New 2021 Model S Unveiled January 27, 2021

[Bill Price]

What I am slightly curious though is whether the S is still mostly aluminum, or have they swapped in some (or all) steel body parts like in 3/Y. Not that I want to buy one, but who knows, there is always a chance that a test drive will change my mind.

Once you go S, you won't settle for less.

 

[Mash]

Once you go S, you won't settle for less.

Not everyone - I didn't like S at all. Power is not everything.

 

[4SUPER9]

My wife finds the S way too big. She prefers the 3, as do a few friends of mine who have downsized to one.

 

[FutureShock]

I’ve test-driven the 3 and the S. I’ll take the S... better driving position, more comfortable. Also better exterior styling, IMO.

That said, the ppl saying the S is too big ain’t wrong. I wish the S refresh had been like the Cybertruck design revision... “3% smaller”, according to Elon.

Of course, we can’t tell for sure that *didn’t* happen, either... ‘cuz we still don’t know the exact dimensions of the refresh. Yeeesh.

 

[LiveSai]

i been driving full size sedan for years model s is just right. and the new refresh look like it has more room in the back hopefully that applies to the front too

 

[Mash]

I’ve test-driven the 3 and the S. I’ll take the S... better driving position, more comfortable. Also better exterior styling, IMO.

That said, the ppl saying the S is too big ain’t wrong. I wish the S refresh had been like the Cybertruck design revision... “3% smaller”, according to Elon.

Of course, we can’t tell for sure that *didn’t* happen, either... ‘cuz we still don’t know the exact dimensions of the refresh. Yeeesh.

Everything is personal. I bet you don't like Miata either and that's ok.

 

[FutureShock]

Everything is personal. I bet you don't like Miata either and that's ok.

Actually I love the Miata, and have been considering it as a second car.
.

 

[Mash]

Actually I love the Miata, and have been considering it as a second car.
.

Ok, then, I guess some people like big and small cars, but not medium. It's also ok

 

[artsci]

I’ve test-driven the 3 and the S. I’ll take the S... better driving position, more comfortable. Also better exterior styling, IMO.

That said, the ppl saying the S is too big ain’t wrong. I wish the S refresh had been like the Cybertruck design revision... “3% smaller”, according to Elon.

Of course, we can’t tell for sure that *didn’t* happen, either... ‘cuz we still don’t know the exact dimensions of the refresh. Yeeesh.

I have a Model 3 performance. It's a great car but I miss the 2013 P85 S I sold last summer. Smoother ride, quieter, much more storage space, more comfortable, and yes, bigger, but that's very manageable. It's why I ordered the plaid+. It's a totally different car than my old S. More than double the range, autopilot and FSD, much faster, much improved sound system (with active noise cancellation), much improved interior, infotainment, etc. Very much looking forward to 520+ range and active noise cancellation on long trips.

 

[FutureShock]

Ok, then, I guess some people like big and small cars, but not medium. It's also ok

You’re gonna hate me, but... I like medium cars too. It’s more the particulars of each individual car model that decide it for me.

If the 3 had as good a driving position/comfort as the S, and as good exterior styling, then I’d happily go with the 3 (and save myself significant money!).

But while the 3 is very good, the S is excellent. Just wish it were a skosh smaller.
.

 

[MarcG]

I have a Model 3 performance. It's a great car but I miss the 2013 P85 S I sold last summer. Smoother ride, quieter, much more storage space, more comfortable, and yes, bigger, but that's very manageable. It's why I ordered the plaid+. It's a totally different car than my old S. More than double the range, autopilot and FSD, much faster, much improved sound system (with active noise cancellation), much improved interior, infotainment, etc. Very much looking forward to 520+ range and active noise cancellation on long trips.

Seems like quite a few of us have gone through that S->3->S path.
For myself:

1. Late-2014 P85D
2. Early-2019 M3P
3. 2022 Plaid+

Things I miss(ed) the about my S:

• Hatch trunk for the space and ease of loading
• Power trunk (fixed on my 3 with aftermarket parts)
• Air suspension for both high clearance and low freeeway driving
• Next-gen seats with more lateral and lumbar support
• Quiet cabin at high speed
• Black headliner

Things I have enjoyed about my 3 over the P85D:

• Longer range & faster charging time for long-distance trips
• Smaller overall footprint (easier to park in the city)
• Small steering wheel (let’s see what happens with the yoke on the new S)
• Navigate on Autopilot & smart summon (latter being more of a hardly-used gimmick)
  
• Better interior storage & phone charging/placement
• Track mode, which I surely hope the Plaid+ will have
• Overall nimbleness given lighter weight

Things I’m looking forward to with the Plaid+ I have on order:

• Even longer range & higher sustained charge rates
• Air suspension with dampening adjustments
• Better handling on the track thanks to closely grouped cells
• Ungodly amounts of power
• Longer trackability with sustained peak power over many laps
• Instrument cluster display
• Full-screen map & apps in 17” center display
• Built-in armrest & cup holders for the rear seats
• Dedicated screen for controls of rear seat climate & heated seats
• Yoke steering, maybe?

 

[Mr X]

I have a Model 3 performance. It's a great car but I miss the 2013 P85 S I sold last summer. Smoother ride, quieter, much more storage space, more comfortable, and yes, bigger, but that's very manageable. It's why I ordered the plaid+. It's a totally different car than my old S. More than double the range, autopilot and FSD, much faster, much improved sound system (with active noise cancellation), much improved interior, infotainment, etc. Very much looking forward to 520+ range and active noise cancellation on long trips.

Sorry but a 2013 Model S with stone toad stools is nowhere close to the comfort of the Model 3's seats


Source: My Dad's stiff non padded stone toad stool seats compared to my 3's lol

 

[whitex]

Once you go S, you won't settle for less.

I'm not so sure. If Taycan Cross Tourismo was available, I probably would have had one by now instead of the Model S. The Taycan drives very well, has options like the HUD, surround vision, true car to phone integration, repeatable performance (no battery overheating, which I have experienced in my MS when travelling across mountains on a cross-USA trip I did back when the car was only 1 year old), matrix/laser headlights, 4 wheel steering, build quality, physical buttons (e.g. I could control the Taycan suspension without looking for the controls on some touch screen, buried under multiple levels of menus), etc. There were only 3 things I didn't like about the Taycan when I test drove it:

1. 2 speed transmission - annoying, I wish they would use it only for >100mph when it's needed.
2. Size - not a hatchback and a bit small on the back, fine when I had room to park 2 cars (used to keep a Porsche 911C4 and a Toyota 4Runner back in the days when I was young and single), but not at this point in my life.
3. Hill hold function - minor nit pick, likely already fixed via OTA or in-dealer update. The one I had to test drive seemed not very well tuned for steep hill hold, it felt really rough and binary (brakes ON, breaks OFF) and the transition on steep hills was not very smooth.

I'm hoping the new eTron GT RS addresses all of the above when it arrives this summer (I never buy cars without test driving them first, ok, once I did, but that was the only exception). Yes it will also have the 2 speed transmission, but as a GT type car, it will likely not be as twitchy as the Taycan - tuned for different kind of driver.

As I said, I will test drive Plaid when it's available, but chances are small I will buy one, with 3 biggest potential deal breakers:

1. New steering wheel which requires you to look for the touch buttons for directional signals, or to honk the horn
2. Car guessing if I want to go forward or in reverse
3. Service and parts. I would need some written guarantee with monetary compensation if not met

But you never know, I might fall in love with it and get one.

 

[FutureShock]

What’s a Taycan?

 

[headcase]

For me, my next EV will be decided on more than just design, features, build quality, etc. Until other manufactures have the equivalent of a Supercharger network (both in breadth and reliability), Tesla is still the only game in town. The one other thing I would miss is Autopilot / FSD.

Just waiting to test drive the S refresh before pulling the trigger.

 

[whitex]

What’s a Taycan?

A car that has been eating into Model S market share

 

[whitex]

For me, my next EV will be decided on more than just design, features, build quality, etc. Until other manufactures have the equivalent of a Supercharger network (both in breadth and reliability), Tesla is still the only game in town. The one other thing I would miss is Autopilot / FSD.

Just waiting to test drive the S refresh before pulling the trigger.

When I bought my first Tesla, the supercharger network was a fraction of what Electrify America has today (for high speed charging), and yet it didn't stop me from buying another, and another, and another Tesla. What stopped me from buying more is Tesla service/parts changes after Model 3 came out.

 

[FutureShock]

A car that has been eating into Model S market share

Was that before or after the Model S ate into Porsche’s market share? Seems like Panamera sales dropped once the MS started becoming a thing.
.

 

[RAM_Eh]

I had an early MS and switched to a M3 in 2018. Personally I love the size of the S much better. The 2013 MS was an awesome car but lacked all the cool features of the autopilot and many others that the 3 has. I will be switching to a MS Plaid as soon as they figure out if it is getting the yoke or not. I look forward to the yoke....

Not all bad as my wife loves the 3 and we will have 2 Teslas in the family now.

 

[sund]

I cross shopped the Taycan and I really wanted to like it. I test drove it twice. It drives really well, but the problems that you read about on the forums gives me a lot of caution. There are several folks with their cars in the shop for a month or more. I'm waiting on reviews of the Model S when they come out to make a decision.