Tesla Model S 85 Test Drive Report

[royoftherovers]

Ah I see you belong to the 'I must have a car that can drive for 8hr non stop' club.

I've driven for 4hrs non stop once in the last 10 years, and to be honest that was pretty stupid in terms of tiredness.

If you dont want to take a break every 250-300 miles of driving than clearly a Tesla isn't for you.

As for Europe, I've already planned out a trip to the 'Atlantic highway' via Tesla superchargers, and the fuel cost of the trip will be £0 :)

http://m.autoevolution.com/tesla-model-s-roadtrip-from-oslo-to-london-costs-only-5-video-95328.html

Yes there are still 'challenges' to EVs, but rather than dismissing EVs based on what ever reasons you want to come up with, why not try one and than decided. I've yet to see a bad word written about the Tesla from anyone who's actually driven one.....Maybe you can be the first :)

What you say Gang, about taking a break is "spot on ", but it seems that a lot of people simply ignore the advice.

I drive to and from Andalucia twice each year and rests stops are imperative, both to freshen up and to have toilet breaks.

The drive you are taking seems wonderful, so please do let us have a full report in due course.

Regards

John

[rayaans]

Ah I see you belong to the 'I must have a car that can drive for 8hr non stop' club.

I've driven for 4hrs non stop once in the last 10 years, and to be honest that was pretty stupid in terms of tiredness.

If you dont want to take a break every 250-300 miles of driving than clearly a Tesla isn't for you.

As for Europe, I've already planned out a trip to the 'Atlantic highway' via Tesla superchargers, and the fuel cost of the trip will be £0 :)

http://m.autoevolution.com/tesla-model-s-roadtrip-from-oslo-to-london-costs-only-5-video-95328.html

Yes there are still 'challenges' to EVs, but rather than dismissing EVs based on what ever reasons you want to come up with, why not try one and than decided. I've yet to see a bad word written about the Tesla from anyone who's actually driven one.....Maybe you can be the first :)

What you say Gang, about taking a break is "spot on ", but it seems that a lot of people simply ignore the advice.

I drive to and from Andalucia twice each year and rests stops are imperative, both to freshen up and to have toilet breaks.

The drive you are taking seems wonderful, so please do let us have a full report in due course.

Regards

John

I only tend to take 15 min breaks after 300 miles - seems to work for me so I dont think a Tesla would work for me, especially since I only did 200 miles before running out of juice.

2 issues - you can charge up to 100% but Tesla don't recommend it - they say 80% which gives you 264 miles theoretically but I only did 210 odd.

Charging is frustrating at home - its dreary slow - Id rather fill up with petrol as my RX does 340 miles on a tank. The closest supercharger is in Leeds which is 7 miles away. I guess that will change when the 68 mile/h home charger comes out this year however.

Ill be honest - I think the Tesla looks rubbish - I dont really see what the hype about the look is all about - I dont think it looks good at all from the outside - almost 1980's stretched VW beetle look

Ill also say that its quite unreliable. Few things which I noticed - screen froze - major PITA as everything works from there. Sunroof wouldn't close and showed closed on the screen. Handles didn't open once. Also, the brakes stick a lot (due to being huge) in cold wet weather.

And i wasn't too impressed with the interior quality - just didn't feel £50k worth, maybe on par with the IS but definitely not worth the price tag and I wasn't too keen on how everything is on show in the centre console eg the USB sticks, everything you put there rolls about etc etc. I think the only Lexus which has exposed USB sticks is the CT!

And as for the price - its not just £58k though is it - you start putting options on that thing and the mid-range 85D costs circa £80k

[DJP]

Certainly some very interesting input, and I certainly agree it's not for all. Until such time as the charging is much quicker, available round the corner and range longer, the market will be restricted somewhat. For someone like myself who has a 10 miles round trip to the office, off road parking, and generally speaking only drives anywhere of any distance with advance notice, it's a perfect solution.

As I've mentioned before, I can't live with a petrol guzzler just for the odd occasion when I can drive how I'd like to, I know frustration would get the better of me. The ability to waft around is very appealing and I like the fact Tesla have no baggage and are clearly extremely innovative.

Looks are subjective so I don't pay any attention to what others think in that respect, and the driving experience is very personal too. I certainly don't take the journals written word as gospel.

The reliability is an interesting one, I haven't sought out any Tesla forums yet but a half open sunroof in the UK is not good news! I didn't have the chance to view the car in natural daylight as they are in the underground car park at Westfield, so I think I'll take a little trip down to Crawley. That'll give me the opportunity to test it on different roads too.

One thing for sure though, buying a new car just got more interesting, this is going to drive my wife mad!!

[ganzoom]

@Rayaans your honesty the only person I've come cross who has found the Tesla Model S unimpressive.

I've owned some of the best ICE powered cars around, a Honda Integra Type R, 350Z, 380bhp BMW 335i running all mods to make it essentially a M3. But with in 5 minutes of test driving a Leaf, which has 1/3 the power and range of any Model S I knew the internal combustion engine (ICE) is dead, and Battery EVs are the future.

For me by far the most important part of any car is its powertrain. Uncovered USB ports may annoy you, but after 5 months of using an EV daily having to even get into a car that is powered by ICE annoys me even more, that includes having to drive my wife IS300H on odd occasions. The noise, having to go and find a petrol station - than having to pay £60-70 in one go for fuel!!! the delay between you pressing the accelerator and the car than moving, and did I mention the noise. I really don't know how you guys put up with it day in and day out ;)

Clearly you have decided Battery EVs aren't for you, for me the only criticism I have for Tesla is their price of entry. Which actually isn't that bad, their base spec includes a lot such as memory seats. The only addition I would add would be the sunroof and next gren leather seats. Even so the spec I want for a 85D comes out at £67k. This is still a lot of cash, but given its AWD, and 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds puts it on par with a £70k+ BMW M5, which was the next car I planned on getting after my 335i. Interestingly the Tesla only weighs 10% more than a M5, which also only has a range of around 300 miles a tank - But costs £80+ to refuel compared to £0-8 on the Tesla. So actually comparing an equivalent cost M5 with a Tesla 85D......For me it's a 'no brainer' which one to go for :)

Rather than see the price as a barrier, I just see that as a challenge for me to work harder so that I can be in the position to own one sooner rather than later. It just means I have to be patient and sit on my hands for another 12 months before ordering :(

[ganzoom]

One thing for sure though, buying a new car just got more interesting, this is going to drive my wife mad!!

September will be an interesting month for EVs...Nissan is due to announce a 25% Battery upgrade for the Leaf. Clearly the Leaf is in a different class from the model S, but so is its cost. The price of a paraomic sun roof and next gen leather seats, that is the TOTAL equivalent cost of running my Leaf for TWO years. If I didn't get a Tesla I could easily justify using the Leaf for 95% of the time, and than get some like a VX220 Turbo or Lotus Exiege for 'fun' runs - Might have to get some ear plugs though :D

The Model X is also due to be delivered and it'll be interesting to see if it lives up to the hype. Musk has said he thinks it's a better SUV than the Model S is a saloon. Given the motoring press has universally praised the Model S as one of the best cars ever, just how good (or bad) will the Model X be...Guess we will find out soon.

Than 2016 will see news from Tesla about the Model 3. Nissan will be getting the next generation Leaf ready - Apparently Nissan is aiming to double the range. Chevrlot is due to give more details about its 200 mile range $30,000 EV.

So yes, if your in the maket for a new car and 2016-17 is going to see some really interesting developments as the second generation Battery EVs start appearing :)