Hi
@Jrogville - thanks for the interesting question. Yes, I have been paying quite a bit of attention to the five-seater, though I am having a hard time answering why. Call it morbid curiosity perhaps... Can't look away from a train-wreck...
Just kidding, of course. In the end, even if not optimal, the five-seater has matured into a potential option for many people. It has been interesting following its progress and I appreciate the many members here who have shared their journey in such detail and so openly.
I come from the Model S and had a Signature Model X originally on reservation since 2014 and on order last year, but long story short, the finally delivered car is the P100D 6-seater AP2. So, with this background, the five-seater was not an option for the Signature, and was also not yet physically available when I replaced that order with the AP2 order, though of course it was a selectable option at that stage. So, personally I really didn't make a choice between 5 vs. 6, for me it was always about 6 vs. 7. If anyone cares about the backstory, it is
here.
Reading your story, I actually think my needs for the five-seater are larger than yours. I used to fold the seats in the Model S regularly and enjoyed its cargo carrying capacity tremendeously, as I need to haul boxes on a regular basis. The six-seater Model X is lesser of a car in that sense, which of course is no surprise. The classic non-D Model S even had a larger frunk, it was a beast of a car in sporty disguise. Still, in the Model X, folding the back seats does create a fairly large square space, so it is not useless by any means. And long but narrow items are not a problem in the six.
Basically I've decided to deal with the situation with the use of our second car and/or making a few more trips or renting a van a little more often, if need be. So far, I've been very happy. I think the seven-seater would have been too limited for me, but the six-seater is perfectly workable for my cargo-carrying needs.
Any regrets about the six-seater choice? Absolutely none. In the end, that weirdmobile stole my heart long ago and it has never faltered.
I hate the pointless falcon wings and consider the six-seater a botch-job of embarrasingly humorous proportions (I mean, it looks exactly like a car where the middle seat was stolen, which is pretty much its history), yet - in the end - both were reasons why I bought the car. The second row, with the wings and those useless monopost seats, is certainly different. Different enough to be rather endearing. There is nothing luxurious about the car, but it still manages to look kind of special.
For me, the five-seater, while tremendeously practical, looses quite a few things that help elevate Model X above the Model S. First of all, the extra rear A/C setup is nice. Second, the gap between the second-row seats and the third row kind of make the falcon wings meaningful, as the doors actually somewhat help adult entry in this setup (not so much in the seven-seater). Third, I do like the apperance and design of the second-row seats, when placed individually like on the six-seater. The electric controls also add a small touch of elegance. In the five-seater, the backseat is more functional, less design. The seven-seater is too full of stuff. Six-seater is... art.
I don't need to carry a lot of people, but I also do appreciate the privacy that the six-seater offers in the rear. Separate seats on the second-row and a chance for someone to take the third-row on occasion, those are nice touches.