Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Should I buy this Model X 90D?

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Dear Tesla friends,

I am about to purchase a second hand Model X, which I tried yesterday and absolutely loved it.

The only worry is that we will do a 500 Miles (800 KM) drive every 4-6 weeks (high way, Europe, superchargers), and I am worried it will take ages due to the (many?) recharges I'll need to do. We usually have around 2-3 stops of 15 minutes with our current gasoline car today (filling up, stretching the legs, resting, ....).

What is your realistic view? Will it be a "pain", having to wait hours to charge along the trip?
  • MODEL X 90D from 2017
  • FULL SELF DRIVING - MCU 2 - ICE WEATHER PACK - CCS - TOW PACKAGE - Ventilated seats - 6 seats
  • RETROFIT CCS (Compatibility with new Superchargers)
  • MCU 2 (upgraded)
  • Freezing Weather Pack

Thank you
 
If you're already stopping 2 to 3 times for a 500 mile trip a Tesla won't be much more. Certainly not hours.

You should experiment with ABRP and see what kind of drive times it gives you for your typical routes.


Be sure to go into the settings and select the car you are interested in purchasing.
 
If you already take 2-3 safety breaks during your 500 mile drive, first of all — well done! That’s a good, safe way to road trip.

But secondly, you won’t notice much difference — if any — time wise that way. That 15 minute break should net you around 100-125 miles of range or so.

It’s possible on the very coldest, most miserable of days, you’d want a 4th stop, or to extend one of the stops by 10 minutes.

But given the way you’re road tripping today, this sounds ideal for you.

My opinion — go for it! That’s a very nice 90D with all the right updates.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Michachael
If you already take 2-3 safety breaks during your 500 mile drive, first of all — well done! That’s a good, safe way to road trip.

But secondly, you won’t notice much difference — if any — time wise that way. That 15 minute break should net you around 100-125 miles of range or so.

It’s possible on the very coldest, most miserable of days, you’d want a 4th stop, or to extend one of the stops by 10 minutes.

But given the way you’re road tripping today, this sounds ideal for you.

My opinion — go for it! That’s a very nice 90D with all the right updates.
thank you :)
 
If you're already stopping 2 to 3 times for a 500 mile trip a Tesla won't be much more. Certainly not hours.

You should experiment with ABRP and see what kind of drive times it gives you for your typical routes.


Be sure to go into the settings and select the car you are interested in purchasing.
This is the best reply. You will need to check the locations of the chargers, and how they are situated for your drive.

I have a 90D, and love it, like seriously love it. Though I typically don't drive that far in one go, I don't spend too long at a charger unless I know I need a good charge because my destination doesn't have a charger. Took a 200+ mile drive this past weekend, and stopped to grab food, and bathrooms, and car was ready to go before I even got my food. Granted I have a wall charger at home, so I don't mind rolling in at <10%.

Climate and elevation change does factor in, so ABRP is awesome for that. I have used it for as long as I have had my car. I bought a used 2017 in 2020 right at the start of COVID for us in the US, and it is by far the best car I have ever owned. The biggest thing I did was upgrade the MCU.

I also have adaptors for a variety of chargers that I rarely use, incase I am somewhere strange and have the need. I really have only needed my Chadmo adaptor once, and that is because I was staying at a house with only a 110v outlet, and I needed to drive somewhere the day after arriving. There was a Chadmo charger a mile down the street.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dmurphy
As someone with experience at autobahn speeds and the resulting decrease in efficiency, I agree that you should make sure there are SCs (Super Chargers) along the route you will be using. I believe that Switzerland limits autobahn speeds to 130 kph but that is still fast enough to hurt efficiency. How will you be able to refuel at the destination for the return trip? Also it matters whether you are heading north towards Berlin or south through the Alps towards Rome. Southeast might be the worst in terms of the number of mountains. Mountain driving is great in EVs, same speed up and down, well controlled but they use a LOT of power going up. The good news is that once at the top, you basically recharge all the way down the other side. As far as charging, your usual number of stops is likely correct for the X, but probably in different locations. Charging will take 15 or 20 minutes usually. The Navigation system does a fine job at telling you how much charging is required to get you to the next stop. I try to arrive with at least 15% to handle any slowdowns or road issues.
 
My 2 cents based on my experience with my 2016 P90D X:
Charging the X *at Superchargers* compared to gas cars : You won't mind it at all. Just stop, plug in, and always works. Not buying gas is such a huge benefit, that the delay of charging is fine.
Charging the X at other types of stations : You might hate it. Will be too expensive, some charging stations will be broken, charging will stop for no reason, etc.
Charging the X at Superchargers compared to Model 3 or Y long range : The older X charges slower, so it's annoying if you have experienced the newer Teslas to compare it. The 3/Y charges REALLY fast (like 150-200kw), but the main issue is that 3/Y are MUCH more efficient, like 40% more efficient than the X. So you have to dump way more power into the 90kwh X battery compared to the 75kwh 3/Y battery. The extra cost is fine, but the wait time is not ideal.

In the end: The X is the best Tesla, if you can easily charge at home. If you are on road trips and supercharging quite often, then the Y is better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: posity