Wasn't sure which forum was right for this, but anyhow. . .
My Roadster is in for annual service, and it may take a while with several minor issues being addressed. Thus, I have a Model S on loan for the weekend, and perhaps a day or two longer. Despite my many years of Tesla fanboy-ism, I'd never actually driven a Model S before. This has been a fun weekend, and educational for me.
The car I got is a red P85. It's beautiful inside and out. (People griping about the interior boggle me.) It's smooth. It's quiet. It's comfortable. It's convenient. It has enormous cargo space, front and rear.
The huge touch screen is brilliant. It seemed alien and intimidating at first, but after about five minutes of poking around I'd mastered it -- without any instructions. By comparison, my Jeep Grand Cherokee still sometimes befuddles me after owning it for a year.
This is a large car. It's not as big as grandpa's old 1972 Lincoln Continental (aptly named!), but by today's standards it's very much a full-sized car. Squeezing it into the garage space normally inhabited by my Roadster proved not to be a viable option. I ended up stringing the charge cable under the garage door and simply backing the S up to it.
The ride height, smoothness and quietness of this car deny any sense of speed. If I don't keep an eye on the speed-o-meter, I can be doing 100 MPH in a few seconds and not even realize it. This is very contrary to the Roadster experience. And although the S is responsive enough, it never feels as nimble as the Roadster. Because it's not. It's a muscle car, not a sports car.
And what muscle! This car has a serious traction problem. The motor just keeps writing checks that the rear tires can't cash! I find it common -- and a bit disconcerting -- to pull onto the highway, or pull away from a light, and feel the car lurch as the traction control catches it. Switching off the traction control results in a wild ride. With the Roadster I find that losing traction just doesn't happen by accident, at least not on good, clean pavement. It stays glued.
Which car is "better"? I could come up with a long list of ways that the Model S is a better car than the Roadster. It really is as amazing as so many people have told me. But. . . They are very different categories of vehicles, suited for different purposes, and the Model S is not a better Roadster than the Roadster. So. . . I'm quite enjoying my few days with this beauty, but I'll be pleased to get my own precious little Roadster back.
My Roadster is in for annual service, and it may take a while with several minor issues being addressed. Thus, I have a Model S on loan for the weekend, and perhaps a day or two longer. Despite my many years of Tesla fanboy-ism, I'd never actually driven a Model S before. This has been a fun weekend, and educational for me.
The car I got is a red P85. It's beautiful inside and out. (People griping about the interior boggle me.) It's smooth. It's quiet. It's comfortable. It's convenient. It has enormous cargo space, front and rear.
The huge touch screen is brilliant. It seemed alien and intimidating at first, but after about five minutes of poking around I'd mastered it -- without any instructions. By comparison, my Jeep Grand Cherokee still sometimes befuddles me after owning it for a year.
This is a large car. It's not as big as grandpa's old 1972 Lincoln Continental (aptly named!), but by today's standards it's very much a full-sized car. Squeezing it into the garage space normally inhabited by my Roadster proved not to be a viable option. I ended up stringing the charge cable under the garage door and simply backing the S up to it.
The ride height, smoothness and quietness of this car deny any sense of speed. If I don't keep an eye on the speed-o-meter, I can be doing 100 MPH in a few seconds and not even realize it. This is very contrary to the Roadster experience. And although the S is responsive enough, it never feels as nimble as the Roadster. Because it's not. It's a muscle car, not a sports car.
And what muscle! This car has a serious traction problem. The motor just keeps writing checks that the rear tires can't cash! I find it common -- and a bit disconcerting -- to pull onto the highway, or pull away from a light, and feel the car lurch as the traction control catches it. Switching off the traction control results in a wild ride. With the Roadster I find that losing traction just doesn't happen by accident, at least not on good, clean pavement. It stays glued.
Which car is "better"? I could come up with a long list of ways that the Model S is a better car than the Roadster. It really is as amazing as so many people have told me. But. . . They are very different categories of vehicles, suited for different purposes, and the Model S is not a better Roadster than the Roadster. So. . . I'm quite enjoying my few days with this beauty, but I'll be pleased to get my own precious little Roadster back.