2013 Tesla Model S Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

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mfennell

Sneaking in before fordson1: "but 90% of AMerica can't take a road trip in one!" "if it's so great, why does it have so many fewer miles than the CX-5?" "expensive" "what about apartment dwellers?"

Did I miss any?

quadricycle

What impresses me about the Tesla is that its different. Sure there's some other electric cars out there, but here you've got a really fast, large luxury sedan over a huge flat battery and four electric motors. Nobody is (successfully) making an electric car like this one for the moment. I appreciate them breaking the mold. Also, the build quality impresses me. I'm not actually saying that the build quality is good (although mechanical quality does seem good, even if interior may be slightly lacking), but its a spectacular first attempt at making a car from the ground up. Other things like the aforementioned door handles are just fluff, so that shouldn't impress. Even things like the suspension set-up, which is definitely important, isn't per-say impressive because I'd venture to say the ride is just as good, or maybe even better, in an A8 or S-Class. So there you go, the novelty and effort impress me.

greenpony

And, in a rare alignment of automotive critiques, Consumer Reports gave this car their highest rating ever: a test score of 99. I would stretch the budget to buy this car.

noburgers

the offer of a ride would get me to leave the cheese store too. although I can't say I ever hung out around any kind of store, there's something very humorous about reading that Mark hangs out at a cheese store.

fordson1

Why, no, mfennell, I think you hit them all. (fordson1 hits "post," goes on with life; mfennell gets another can of Red Bull from fridge, resumes watching all Tesla S posts for more fordson1 comments).

fordson1

Also, yeah - the "hanging around the cheese store" line got me, too. Mark, did you know that lots of artisanal cheese-makers age their products in caves? Caves usually have bats in them - there's a mental image for you. My work here is done.

stoneymonster

@quadricycle- It's only got one electric motor, between the rear wheels.

mtakahashi_

fordson1: That's mean...just mean...but I'm glad you're paying attention! BTW, the Cheese Store is run by total car nuts just like us. The owner has a VERY eclectic collection (including a Ferrari 330GT with a small-block chevy in it).

misterfusion

Mr. Takahashi, I had this idea yesterday and was planning on exploiting it greedily, but given your apparent interest in the subject, I will let you have it!

Open a cheese shop that specializes in different varieties of Swiss cheese only. Call it, "Hole Foods".

(And, boom goes the dynamite.)

wheelmccoy_

>> The owner has a VERY eclectic collection (including a Ferrari 330GT with a small-block chevy in it).

I read "including a Ferrari 330GT with a small block of cheese in it."

That does it, time to log off!

quadricycle

@stoneymonster: Yes, you're right. I knew that so I'm not sure what lead me to type that... Perhaps I'm getting senile a little early.

fordson1

To be honest, I love good cheese enough that even without the cars, I don't mind spending time in a place like that.