Hi all,
I’ve been following Tesla since somewhere around the time the Model S reservations began, and have test-driven them several times over the years (usually when major new features were added, like AP1 and AP2), but did not become an owner until just 3 weeks ago when my new 75D was delivered.
I recently took the car in for a few minor issues that I noticed post-delivery and was given a “classic” (pre-AP) 85 loaner. The differences between this vehicle and mine are so striking that I thought it would be interesting to give my perspective on the changes Tesla has made these last 5 years.
Note: I’m not saying one is better than the other, just that the differences are worth noting and sharing, and my opinion is just that.
Mine: VIN 194xxx, 75D, white/white/dark ash/glass roof, 19” slipstream, EAP, PUP, SAS, UHFS, Cold Weather
Loaner: VIN P38xxx, 85, silver/grey/piano black/black roof, 19” wheels, white alcantara, parking sensors, extended nappa, premium lighting, performance leather seats, tech package, SAS, parcel shelf (window sticker was in the glove box)
Packages: It’s interesting to see the package consolidation / “price increases” (more on this later) over the years. Consolidated options can drive up the average purchase price and simplify manufacturing logistics (good for Tesla), but consumers can end up with things they don’t necessarily want in order to get things they do want (see: now-resolved PUP vs. automatic lift gate). I did order mine loaded because I had anxiety about “missing out” on certain options and would probably have done the same had I ordered a “classic,” so this is probably a moot point in my personal situation.
Exterior: I prefer the look of the 75D’s headlights, DRLs and front fascia, though having the loaner in my garage last night the “classic” fascia grew on me a bit, especially when paired with the black roof. I would have strongly considered this 85’s exterior color combination if they were still making the classic fascia and black roof. For the DRLs, the smooth look as opposed to the discreet LED look is cleaner and more upscale. Fit and finish on the exterior of the 85 was top notch, with the exception of the hood, which has some pretty bad panel gaps in the front. My 75D had some minor exterior issues as well (not related to panel gaps, just trim).
Roof: I enjoy the glass roof, and turns out it provides at least 1-2” of additional headroom for tall (6’3”) people like myself. Though, I fit fine (if a little bit tight) with the standard roof in the 85. Outside, glass vs. black look the same due to the heavy tint on the glass.
Charge port: I did not initially realize the charge port on the 85 did not close automatically! Interesting how quickly one becomes accustomed to even small automatic features.
Interior: The grey performance leather seats are not at all to my liking, either in color or comfort / support. However, it’s pretty hot (mid 90’s F) where I live at the moment, with high humidity, and the 85’s seats are far less sweaty than my high-bolstered next gens. My biggest complaint with the 75D is that I sometimes end up with a sweaty back in hot weather, especially if I’ve jumped in just after a shower on my way to work. They don’t “breathe.” Other than the seats, steering wheel control (why did they put the cruise control where the turn signal stalk goes on the 85?), and the yacht floor, they don’t appear to have made many other interior changes over the years. Overall, I love the minimalist interior look of Model S, and the stark two-tone look of my 75D feels very modern.
Interior noise: About the same (excellent, very quiet), probably due to identical suspensions and tire sizes, but the 75D has a subtle but distinct electrical “whine” that I don’t hear in the 85. I imagine this has to do with front motor lacking in the 85.
Driving dynamics: Completely different. It’s barely the same car. Acceleration is similar (the 85 feels a bit slower, is that true?), but handling is another story. “Sport” steering on the 75D is about equal to “comfort” on the 85, requiring much more effort. I found the 85 “heavy” and less agile when driving. I have personally never owned a RWD vehicle before, only FWD and AWD, so I’m no pro here — but I vastly prefer the way my 75D handles. To be fair: nothing beats an EV powertrain, it’s a blast to drive regardless.
SAS: Suspension feels exactly the same. I initially thought the 75D was stiffer than I remember from my test drives, so it was nice to drive another vehicle with SAS for comparison. I also enjoy the height flexibility of the SAS when navigating my driveway.
Technology / Driver Assistance: Not even having TACC on the 85 drove me a bit crazy on the highway. And, no blind spot monitoring? It’s amazing how far the driver assistance technology has come in just a few years, though AP2 has been a bit harrowing at times. For someone who loves to drive and doesn’t mind going without autopilot, I think the 85 is a great choice. For me, I use AP as much as safely possible to take the stress out of my commute — I can take over and get the exhilaration of driving anytime.
MCU: Pretty much exactly the same, except the 85 had not been upgraded to LTE. I didn’t immediately notice the difference in loading speed, but then again I didn’t do any scientific testing. The fact that I didn’t notice would seem to indicate there’s not a whole lot of difference.
Sound: This depends entirely on source, I think. With high bitrate sources on my 75D’s UHFS, I hear instruments and other nuances that I simply haven’t heard in other vehicles I’ve owned. Some songs have taken me by surprise, even. I didn’t do any even remotely scientific comparison between the 75D and 85 on this.
Supercharging: I’m in the “free supercharging for this and all new Model S or X I buy, but does not transfer with this car” club. I guess the jury is out on how much this might affect my resale value down the line, but I will probably only supercharge during a few trips a year. This may change as Superchargers become more ubiquitous and convenient.
Price (new): ~$96k each! For the same price as this car was in 2014, you can now get dual motors, glass roof, EAP, UHFS and cold weather for a -10 kWh trade-off. This was the most shocking fact to me, given how much more I prefer my 75D after driving the 85. I think this shows the incremental improvements Tesla has been able to make to Model S in the last 5 years, while keeping the cost about the same for the entry level model.
Thanks for reading! Did I miss any differences between “classic” and new? Appreciate your input!
I’ve been following Tesla since somewhere around the time the Model S reservations began, and have test-driven them several times over the years (usually when major new features were added, like AP1 and AP2), but did not become an owner until just 3 weeks ago when my new 75D was delivered.
I recently took the car in for a few minor issues that I noticed post-delivery and was given a “classic” (pre-AP) 85 loaner. The differences between this vehicle and mine are so striking that I thought it would be interesting to give my perspective on the changes Tesla has made these last 5 years.
Note: I’m not saying one is better than the other, just that the differences are worth noting and sharing, and my opinion is just that.
Mine: VIN 194xxx, 75D, white/white/dark ash/glass roof, 19” slipstream, EAP, PUP, SAS, UHFS, Cold Weather
Loaner: VIN P38xxx, 85, silver/grey/piano black/black roof, 19” wheels, white alcantara, parking sensors, extended nappa, premium lighting, performance leather seats, tech package, SAS, parcel shelf (window sticker was in the glove box)
Packages: It’s interesting to see the package consolidation / “price increases” (more on this later) over the years. Consolidated options can drive up the average purchase price and simplify manufacturing logistics (good for Tesla), but consumers can end up with things they don’t necessarily want in order to get things they do want (see: now-resolved PUP vs. automatic lift gate). I did order mine loaded because I had anxiety about “missing out” on certain options and would probably have done the same had I ordered a “classic,” so this is probably a moot point in my personal situation.
Exterior: I prefer the look of the 75D’s headlights, DRLs and front fascia, though having the loaner in my garage last night the “classic” fascia grew on me a bit, especially when paired with the black roof. I would have strongly considered this 85’s exterior color combination if they were still making the classic fascia and black roof. For the DRLs, the smooth look as opposed to the discreet LED look is cleaner and more upscale. Fit and finish on the exterior of the 85 was top notch, with the exception of the hood, which has some pretty bad panel gaps in the front. My 75D had some minor exterior issues as well (not related to panel gaps, just trim).
Roof: I enjoy the glass roof, and turns out it provides at least 1-2” of additional headroom for tall (6’3”) people like myself. Though, I fit fine (if a little bit tight) with the standard roof in the 85. Outside, glass vs. black look the same due to the heavy tint on the glass.
Charge port: I did not initially realize the charge port on the 85 did not close automatically! Interesting how quickly one becomes accustomed to even small automatic features.
Interior: The grey performance leather seats are not at all to my liking, either in color or comfort / support. However, it’s pretty hot (mid 90’s F) where I live at the moment, with high humidity, and the 85’s seats are far less sweaty than my high-bolstered next gens. My biggest complaint with the 75D is that I sometimes end up with a sweaty back in hot weather, especially if I’ve jumped in just after a shower on my way to work. They don’t “breathe.” Other than the seats, steering wheel control (why did they put the cruise control where the turn signal stalk goes on the 85?), and the yacht floor, they don’t appear to have made many other interior changes over the years. Overall, I love the minimalist interior look of Model S, and the stark two-tone look of my 75D feels very modern.
Interior noise: About the same (excellent, very quiet), probably due to identical suspensions and tire sizes, but the 75D has a subtle but distinct electrical “whine” that I don’t hear in the 85. I imagine this has to do with front motor lacking in the 85.
Driving dynamics: Completely different. It’s barely the same car. Acceleration is similar (the 85 feels a bit slower, is that true?), but handling is another story. “Sport” steering on the 75D is about equal to “comfort” on the 85, requiring much more effort. I found the 85 “heavy” and less agile when driving. I have personally never owned a RWD vehicle before, only FWD and AWD, so I’m no pro here — but I vastly prefer the way my 75D handles. To be fair: nothing beats an EV powertrain, it’s a blast to drive regardless.
SAS: Suspension feels exactly the same. I initially thought the 75D was stiffer than I remember from my test drives, so it was nice to drive another vehicle with SAS for comparison. I also enjoy the height flexibility of the SAS when navigating my driveway.
Technology / Driver Assistance: Not even having TACC on the 85 drove me a bit crazy on the highway. And, no blind spot monitoring? It’s amazing how far the driver assistance technology has come in just a few years, though AP2 has been a bit harrowing at times. For someone who loves to drive and doesn’t mind going without autopilot, I think the 85 is a great choice. For me, I use AP as much as safely possible to take the stress out of my commute — I can take over and get the exhilaration of driving anytime.
MCU: Pretty much exactly the same, except the 85 had not been upgraded to LTE. I didn’t immediately notice the difference in loading speed, but then again I didn’t do any scientific testing. The fact that I didn’t notice would seem to indicate there’s not a whole lot of difference.
Sound: This depends entirely on source, I think. With high bitrate sources on my 75D’s UHFS, I hear instruments and other nuances that I simply haven’t heard in other vehicles I’ve owned. Some songs have taken me by surprise, even. I didn’t do any even remotely scientific comparison between the 75D and 85 on this.
Supercharging: I’m in the “free supercharging for this and all new Model S or X I buy, but does not transfer with this car” club. I guess the jury is out on how much this might affect my resale value down the line, but I will probably only supercharge during a few trips a year. This may change as Superchargers become more ubiquitous and convenient.
Price (new): ~$96k each! For the same price as this car was in 2014, you can now get dual motors, glass roof, EAP, UHFS and cold weather for a -10 kWh trade-off. This was the most shocking fact to me, given how much more I prefer my 75D after driving the 85. I think this shows the incremental improvements Tesla has been able to make to Model S in the last 5 years, while keeping the cost about the same for the entry level model.
Thanks for reading! Did I miss any differences between “classic” and new? Appreciate your input!
