Sunday, February 22, 2015

The Tesla Model S isn't perfect


After driving my Model S for 1 2/3 years, I still get questions about how I like it.  The short form is that I absolutely love it.  I do have to concede, however, that it is not perfect.

I've done a joke post about the things I hated about the car, but it was just that:  a joke post.  The Model S does, though, have a few failings worth noting.

For one, it's short on cup holders, with two awkwardly placed ones in the front and none in the back.  I'm alone in the car more often than not, so this is not a big issue, but it is real.

My charge port door (the cover over the place you insert the charger) does not always open as it should.  I then have to use the display's controls to open it, a process that requires several button pushes.  Again, this is a small thing, but it's a failing.

Some people in the rear seats have encountered problems with the seat belts being too tight on them. 

Neither the steering wheel nor the rear seats are heated.  Yes, that may sound like a silly gripe, but if you're aiming for perfection, you should address these concerns.  (Tesla offers both of these heating options in one of its packages for the new P85D.)

The biggest problem with the car is not one that matters to me:  It's not good for tall people.  They have trouble getting into the car's front seat, and in the back seat a person over 6'1" tall is likely to have his/her head touch the roof.  Other than encouraging those folks to buy a Model X when it appears, I have no answers for this one.

The oddest characteristic of the car that troubles me regularly is that software updates cause it to change its behavior in ways I can't always control.  For example, for a long time the car would default to one view of the energy usage (instant sample) when I wanted a different one (sample from last 30 miles).  A software update caused it to stay with whatever you had last selected, which was great for me, because now I always see the sample from the last 30 miles.  On the other hand, that same update has caused the car to start playing music when I come to open it, and I would prefer it not do that.

All of these are quibbles for what I still consider to be the world's best car, but for those who are wondering and asking:  I still love the Tesla Model S, and I feel very lucky to be able to own one, but I must admit it's not perfect.



2 comments:

Michelle said...

Well, damn. It's perfect enough, says the very jealous non-Tesla owner.

Mark said...

Oh, that it very much is. No denying. It's the best car. Period.

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