Received my Dream Machine as my pre-Birthday Gift from my wife and Kids. We picked up delivery from San rafael service center. Tesla Delivery team arranged shuttle pick up for all 5 of us from Ukiah.
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Received my Dream Machine as my pre-Birthday Gift from my wife and Kids. We picked up delivery from San rafael service center. Tesla Delivery team arranged shuttle pick up for all 5 of us from Ukiah.
ahurst
Member
I wish I could take pictures like this and post. Estimated delivery was 9/12-9/19. Started pinging my DS on 9/8. Haven't heard from him yet. Very very frustrating to say the least. Not even a peep to just let me know what's going on. I've left many messages. Finally called "Delivery" hotline at Tesla HQ to see what's up. Hopefully they can get to the bottom of it. Not the experience I had hoped for.
I took delivery of my 70D at Dedham, MA on September 23.
-Delivery experience: Very nice, no problems. Delivery team was terrific, training person was very patient, spent a lot of time answering questions and showing a friend and me the screen menus and so on. Car was clean, seemed to be perfect, we found no defects.
Minor note: Car was registered and had plates installed, but did not have MA inspection sticker. Tesla store is not (yet?) licensed to perform inspections. So I had to get an inspection myself. The delivery staff suggested a service station nearby that had been used by the dealership for other cars, and that proved to be a good referral -- the inspector was an enthusiastic supporter of EVs and of Tesla specifically and was enjoyable to speak with. I suppose that in a "perfect" buying experience, the Tesla team would have gotten the sticker for me, but I am not complaining -- it does not take long and this way if there had been anything adverse to report, I would have heard it directly (which no doubt is more likely to be a concern for a used car rather than a new one). All in all, delivery process was a very very positive experience.
First impressions: (By way of background, I had three test drives plus a 1-day rental, so the Model S was fairly familiar to me before I got my own.)
-The multi-coat red is a really bright red! Gorgeous, a really stand-out color, really catches everyone's eye. The grey upholstery is a very light grey, almost as light as the tan upholstery but a bit more subdued. It is a matter of taste, but we like how the combination came out.
-All the "tech toys" seem to work well -- Audio, Bluetooth phone, navigation, TACC, etc. Oddly, the browser did not work at first, but has worked since then so it may have been a bad web address or something.
-Audio -- I am content with the audio quality from the base audio system, and very pleased by the variety of music sources from Slacker and Tune-In. Playing music from a memory stick also works well. FM radio reception seems to be n par with my previous car.
-TACC -- Have used it in heavy traffic for maybe 20 miles or so, so far, and it has worked very well. Coming to a full stop when needed and then accelerating again is impressive, especially if (like me) you have never had such a system before. System very quickly and smoothly handled a situation in which a car cut into my lane not very far ahead, and rapid declaration was required.
-Wipers -- Used the rain-sensing wipers in heavy rain today for first time, they seemed fine. I know that folks have complained about these under some conditions.
-Architecture/cabin design -- The first day I had the car, I felt as if the visibility was going to be a bigger concern that I had realized from test drives. The wide A pillars, the position of the B pillars, the low roofline, and the low position of the rear-view mirror in my line of sight all seemed to be interfering with good visibility more than I had expected. (As I said above, I had had several hours in the car before I purchased it.) But after a few drives, I became less anxious about it, began to develop new habits of how to look around the pillars and under the mirror, and so on. It is still something to be aware of, and I will be interested to see how my spouse reacts when (and if!) I can get her to try driving. Obviously I recognize that the architecture results largely from the need for a very aerodynamic body shape, especially in contrast to my somewhat older and more "upright" previous car.
- Ride -- The ride is stiffer and less forgiving than my previous cars (E class Mercedes), and I knew that going in, but in day-to-day experience it can be somewhat tiresome. It has caused me to wonder if I would have been better off with the air suspension. I thought I had tried some rough roads enough in the test drives to be sure of my choice, but this may prove to be one area where I wish I had chosen a different configuration. Or I may get used to it.
And now for the one possible sour spot -- the seats. Or maybe I should say, the driver's seat. For some reason, I am finding the seat extremely uncomfortable, even painful. It is like sitting on bricks. I get fierce pain in my legs very quickly. Since I did have a full day in a rental and had other test drives, this puzzles me a bit. Full disclosure -- I have a history of back trouble and have had trouble with many chairs and seats, including car seats. But the Tesla driver's seat seems to be particularly uncomfortable, which is obviously a concern. I am planning to buy an after-market seat cushion to use with it, as I have used in the past. But I still wonder if the seat has been changed recently. I do recall one test drive being uncomfortable, but I am pretty sure that was a NextGen seat and I did not care for it. Also, I am continuing to try different adjustments to the seat position, angle, and so on, to find a more comfortable position.
Tesla App -- Nice! I have used the ability to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin a couple of times, to good effect.
Navigation -- Has been very helpful a few times so far, and the voice directions are timely and clear. I might have chosen a different route at least once, but since I never had any navy system in a car before, this system is a real treat for me. The small map next to the Speedo on the dash is very helpful.
Miscellaneous other comments -- My mother (98 years old) found the rear seat more comfortable than the front but had a bit of trouble finding the seatbelt latch. My sister commented favorably on the alcantara -- she likes the feel of it.
So except for resolving the seat problem (or maybe I should say, my seat position problem), I am pretty impressed after one week, as are my family and friends who have seen it.
And the joy of having a quiet "zoom" now and then has not yet worn off! Quite a machine....
-Delivery experience: Very nice, no problems. Delivery team was terrific, training person was very patient, spent a lot of time answering questions and showing a friend and me the screen menus and so on. Car was clean, seemed to be perfect, we found no defects.
Minor note: Car was registered and had plates installed, but did not have MA inspection sticker. Tesla store is not (yet?) licensed to perform inspections. So I had to get an inspection myself. The delivery staff suggested a service station nearby that had been used by the dealership for other cars, and that proved to be a good referral -- the inspector was an enthusiastic supporter of EVs and of Tesla specifically and was enjoyable to speak with. I suppose that in a "perfect" buying experience, the Tesla team would have gotten the sticker for me, but I am not complaining -- it does not take long and this way if there had been anything adverse to report, I would have heard it directly (which no doubt is more likely to be a concern for a used car rather than a new one). All in all, delivery process was a very very positive experience.
First impressions: (By way of background, I had three test drives plus a 1-day rental, so the Model S was fairly familiar to me before I got my own.)
-The multi-coat red is a really bright red! Gorgeous, a really stand-out color, really catches everyone's eye. The grey upholstery is a very light grey, almost as light as the tan upholstery but a bit more subdued. It is a matter of taste, but we like how the combination came out.
-All the "tech toys" seem to work well -- Audio, Bluetooth phone, navigation, TACC, etc. Oddly, the browser did not work at first, but has worked since then so it may have been a bad web address or something.
-Audio -- I am content with the audio quality from the base audio system, and very pleased by the variety of music sources from Slacker and Tune-In. Playing music from a memory stick also works well. FM radio reception seems to be n par with my previous car.
-TACC -- Have used it in heavy traffic for maybe 20 miles or so, so far, and it has worked very well. Coming to a full stop when needed and then accelerating again is impressive, especially if (like me) you have never had such a system before. System very quickly and smoothly handled a situation in which a car cut into my lane not very far ahead, and rapid declaration was required.
-Wipers -- Used the rain-sensing wipers in heavy rain today for first time, they seemed fine. I know that folks have complained about these under some conditions.
-Architecture/cabin design -- The first day I had the car, I felt as if the visibility was going to be a bigger concern that I had realized from test drives. The wide A pillars, the position of the B pillars, the low roofline, and the low position of the rear-view mirror in my line of sight all seemed to be interfering with good visibility more than I had expected. (As I said above, I had had several hours in the car before I purchased it.) But after a few drives, I became less anxious about it, began to develop new habits of how to look around the pillars and under the mirror, and so on. It is still something to be aware of, and I will be interested to see how my spouse reacts when (and if!) I can get her to try driving. Obviously I recognize that the architecture results largely from the need for a very aerodynamic body shape, especially in contrast to my somewhat older and more "upright" previous car.
- Ride -- The ride is stiffer and less forgiving than my previous cars (E class Mercedes), and I knew that going in, but in day-to-day experience it can be somewhat tiresome. It has caused me to wonder if I would have been better off with the air suspension. I thought I had tried some rough roads enough in the test drives to be sure of my choice, but this may prove to be one area where I wish I had chosen a different configuration. Or I may get used to it.
And now for the one possible sour spot -- the seats. Or maybe I should say, the driver's seat. For some reason, I am finding the seat extremely uncomfortable, even painful. It is like sitting on bricks. I get fierce pain in my legs very quickly. Since I did have a full day in a rental and had other test drives, this puzzles me a bit. Full disclosure -- I have a history of back trouble and have had trouble with many chairs and seats, including car seats. But the Tesla driver's seat seems to be particularly uncomfortable, which is obviously a concern. I am planning to buy an after-market seat cushion to use with it, as I have used in the past. But I still wonder if the seat has been changed recently. I do recall one test drive being uncomfortable, but I am pretty sure that was a NextGen seat and I did not care for it. Also, I am continuing to try different adjustments to the seat position, angle, and so on, to find a more comfortable position.
Tesla App -- Nice! I have used the ability to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin a couple of times, to good effect.
Navigation -- Has been very helpful a few times so far, and the voice directions are timely and clear. I might have chosen a different route at least once, but since I never had any navy system in a car before, this system is a real treat for me. The small map next to the Speedo on the dash is very helpful.
Miscellaneous other comments -- My mother (98 years old) found the rear seat more comfortable than the front but had a bit of trouble finding the seatbelt latch. My sister commented favorably on the alcantara -- she likes the feel of it.
So except for resolving the seat problem (or maybe I should say, my seat position problem), I am pretty impressed after one week, as are my family and friends who have seen it.
And the joy of having a quiet "zoom" now and then has not yet worn off! Quite a machine....
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brucet999
Active Member
Pressure from the front edge of a car seat can make legs uncomfortable. Try tilting the seat down at the front a little and see if that helps.
@David29 Congrats, welcome to the fold! Join the "New England Tesla Motors Club" Meetup.Com group!
Tesla will never be able to perform inspections in MA, their garages are not equipped with the proper ventilation for ICE cars.
My wife got her car inspected today at the local Benz dealer and she picked up a brochure on the B-Class (hah!).
Tesla will never be able to perform inspections in MA, their garages are not equipped with the proper ventilation for ICE cars.
My wife got her car inspected today at the local Benz dealer and she picked up a brochure on the B-Class (hah!).
Thanks! I am in the meet-up group and will plan to come to events when I can.
As to inspections, that is indeed an excellent point. I was only thinking of having them inspect Teslas, but you are right, the official inspectors probably need to be willing and able to inspect whatever vehicles need it.
JenniferQ
Active Member
I thought maybe it was because he hasn't "come down from my first Drive of my new Tesla...":wink:
Cyclone
Cyclonic Member ((.oO))
An iPhone was used to take the picture and you aren't using Safari to use the image. An iPhone stores orientation as metadata that others can read to display it "right-side up" while some other devices actually rotate the stored image to anticipate "right side up". The actual image is store as expected when the volume buttons on an iPhone are at the bottom. When on the top, you get upside-down images on some browsers.
brucet999
Active Member
Cyclone
Cyclonic Member ((.oO))
Odd then. It does for me as the only time I see photos upside on this forum is when I occasionally use FireFox on my work computer. Whenever I use my Mac or iPhone, they show up correctly.
Jeff,
Since you live in thunderstorm country, consider using your Tesla browser for radar images so that you can avoid the really bad stuff. Place your Nav software on top and browser/radar below it. Works great!
http://theelectricroadtrip.com/2015/09/27/carolina-thunder/
cheers,
Papafox
rpc364
Member
Cross-referencing to my "Teslacles" blog on my pickup and first 3 days, I offer some suggestions on a post-factory pickup getaway - assuming you like the California coast, wine, and driving your Model S... :smile:
Sound's Good
Member
Took delivery of a pre-owned 2014 MS85 on 9/28.
Dolphin Grey Metallic Paint
All Glass Panoramic Roof
19" Wheels
Grey Nappa Leather Seats
Obeche Wood Gloss Décor
Standard Headliner
Supercharger Enabled
Dual Chargers
Tech Package
Ultra High Fidelity Sound
Subzero Weather Package
Premium Interior Lighting
Paint Armor
Can only describe the indescribable anticipation and execution of purchase --> delivery --> first drives as Christmas/Prom/Graduation for adults.
Could not have anticipated the short parade of enthusiastic specialists who appeared, each with a particular expertise as they shepherded me seamlessly through the purchase process. Well, not entirely seamless but because of excellent communications protocols, even the inevitable hiccoughs were tolerable. As each made contact and communicated the next step, I became increasingly confident in the car, the company and my future with both.
Two “little” things right off the bat impressed me:
• A window opens slightly in anticipation of door closure to alleviate interior vehicle pressure buildup.
• When the Navigation Lady who lives in the screen speaks directions, the music slightly fades to the right making her instructions more clear for the driver.
I’m writing this paragraph a little under a month after delivery; on the heels of 7.0 my lips occasionally purse unbecomingly having probably missed out on AP. VIN 400XX: may I still hold hope that there’s an aftermarket fix? [No. Fine. Fine.] It’s still an awesome car and beyond the wildest driving dreams I never knew I had until I researched everything except AP. I really thought it was a no-brainer that 2014’s would be appropriately equipped if they had the Tech Package. Turns out I’m the one without a brain [cue “Wizard of Oz” soundtrack] or a clue. Toy with selling and trading up, but the thinking troubles me. Sigh. What to do?
Flash forward a 180-mile superfluously-added Supercharger trip later traveling with two furry animals, and have decided this is a fine car and others will beta test AP better than me anyway. My rationalization skills are being honed to a sharp edge.
Anyway, I enjoy it immensely. It’s serving all its purposes well. Allow me to enumerate:
• Poetry. Traditional publication was frustrating to me with its many micro-niches, and long ago decided to publish anywhere but via traditional means. The MS allows me to publish what is undoubtedly the shortest, best political poem ever, if “best political poem” is not an oxymoron. Lots more people will see it than even the New Yorker can provide. Having been published as having said, “I’m a living breathing f*ck you,” in a USA Today article on Bill Clinton and Maya Angelou on the occasion of her reading at his inaugural, I firmly assert the publication strategy works for me. Furthermore, each who sees will read the whole thing, not just a few lines.
• Psy Op v.1. = Psy Op on myself since I haven’t enjoyed going out much recently and I mean to turn that around. It’s working.
• Psy Op v.2. Marketing. I have a small business I need to grow quickly as I ponder retirement. Truth is I don’t know when the ‘Big R’ will happen. I will do it as long as I am able which could be 2, 5 10 years or more or less. My body will tell me when it’s time. In the meantime I mean to ramp it up. Three weeks in with the machine and by golly, I can feel the positive shift in the network that feeds me, perhaps because the beauty of it lifts me up too.
• Reward for milestone birthday.
• The Economics of Hard Goods. It was supposed to be a “house” or rather reasonably-priced live/work warehouse space that is hard to come by in my neck of the woods. Saved 75% down and bank rejected a mortgage for the sumptuous spot I found. I put some of that “house” into Gigi (her name). The rest into improving extant commercially-leased space on which I have another decade.
• Art. I’m an armchair economics buff and often use currency in art.
• Prose. I get to write about the experience here. This MS machine requires attention I’m interested in giving it. I work with all flavors of batteries for money, so adding this monster battery makes sense to me. I will also address the thing with my colleagues who similarly have long-term relationships with batteries. Speaking of which, will have to research whether the charging plan I have sketched will seriously impact battery life, but that’s another thread. A small puzzle to figure out.
• A gamble. As a non-gambler, this is a wee bit thrilling. Yes TSLA. That came first. SOB’s got some balls. Really got my attention when EM released the software into the wild. Smart IMO. Watched the long battery chemistry lecture given by Tesla Motors chief battery guy’s mentor. Didn’t understand most but the gist made good sense to me. Kinda like knowing the trainers at the track. There’s more to my good reading of this endeavor’s future, though the fact that I’m enamored of having a stake in it is a bit worrisome, LOL. And fun. Did I say fun? Oh no!
• Marketing model. As an armchair marketing buff I like Tesla's marketing trajectory. The SC's, galleries and service centers look good. No grease. Name is perfect. Logo perfect. Armchair marketing hobbyist. Minimize brick/mortar. Yeah.
Got the plate today. The moment I've been waiting for to finish and post this.
Diggin' it.
Dolphin Grey Metallic Paint
All Glass Panoramic Roof
19" Wheels
Grey Nappa Leather Seats
Obeche Wood Gloss Décor
Standard Headliner
Supercharger Enabled
Dual Chargers
Tech Package
Ultra High Fidelity Sound
Subzero Weather Package
Premium Interior Lighting
Paint Armor
Can only describe the indescribable anticipation and execution of purchase --> delivery --> first drives as Christmas/Prom/Graduation for adults.
Could not have anticipated the short parade of enthusiastic specialists who appeared, each with a particular expertise as they shepherded me seamlessly through the purchase process. Well, not entirely seamless but because of excellent communications protocols, even the inevitable hiccoughs were tolerable. As each made contact and communicated the next step, I became increasingly confident in the car, the company and my future with both.
Two “little” things right off the bat impressed me:
• A window opens slightly in anticipation of door closure to alleviate interior vehicle pressure buildup.
• When the Navigation Lady who lives in the screen speaks directions, the music slightly fades to the right making her instructions more clear for the driver.
I’m writing this paragraph a little under a month after delivery; on the heels of 7.0 my lips occasionally purse unbecomingly having probably missed out on AP. VIN 400XX: may I still hold hope that there’s an aftermarket fix? [No. Fine. Fine.] It’s still an awesome car and beyond the wildest driving dreams I never knew I had until I researched everything except AP. I really thought it was a no-brainer that 2014’s would be appropriately equipped if they had the Tech Package. Turns out I’m the one without a brain [cue “Wizard of Oz” soundtrack] or a clue. Toy with selling and trading up, but the thinking troubles me. Sigh. What to do?
Flash forward a 180-mile superfluously-added Supercharger trip later traveling with two furry animals, and have decided this is a fine car and others will beta test AP better than me anyway. My rationalization skills are being honed to a sharp edge.
Anyway, I enjoy it immensely. It’s serving all its purposes well. Allow me to enumerate:
• Poetry. Traditional publication was frustrating to me with its many micro-niches, and long ago decided to publish anywhere but via traditional means. The MS allows me to publish what is undoubtedly the shortest, best political poem ever, if “best political poem” is not an oxymoron. Lots more people will see it than even the New Yorker can provide. Having been published as having said, “I’m a living breathing f*ck you,” in a USA Today article on Bill Clinton and Maya Angelou on the occasion of her reading at his inaugural, I firmly assert the publication strategy works for me. Furthermore, each who sees will read the whole thing, not just a few lines.
• Psy Op v.1. = Psy Op on myself since I haven’t enjoyed going out much recently and I mean to turn that around. It’s working.
• Psy Op v.2. Marketing. I have a small business I need to grow quickly as I ponder retirement. Truth is I don’t know when the ‘Big R’ will happen. I will do it as long as I am able which could be 2, 5 10 years or more or less. My body will tell me when it’s time. In the meantime I mean to ramp it up. Three weeks in with the machine and by golly, I can feel the positive shift in the network that feeds me, perhaps because the beauty of it lifts me up too.
• Reward for milestone birthday.
• The Economics of Hard Goods. It was supposed to be a “house” or rather reasonably-priced live/work warehouse space that is hard to come by in my neck of the woods. Saved 75% down and bank rejected a mortgage for the sumptuous spot I found. I put some of that “house” into Gigi (her name). The rest into improving extant commercially-leased space on which I have another decade.
• Art. I’m an armchair economics buff and often use currency in art.
• Prose. I get to write about the experience here. This MS machine requires attention I’m interested in giving it. I work with all flavors of batteries for money, so adding this monster battery makes sense to me. I will also address the thing with my colleagues who similarly have long-term relationships with batteries. Speaking of which, will have to research whether the charging plan I have sketched will seriously impact battery life, but that’s another thread. A small puzzle to figure out.
• A gamble. As a non-gambler, this is a wee bit thrilling. Yes TSLA. That came first. SOB’s got some balls. Really got my attention when EM released the software into the wild. Smart IMO. Watched the long battery chemistry lecture given by Tesla Motors chief battery guy’s mentor. Didn’t understand most but the gist made good sense to me. Kinda like knowing the trainers at the track. There’s more to my good reading of this endeavor’s future, though the fact that I’m enamored of having a stake in it is a bit worrisome, LOL. And fun. Did I say fun? Oh no!
• Marketing model. As an armchair marketing buff I like Tesla's marketing trajectory. The SC's, galleries and service centers look good. No grease. Name is perfect. Logo perfect. Armchair marketing hobbyist. Minimize brick/mortar. Yeah.
Got the plate today. The moment I've been waiting for to finish and post this.
Diggin' it.
Last edited:
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