Model S Plaid - 6 Months Later

So, six months ago tonight, I was lucky enough to pick up one of the first Model S Plaid to be delivered to customers. I thought folks might be interested in how things are going.

This is my post from the night I picked up the car: Wiki - Model S Delivery Update

Some statistics:

• 5,191 miles
• Running 2021.36.8.9 and FSD Beta 10.6
• Quickest I've gone 0-60: 2.1 sec (1 ft rollout)
• 1/4 mile: 9.6 sec @ 150 mph (at drag strip)
• Fastest I've gone: 156 mph (at drag strip)
• Lifetime efficiency: 335 Wh/mi
• Name: "HellPony" - named through a thread here on TMC

Service issues:

• Wind noise from passenger a-pillar area
  • Triangular glass loose in its bracket
  • Replaced by mobile service
• Rattle from rear of car during turns
  • Play in latches for rear seats
  • Temporarily fixed by Service using tape--waiting on permanent fix from Engineering
• Side mirrors do not properly return to auto-tilt set position
  • Service validated issue and replaced both mirrors but did not resolve the issue

Exterior:

• Car was great at pickup in terms of pant quality, fit and finish, and panel gaps and that has held up--in fact car looks great (car is OptiCoated and I hand wash)
• There was some concerns around stone chips on the rear quarter panels, but I have not encountered that so far
• Widow tint is highly recommended

Interior:

• Having lived with the new interior for a while, I more appreciate the time and effort someone took son picking materials, textures, etc
• White seats are still while--easy to clean, no creasing, puckers, etc
• The wood trim nicks easily--ended up getting some touch-up
• Still impressed by the low noise floor--the double-paned glass and all the soft surfaces help.
• Like the fixed glass roof--opens up the interior and does a good job blocking heat. I do, however miss the open air driving of the pano roof
• Coming from a 2013, there is an embarrassing amount of storage--the center console is nice in that it is has little cubbies to help keep things organized

Driving experience:

• Acceleration never gets old, but beyond 0-60, the rollin acceleration is great for merging on freeway, passing, etc
• The new suspension is superb--the car is poised in every situation I have thrown at it from curvy river roads to flat-out acceleration runs
• Vision-only AP worked well. The only thing it seemed to struggle with for me is keeping proper distance with a lead car

The Yoke!:

• I love mine, I would not trade it for a round wheel, even if Elon himself offered to come swap mine out
• It took a while to get used to it--some of you have seen the video of my travails as I got acclimated
• My best advice it to approach the yoke as a different control interface--treating it like a wheel will lead to more challenges
• For the actual yoke, I am pretty much driving like I my old wheel--one handed, palming, etc
• The stalkless piece took a bit longer -- what I really like is having key controls under my thumbs--the ergonomics are like an Xbox or Playstation controller. It is compact and efficient--going back to my wife's X seems awkward now
• The force touch controls are a work in progress--they have made tweaks to both the control and the haptic feedback that have improved the experience, but there is still opportunity to improve

Wish list:

• Big thing is I wish they were further along with the software:
  • There are still a number of features from the launch that are still outstanding like games (Witcher, etc), ANC, IIRC torque vectoring
  • The Bluetooth implementation, in relation to the rear seat audio appears unfinished
  • V11 - the current UI seems cobbled together and unfinished

Bottom line, this car has been a blast for the last 6 months and expect that to continue. I've included everything that I thought folks would find interesting--let me know if folks have other questions.

 

[israndy]

I took a video of the fog on xMas eve coming thru Mojave and despite feeling like the car was overdriving the visibility, the iPhone camera didn't show any issues, so perhaps the cameras see thru the fog slightly better than our own eyes.

 

[trayloader]

Flashing lights seem to be a thing of the past with the Yoke.

 

[2101Guy]

If I felt like the AP was going too fast in fog? I'd probably feel my gut was correct. And Based on what I've seen the cameras miss in other videos with no fog? I'd either be driving with AP off or have the speed set much lower than the speed limit if I left it to AP.

 

[Jeeps17]

I loved my '13 P85 and was loathe to part with it, but the risks of out-of-warranty repair we more than I wanted to deal with.

My car had no tech, not even parking sensors, so all that is an improvement.

The immediate things I noticed the first night I picked up the car:
- The car feels completely planted--all the work that went into the suspension paid off--no doubt what the car is doing or where its going
- I throughly enjoyed my P85 for 8 years, but the acceleration on this thing is something else--the numbers, the videos don't do it justice--it is a visceral kind of thing. The powertrain never feels like it's breaking a sweat. I don't think the LR will disappoint on that front.
- The whole car feels like a cohesive whole--the look and feel of the re-designed interior, low sound floor, the sound of the doors closing, the absence of squeaks and rattles, the audio system, really all the various elements all mesh together into a singular cocoon-like experience

The yoke + stalkless control scheme was daunting, especially because I was trying to figure it out while driving home in the dark. But, as you see, I am a believer.

The big things I missed at first were the yacht floor, the pano roof and real door handles. Of the 3, the one I still miss is real door handles.

Bottom line: the Palladium cars take the things you love about your car and make them better

Much obliged for your insight.

Mine is also a v1.0 car (the first batch of non-sig S delivered to Canada) with zero bells and whistles, and I confess an illogical attachment to it.

However after 8+ years in Quebec winters (with the associated salt on roads and innards corrosion from an indoor garage), the cost of inevitable repairs are now aligned with my desire for AWD.

Order placed, now have to wait (presumed ETA is July 2022, which would work well as a summer delivery). I am waiting on a response from service as to whether my 21' grey turbines (still in great shape) are compatible with the 2022 LR S.

 

[omarsultan]

Much obliged for your insight.

Mine is also a v1.0 car (the first batch of non-sig S delivered to Canada) with zero bells and whistles, and I confess an illogical attachment to it.

However after 8+ years in Quebec winters (with the associated salt on roads and innards corrosion from an indoor garage), the cost of inevitable repairs are now aligned with my desire for AWD.

Order placed, now have to wait (presumed ETA is July 2022, which would work well as a summer delivery). I am waiting on a response from service as to whether my 21' grey turbines (still in great shape) are compatible with the 2022 LR S.

Congrats on the new S.

The Turbines are 21' x 8.5" +40 (or 21" x 9" if you have a staggered setup). On the Palladium cars, the wheels are wider (as the fenders are a bit wider) so the Turbines might fit, but they will look a bit odd (sunken):

 

[1windy]

Haven't been following the plaids so excuse if it is a well known fact. Are there any issues with death rattle?

 

[sleepydoc]

The stalkless piece took a bit longer -- what I really like is having key controls under my thumbs--the ergonomics are like an Xbox or Playstation controller. It is compact and efficient--going back to my wife's X seems awkward now

This is a showstopper for me. The yoke itself I think I could get used to easily enough but sorry, a car is not an xBox. There’s a reason certain things are the same on every other car on the road.

I’m not in the market for a Plaid but if they move this moronic design to the Y they’ve lost a customer.

 

[israndy]

The Y has no binnacle and the main reason they have stated for the yoke is to allow you to see the display behind the wheel.

Now if they started shipping a yoke that RETRACTED when not in use, that would be cool, but not the current stated strategy. Also, would require going full drive by wire, which is not the current case.

 

[n2mb_racing]

Haven't been following the plaids so excuse if it is a well known fact. Are there any issues with death rattle?

There's a different vibration, it's more subtle. between 38-42 mph. Replacing driveshafts might fix it for a while, then it seems to come back.

 

[omarsultan]

I don't feel it on my car, but I know quite a few do--IIRC, Engineering is working on a fix. There is a different rattle issue where there is too much play in the latches for the folding rear seats. The interim fix from service is to wrap some tape on the metal loop of the latch (which works) and Engineering is working on a long-term fix.

 

[omarsultan]

Quick update -- I finally got ANC ARNR and am happy to say it works quite well. The reduction of low frequency road noise is noticeable with it engaged. Did some testing if folks are interested:

 

[n2mb_racing]

I don't feel it on my car, but I know quite a few do--IIRC, Engineering is working on a fix. There is a different rattle issue where there is too much play in the latches for the folding rear seats. The interim fix from service is to wrap some tape on the metal loop of the latch (which works) and Engineering is working on a long-term fix.

I wonder if I never noticed that rattle because I have a child seat on there....

 

[Discoducky]

@Randy Spencer

Would love to hear your thoughts on ANC when you are able to post about it. Thanks in advance!

 

[Zcd1]

Quick update -- I finally got ANC ARNR and am happy to say it works quite well. The reduction of low frequency road noise is noticeable with it engaged. Did some testing if folks are interested:

Thank you for doing some actual testing, rather than just saying "it's GREAT" or "it SUCKS" (both of which I've seen as reactions to this feature)

 

[sleepydoc]

The Y has no binnacle and the main reason they have stated for the yoke is to allow you to see the display behind the wheel.

Now if they started shipping a yoke that RETRACTED when not in use, that would be cool, but not the current stated strategy. Also, would require going full drive by wire, which is not the current case.

I meant the absence of a turn signal stalk, not the yoke.

 

[WilliamG]

Well my car is also aweeeesome. Not had a single issue with my Plaid. Not a one. But hm, guess my pickup date got pushed back again - for the second time. Maybe I’ll have the car back next year. Maybe not. 2k miles and barely had it in my possession in 5 months of ownership.

 

[theslimshadyist]

I just crossed the 3 month mark myself and always look for an excuse to go for a drive!

 

[israndy]

@Randy Spencer

Would love to hear your thoughts on ANC when you are able to post about it. Thanks in advance!

Hah? Sure, can you lend me a Model S?

 

[Ocelot]

Thanks for the review. Great stuff.

Was wondering about long distance driving? This is my main concern with respect to the yoke. I too have tracked cars etc, and very much realize were my hands should be. But to be frank, we drive sometimes 16 hours a day, and my hands, or even hand can be 10/2 or even one hand at 12 etc. Just wondering if you have gone far, and if so, what the impact of decreased hand positioning was?

 

[n2mb_racing]

Thanks for the review. Great stuff.

Was wondering about long distance driving? This is my main concern with respect to the yoke. I too have tracked cars etc, and very much realize were my hands should be. But to be frank, we drive sometimes 16 hours a day, and my hands, or even hand can be 10/2 or even one hand at 12 etc. Just wondering if you have gone far, and if so, what the impact of decreased hand positioning was?

I actually like the yoke for driving on autopilot. It's easy to rest my hand at the bottom of the yoke, with my elbow on the armrest.