neroden
Model S Owner and Frustrated Tesla Fan
So what defines luxury?
The Nissan Leaf has the same excellent qualities as an EV for silent and comfortable drivetrain, though not the perfomance of the Model S. The Ford Focus has many of the advanced safety features that f.inst. MB has used to define their high-end models.
Good question. I'll give a different take on it. Most people talking "luxury" are thinking "appearance", and I really don't care about appearance. But luxury cann mean something else: luxury means everything works "just right" out of the box, rather than "a little off" or "needs tinkering". Ordinary means you settle for second-best or have to tweak things. Luxury means "no worries". This is a different definition.
This is why a luxury car needs to have a seat which can be adjusted *just* right, a steering wheel column which can be adjusted to fit you, etc. It has to work "just right" for you.
As far as I'm concerned, the fact that the heating goes on instantly when you get into the Model S is a luxury feature (and one of massive value) -- but hey, the Leaf presumably has that too, since that's just an electric car thing. A decent electric car inherently has a *lot* of luxury features, including very quiet running and no gearshifting and low maintenance.
If 100 miles range were enough for me I'd be getting a Leaf, frankly. But I can't even get to a doctor's appointment and back with that range.
The range of the model S is a feature. In a sense, the "no worries" sense I'm using, it's a luxury feature. Most people are getting more range than they strictly need, including me, and that extra range is a "no worries" luxury feature.
Not having to go to a gas station -- a luxury feature. Chargers which enable access to pretty much any sort of electric outlet anywhere -- a luxury feature.
A jack and spare tire -- a luxury feature, and one which is missing from Model S Run-flats are also a luxury feature, of course.