TESLA Model S Review

Ever since they launched the car, Tesla has been paying close attention to the feedback, using this to upgrade the Model S. Presently we are using one of the most important additions to have arrived in that fashion, the creep mode - in earlier model the driver had to feed the car with slight portions of throttle during parking.

Urban drives often require leaving the vehicle only to return after a short while and the Model S is glad to be of service - the car detects the driver, as well as sensing its own key fob and is always ready to go.

Not having to push any start button may seem weird after years of doing so, but it's definitely helpful once you get used to it.
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No really, driving this through the urban areas almost convinces one that the car is acting based on the driver's thoughts.

The overall response is sharp and there's no noise whatsoever. So if you want to take a right here, you've already done that. Many EVs share this, but the Tesla's upper tier approach brings city driving into a class of its own. Not only is this situated above other electric cars, but also tops its combustion competitors, cars like the Audi A7, BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes CLS or Porsche Panamera.

Now about the lack of noise... this is coming from an electric motor, which, in our P85 (Performance) test car, generates 310 kW (416 hp) between 5,000 and 6,000 rpm and a torque of 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) from zero to 5,100 rpm.

The P85’s 85 kWh battery package is also offered for the Tesla Model S 85, whose electric motor delivers 362 hp and 325 lb-ft (440 Nm) of torque. If driven in the same manner, both come with an EPA range of 265 miles (427 km).

There’s also a 65 kWh battery, which is offered for a 225 kW (302 hp) motor, which comes with 317 lb-ft (430 Nm) of torque, offering an EPA range of 208 miles (335 km).

As for the charging bit, there are quite a few combinations. First of all, there’s an on-board charger converting AC current to the battery’s DC power. You can opt for a single charger or a dual charger and it’s good to know that the latter can also be retrofitted. If you’re using a standard 120V 12A outlet or a 240V 40A outlet, the charger choice won’t make a difference. The 120V route means you get 5 miles (8 km) of driving range per hour of charge, while the 240V infrastructure takes the value to 31 (50 km).

Nevertheless, if you have dual chargers and you’ve also ordered a wall connector, you can get 62 miles (100 km) of range per hour of charge.

Back inside our Model S P85 tester, that directness we felt in the city can be put to even better use out here on the open road. Feed the car with some throttle and the first two seconds of sprinting will leave you breathless. There’s nothing of the usual internal combustion powertrain delay, here you just project yourself towards the horizon.

And where the Tesla Roadster whined, the Model S remains silent. You’ll be hearing yourself smiling from the instant response then.

Mind you, once this initial boost settles into “normal” acceleration, you will not experience anything special. As usual with electric power, there’s no gearbox. What you get is a 9.71 axle ratio and there’s only so much it can do.

You don’t buy a Tesla Model S to rip the clock apart, but if you are into this sort of stuff, here’s what you should know. The P85 needs 4.2 seconds for the 60 mph (96 km/h) sprint, while the quarter mile game is played in 12.6 seconds. Only a bit behind a BMW M5, for example.

The top speed drama ends at 130 mph (209 km/h) and, to answer the question, this is due to cooling and driving range limitations.

Just like the driving position, the throttle mapping is set towards the dynamic side. Imagine the pedal feel as if it were that of a car set to “sport” mode. Here is where we would’ve liked an extra setting on that 17-inch screen. There are simply times when you want to let the journey flow and a softer pedal would help.

Tesla’s Model S talks to the road via a set of air springs and passive shock absorbers. Moreover, our test car rolled on optional 21-inch performance rubber.

This is the only part of the car where sportiness has made way for comfort.

The air suspension, which is height-adjustable, manages to filter out the issues. In addition, the dense battery pack serving as a floor keeps the fuss from coming in.

As for the handling, you can feel more body roll than in its conventionally-powered competitors. This compromise could’ve been solved by using active shock absorbers, which should’ve been standard.

Instead, Tesla offers an optional Performance Plus Package for $10,000. Out of that money, $3,500 goes on a set of 21-inch rims and beefier Michelin Pilot Sport SP2 rubber. The remaining $6,500 is spent on revised dampers, bushings and anti-roll bars. We haven’t had the chance to play with this, but Tesla claims the ride isn’t affected, while the range is... are you ready? slightly increased.

Tesla’s Model S can be enjoyed over a wide range of scenarios. With or without your family, on the highway or on twisty roads, this sedan knows how to juggle comfort and going fast. At high speed, you do hear a bit of wind noise, but that would’ve probably been covered by the engine sound, had the Tesla been conventionally powered.

Of course, enjoyment doesn’t quite fit into the same sentence with “range anxiety” and while the Model S does bring certain assets, it holds no magic trick. We used a moderate to sporty driving style, something we found suitable for the Performance model. Our test route included them all: city, highway and canyon roads. At the end of the day, our driving range was somewhere around 160 miles. We actually stopped at a little over 150, because we were almost out of juice and borrowing electrical current isn’t among the things we master.

That’s pretty far behind the 260-mile EPA range. We can’t help but imagine that 5.3 cubic feet (150 liters) cargo space in front us filled with a range extender. We’re pretty sure the remaining official figure of 26.3 cubic feet (745 liters) at the back would be enough, but the investment was, once again, the issue.

You can find better steering feel in the sports sedan segment, but the Tesla Model S doesn’t disappoint, offering decent feedback. Aided by this, the handling is clean, with the car being transparent and predictable.

Alas, once you take the Model S past eight tenths, you will be left searching for technology. We’re in a rather wide left-hander now and we’re kinda’ hammering it.

When you’re going this fast, there’s not too much room to have fun in the Model S, despite the balanced chassis.

It’s understandable for Tesla not to invest in features such as active stabilizer bars or all-wheel drive, which would bring serious engineering costs without necessarily generating the corresponding revenue. Still, that rear diff simply doesn’t feel clever enough.

With electric motors, modulation has always been a problem and Tesla still hasn’t perfectly sorted this out. Lexus has had this issue with some of its past hybrids, but a few generation on the market have allowed the engineers to bring things on track.

A more advanced differential and perhaps a torque vectoring function that would brake the inner wheel during a bend. That’s what the Performance version of the Tesla Model S really needs.