Hey!
I saw a lot of threads here where owner of "classic" S talk about their experience when getting a AP equipped loaner car. Well, my car is in the shop right now getting its first annual and the loaner in a 30 000 VIN P85 w/o auto pilot on coils and 19in wheels (winter tires were put on just before I got the car). Reminder : I drive a 85D on air with 19in wheels.
Couple of things I noticed :
1-The old stalk positions : took me 15min of driving to get used to the lower turn signal stalk, that one is not too bad. Same for the drive one. Both are OK. What I really disliked : the cruise control stalk. The "push" function is really awkward : mine is a simple button at the end of the stalk, this one actually slides over the shaft. It's sitting very high and the light is distracting in low-light.
2-The vacuum based brake booster : I was a bit shocked when I head the vacuum pump starting after actuating the brakes. In some instances, you can feel the vibration of the pump strokes in the brake pedal. Mine is definitely smoother. Also, since mine works all the time, starting up the car in the morning, the brake pedals feels the same as when driving. On the P85, it was very stiff, like on an ICE when there is no vacuum and you're not getting any assistance.
3-The seats : I have the regular seats, but the newer ones with the new head rest and more padding. I now understand why people switch to the Next Gen seats... The P85 seats were really stiff. While not as nice / comfortable as the NG seats, mine are a lot more comfortable than the one in the loaner. The increased visibility was not really worth it... especially when you're used to not rely too much on your windshield's rear view mirror.
4-Suspension : I'm glad I went with air. I have back problems and the P85 is very stiff. Ground clearance was not an issue at all but comfort was.
5-Acceleration : My 85D is definitely faster off the start because of AWD. The P85 tends to loose traction every single time I stomped on the throttle at low speed. At high speed (+55mph), the P85 pulls slightly more than my 85D. Passing power is better and I checked the release notes, this one did not get the performance improvements. The RWD is more fun to drive : having the rear tires slipping has its charm
6-Autopilot : I missed TACC during my commute. I never realized the reason I was not as much stressed out as before was because of TACC. I did not really miss auto steer, I find it mostly useful for long trips. Lane departure warning is turned off in my car so this was a non issue. Blind spot detection, meh, was also a non issue. I did drove over the limit a few times because I'm used to the speed assist but it's only because I'm now a bit more lazy when looking for speed limits since I got my car.
7-Version 7 : oh wow, I do miss the big power gauge. This thing is great. The energy app on Pre-AP cars is a bit weird : 2/3 of the area is to get to 0Wh/km and under it... what a waste. It least you get the "rated" line which is now absent from the V7 on AP cars. Overall, I thing it's OK on pre-AP cars. Not sure if the car was equipped with the lower resolution IC screen but it felt snappier than mine.
8-Cabin noise : you hear almost nothing from the drive units. In my 85D, the front motor/inverter makes noise. Car is more silent.
9-Efficiency : car is slightly less efficient than mine. Not sure how much is due to the suspension (not lowering at high speed) or the RWD. Tires & Wheels are the same on both cars...
10-Audio : I have the upgraded audio. While it's not great, the P85 sounds really weak. The front speakers on the upgraded audio are way better and you get a sound stage in the front. The P85's base system sounded like the rear speakers were contributing more than the front ones.
11-Premium interior : the loaner had the premium interior, I don't. I'm glad I did not pay for this. The materials feels better to the touch but visually they are almost identical.
12-Front trunk : wow this thing is huge. I use mine for windshield washer fluid (2x4L), a 14-50 extension, a first aid kit and wheel stoppers, it's pretty much full with that. I also like my new latch. It feels more "modern" than the old ones. It's a lot less clunky when closing mine.
13-Charge port : I forgot to close the charge port 2 times.... This thing looks to be more robust than the new, auto-closing, charge port. Especially the lock : mine makes a stepper motor sound when engaging. This one made a nice clunking sound when locking the handle. sounds magnetic.
So that's it. Now that I've driven a P85, I can confidently say that the 85D's performance is on par with the "old P". Apart for the red calipers, the carbon spoiler and the metal pedals which are all cosmetic things, the 85D is a great deal.
I saw a lot of threads here where owner of "classic" S talk about their experience when getting a AP equipped loaner car. Well, my car is in the shop right now getting its first annual and the loaner in a 30 000 VIN P85 w/o auto pilot on coils and 19in wheels (winter tires were put on just before I got the car). Reminder : I drive a 85D on air with 19in wheels.
Couple of things I noticed :
1-The old stalk positions : took me 15min of driving to get used to the lower turn signal stalk, that one is not too bad. Same for the drive one. Both are OK. What I really disliked : the cruise control stalk. The "push" function is really awkward : mine is a simple button at the end of the stalk, this one actually slides over the shaft. It's sitting very high and the light is distracting in low-light.
2-The vacuum based brake booster : I was a bit shocked when I head the vacuum pump starting after actuating the brakes. In some instances, you can feel the vibration of the pump strokes in the brake pedal. Mine is definitely smoother. Also, since mine works all the time, starting up the car in the morning, the brake pedals feels the same as when driving. On the P85, it was very stiff, like on an ICE when there is no vacuum and you're not getting any assistance.
3-The seats : I have the regular seats, but the newer ones with the new head rest and more padding. I now understand why people switch to the Next Gen seats... The P85 seats were really stiff. While not as nice / comfortable as the NG seats, mine are a lot more comfortable than the one in the loaner. The increased visibility was not really worth it... especially when you're used to not rely too much on your windshield's rear view mirror.
4-Suspension : I'm glad I went with air. I have back problems and the P85 is very stiff. Ground clearance was not an issue at all but comfort was.
5-Acceleration : My 85D is definitely faster off the start because of AWD. The P85 tends to loose traction every single time I stomped on the throttle at low speed. At high speed (+55mph), the P85 pulls slightly more than my 85D. Passing power is better and I checked the release notes, this one did not get the performance improvements. The RWD is more fun to drive : having the rear tires slipping has its charm
6-Autopilot : I missed TACC during my commute. I never realized the reason I was not as much stressed out as before was because of TACC. I did not really miss auto steer, I find it mostly useful for long trips. Lane departure warning is turned off in my car so this was a non issue. Blind spot detection, meh, was also a non issue. I did drove over the limit a few times because I'm used to the speed assist but it's only because I'm now a bit more lazy when looking for speed limits since I got my car.
7-Version 7 : oh wow, I do miss the big power gauge. This thing is great. The energy app on Pre-AP cars is a bit weird : 2/3 of the area is to get to 0Wh/km and under it... what a waste. It least you get the "rated" line which is now absent from the V7 on AP cars. Overall, I thing it's OK on pre-AP cars. Not sure if the car was equipped with the lower resolution IC screen but it felt snappier than mine.
8-Cabin noise : you hear almost nothing from the drive units. In my 85D, the front motor/inverter makes noise. Car is more silent.
9-Efficiency : car is slightly less efficient than mine. Not sure how much is due to the suspension (not lowering at high speed) or the RWD. Tires & Wheels are the same on both cars...
10-Audio : I have the upgraded audio. While it's not great, the P85 sounds really weak. The front speakers on the upgraded audio are way better and you get a sound stage in the front. The P85's base system sounded like the rear speakers were contributing more than the front ones.
11-Premium interior : the loaner had the premium interior, I don't. I'm glad I did not pay for this. The materials feels better to the touch but visually they are almost identical.
12-Front trunk : wow this thing is huge. I use mine for windshield washer fluid (2x4L), a 14-50 extension, a first aid kit and wheel stoppers, it's pretty much full with that. I also like my new latch. It feels more "modern" than the old ones. It's a lot less clunky when closing mine.
13-Charge port : I forgot to close the charge port 2 times.... This thing looks to be more robust than the new, auto-closing, charge port. Especially the lock : mine makes a stepper motor sound when engaging. This one made a nice clunking sound when locking the handle. sounds magnetic.
So that's it. Now that I've driven a P85, I can confidently say that the 85D's performance is on par with the "old P". Apart for the red calipers, the carbon spoiler and the metal pedals which are all cosmetic things, the 85D is a great deal.
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