Model S potential buyers - what are you waiting for?

[Mike K]

How in the hell does this car not have that capability? Seriously???? We are talking about a car that can drive itself down the frickin freeway by itself but it doesn't support one of the most popular phones in the world? Unreal.

In the words of Ron Burgundy: it's mind bottling. Seriously, I have no idea. It seems life such a glaring omission and after 4 years there's really no excuse for it missing. What's especially perplexing is the fact that you can literally ask the car for almost any song and have it play on demand but you can't view the playlists on your iPhone.

 

[srthomas21]

In the words of Ron Burgundy: it's mind bottling. Seriously, I have no idea. It seems life such a glaring omission and after 4 years there's really no excuse for it missing. What's especially perplexing is the fact that you can literally ask the car for almost any song and have it play on demand but you can't view the playlists on your iPhone.

Does Tesla have some ongoing spat with Apple? That's usually the cause of stuff like this. Will it display cover art of songs you stream from your iphone?

 

[Joules Verne]

Why I'm holding back

There are a couple specific things I've been holding-out for:

• Nose job
• 360 camera

Highly desirable are:

• iPhone media integration
• LED headlights

On financials, there are two trends occurring which may further delay my purchase:

1. The car is becoming more expensive (85KW pack gone in favor of the more expensive 90KW pack, MA state incentives dropped from $2500 to $1000, annual service increased from $600 to $900, and there is a rumored MS price increase next month)
2. This bear market is not my friend

Lastly, I've been following this forum for a while now, and I'd be lying if the customer satisfaction complaints didn't give me pause. Owning a Tesla is supposed to be exciting. Tesla is supposed to be a different kind of company, which has is owners singing its praises. I see less of that on this forum now. Yes, I understand this is a forum, and as such it has the tendency to attract the negative... That being said, the tone here has changed. I question whether Tesla can continue to delight its customers at scale.

 

[srthomas21]

In the words of Ron Burgundy: it's mind bottling. Seriously, I have no idea. It seems life such a glaring omission and after 4 years there's really no excuse for it missing. What's especially perplexing is the fact that you can literally ask the car for almost any song and have it play on demand but you can't view the playlists on your iPhone.

Can build semi autonomous cars and send rockets to space but can't interface with a simple iphone. SMH...

 

[Skotty]

I would guess the iPhone thing is simple: Tesla probably legally needs an agreement with Apple to interface with their devices, and Apple wants too much money. Though this makes me wonder if maybe Tesla could maybe do it on a car by car basis, as an option the buyer can add to the car.

Or maybe Tesla employees are all just a bunch of Apple haters. There's plenty of that going around, especially in the Linux world. 90% of them probably have Android.

 

[Boatguy]

As for your attitude that your car should work all the time - I don't know what you've owned in the past but if you are coming from the world of bread-and-butter sedans from Honda, Hyundai, Toyota etc. you don't understand the high end luxury market. Not putting you down - just telling you to put your expectations in line with reality or you're in for disappointment.

My last five cars were BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Mercedes, Porsche, Mercedes. I'm in this forum to understand this car before I buy. My "long distance" car is a Mercedes E350 Bluetec and it's a cruising machine that loves to eat up miles. I'm not looking for a 50mile commute car. My i3 has been a wonderful introduction to the EV driving experience. Can't beat the i3 within a 30mile radius, but it's not a distance car. I can buy whatever car I want. My expectations are well calibrated.

 

[skate_a_book]

Waiting on getting over that feeling of my chest tightening at the thought of committing to a mortgage-sized payment for personal transport.. Albeit ridiculously safe, stupidly fun (reportedly- never been in one), futuristic, sex-on-wheels personal transport. Okay, I'm hitting that Place Order button......

 

[Mike K]

I would guess the iPhone thing is simple: Tesla probably legally needs an agreement with Apple to interface with their devices, and Apple wants too much money. Though this makes me wonder if maybe Tesla could maybe do it on a car by car basis, as an option the buyer can add to the car.

Or maybe Tesla employees are all just a bunch of Apple haters. There's plenty of that going around, especially in the Linux world. 90% of them probably have Android.

That's kind of bull though. If a $20,000 Ford Fusion can have full IOS integration I don't see why a $120,000 Tesla can't. I think what Tesla views as important and what they don't is sometimes somewhat arbitrary. IOS integration isn't exciting and the bluetooth streaming works good enough. I feel like the lack of integration has more to do with indifference than licensing because if it's truly licensing that's holding them back, there's no excuse for that. Pay it and be done with it.

 

[light]

I'm planning to purchase a P90D as far as the current available models go. #1 reason that I am waiting: I'm not happy with the interior yet.. I wish the model S had the super white model X seats. #2 waiting for the rumoured facelift of the S. #3 rumoured autopilot 2.0.. side note. I have patience to wait it out because the first 2 reasons are pretty essential to me. third reason is just a plus. not a reason to wait after the first 2 reasons have become a reality.. =)

 

[calisnow]

My last five cars were BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Mercedes, Porsche, Mercedes....

Then there's no way you could expect a car to work perfectly all the time.

 

[GoTslaGo]

Lastly, I've been following this forum for a while now, and I'd be lying if the customer satisfaction complaints didn't give me pause. Owning a Tesla is supposed to be exciting. Tesla is supposed to be a different kind of company, which has is owners singing its praises. I see less of that on this forum now. Yes, I understand this is a forum, and as such it has the tendency to attract the negative... That being said, the tone here has changed. I question whether Tesla can continue to delight its customers at scale.

Ok, I'll bite. Personally VERY little issues with my wife's model S. So VERY little need to deal with service center.

When we have:

1) Homelink issue. Couldn't get it to sync and work. Tesla sent a guy out to help us, and got it to work. Called Tesla, he was out in 30 minutes or so.

2) Wanted a discontinued 14-30 NEMA adaptor. Sent off a quick email asking if they had one. Got an email back saying one was being shipped over from another locale and they would notify me when they got it. Picked it up Friday. Works great.

3) I've been using the [email protected] email to log in minor issues we've seen with autosteer, TACC, etc... Next day responses. My issues were all minor, not necessitating a fix, but I just wanted to appraise them of real world use of autopilot. I believe it's helping because I have noticed a significant improvement of the car's autopilot features over time.

So bottom line, I've been VERY happy with my minimal interactions with Tesla. VERY happy with the car. VERY happy with Autopilot.

I suspect as with any growing forum, you will hear the complaints more than the praises.

 

[JeffreyR]

That's kind of bull though. If a $20,000 Ford Fusion can have full IOS integration I don't see why a $120,000 Tesla can't.

@Mike K. I don't think it's the price of the car that is holding up iOS integration (IOS is a Cisco trademark). Ford can afford to license the tech. because they can spread the cost over millions of cars not 50,000. A simple, low-tech headphone jack would suffice for me. Then I could get a Sony Walkman to play in the car (if I still had one).

 

[Ulmo]

Will it display cover art of songs you stream from your iphone?

Yes, and therefore I mounted the iPhone to the dash and managed playlists and FF/Rewind on iPhone directly, and it worked fantastic that way.

Regarding OP topic: the Model S will come into my price range in a few weeks, but, I'm going to another choice which does represent a delay because:

• Too much increase in $ for lack of increase in luxury (I'm getting older, not younger; current vehicle MBz E-class, & I've outgrown it)
• A lot of other things mentioned in this topic by others that I'm not going to repeat

Luckily, Model X is enough of a step up for me, I think, because of the following new features:

• Offers auto-open & close doors that have multiple opening positions
• Higher quality air filter feature (air is getting worse here)
• More headroom, ability to see stop lights better
• 5,000# towing capability, useful for projects I have planned
• Higher off of ground slightly, useful in places I want to move to

If Model S also had the automatic doors, and super high quality air filter, that would be just exactly barely enough for me to just get an S and not wait for the X. If both the S and X had all the same features except Falcon Wing Doors and towing, but both were equally available and similarly priced, I would make my decision based upon which one had the bigger head room and visibility out the front windshield, and that could be the X but might turn out not to matter if both are updated to have that feature, but in that case something petty might sway it, like towing (X), speed (S), or range (S). If I get the X, I'm getting towing, too, just because I would sometimes use it for smaller loads rather than always renting a pickup or truck.

I'm one of the few people that isn't especially swung one way or the other by the Falcon Wing Doors. I think I will prefer them functionally, wish they were also at the front seats, and simultaneously find them excessively ostentatious. I consider them an innovative feature that I would be happy to support the development of by paying extra, but would not need them if not getting them got me something else I wanted. I hope that if they continue to be sold, they continue to be developed and supported. Remember how sun/moon roofs were the death knell of any car because they were gimmicks and unreliable, and now they are very reliable? That's how I want FWD to be: either develop them to be reliable or remove them, and either way, support the service of the current installed base within reasonable cost.

Here's my wish list for buying a Model X in 5 years with more features; it's an excessive wish list that I don't expect to be realized and don't need to be completely realized, but for which at least a few items are expected and necessary:

• More Mercedes-like refinement
• Less ingress of noise (my E-class is already superior to Model S even with ICE engine noise, so I don't even currently experience that superior quiet EV motor experience others do when I test a Model S since I consider it noisier despite no ICE)
• Less bumpy ride
• Falcon Wing Doors on each row of seats (that's all three rows, meaning six doors possibly, plus rear). This is a wish list. That's probably impractical.
• Longer interior, so more knee, leg, foot, breathing, belly, arm room in each seat.
• Softer, wider, more supporting seats, and more seat choices. More adjustability on all seat positions.
• Heavier towing. Honestly, doesn't need it directly: could be better broken out into a separate utility model for cargo, work.
• But, if they keep the CUV as their "utility" model, then cargo cage capability: all seats fold and flatten to cargo space except driver; all cargo cage positions can be installed without marring interior but has sufficient structural capability to protect occupants in a crash (from flying cargo); cargo tie-downs (with proper accident level specifications and strength); luxury finish coverings that protect the finishes even with real cargo loads; weight sensors in each wheel to inform driver of excess loading, prevent excess weight damage to the vehicle, and prevent lopsided loads and help the loader to distribute the loads properly. Much more likely that a separate work utility vehicle is a better choice.
• I drive a lot, but my last few miles is sometimes less developed roadways; more off-roading capabilities would be appreciated, even if just raising up and good 4 wheel drive logic with cameras to know where the poky stuff might come close to scratching the car. Also, good structural hook points so can use tow straps to pull car out of spots it gets stuck in, forward, reverse, possibly sideways, all without any damage to car.
• 360º cameras, redundant cameras, high definition cameras, night cameras, recorded monitoring of car while not in use, AutoPilot 2.0/3.0/4.0/5.0 hardware, etc.
• Automatic fleet of mini-drones that do 100% coverage scouting of real time traffic, and vehicle positions, for superior autonomous driving assistance safety and efficiency, and mesh-communicate with other compatible models (using LIFI/Radio line of sight or other), for hive superior autonomy efficiency, and circulate back to docking bays in the vehicle to recharge, all autonomously and aerodynamically soundly, with no interference to occupant comfort and luxury.
• 105kWh battery pack
• Continued compatibility with other cars on the roads and roads, such as handling any new necessary automatic features (handling new driving styles of other cars and/or computers), and handling new common road conditions (more invisible curbs, road diets, and/or potholes), etc.. What used to be clear smooth straight roads without curbs are now obstacle courses meant to hurt most automobile users; I expect new vehicles to compensate for those obstacle courses by being more advanced and capable.

I plan to reserve an X as soon as possible, and get a fully loaded model with positive-mood inducing colors (white interior, white or colorful exterior). I have no need to wait further, other than the delay that waiting for an X represents. In effect, I am waiting for new features, but those are a known quantity on a deliverable product, and I'm not waiting for any guessed upon, unknown or promised features that don't already exist in shipping products (despite a long wait for manufacturing capacity and quality control refinement), and I'm not going to wait to order; as soon as I can, I'm going to confirm the order and not regret anything.

 

[Pruitt]

For those of you waiting for this new feature or that new upgrade, you might as well go buy something else. As long as Tesla is in business, there will always be upgrades to the product line coming down the pike. My S90D is due to be delivered in about three weeks. Do I wish I could have gotten an S100D (assuming that's a real upgrade coming soon)? You bet. When that comes out, the next thing in battery improvement will be an S105D or some such. Maybe I should have waited for that.

I first ordered a Tesla, an S85, in mid-2014. A family crisis aborted that purchase at the 11th hour. Now I'm once again able to buy, and the car I'm getting is several steps beyond the one I would otherwise have had. Another year-and-a-half would probably see many more steps beyond what the current offerings are. But I missed out on owning a Tesla for that time span. Family crisis aside, I'd rather have had the car then, than wait until now.

As far as the iphone integration goes - give me a break! "My car won't talk to my phone!" if that's your biggest issue, life must be pretty darn good. This one doesn't even qualify as a "first-world" problem - more like a "zeroth world" one. I wish I had your problems! But hey, if it's that important to you, so be it. Go buy that Ford Fiesta or whatever so it can talk to your phone.

 

[chriSharek]

The reality is Tesla doesn't need to do anything to make the sale because if you don't want it 10 other people are lined up who do. That's relevant because the car's core functions are light years ahead of anything else in the automotive industry and those feature sell cars - autopilot, long range electric driving, world class handling, instant throttle response, nationwide network of free high speed chargers for owners. There is no other car in the world with this feature set.

Small issues with the user interface do not matter for sales in the big picture when nobody else can compete with the actual vehicle and driving experience - they matter only on whiney internet forums like this one with a small group of OCD customers who need to find something to complain about because talking about Teslas on the internet is their social life.

If we lived in a marketplace with 3 or 4 Tesla competitors they might be more responsive in fixing little things.

As for your attitude that your car should work all the time - I don't know what you've owned in the past but if you are coming from the world of bread-and-butter sedans from Honda, Hyundai, Toyota etc. you don't understand the high end luxury market. Not putting you down - just telling you to put your expectations in line with reality or you're in for disappointment.

If the fact that your Tesla handles better than almost anything else on the road and will literally drive you down the freeway through heavy traffic during your commute while getting the equivalant of 80-100 mpg isn't enough to make you cough up your money - you should probably wait for these features to trickle down to mass market vehicles - though you might be waiting a good number of more years. Nothing wrong with that - I know plenty of high net worth individuals who drive Camrys (or perhaps a Lexus) because they can't/won't/refuse to deal with machines that have occasional issues and they are willing to put up with boring in return for 100% up-time (or close to it).

Also don't forget that the sample here is not representative of owners at large. Remember that cars as a whole are far more reliable than they were in the past, so being at the back of a reliability survey by Consumer Reports for the first year of production of a brand new vehicle company is not a bad thing.

And a lot of the big Tesla problems - drive units, wonky door handles, creaky interior bits, panel gaps - have been through multiple engineering revisions at this point and the new cars coming off the line have 75% fewer issues than the ones in 2012 according to something I read Elon Musk say.

My recommendation? Go rent one for a week from a private owner on Turo dot com. Be sure to get a 2015 or 2016 with autopilot. Then go put some serious miles on it. Autopilot is insanely great as is right now - go put a few hundred miles on it and see for yourself. The next generation will be even more capable. Such is life.

As for new features it is likely that the 100 kwhr battery and ventilated seats are coming soon - anywhere from a few more weeks to a year. Tesla won't tell you.

But the car as it is now is stunningly good already.

+1!

- - - Updated - - -

Can't beat the i3 within a 30mile radius, but it's not a distance car.

Funny you say this . . . my 5 year old Volt is a better 30 mile radius car AND can go long distances.

And you don't want MS. We don't want you to get MS and hear you complaining about it on here. There are lots of other cars that will talk to your iphone. Get one of those.

 

[Skotty]

That's kind of bull though. If a $20,000 Ford Fusion can have full IOS integration I don't see why a $120,000 Tesla can't. I think what Tesla views as important and what they don't is sometimes somewhat arbitrary. IOS integration isn't exciting and the bluetooth streaming works good enough. I feel like the lack of integration has more to do with indifference than licensing because if it's truly licensing that's holding them back, there's no excuse for that. Pay it and be done with it.

Why don't people ask questions like this at meetings where Elon is answering questions? It's always the same tired questions already answered a hundred times before. Someone just ask Elon what's holding up iPhone integration. Not even because anyone's cranky about it, but just because it's something that would be interesting to hear an answer to that hasn't been answered before.

 

[zambono]

Waiting on a refresh to the S, and possibly better package options. That Bose UHDS for $2500 is a joke compared to my Meridian sound system in the Range Rover which cost a fraction.

 

[Uncgolf]

Could you please go into more detail on the seat comparison? I've been waiting and hoping for a person who owns both S and X to describe the difference between the seats and how/why the X seats are constructed better and are more comfortable - because most of us haven't had the opportunity yet to sit in an X.

Hard to put into words..but it is softer, more plush, much more comfortable. It looks better as well. More polished and sophisticated. Mine are heated and cooled and have thousands of small holes in them for cooling. I have read that they may tear and a free fix is on the way to make them more durable. I've had no problems. The center console with an iphone charging dock is a nice additional feature as well...gives the car a more refined look and feel, instead of a large open space in the center console area (not sure if that's offered on new Model S or not...my 2014 S does not have that feature.)

 

[chriSharek]

Even being in Florida, I hate cooled seats. Feels like you've got Ben Gay all over the back of your legs and ass.

 

[DrManhattan]

Price cut or better government EV incentives. (No sales tax?). Waiting to see if there is a design refresh, or anything of note added in the next few months, or I may just get a CPO.