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First post. Ordering a Model S today at the UTC La Jolla store in San Diego. Went for a test drive a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. From the quality, quietness, and acceleration of the car to the lack of a typical car salesman to pressure me into buying that day, it was awesome. The guy even said based on my driving history that I shouldn't get the twin chargers, I probably don't need the air suspension, and I definitely don't need the HPWC. I will get a 14-50 outlet installed.

I've read a lot of the threads here the last couple of weeks mainly around option choices. There are obviously some difficult decisions judging from the number of threads posted on this topic, and I'm feeling no different with respect to waffling on some options. I suppose it is hard to go wrong on any choices as it really comes down to personal preference and price.

I live in the San Diego area (year-round temperate climate), and commute about 32 miles a day round trip. My main motivation for doing this is to get off gasoline and to use the carpool lane while driving by myself. :biggrin: I've also got solar panels on my house, and the idea of driving on sun power is kind of cool. My previous most expensive car was a 2010 Lexus IS 350 which came in around $44K. I'm going to replace a 2003 Acura MDX with this Model S - the cargo room is unbelievably similar in the S as it is in that gas-guzzling SUV. Don't want to wait for the Model X.

At any rate, here's what I intend to go with:

- 85 kWh
- Blue metallic paint, tan nappa leather seats, obeche wood gloss decor
- all glass panoramic roof (definitely did some waffling on this one)
- 19" wheels (I guess a tire upgrade comes automatically with the 85)
- tech package (this is a must IMO - I can't imagine this car without it)
- Parking sensors (wife insisted - probably a good thing to keep her from scratching my new baby :wink:)
- Parcel shelf

The guy at the store said I should go with the 60 kWh + supercharger enabled and save $8K since I don't commute that far, but I figure I'll probably go on a road trip 1-2 times a year, and I would like to reduce as much range anxiety as possible on those trips.

Thoughts?
 
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your order. My Model S now parks where our 2004 MDX used to sit :) I was surprised to see that the Model S is 10 inches longer than the MDX was so make sure you have enough space to park it.

I think your option choices are good. IMHO the extra $8k for the 85 kWh battery is well worth it for those road trips. You just might find yourself wanting to do more road trips once you have the Model S. You might want to think about the twin chargers even though you might not need them on a day-to-day basis. If places you might want to road trip to have high power chargers and no superchargers, that's where the twin chargers come in handy. Others might argue that you should save the money and perhaps invest in a CHAdeMO adaptor instead. I went with the twin chargers and don't regret it - and in fact ended up installing the HPWC after a few months of ownership and have found it to be useful a few times when I needed a quick charge after returning home from a road trip.
 
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your order. My Model S now parks where our 2004 MDX used to sit :) I was surprised to see that the Model S is 10 inches longer than the MDX was so make sure you have enough space to park it.
Yeah, I measured and re-measured my garage where the MDX is now to make sure it could accommodate a 196" car. The S will just fit, but my garage will get a little tighter. One of the reasons besides the wait that I don't want to wait for Model X is that I'm worried it will be slightly longer than the S and won't fit in my garage at all.
 
Waffling over the Pano - as I'm sure you've read, some find it a must-have, others not so much. I prefer my solid (body color) roof: I think it's quieter inside and my head is warmer in the winter. Winter's not an issue for you though. If you're fairly sure you want it, don't turn back now. Headroom - especially in the back seat - is much improved with the pano. Most of my family is short enough it doesn't matter, but if you'll be showing off to a taller group, they'll be more comfortable.

85 vs 60+SC - There are many comments along the lines of "... nobody's regretted getting the 85..." It seems that most who got a 60 don't regret it, not all though. I'm hoping my 85 can still supercharger-hop after 200k miles, that was one of my reasons.

Twin chargers - I doubt there will be much occasion for you to utilize that, especially in SC riddled CA.

Yes, there are no bad configs. I'd say stick with your initial config, it sounds right for you. BTW, I nearly flipped over to the blue, it's very nice too.

Isn't it great that the sales people are actually telling you what you probably won't need, instead of the opposite? Man, I love this company!
 
I have a very similar configuration and went with the dual chargers for the times that I top off at higher amperage locations. I do not have the HPC installed at home, but was toying with getting the HPWC for my wife's Roadster (since there are no Superchargers for these). Ended up just using NEMA 14-50s around home and occasionally use the dual chargers when I am at a Tesla Service Center or the few times that I top off at a Tesla Sales location.

I drive the other end of the spectrum (at least a seventy mile roundtrip commute, and often times a 102 mile roundtrip commute) However, my employer and landlord installed a NEMA 14-50 in my parking spot, so I'm pretty much set. I've found myself with ample mileage to spare on the run to Vegas using an 85 charging to the max. I would guess that one would have to do that on a 60, but it's more a matter of convenience to do so on an 85.

As for the Parcel Shelf. I did NOT originally get it and immediately regretted it and picked one up at the Fremont Service Center as we drove off with the car from the Factory. GlenAlanBerry is spot on. It's great place to temporarily put my iPad or something light while I load the back.

Congratulations on another Blue/Tan/Obeche Wood Gloss config.

Oh and if you often drive passengers who get cold easily, I like the "Sub-Zero Package". Rear heated seats go a long way to keep ME comfortable cool while warming up my in-laws or mom when they ride with us.
 
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As I previously wrote, I disagree about the shelf. It's nice to be able to hide what's in the trunk.

One thing that I did right after I got the car was get the car wrapped in Xpel Ultimate. I would recommend MoeMistry in Orange County for anyone who wants to have this done. I had the ENTIRE car wrapped. The paint on the Tesla is just too soft.
 
Congratulations! What did you ultimately decide on the chargers. My product specialist said I probably could do without the twin chargers based on my driving, but I did end up going with them and the HPWC. I have a funny feeling that I will be doing more driving when my blue S arrives.
I added the dual chargers. Figured that with financing over however long I decide to do it (will be using my HELOC), another $1500 wasn't much and the advantages of using 80+ amp public chargers or adding the HPWC later are worth it.
 
As already said here before, you can not get it wrong with any configuration.
I do concur with the parcel shelf, I also took one. In fact, we also need this towards theft insurance.


One extra remark tough: as a music fan, my heart always hurts when I see people omitting the Sound package.


Enjoy the waiting :tongue:
 
I knew I didn't need a parcel shelf after removing it from my previous vehicle. At least once a week I need to pile instruments in the back, or even just the sousaphone with hard-case. I'd either be removing/replacing it all the time, or just leave it in the basement like my last car. Another personal choice, like pano, color - really everything!
 
One extra remark tough: as a music fan, my heart always hurts when I see people omitting the Sound package.
I'm in the high end audio business, I have the standard audio system and I find it quite good indeed! Often, upgraded audio systems in cars just mean louder and too much bass.

I added the dual chargers. Figured that with financing over however long I decide to do it (will be using my HELOC), another $1500 wasn't much and the advantages of using 80+ amp public chargers or adding the HPWC later are worth it.
I have the dual chargers and though I use them rarely, it is nice to have them. If you plan to go to Canada, like I do, most chargers in Canada are 70 amps so the twin chargers really speed things up.