Centurion
Apex Apex Predator
Tesla Model S Review
In late September I was on vacation in the USA. I spent a few nights in New Jersey and then flew down to humid Florida for 8 night’s relaxations. One of the things I looked forward to most about Florida, was spending a few days with the Tesla Model S P60.
The car is subject of many heated debated on the internet. Likewise when the motor car was invented a hundred or so years ago, opinions were split. It was opposed by horse breeders who claimed that G-forces generated by fast cars could be harmful. Personally, I prefer the lateral G-Forces of a 2016 Honda NSX than filling my lungs with the stench of horse manure in a sunny Jul traffic jam.
The Tesla Model isn’t the car of the future but the start of it. Mercedes, BMW and Toyota should be worried that such a user-friendly, accomplished and liked car has been created by an entirely new player. With Apple and Google rumored to be working on electric cars for 2018, the industry has a seismic shake-up ahead.
What I disliked
What I Liked
Drive-train
This is the easiest car I have ever driven. I now understand why the Nanny where I was staying loved doing errands in it. There is nothing to manage: No RPM, gears, torque curve, turbo lag, inertia to think about.
Setting off in it, there is no creep, which means that the car will not set itself into motion unless you press the gas pedal. If you lift your foot off the gas the energy harvesting slow down the car. It’s is a brilliant feature I didn’t expect.
If I drive at 60mph and see a red light 300 meters ahead I simply get off the gas and only in the final 30m will I need to apply brakes to bring the car to a stop. Brakes are therefore used very sparsely.
Simply put, the car won’t set itself in motion remain in motion unless you instruct it to. It reduced anxiety, is relaxing and the best feature of the Model S
Prior to driving the Model S I had experienced electric go-karts. Both share the same principal, torque is instant and surges in linear and addictive way. Unfortunately, I didn’t drive the P95 with Ludocris mode by the P85 which accelerates to 62mph in 5.5sec which isn’t groundbreaking, but achieves that performance with little sound or drama.
The Touchscreen
Going back to iDrive from Tesla’s touch screen was like picking up a 2008 Blackberry after using an iPad. It is pathetic. If you think I’m exaggerating ask yourself this: Which device is quicker for inputing a destination or finding a song, your touchscreen phone or a car?
There is no learning curve for using Tesla’s touch screen. It’s big, everything is in front of you, just a tap away and you’ll never get lost. It’s a relaxing experience in contrast to clunky sub-menus and small screens. It’s a controversial piece of technology in a car but for controlling entertainment and navigation the screen is marvelous and userfriendly. You can even pinch & zoom or rotate the map like you would on an iPad.
The only ergonomic crime Tesla committed was putting the HVAC controls on the screen. To change can speed you have to reach to the bottom of the screen, press the fan button and then use the slider that comes up on a small pop-up screen. It is terribly inconvenient and distracting at high speeds. Changing temperature or fan speed shouldn’t take more than a split second. Even the sunroof is controlled through the touch screen.
What is it like inside the car.
Whether you like comfort or sporty sedans, the Model S is pleasant to drive. It is planted in corners and agile but absorbs unevenness and bumps really well. The ride is democratic and will please those prefer firmer rides but also those who enjoy a cushioned ride.
Authenticity is plentiful in the cabin. You can’t accuse Tesla of copying nor being unimaginative. Doors panels look like they are from a Sci-fi movie. Some parts of the interior do feel prop-like or unfinished. The armrests on the doors for examples, don’t have any cushioning or padding. It’s basically leather glued directly on to plastic which isn’t luxurious. @martinbo who doesn’t want to hang the door of a C-Class as a piece of baroque art on his living room wall, will be pleased by this minimalism. Others, who seek a luxury car might find the Tesla lacking. The rubber around the door frame looks a bit prototype-ish which is another sign that more resources were put towards the complex drive-train than the interior.
Would I buy it?
Is is much quieter than powerful than a comparably priced Audi A6, 5er or E-Class? No. However the drive train is more refined and the car is more pleasant to use than just drive. The Model S is a car to buy if you want to sample the future that’s packaged to blend in with the present.
From a petrol head perspective, the Model S didn’t fully win my heart, but I can’t dismiss the ease of driving it. Most car buyers don’t know what’s under their hood and frankly don’t care. All they need is a car that’s responsive, nippy in town and gives confidence when overtaking. The Model S ticks all those boxes and executes in a linear and relaxing fashion.
Tesla has built a unique and fantastic car that is really going to push Google, Apple and inevitably Samsung to bring the fossil fuel dependent automative industry a fight it imagined would never come.
In late September I was on vacation in the USA. I spent a few nights in New Jersey and then flew down to humid Florida for 8 night’s relaxations. One of the things I looked forward to most about Florida, was spending a few days with the Tesla Model S P60.
The car is subject of many heated debated on the internet. Likewise when the motor car was invented a hundred or so years ago, opinions were split. It was opposed by horse breeders who claimed that G-forces generated by fast cars could be harmful. Personally, I prefer the lateral G-Forces of a 2016 Honda NSX than filling my lungs with the stench of horse manure in a sunny Jul traffic jam.
The Tesla Model isn’t the car of the future but the start of it. Mercedes, BMW and Toyota should be worried that such a user-friendly, accomplished and liked car has been created by an entirely new player. With Apple and Google rumored to be working on electric cars for 2018, the industry has a seismic shake-up ahead.
What I disliked
- HVAC controls on the touch screen
- Premium but not luxurious interior
- Motorized door handles
What I Liked
- Easiest car I've ever driven
- Brakes are rarely needed
- No engine creep(can be switched on)
- The touch screen
- Beautiful and resolved exterior
Drive-train
This is the easiest car I have ever driven. I now understand why the Nanny where I was staying loved doing errands in it. There is nothing to manage: No RPM, gears, torque curve, turbo lag, inertia to think about.
Setting off in it, there is no creep, which means that the car will not set itself into motion unless you press the gas pedal. If you lift your foot off the gas the energy harvesting slow down the car. It’s is a brilliant feature I didn’t expect.
If I drive at 60mph and see a red light 300 meters ahead I simply get off the gas and only in the final 30m will I need to apply brakes to bring the car to a stop. Brakes are therefore used very sparsely.
Simply put, the car won’t set itself in motion remain in motion unless you instruct it to. It reduced anxiety, is relaxing and the best feature of the Model S
Prior to driving the Model S I had experienced electric go-karts. Both share the same principal, torque is instant and surges in linear and addictive way. Unfortunately, I didn’t drive the P95 with Ludocris mode by the P85 which accelerates to 62mph in 5.5sec which isn’t groundbreaking, but achieves that performance with little sound or drama.
The Touchscreen
Going back to iDrive from Tesla’s touch screen was like picking up a 2008 Blackberry after using an iPad. It is pathetic. If you think I’m exaggerating ask yourself this: Which device is quicker for inputing a destination or finding a song, your touchscreen phone or a car?
There is no learning curve for using Tesla’s touch screen. It’s big, everything is in front of you, just a tap away and you’ll never get lost. It’s a relaxing experience in contrast to clunky sub-menus and small screens. It’s a controversial piece of technology in a car but for controlling entertainment and navigation the screen is marvelous and userfriendly. You can even pinch & zoom or rotate the map like you would on an iPad.
The only ergonomic crime Tesla committed was putting the HVAC controls on the screen. To change can speed you have to reach to the bottom of the screen, press the fan button and then use the slider that comes up on a small pop-up screen. It is terribly inconvenient and distracting at high speeds. Changing temperature or fan speed shouldn’t take more than a split second. Even the sunroof is controlled through the touch screen.
What is it like inside the car.
Whether you like comfort or sporty sedans, the Model S is pleasant to drive. It is planted in corners and agile but absorbs unevenness and bumps really well. The ride is democratic and will please those prefer firmer rides but also those who enjoy a cushioned ride.
Authenticity is plentiful in the cabin. You can’t accuse Tesla of copying nor being unimaginative. Doors panels look like they are from a Sci-fi movie. Some parts of the interior do feel prop-like or unfinished. The armrests on the doors for examples, don’t have any cushioning or padding. It’s basically leather glued directly on to plastic which isn’t luxurious. @martinbo who doesn’t want to hang the door of a C-Class as a piece of baroque art on his living room wall, will be pleased by this minimalism. Others, who seek a luxury car might find the Tesla lacking. The rubber around the door frame looks a bit prototype-ish which is another sign that more resources were put towards the complex drive-train than the interior.
Would I buy it?
Is is much quieter than powerful than a comparably priced Audi A6, 5er or E-Class? No. However the drive train is more refined and the car is more pleasant to use than just drive. The Model S is a car to buy if you want to sample the future that’s packaged to blend in with the present.
From a petrol head perspective, the Model S didn’t fully win my heart, but I can’t dismiss the ease of driving it. Most car buyers don’t know what’s under their hood and frankly don’t care. All they need is a car that’s responsive, nippy in town and gives confidence when overtaking. The Model S ticks all those boxes and executes in a linear and relaxing fashion.
Tesla has built a unique and fantastic car that is really going to push Google, Apple and inevitably Samsung to bring the fossil fuel dependent automative industry a fight it imagined would never come.
