me happy. As a critic, I’m prepared for disappointment, yes, but I’m also willing to be amazed.
-- Dan Neil

Call me silly and sentimental, but a quote like that (particular the bolded part) gives me goose bumps.

 

[Citizen-T]

Also on Market Watch's front page.

 

[Robert.Boston]

A shame that the MarketWatch editors added such a weak tagline to the headline. "possibly the most technologically advanced all-electric car to date." ? Dan didn't even write that. Choose on of the juicy sentences he did write! :cursing:

 

[FalconNinetyD]

I believe Matt isn't just a contributor, but the editor of Jalopnik...

I couldn't see it at first on my laptop. I loaded it on my iPad and eventually the comments sort of popped up a minute or two after the page supposedly loaded. I'm not registered or anything on that site, so maybe it's something related to a desktop as opposed to the iPad.

BTW, the author's response to Dan Neil's very detailed rebuttal is so snide and stupid, I can't believe they give this guy a forum on a fairly well-read website.

 

[AnOutsider]

Mod Note: Since the topic seems to come up often enough, I've moved all posts discussing model year vs model number to a new topic appropriately titled: Model Year vs Model Number (version)

 

[Norbert]

Dan Neil on Twitter:

It might be the best car in the world.

 

[brianman]

Consumer Reports magazine...

 

[doug]

Consumer Reports magazine...

Boo for using dated interior image.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

No mention of the Perf trim either?!

 

[Jason S]

It is a really old article... looks like the "buyer's guide" for 2012.

 

[brianman]

I was just scouting through magazines at Fry's to see if I needed to make any additional paper purchases. Thought the images might be of interest so I shared with the group.

 

[FlasherZ]

I had to reply to Matt Hardigree's comment to dsm363 over at the "Jalopnik thread":

"Why I'm purchasing a Tesla Model S"... yeah, I thought it was going to be short and then it turned out to be a 1,665 word essay, haha.

It's Too Bad Elon Musk Wouldn't Even Give Dan Neil A Full Tesla Model S Test Drive