Questions before considering an order

[nursebee]

Have I seen the phrase stretcher to describe folks like me? I have never spent much on a car but would love to own a tesla. I have done well in the market this year and could stand to pull something out to keep. As I read thru this and another forum I am left with some things that intrigue me.

1. I've never been a performance car guy but like the idea of speed. Will I notice much difference in a 0-60 regular 85 in 5.4 sec compared to the performance in 4.1? I am happy in my Jetta TDI at 8.9 sec...Can current owners of regular 85 chime in? I can only think that regular 85 is it for me.

2. 3G connectivity is it? At what cost?

3. What hums or noises have not been fixed? I am 6'6" so Pano roof for me.

4. What is the deal with towing? I just want to fit a fancy bike rack on the back, how is this working out? We ride recumbent trikes, only one folds.

5. Air package seems overkill for my type of driving, anyone disagree?

THank you,
RNB

 

[Lyon]

1) I think that you'll find the regular 85kWh vehicle to be more than powerful enough for your needs.

2) Yes, it's 3G unless you chose to wi-fi tether to a mobile phone or hotspot. So far they aren't charging us for the connectivity but I expect that to change; I'm surprised it's gone this far as a free item. No pricing has been announced or discussed by Tesla.

3) My car had a few rattles that the service center found and fixed. My dad's Signature has been solid with no issues.

4) Towing is a no-no (my opinion, don't shoot) but Tesla says that a hitch for the purpose of attaching a bike rack is perfectly fine.

5) I have the air suspension and it's useful for getting into my challenging driveway. It used to lower at freeway speeds until a couple of cars had issues with hitting things and catching on fire. I hope they re-enable that option later. If you have a flat driveway and aren't concerned about the potential range saving if they manage to re-enable the lowering at freeway speeds, save your money.

Buy the car, you won't regret it.

 

[jpwe10]

1. Driven both, but the P85 is significantly faster. That said, the 85 was mind-bogglingly fast too. Its just the P85 is absolutely insanely and ridiculously fast
2. 4G is coming soon. The cars have the hardware and all that is needed is a software update.
3. I doubt the acceleration hum will ever go away, but I think it sounds cool (kinda like a warp drive from Star Trek). It is most prominent in the P85, but the 85 still has it, just not as loud. I believe the source of the whine is the inverter, so logically the P85 would be louder because it's taking more current.
4. I don't know about towing. I've heard there is an attachment in the nosecone for a tow hook, but I'm not quite sure...
5. Air suspension is nice to have, not just for performance. So far, I haven't heard of any problems with it, so it may be a good option. From what I understand with your type of driving, I don't think it's that necessary though.

 

[dhrivnak]

I have seen a hitch for a Model S and I have a hitch on my Roadster to carry bikes. So it should be no problem in a Model S. But do expect at least a 15% drop in range with bikes on back.

I believe you will find the normal 85 KWh to be crazy fast and much faster than your current ride.

 

[andrewket]

2. 4G is coming soon. The cars have the hardware and all that is needed is a software update.

Source? I don't believe this is correct.

 

[kendallpb]

1. I've never been a performance car guy but like the idea of speed. Will I notice much difference in a 0-60 regular 85 in 5.4 sec compared to the performance in 4.1? I am happy in my Jetta TDI at 8.9 sec...Can current owners of regular 85 chime in? I can only think that regular 85 is it for me.

2. 3G connectivity is it? At what cost?

3. What hums or noises have not been fixed? I am 6'6" so Pano roof for me.

4. What is the deal with towing? I just want to fit a fancy bike rack on the back, how is this working out? We ride recumbent trikes, only one folds.

5. Air package seems overkill for my type of driving, anyone disagree?

1. I have the 85 and feel it's crazy fast acceleration. Any car can go fast; this one can accelerate like a demon. I think my too-short test drive was in a perf and I didn't notice the difference, but that doesn't mean you won't...but really unless you're driving both regularly, and seeing as how your current car makes you happy and the 85's a lot faster...and you're stretching...the 85 sounds sufficient for you (I can't speak for you--just my impression). And let's face it, how often will you be flooring it enough to really get the full acceleration? Probably seldom. So, IMHO, not worth it.

3. My pano roof creaks a little, at first, on very hot days. I haven't had time to get it fixed, but they have a service bulletin or two for it and I plan to get it addressed in Feb., when I got for my annual service. I'm not sure whether cars these days have this issue (I'd think not, or any TSBs applied as they come off the line).

5. I have air but whether you want it or not--up to you. Some get it for the lowering-at-speed (until they re-enable that, new cars will likely come with 5.8 and not have that feature temporarily), like me. (I'm on 4.5 software so it still lowers at speed.) Others get it for tough driveways or what-not...or for both reasons. Whether you want/need it isn't about how you drive, though (and you didn't mention how you drive).

Hope this helps!

 

[TsRocket]

Have I seen the phrase stretcher to describe folks like me? I have never spent much on a car but would love to own a tesla. I have done well in the market this year and could stand to pull something out to keep. As I read thru this and another forum I am left with some things that intrigue me.

1. I've never been a performance car guy but like the idea of speed. Will I notice much difference in a 0-60 regular 85 in 5.4 sec compared to the performance in 4.1? I am happy in my Jetta TDI at 8.9 sec...Can current owners of regular 85 chime in? I can only think that regular 85 is it for me.

2. 3G connectivity is it? At what cost?

3. What hums or noises have not been fixed? I am 6'6" so Pano roof for me.

4. What is the deal with towing? I just want to fit a fancy bike rack on the back, how is this working out? We ride recumbent trikes, only one folds.

5. Air package seems overkill for my type of driving, anyone disagree?

THank you,
RNB

Well, i'm a girl. I bought the 85 kwh battery because i wanted to do trips, then i added the dual chargers because if superchargers were not available i didn,t want to be limited to 31 miles per hour of charging, especially if i was traveling 65-75 miles per hour. Now i am looking at the Chademo.

Love my car, pano roof, 21" wheels, metalic blue with grey leather. Bought after-market luxury mats, i have the tech package, air, big noise radio, and i dont notice noises in my car. It goes like snot, if i want it too, but i usually behave, unless i feel the need for speed. I prefer to let the prius drivers think they are "king of the road" unless they try to trap me behind a semi. Then i leave folks in the dust, with a tesla smile.

 

[lorih]

Don't forget, there is a large trunk, and the seat goes down, so you can put your bike inside the trunk of the Model S, and still have the trunk for other stuff. There is a great video on this forum showing just how much stuff the Model S can hold.

It is posted on another thread about cold weather range. It is Norwegian with English subtitles. It is one of my favorite Model S videos. Worth watching start to finish, but watch from 1:00-2:50. It is wonderful.

First European Cold Weather Range Test - Page 5 Post #2

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

Folks will probably continue posting in this tread, but if you want to, you can find more posts about (at least) 1 & 5 right now in previous threads on those topics. Just use the search function in the right upper corner anywhere on the forum. If you find a thread with a clearly defined and descriptive title, you can also often find more threads similar to that one by scrolling down to the bottom of the page where Similar Threads are listed. Some threads can sometimes be a bit old though, so that could perhaps be worth keeping in mind…

 

[Jason S]

My car is the Jetta TDI, my wife's is the Tesla since she's got the longer commute. The difference between the vehicles is large, but both have nice lower speed power. :smile:

The pano roof has screw holes for a roof rack -- you don't see them because they've got little flaps over the mounting points.

I think you'll find that even at 6'6" you'll be ok with the pano. The seats lower nicely. I've had similar sized folks in my driver and passenger seats without a problem.

Re: #2 -- if you've already got tethering data plan with your cell phone, you can just use that -- the car will attach to most wireless connections. Tesla has been providing a 3G connection until they force a change however.

#5 -- the air package is about comfort more than performance, imho. The really performance-oriented folks seem to prefer the standard suspension, which they then modify. Standard S85 with standard suspension is still a really nice vehicle by any performance standard tho.

Advice: go with the standard, use 19" wheels. The radio is much nicer than the Jetta but you'll need to transfer the tunes to a USB stick rather than playing through the phone or ipod connector. The P85 does go like crazy, but the S85 is no slouch either and the S85 is paired perfectly with the 19" wheels.

 

[DanielG]

Well, i'm a girl. I bought the 85 kwh battery because i wanted to do trips, then i added the dual chargers because if superchargers were not available i didn,t want to be limited to 31 miles per hour of charging, especially if i was traveling 65-75 miles per hour. Now i am looking at the Chademo.

Love my car, pano roof, 21" wheels, metalic blue with grey leather. Bought after-market luxury mats, i have the tech package, air, big noise radio, and i dont notice noises in my car. It goes like snot, if i want it too, but i usually behave, unless i feel the need for speed. I prefer to let the prius drivers think they are "king of the road" unless they try to trap me behind a semi. Then i leave folks in the dust, with a tesla smile.

Almost exactly the same, except for guy with 19" rims [lacewood].
1) Own S85, have driven P85 and P85+ loaners. S is plenty fast, P's are silly fast, particularly from standing. 0-30 is markedly better in Ps, above that not so much. Had a Prius before.
2) Eventually, TM is going to phase out free 3G. When? Anybody's guess. I signed in Feb 2013 and there was talk about imminent "connectivity package" = charge for 3G. Enjoy freebee while it lasts.
3) I have had no issues with pano noises. Some front noise was addressed by SC (I think some window misalignment).
4) Towing as in MS being towed = nono, just flatbed. Towing as in adding a trailer, is possible, but will cost you range.
5) The biggest advantage is with parking spaces with front concrete bar, where the plastic underbody thingy catches. I lift it to very high when parking in such situations. It can also help with elderly people (think parents/inlaws) of getting in and out of vehicle. There are some steep driveways that I have used it as well. I am looking forward to selecting height/low myself.

 

[Robert.Boston]

4. Tow hitch addition to the MS discussed here: Model S - Hitch discussion
5. Air suspension has been discussed at length here: Air Suspension

For me, the air suspension is mandatory because I really want the extra height on my summer home's access road. It's also very helpful in making sure you don't snag the front end pulling into parking spaces (but I strongly suggest you back into parking spaces where legal: the rear camera removes the guesswork about how far you should pull in, and it's safer pulling out).

Re the pano and your height: you'll fit into the front seat fine without the pano, but not the rear (depending on your leg/torso ratio). I get a little pano noise when there's ice on the roof.