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alsetj

New Member
Sep 21, 2013
3
0
NJ
I walked into the Short Hills Showroom amazed by the car, esp. about what I had heard over the last several weeks.

I'm thinking of getting the Tesla-S (85b) and some upgrades for around 94K; I will finance and definitely sell the car back to the CEO in 3 years!

A few questions:

  • is it too early?
  • are there still bugs?
  • initial thoughts on the car for first-time buyers?
  • is it worth waiting for the AWD in Northern NJ?
  • i heard about battery issues in the car, i.e. if you have a wet rainjacket or coat, it could shut down the battery?
  • how has customer service been for several of you?
  • have many of you already bought the car as your primary vehicle or just added it to the few you may already have?

Thanks!
 
  • is it too early?

I have 5031 and it's been great. They are up to 20,000+ now.



  • are there still bugs?

There are still bugs in cars from companies that have been in existence for years. My car has really been rock solid.



  • initial thoughts on the car for first-time buyers?

Go for it. You won't regret it.



  • is it worth waiting for the AWD in Northern NJ?

Not in my opinion. Just get four good studless snow tires and a set of four winter wheels. Nokian R2, Michelin XICE, Bridgestone Blizzak are all good choices.



  • i heard about battery issues in the car, i.e. if you have a wet rainjacket or coat, it could shut down the battery?

Huh? No.



  • how has customer service been for several of you?

The best ever.



  • have many of you already bought the car as your primary vehicle or just added it to the few you may already have?

Primary vehicle. See the daily driver thread.
 
"finance and sell back"... lease the car, you mean?

I think the early bugs are resolved and cars coming off the line in last 4 months are really nice. Now might be the sweet spot before cost cutting measures or further price increases happen. Or it could be that just before the last price increases was the best time. Either way, I only expect the firmware to get better and you might need to wait another year or two if wanting a significantly better car at any price.
 
...battery issues in the car, i.e. if you have a wet rainjacket or coat, it could shut down the battery?

Where does this stuff come from?! I mean really?! You can't make up stuff like this... oh wait, sure I suppose some sleazy car sales guy who doesn't want you to buy it - probably crank out B.S. like this all the time.

I love my car, no issues, 6,000 miles in 90 days. Best car driving dynamics by a long shot.

A "B" version, beyond what they're offering now, will only go up in price.
 
I have had mine since March. 12,000 miles later, not a problem other than a creak in my pano roof and a dome light that didn't work. Service dept was great, took care of it right away. I can't imagine driving anything else. No way on earth would I wait. In fact, you better get your order in now. The orders will be rolling in from Europe and China. If you don't order now, you may get your car 6 months later than you planned.
 
I believe most of the bugs around production have been ironed out, and if they find other bugs more than likely it'll be software updates that are pushed to your vehicle. Jump in head first. Have fun! Let us know what you think once you pull the trigger. I don't believe I've ever met or heard a Model S owner that says "I wish I would have bought something else"... You'll share the same silly grin that is on other owners faces days, weeks, months... dear I say years later.
 
  • i heard about battery issues in the car, i.e. if you have a wet rainjacket or coat, it could shut down the battery?

Sorry, but that has got to be the most hilarious question I've ever seen on this forum. Someone is really spinning a tale! Absolutely impossible.

The S is a fantastic daily driver, year round. Once you drive it you can never go back.
 
Perhaps the OP is referring to this customer complaint?

New Cars: New Car Prices, Reviews and Specs

TESLA AND WATER DON'T MIX
By grace, Sep 19, 2013
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my husband accidentally spilled the cooler inside the car after he hit the break, and the car just stopped in the middle of the road. the car was totally dead (was embarrassed as a lot of people that drove by knew it was a Tesla ~___~ and waved at me) and waited 2hrs for the roadside assistant to arrive. the next day the Costa Mesa service center called, and they were willing to change the connectors that had water damage for us for free, I WAS HAPPY THAT TESLA WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE AS I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING UNCOMMON TO HAVE IT HAPPENED INSIDE OF A CAR, WHO DOES NOT HAVE A COOLER? AND WHO DOES NOT CARRY WATER IN THE CAR? after a wkend, I called Tesla to check on my car, and they told me that the original way they thought would work did not work, and the car is still dead ,~__~, and said needed to change the whole harnest which will cost me $7500+, I was so shocked with what water had done to a car like this? THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE TO ME, so say if it rained, and you jumped into your car wet, oopse, you can't go anywhere, because you are wet, and you got your car wet, and your car won't start? does it make sense to anyone? does tesla say NO WATER IN ANY TESLA VEHICLE? this might be the draw back of EV car, I love the car, however, this incident scared me with thoughts of what if your kids or pets peed inside the car? then the car just dies in the middle of no where, it might create serious problems, and what if there is a emergency and you spilled your water and you can't go anywhere 'cuz the car is dead? What if my husband was on the highway, and the car just stopped in the middle of the highway, imagine what would have happened because the car does not have outlet for water inside out? I honestly think this is a design flaw, and this is serious!!!! A car MFG needed to test a car's safety under thousands of different situations and situation's simulations to know how the car would react when things happen, and for a car like this to just STOP, and once STOPPED, you can't even put it into neutral to push the car to the side of the road? THAT'S A HAZARD FOR ALL, and prevent it from happening. THIS IS A CAR, CAN YOU IMAGINE YOUR CAR JUST SHORTS OUT LIKE THIS? THIS IS A TESLA, NOT A cellphone, even cellphone is waterproof these days, and does not just die on you on the spot! Anyone who reads this, what would you do if you were me?
 
Get it now, it's way better than what you're driving currently. How can I know? Because it doesn't matter what you're driving currently.

When it gets better, which it will, then decide on what point you want a new one, trading in the one you bought (today).
 
Of course you're posting on an enthusiasts' forum, so you're getting biased answers. If you haven't gone on a test drive yet, I highly recommend scheduling one, that's what sold me. Completely blew me away, twice.

Re: customer service - phenomenal for me. Everything from prompt replies to no hold time to the employees being genuinely excited about Tesla and its products and mission. Such a pleasant experience dealing with them, and such a HUGE contrast vs. any other car dealer I've ever met.

Re: water - I just drove my new Model S around in the pouring rain in southern NJ to run some errands, picking up a couple things we forgot to pack when we left DC. (I'm on my first road trip this weekend!) Parking lots were all flooded, as were some roads. I tossed my soaking wet umbrella into the center console area multiple times, and no problems. And despite the miserable weather, poor road conditions, and minimal visibility, it was a pleasure to drive.

Re: when to buy - unfortunately, buying now does mean waiting, but it's not nearly as long as the earliest adopters. I waited 39 days from confirmation to delivery; some people are getting theirs in 3-4 weeks. My (biased) suggestion would be, if your financial situation can support it comfortably, and if you have (or can install) a place to charge at home, then go for it!
 
Hey, I was one of the folks that waited almost 2 years to get mine. It came in Dec. 2012! The S is my wife's. I still drive a GMC Yukon. For bugs in the car, my Yukon STILL can't set the slant of the back of the driver's seat to where I program it to. They said it can't. No wonder GM has folks that simply hate them. No, I have always been a GM person since my first '65 Chevy Impala. I still have that one BTW...

As for the liar who claims to have spilled a cooler... Well, first off the would NOT have ever charged them for the repairs. Just today was the first time Tesla EVER charged me for anything but a charge adapter. Well, OK, the scrapes on the wheels were my wife's and my fault. I expected to be charged. But I have expected to be charged in the past too but they didn't! Second, I'm pretty sure that in that circumstance the car would have been movable. My S DID go dead once due to out of charge. It coasted to a stop along HWY 70 in the middle of nowhere, AKA Kansas! For a while I didn't understand what happened because it coasted so well. It probably went a quarter mile before finally stopping. The parking brake only came on when I got out of the car, so if the 12V battery was dead, it would have never engaged in the first place in the cooler incident. And third, did I mention I was in the middle of nowhere? Tesla had me on the back of a flatbed truck within 1 hour of my call!!! And third, when in KC, MO, it simply poured, just like someone else noted already. So of course, I tested how it drove in deep water!!! I finally had to slow down because I was concerned I might drown a pedestrian. :scared: Oh, and THE DAY we got the car it was pouring down rain.

Yes, I've had issues with an early S (Vin 2201). But Tesla has either taken care of it ASAP and NOT charged me or a software update solved the issue like magic.

So, just drive one and you should be hooked. Don't worry about THE NEXT NEW FEATURE. And I'll place a bet. If you DO buy now, you won't be selling it back to Tesla in 3 years. You probably won't want to EVERY give it up.

To mis-quote a really bad reality show, "Say yes to the S!"
 
After your test drive, you're not likely to need any convincing, but nevertheless, here are my answers:
btw - I've had my Model S for 9 months (today). P2291

is it too early?
(Car is awesome. Production is mature)

are there still bugs?
(a few little minor things, mostly design flaws, not bugs. Like cup holder where your elbow wants to be, and flimsy cargo cover that rattles sometimes)

initial thoughts on the car for first-time buyers?
(it's actually better than I expected, if that was possible. No range issues, superchargers are awesome)

is it worth waiting for the AWD in Northern NJ?
(you don't need AWD in NJ if you have good tires. I recommend the 19 inch set)

i heard about battery issues in the car, i.e. if you have a wet rainjacket or coat, it could shut down the battery?
(no battery issues)

how has customer service been for several of you?
(customer service has been awesome. had a squeak coming from the pano roof. Service resolved it in 15 min.)

have many of you already bought the car as your primary vehicle or just added it to the few you may already have?
(It's definitely my primary vehicle. 8,500 miles in 9 months. We sold 2 cars just before we bought Model S. I wouldn't park it in a high crime area after dark though)

GO FOR IT! Then be prepared to educate all your neighbors and friends on what it's all about.
 
The car will probably be one of the BEST purchases of your life. I'm not a car guy but I'm a tech guy and I love new technology. I honestly look at it closer to buying a spaceship vs. buying a car. LOL. Yes, I'm kidding but it really is a different experience vs. an ICE.

I bought the car and LOVE it. In fact, yesterday I just put down my deposit to order the Model X. Sight unseen which is something I NEVER thought I could do.

The car will constantly improve. The car will constantly get new features on it. Kinks will continue to be improved upon. Is the car perfect now? No, it isn't. Is the company perfect? No, it isn't.

Much needs to be improved upon. Quality control still needs to be addressed and improved upon, especially at the lower levels. The top end is top notch. Guys like Jerome Guillen are Rock solid! But there are still quality control issues and some service centers sound better than others. For example, I got my car last month and I've spent more time in a service loaner vs. my car. But that's ok as they gave me a P85 loaner to use while they fix all the things in my car. My car arrived with paint damage on the hood so extensive they had to repaint the entire roof. The back end the machines that spray it weren't calibrated correctly and didn't paint enough paint then it looks like brushed against it and scratched it.

I'm willing to be patient with Tesla because of the new technology and I know what it's like to start a new company. It's not easy. But the car, as GREAT as it is still has a few issues to work out. For example, on my car the short time I had it, the auto present handles probably only came out 50% of the time. On this service loaner it's probably even less. And the horrible thing is that sometimes the handles will come out but I won't be able to open my own door! I'll have to fumble around with the key fob to click it then touch and sometimes it takes a few tries.

And I know I'm not alone because I spoke to another fellow owner that is having the same problem with the lock issue. Also, don't buy it if you aren't willing to be a bit patient with Tesla, IMHO. I recently went to a party where I live and 2 other guys were there that owned Tesla's. Well, guess what? ALL of us had our cars in the service center. Nothing was serious but there probably WILL be some issues to deal with. So know that going in.

But all in all the car is a dream and I LOVE driving it.
 
Perhaps the OP is referring to this customer complaint?

New Cars: New Car Prices, Reviews and Specs

1) It is not too early. Service and company are on par with or better than any competitor. Including innovations like a much better sales/service channel and software downloads. Car is better than any competitor IMHO.
2) Drive it, if you like it, buy it.
3) The "tesla/water" thing from grace has the appearance of a hoax. There are auto dealers out there who are threatened by Tesla's non-dealer market approach and will say/do anything to cause Tesla problems. If, perchance, that complaint is a real incident, I'm shocked, because from what I've seen of this company's design is that they consider this stuff in advance... (I'm guessing battery compartment is pretty darned water resistant), AND if a real problem were to occur, they would fix without charges. FYI, during a heavy rain I accidentally drove through a pretty deep stand of water below an underpass... enough to soak the battery. I was nervous, but no adverse effects.