Premium Upgrades Package-About to Order!

[Cnasty]

I finished my test drive yesterday and then went into the secret lair with my advisor to configure and talk about the order/delivery process for my Model S60.

Tentative configuration:

• Solid Black-I want white but wife wants black and the advisor agreed with her since white is everywhere in Texas..I lost
• S60-plenty of battery and power for our commute and needs and I like the 100% need with no issues due to the hidden 75
• Pano roof-No doubt about this one as I am 6'3 and loved the head room and open feel of it
• Black next gen leather seats-lost on this one as well as I was fine with the textile but she wanted leather due to the kids
• 19in Slipstreams-she wanted the 21s because they look pretty. Told her we need $1600+ in new tires every year, I won

We both now are going back and forth on the premium upgrades package. The biggest addition for us will be the lift gate. Our current Dodge Durango has one and has changed our life as a family of 4. Not sure if its worth $3k though as all the others involved seem useless but fancy.

Any real world feedback on this configuration and possible amendments and if the package is worth it?

Thanks so much everyone as we are so excited to press order!!!

 

[Chopr147]

I do not have the auto liftgate on my Yukon so I did not feel a need to order it on the 60D. You don't miss something if you never had it You may miss it
I too considered going with the textile seats but I could not find a car with them to see in person. Rather than take a chance I went with the black nexgen. seats as well. I won't be sorry.
I like the 19 in. wheels for a smoother ride though the 21's do look better
Good luck!

 

[Cnasty]

I do not have the auto liftgate on my Yukon so I did not feel a need to order it on the 60D. You don't miss something if you never had it You may miss it
I too considered going with the textile seats but I could not find a car with them to see in person. Rather than take a chance I went with the black nexgen. seats as well. I won't be sorry.
I like the 19 in. wheels for a smoother ride though the 21's do look better
Good luck!

Part of me is this will be our family car for the next 5-7 years and easily the most luxurious vehicle we will own so why not max it out appropriately which is my wife's thinking.

My practical side isn't winning which is normally my wife's side so this is very weird for me to be on this side lol

She is all gung ho and when the advisor was going through the options she was shocking me with her answers.

 

[Shawn Snider]

Part of me is this will be our family car for the next 5-7 years and easily the most luxurious vehicle we will own so why not max it out appropriately which is my wife's thinking.

My practical side isn't winning which is normally my wife's side so this is very weird for me to be on this side lol

She is all gung ho and when the advisor was going through the options she was shocking me with her answers.

That's the same viewpoint I have, this will be the most luxurious (Also the first BRAND NEW car for me) vehicle I will ever own, so, I don't want to be disappointed down the road.

Lucky you live in Texas, atleast you dont have to 'Add-on/Pay' for Air-Conditioning, up here in Canada we have to pay ($1,300 CDN) to have the car fitted with the proper equipment to work in our climate... Sad, but whatever I guess.

 

[BigAirHarper]

So my opinion is the premium package and autopilot should be on every singe car you order. Reason is 90% of cars will have them and you'll have a much better resale value down the road. Right now autopilot is the #1 feature keeping the price of cars that have it much higher than those without it.

 

[Cnasty]

So my opinion is the premium package and autopilot should be on every singe car you order. Reason is 90% of cars will have them and you'll have a much better resale value down the road. Right now autopilot is the #1 feature keeping the price of cars that have it much higher than those without it.

I am starting to see this as well. I feel as if I got a Tesla without autopilot I would not be maximizing the greatness of this vehicle and the special value it holds for owners.

A big piece is the summon feature and parking additions with the autopilot so i am on board with that one but have a hard time justifying $3k for a lift gate but I do think it will be one of those scenarios of buyer remorse if not added to get the full potential of this vehicle.

I factored and its another $30 a month or so. Thats about 5 coffees

 

[Chopr147]

I could not see getting this car W/O AP. That is a must for me but some just don't care. "To each their own"
I can relate to your wife loving this car. My wife, when it comes to cars just wants something comfortable that starts every day. She does not care how or why it works, just get me from point A-B. When I talk cars she humors me mostly to make me feel better
The Tesla was the first time I have seen her get excited about a car (married 26 years now) and I knew right then "i've got her!" Ordered 1 week later and we cannot wait to get this S and "drive it till the wheels fall off"

 

[ArtInCT]

Many folks do not know that the Premium Package affects the exterior appearance of the Model S in a small manner. When you order the Premium Package the front horizontal strakes to the inside of the fog lamps are chromed.... if you do not order the Premium Package, the strakes are matte black and not chromed. In addition the rear diffuser lip on the Premium Package is chromed on the Premium Package car but is matte black in those cars without the Premium Package.

However, since your car is black on black on black you may want that blacked out treatment.

My thoughts on options are simple... I spend most of my time inside the car when using it. As such, I want the inside to be a nice and comfortable as possible. So everyone's ideas on nice and comfortable differ a bit.

 

[Cnasty]

Many folks do not know that the Premium Package affects the exterior appearance of the Model S in a small manner. When you order the Premium Package the front horizontal strakes to the inside of the fog lamps are chromed.... if you do not order the Premium Package, the strakes are matte black and not chromed. In addition the rear diffuser lip on the Premium Package is chromed on the Premium Package car but is matte black in those cars without the Premium Package.

However, since your car is black on black on black you may want that blacked out treatment.

My thoughts on options are simple... I spend most of my time inside the car when using it. As such, I want the inside to be a nice and comfortable as possible. So everyone's ideas on nice and comfortable differ a bit.

I had no idea it had outside impacts outside the fog lights listed on the configure page. Very nice!

the lift gate alone for my wife may be nice as she is pretty short and tippy toed to close one manually at the gallery. Also she loved the back hatch and how much space there was for a stroller and then some. She didn't believe me since we drive an SUV and the space was very comparable. Dropped the seats and was shocked by the amount of room.

 

[ArtInCT]

Well that feedback regarding the mild challenge of your Wife's lift gate experience should probably be left in her hands to decide upon. I have only dropped my rear seats once when the S was new to make sure they worked. Since then they are up. I will give them a try in the down position. Perhaps that will show some different light upon the sound system.

I have that upgraded sound system but the bass seems rather thin. I was wondering what it would sound like with the seats down and the cargo shield out of the car. The sub-woofer in the rear of the trunk (passenger side) is rather in a "box" with the seats up and the cargo shield fully in place.... I need to hear what it will sound like with no obstruction.

 

[Chopr147]

The Tesla website really needs to explain a little more what the options entail. There is very little description given

 

[Chris P]

My wife and I went back and forth about the premium interior and ended up getting it - we are very glad we did. The liftgate of course was a factor but every other item in the premium package is appreciated now that we have it. The filter is great for driving behind anything diesel, the dynamic turning lights are more helpful than you would think, the leather trim, ambient interior lighting and alcantara dashboard accents give the interior an elegant feel and in fact passengers have commented on the alcantara dashboard accent, and the lighted door handles are just plain fun.

 

[Cnasty]

My wife and I went back and forth about the premium interior and ended up getting it - we are very glad we did. The liftgate of course was a factor but every other item in the premium package is appreciated now that we have it. The filter is great for driving behind anything diesel, the dynamic turning lights are more helpful than you would think, the leather trim, ambient interior lighting and alcantara dashboard accents give the interior an elegant feel and in fact passengers have commented on the alcantara dashboard accent, and the lighted door handles are just plain fun.

Thank you for this real world feedback. The liftgate is 75% of the choice as we have one now and it's fantastic with the kids and always having full hands. Add in some of the nice interior touches since we are going next gen leather seats I think it completes it

It adds about $25 per month or a little more and as its been stated I feel it completes the car.

 

[bmah]

My car comes from a time when options packages were somewhat different, and the power liftgate was a part of the now non-existent tech package. I'm definitely glad we got this feature, like you my spouse is on the short side (she's 5'1") and she definitely appreciates having it because the liftgate is pretty tall when fully opened. I'm pretty sure if we were configuring today we'd get the premium package for this feature alone.

Free advice, worth what you paid for it.

Bruce.

 

[Cnasty]

My car comes from a time when options packages were somewhat different, and the power liftgate was a part of the now non-existent tech package. I'm definitely glad we got this feature, like you my spouse is on the short side (she's 5'1") and she definitely appreciates having it because the liftgate is pretty tall when fully opened. I'm pretty sure if we were configuring today we'd get the premium package for this feature alone.

Free advice, worth what you paid for it.

Bruce.

Good info thank you!

I also heard that you can set it to go only so high with auto lift gate for garage scenarios and such so it doesn't ding.

 

[f-stop]

I bought the premium interior and lighting package with my 70D, mainly for the power liftgate even though it was expensive if you really only want that. I find the power liftgate very useful, never had one in any previous vehicle. I would order again, no regrets. I think the premium package has changed slightly since I bought my car late last year, I think the alcantara headliner was only available with it and I also wanted that. but anyhow it turns out the ambient lighting that comes with it does look nice, though by itself not worth it IMO.

Yes, it's very convenient and easy to set the max height it will open, I do so for my garage with low clearance to the door & mechanism above - also useful if you have trouble reaching the hatch when open. To set the max height you simply manually lower to desired height and press/hold the switch on the underside of the hatch for a couple seconds.

 

[cab]

So as a compromise, remember that when it comes to Tesla, there is stuff you can and stuff you can't "add later". You can't add stuff like the premium package, sunroof, air suspension, etc. later. You CAN add autopilot, the battery upgrade, dual chargers, and do an aftermarket stereo upgrade later. So, if you want to lower your price of entry now, you might consider adding the premium package now and then enabling autopilot next year. Yes, I know the dowsides of that, but people spend money modding their cars at various points in the life cycle all the time.

In my case, the air suspension is the item I might swap for AP "day one". I can feel the difference between the coils and air immediately on test drives...usually on the first bump in the parking lot. It is the thing I will likely appreciate every second of the drive, whereas AP would only be used "sometimes". Others will feel differently of course.

 

[jelloslug]

So as a compromise, remember that when it comes to Tesla, there is stuff you can and stuff you can't "add later". You can't add stuff like the premium package, sunroof, air suspension, etc. later. You CAN add autopilot, the battery upgrade, dual chargers, and do an aftermarket stereo upgrade later. So, if you want to lower your price of entry now, you might consider adding the premium package now and then enabling autopilot next year. Yes, I know the dowsides of that, but people spend money modding their cars at various points in the life cycle all the time.

In my case, the air suspension is the item I might swap for AP "day one". I can feel the difference between the coils and air immediately on test drives...usually on the first bump in the parking lot. It is the thing I will likely appreciate every second of the drive, whereas AP would only be used "sometimes". Others will feel differently of course.

This is exactly what I did. I bought the things I cannot easily add in later up front.

 

[Cnasty]

I have priced out multiple configurations including things that can be added later and bare bones but here is a quick run down as I will be financing and estimated based on the Alliant ratings.

Most minimal build: $834 per month-no extra options at all(solid black color, no pano, textile)
Next one up: $886-only option added was pano roof
Next: $918-pano and leather added
Next: $950-auto pilot, pano, leather
Top Price: $989-all options including leather, pano, auto pilot, premium upgrade package

$150 more a month is a nice chunk of change but again, that would be a major compromise and miss a lot of things I love about the Tesla and I don't want to do that.

I am unsure how accurate the Tesla lending estimates are either so it may be off in a bigger direction on each side. Also, this is without $1k taken off for the referral program.

 

[javawolfpack]

So I know auto pilot & pano roof were my only requirements; however, I've added the premium package to my build (got my VIN yesterday so excited moving forward)... the reasons for me were the cornering & fog lights as I felt this would improve the safety of driving in cases where those would be useful. I know I've found it risky driving mountain roads at night with traditional lights that don't corner.

I also tend to have allergies to everything so the HEPA filter in a vehicle was a pretty awesome addition too. I've never had a car with a power lift-gate so actually was less of a selling point from my end.

Have you reached out to Tesla financing directly? They might be able to give you a better estimate, but know the lease estimator was pretty close in the end to what I was approved for (applied early as was worried if I'd qualify while I still am paying off my VW TDI I will be selling back to VW ASAP)