Time to say farewell but happy memories

DJP · March 4, 2017

I pretty much stumbled on to Lexus nearly 10 years ago and since then have had an IS250 SE, IS300h F Sport and for the last 18 months an NX300h F Sport.

The 250 I sold to a colleague when I bought the 300h and is, of course, still going strong (so's the colleague [emoji846]).

Terrific cars and not a moments trouble from any of them, plus great service from my local dealer.

However, the hybrid bug set in and has spawned into a full EV, of which for any meaningful distance there is only one player. Tesla. Many a conversation with my dealer over the last couple of years about Lexus, their hydrogen blind alley (IMO) and whether they would enter the EV market anytime soon. They haven't really, and neither has anyone else at this point in time, so I've taken the plunge and am now the owner of a Tesla Model S 60D.

This is a Lexus forum, and I hope the mods (Colin you've been a font of all knowledge) have no objection to this post and a couple of pics. All I will say is that the car is incredible and the strides Tesla have made over the last 2 or 3 years are amazing. I really do hope other manufacturers pick up the gauntlet over the next few years.

Quite clearly I am enthusiastic and happy to respond to questions or points if asked and allowed.

I wish you and Lexus all the very best and thanks to those who have helped make my years of Lexus ownership very happy ones.

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matt8 · March 4, 2017

Very nice, DJP!

What are you expecting in terms of reliability? I've always felt Lexus and other Japanese built vehicles, are second to none.

Personally interested in Tesla as well, but reliability is of paramount importance, which I'm not sure about.

Wishing you many years of happy motoring with the Tesla!

ISJason · March 4, 2017

I heard in a car forum that Lexus is indeed going to enter the electric only brigade in the next few years. I think all electric is the future more and more .

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Malc · March 4, 2017

Have u seen the Toyota Mirai technology ............ not a concept, it's real I guess ........ Hydrogen Cell all electric motor car !

Malc

DJP · March 4, 2017

Very nice, DJP!
What are you expecting in terms of reliability? I've always felt Lexus and other Japanese built vehicles, are second to none.

Personally interested in Tesla as well, but reliability is of paramount importance, which I'm not sure about.

Wishing you many years of happy motoring with the Tesla!

That is a really good question and one that troubled me for some time, especially coming from Lexus. The build quality and reliability is much better than a couple of years ago. The door handles, for example, were prone to failure I believe due to the way a cable was run. Pretty much now eradicated.

However, it is still a leap of faith and they are learning and improving all the time. It's an expensive car and a mistake IMO to compare it to an established manufacturers luxury offering at the same price. I have paid a premium for the Battery, the tech and to an extent funding the Model 3 and the Supercharger network.

The word "awesome" is horribly overused but it's the only word I can accurately use to describe the driving experience. The torque is instantaneous, the car has the same centre of gravity as a Lotus Elise and is as silent as you like. It's that experience that makes one forgive the slight trim failings or the lack of a rear arm rest etc etc.

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talaipwros · March 4, 2017

thanks for the nice pics and hope you will enjoy your new car

Can you please advise what is the real life autonomy? How may miles in one full charge and how many hours needs charging in the garage please?

Also does it fit/enter the usual garage?

Martin F · March 4, 2017

Wow, a post about a Tesla and no Ganzoom ? Is he ill ?

I wish you all the best DJP and would also be curious to know what type of range you manage.

Steve44 · March 4, 2017

Very nice indeed - any pics of the interior? Last time I sat in one, I liked the tech and layout, but the trim quality put me off, it was just too American in it's "premium" feel. Has it improved?

be interested to hear how you get on with range, recharging, etc - good luck!

pobrown · March 4, 2017

Have fun in your new car. Had a test drive in a model S recently and was blown away. I'd buy one today if I had the cash. In my opinion EV is certainly the way to go.

PaulWhitt20 · March 4, 2017

Nice car, let us know how you get on.

A lot of us would be interested in a Tesla if we could get the man maths to make sense.

Enjoy

BigChange · March 4, 2017

Nice car. Interested to learn your experience of miles per charge. Appeals to me but I do 500 odd mile trip to central France and not sure how easy or time consuming it is to recharge. One or two Tesla in my locality. Quiet and very quick off the mark.

DJP · March 4, 2017

thanks for the nice pics and hope you will enjoy your new car

Can you please advise what is the real life autonomy? How may miles in one full charge and how many hours needs charging in the garage please?

Also does it fit/enter the usual garage?

Lots of question, I'll do my best with answers.

The autonomy is in its infancy. The adaptive cruise control (called TACC) is not as good as Lexus - yet. In brief a change of supplier has actually put the newer cars back. Autosteer also in beta. Auto lane changing and lots more being rolled out over time. One of the massive USP's of Tesla is that all the cars get software updates on a regular basis, free of charge. Think iPad on wheels!

How many miles range? How long is a piece of string? Just like in a "normal" car how you drive and the weather play a big part. Mine is the smallest Battery, 60kWh. Worst case scenario in wet, cold weather and pushing it I'd get 150 miles. In the summer, gently wafting around, a smidge over 200.

The question to ask yourself though, how often do you need to drive 150/200 miles without a break? For me, not very often, and when I do the Tesla Supercharger network gives me 80% charge in about 20/30 mins - enough time for a comfort break and a coffee. That 80% means I have another chunk of miles in the tank. It takes a bit more planning, of that there is no doubt, and it doesn't work for everyone. Having the ability to charge at home is vital IMO. I can plug in when I get home and using E7 leccy it's cheap as chips.

Does it fit in the garage. Depends on the garage! Mine, no way. The car is BIG, full size Jag, Beemer 7 series scenario.

I worked out my NX was costing about 16p a mile in petrol, the Tesla is 2p. That's the only part of the maths that makes any sense though! The rest is man maths [emoji23].

Hope that's helps.

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DJP · March 4, 2017

Wow, a post about a Tesla and no Ganzoom ? Is he ill ?

I wish you all the best DJP and would also be curious to know what type of range you manage.

[emoji23] Ganzoom is picking his X up very soon, I'm sure he wouldn't mind me saying. I covered the range in a post just above. It's a different mindset, rather than "how far?" It's "I have a full tank every morning, do I need more today?".

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talaipwros · March 4, 2017

thank you for the thorough reply.

So, without being able to put it in the garage - have the same problem with my car, unfortunately garages are not fit for purpose any more - . isn't charging the car overnight a bit awkward ?

DJP · March 4, 2017

Very nice indeed - any pics of the interior? Last time I sat in one, I liked the tech and layout, but the trim quality put me off, it was just too American in it's "premium" feel. Has it improved?
be interested to hear how you get on with range, recharging, etc - good luck!

A few hastily taken pics for you. It's a lot better than it used to be, but it's not as good as the price of the car suggest it should be. I guess that's partly the American thing, and partly because you're paying for the tech,battery, and finding the Model 3.

Little things like, no coat hooks, no vanity mirror lights, no rear centre armrest. Hmmmm, how much is this car? Then get behind the wheel and put your foot down, who gives a **** about a coat hook [emoji23]

On the charging at home issue, a charge point installed will dish out 32 amps, which is 22 miles an hour. Full tank every morning. Oh, and of course the app allows you to heat or cool the car before you get in, and will draw the power for that from your domestic supply not the car Battery.

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PaulWhitt20 · March 4, 2017

My work has just built a new car park with three charging points. Sadly no one uses them. My ideal would be to charge whilst at work.

If you are charging at home on the drive or street can you prevent mischievous kids from unplugging it?

DJP · March 4, 2017

Have u seen the Toyota Mirai technology ............ not a concept, it's real I guess ........ Hydrogen Cell all electric motor car !
Malc

I have, and people far far cleverer than I have convinced me that it is just too difficult and volatile a substance to be used as a reliable sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. There may well be industrial applications but not for day to day use for the millions of car drivers.

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DJP · March 4, 2017

Nice car. Interested to learn your experience of miles per charge. Appeals to me but I do 500 odd mile trip to central France and not sure how easy or time consuming it is to recharge. One or two Tesla in my locality. Quiet and very quick off the mark.

I've not done it but many owners have and it is very easy. Bearing in mind you will have range of at least 150 miles, have a look at this map. A charge from 20% to 80% takes about 20/30 mins.

I doubt you'd need to stop more than you normally would doing a 500 mile journey normally.

And yes, quick off the mark and silent.

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DJP · March 4, 2017

thank you for the thorough reply.
So, without being able to put it in the garage - have the same problem with my car, unfortunately garages are not fit for purpose any more - . isn't charging the car overnight a bit awkward ?

Not awkward at all, and the charger locks into the port so no scallywag can unplug you.

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Spacewagon52 · March 4, 2017

This looks like the future - I fell very old now! Have decided to plug on as a dinosaur with my LS400. Possibly there is better out there, but I will stick to my gas guzzler and enjoy it while I can. There will come a day when it is banned, or priced out of the market - hopefully I will be dead and gone by then!

Please enjoy and keep us posted on how it performs in all areas. One day I might have to eat my words as waft down the road in an all electric Toyota. Will not be able to afford a Lexus by then!

DJP · March 4, 2017

My work has just built a new car park with three charging points. Sadly no one uses them. My ideal would be to charge whilst at work.
If you are charging at home on the drive or street can you prevent mischievous kids from unplugging it?

There are grants available now for firms to put them in for staff. My daily commute is only 5 miles so haven't bothered having one put in.

And before someone says I could have got a Leaf, my golf clubs wouldn't fit [emoji6]

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tayaste · March 4, 2017

Only a three words from me... Very,very nice

capese21 · March 4, 2017

Only the cost stops me from buying one. You are right 150 miles range is enough and there are enough charging points to make range not an issue. Unless going to Wales from the Midlands!! The move against diesel has begun so glad I at least have a Hybrid petrol. I was about to trade my GS for a E class diesel but have decided not to. Great car but diesel rattle & pollution is enough for it to seem like a backwards step. The GS is better is so many ways.

Enjoy your Tesla it looks superb.

Ed

marrat · March 4, 2017

I always liked Tesla, great cars which are brilliant to drive. My only problem with them is, IMO you don't get the car you pay for. I find them way overpriced. Hopefully one day Tesla (with model 3 maybe) or some other manufacturer will make a properly priced, great EV.

Enjoy your new toy, it'll be great fun.

DJP · March 4, 2017

I always liked Tesla, great cars which are brilliant to drive. My only problem with them is, IMO you don't get the car you pay for. I find them way overpriced. Hopefully one day Tesla (with model 3 maybe) or some other manufacturer will make a properly priced, great EV.

Enjoy your new toy, it'll be great fun.

I understand what you are saying. Some owners say things like "it's a £40k car with a £30k battery". There is some truth in that, for the price you can buy a better built car, no doubt about it.

There is certainly a premium being paid for the technology, to an extent the Battery, and Elon Musk will readily admit without people buying the S and X the 3 couldn't be built.

Tesla have a lot of work to do to get the 3 to market, and the market won't be as forgiving as the early S and X adopters have been/are.

An added problem of course is the current exchange rate. It might sound funny but what pushed me over the edge was the day Marmite went up by 12% and apple stuck hundreds of £'S on the price of a Mac. Man maths was working overtime before Brexit as it was [emoji23]

Musk wants other players in the EV market, so do I, but at the moment there's nothing even close to the Tesla out there IMO. The Jaguar iPace looks interesting but without a network of fast charging points I'm not convinced it's a real challenger.

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