Tesla with Interior Upgrade vs. ICE luxury cars

[aus]

a significant interior upgrade would be reason enough for me to ditch my M3 reservation for a Model S. The interior of the Model S is significantly lacking when compared to flagship cars from BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Audi.

I totally agree and anyone who doesn't notice the difference, consider yourself lucky you can't tell the difference in materials used in the Telsa vs. the Germans or Volvo.
If I could get unlimited supercharging with the M3, I'm getting rid of the S since I don't need to extra room of the S, and the interior of the 3 is WAY more functional. Though, I will miss the dash of the S, but I can live with that. Tesla will then lose a premium sale to it's own vehicle.
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[GSP]

I love the minimalist design of my 2015 S, and its very useful open center console with "yacht floor."

I hope Tesla sticks with their design ethos, but improves gaps, fits, and cup holder placement. I also would like door pockets, seat back pockets, and storage inside the center console. Since Tesla appears to have done exactly this with the Model 3 interior, I am very optimistic about future S and X redesigns, and Tesla's future in general.

GSP

 

[Aieukl378]

i'd love to see an interior on par with the Germans (or the Swedes-Chinese). Right now the S's biggest competition though is from the 3 though. I don't think a pure interior refresh will cause a sales bump. At this point a refresh like that doesn't make sense either. the S is a 5 year old design, its nearing the end of its lifespan.


You really don't. This is one of the most overblown features of Tesla. In the last 3 years I've gotten one update that was truly useful (backup cam lines) and one that was a step backwards.

I'm assuming you don't have AP and you may have forgotten some of the cool upgrades e.g. new media player, new equalizer, fun easter eggs etc.

 

[Aieukl378]

I cannot buy a Model S or X in its current form knowing that Model 3 has implemented such a radical new interior paradigm. Whether or not others feel the same is rather immaterial. I, personally, would not be buying a S/X right now because I'll be very sorry in the next 6-12 months when the re-design is launched.

Tesla owners("real" Tesla owners that I've talked to at events, SCs etc.) are always happy/ecstatic with their car. Even owners with "older" with no AP etc. love their car and don't even plan on upgrading. I received my car a few months before the HW2 upgrade so I suppose you could call my car "out of date". Thing is, it's still 50 years ahead of anything on the road and if it's still on the road in 50 years it will still be an awesome car! Point being, you can wait endlessly for the next "Tesla refresh" and guess what...it will change again a few months after your purchase. One last thing to consider is that upgrades/refreshes come with a price. The current S/X are ridiculous deals and even base models include killer features(e.g. air suspension)...I doubt this will be the case later on.

 

[diplomat33]

I am not against Tesla sprucing up the interior to make it more luxurious but don't get rid of the central touch screen. To me, that is a Tesla hallmark that makes it unique and should never go away.

 

[Spidy]

I'm going to go out on a limb wonder if older drivers(maybe 60+) want an older "luxury interior"(think softer, padded, stitchy, woody, decorative) vs younger drivers who may prefer the futuristic minimal look(this would be an interesting poll btw). Anyhow, since the interior seems to be of great importance to many(based on message boards anyway) I'd assume some type of interior option to cater to those folks is probably on the way.

I don't think it is that simple. Definitely also younger people who appreciate those luxury interiors.

 

[AirKuhl]

Minimalist is fine but that's not the problem, quality is. Quality means craftsmanship, materials and details. I love my car but at $150K MSRP I wish it had better materials, even gaps, quality stitching, less rattles and a few basic minor details found on $25K cars like intermittent wipers and processing my text messages. My cheap 2013 beater pickup truck has those.

We'll make excuses because we like Teslas for our own reasons. But normal people cross shopping other cars expect Teslas to be good, full stop, not just good "for an electric car".

 

[gowthamn]

Minimalist is fine but that's not the problem, quality is. Quality means craftsmanship, materials and details. I love my car but at $150K MSRP I wish it had better materials, even gaps, quality stitching, less rattles and a few basic minor details found on $25K cars like intermittent wipers and processing my text messages. My cheap 2013 beater pickup truck has those.

We'll make excuses because we like Teslas for our own reasons. But normal people cross shopping other cars expect Teslas to be good, full stop, not just good "for an electric car".

I think its because of battery cost. EVs are still more expensive then ICE cars. So, tesla has to cut costs somewhere. Building porshe interiors can be expensive.

 

[Nick B]

The interior could be better but it's not a deal breaker for me. The only thing I sometimes find annoying is the wind noise at higher speeds (on the highway). My 2008 Lexus was quieter than my 2014 P85.

 

[Maximilien]

I am not against Tesla sprucing up the interior to make it more luxurious but don't get rid of the central touch screen. To me, that is a Tesla hallmark that makes it unique and should never go away.

This.

Right now I am out of state, so before I came here, I used Uber and rode in Inifiniti QX80, Lexus GX.

Maybe I am too used to the 17 inch screen. The screen of the cars was small that it was weird.

Every time I give rides, people get attracted to the big screen.

 

[interleaf2]

I personally have no problem with the current interior for its simplicity in Model S & X.

Quite a big portion of buyers who don't like Teslas seem to pinpoint that the lack of interior design is the dealbreaker.

But let's say Tesla comes up with the new interior design that rivals the big German 3 companies.

Will that cause another growth spurt (like they had in 2015 sales when it had 51% increase and every company had minus growth) for Tesla and kill the ICE segments? Or is Tesla just saturated with current owners?

I find this interesting competition.

 

[wbhokie]

I have to agree as well. I love the Ultra White seats. I don't necessarily need the ventilated seating, since the car stays plenty cool on its own in the summer, but I did use this feature on occasion in my old Grand Cherokee. When I have provided feedback to Tesla, they have responded with either excitement or indifference.

For instance, a simple addition for playlist files on a USB library would be a huge improvement, and simple to implement, given that they can play mp3/flac. But they still haven't added it. They said "That's a great idea, we'll bring it up to X/Y/Z" ... this is an easy thing to do programming wise. What a nice little bonus to throw in a monthly update. Voice control over USB media would be nice too, but not as necessary if I can make playlists. There are still no apps either... things like CarPlay would be a nice feature. Or take it another step and add a Wayz app. (Tesla's GPS is OK but comes up with some really weird choices when there is traffic)

Blind Spot Monitor / Warning. The ones in the Tesla are so poor that they are virtually non-existent. I send them feedback requesting that there be a setting (which can be enabled/disabled) that would check when the blinker is turned on and if an object exists in your blind spot (using sensors) to chime an audible alert. I love how Infiniti's do this. The feedback response on this (and for all-around cameras views) was positive, though they stated that it likely wouldn't happen since i wouldn't need it when the car drives itself. It's great if they plan for tomorrow, but they should not skimp for today (and several years to come) because of that. Backup Cross-Traffic warning would be nice too.

General interior : Yes, seats could use some better stitching, but I love the "pleather" material. The cheap black plastic of the center console needs to be upgraded. That center console between the front seats and under the screen is pretty much equivalent to what you would see in a Civic. Spruce that up. The iPhone "dock" is useless if you have any kind of phone case.

The lack of simple things like pockets behind the seats and hooks/handles above the doors is another easy thing. Maybe they assume Tesla drivers hire people to pick up their dry cleaning. I have needed to hang up a suit coat before and have no where to put it. I had to buy aftermarket hooks for my wife's X because of this.

HUD - Another thing i would like to see. In a 100k sedan/SUV, this should be an option. But this would be another thing I don't expect to ever see, especially after the driver console removal in the 3, due to future autonomous capabilities.

 

[Mark77a]

Simplicity / clean design is actually much harder to achieve. It is so MUCH easier to just 'add stuff'. Ask any designer/engineer.

Just because a car has a stately home's worth of stuffed sofas, wood and leather does NOT mean it is more luxurious

 

[asus389]

Ehh German interior quality isn't that great either. Audi is probably the best "look and feel" wise but their stuff gets dated fast. Current MB cars interiors kind of look like a 1970s night club in some cases. BMW interiors have always been spartan. I had to have the side bolsters on my BMW sport seats replaced basically every 2 years and the seats weren't that comfortable. I agree they could improve the "thunk" factor on the interior trim, however. If they were to chase interior quality I'd go after Lexus.

 

[crhanna]

I think the interiors are GORGEOUS and stand out for their distinctive styling, fit, and finish. Sure, we can all complain about cupholders (to be available both front and back in the 3, so there's that) but having sat in plenty of BMWs and Mercedes interiors, I find them either a bit plastic or a bit fussy and busy. Aesthetic styling is a matter of taste, opinion, and choice.

 

[interleaf2]

I recently sold my 2013 Model S P85 which I was totally in love with. Reason - I am moving from USA to UK. Now, having an extra person to accommodate I started looking at 7 seat vehicles. I was shocked at how much better the build quality is on the Volvo XC90 than the Model X. The interior design is outstanding and it has the Tesla beaten by miles on seat comfort and quality of the leather, wood, metal and plastic. The Audi Q7 is not bad, but not as good as the Volvo. I think when Volvo and the Germans (and Jaguar) start offering decent fully electric luxury cars with this level of quality interior then the Model S and Model X will both need some serious interior upgrades to compete effectively. This could be as early as 2018.

I also noticed some horrendous panel mis-alignment and gaps on several new Teslas, very discouraging on cars at this price point and not something I saw in my 2013 Model S. Quality control at Fremont is not up to par. The Tesla still has a better user interface (although the Volvo's touch screen is not too far behind) and you can never replace the driving feel of an electric with a diesel engine (as most Volvo XC90s have in the UK). Tesla service is also top-notch if you can stand the wait.

But here's the killer - in the UK I can buy a Volvo XC90 with all upgrades, plus a highly upgraded BMW i3, for less money than a decent Model X. I will be using the i3 for almost all urban driving, so I am helping the planet more than a Tesla owner. The i3 is significantly more energy efficient (thanks to low weight). For long distances and with more than 4 people the Volvo can do about 40 mpg and has a range of 625 miles. Long distance comfort is much better than Tesla and I have done the 0-60 in 4.5 seconds enough times in the last 4 years that I no longer miss it. The i3 actually feels just as much fun to drive as the Model S P85, as at urban and suburban speeds and on narrow twisty roads the low weight, instant torque and great handling make it a winner. And both the Tesla S and X are a total pain to park in narrow UK spaces. The Volvo is just as bad, but the BMW is delightfully easy to park.

I am therefore no longer a Tesla owner, I am sorry to say. One of the first to buy and probably one of the first to leave. If Tesla wants me back, they are going to have to either raise build and material quality or cut prices. I currently expect to replace the XC90 in 2022, so we'll see how Tesla are doing at that point.

Still a Tesla fan, but not at any price.

 

[Maximilien]

View attachment 241957
Simplicity / clean design is actually much harder to achieve. It is so MUCH easier to just 'add stuff'. Ask any designer/engineer.

Just because a car has a stately home's worth of stuffed sofas, wood and leather does NOT mean it is more luxurious

I agree! I like the austere interior design of the Tesla.

I guess I am not alone.

 

[Xcelerator]

I'm about 9 months and 12,000 miles into MX 90D. I love it. It is not perfect.

The material quality seem solid to me - I think this is a highly subjective areas as to what luxury means. I have wood grain paneling, heated and cooled seats, hi fidelity sound, etc. that are luxurious. I would like to see some options be available and some improvements made - especially on the signature cars S, X where there is more profit margin to accomplish this.

One with a bullet - increased sound dampening from the road noise - I think this could be done by lining the wheel wells with something. At 60 plus mph, if the road is smooth asphalt it is whisper quiet. If it is concrete or god forbid an aggregate surface the noise level is unacceptably loud for a 6 figure car.

Two, improved sound dampening and wind seals on the sides of the car. If a big rig or a truck with big tires is beside you, the volume level of their noise is unacceptable in a luxury car.

Three, offer a softer suspension, preferably one that could be selected: Sport, normal and soft. This exists to a degree now, but, all suspensions start at very firm and go up from there. Many times I adore the stiff suspension and control that gives me that is race car tight. Other times I am driving on straight roads with pot holes, train tacks and a cup of coffee and would prefer a much smoother ride.

To me, these areas are objective hallmarks of luxury - especially the first two. Doing a better job on them will result in more customer satisfaction in the long run.

 

[robertwolfe]

I think the design of the interior is perfectly fine - it fits their ethos and their general style and I don't think they need to make it more "complex" to be competitive. I don't think they need to add buttons or dials to the interior, if someone prefers an interior that's more busy then I don't think this is the car for them and that's okay. I think this style of interior appeals very well to their target demographic, namely people interested in technology and pressing electric vehicles forward.

I think quality and general features needs to improve though. I'm missing the Alcantara on the dash now. I want vented seats that actually work. I want seats that are as comfortable as my BMW or Mercedes. I want a HUD. I want a media player that doesn't fight me every time I get in. They're a new car company so I give them passes on most of these things, but that won't be the case forever and I think they'll need to catch up on some of these things to progress forward.

I Agree in part and dissent in part. The interior of my late 2016 Model S is very nice. Moving from my Mercedes was no sacrifice at all. I am prepared to admit that the S is more fun than I expected as new developments are added periodically as if a birthday present was received long after the day is over. Sure, there are things I might like to have. But I don't miss anything that is not there or on the way.

 

[pdq]

I'm with ReturnZero. After driving S class Mercedes for 20 years and paying $120,500 for my Model S with the Performance seats and upgraded Alcanthra interior, it is still very lacking in what you'd get from a similarly priced MB or BMW.

And, I understand that they cancelled the gray leather interior.

And, they still don't have coat hooks.