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Reactions to the Model X

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My thoughts FWIW (I put down a reservation today):

I find it hard to get too worked up about the rear doors (either pro or con). Especially until I see them action. Certainly nothing close to a deal breaker for me as they seem to be for some. Heard a lot of people talking about snow. I'm in Canada and get more than my fair share of snow. I brush it off. I don't open the door to my sedan right now without brushing off the snow. It's illegal (although almost never enforced) to drive around with a pile of snow on top of your car. That said, judging from the amount of people who do drive around with piles of snow on top I guess I'm in the minority in thinking it makes sense to brush the snow off first. If I don't brush it off on my sedan I get a bunch of snow in my car -- so what's changed? I do think the doors overshadow the car however -- every review will have to spend half the time talking about the doors instead of some of the amazing technology involved (which is far more interesting to hear about).

Price is probably the biggest factor for me since I'm in Canada (and an area of Canada with no rebate as of right now -- in a province, NS, which isn't likely to bother). If they mark-up too heavily for Canada it might be too pricey to justify.

That said, for now I'm excited. They list three variations (basic, AWD and performance AWD). However I believe Musk said you don't need performance model for under 5 sec 0-60 which is pretty amazing.
 
I would have thought that if the base version was 4.4 seconds and the performance version was faster, they would have said that in the presentation. The slide did compare the 911 to the Model X Performance so the 4.4 seconds is probably the fastest Model X version.
 
Sigh. I feel bad thinking about Elon substituting "fast" for "quick."

Quickness is the measure of acceleration. Fast implies a top speed comparison, which electrics have yet to nail. Elon might wish to get into bed with Gear Vendors, who make an over/under drive that's capable of two speed shifting without a clutch at high torque and horsepower and doesn't weigh much.
 
My understanding from Katie's Gigaom video was that the performance version would be 4.4s. And the prototype she rode in, while impressive "wasn't even the performance version" (quoting Elon).

In one of the videos that I watched of Model X test drives, the driver of the X is commenting on the acceleration and he says "and this isn't even the performance version." So we know the prototype was AWD but not AWD performance. So yeah it makes sense that the Performance version will be the one that goes 0-60 in 4.4s.

I think that even if the Model X is capable of greater than 4.4s they would not tell us that now because they would not want anyone signed up for a Performance S to shift their reservation to a Performance X. Am I being too cynical? Or maybe they just electronically limit the vehicle to 4.4s so as not to cannibalize Model S sales? I mean 4.4s is wicked fast!!!
 
This design is blah. I am not impressed with the design. It looks like a lemon. Or a bloated blimp. You don't see any the sleek look like the Model S has, nor do you see any of the racy looks of the Roadster. That article below does have some things we need to think about.

The Tesla Model X Looks Like A Fat Electric DeLorean

I would have preferred the sleek long balanced look of an Infiniti FX35. That is an eye opener design.
Infiniti FX35

I am disappointed on the design aspects of the Model X. I hope they revised the design.

Scott
 
This design is blah. I am not impressed with the design. It looks like a lemon. Or a bloated blimp. You don't see any the sleek look like the Model S has, nor do you see any of the racy looks of the Roadster. That article below does have some things we need to think about.

The Tesla Model X Looks Like A Fat Electric DeLorean

I would have preferred the sleek long balanced look of an Infiniti FX35. That is an eye opener design.
Infiniti FX35

I am disappointed on the design aspects of the Model X. I hope they revised the design.

Scott

A lot of that is what they had to make. I don't think anything that has a real 3rd row looks 'racy'. The car just gets large and bloated. I am actually amazed at how well they did with vehicle height. It isn't, comparatively, tall. It doesn't look all that tall. Even a disguised minivan has to be minivan shaped. The 3 things I can think of that don't look like minivans, but have 3 real rows, are Suburbans, Excursions, and real Vans.

I actually like real minivans, this looks like a SUV but more fits the minivan size envelope. I like it, but don't need it. Model S for me.

Wait I mean SUV not minivan everywhere!
 
looking at the skateboard with the 4WD option, I'm a bit disappointed when looking @ the front 150HP motor...I love the compact nature of the PEM/Motor inline with the back axle. It looks like they went another way up front and didn't incorporate the same compact design and instead suspended the motor higher over the axle, making it look more like a typical ICE motor placement. Does anyone have a guess about why?
My guess is that the front motor has to be suspended higher to allow steering the front wheels. That, at least, is the most obvious functional requirement difference between the front and rear axles.
 
Yes, they had to get the motor above the battery module which extends almost to the axle.

I think, given the constraints, they did an amazing job with the design. I just wish they had provided measurements so we could compare with our garage doors. I have a fairly low garage opening, so if it would fit in mine, it would fit in practically any garage.
 
...
I would have preferred the sleek long balanced look of an Infiniti FX35. That is an eye opener design.
Infiniti FX35

I like my FX 35 design better as well. (As I have noted elsewhere many Roaster owners are cool with the unique design of the FX and drive-charging of an electric and have both. )
The X wins on the no-gas front. My 16MPG is painful after driving the Roadster all the time. I do note that Tesla can't afford to go all radical on design if they want to sell in mass quantities. More houses sell that are painted beige than polka dot.

The car does sort of satisfy the cool factor in a sleeper way. The X looks rather featureless (and aerodynamic) as it sits in it's store parking place. But when you come out with two small bags of groceries, do you put them on the front seat? Open up the back hatch? Or do you open the awesomely cool falcon wing doors that can be seen from across the parking lot? Conversations about no-gas get started that way.

Spread your wings and go electric.
 
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I like my FX 35 design better as well.
They tried to keep with the "sleek" look with the X, but for an SUV/XUV/CUV I think they're better going for tough/muscle look like the FX35. Trying to make a 7-seat car look sleek is a hard sell, it's fighting the inherent bulk caused by having a car that fits that many people.
 
They tried to keep with the "sleek" look with the X, but for an SUV/XUV/CUV I think they're better going for tough/muscle look like the FX35. Trying to make a 7-seat car look sleek is a hard sell, it's fighting the inherent bulk caused by having a car that fits that many people.
Tesla had to do more than make it look sleek -- they had to make it sleek for aerodynamics and mileage. Its hulking, high CdA contributes to FX35's poor mileage.
 
They tried to keep with the "sleek" look with the X, but for an SUV/XUV/CUV I think they're better going for tough/muscle look like the FX35. Trying to make a 7-seat car look sleek is a hard sell, it's fighting the inherent bulk caused by having a car that fits that many people.

Franz was quoted somewhere as saying that he deliberately did not make it masculine or feminine but tried to balance the two (bisexual?).

As a man, I would prefer something really masculine with hard angles (Lamborghini Aventador) instead of flowing curves but just like Robert.Boston said, that isn't going to happen because of drag coefficients.