Why did I buy a Tesla ?

[Dan Baldwin]

Well, I've been one month with my 2018 Model S P100D. I look for every excuse to drive it. If my wife says that we are out of sour cream, I'm at the store in 10 minutes. Now I'm trying to figure out what exactly it is about this car that is so different from other cars I've owned.

One month ago I was at the Mercedes dealer about to pay cash for a 2018 Merc AMG E63S 4matic. The car was a beautiful, brutal sounding, 600+ HP, insanely fast piece of luxury .... yet, I could sense a guilt developing regarding the gas waste and pollution. So, I decided to test drive a Tesla first. That very day I purchased an inventory car with 700miles.

Recently I've been looking at some youtube videos of the AMG E63S 4matic that I didn't buy and mentally comparing it against my SP100D. On most levels there is no comparison; the Merc blows the Tesla away ... in luxury, build quality, customer service, parts availability, reliability (probably),etc. However, I don't have even one regret about going with the Tesla. Why is that ? Is it just because the Tesla is an EV and I'm not polluting every time I hit the accelerator ? There seems to be something else, some intangible quality of the Tesla that I just can't seem to bring to my conscience mind. A quality that I hope will never go away.

 

[Tam]

...the Merc blows the Tesla away ...

1) Cheap was king for me:
My choice of a car was something cheap like barebone Ford Escort with no airconditioning.

2) Not if it's so harmful:
I was then tired of breathing smoke even when cars were not moving at a red light. I was then also tired of all the externalities of oil including environmental/people harms and wars.

3) Purposeful life: Socialism:
That's when I was then willing to pay way much more for 2012 Tesla Model S.

I like Tesla's socialist practice in its capitalism: Early adopters pay higher prices in order to subsidize the future generation who would be able to enjoy lower priced models. It's just like Robinhood: Rob the rich and give it to the poor except the cars are so good that early adopters may not realize the socialism application.

4) Great performance:
ICE might be great but I am really turned off by its noisy groaning, shouting sound each time it wants to accelerate. Tesla's acceleration is as if it's so effortless with no noise! It's just so smooth. It's just like gliding, sliding away!

6) Future:
I love the high tech in a Tesla: very few knobs, dials or buttons!
I love its fast DC charging that the industry is still trying to catch up!
I love its over-the-air update that made my former 2012 Model S better and better.
I love its future vision

7) Problem solver:
I love how Tesla learned from its experience and has overcome many obstacles along the way.

It didn't have to solve the community's problem when Puerto Rico suffered an electrical outage, but it went ahead and got the Children Hospital up and running within 8 days with solar panels and powerpacks.

8) Comrade:
A sense of community

Remember when The New York Times published that its Model S loaner could not take a winter and died in the middle trip?

That shook the faith in prospective Tesla owners and it could have wrecked Tesla's future!

Tesla's own telemetry helped as a rebuttal too but nothing beats reality:

The faith was restored as owners voluntarily gathered together to recreated the route and dispelled the myth.

9) Summary:
I am proud to be part of the community and future!

 

[joetz]

It's the the environmental argument. I think climate change is a hoax and I love my tesla!

 

[dirkbike1]

It's mind blowing fast, looks great and I get to use the HOV lane saving me a minimum of 40 minutes a day commute.
Clean energy is incidental
Now if they only made a 2 door

 

[tccartier]

Many including the OP always want to compare the Tesla to high end luxury cars simply based on price point. No the Tesla is not as luxurious with garish and bespoke detail throughout the interior it is something different that heretofore has not existed. It offers a level of performance, economy, spaciousness and carrying capacity and technology that has not existed before in the same vehicle.

My 2012 Sig is still improving over 5 years out the gate. And offers levels of connectivity in the user interface unmatched buy anything out there.

I like the fact that Tesla didn't just raise the existing bar they chose a different path and built their own standard.

 

[Dan Baldwin]

I don't think its unfair to compare a $150K car with another $150K car. I test drove both so I knew what I was buying. Anyways, I do agree that the Tesla is a different beast. Still, the environmental aspect (with or without climate change) of not putting exhaust fumes in the air is and always will be an important consideration.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

I read a lot as a kid. Loved science fiction. At 12 I read Heinlein’s The Rolling Stones where he describes the 20th century ICE from the perspective of a spaceship-repairing teenager. I regaled everyone within earshot with the revelation of how inefficient, how crazy the engines are... well no one seemed to get it.

Skipping ahead a bit, I had become more familiar with the ICE and its whole baroque pipe organ by fiddling around with repairing/maintaining my ‘99 Saturn (which explains the handle, eh?). Became aware of these Tesla Motors guys forty-mumble years after my ICEpiphany, late 2013.
“Holy sugar, they get it. They are making my car. It’s on the road right now! CU even says it’s all right” (putting it ludicrously mildly!)

I really don’t see that I had any choice.

Demand follows Awareness...

 

[Dan Baldwin]

I read a lot as a kid. Loved science fiction. At 12 I read Heinlein’s The Rolling Stones where he describes the 20th century ICE from the perspective of a spaceship-repairing teenager. I regaled everyone within earshot with the revelation of how inefficient, how crazy the engines are... well no one seemed to get it.

Skipping ahead a bit, I had become more familiar with the ICE and its whole baroque pipe organ by fiddling around with my Saturn (which explains the handle, eh?). Became aware of these Tesla Motors guys forty-mumble years after my ICEpiphany, late 2013.
“Holy sugar, they get it. They are making my car. It’s on the road right now! CU even says it’s all right” (putting it ludicrously mildly!)

I really don’t see that I had any choice.

Haha --- Nice

 

[timvracer]

hmm... you dished out an extra $40k or so to get the P100D...
so having the fastest production in the car in the world (that will SMOKE that E63S) was NOT a consideration?

P.S. I'll trade you my S100d for your SP100D if you simply made a mistake. ;-)

Well, I've been one month with my 2018 Model S P100D. I look for every excuse to drive it. If my wife says that we are out of sour cream, I'm at the store in 10 minutes. Now I'm trying to figure out what exactly it is about this car that is so different from other cars I've owned.

One month ago I was at the Mercedes dealer about to pay cash for a 2018 Merc AMG E63S 4matic. The car was a beautiful, brutal sounding, 600+ HP, insanely fast piece of luxury .... yet, I could sense a guilt developing regarding the gas waste and pollution. So, I decided to test drive a Tesla first. That very day I purchased an inventory car with 700miles.

Recently I've been looking at some youtube videos of the AMG E63S 4matic that I didn't buy and mentally comparing it against my SP100D. On most levels there is no comparison; the Merc blows the Tesla away ... in luxury, build quality, customer service, parts availability, reliability (probably),etc. However, I don't have even one regret about going with the Tesla. Why is that ? Is it just because the Tesla is an EV and I'm not polluting every time I hit the accelerator ? There seems to be something else, some intangible quality of the Tesla that I just can't seem to bring to my conscience mind. A quality that I hope will never go away.

 

[Dan Baldwin]

hmm... you dished out an extra $40k or so to get the P100D...
so having the fastest production in the car in the world (that will SMOKE that E63S) was NOT a consideration?

P.S. I'll trade you my S100d for your SP100D if you simply made a mistake. ;-)

No, I never thought I'd made a mistake, from day 1 I was enthralled with my Tesla. My post was attempt to point to my overall feeling of wonder and appreciation for the Model S. Apologies if I did a poor job of expressing that. And yes, I most certainly considered the fact that the SP100D was faster than the E63S . I bought an inventory car with 750miles and got a hefty discount that took a bit of the pain out of the ludicrous upgrade.

 

[icefree]

I find the real magic of the Tesla car is the way it drives. It is so much better than any ICE drive train. That instant and smooth acceleration just can't be beat. The jaw-dropping quick acceleration is a lot of fun too, but every time I'm forced to drive an ICE car, I honestly get frustrated. Why is it so slow? so noisy? why doesn't it respond instantly to my every whim and desire? The environmental benefits of a Tesla are wonderful, but the drive is simply sublime.

 

[HeinekenMS100D]

For me, Tesla represents an entirely new way to look at a car. I have a Mercedes and love it, but it's not that much different than any other car. Yes, its build quality is better and it runs/drives nice. However, a lot of cars fall into that category so it feels like many other cars on the road.
The Tesla is different. There is nothing else like it on the road, not even close. To me, the Tesla is in the same class as the iPhone when it was introduced in the 2000's. it transformed how we communicated. The technology at the time was amazing and different than anything else on the market. It was exciting to buy one and finally get one. Tesla is transforming how we get around so its very similar in my case. That's why I bought one.

 

[tccartier]

I don't think its unfair to compare a $150K car with another $150K car. I test drove both so I knew what I was buying. Anyways, I do agree that the Tesla is a different beast. Still, the environmental aspect (with or without climate change) of not putting exhaust fumes in the air is and always will be an important consideration.

Different animal indeed that would be like comparing a $1 Apple to a $1 Orange they're both fruit and that's where the similarity ends. The end user experience is going to be completely different. Welcome to driving the future

 

[timvracer]

lol... just yankin' your chain Dan.

I share the feeling, even if I don't have the neck snapping Ludicous, I still smoke most every car out there with my 100D, and with my Reus Audio upgrade, every minute in my car is escapeful joy. I LOVE IT. AP on my commute, low to no maintenance, no heat blaring off the hood after driving it, instant acceleration is pure fun on every single stop/go.

yeah.. best decision I ever made.

No, I never thought I'd made a mistake, from day 1 I was enthralled with my Tesla. My post was attempt to point to my overall feeling of wonder and appreciation for the Model S. Apologies if I did a poor job of expressing that. And yes, I most certainly considered the fact that the SP100D was faster than the E63S . I bought an inventory car with 750miles and got a hefty discount that took a bit of the pain out of the ludicrous upgrade.

 

[Magellan55]

New to the forum, so this seems like a good place for my first post. 3K on my 2018 100D now, and really enjoying it. Like others said, the driving experience (single pedal driving, instant silent acceleration) just can't be matched by any ICE. Some form over function things, like the interior door handles/pulls and clunky door opening/closing due to 1980's era frame-less windows bother me. But once I'm in, it makes me smile. And the environmental aspect was important to me (last car was hybrid). Having too much fun driving it myself to use EAP much yet, but I bought that (and FSD) more as future-proofing and to watch it mature first hand. OTA is really cool, and even my kids get excited when there's an update.

One unexpected outcome - all the attention from youngsters! I doubt a Porsche or Ferrari would get as much attention from teens and Millenials as a Tesla. My daughters' friends freak out about it and want to ride in it. Even their elementary aged siblings know what a Tesla is. Like someone else said, it's like owning the first iPhone when everyone else is still using flip phones and wondering why youngsters are standing in line for a phone. The next generation gets it. Most of my generation (boomer) doesn't. And with the M3 / MY, the younger generation will be able to afford one.

 

[Mensrea]

For me it was a $ decision really, the electric cars here in AZ don't pay the same road taxes/license fee, its ridiculous, and I was commuting so much that thee additional cost of this car was offset completely by the savings in fuel cost (or lack of). On top of that, I can used the carpool lane, and did I mention its FAST?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the environmental issues, I drove a Nissan leaf for years but I also need a fun car. I could feel my soul die in the leaf I only survived because I also drove a 600cc street bike. And now, coming from a air-cooled Porsche Carrera, no-other-car is going to be able to fill those shoes, but maybe the P85D can.

 

[Verdi]

I find the real magic of the Tesla car is the way it drives. It is so much better than any ICE drive train. That instant and smooth acceleration just can't be beat. The jaw-dropping quick acceleration is a lot of fun too, but every time I'm forced to drive an ICE car, I honestly get frustrated. Why is it so slow? so noisy? why doesn't it respond instantly to my every whim and desire? The environmental benefits of a Tesla are wonderful, but the drive is simply sublime.

This is the answer. A really fast ICE is still very slow to react compared to a Tesla. And I don't even have a P.

I also love how quiet the car is in the city. Red lights etc. Very calming.

 

[Verdi]

I don't think its unfair to compare a $150K car with another $150K car. I test drove both so I knew what I was buying. Anyways, I do agree that the Tesla is a different beast. Still, the environmental aspect (with or without climate change) of not putting exhaust fumes in the air is and always will be an important consideration.

I know it's different here in Europe to the US. Here a kWh is $0.17 and a US gallon of gas is $62. We also have different tax rules making the ICE even more heavily taxed while electric cars enjoys tax reliefs.

In short, even if the price is the same the TCO is much lower on the Tesla.

 

[arcus]

My personal take on it:
Why Tesla?

Still holds true today as much as it did when I wrote it.

 

[bnsfengineer]

Many including the OP always want to compare the Tesla to high end luxury cars simply based on price point. No the Tesla is not as luxurious with garish and bespoke detail throughout the interior it is something different that heretofore has not existed. It offers a level of performance, economy, spaciousness and carrying capacity and technology that has not existed before in the same vehicle.

My 2012 Sig is still improving over 5 years out the gate. And offers levels of connectivity in the user interface unmatched buy anything out there.

I like the fact that Tesla didn't just raise the existing bar they chose a different path and built their own standard.

2012?? Do tell how many issues have you had and how many miles are on her?