Short review of a 2021 (pre-2021 refresh) Tesla Model X Long Range Plus

[SilverGS]

I got an opportunity to keep a 2021 Tesla Model X Long Range Plus for an overnight test drive in late December last year.

Background

• I am a current owner of a 2016 Tesla Model S 75D - fully loaded with the premium package and all options except the upgraded stereo (more speakers, amp and sub).
• I picked up the car at 6:00 PM on a weekday and had to return it by 2:00 PM the next day. I didn't drive it much the day I got it, just a bit on the highway on the drive home from the local Tesla service center.
• I did however get to drive it for about 350 km/220 miles the next day. I parked the SUV on my driveway as my car was in the garage and I plugged it in to my 32 amp charger (charges at the rate of 40 km/25 miles per hour) and set the max charge to 100% for our trip the next day. It was already charged to about 60% when I got it and at 100% charge it had 601 km/373 miles of indicated range (see first pic below). This was very cool to see as my 2016 Model S 75D now has 395 km/245 miles max indicated range (original max range back in 2016 for a 75D was 417 km/259 miles).
• We left home about at 5:30 AM (ambient temp was 5 C/ 41 F) as we needed to drive about 1.5 hours to get to a point where my older son could ride back home on his bike starting at sunrise. His goal that day was to ride 180 km/112 miles. He's a hard core biking guy (some pics attached below) and would not take the highway back, but mainly secondary roads, hence the distance was more for him compared to the drive there in the SUV.
• The drive to the drop off point was a good mix of highway and secondary roads and we got to experience the SUV fairly well in terms of driving dynamics, comfort, ease of use and practicality (my sons bike was in the car with the 3 of us of course).

Pros - what we liked about the SUV

• Visibility as expected in a big vehicle like this with lots of glass is very good and more than adequate - The windshield that extends all the way back to the back of your head (front row seats) is simply astounding. The "vertical" panoramic view is second to none and is a major selling point of this vehicle. It feels as if you're driving a vehicle that has no windsheild as there is nothing in front of you to block your forward vision. The only thing attached to the windshield is the rear view mirror and the sun visors. We drove the vehicle before sunrise and on the way back home the sun was behind us, so I cannot comment on how it would feel when driving "into" the sun. The sun visors would shield your eyes of course and I know that in my car when the sun is overhead, you don't really feel the effect of direct sunlight as in it's too much unless you're sitting in the car for long periods on a trip. So I would conclude it should be ok in the X as well.
• Very practical
  • the 2nd row seats (we had the 5 seat config - the six-seat configuration has second-row captain's chairs that do not fold) lay down flat and the space in the back is very spacious and easy to stow very large items (88 cubic feet which includes the small frunk space) - from the rear hatch door as well as through the Falcon wing doors. Ingress and egress into the second row is very good as expected with the falcon wing doors.
  • I'm 5 ft. 9.5 inches tall and there was over a foot of space above my head and tons of elbow room in the front. Leg room and overal space in the 2nd row of seats is very good as well.
• Power - not much to add here as this is an expensive EV with the much more power than you need. This version can hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds - that's sports car performance in a massive, very tall vehicle.
• Drivetrain - the buttery smooth power delivery that is instantaneous, relentless and almost telepathic in it's delivery is second to none. The best part is that it always feels so completely effortless as there is no straining/loud engine sound that accompanies forward movement. It's single handedly the best aspect of any Tesla! This sentence never really conveys how a Tesla feels to drive and unless you actually drive one, you won't appreciate this point in full. It's like having a first born, you can only describe it so much, but unless you have a kid for yourself, you can't fully appreciate it.
  
• Comfort - Tesla completely revamped/changed the air suspension in the Model X and S starting in May 2019. It's an active suspension now (as opposed to the "regular" air suspension in my car). This updated suspension system was one of the most significant updates made to the Model S and X back in 2019 - called the "Raven" refresh (among other fairly significant updates such as a new permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motor, and it's both more efficient and more powerful than the induction motor that used to sit at the front of Model S and X. It's rear axle motor from the Model 3 Performance). I left the suspension in default comfort mode (it automatically lowers above a certain speed to increase aerodynamic efficiency and handling) and it was very comfortable and handles very well for it's size considering how most owners would drive it. We're not talking about taking a tall SUV that weighs almost 5500 lbs to the track.
• Real world range keeping in mind that the temp was close to freezing and we didn't try to be efficient - we drove at 125 - 130 kph/75 to 80 mph on the highway, made a lot of stops after we dropped off our son as the sun was rising and we got this insane "burn" in the sky from the sun and clouds to get some pictures (we had intended to catch the sunrise and had our camera equipment with us). We constantly changed the position of the SUV to get different composition angles, had the heat going all the time etc. We started off with 601 km /373 miles and drove it for a total distance of about 350 km/218 miles. When we dropped it off back at the Tesla SC it had an indicated 130 km / 80 miles left. So total range would have likely been a tad under 500 km/ 310 miles. Not bad at all considering how it was driven that morning.
• Interior fit and finish - no review is complete without talking about the infamous quality of fit and finish in a Tesla. This particular SUV was very well put together, there were no miss-aligned panels or loose trim. I didn't take any pictures to prove this, so take my word for it, or not.

Cons - what didn't like so much

• Noise - wind and road noise was very noticeable. I'm comparing this my S which is very quiet - it has very good road and wind noise suppression. This was my biggest pet peeve - it almost felt as if the vehicle didn't have any insulation against road noise. I suspect wind noise was much more noticeable compared to my car because the SUV is fairly tall unlike my car. Having said that however, on a vehicle that costs over $80K, this "con" could be a lot less.
• Vegan interior - Tesla does not use real leather anymore and the seats didn't feel as nice as the leather in my car, however the "vegan leather" didn't feel cheap or down scale. Seats were very comfortable and supportive. The headliner and dash cover are suede/alcantara in my car and on this X it was some other material that didn't feel as upscale as my car. Clearly this is Tesla cost-cutting - which is odd considering how expensive it is. I won't speculate as to what the reasons are for this other than to improve the bottom line to survive. I think Tesla has also received this feedback from the general public and there are rumors it will be addressed in the latest refresh of both the Model S and X.

Overall impression

1. Awesome vehicle - very practical and spacious, comfortable, great range and well put together. It didn't feel as upscale as it should in this price bracket.
2. My wife really loved it for the insanely massive front windshield and the cool Falcon wing doors. I prefer my Model S however.

 

[46&2]

Thanks for the work to write this down. Deserves more likes.

 

[elguapo]

Thanks for the thorough review. Much appreciated!

 

[Zroiron]

I got an opportunity to keep a 2021 Tesla Model X Long Range Plus for an overnight test drive in late December last year.

Background

• I am a current owner of a 2016 Tesla Model S 75D - fully loaded with the premium package and all options except the upgraded stereo (more speakers, amp and sub).
• I picked up the car at 6:00 PM on a weekday and had to return it by 2:00 PM the next day. I didn't drive it much the day I got it, just a bit on the highway on the drive home from the local Tesla service center.
• I did however get to drive it for about 350 km/220 miles the next day. I parked the SUV on my driveway as my car was in the garage and I plugged it in to my 32 amp charger (charges at the rate of 40 km/25 miles per hour) and set the max charge to 100% for our trip the next day. It was already charged to about 60% when I got it and at 100% charge it had 601 km/373 miles of indicated range (see first pic below). This was very cool to see as my 2016 Model S 75D now has 395 km/245 miles max indicated range (original max range back in 2016 for a 75D was 417 km/259 miles).
• We left home about at 5:30 AM (ambient temp was 5 C/ 41 F) as we needed to drive about 1.5 hours to get to a point where my older son could ride back home on his bike starting at sunrise. His goal that day was to ride 180 km/112 miles. He's a hard core biking guy (some pics attached below) and would not take the highway back, but mainly secondary roads, hence the distance was more for him compared to the drive there in the SUV.
• The drive to the drop off point was a good mix of highway and secondary roads and we got to experience the SUV fairly well in terms of driving dynamics, comfort, ease of use and practicality (my sons bike was in the car with the 3 of us of course).

Pros - what we liked about the SUV

• Visibility as expected in a big vehicle like this with lots of glass is very good and more than adequate - The windshield that extends all the way back to the back of your head (front row seats) is simply astounding. The "vertical" panoramic view is second to none and is a major selling point of this vehicle. It feels as if you're driving a vehicle that has no windsheild as there is nothing in front of you to block your forward vision. The only thing attached to the windshield is the rear view mirror and the sun visors. We drove the vehicle before sunrise and on the way back home the sun was behind us, so I cannot comment on how it would feel when driving "into" the sun. The sun visors would shield your eyes of course and I know that in my car when the sun is overhead, you don't really feel the effect of direct sunlight as in it's too much unless you're sitting in the car for long periods on a trip. So I would conclude it should be ok in the X as well.
• Very practical
  • the 2nd row seats (we had the 5 seat config - the six-seat configuration has second-row captain's chairs that do not fold) lay down flat and the space in the back is very spacious and easy to stow very large items (88 cubic feet which includes the small frunk space) - from the rear hatch door as well as through the Falcon wing doors. Ingress and egress into the second row is very good as expected with the falcon wing doors.
  • I'm 5 ft. 9.5 inches tall and there was over a foot of space above my head and tons of elbow room in the front. Leg room and overal space in the 2nd row of seats is very good as well.
• Power - not much to add here as this is an expensive EV with the much more power than you need. This version can hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds - that's sports car performance in a massive, very tall vehicle.
• Drivetrain - the buttery smooth power delivery that is instantaneous, relentless and almost telepathic in it's delivery is second to none. The best part is that it always feels so completely effortless as there is no straining/loud engine sound that accompanies forward movement. It's single handedly the best aspect of any Tesla! This sentence never really conveys how a Tesla feels to drive and unless you actually drive one, you won't appreciate this point in full. It's like having a first born, you can only describe it so much, but unless you have a kid for yourself, you can't fully appreciate it.
  
• Comfort - Tesla completely revamped/changed the air suspension in the Model X and S starting in May 2019. It's an active suspension now (as opposed to the "regular" air suspension in my car). This updated suspension system was one of the most significant updates made to the Model S and X back in 2019 - called the "Raven" refresh (among other fairly significant updates such as a new permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motor, and it's both more efficient and more powerful than the induction motor that used to sit at the front of Model S and X. It's rear axle motor from the Model 3 Performance). I left the suspension in default comfort mode (it automatically lowers above a certain speed to increase aerodynamic efficiency and handling) and it was very comfortable and handles very well for it's size considering how most owners would drive it. We're not talking about taking a tall SUV that weighs almost 5500 lbs to the track.
• Real world range keeping in mind that the temp was close to freezing and we didn't try to be efficient - we drove at 125 - 130 kph/75 to 80 mph on the highway, made a lot of stops after we dropped off our son as the sun was rising and we got this insane "burn" in the sky from the sun and clouds to get some pictures (we had intended to catch the sunrise and had our camera equipment with us). We constantly changed the position of the SUV to get different composition angles, had the heat going all the time etc. We started off with 601 km /373 miles and drove it for a total distance of about 350 km/218 miles. When we dropped it off back at the Tesla SC it had an indicated 130 km / 80 miles left. So total range would have likely been a tad under 500 km/ 310 miles. Not bad at all considering how it was driven that morning.
• Interior fit and finish - no review is complete without talking about the infamous quality of fit and finish in a Tesla. This particular SUV was very well put together, there were no miss-aligned panels or loose trim. I didn't take any pictures to prove this, so take my word for it, or not.

Cons - what didn't like so much

• Noise - wind and road noise was very noticeable. I'm comparing this my S which is very quiet - it has very good road and wind noise suppression. This was my biggest pet peeve - it almost felt as if the vehicle didn't have any insulation against road noise. I suspect wind noise was much more noticeable compared to my car because the SUV is fairly tall unlike my car. Having said that however, on a vehicle that costs over $80K, this "con" could be a lot less.
• Vegan interior - Tesla does not use real leather anymore and the seats didn't feel as nice as the leather in my car, however the "vegan leather" didn't feel cheap or down scale. Seats were very comfortable and supportive. The headliner and dash cover are suede/alcantara in my car and on this X it was some other material that didn't feel as upscale as my car. Clearly this is Tesla cost-cutting - which is odd considering how expensive it is. I won't speculate as to what the reasons are for this other than to improve the bottom line to survive. I think Tesla has also received this feedback from the general public and there are rumors it will be addressed in the latest refresh of both the Model S and X.

Overall impression

1. Awesome vehicle - very practical and spacious, comfortable, great range and well put together. It didn't feel as upscale as it should in this price bracket.
2. My wife really loved it for the insanely massive front windshield and the cool Falcon wing doors. I prefer my Model S however.

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We are waiting on the refreshed model X ordered Dec 10, 2020. Your review of the current model is quite helpful and thank you for that. I am disappointed to know the the noise levels in this model have seen little improvement over previous years. I am optimistic that the refreshed models will have some improvement.

 

[SilverGS]

Thanks for the work to write this down. Deserves more likes.

Thanks for the thorough review. Much appreciated!

We are waiting on the refreshed model X ordered Dec 10, 2020. Your review of the current model is quite helpful and thank you for that. I am disappointed to know the the noise levels in this model have seen little improvement over previous years. I am optimistic that the refreshed models will have some improvement.

Thanks guys!

 

[jboy210]

We are waiting on the refreshed model X ordered Dec 10, 2020. Your review of the current model is quite helpful and thank you for that. I am disappointed to know the the noise levels in this model have seen little improvement over previous years. I am optimistic that the refreshed models will have some improvement.

The mid-2021 model's audio system lists Active Noise Cancelling as the standard feature. If it is like planes or other autos ANC system that will make a significant difference.

 

[SilverGS]

The mid-2021 model's audio system lists Active Noise Cancelling as the standard feature. If it is like planes or other autos ANC system that will make a significant difference.

I can't wait to try that out.

 

[jboy210]

I can't wait to try that out.

Me too. I hate noisy cars.

 

[elguapo]

If it’s like their implementation of blind spot “monitoring”, or “vented” seats, ANC will be “meh”. Tesla doesn’t tend to have the best implementation of features. Except for an electric drivetrain!!

 

[T.R.T.e.s.l.a.]

Nice review, thanks.
It's also good to read range in km rather than miles here in this forum.
601 km of shown range at 100%??
That's awesome, but it kind of confirms my suspicions about U.S/Canada and Europe shown range, that always made me jealous when reading this forum.
The declared range for a X LR + in Europe is 560km...

 

[SilverGS]

If it’s like their implementation of blind spot “monitoring”, or “vented” seats, ANC will be “meh”. Tesla doesn’t tend to have the best implementation of features. Except for an electric drivetrain!!

When did Tesla implement vented seats?

Please clarify also what their implementation of BSM is. You're probably referring to something on a newer Tesla as there's no such thing on my 2016. It still baffles me that on such highly technological cars we don't have BSM...

 

[jboy210]

When did Tesla implement vented seats?

Please clarify also what their implementation of BSM is. You're probably referring to something on a newer Tesla as there's no such thing on my 2016. It still baffles me that on such highly technological cars we don't have BSM...

Early models had leather seats and ventilation. Maybe through 2016 or so those were options. By the time I ordered my X in Feb 2018 they were not available.
My 2018 shows traffic in the blindspot in the driver display, but only if they are close.

The thing that baffles me is why is there not a HUD on all Teslas. It could display speed, abbreviated nav, and blindspot traffic detection right in front of the driver. This is one thing I really miss from my BMW X.

 

[SilverGS]

Early models had leather seats and ventilation. Maybe through 2016 or so those were options. By the time I ordered my X in Feb 2018 they were not available.

The thing that baffles me is why is there not a HUD on all Teslas. It could display speed, abbreviated nav, and blindspot traffic detection right in front of the driver. This is one thing I really miss from my BMW X.

No HUD is because of Elon's "vision" of self driving cars. If the car is driving itself, you don't need HUD. Having said that I don't expect FSD to come anytime soon despite the version that is currently being tested right now by a few people.

 

[elguapo]

BSM should be on mirrors like every other car. To the post above, Tesla calls BSM a red line that appears in dashboard near your car if someone is really close. Tesla uses the ultrasound (or whatever)sensors whereas I believe others use some sort of radar. Whatever it is, Tesla’s BSM implementation is horrendous, which makes one wonder how the car can ever drive itself. I hope the car “sees” better than it shows me.

Ventilated seats were answered above. Everyone complained the implementation was terrible and so it was removed. Refreshed S and Xs have it again. We shall see how it works...

 

[SilverGS]

BSM should be on mirrors like every other car. To the post above, Tesla calls BSM a red line that appears in dashboard near your car if someone is really close. Tesla uses the ultrasound (or whatever)sensors whereas I believe others use some sort of radar. Whatever it is, Tesla’s BSM implementation is horrendous, which makes one wonder how the car can ever drive itself. I hope the car “sees” better than it shows me.

Ventilated seats were answered above. Everyone complained the implementation was terrible and so it was removed. Refreshed S and Xs have it again. We shall see how it works...

Mine has that as well and I never really considered that an implementation of BSM as it's beyond useless.

 

[jboy210]

BSM should be on mirrors like every other car. To the post above, Tesla calls BSM a red line that appears in dashboard near your car if someone is really close. Tesla uses the ultrasound (or whatever)sensors whereas I believe others use some sort of radar. Whatever it is, Tesla’s BSM implementation is horrendous, which makes one wonder how the car can ever drive itself. I hope the car “sees” better than it shows me.

Ventilated seats were answered above. Everyone complained the implementation was terrible and so it was removed. Refreshed S and Xs have it again. We shall see how it works...

Not for me. I hate BSM lights on the mirrors or mirror mounts. I don't need some light flashing in the corner of my eyes each time I pass a car, or another car passes me. I find that very distracting.

 

[elguapo]

Not for me. I hate BSM lights on the mirrors or mirror mounts. I don't need some light flashing in the corner of my eyes each time I pass a car, or another car passes me. I find that very distracting.

I get it. I think Tesla’s implementation is very unique, of course, but also not helpful. It’s really the tech that’s the issue as it can’t/won’t detect my full blind spot. Either way, I have managed fine without it, but it does make me wonder whether FSD tech can actually “see” my blind spot.

 

[jboy210]

I get it. I think Tesla’s implementation is very unique, of course, but also not helpful. It’s really the tech that’s the issue as it can’t/won’t detect my full blind spot. Either way, I have managed fine without it, but it does make me wonder whether FSD tech can actually “see” my blind spot.

Nothing to do with Tesla's implementation. Everything to do with having warning lights illuminating at the corners of your eye and distracting you. It's a poor design.

 

[elguapo]

Nothing to do with Tesla's implementation. Everything to do with having warning lights illuminating at the corners of your eye and distracting you. It's a poor design.

I hear you, but every manufacturer I know of uses that design and uses radar to detect blind spots. My issue is not as much with the light on or off dash as much as it is the poor sensitivity.

Is there a manufacturer that has implemented BSM that you do like?

 

[Monark1954]

I have ventilated seats on my 2016 X. I use it a lot and I still like it.

On my (pre-2021 refresh) it wasn’t available buy and I miss it on my model 3 during summer.
I like that the 2021 refresh will have ventilated seats.

Range on my (pre-2021 refresh) performance.
Calculated battery capacity 103 kWh according to ABRP.
If I use the same consumption as my 2016, I have now with wet or snow on roads 340 km range on a road with 110 km/h on many parts.
Most of my trips I have had a trailer and it´s a great advantage with roughly 30% more battery capacity after degradation than my 2016. (9% degradation on 87 kWh).