Ludicrous Mode Broke the Model X - 2016 Tesla Model X Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Ludicrous Mode Broke the Model X - 2016 Tesla Model X Long-Term Road Test

A minor flaw spotlighted by a major advantage in the Edmunds long-term 2016 Tesla Model X.

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faztang1

Broke the Model X? Nice headline bait, I fell for it. A broken iphone port is a broken Model X? Talk about a reach. Plus it sounds like you didn't even secure your phone correctly. So YOU broke the Model X.

actualsize

Yes, and this incident negated my post on installing the dock components, which come in a bag with a pair of interchangeable retainers for the iPhone 6 and 6 plus. Had they been in place where I left them, these fences would have prevented this. But they had been removed by a previous driver, presumably because they only accommodate a naked phone. They are not compatible with any sort of case, which makes it a crummy design.

I'll try again when we get the replacement part and I swap out the broken one.

bankerdanny

An inability to handle a case is only one aspect of crummy design. The other failure is that the port is iPhone only, excluding the approximately 100 million Android phones that use a micro USB plug. In 2016 it is beyond stupid that Tesla persists in accommodating Apple customers and not Android also.

mercedesfan

While I have to agree with @faztang1, I will say that as a Model S P85 owner I do get the feeling that constant and repeated hard launches actually could break the car. It's really fun, don't get me wrong, but Tesla's don't give off the feeling that they are particularly robust vehicles. Part of this comes from the fact that mine has been unreliable, but on a deeper level they don't have that intangible feeling of quality that the best cars do. For example, I also own a 1998 Porsche 911. I feel like I could do drop-clutch launches all day in that car and it wouldn't even stress it. There is an overwhelming sense of engineering integrity that makes the car feel like it can take whatever abuse is thrown at it and keep motoring along. Teslas do not feel that way.

gslippy

Headline bait for sure; give us a [real] break.

drcomputer

bankerdanny said:

An inability to handle a case is only one aspect of crummy design. The other failure is that the port is iPhone only, excluding the approximately 100 million Android phones that use a micro USB plug. In 2016 it is beyond stupid that Tesla persists in accommodating Apple customers and not Android also.

The Model X DOES come with a micro USB adapter and they have said they will soon provide a USB C adapter.

dkeen

@mercedesfan - the newer models are much, much better. My wife drives a 2013 85. It feels okay and always has. My 2015 P90D feels like granite. I launch it multiple times a day, every day (meter lights on onramps, or just for fun) and it feels as solid as the day I got it. 12k miles now which isn't much but I haven't noticed any degradation.

stever

A reporter is looking to speak with someone who recently got a great deal on a new luxury brand vehicle (BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Jaguar, etc.). If you're willing to share your story, please reach out to pr@edmunds.com by no later than Friday, May 20, 2016.