greg1647545532 Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 My cousin has more money than me and lets me drive his things. Prior to the Tesla he had a chipped 335i and then an E92 M3. Both were damn fast to my FWD econobox sensibilities, but neither made me want to run out and buy one. About a month ago I visited him just after he bought the Tesla, and riding around in it I was completely underwhelmed. The interior is understandably spartan (you get a 17" monitor and 4 vents, basically), but what surprised me was how cheap it feels inside. It's like a $20,000 Chysler in there. Which isn't to say it's bad, but I was left feeling like $100 grand should get you a little more. A lot more, really. Driving it, though, made me not give a shit about the interior. Two big things. One, there's zero lag between pressing on the accelerator and feeling the shove. Zero lag. It's like you think about going fast and then you're going fast. The shove peters out at normal driving speeds, but just rolling along about 20mph and mashing the pedal made me giggle out loud, like a little girl getting licked on the face by a puppy. Every single time. It's just instant. I don't think I would ever get sick of it. Second thing is that having instant torque on tap to adjust your speed on corner exit makes it feel way faster than it probably is, and will make chumps feel like rockstars as they blast through the twisties. You can basically loaf through every corner and then the power just pours on as soon as you think about it. I wouldn't drive it without traction control. Makes me appreciate the current F1 cars even more. If this is what having giant electric motors gets you, then bring 'em on. I can't say I'd want to pay $100k for it, especially since we had to take a 2 hour diversion from our intended route so he could go charge it up at a mall, but it was certainly a blast to drive for a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 I had to re-read your second paragraph a couple of times...then re-read the beginning of your post to double-check you were talking about the Tesla. You seriously thought the interior was cheap? Aside from the M-B parts-bin switchgear (which is perfectly fine) the interior is very well done and somewhat understated in a quality way, like an Audi. ...at least I agree with your summary: if the interior feels $25k, then you definitely get $75k+ in the powertrain/performance. The tesla is an amazing car all around. Glad you liked driving it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 we had to take a 2 hour diversion from our intended route so he could go charge it up at a mall, I'll bite when that part is fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg1647545532 Posted April 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 I hate Audi, with a passion, and I will never own a VAG product. But their interiors are hands down the best I've ever experienced. I will give them that. And the Tesla is no Audi. Even the fit and finish was bad, rattles and panel gaps. Cheap materials. Lackluster seats. I mean, the seats in his M3 were nice, and the Tesla feels like a Hyundai Sonata by comparison. Obviously this is all subjective, to each his own. But suffice it to say I wasn't impressed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg1647545532 Posted April 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 I'll bite when that part is fixed. His living situation is a bit complicated at the moment, but where he's staying he's only got access to a regular old 110V extension cord, which I think he said charges at a rate of 3 miles per hour. It's enough for him to get to work and back as long as he leaves it charged for 14 hours every day, but if he needs to duck into a supercharger station to do any real driving. Fortunately that's less than 5 miles away for him, but still a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewtoys Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 His living situation is a bit complicated at the moment, but where he's staying he's only got access to a regular old 110V extension cord, which I think he said charges at a rate of 3 miles per hour. It's enough for him to get to work and back as long as he leaves it charged for 14 hours every day, but if he needs to duck into a supercharger station to do any real driving. Fortunately that's less than 5 miles away for him, but still a pain. That sounds like the worst possible situation, what a dummy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg1647545532 Posted April 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 That sounds like the worst possible situation, what a dummy. He has a charger installed at his farm (about 90 minutes away) so he can go there and back, and one's getting installed at the house in DC he's remodeling, which is something like 9 months behind schedule owing in part to his wife being a cheating whore. So whatever. At the moment, though, it's very inconvenient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 wife being a cheating whore Ahhh..... Nuff said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Brian Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 So wait, you need some crazy charging station thing installed at your home just to own one of these cars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littleguy Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 I will say that two things that bother me about the P85 has been the interior quality being among the worst of any car near it's price range and the complete lack of beauty or creativity in the appearance of the car. That being said, the drivetrain and batteries are very impressive and I am an owner of TSLA stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Karacho1647545492 Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 the Tesla feels like a Hyundai Sonata by comparison. Looks like one too. I get it, it's a niche product that's shouldering an enormous financial burden so it can't afford to take risks beyond the inherent risk of being an electric car. But at the end of the day it's still a $100k car that feels and IMO looks like a $20k car when it comes to the sensation of BEING in the car. The sensation of DRIVING the car is worth possibly quite a bit more than $100k. It's good that they're selling, as it means a brighter future for electric cars and a greater likelihood that they'll exist in some way without needing a 2 hour break to recharge or go out of the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledhead36 Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 So wait, you need some crazy charging station thing installed at your home just to own one of these cars? No, you can use 110v but it will take 10 hours to get a full charge if the battery was near dead. If you put a 220v 40amp in your garage, it speeds that rate up to 6 hours. Now if you do step up to a 220v 90 amp, you can charge in 4 hours. An the super chargers charge in less than 30 minutes in most cases. Most people drive less than 100 miles per day, and charging would take 1/3 of those times for that amount of use. I get 265 miles on a charge for abut $7.00 per charge. btw superchargers are free!. I can drive from Florida to Ohio in a gas vehicle in 18 hours using $180 of gas. The Tesla takes 22 hours and is free charging all the way. The interior will never be BMW or Audi quality, that adds weight, that means less miles on a charge. The next generation battery will probably get 400 miles on a charge. The Model X sport utility 7 passenger is coming out next this summer. The economy version is due out in 2017 with a starting price of $35k. Going 0-60 in 3 seconds make me not care what the interior looks like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledhead36 Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 My buddy Brooks and his P85D http://mashable.com/2015/04/28/tesla-racing/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg1647545532 Posted April 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 No, you can use 110v but it will take 10 hours to get a full charge if the battery was near dead. If you put a 220v 40amp in your garage, it speeds that rate up to 6 hours. Now if you do step up to a 220v 90 amp, you can charge in 4 hours. An the super chargers charge in less than 30 minutes in most cases. I think you're overestimating the 110V charging rate, probably because you don't have to use it. My cousin said he gets 3 miles of range per hour charging at that rate; wiki says 3.75 miles per hour, and Tesla's own calculator says that 10 hours at 110V will get you a whopping 35 miles. 180 miles of range will take a ludicrous 55 hours. Plugging this thing into a wall outlet just isn't feasible. That same calculator says that a 40A charger like the ones he's having installed will get you 180 miles in 6 hours, so there your numbers match up. The 90 amp charger and/or 30 minute supercharger charging requires you to have paid for dual charging circuits in the car, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 My buddy Brooks and his P85D http://mashable.com/2015/04/28/tesla-racing/ Nice write up. Great looking sedan IMO. I'm in the group of those stating the value just isn't there though. That's all relative of course as everyone's mileage will vary on what they are using to define value. I suppose the all electric car thing and Tesla name are like an iPhone and worth a premium to some tough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledhead36 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I think you're overestimating the 110V charging rate, probably because you don't have to use it. My cousin said he gets 3 miles of range per hour charging at that rate; wiki says 3.75 miles per hour, and Tesla's own calculator says that 10 hours at 110V will get you a whopping 35 miles. 180 miles of range will take a ludicrous 55 hours. Plugging this thing into a wall outlet just isn't feasible. That same calculator says that a 40A charger like the ones he's having installed will get you 180 miles in 6 hours, so there your numbers match up. The 90 amp charger and/or 30 minute supercharger charging requires you to have paid for dual charging circuits in the car, right? My numbers are personal experience, not sure where all the stated numbers come from. I know it never took more than 12 hours on 110v before I got the 220v 90amp, and yes I had to buy the dual chargers. When I plug it in, it says exactly how long it is going to take and then the app notify's my phone it is finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudiOn19s Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I had to re-read your second paragraph a couple of times...then re-read the beginning of your post to double-check you were talking about the Tesla. You seriously thought the interior was cheap? Aside from the M-B parts-bin switchgear (which is perfectly fine) the interior is very well done and somewhat understated in a quality way, like an Audi. ...at least I agree with your summary: if the interior feels $25k, then you definitely get $75k+ in the powertrain/performance. The tesla is an amazing car all around. Glad you liked driving it! I'm rather anti-electric / hybrid yet have really enjoyed the P85 and P85+ that I've driven. I could absolutely see why people enjoy and marvel over these as I certainly did while I was behind the wheel of them. Like the OP, I thought the interior was bad, like they hope the screen captures and keeps your attention so that you don't notice how bad the rest of it is. I won't own one, but after driving one I "get it" and totally respect those who decide to opt for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShowHBK Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I'll bite when that part is fixed. This has always bugged me as well... I know Tesla had a plan to implement more charging stations. I wanna know how many more they plan to add when when they will be implemented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I saw a bright metallic green S or P85D last night in old dublin. Really a striking car. Surprised that it was a custom color. That's all I have to add to this thread, I'd rather have a Volt and an expensive motorcycle than a tesla. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc1647545523 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 They're really amazing cars from my experience. I felt the interior was striking in its clean design .... it didn't seem cheap to me, but minimalist the way some Scandinavian house interiors are. And keep in mind you can upgrade a Tesla with different wood veneers. I'd take the Tesla over any BMW interior I've seen. I was close to purchasing one, but finally decided not to because of needing to trim down my number of cars. I feel that a Tesla is in my future after some of the newer models (with lower prices) arrive and after I settle on a different garage situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I'd also add that once Tesla figures out 400 mile range reliably per charge, and a recharge time of an hour or less, then I say BYE BYE, INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. I know that's a tall order, but they are working on it more successfully than any other manufacturer out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I'd also add that once Tesla figures out 400 mile range reliably per charge, and a recharge time of an hour or less, then I say BYE BYE, INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. I know that's a tall order, but they are working on it more successfully than any other manufacturer out there. Weren't they supposed to have some kind of update recently that was to somehow magically transform their range into something more usable than 250 miles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg1647545532 Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I'd also add that once Tesla figures out 400 mile range reliably per charge, and a recharge time of an hour or less, then I say BYE BYE, INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. I know that's a tall order, but they are working on it more successfully than any other manufacturer out there. I know LiIon battery prices are tumbling, but I've read that the true cost of the 85 kWh battery pack is $45,000. That's the real sticking point. You could make a car with a 400 mile range and quad charging circuits that could recharge in under an hour today. The real question is how much are you willing to pay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 You could make a car with a 400 mile range and quad charging circuits that could recharge in under an hour today. The real question is how much are you willing to pay? Ooh...not much, if you know me. Total bar-napkin calculation here, but if you could get a $30k car that travels 300 miles a charge and recharges in 3 hours, that would be big. I'm travelling for business, going to Cleveland and back in a day. Figure that at 60mph average(mostly highway at 70mph, some street driving) you cover 300miles in 5 hours, there and back. Let's assume you're getting 25mpg, and that the future cost of gas (since it is going up) will be about $3 a gallon: 300miles/25mpg = 12 gallons 12gal*$3/gal = $36 in gas for that one trip. If I make 9 trips like that a month on average (20 business days), that's $324 a month I save just in gas...let alone driving around Columbus. Cost to finance $30k for 5 years at 4%? $539 a month; I've paid for over half of the finance expense for that hypothetical $30k electric car just on gas savings alone. Even my googling netted maybe $50/month for electric charging overnight at my own home... I have fun joking about how cheap I am, but I am pragmatic; if a $35k Tesla comes around that has the range/recharge performance I stated above, I won't be the only smart businessman that makes the jump... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripleskate Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Being so close to HQ, Teslas are everywhere in SoCal. On my commute to work (West L.A.), I regularly pass a dozen, each way. Range anxiety doesnt really exist, because our infrastructure easily supports the idea. Also, with the big state-wide group buy on 500EV, and the Chevy Spark EV, electric cars are everywhere. Heavily debated buying the 500E because it was so cheap, but too boring to drive. The D is a big step up from the regular P85, imo. Sounds like you drove an earlier car, the 2014(?)+ models have a revised interior. Although, it's not for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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