Moving from 2021 M3P to 2022 S. Thoughts?

[Alan2000]

Anyone here transition from M3P to an S and how did you like the change?

I really like driving the M3P. This week unexpectedly I got upgraded to a 2022 S. Initial impression is that acceleration 0-60 is identical. However once over 60 the S has more to give. Better acceleration from S is only a factor on the Highway.

I can feel the extra 700 pounds of the S around town. Not that the S doesn’t handle well, but not as care free and nimble as driving the 3.

The S feels too big to me at the moment but my prior car was a CLS63 AMG and I felt the same now with the S as when I switched from my 2 series BMW to the CLS. The CLS felt too big but I enjoyed the extra acceleration at freeway speed. After a couple of months I liked the larger CLS more than the small BMW. Hoping that experience will be the same with the S as I get used to the extra size and weight.

My driving is best described as spirited but not too immature. Don’t plan to track either car.

Biggest negative so far is that insurance cost doubled which was a surprise. Any recommendations for carrier with best rates for Tesla in California? Expected an increase but not 100% from already high rate for the 3.)

A plus on the S I noticed is that there is a lot less lag in the display. But I like the interior of the 3 a little more. To me the 3 seems more modern, but not a big deal there.

 

[Birdsfan]

I drove BMW's exclusively for 20 years before buying my M3P. While I was a BMW driver I drove mostly 3's and 4's. I did once buy a 535 and HATED it. I felt like a grandfather driving that car, it was too big, just didn't fit my personality. I drove a Model S as a loaner and it felt EXACTLY the same as when I drove the 5 series. For me, I would not make the move but ymmv.

 

[DocHolliday]

Do all S now have a yoke, or only the Plaid? Interested to hear your opinion on the yoke and lack of stalks. I'm surprised the insurance doubled, but I guess the value of the vehicle is about double that of the 3. I've used Wawanesa for years, you may want to reach out to them for a quote.

 

[Mash]

Size and suspension of S doesn't worth any power or features upgrades for me. In fact I'd like something smaller than 3. So it's a pure thing of personal preference.

 

[roblab]

I have one of each, an S and a 3. They both have plusses and minuses. Our S is the luxury boat, making the road smoother and quieter, which is great for long drives to Phoenix or Fallon, NV, especially as I'm 6'4" without my heels on. The 3 is nimbler, but also more bouncy, noisier, and a little smaller inside. If wifey needs to go babysit the boys, she takes the 3, but if we go to town for any reason, we take the S. We live on a mountain, and it's curves all the way up or down, and the S has no problems zipping along. Sure, the 3 is quicker around the curves, but the S isn't left far behind, if at all. The S also has 400 miles of range, which is nice.

 

[breatheasy]

Anyone here transition from M3P to an S and how did you like the change?

I really like driving the M3P. This week unexpectedly I got upgraded to a 2022 S. Initial impression is that acceleration 0-60 is identical. However once over 60 the S has more to give. Better acceleration from S is only a factor on the Highway.

I can feel the extra 700 pounds of the S around town. Not that the S doesn’t handle well, but not as care free and nimble as driving the 3.

The S feels too big to me at the moment but my prior car was a CLS63 AMG and I felt the same now with the S as when I switched from my 2 series BMW to the CLS. The CLS felt too big but I enjoyed the extra acceleration at freeway speed. After a couple of months I liked the larger CLS more than the small BMW. Hoping that experience will be the same with the S as I get used to the extra size and weight.

My driving is best described as spirited but not too immature. Don’t plan to track either car.

Biggest negative so far is that insurance cost doubled which was a surprise. Any recommendations for carrier with best rates for Tesla in California? Expected an increase but not 100% from already high rate for the 3.)

A plus on the S I noticed is that there is a lot less lag in the display. But I like the interior of the 3 a little more. To me the 3 seems more modern, but not a big deal there.

Tesla Insurance ended up being the cheapest versus all the other carriers that I checked for California.

As for the lag, that's likely because the Model S had the new AMD Ryzen chips. I'm guessing most likely your 2021 has the Intel chip instead. Surprisingly, it makes quite a difference in screen responsiveness. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Tesla wants to do an after-sales upgrade to the AMD Ryzen chip.

 

[tm1v2]

I wouldn't trade my M3P for an S, not even a Plaid.

Then against I wouldn't trade my S for a Model 3 either...

Different cars with different strengths. The M3P is way more fun to me, especially since I upgraded the suspension. I love tearing up twisty back roads in the M3P, and just hooning around when circumstances allow for it safely. An S gets around turns just fine with good tires but doesn't have near the fun or joy of driving a well-setup M3P.

Straight line speed has no bearing on my preferences between them. They're both plenty quick in that regard.

 

[juanmedina]

I had a 2018 Model 3 P Stealth for 3 year and now I have a Plaid. As a DD the Model S is better in everyway IMO because it is more comfortable, quiet, spacious and luxurious. At the track a Model 3 with mods around the corners seems more capable but on the straights the Plaid is obviously way faster but maybe too fast for the track to be able to have fun and not get into trouble. Track insurance for the Plaid is about 4x more than a Model 3.

I am actually thinking about a Lucid Pure AWD for double duty. I have an early reservation and after the $7500 incentive it should cost around $76,900. There is not that many specs out there but it should have 620hp and weight 69lbs more than the Model S. It comes with coil semi active damper which might be better than Model S air suspension for the track and the brakes are supposed to be really good designed by a ex F1 Red Bull Racing engineer. The stock brakes even come with steel braided lines from the factory and the car seems to handle really well. Looks are subjective IMO the Model S looks better. Track insurance should be 2x a Model 3.

 

[tm1v2]

Looks are subjective IMO the Model S looks better. Track insurance should be 2x a Model 3.

@juanmedina Truth! Model S looks much better. 10 years in and it still looks great to me, timeless, classic. Plus the Palladium finally has a good nose, and the beefy wider rear track for extra aggressiveness. Looks badass though I miss the chrome trim, I'm probably just too used to it.

That said looks aren't my top priority in a car, so long as I don't find it offensively ugly. Model 3 looks have grown on me a lot. I think for both cars Tesla did a good job avoiding trendy styling gimmicks, both will age well. (But the S look never needed to grown on me, it looked great from day one, aside from maybe the fishmouth.)

In terms of driving experience M3P has my heart though.

 

[Alan2000]

Driving the S a little more aggressive and it’s surprising me in that handing/grip exceeds what I would expect for size and weight. I can feel the weight but it just grips and goes. I’m starting to think either car can handle what I throw at them for fun city driving. Just feel more confident in the 3 but maybe only because of driving it a year vs 1 week.

Good thing in didn’t install the sway bar kit on the 3. Almost had them installed just before learning of the car swap.

 

[BigNick]

Driving the S a little more aggressive and it’s surprising me in that handing/grip exceeds what I would expect for size and weight. I can feel the weight but it just grips and goes. I’m starting to think either car can handle what I throw at them for fun city driving. Just feel more confident in the 3 but maybe only because of driving it a year vs 1 week.

Good thing in didn’t install the sway bar kit on the 3. Almost had them installed just before learning of the car swap.

My old 2015 P85DL (air suspension, but not the + variant) was great in fast sweeping corners or switchbacks where the turns were separated by enough straight sections that allowed the car to settle.

Rapid directional changes (basically any sort of slalom-like stuff) would be where it showed its nearly 5000-pound (with driver) weight.

The Raven and newer "adaptive" suspension is presumably even better.

 

[Jolee777]

I driven MP3 and now own 2022 Model S LR refresh. And it's not even close. The S is better in every way. Hands down the best car I've ever driven or been in. Absolute 0 regrets.

 

[dfwatt]

Obviously opinions and preferences very on this question a lot. I'm reminded every time this subject comes up of what the earlier generation Corvettes were like. They were described as "great numbers cars". Great acceleration and even lateral acceleration numbers but not much fun to drive. My last time in a Model S left me with a similar impression but the problem is we are completely spoiled by our Mountain Pass-transformed Model 3s. They are nimble, extremely responsive, with great turn in, and have great steering feedback unlike the stock Model 3 and the stock Model S. Given that we can realistically not even use the full performance of our model 3s I'm not sure what a plaid would do for us except get us in trouble. And if you ever want to take a plaid to a racetrack you better plan on swapping out the front brakes at the very least. So for me and even for my wife it's dynamics over numbers. I'd love to see a version of the Plaid motor in a Model 3 but until then we're not moving and have no plaid Envy. We would on the other hand love to get some of the additional quieting of road noise that they've built into the latest generation Model S

 

[Jolee777]

Obviously opinions and preferences very on this question a lot. I'm reminded every time this subject comes up of what the earlier generation Corvettes were like. They were described as "great numbers cars". Great acceleration and even lateral acceleration numbers but not much fun to drive. My last time in a Model S left me with a similar impression but the problem is we are completely spoiled by our Mountain Pass-transformed Model 3s. They are nimble, extremely responsive, with great turn in, and have great steering feedback unlike the stock Model 3 and the stock Model S. Given that we can realistically not even use the full performance of our model 3s I'm not sure what a plaid would do for us except get us in trouble. And if you ever want to take a plaid to a racetrack you better plan on swapping out the front brakes at the very least. So for me and even for my wife it's dynamics over numbers. I'd love to see a version of the Plaid motor in a Model 3 but until then we're not moving and have no plaid Envy. We would on the other hand love to get some of the additional quieting of road noise that they've built into the latest generation Model S

Yes agreed. The latest generation S is a whole other beast of a car.

 

[Sam1]

I really like driving the M3P. This week unexpectedly I got upgraded to a 2022 S. Initial impression is that acceleration 0-60 is identical. However once over 60 the S has more to give. Better acceleration from S is only a factor on the Highway.

The '22 S is clocking in 10.8 second 1/4 mile times and about 125mph trap speeds, so it is 100% faster once it is moving.

 

[DayTrippin]

I have a '22 M3 LR w/acceleration boost and a '22 MS LR. I have to say which car I like better absolutely comes down to the environment I am driving it in.

The S is like a big, fast GT car. It sucks up the miles with no issue. Running it pretty fast and with the AC chilling the car out in 100+ degree days I can still go 300 miles. The ventilated and cooled seats are a major plus to me in the heat. The acceleration is basically like a 750cc super bike, more than enough to have a lot of fun even if not Plaid fast. Where it really crushes any 3 in acceleration is from about 30 mph. I think they neutered the launch on the MS LR. It is clearly softer than the M3P from 0-15 or so. From about 15-30 it is about like the M3P and from then on up it starts to walk and then run away.

As for the M3, it feels more confined and cramped when driving. It is definitely more nimble and still pretty quick (3.7 to 60 without a full charge and with rollout). So much easier to place on tight city streets. Stock suspension lets the car down but I don't want to dump 4k into aftermarket.

The S is more versatile with the big hatch. I had to make a run to Home Depot for mulch and was shocked how much mulch I could easily put in the back. The yoke is likely love/hate and all S's have them now. I bought a replacement wheel from Hansshow and I am MUCH happier and makes the car a lot more fun to drive aggressively in tight turns.

The AP works far better on my S than my 3. I've had NO phantom braking (PB) events with my S and less than 10 with my 3. Compared to my Y which had hundreds of PB events they are both pretty good.

I see 3's everywhere but even though they've been producing S's for a long time I see less of them by far. The S is quieter on the highway. Sticks in turn better than you think it would but clearly less fun. The less fun part though could be improved by taking the time to adjust the suspension and putting on better tire. I have the all season Contis and they work better than I thought they would but definitely not up to what the rest of the car is capable of.

If you asked me a month ago which car I'd want to keep, I would have told you the 3 in a heartbeat. In the last few weeks I've grown to like the S a lot more and I'd sell the 3 and keep the S. I just took a 1500 mile trip in the S that was so much easier than it would have been in the 3. While the S really isn't what I'd call a premium car other than price, it definitely feels more upscale than the 3. The lack of ventilated or cooled seats on the 3/Y are a major miss for me.

From an aesthetics perspective, I find the S more attractive. The staggered wheels and the hips on the S make it look a bit more serious. For me it definitely has a lot more curb appeal. I like the height adjustable suspension in my area as there are a lot of road dips that the nose would hit if I didn't raise it. The 3 has more clearance in normal ride mode but with the S raised it clears most of the dips where the 3 will grind its nose unless I go very slowly or find the proper angle.

If I spent all my time in a city with dense traffic though I'd keep the 3 over the S. The S is definitely bigger and that is a handicap in cut and thrust city driving.

If price is no object, and you don't live in NYC or some other dense urban environment, buy the S. As for insurance, my 3 and S are almost the same. They are within $50 annual of each other.