Model X Review

[ankursingla]

Overall
The driving experience of the ModelX is closer to Porsche Ceyenne Turbo with effortless torque, less noise, more space, and a lot cheaper overall.

I have driven the ModelS for 40K miles over last 3.5 years and have been driving the ModelX for a week now. The ModelS will remain my commute car and ModelX will be going to the wife for hauling two kids and their equipment around. This review will compare and contrast my experience between the two vehicles.

In full disclosure, we also retain a real people hauler (minivan) because of three reasons - its ability to comfortably seat 8 people, ability to go long distances using gas powered engine, and ability store enough luggage behind the third row and the cargo box on top-rails. ModelX cannot solve this use-case and I wasnt expecting it to do that either.


Positives
+ From the drivers perspective - much more expansive ride than the ModelS. MS appears a little narrower from the Driver seat
+ The massive windshield is really great and not a gimmick - it has changed the dynamics and experience. It truly gives a perception of being in an open environment rather than the constraints of a traditional car
+ ModelX feels much heavier than Model S and regenerative braking is a lot harder than ModelS because of the weight - I have to started to like the Model X regen-braking and miss it on the ModelS.
+ The interiors are definitely a lot better than Model S, especially the seats. However, no where close to BMW 7-Series
+ Still drives like a car while providing higher ride for better visibility - exactly what a SUV gives and what my wife needs
+ Six Seat version is the best configuration - the third row leg space right behind the second row is very poor (not comparable to mini-van) but when sitting a little slanted, the lack of middle seat in the second row does make it very comfortable as both third row passengers can completely stretch their legs out.
+ Even with all the 6 seats up and in the most comfortable position, there is more cargo space than my Honda Odyssey (mini-van) or BMW X5 (my previous SUV) - because of the fronk. Obviously, the ModelS has the most cargo capacity but it is 5 seater and not 6.
+ The rated range shows up consistent as 265 miles (X90D) and not 257 miles - based on my driving, I am getting about 380 Wh/mile instead of 345 Wh/mile (ModelS 85KW single motor). Mostly, I drive on highways at 75-80 mph.
+ Really love the look of the rear spoiler - I am sure that they will start charging for it as an option down the road (it's default right now).
+ The installation of the rear hitch is very easy and takes a minute to install - maybe all hitches are like that - it's my first experience with a hitch.
+ The ModelX has tire pressure values (in psi) that can be displayed on the dashboard - these seem to not exist on my ModelS
+ The ModelX has a cleaner look from the front as the front wipers hide under the hood whereas on the Models the two wipers are not as well tucked and can be seen from the front of the car.
+ They have improved the Key fob (although it's thicker) for the ModelX with the ability to install a key ring on the bare keyfob - without putting it in a glove like what I have to do on ModelS keyfob. I did not try to install the same key ring on the ModelS keyfob - maybe that will work.


Neutral

= Falcon Doors are working fine and do make it easier to enter and exit the car but I am not sure that it makes sense given the downside of not being able to put a rack on top of the car.
= Standard (Non-premium) sound system is not bad - it sounds as bad (or as good) as Premium Sound on my Model S
= Auto-sensing front door may take a while to get used to it and I am not sure if I will ever get use to it. The reason I am saying is that it does not work consistently and as a result, I have to reach out to the door anyways once in a while.
= Not completely sold on the "autopilot" as it does not detect signaling cars that want to merge in the lane. Also, there are blind spots on the sides of the cars and auto lane change is not as good. I would only be using the auto speed adjusting cruise control - I believe most cars now have this feature


Negatives

- Falcon Doors provide reduced visibility (compared to Model S) when sitting in the second row as it glass top is smaller than what it could have been without falcon doors
- For six seat version, the second row seats should have been little wider than what they are right now - not uncomfortable but if the passenger had wide shoulders, he/she might notice it.
- In order to meet the safety standards (while driving), the second row seats have to be fully back and cannot be adjusted forward to make space for the third row seats. Also, when the car seat with rear harness is attached on the middle row seat, the seat cannot be moved forward. All of this may be software limitation that could potentially be removed in the future. Since I got the six seat version, this is not an issue for me as most people walk to the third row from the center. You may want to do more research on this at the Tesla store when making a purchase
- The trunk is smaller than ModelS - should be obvious given more seating capacity. Maybe they should come up with a longer wheel-base version (Model X-L) and that will give it more battery capacity also.
- From the drivers seat, more road noise in ModelX as well as higher car noise overall - maybe it's my ear. That said, it could be because my ModelS is more than 3 years old with single motor compared to dual motors in the the four wheel drive ModelX. The front motor in the dual motor version is the problem as it is very close to the driver and its noise is very audible. This is making me want a Single Motor version of ModelS in highest capacity battery - it seems like that has been discontinued and only offered on 75KW version.
- The front seat does ride a little high and does not have the option of lowering the seat any more that default - not sure that it's needed but I always feel like lowering the seat to make it similar to driving a ModelS.
- The second row seats are not contoured well for putting the rear harness of child's car seat (not infant car seat) - they slip easily during installation. After some adjustment, the car seat is installed well but it's not the best design of the curves on the seat. Maybe they should have a hole/gap between the headrest and the back of the seat to thread the harness instead of slipping around it.
- Lane Departure Warning on the ModelX is not working - maybe there is software bug that requires a reboot or hardware issue. Planning to reboot today to see if the problem will go away
- I am not a big fan of the glossy rear/back of the seats as they are a dust magnet and show the dust very quickly as they are back in color
- I am flabbergasted that they again forgot to put hooks for coat hanger - it's something that should have been done on the first version of ModelS but heck, it's been four years and they still haven't done it.
- The rear-view mirror is quite small - it should have been designed to be wider and broader
- There is no side-view cameras on the ModelX - something that even my Honda Odyssey possesses (quite neat and handy when turning right)
- Inability to charge properly at the Supercharger with equipment attached on the hitch - they should have oriented the charge port to the front of the vehicle instead of the rear.

 

[Zero Emissions]

Thanks for your detailed review.
Some interesting points mentioned, I haven't heard before.

 

[aznt1217]

Thanks for the write up. Hoping this will solve your coat hook problem, but in the Pano roof areas, you will see there is a small gap between the headliner and glass. I usually hang my hooks there. Works out nicely.

 

[drmichaels9]

Thank you for the very thorough review. My sister just took delivery of her Model X and absolutely loves it. She used to drive a BMW X5, but says there's no real comparison between the two (as expected). I'm waiting to hear further feedback once she's had it for a while. I'll definitely share your post with her.

The lack of coat hooks really bothered me with the S at first, but I found www.evhooks.com and purchased their hooks for hanging my suit jacket en route to work. They also have hooks for the X if you're still looking for something. Highly recommend the ones for the S, and the X ones appear to be similar in design, just used in a different spot. My sister ordered some for the X. I bought them based on this post holder or hook for suit jacket or dry-cleaning

Hope that helps

Overall
The driving experience of the ModelX is closer to Porsche Ceyenne Turbo with effortless torque, less noise, more space, and a lot cheaper overall.

I have driven the ModelS for 40K miles over last 3.5 years and have been driving the ModelX for a week now. The ModelS will remain my commute car and ModelX will be going to the wife for hauling two kids and their equipment around. This review will compare and contrast my experience between the two vehicles.

In full disclosure, we also retain a real people hauler (minivan) because of three reasons - its ability to comfortably seat 8 people, ability to go long distances using gas powered engine, and ability store enough luggage behind the third row and the cargo box on top-rails. ModelX cannot solve this use-case and I wasnt expecting it to do that either.


Positives
+ From the drivers perspective - much more expansive ride than the ModelS. MS appears a little narrower from the Driver seat
+ The massive windshield is really great and not a gimmick - it has changed the dynamics and experience. It truly gives a perception of being in an open environment rather than the constraints of a traditional car
+ ModelX feels much heavier than Model S and regenerative braking is a lot harder than ModelS because of the weight - I have to started to like the Model X regen-braking and miss it on the ModelS.
+ The interiors are definitely a lot better than Model S, especially the seats. However, no where close to BMW 7-Series
+ Still drives like a car while providing higher ride for better visibility - exactly what a SUV gives and what my wife needs
+ Six Seat version is the best configuration - the third row leg space right behind the second row is very poor (not comparable to mini-van) but when sitting a little slanted, the lack of middle seat in the second row does make it very comfortable as both third row passengers can completely stretch their legs out.
+ Even with all the 6 seats up and in the most comfortable position, there is more cargo space than my Honda Odyssey (mini-van) or BMW X5 (my previous SUV) - because of the fronk. Obviously, the ModelS has the most cargo capacity but it is 5 seater and not 6.
+ The rated range shows up consistent as 265 miles (X90D) and not 257 miles - based on my driving, I am getting about 380 Wh/mile instead of 345 Wh/mile (ModelS 85KW single motor). Mostly, I drive on highways at 75-80 mph.
+ Really love the look of the rear spoiler - I am sure that they will start charging for it as an option down the road (it's default right now).
+ The installation of the rear hitch is very easy and takes a minute to install - maybe all hitches are like that - it's my first experience with a hitch.
+ The ModelX has tire pressure values (in psi) that can be displayed on the dashboard - these seem to not exist on my ModelS
+ The ModelX has a cleaner look from the front as the front wipers hide under the hood whereas on the Models the two wipers are not as well tucked and can be seen from the front of the car.
+ They have improved the Key fob (although it's thicker) for the ModelX with the ability to install a key ring on the bare keyfob - without putting it in a glove like what I have to do on ModelS keyfob. I did not try to install the same key ring on the ModelS keyfob - maybe that will work.


Neutral

= Falcon Doors are working fine and do make it easier to enter and exit the car but I am not sure that it makes sense given the downside of not being able to put a rack on top of the car.
= Standard (Non-premium) sound system is not bad - it sounds as bad (or as good) as Premium Sound on my Model S
= Auto-sensing front door may take a while to get used to it and I am not sure if I will ever get use to it. The reason I am saying is that it does not work consistently and as a result, I have to reach out to the door anyways once in a while.
= Not completely sold on the "autopilot" as it does not detect signaling cars that want to merge in the lane. Also, there are blind spots on the sides of the cars and auto lane change is not as good. I would only be using the auto speed adjusting cruise control - I believe most cars now have this feature


Negatives

- Falcon Doors provide reduced visibility (compared to Model S) when sitting in the second row as it glass top is smaller than what it could have been without falcon doors
- For six seat version, the second row seats should have been little wider than what they are right now - not uncomfortable but if the passenger had wide shoulders, he/she might notice it.
- In order to meet the safety standards (while driving), the second row seats have to be fully back and cannot be adjusted forward to make space for the third row seats. Also, when the car seat with rear harness is attached on the middle row seat, the seat cannot be moved forward. All of this may be software limitation that could potentially be removed in the future. Since I got the six seat version, this is not an issue for me as most people walk to the third row from the center. You may want to do more research on this at the Tesla store when making a purchase
- The trunk is smaller than ModelS - should be obvious given more seating capacity. Maybe they should come up with a longer wheel-base version (Model X-L) and that will give it more battery capacity also.
- From the drivers seat, more road noise in ModelX as well as higher car noise overall - maybe it's my ear. That said, it could be because my ModelS is more than 3 years old with single motor compared to dual motors in the the four wheel drive ModelX. The front motor in the dual motor version is the problem as it is very close to the driver and its noise is very audible. This is making me want a Single Motor version of ModelS in highest capacity battery - it seems like that has been discontinued and only offered on 75KW version.
- The front seat does ride a little high and does not have the option of lowering the seat any more that default - not sure that it's needed but I always feel like lowering the seat to make it similar to driving a ModelS.
- The second row seats are not contoured well for putting the rear harness of child's car seat (not infant car seat) - they slip easily during installation. After some adjustment, the car seat is installed well but it's not the best design of the curves on the seat. Maybe they should have a hole/gap between the headrest and the back of the seat to thread the harness instead of slipping around it.
- Lane Departure Warning on the ModelX is not working - maybe there is software bug that requires a reboot or hardware issue. Planning to reboot today to see if the problem will go away
- I am not a big fan of the glossy rear/back of the seats as they are a dust magnet and show the dust very quickly as they are back in color
- I am flabbergasted that they again forgot to put hooks for coat hanger - it's something that should have been done on the first version of ModelS but heck, it's been four years and they still haven't done it.
- The rear-view mirror is quite small - it should have been designed to be wider and broader
- There is no side-view cameras on the ModelX - something that even my Honda Odyssey possesses (quite neat and handy when turning right)
- Inability to charge properly at the Supercharger with equipment attached on the hitch - they should have oriented the charge port to the front of the vehicle instead of the rear.

 

[ethank]

I've got my two kids seats in the third row. It fits fine and I mostly just have them in the morning which gives me a spacious sedan during the day. The only thing is their weight is just shy of triggering the occupancy sensor so I have to fiddle with the middle row position if they are in the third row and manually turn the AC on for them.

 

[sunilsf]

Thanks for writing this up-- very useful info.
We have an Odyssey too and when I test drive the X, I noticed both the blind spots and how dependent I've become on the side-view camera.

 

[Shelly]

Wonderful review. Hoping this will solve your coat hook problem, but in the Pano roof areas, you will see there is a small gap between the headliner and glass. You can put there. It can not be a big problem.

 

[sunilsf]

OP-- presumably, if you could only choose one to complement your odyssey, it would be the X...?

 

[vandacca]

I've got my two kids seats in the third row. It fits fine and I mostly just have them in the morning which gives me a spacious sedan during the day. The only thing is their weight is just shy of triggering the occupancy sensor so I have to fiddle with the middle row position if they are in the third row and manually turn the AC on for them.

Could you try tightening their car seats a little more? That may be enough to consistently trigger the weight setting.

 

[outie]

- In order to meet the safety standards (while driving), the second row seats have to be fully back and cannot be adjusted forward to make space for the third row seats.

Can anyone else confirm that? I read that while it appears that way but there are tricks (or proper procedure) to make it happen. Something about latching the seats before you can move them forward.

 

[Wynn]

Good write up and backs up my initial impressions of the Model X. This vehicle is a technological marvel. A true joy to drive, really. But it falls short in the category of practical daily life. Simple things that make it harder to use a primary vehicle.

- Nowhere to store sunglasses. The compartment under the screen would be nice, but seriously, no door? My glasses go flying out of there more than once, so it's a no go.
- Lack of interior storage for things like water bottles.
- FWD cause head bumps when not opened all the way
- FWD stop short in my garage all the time and I have to override to get them open far enough to put my kid in the car
- 2nd row seat shape does not allow proper installation of car seat with anchor point. I made it work, but the anchor straps slid down around the side, rather than going over the top like they are supposed to.
- Tesla is not compatible with my Sommer DirectDrive garage door opener. Tech support confirmed by saying "After further review, I can confirm that the Sommer Direct Drive garage door opener is not compatible. It is something that our Engineering Team is actively working to find a resolve for."
- No AM radio, where I have traditionally gotten my daily dose of local news. There is an FM equivalent of my channel but it has an extremely weak signal.

 

[vandacca]

Good write up and backs up my initial impressions of the Model X. This vehicle is a technological marvel. A true joy to drive, really. But it falls short in the category of practical daily life. Simple things that make it harder to use a primary vehicle.

- Nowhere to store sunglasses. The compartment under the screen would be nice, but seriously, no door? My glasses go flying out of there more than once, so it's a no go.
- Lack of interior storage for things like water bottles.
- FWD cause head bumps when not opened all the way
- FWD stop short in my garage all the time and I have to override to get them open far enough to put my kid in the car
- 2nd row seat shape does not allow proper installation of car seat with anchor point. I made it work, but the anchor straps slid down around the side, rather than going over the top like they are supposed to.
- Tesla is not compatible with my Sommer DirectDrive garage door opener. Tech support confirmed by saying "After further review, I can confirm that the Sommer Direct Drive garage door opener is not compatible. It is something that our Engineering Team is actively working to find a resolve for."
- No AM radio, where I have traditionally gotten my daily dose of local news. There is an FM equivalent of my channel but it has an extremely weak signal.

While expensive, you could store your glasses in the Storage Cubby from Evannex.

 

[Phil Seastrand]

Can anyone else confirm that? I read that while it appears that way but there are tricks (or proper procedure) to make it happen. Something about latching the seats before you can move them forward.

Once the seat is latched you can move it forward using the controls on the seat bottom. If you move the seat forward using the controls on the upper seat back this will unlatch the seat.

 

[Ormond]

Good write up and backs up my initial impressions of the Model X. This vehicle is a technological marvel. A true joy to drive, really. But it falls short in the category of practical daily life. Simple things that make it harder to use a primary vehicle.

- Nowhere to store sunglasses. The compartment under the screen would be nice, but seriously, no door? My glasses go flying out of there more than once, so it's a no go.
- Lack of interior storage for things like water bottles.

There are some storage options on Amazon. I found the Versatile Trunk Organizer by Trunkzy. You can place it in your interior. There are also some visor mounted glass clips. One item goes on the side of the passenger seat, but I don't know if it would interfere with any airbags. Try searching on Amazon for less expensive options.