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.

 

[smjones]

I came from a P100D as well and I love the Plaid. The yoke is great. If you ride motorcycles a lot you'll get used to the thumb positioning of the haptic controls, quickly. On a bike the blinkers horn and lights are actuated via your thumbs.

I do like the yoke, and I ride, but the one hasn't really carried over to the other for me. My handlebar controls are very easily distinguished by touch, compared to an almost complete lack of that on the yoke.

Maybe a small part of it is that I'm palming with my right hand, which leads to my complaint about the turn signals being inaccessible mid-turn vs. what @omarsultan experiences using his left. Normally I have "lower is left" running through my mind when signaling, but that's often useless depending on how sharp the turn is.

I would guess though that the handlebars are rarely 270 degrees away from straight ahead?

Well there you go, I very rarely "palm" my handlebars or clip-ons in a circular manner. On the rare occasion that I might be doing that, Something Bad is probably happening...

All that said, I'll stick with the yoke and not complain about the lack of stalks (yet?). But I'm tempted by the idea of attaching some raised dots somehow over the buttons...

 

[Cory151]

I would guess though that the handlebars are rarely 270 degrees away from straight ahead?

WTF are you talking about? You ever ride a motorcycle? How'd you hit the blinker?

 

[Cory151]

I do like the yoke, and I ride, but the one hasn't really carried over to the other for me. My handlebar controls are very easily distinguished by touch, compared to an almost complete lack of that on the yoke.

Maybe a small part of it is that I'm palming with my right hand, which leads to my complaint about the turn signals being inaccessible mid-turn vs. what @omarsultan experiences using his left. Normally I have "lower is left" running through my mind when signaling, but that's often useless depending on how sharp the turn is.


Well there you go, I very rarely "palm" my handlebars or clip-ons in a circular manner. On the rare occasion that I might be doing that, Something Bad is probably happening...

All that said, I'll stick with the yoke and not complain about the lack of stalks (yet?). But I'm tempted by the idea of attaching some raised dots somehow over the buttons...

Yeah but you get it right? You hit the blinkers with your left thumb, right? Just like a common two wheeled vehicle? You've not actuated the blinker with your knee or your pinky? Right? You guys are nuking crap out of this.

 

[omarsultan]

For me, when turning, I am typically signaling the turn beforehand, so the yoke is level-ish and thumb is in position to actuate the buttons (there is a small bump between the left and with arrow) until the yoke is at around 6/12-o'clock. After that, the buttons are not reachable but I am in the middle of the turn so not really thinking about that. The turn signal unlatches itself as you exit the turn, mimicking stalk behavior.

 

[Wol747]

WTF are you talking about? You ever ride a motorcycle? How'd you hit the blinker?

Yes I have. Thanks.

 

[Wol747]

For me, when turning, I am typically signaling the turn beforehand, so the yoke is level-ish and thumb is in position to actuate the buttons (there is a small bump between the left and with arrow) until the yoke is at around 6/12-o'clock. After that, the buttons are not reachable but I am in the middle of the turn so not really thinking about that. The turn signal unlatches itself as you exit the turn, mimicking stalk behavior.

The point is - and seems to be missed by people on the US pages - that (in most countries) you must indicate when about to leave a roundabout, ie. after passing the exit before that one.
Especially in a mini roundabout the yoke/wheel is obviously turned through a large angle just when you need to indicate leaving: THAT's the issue.
(It's 20 years since I held a US licence so can't remember the rule there.)

 

[israndy]

Side mirrors do not properly return to auto-tilt set position

Widow tint is highly recommended

Hey, same with the side mirrors on the Model 3 from day one, perhaps they upgraded the Plaid to the newer platform's capabilities

"widow" tint, heh

 

[smjones]

Yeah but you get it right? You hit the blinkers with your left thumb, right? Just like a common two wheeled vehicle? You've not actuated the blinker with your knee or your pinky? Right?

Oh - yes, I acknowledge the similarities. It's a solid observation, sorry if I left that out in my rush to complain.

But to continue scribbling because I'm a hopeless nerd , the bike would be a much different story if it had a smooth touch-activated surface without a way to positively locate the control I want before I activate it. With the bikes I've ridden, I find a protruding button with my thumb, then physically move it left or right to activate the corresponding turn signal, or push it for the horn or highbeam. As opposed to feeling around in the vicinity, and without being able to tell exactly where my thumb is, the (wrong) thing is now doing X.

Probably just needs more time, it's only been 17 days and 260 miles - between the rain and the holidays, the S has spent almost all of that time sitting and waiting...

I was just out fussing with the car and I did note the raised line between the upper and lower buttons on each side of the yoke. I'm surprised I didn't remember that, so hopefully with more time I'll internalize the relative locations of those and the wheels, then just know the reach for the button I want. But right now, I'm still aware that I have to avoid randomly putting my thumb on the yoke/button surface to avoid misfires.

Anyway: we now return to the appreciation of Omar's HellPony, already in progress. Anybody know what deathmetal or grindcore clip he's using for his horn via Boombox?

 

[Jeeps17]

Hi Omar,

After more than 8 years of enjoyment I am thinking of upgrading my 2013 P85 (VIN 55xx) to a current S (likely LR, wife will be difficult to bend to the Plaid imperative).

Curious to hear your thoughts as to what has changed the most in your experience of the car (for better and worst), aside from what has already been noted - lack of pano roof, presence of a center console and improved soundproofing. Small things needing to be fixed post-delivery certainly do not seem to have changed from the early days ...

For me in the great white north AWD is something I've wanted every winter, but the RWD P85 managed rather well on most snowy days, with a few exceptions. My kids have outgrown the trunk seats, another vintage feature lost to time.

Happy and healthy holidays !

Jeeps

 

[omarsultan]

Lol - I am willing to entertain suggestions--my ringtone is the hook from "Sweet Child O' Mine" if that helps.

PS I find the bump helps a lot as a landmark. I keep the top crease of my thumb on the bump, which leave the pad of my thumb on the top/right signal, so bottom/left is simply shifting my thumb down. Not suggesting everyone do this, but maybe give folks some ideas.

 

[omarsultan]

Hi Omar,

After more than 8 years of enjoyment I am thinking of upgrading my 2013 P85 (VIN 55xx) to a current S (likely LR, wife will be difficult to bend to the Plaid imperative).

Curious to hear your thoughts as to what has changed the most in your experience of the car (for better and worst), aside from what has already been noted - lack of pano roof, presence of a center console and improved soundproofing. Small things needing to be fixed post-delivery certainly do not seem to have changed from the early days ...

For me in the great white north AWD is something I've wanted every winter, but the RWD P85 managed rather well on most snowy days, with a few exceptions. My kids have outgrown the trunk seats, another vintage feature lost to time.

Happy and healthy holidays !

Jeeps

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

 

[WilliamG]

The point is - and seems to be missed by people on the US pages - that (in most countries) you must indicate when about to leave a roundabout, ie. after passing the exit before that one.
Especially in a mini roundabout the yoke/wheel is obviously turned through a large angle just when you need to indicate leaving: THAT's the issue.
(It's 20 years since I held a US licence so can't remember the rule there.)

Yep. The yoke setup is unlikely to work out in e.g. London. It’s just not workable to signal off a roundabout with the yoke upside down etc. I’m from London and visit often. Just a few months ago I was driving round North London and laughed at the idea of anyone successfully managing the yoke setup on those streets.

 

[Montreal D]

Yep. The yoke setup is unlikely to work out in e.g. London. It’s just not workable to signal off a roundabout with the yoke upside down etc. I’m from London and visit often. Just a few months ago I was driving round North London and laughed at the idea of anyone successfully managing the yoke setup on those streets.

As I stated earlier, the problem is not the yoke, but the replacement of stalks by buttons. Yes, the turn signals are not great, but the horn and high beams are a complete joke. They chose esthetics over functionality and safety. That being said, I love the car.

 

[bhzmark]

WTF are you talking about? You ever ride a motorcycle? How'd you hit the blinker?

Think lock-to-lock on a bike vs lock to lock on this yoke setup

 

[Beasts]

Complain, complain, complain... My first experience with a motorcycle involved signalling turns with your left arm, so you were left without the use of the clutch which could be nice when slowing for a corner. Couldn't use your right hand of course if you wanted to keep moving. And maneuvering with one hand on the handlebar could lead to balance and handling issues. But hey, we coped and enjoyed the ride. And I'm still coping and still enjoying the ride albeit with a lot more convenience features. Call it progress with hiccups and missteps.

 

[2101Guy]

3 month owner. Love the car. Yoke ok, no stalk turn signal I can deal with. Horn button sucks. It should be on center of wheel.

I still wonder what was the thought process of eliminating the ability to blow the horn from the airbag? Notable cost savings to eliminate the switch and wire? Just doesnt appear to be a "step forward/step up" in eliminating that option. My guess is that at least one tester at Tesla mentioned to not go in that direction, and based on articles on how the CEO runs the company, that person was probably fired on the spot

 

[cwanja]

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.

Any particular reason why? My only gripe is that I have to educate passengers every time. And sometimes re-educate passengers. While I find it intuitive ("press" the button that shows the door open icon), seems I might be alone in that.

 

[sorka]

I often have to drive in dense central valley fog. Has Tesla addressed the issue of vehicle detection that was possible with radar beyond what is visible in thick fog when visibility is 30 feet? Even my Prius can AEB for cars that aren't visible due to fog.

 

[omarsultan]

Any particular reason why? My only gripe is that I have to educate passengers every time. And sometimes re-educate passengers. While I find it intuitive ("press" the button that shows the door open icon), seems I might be alone in that.

Mostly what you say--passengers need an explanation and front seat passengers inevitably grab the emergency release if I am not quick about it. I also kinda like the ergonomics of a handle-style release but acclimating to the button.

 

[omarsultan]

I often have to drive in dense central valley fog. Has Tesla addressed the issue of vehicle detection that was possible with radar beyond what is visible in thick fog when visibility is 30 feet? Even my Prius can AEB for cars that aren't visible due to fog.

So, also deal with Tule fog (a little further up the Valley). My experience on FSD beta is the in light to moderately heavy fog, it does fine--no issues and what I could see on the visualization matches what I could see out the windshield. In the super heavy fog, my feelings are a bit more mixed. I felt that my car was during beyond my headlights--I could not really tell if the car could see ahead and tell everything was clear or that it couldn't tell that it couldn't see. Regardless, I disengaged and drove manually--luckily, I did not have far to go.