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Picked up a Tesla Model S for my wife's birthday....my car is still better!!
My wife's Tesla Model S arrived early for her 30th birthday. She deserves it, as we both work full-time, and it would not be fair if we didn't get her a car since I got one last year for my 30th lol.
Overall, I am very impressed with the Model S. I really believe that electric cars are the future. Intuitive controls, instantaneous torque, silent luxury driving, real-time traffic with google maps, ability to request any song at any time thanks to on-board internet connection....it's no wonder Mercedes took note.
There are some downsides: Tesla does not recommend fully charging the battery to preserve battery longevity. They say to keep it around 90% capacity unless you are planning an occasional long trip. So, range is more limited than advertised. Also, if you change settings to make the Model S act more like a normal car (i.e. no automatic regenerative braking when letting off the gas), then the displayed range is overly optimistic. Your actual range will be up to 10% less.
The Model S took me away from my once-loved LS. I have owned a GS400, SC400, and RX-h, but sadly the new design language has lost me as a customer. I have said it before and will say it again: I will never buy a spindle product. It's the reason why I am on CL less and less. I was aiming for a pre-spindle LS600hL, but the government incentives (and the thought of never paying for gasoline) encouraged me to try out Tesla. I am still skeptical about reliability, but the nearest service center is less than 10 minutes away from us. Another factor in my decision.
We were also considering a 911 (997.2), but the prices were the same as the Tesla and the Tesla came with a 4 year warranty. Plus, the 991 is even nicer, but is currently out of our price point. Tesla no-brainer.
The car to the right, however, is still my favorite car. A little more raw, analog, and alive. Only car aficionados recognize an Aston Martin on the road.
Congratulations on the new Model S....and your other nice cars It's apparent that you and your wife don't work at McDonalds.
if you change setting to make the Model S act more like a normal car (i.e. no automatic regenerative breaking when letting off the gas),
Yes, regenerative braking can feel strange (touchy brake pedal, strong engine-braking, no coasting-ability, etc...). But it also brings benefits in less brake wear, less need for the transmission to downshift (though many electric vehicles either use CVTs or constant one-speed transmissions that don't shift), and, of course, less current-use and longer range.
congrats! really would like to hear what your typical 'range' you're willing to chance before getting back to the grid? also, how do you know a guage is optimistic unless you run out?
oh and you're livin' the life there with those cars, house at only 30!
Congratulations on the new Model S....and your other nice cars It's apparent that you and your wife don't work at McDonalds.
Yes, regenerative braking can feel strange (touchy brake pedal, strong engine-braking, no coasting-ability, etc...). But it also brings benefits in less brake wear, less need for the transmission to downshift (though many electric vehicles either use CVTs or constant one-speed transmissions that don't shift), and, of course, less current-use and longer range.
Thank you! I will turn on regenerative braking for long trips, but otherwise, we want the Tesla to act more like a normal car. I feel my head bobbing back and forth when driving with regenerative braking on....it gives me a headache. Just not used to operating a gas pedal like that, that's all.
There are some downsides: Tesla does not recommend fully charging the battery to preserve battery longevity. They say to keep it around 90% capacity unless you are planning an occasional long trip. So, range is more limited than advertised. Also, if you change settings to make the Model S act more like a normal car (i.e. no automatic regenerative braking when letting off the gas), then the displayed range is overly optimistic. Your actual range will be up to 10% less.
We were also considering a 911 (997.2), but the prices were the same as the Tesla and the Tesla came with a 4 year warranty. Plus, the 991 is even nicer, but is currently out of our price point. Tesla no-brainer.
Congrats on the new car!
I was just at a Tesla dealer today and was given a little different information about the charging. The person I talked to said they recommend leaving the car plugged when at home or not in use - sounds contrary 90% charge thing.
Also, the warranty, as I read, is 8 years/125k on the 60 and 8 years unlimited mileage on the 85 and P85.
Of course you want to keep it plugged in so you always have a near full charge, but you can set the Tesla system to only charge to a certain percentage. Batteries hate to be fully charged, and they hate to be fully depleted.
10-03-14, 05:39 PM
Picked up a Tesla Model S for my wife's birthday....my car is still better!!
congrats! really would like to hear what your typical 'range' you're willing to chance before getting back to the grid? also, how do you know a guage is optimistic unless you run out? 
