Test Drive of Model S - Awesome

[Penfold]

Hi all, so we test drove a 75D today. What an awesome car. I had read loads but not seen one up close and personal. Claudio at Tesla Gatwick was great, I have never had such good service from a salesman before and made the experience an awesome one.

Mainly wanted to try out the difference in interior and test the head room amongst of things and found that with the sunroof it wasn’t good for me so will be opting for one without which is a lot better.

Having never driven an EV before it was a bit eerie to start with but soon became normal and the features on these care are just super cool.

It won’t be long before i’ll be looking to purchase one, just sorting out the finances which are all falling into place nicely.

Pity the mini-Tesla’s aren’t part of the package as my kids would adore one of those but good things come to those that wait so they say and daddies car has to come first in this scenario.

Will continue reading all the great blog entries on here before asking questions but wanted to say hello and just reiterate how impressed I was with the service from Tesla Gatwick.

The dilemma is the colour I go for as am torn between the Midnight Silver, Obsidian Black and the Deep Blue.....

 

[WannabeOwner]

we test drove a 75D today

That's a slippery slope - no way back for most people

 

[MagicMagicD]

Mainly wanted to try out the difference in interior and test the head room amongst of things and found that with the sunroof it wasn’t good for me so will be opting for one without which is a lot better.

When you say one without, you mean one of the older models with the solid roof or just the glass roof that doesn't open?

I'm 6'2" and didn't have an issue with the sun roof on the P100D I test drove. You must be very tall!?

Having never driven an EV before it was a bit eerie to start with but soon became normal and the features on these care are just super cool.

I imagine that it takes a while to get used to it, I know I had to keep checking which gear (direction) the car was going to go in and whether it was even 'on'.

The dilemma is the colour I go for as am torn between the Midnight Silver, Obsidian Black and the Deep Blue.....

Always blue, but then I'm addicted to blue cars - never owned one that isn't!

 

[Penfold]

I’m 6’2” too but kept banging my head against the side. The sales advisor was surprised too and we concluded my body is longer than my legs ;-)

I am talking about the new pano full glass roof, it just moves the side out enough for me to not bang my head which I was so thankful as almost depressed myself thinking I couldn’t have one.

 

[WannabeOwner]

we concluded my body is longer than my legs

Can't imagine that you and/or sales advisor didn't consider this, but just in case not: the seat adjusts up and down, as well as forward/backward.

 

[Penfold]

Can't imagine that you and/or sales advisor didn't consider this, but just in case not: the seat adjusts up and down, as well as forward/backward.

Lol, it is always possible but I definitely put it to the lowest point and tilt and lumber etc. but just want quite low enough with the sunroof outer frame. I had the same problem with a GTR on a track day, now that was squished.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Interesting (to me at least ...) that your dilemma is Colour ... rather than Range, Charging, Autopilot (or not)

 

[Penfold]

Interesting (to me at least ...) that your dilemma is Colour ... rather than Range, Charging, Autopilot (or not)

Because I already know what I need and want on those

 

[MagicMagicD]

Interesting (to me at least ...) that your dilemma is Colour ... rather than Range, Charging, Autopilot (or not)

Since the options for range are so limited (at least when just considering new vehicles), it's likely a simple question of do you have an extra £20k and do you think that it's a fair cost for 89 miles more range?

For me the answer was no, and no. I took the same view with the other options in the end - though at one point I was going to go for a fully loaded spec, in the end cost vs. usefulness took over.

 

[msvoyager]

Hi Penfold!

Welcome to the Tesla fan world. As poster Upgraded mentioned, once test driving a Tesla, there is no going back!
When I was shopping around I tried driving a Tesla for fun, and that was the immediate end of my search
I almost bought an ICE Hybrid car, when the salesman / dealership became so pushy that they spoiled it for me. They were getting upset I was taking my time to decide, and that was the sign for my wife and myself to get up from his desk and walk away. Glad we did!

In hindsight, I might have chosen an 100 over a 75, I am actually considering selling my S and buy an X, as we like to take longer road trips from time to time. A 100 is charged quicker to that magic 80% so you can continue faster and drive further. However, when taking long road trips it is also good, and smart, to take longer breaks to charge your own battery I didnt mind the longer charge breaks for that reason. So its a bit of a toss up.

About the mini Tesla for your kids, once you are an owner, it takes one referral to get one for free. Unless that prize will change in 2018. Talking about which, make sure to use a referral code to get free unlimited supercharging. Let me know if you still need a code.

Let me know if you have any other questions, or would like to hear my experiences. I have my Tesla since Q4 2016.

Greetings from a former overseas neighbor (Netherlands) and now USA Tesla fan.

Best, Mick

 

[Penfold]

Totally relate to that MagicMagicD. For me the 75D has more range than I need for normal use and the enhanced autopilot is a must for me so apart from ensuring I have NO sunroof the rest is a nice to have considering the standard options that now come with them. Unless I had unlimited funds and could go for a P100D I see no need for a 100D and would rather put the extra cost towards keeping the wife happy

 

[Penfold]

Thanks for the welcome Mick, I thought about a hybrid by with my main drives I would never use the electric for the whole 20-40 miles range ;-)

 

[evster]

Hi and welcome Penfold!

Funny that you did the exact same findings like I did regarding the Glass Roof. I also did hit my head in the side of the headliner even with the seat at it's lowest position. The difference with the glass roof compared with Sunroof is really noticeable and gives a lot more head room for taller people. Actually same applies for the back seat! In a Sunroof car taller people have to "wedge" the head towards the center of the car to fit, but with the Glass Roof, there is no problem for the same length person

Color is a very personal choice so not easy to give advice. My first Model S was in Midnight Silver and my current is in Obsidian Black and my I really like the black car so much more. The Midnight silver can be a bit dull if it's not clear sky. Both cars also looks great with the Grey wheels.

Good luck with the decision process and it will be a fantastic car independent of configuration! A base Model S with Autopilot is all you need

 

[Penfold]

Thanks evster, interesting you say about the midnight silver needing clear sky, I sort of experienced that today when the sun went in. My wife loves black and if she gets her way then Obsidian it will be. I see they have reduced the grey wheels now by about £1k which is nice but not sure if I buy inventory if there will be a way to add them but will have a chat if I go down the new inventory route.

 

[msvoyager]

Funny, I feel quite the opposite about he color: I have Midnight Silver and it really sparkles regardless of the weather. However I did have it treaded with Xpel and Opti-coat , which gives it the appearance as if it is waxed permanently.
Black was so super dark, and reminds me of a limo service.

I agree about the roof. I like to extra space when I sat in one, it was not available yet when I ordered my Tesla S75D
About the wheel color, the default silver wheels give it a nice contrast, these are beautiful I would never spend money on changing that.

 

[Penfold]

Funny, I feel quite the opposite about he color: I have Midnight Silver and it really sparkles regardless of the weather. However I did have it treaded with Xpel and Opti-coat , which gives it the appearance as if it is waxed permanently.
Black was so super dark, and reminds me of a limo service.

I agree about the roof. I like to extra space when I sat in one, it was not available yet when I ordered my Tesla S75D
About the wheel color, the default silver wheels give it a nice contrast, these are beautiful I would never spend money on changing that.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the midnight silver. It’s the sort of colour all my cars normally have and both the silver and grey wheels look great too.

So difficult to decide on, will probably come down to what inventory stock is available with the spec I want and the colour that then comes with it unless I go custom and then would have to revisit the showroom to look again

 

[WannabeOwner]

do you have an extra £20k and do you think that it's a fair cost for 89 miles more range

My thinking was more that things have, maybe?, changed in this regard. It seems to be that a while back prospective owners had questions around "range anxiety" and whether the smaller battery model would cope on their longer journeys

Here's my 2p worth:

There's a bit more to the £20K extra than just range, and agree it looks like a lot of money if you divide £20K by 89 miles.

I have only ever needed the extra range on one occasion when I crept home with only a couple of miles to spare, but there have been lots of journeys where I would have had enough juice [with a smaller battery] but there was foul weather, a diversion, heavy traffic that I routed around, or added a stop to my journey. All stuff that I never used to think twice about in an ICE but would have been a problem with EV.

It also gives you faster charging at Superchargers (all models have charged to 70%-ish in the same time-ish). So on a journey where you will need to Supercharge you drive further before supercharging and charge for less time to complete your journey - but of course only worthwhile for folk that do that more than a couple of times a year

In Winter range drops significantly, so a journey towards the max range of the battery in Summer is not viable in Winter without top-up charging

Some additional acceleration too if you need it - apart from a demo to mates I find that sort of acceleration just jettisons anything that isn't nailed down into the boot!

I've also heard folk in Town say they don't need autopilot because their motorway driving is negligible, whereas whilst I find AP dramatically reduces tiredness on long motorway journeys it also makes a big difference in slow / bumper to bumper traffic - not having to keep nudging the accelerator. Also Cruise Control is not traffic-aware without AP.

when taking long road trips it is also good, and smart, to take longer breaks to charge your own battery I didnt mind the longer charge breaks for that reason

Yup, agree with that (although as said AP makes longer journeys significantly less tiring). Also, whilst I appreciate the stop, as the driver, for my passengers it just makes the journey longer, and in the bad old days of ICE! we would just alternate drivers every couple of hours.

 

[MagicMagicD]

I've also heard folk in Town say they don't need autopilot because their motorway driving is negligible, whereas whilst I find AP dramatically reduces tiredness on long motorway journeys it also makes a big difference in slow / bumper to bumper traffic - not having to keep nudging the accelerator. Also Cruise Control is not traffic-aware without AP.

That was something that nearly swayed me to get Autopilot, but £5k is just too steep for my likely use. If they unbundle TACC for a reasonable price, I'd definitely go for it though.

If things continue on Tesla's roadmap to full automation, I expect that Autopilot will become standard anyway, but that's probably some years off yet.

Yup, agree with that (although as said AP makes longer journeys significantly less tiring). Also, whilst I appreciate the stop, as the driver, for my passengers it just makes the journey longer, and in the bad old days of ICE! we would just alternate drivers every couple of hours.

I guess it depends on how many stops you need to make and where the Superchargers are located. I'm personally really looking forward to them opening one at Gloucester services, as I'd happily spend hours there...

 

[CotswoldS3X]

I'm personally really looking forward to them opening one at Gloucester services, as I'd happily spend hours there...

Gloucester services is the best!
Maybe see you at the Supercharger one day...

@Penfold the cars are incredible! You certainly won’t regret buying one. And this forum is a great place to pick up knowledge and valuable info.
The worst part of the order process is the wait until delivery. There’s a guide to tracking your car somewhere and I have my delivery timeline written down if you’re interested.

Also, if you haven’t already, it’s worth jointing the official Tesla Owners Group on Facebook. You have to have placed your order to join, but it’s a great place to vent your excitement and meet/learn from other owners.

I’m sure you already have a referral
code to give yourself free supercharging, and if you don’t there will be multiple folks on here willing to share theirs. Pick the person who you’ve found most helpful and shoot them a DM, it’s a nice reward for their support, and you essentially get free fuel whilst on a trip!

 

[WannabeOwner]

Autopilot, but £5k is just too steep for my likely use

I think it was £1,500 when I bought mine (AP1) ... price has gone up steadily and AP2 seems expensive to me too. When the car can just drive itself from A to B, and I can then use the time for something else, it will definitely be worth money to me ...

Worth keeping some funds ready in lose change though - Tesla might well have a fire-sale on AP2

I guess it depends on how many stops you need to make and where the Superchargers are located

On a road trip, to South of France, I think I would find it a pain. Although that's common in USA and folk over there seem happy with it.

But for an out-and-back day, say 250-350 miles, then battery difference is likely to be 20-30 minutes extra Supercharging time in the 75 compared to 100.