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Perilously close to placing order - a few Q's

5K views 50 replies 17 participants last post by  CubDriver 
#1 ·
Hi,

Push Button - get Tesla
Would be great to get some advice from you guys, I have been a lurker on these forums for a while. I think we will be pushing the button on a Tesla soon, the Jolltax clan and I went to Birmingham Tesla and went for a test drive in an 85D (I think) and were impressed. I must admit I never though I would own an American car as I have always thought they are generally unsuitable for our roads, ha!

My current car (an Audi A6 Allroad) is approaching 100k miles at which point I have always said i would replace it (no particular logic applied here, lol).

The model we selected was the 85D which, in the mean-time due to my slow decision-making, has been discontinued and has left me slightly adrift - 90D the obvious choice, if i bought the 70D would I end up regretting it? My current view would be to run the car for another arbitrary 100k miles and then evaluate again - this is about 6 years for us. It's all-electric design means that I am less concerned about mileage than I might be for an ICE car but I guess time will tell how well these cars last....

Here is my proposed spec :


A few questions :

  • Could I use one of the discount codes I see being discussed here, are ex-stock cars offered at lower prices? The nearly-new options seem limited for our spec the prices are surprisingly high..
  • Any tips on the ordering process? It was suggested the best way to order would be by phoning in, as opposed via the website.
  • I would be interested in whether owners think I am missing any critical options or getting any which aren't worthwhile
  • We have a quite large hairy dog, our initial assessment is that he will fit in the back as it has a large hatch - have any of you experience with fitting large dogs in the back? We won't use the 3rd row of seats option, our 2 kids will do battle in the second row ....
  • We are pretty hard on our cars and not very "car-proud" i.e. we don't really wash or clean them much and live in the countryside where the roads are permanently muddy and the interior will be full of wet dog and muddy wellies - are they durable? Our Audi interior has stood up pretty well under the onslaught and we'll get rubber mats of course.
  • I am fairly fussy about audio and in the past have always upgraded the audio systems in my cars (the fully upgraded 'premium' audio system in my Audi is pretty awful) - how bearable is the standard system without the upgrade? Er, I know that a very subjective question, there must an audiophile or two out there
  • Grip on snow and mud is important to us due to a couple of bad experiences, how are the cars in the snow / ice. I run my Audi on winter tyres - will probably do the same with the Tesla as they seem to wear fine in the summer also
  • I have elected not to get the air suspension even though the adaptable and ride-height adjustable suspension on my Allroad is excellent and i am generally a fan. Am I right in saying the Tesla system is not adaptive? My reasoning here is, although excellent, I think air suspension is probably unnecessary complication and likely to introduce reliability issues as I plan to keep my car long-term.
  • We live nowhere near a Supercharger and the car will probably never see one - does that make dual chargers a redundant option?
A bit excited tbh ......... thanks in advance for any comments or thoughts

Wub u

Jolltax
 
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#2 ·
Hello, I will chime on since I have all of 7 days as a Tesla owner under my belt ...
Getting the 70D? Well, are you interested in range or performance. I have the 70, and the performance is more than enough for me. The extra range with the 90D might be important, depending on where you will be driving.
Use a discount code? Well you can use mine if you like, although I have no idea if they can be applied to nearly-new.
Ordering process? The speccing of the vehicle is the easy/predictable part, and phone vs website don't have much to choose - if you order over the phone, the sales person will just be using the website on your behalf. The process thereafter will be thrilling, frustrating, exciting and confusing in equal measure, as well intentioned but sometimes inexperienced sales and delivery people wrestle with the challenge of dispatching a car to you :)
Options? Your list looks great. The premium interior is expensive but if you want the power tailgate it's a must. The subzero package I doubt will be worth it in the UK - remember they sell the same cars to people who spend their winters driving around Minnesota and Norway. Have you ever really needed heated windscreen wiper blades?
Durability? I'm not well equipped to judge but I'd be surprised if it's as durable as, say, a BMW. Consider getting a protective paint detailing job if you want the exterior to still look pristine after 100k miles of British outdoors. Upgrade your dog to a teflon-coated self-cleaning model :)
Audio? There is an article somewhere on the web by a guy who said the premium audio upgrade wasn't great, and he got a better result for less money by swapping out the speaker components. Try teslarati.com. I listen to classical music and jazz, and I consider myself a critical listener but not an audiophile :) and I think the standard audio is just fine. Take a test drive and bring along some good quality FLAC audio on a USB drive, and see how it sounds.
Winter tyres? Sounds like a good idea, but not my thing.
Air vs coils? Don't know. I have coils.
Dual chargers? There you have a misunderstanding I think. Dual chargers are no use at all for Supercharging, which bypasses onboard chargers and squirts DC straight into your battery. Dual chargers are only useful if you want to use 'medium' 22kW AC charging facilities out & about. It's more likely that you will want to use Chademo, for which you will need the Tesla £400 adaptor, and it's a life saver as well as being cheaper. At home, you will probably only have access to 7kW, and dual chargers won't help you (charging overnight at 7kW is fine - what difference does it make if your car finishes charging at 2am vs 5am?). Search these forums for discussions on the ins & outs - but I think you'll find it's not worth having.
Enjoy the excitement! You will love it.
 
#4 · (Edited)
The subzero package I doubt will be worth it in the UK - remember they sell the same cars to people who spend their winters driving around Minnesota and Norway. Have you ever really needed heated windscreen wiper blades?
I think you are right about this -it's deleted-
Regarding the tailgate - its a must have for Mrs Jolltax
thanks for the link to the Audio article!

EDIT : I never really considered using an aftermarket upgrade for the stereo, I guess I could go with the standard unit and upgrade with an aftermarket system if I was really unhappy, a really useful thought to consider

Jolltax
 
#5 ·
Sub zero pack is fantastic and it's not an expensive option for 5 heated seats and a heated steering wheel, with a leather interior you'd be daft not to get it. Big hit with my family (especially the kids!) and more efficient at heating bums than the climate control.

Coils are fine. Autopilot and TAC are fantastic - must have.

I would definitely suggest you spend money on the Next Gen seats, which are extremeley comfortable (for us) compared to the standard ones. Coming up to 1000 miles since we picked our 70 up last Wednesday and don't regret thsi option for a minute.

D vs S is a big discussion topic, D definitely drives and handles nicely, S gives you a big frunk for family holidays (although we've come away for a weeks holiday in Europe, family of 4 ,and haven't even filled the boot let alone the frunk yet). I don't regret the S at all the performance is more than adequate and we've had no range issues in France/Belgium/Holland so far. If you have the money, though, obviously get the biggest battery you can especially if keeping it for 7-8 years. There is not much performacne or range difference between the S70 and the 70D but for the 85 and 90 is definitely pays to go for the D.

Note that 100k miles is likely to be 4-5 years in a Tesla not 7-8 as you'll be out and about in more than you would an ICE :D
 
#7 ·
Sub zero pack is fantastic and it's not an expensive option for 5 heated seats and a heated steering wheel, with a leather interior you'd be daft not to get it. Big hit with my family (especially the kids!) and more efficient at heating bums than the climate control.
Evidently Mrs Jolltax agrees with you and, who am I kidding, she has a casting vote! - back in- lol
Will look carefully at the next gen seats, thanks for the advice.

Jolltax
 
#6 ·
Hi Jolltax. Here is my take in addition to the above:

- Order process - I found it easier to talk through my choices with a sales assistance over the phone - they set up an account for me and plugged in the options, I also felt less likely to make a mistake although you do get a couple of weeks to confirm once the order is placed (you can confirm sooner if you wish). But you do have access to all the same options online if you prefer or it's more convenient.
- The basic Model S is pretty well specced, so choice of options is very much personal preference (and budget!)
- Dogs don't seem to be an issue for many owners - I don't have one but I know there are good aftermarket boot liners (I've just bought one from Rhino Liner UK). Tesla's rubber mats are expensive but look to be very heavy duty - suitable for keeping mud & snow off the carpet (they go up the sides of the footwells a bit so would catch a fair amount of water/snow melt)
- The Model S is heavy but the traction control is reportedly excellent (I have an RWD 70 and have never thrown it around). Bear in mind it's a big heavy car you're trying to stop if you're running sub-optimal winter tyres in warm weather. The only 2WD option nowadays is the 70 but in the olden days (up to summer last year) even the RWD models were marketed as having great grip (have a look at Bjorn Nyland's You Tube channel if you haven't seen it yet).
- Agreed with @GreyDad on subzero, apparently it's a more efficient way to heat the car and I find it beneficial for short trips in the winter even if it's not actually subzero outside (I used it this morning, in fact).
- The electric tailgate is bundled with fog lights which is why I ended up getting it. An expensive option for what you get but it looks good. And my family and I do use the electric tailgate all the time.
- I've found the "basic" seats to be fine - they have a mixture of fabric and ?synthetic leather and look pretty smart. Some people find next gen a bit narrow so my advice would be to try to see both if you haven't done so already.
- echo @Grimupnorth 's comments on dual chargers. The CHAdeMO adapter is the rapid charging solution of choice these days. If unsure check with Tesla - there are some specific cases (e.g. regular access to 3 phase charging?) where dual chargers are still useful.
- I'm another coils driver. I expect someone with air will be along in due course. I think it is adaptive, in that the car self-levels and also can remember manual height settings for specific locations (potholes, steep driveways etc.).

Exciting stuff! Good luck with the order.
 
#8 ·
@Jolltax call me cynical, but I think the standard audio is designed to make you want to upgrade, and I'm no audiophile ;) I bought mine without so much as a test drive, so didn't really give it much thought and just went standard. It's the one upgrade that I really regret.

Durability is a hard one. Honestly I don't think it will be as durable as an Audi in terms of trim. The leather in mine (standard seats) is sagging a little at 2 years old, and it does creak from various points.

I know people will be along soon to say the more recent cars are better, and I'm sure they are right, as it really wouldn't be hard. ;)

However I'm still reserving judgement as to if they have really buttoned down the long term durability to the levels of other brands. They just don't have the track record.

With a 100k predicted mileage half of your ownership will be out of warranty. I know the drivetrain is unlikely to give you grief, and it's covered anyway, but it's still a complex car and one where things will be expensive to put right if out of your own pocket.

Stuff they have bought in will be fine as it's all from the same suppliers as MB/VW et al. It's the bespoke Tesla stuff that I'm more worried about, as it's expensive, and if consumer reports are anything to go by, are the things that go wrong.

The Touch screens, door handles, onboard chargers, light clusters (I'm sure the condensation really can't be doing long term reliability any favours).

Without an extended warranty available in the UK, could you consider having one for 3 years / 50k miles, then trading it in (even for a CPO of similar vintage if for no other reason than to take advantage of the as new warranty?)

You are more than welcome to use my referral code, if I haven't put you off :)
 
#11 ·
Without an extended warranty available in the UK, could you consider having one for 3 years / 50k miles, then trading it in (even for a CPO of similar vintage if for no other reason than to take advantage of the as new warranty?)
Might well happen, certainly won't rule it out, I think I will be re-assessing this along the way and will have plenty of people 'in front' of me to watch for a trend. Also, I am guessing that in 3 years time there will be a host of other EV options to consider as the other manufacturers run to catch up.

@Jolltax call me cynical, but I think the standard audio is designed to make you want to upgrade, and I'm no audiophile ;) I bought mine without so much as a test drive, so didn't really give it much thought and just went standard. It's the one upgrade that I really regret.
Mmmm, thanks, I am very fussy about this and I know it will annoy me if I don't get it now ...... lol

I haven't actually found a referral code yet, when I do I will consider yours - is there some kind of contest - maybe we should have a dance-off ........ lol

Great responses, by the way, really appreciate it. I am currently out of the UK on business and I know the wife is reading this <waves>

Interesting side note, my 11 y/o son wants us to get the one that's faster than a Bugatti Veyron - so he can tell his friends (he loves cars). I think I may also still have an inner 11 y/o. There still time for us to win the lottery.

Cheers

Jolltax
 
#9 ·
The sub zero pack is cheap and worth it for the heated steering wheel alone. Your rear seat passengers will like it too.

19" wheels are essential as the winter tyre choice for 21" wheels is near zero and very expensive. Also the 21" wheels really don't like pot holes.

As you live in the country, I would reconsider air suspension. The car is not high off the ground, so being able to raise it up on bad roads is handy. It also remembers where you have raised it and will do so automatically when you return to that location based on the GPS. You can set it to lower automatically at speed.

One feature of the 90kWh 400V battery, as opposed to the 70kWh 350V battery is that you can get 50 miles (or whatever) of charge into the big battery more quickly, if you are on a Supercharger or CHAdeMO. Sounds odd, but it's true.
 
#12 ·
19" wheels are essential as the winter tyre choice for 21" wheels is near zero and very expensive. Also the 21" wheels really don't like pot holes.
TBH I am not a very big fan of low profile wheels anyway, my Audi rides much better on 17" than the 19" it came with. I know they look good but I am too much of an engineer to worry about that. Plus they will be caked in mud and cow **** most of the time anyway.

J
 
#14 ·
Just in case you didn't know - prices go up next month. So you'll want to throw your deposit down by Thursday to lock in the current prices. You still have a week to cancel and get a full refund of course. Just don't want you to get a shock and find the price has jumped on Friday!
 
#16 ·
A few questions :

  • Could I use one of the discount codes I see being discussed here, are ex-stock cars offered at lower prices? The nearly-new options seem limited for our spec the prices are surprisingly high..
  • Any tips on the ordering process? It was suggested the best way to order would be by phoning in, as opposed via the website.
  • I would be interested in whether owners think I am missing any critical options or getting any which aren't worthwhile
  • We have a quite large hairy dog, our initial assessment is that he will fit in the back as it has a large hatch - have any of you experience with fitting large dogs in the back? We won't use the 3rd row of seats option, our 2 kids will do battle in the second row ....
  • We are pretty hard on our cars and not very "car-proud" i.e. we don't really wash or clean them much and live in the countryside where the roads are permanently muddy and the interior will be full of wet dog and muddy wellies - are they durable? Our Audi interior has stood up pretty well under the onslaught and we'll get rubber mats of course.
  • I am fairly fussy about audio and in the past have always upgraded the audio systems in my cars (the fully upgraded 'premium' audio system in my Audi is pretty awful) - how bearable is the standard system without the upgrade? Er, I know that a very subjective question, there must an audiophile or two out there
  • Grip on snow and mud is important to us due to a couple of bad experiences, how are the cars in the snow / ice. I run my Audi on winter tyres - will probably do the same with the Tesla as they seem to wear fine in the summer also
  • I have elected not to get the air suspension even though the adaptable and ride-height adjustable suspension on my Allroad is excellent and i am generally a fan. Am I right in saying the Tesla system is not adaptive? My reasoning here is, although excellent, I think air suspension is probably unnecessary complication and likely to introduce reliability issues as I plan to keep my car long-term.
  • We live nowhere near a Supercharger and the car will probably never see one - does that make dual chargers a redundant option?

Jolltax
My 2p on a few of these items:

  • I've only ever ordered online. It was easy and painless. Do whatever suits you best.
  • Your options list looks sensible. Note that you will not get the yacht floor; Tesla are now actually supplying a fully fitted centre console as standard.
  • IMO the options to drop (if any) are UHF sound where you can get a better upgraded system from an aftermarket supplier, and sub-zero which is basically unnecessary in the UK. The heated steering wheel is so ferocious that after 2 minutes I have to turn it off, and remote pre-conditioning before you leave is much more useful than aggressive heating after you set off anyway. The rear seat heaters are more trouble than they're worth because they can only be controlled by the driver by accessing a menu on the main screen.
  • Big dogs fit fine in the boot.
  • The car will not wear as well inside as an A6, but it will probably be OK, especially if you choose the basic seats and avoid light colours. Do not get 21" wheels.
  • A D car with winter tyres will be fantastic on snow/ice. I recommend Nokian WR-A4. You will be pulling other 4x4s out of ditches (or you would be if the Model S were permitted to tow).
  • The Tesla air suspension is a self-levelling system with 4 height settings. It doesn't adjust dynamically while driving (i.e. pumping up the outside shocks in a bend in order to keep the car level) but it does auto-adjust between its 4 heights based on driving speed and based on a GPS-enabled memory of previous locations where you've raised it. Get it if you need the extra ground clearance; don't if you don't. With 19" tyres the ride is perfectly supple enough without it.
  • Dual chargers are useful only if you have regular access to a rapid AC-only charger (i.e. either your home or a workplace has a 22kW 3 phase charge point). At roadside rapid charge points the CHAdeMO adaptor is infinitely more useful and much less expensive. And living nowhere near a Supercharger is the best way to be - SCs are about enabling long distance faraway travel so the last thing you want is to have one within 100 miles of your house :)
 
#18 ·
Wheeeey the heated steering wheel is a room-splitter! Love it. This is the kind of bare knuckle repartee that the internet was built on :)
I really think you should audition the audio, it's one of those things that is so conditioned by your past experience and your listening taste. (One of the nicest-sounding car audio systems I ever owned was in a Volvo, so what do I know ...). Also the acoustics of the cabin are very different than in a 'fossil' car - no engine noise obviously, but tyre noise and wind noise are there. Plus the pano roof (or not) will make a difference.
EDIT - you may need to put money down before you can audition, eh? - the only way forward is to obsess about it, read online forums for the next 12 hours, list the pros and cons in a spreadsheet, then make a rash decision and tell Mrs Jolltax that the high end stereo was the only choice available with the electric tailgate. Good luck.
 
#19 ·
Wheeeey the heated steering wheel is a room-splitter! Love it. This is the kind of bare knuckle repartee that the internet was built on :)
I really think you should audition the audio, it's one of those things that is so conditioned by your past experience and your listening taste.
HSW - On the plus side it keeps your hands nice and warm till you get off the side roads and AP can take the strain
on the negative side - it is such a faff to turn on and off, the control should really be at the bottom of the main screen

Audio - Surely the whole point of an EV is to not have to listen to the loud music needed to drown out the ICE ??
 
#25 ·
#26 ·
I'll add a little bit here from my experience. Many of the options can certainly be a personal choice so go and experience for yourself such as the seat choice and the audio.

What I would most certainly recommend is the 19 inch wheels which others have mentioned but as you are in the country go for air suspension. I've got coils on 19s and I've already touched bottom twice in 2 weeks of ownership - the worst was on the speed bump leaving Gretna Supercharger!!

Also definitely go for the pano roof. I think the headroom is too limited without especially with growing kids to think of. Plus the cabin is nicer with the extra light you get from it.

Good luck with your decisions!
 
#27 · (Edited)
Once again, great feedback from everyone. Timing wise, if the opportunity exists to jump in before the price rise we will try and take it and get a deposit down ....
Unfortunately progressing this is a bit awkward for me as I am in Africa (I work abroad) so Mrs Jolltax will be exploring this back in the UK today and get on the phone to Tesla. She is a tough negotiator so this is probably a good thing, lol

EDIT : Is there a referral code we CAN use when placing an order?

I'll keep you all posted.

Tally Ho!

Jolltax
 
#29 ·
#31 ·
It's all good!

Your Tesla has been scheduled for production. You have until 2016/04/12 to change your design or cancel for a full refund. After that date, your Tesla will enter the factory production queue and your order payment will be non-refundable.

Thanks for all the advice, it really helped. I must be mad.

Still wrestling with myself over air suspension, mind you.

Jolltax
 
#39 ·
Ha! Too late rapunzle. Tis already done.
At 2050 I was hurtling past Abington, hurtling I say, with a similar sort of smirk that I now reserve for when I'm passing petrol stations. So sadly I failed to see your wave.

But why, when travelling is now free, were you flying in a paraffin burning machine??
 
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