Let me preface this post with a little background - I have lived in SW PA and been driving SUVs of various sizes for over 30 years and thus am quite familiar with how to drive in mountainous,frigid cold, and snowy conditions. The purchase of the 100D Model X a few months ago was predicated by the desire to be environmentally responsible and the belief (based on features and research) that I was purchasing one the safest cars available. However, my experiences this past weekend challenge the "safest cars" notion as I felt my safety and life were twice in jeopardy.
In both of these instances I felt unsafe. This has never the case in any of my earlier SUVs the most recent of which was an Audi Q7. I am uncertain that the purchase was a good decision primarily for the reasons described above. I have other qualms about the car but will not extend my post.
Any suggestions other than the winter tire purchase would be welcome
In closing, I would like to suggest to Tesla that the owners manual be updated to include all helpful tips for driving with passengers in extreme weather conditions and develop a way to modify/improve the ventilation in the existing Model Xs
- The car slid a great deal during the snow storm and I did not feel the ABS kick in. Fortunately, I left adequate space to miss the car ahead of me but the lack of immediate control of the vehicle was disturbing and one I had never felt in a standard SUV. I am looking into the winter tire kit as a possible remedy.
- Ventilation in this car is marginal at best. I was startled to learn during the summer that this version of the model X lacks ventilation controls for the passenger area thus the entire car is dependent upon a front dash ventilation. During the extreme heat of the summer, this substandard feature resulted in uncomfortable passengers. Little did I realize the implications of the ventilation for winter driving until this weekend. First of all it is/was difficult to achieve a comfortable level of warmth in the car for all passengers (I have seen earlier posts related to this). The rapid loss of battery charge in the extreme cold prompted me to cut the heat to conserve the energy in hopes of making it to my destination. What I was not prepared for was the rapid internal icing of all the windows.Talk about a major safety flaw ! Fortunately, I was able to slowly creep off the turnpike to a wide shoulder and wait for the windshield to clear and ultimately make it to my destination though completely addled by the experience. I would also add here that keeping the windows clear of frost with passengers was not an option despite the fact that I had warmed up the car in advance.
In both of these instances I felt unsafe. This has never the case in any of my earlier SUVs the most recent of which was an Audi Q7. I am uncertain that the purchase was a good decision primarily for the reasons described above. I have other qualms about the car but will not extend my post.
Any suggestions other than the winter tire purchase would be welcome
In closing, I would like to suggest to Tesla that the owners manual be updated to include all helpful tips for driving with passengers in extreme weather conditions and develop a way to modify/improve the ventilation in the existing Model Xs