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Right in the same boat as you here. By far the most expensive car I have ever bought, but once I decided to buy a car with a base price at $66k, might as well do the $10k in non-essential/cosmetic/comfort options if you can afford it.

For me it ended up being next gen seats, pano, premium upgrade, AP, and paint color. If I had a do over I would probably do the exact same thing the next time. Next gen and pano still seem almost like necessities to me though I am sure I would have been fine in the base seats. I have never seen a Tesla with the base seats, so I don't really know. I almost never use AP, so I certainly could have done without especially since it is an add-in later option. Still it feels like if you are going to get a Tesla you might as well get AP. Premium upgrade is basically paying 3K for a power lift gate. So I get people who don't go for it.I also got it for the charging dock, but since no phone actually fits in the charging doc if it has a case on it that part of the option is pretty worthless. Paying a $1k for a paint color also may seem not worth it, but honestly I am going to look at it every day for a long time so might as well make it blue if that is what I like.

I'm in the same boat as well. Literally my exact thoughts.
 
Thanks so much for the thread .. I am in the same boat .. my current car is a Honda Accord EX-L V6 and with the tax break and company incentives .. I thought now would be the right time to pull the trigger. So I scaled things down a bunch ... Just AP 2.0 and that is it as far as options go. I am in my 7 day change window ... so thinking hard about leather seats or glass roof. I sat in the back on the test drive but that car had PANO .. just wondering is the clearance really low on a steel roof? Also - are the two tone seats hard to clean? Has anyone spilled something :)
 
Thanks so much for the thread .. I am in the same boat .. my current car is a Honda Accord EX-L V6 and with the tax break and company incentives .. I thought now would be the right time to pull the trigger. So I scaled things down a bunch ... Just AP 2.0 and that is it as far as options go. I am in my 7 day change window ... so thinking hard about leather seats or glass roof. I sat in the back on the test drive but that car had PANO .. just wondering is the clearance really low on a steel roof? Also - are the two tone seats hard to clean? Has anyone spilled something :)

None of my friends had a problem with my body color roof. Of course I never sat back there. :D

People on this forum who bought textile seats have not regretted it for the most part.
 
Thanks so much for the thread .. I am in the same boat .. my current car is a Honda Accord EX-L V6 and with the tax break and company incentives .. I thought now would be the right time to pull the trigger. So I scaled things down a bunch ... Just AP 2.0 and that is it as far as options go. I am in my 7 day change window ... so thinking hard about leather seats or glass roof. I sat in the back on the test drive but that car had PANO .. just wondering is the clearance really low on a steel roof? Also - are the two tone seats hard to clean? Has anyone spilled something :)

If you are going to scale back, AP 2.0 has all of the hardware already installed for no additional charge and can be unlocked later for a price. The other items you mentioned are all things you can't add later.

Like a previous poster mentioned the folks on here that got the textile seats always seem to be very happy with them. I have still never seen them in person. For the body color roof, I actually think the Charlotte SvC might have one or two they can show you. I saw one there, but it might have been one that someone built and then didn't take delivery on so maybe they don't have any in their normal inventory. It is still worth asking.
 
I contacted my DS and he confirmed that there was no change to the
Oh no-now they added the cooling ventilated seats without the need to purchase Performance Package-reasonable for $3000 ? I said no with just the other stuff (electric rear lift, bioweapon and some lighting)...but now ?

I received a reply from my DS and apparently there has been no change to the ventilated seats. This is still a feature that will only be added if you have ordered Premium Package on a 90D or better (60/75 will not get ventilated seating). I'm bummed but still crossing my fingers that they will add it to the entire Model S line Premium Package as a Christmas gift to my build. :)
 
DS said they would EVENTUALLY trickle down to 60/75's in his opinion but not for a year or so-jedinite, no gift for you ! I had bad info on them being available to us "reasonable" people so apologies for that. I did have a talk with someone who had both next gen and premium ventilated and said the ventilated were "no big deal"...so there's that
 
If you are going to scale back, AP 2.0 has all of the hardware already installed for no additional charge and can be unlocked later for a price. The other items you mentioned are all things you can't add later.

Like a previous poster mentioned the folks on here that got the textile seats always seem to be very happy with them. I have still never seen them in person. For the body color roof, I actually think the Charlotte SvC might have one or two they can show you. I saw one there, but it might have been one that someone built and then didn't take delivery on so maybe they don't have any in their normal inventory. It is still worth asking.

Thanks for the info. Ultimately decided to add the glass roof (better head clearance) and the premium package - as I thought it would be better for resale. It is debatable but my thought is most folks buying a luxury car will want some traditional luxury features - also liked the idea of cruising in the Spring down to the beach and breathing easily all along the way :) So it looks like now my timeline is December to Early Jan (changed from Late Dec - Early Jan) for delivery - so now the waiting begins and I my refresh key gets worn out.
 
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After you read this you may not think so, but I've put a lot of thought into this very topic and got advice from an insider who has driven all of the various iterations of the Model S (and X) daily for 5 years or so and has gone over every conceivable combination of features innumerable times when configuring a car in the design studio. I'm currently driving a 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero SportCombi (that's a station wagon to you and me) with almost 200K miles on it and I still love it. I've enjoyed living car payment free for the last 6 years. However, as soon as Tesla started producing the Model S (and GM killed Saab), I decided that when it was time to give the Saab a rest I was going to go electric.

So, I am not independently wealthy, but am committed to live as sustainability as I can within my means. I subscribe to the theory of not wanting to carry a lot of debt and accrue interest paying for a lot of bells and whistles on a depreciating asset. Wanting to take advantage of the pre-price hike base price, referral discounts and what could be an uncertain future availability of the MS 60 once Model 3 is in production, I decided to pull the trigger on the most "reasonably" affordable MS I could live with for the next ten years.

My choices and dilemmas:

Battery and drives: 60kWH / RWD. I don't need transcontinental range (I'm keeping the Saab) nor neck snapping speed. I drove both RWD and AWD versions of a late model S (75kWH) and I couldn't justify the extra $5K. I noticed a very slight front wheel hop when accelerating over an asphalt bump in the RWD as opposed to AWD. Maybe a slightly firmer handling around corners at high speed. Not enough difference there to me to justify the extra motor. I'm not going to ever live in the frozen North again and besides all those dudes near the Arctic circle have been happily and safely driving RWD MS for years. I've never had a car with AWD and managed to never get stuck or have an accident through 30+ years of Midwestern winters. I'll accrue the $5K toward a software upgrade to 75kWH later (or not).

Upcharge cost: $0

Exterior finish: Solid black or premium paint? I went with a premium color (Midnight Silver Metallic) because my Saab is Jet Black Metallic and I just needed a color change after 10 years. I looked at the solid black side by side to other colors in the lot and I was completely fine with it. Potential cost reduction opportunity $1K if not for the visual fatigue syndrome.

Upcharge cost: $1k

Roof: I was little ticked when they raised the price of the Pano roof $500. I'm not Herman Munster tall, but the extra headroom was essential for me; plus I live in a warm climate and my Saab has a moonroof that I use all the time. YMMV depending on your torso length.

Upcharge cost: $2k

Interior finishes: Here is where I was ready to go economy, but my insider steered me in a different direction.
Trim level: Gloss finishes are a killer and even some of the short time ownership cars are starting to show some wear and tear. The standard dark ash wood looks okay now, but I'm not the anal retentive fisherman type to carry around a detailing kit tackle box all the time to keep up with it. It came down to Matte Obeche Wood or Carbon Fibre for me. One brings a little more of a natural look and the other looks more techno and sporty. Obeche for the win and $250 "saved". It was a toss up for me as I was happy to go with the standard trim.

Upcharge cost: $750k

Audio: It took some convincing because the Harmon Kardon system in my Saab is less than an audiophile listening environment. The standard audio in the MS blows it away coupled with the fact that the ambient cabin noise is significantly less than the jet engine dB in the Saab ("born from jets", they aren't kidding). This was probably a lost opportunity for me to save some money, but I like XMU and have a high resolution portable audio player, so I splurged a little.

Upcharge cost: $2.5k

Seats: After spending many hours in both, my insider appealed to my inner chiropractor and declared the NextGen, a "must". I went with black and then discovered that in combination with my next choice, they would also be "ventilated". (EDIT: I keep hearing conflicting information about this on "non-P" models)

Upcharge cost: $2.5k

Premium upgrades pkg.: This has changed names and features many times, but for the interior finishes, essentially adds only convenience items. I bought it because I wanted OEM fog lights for our frequently inclement weather and notoriously poor condition of the roadways. The power liftgate to help wrangle my hounds in and out of the trunk was a consideration, but not essential. The bioweapons mode will be useful because there is a lot of air pollution here. With the improvements made to the current generation exterior lights, this was one where I waffled quite a bit. I think someone with a slightly more frugal perspective could pass this up and still lead a satisfying and fulfilling life.

Upcharge cost: $3k (ouch)

Driving and handling features: I like to drive. I grew up in the Detroit area and car culture is ingrained in me. I have never owned a car with an automatic transmission in my whole life (thus far). Before the Saab, I drove an Alfa Romeo. I like being in control of the horsepower and maneuvering of my vehicle.
Enhanced Auto-pilot: Still I am fascinated by the AP 2.0. All-in, but no "Johnny Cab" upgrade for me (yet).

Upcharge cost: $5k

Smart air suspension: The roads where I live look like they were carpet bombed and then and the tectonic plates dramatically shifted directly underneath. The driveway to my Townhouse must have at least a 20 degree pitch to it. My insider drove a coil and an SAS MS up and down said driveway and while "doable" the coil MS took considerably more maneuvering and time to negotiate without damage. There are many other driveways into store parking lots and especially my veterinarian that are even worse. If it were only for the ride handling, I'd opt for coils and save the money. For me its a matter of surviving and the damn thing remembers where the problems are even if I forget.

Upcharge cost: $2.5k

So there's my sad little story. My "cheap" MS weighed in at right about $85k before delivery and all the incidental nickel and diming.
 
After you read this you may not think so, but I've put a lot of thought into this very topic

So there's my sad little story. My "cheap" MS weighed in at right about $85k before delivery and all the incidental nickel and diming.

I was reading this and basically nodding my head most of the time. I had a very similar thought process on many of these.

RWD 60 - Check
Upgraded exterior color - Check
Pano Roof - Check
Matte Obeche - Check
Audio - Differed here. I am not an audiophile and this didn't matter enough to me to spend the money. Base audio sounds good to me.
Next Gen Seats - Check
Premium Package - Check
AP - Check...though I only have AP1
Air Suspensions - Didn't get it, but I definitely see where it adds value and some peoples situations would require it. I have scrapped the bottom of my S on my drive way a couple times. I did the 24 hour test drive with a car with the air suspension just to make sure I didn't need it.

I came to basically the same findings, but minus the audio and suspension upgrades. That coupled with pano and AP being cheaper when I ordered in the summer put me at a little under $77,500 including the destination and doc fee. Minus the tax incentive puts me at $70k which was my comfort range in spending on the car. State tax did add a couple grand more to the actual cost to me. My last car cost me $16k and I bought it used 10 years ago...so I am probably not a typical poster here when it comes to just not really being a car person.
 
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After lurking and test driving, and generally obsessing, I found that...

I can pass on most of the options.

So my reasonably priced Tesla looks like this:

Battery - 60, Charge at home every night, chargers at work, bay area full of superchargers. As fast at my current car at <5.5 sec 0-60

Drivetrain - RWD, Always prefer the feel of rear wheel drive, don't need dual

Interior - Black headliner/Black Next Gen Seats/Dark Ash Wood, Next gen seats +$2500

Exterior - Black, just to save, plus it looks good when it's clean

Wheels - 21" Grey Turbines +$4500, I succumb to this one vanity. Love the look and prefer the ride to be firm and sporty. Can I get these staggered like on the performance models, if I ask real nice?

Body Color Roof - Never open sunroofs on prior cars, and don't like the idea of not being able to block out the sun if I want to.

Extras - PUP, SAS, UHFS, Subzero, RFS, High Amp Charger, All unnecessary IMO

EA and Full Self Driving - Here's a cheat. I would definitely get these, but only after they're fully enabled. So not including them in my reasonably priced car, yet. (+$10K eventually b/c I'm paying the $2K buy later penalty)

Comes out to $75,000 before $7500 Fed tax credit. If leasing, $921/mo for 15,000 miles

This is a great thread!
 
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After lurking and test driving, and generally obsessing, I found that...

I can pass on most of the options.

So my reasonably priced Tesla looks like this:

Battery - 60, Charge at home every night, chargers at work, bay area full of superchargers. As fast at my current car at <5.5 sec 0-60

Drivetrain - RWD, Always prefer the feel of rear wheel drive, don't need dual

Interior - Black headliner/Black Next Gen Seats/Dark Ash Wood, Next gen seats +$2500

Exterior - Black, just to save, plus it looks good when it's clean

Wheels - 21" Grey Turbines +$4500, I succumb to this one vanity. Love the look and prefer the ride to be firm and sporty. Can I get these staggered like on the performance models, if I ask real nice?

Body Color Roof - Never open sunroofs on prior cars, and don't like the idea of not being able to block out the sun if I want to.

Extras - PUP, SAS, UHFS, Subzero, RFS, High Amp Charger, All unnecessary IMO

EA and Full Self Driving - Here's a cheat. I would definitely get these, but only after they're fully enabled. So not including them in my reasonably priced car, yet. (+$10K eventually b/c I'm paying the $2K buy later penalty)

Comes out to $75,000 before $7500 Fed tax credit. If leasing, $921/mo for 15,000 miles

This is a great thread!
Sounds like a nice build out DIL. Did you also take advantage of a $1000 referral credit? If not you can use mine http://ts.la/alain5628

I wish I could justify the Grey Turbine wheels on my order but $4500 was really pushing my build outside of the "reasonably priced" category.
 
After lurking and test driving, and generally obsessing, I found that...

I can pass on most of the options.

So my reasonably priced Tesla looks like this:

Battery - 60, Charge at home every night, chargers at work, bay area full of superchargers. As fast at my current car at <5.5 sec 0-60

Drivetrain - RWD, Always prefer the feel of rear wheel drive, don't need dual

Interior - Black headliner/Black Next Gen Seats/Dark Ash Wood, Next gen seats +$2500

Exterior - Black, just to save, plus it looks good when it's clean

Wheels - 21" Grey Turbines +$4500, I succumb to this one vanity. Love the look and prefer the ride to be firm and sporty. Can I get these staggered like on the performance models, if I ask real nice?

Body Color Roof - Never open sunroofs on prior cars, and don't like the idea of not being able to block out the sun if I want to.

Extras - PUP, SAS, UHFS, Subzero, RFS, High Amp Charger, All unnecessary IMO

EA and Full Self Driving - Here's a cheat. I would definitely get these, but only after they're fully enabled. So not including them in my reasonably priced car, yet. (+$10K eventually b/c I'm paying the $2K buy later penalty)

Comes out to $75,000 before $7500 Fed tax credit. If leasing, $921/mo for 15,000 miles

This is a great thread!

Great build, I do recommend considering a D model but either way you will be extremely satisfied.
 
On a tighter budget so I went with
MS 60D
Black
19" wheels
Black headliner
Generation 2 sets black
Sunroof (never had a car without one)
Dual charger have a need for quick turn arounds.

With incentives 68200. With trade in and E reservation 64200. 100a drop to house modifications and 14-50 port in garage 1500 and charging port 500.

Poor mans dream car. Boom!

JM