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If You Could Order Again, What Options Would You Get

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We're getting close to putting in an order for a MS 60. But we have different ideas on options and colors. Keep in mind, we live in Scottsdale and don't need the subzero package or the smart air suspension (doesn't seem to do well in our climate). Currently, the options we agree on are:
  1. Supercharger Enabled
  2. Dual Chargers
  3. Tech Package
  4. Parking Sensors
  5. Black Leather

The options we're still talking about are:
  1. Obeche Wood Gloss - appears to go better with black leather than the other options. The piano black looks like it would make the interior uninteresting. And the carbon fiber doesn't seem to look that great with the black leather.
  2. Roof - this one is the biggie. I would like the panoramic roof and my husband prefers white top. We compromised and thought about the black roof as an alternative, but he started thinking about how the top would show dirt pretty quickly. I agreed with that, but after reading some posts about the panoramic roof, many seem to enjoy it. I know a driver can't enjoy it as much as a passenger can, but it sure dresses up the car. Does the Pano roof need cleaning often?

Other options we liked, but think we can do better in the aftermarket are:
  1. Paint Armour (if anyone in Scottsdale/Phoenix knows a good company, can you comment)
  2. Interior Lighting (same with this)

Thanks for any feedback! We are looking forward to replacing a 17mpg SUV.
 
I don't know that I'd go with the black interior because 1) it shows every speck of dirt and it holds heat in the desert. With Tesla building out the supercharger network, I doubt that the dual chargers make sense. I'd avoid a dark exterior color because the black, blue, brown and green need a lot of washing in the dusty desert. I like the pano roof.
 
Do not know that you need dual chargers, love the Pano for the looks and it is not hard to clean. I use a duster in between washes and that works well, do not notice excessive heat and if you look at the same car with out the pano side by side you will see how nice it looks. I have the piano black and like the clean look. Also got Opti-coat pro and that makes the car easier to keep clean. Also love the air suspension, smooths out the ride and looks nice in the low position. Of course all this is very personnal so no matter what you get you will like it.
 
My wife talked me into getting the upgraded sound system, and as I travel 100 miles a day, I'm very glad I got that.

I would question whether you really need the dual chargers, and also check first whether your electric supply can handle it. Dont' forget you'll also need the High Power Wall charger to benefit from having Dual chargers

I had a loaner with the Parking Sensors, but as they can't detect curbs, I didn't think they added much benefit for the price. The things they detect you can see with the mirrors or camera.
 
I would question whether you really need the dual chargers, and also check first whether your electric supply can handle it. Dont' forget you'll also need the High Power Wall charger to benefit from having Dual chargers

They're also useful for charging at 80A J1772 stations or HPWCs when traveling. In Canada dual chargers are extremely popular - we have no Superchargers but 70/80A stations are everywhere.
 
Since my car was pretty much loaded, I can really only comment on a few things I wouldn't get again.

I'd probably save myself about $4000 and forgo the extended Nappa leather and interior lighting packages. I never notice the lighting and the leather is unimpressive considering its price.

I would also have dumped the alcantara headliner and CF spoiler if they weren't already "included" with the car.

Being in Canada, dual chargers are a must to take advantage of the charging network here. My parking sensors have also been invaluable; they detect curbs fine for me.
 
To all that have replied so far, thank you.

I neglected to say that we like the white exterior and agree with Mark that this is much better in a 100+ degree climate. Mark and Merrill, it appears you both have tan interiors. Does it show wear at this point? I thought it definitely would show the dirt easier than a black interior, but Mark's comment made us rethink that assumption. If we did tan, then the piano black trim is fine for us. It would look sharp against the black.

The comments on the dual chargers are interesting. One of the guys at the Tesla Store told us that we'd definitely want that. We don't intend to get the wall connector. We're thinking of having an electrician set up a 240 volt. It would be parked overnight and have plenty of time to gain any charge it lost in the day. And we wouldn't be driving more than 20 miles daily on average. But here's where we are confused. If we made a road trip, we most likely would hit supercharger stations. Are all these stations capable of the fastest charging that I keep hearing about or are some of them at a lower rate? Then there's the off chance that we won't make it to a SuperCharger. I suppose a Dual Charger would be a benefit in cases like that? I understand those in Canada definitely need that addon.

Next up, the sound system. We were going with the standard. Did any of you go with this instead of the upgrade and if so, is it decent? I may not understand what the upgraded system gets us vs the standard other than more speakers and a woofer. For example, is Slacker part of the upgrade only. The store clerk really loves the upgraded system and talked up Slacker. I don't think we need the additional speakers though. And maybe an aftermarket system would be a less expensive choice.

I was contemplating dropping the parking sensors, but it's back in the car now. :)

Lastly, the air suspension option. Again, the store clerk said that they seem to go out and he inferred it was due to the high temps in Arizona. He gave us an example citing the Land Rovers which always have issues. Mark, you have the option. Any problems with it? And what exactly is it used for.

You guys are great! Thanks for the help.

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I ordered it all... except the cold weather pkg, rear seat, paint protector... driving me nuts waiting... I don't do well waiting for something once I make the decision to purchase.

Congratulations! I'm a little different. While I know I'm going to enjoy having the car, I'm loving the process of ordering and the wait will only make this more exciting.
 
The tan looks like new 1 year later, I did the Opti-coat interior 6 months after delivery. Love the clean look with tan and piano, I charge after midnight and never need more than 5 hours, and is usually do 30amps. If you are going to use level 2 chargers more than supercharger then the faster charge time would be important. Do not know how the hot temps affect the air suspension, do not have that in Northern California. When I purchased my car they did not have the current upgraded system and at that time everyone was disappointed in both systems so got the standard with the thought that if I did not like the sound I would upgrade which after listening for 6 months I decided to do. I have used the superchargers around 6 times and spent around 45 minutes to top up. Time for lunch or looking around the shopping malls. Hope this helps.
 
I had everything (at the time), except the Performance model, rear jump seats, the HWPC.

Now I would definitely add:
Parking sensors
Winter package
Red calipers

Things I would change:
Pearl white color (instead of black), still tan interior.
19" aftermarket turbine wheels

Things I would drop:
Second charger (can't see that I'll ever really need it)

Things I would not add:
Extended leather
Performance seats

Still think the standard 85 is just fine, though there are times I pine for the P+.

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To all that have replied so far, thank you.

I neglected to say that we like the white exterior and agree with Mark that this is much better in a 100+ degree climate. Mark and Merrill, it appears you both have tan interiors. Does it show wear at this point? I thought it definitely would show the dirt easier than a black interior, but Mark's comment made us rethink that assumption. If we did tan, then the piano black trim is fine for us. It would look sharp against the black.

The comments on the dual chargers are interesting. One of the guys at the Tesla Store told us that we'd definitely want that. We don't intend to get the wall connector. We're thinking of having an electrician set up a 240 volt. It would be parked overnight and have plenty of time to gain any charge it lost in the day. And we wouldn't be driving more than 20 miles daily on average. But here's where we are confused. If we made a road trip, we most likely would hit supercharger stations. Are all these stations capable of the fastest charging that I keep hearing about or are some of them at a lower rate? Then there's the off chance that we won't make it to a SuperCharger. I suppose a Dual Charger would be a benefit in cases like that? I understand those in Canada definitely need that addon.

Next up, the sound system. We were going with the standard. Did any of you go with this instead of the upgrade and if so, is it decent? I may not understand what the upgraded system gets us vs the standard other than more speakers and a woofer. For example, is Slacker part of the upgrade only. The store clerk really loves the upgraded system and talked up Slacker. I don't think we need the additional speakers though. And maybe an aftermarket system would be a less expensive choice.

I was contemplating dropping the parking sensors, but it's back in the car now. :)

Lastly, the air suspension option. Again, the store clerk said that they seem to go out and he inferred it was due to the high temps in Arizona. He gave us an example citing the Land Rovers which always have issues. Mark, you have the option. Any problems with it? And what exactly is it used for.

You guys are great! Thanks for the help.

I just drove a loaner with standard stereo set up. There's a definite difference. But that's not to say its bad either, just slightly better than average. My Wife could care less about sound quality (likes her music, just doesn't notice/appreciate it), but for me I'm spending nearly two hours a day commuting. The sound system (with certain recordings) is truly phenomenal. I should point out though, I really love driving with no sound, just enjoying the silence of the car/drive.
If you're only driving 20 miles a day, you may not have much time with it.

Parking sensors are a must have, IMO.

You'll likely never need the second charger, unless Chademo takes off, and when the Tesla adapter comes out for it, though that may be spendy in itself.
 
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The tan looks like new 1 year later, I did the Opti-coat interior 6 months after delivery. Love the clean look with tan and piano, I charge after midnight and never need more than 5 hours, and is usually do 30amps. If you are going to use level 2 chargers more than supercharger then the faster charge time would be important. Do not know how the hot temps affect the air suspension, do not have that in Northern California. When I purchased my car they did not have the current upgraded system and at that time everyone was disappointed in both systems so got the standard with the thought that if I did not like the sound I would upgrade which after listening for 6 months I decided to do. I have used the superchargers around 6 times and spent around 45 minutes to top up. Time for lunch or looking around the shopping malls. Hope this helps.

It certainly does help. I think we'll stick with the standard and upgrade later if needed.
The opti-coat sounds intriguing. I just looked up info on that and found strings of info on the Tesla board. So we'll look into that later as well.
Thanks.
 
@benemac, you have a great config:

1. Supercharger Enabled (no brainer)

2. Dual Chargers (not getting this has been my only regret with the purchase; not relevant for Superchargers but, cuts your charging time in half at high-amperage - >40A - stations that'd definitely be the future. A post-purchase install costs a steep $3,600)

3. Tech Package (no brainer)

4. Parking Sensors (weren't available when I got the car which is incredibly easy to maneuver and park even without them but, I've seen them in loaners and they are kinda' cool)

5. Black Leather (here's where I see a tossup. Unless you like leather or are swayed towards tan leather, particularly in an expensive car, I'd nudge you towards considering the two-toned, part-leatherette, part-cloth textile seats that look really great. I'd have gotten the textile seats but for the fact that, back when I ordered, they didn't come with seat memory and seat warmers. The leather does make one's back sweat in warmer climes such as yours and mine and can look wrinkly over time.)

Don't know what this thing is about the smart air suspension and AZ heat but, have had no issues in NorCal. Would highly recommend it; I use it everyday to clear a steep driveway at home and like the auto-lowering and the overall smooth ride. A loaner with standard suspension was a much harsher ride.

If you have a budget in mind, please consider swapping the black leather for the smart air suspension.

About the pano roof, I personally wanted to avoid it as it's a big piece of mechanical equipment that could have issues over time but, it does light up the cabin.
 
Remember, the S85 includes Supercharging and 19" tire upgrade, so is not really $10k difference.

Dual chargers make sense if you need them for your commuting needs and / or you have access to high level chargers.

Agree that paint armour makes more sense from specialist.

Not sure the interior lighting is something you can get from third party. I think the $1000 is excessive. But, if you tried to duplicate what Tesla is offering, I'm not sure you could do better and would have a one off system that wouldn't be covered under Tesla warranties. I bought the lighting and really like it.

As for the pano roof, it looks impressive and provides extra head room. I love it. Downside is that it's a complicated beast and has been a source of problems for some (but no one knows the actual problem percentage).
 
I had everything (at the time), except the Performance model, rear jump seats, the HWPC.


Things I would drop:
Second charger (can't see that I'll ever really need it) Thanks for commenting on this. My husband fears we may get stuck away from a supercharging station and the remaining option may require a lengthy stay, but for the places we'll travel, I don't see an issue other than fighting over a supercharger. :)

Things I would not add:
Extended leather
Performance seats (I agree both aren't necessary)

Still think the standard 85 is just fine, though there are times I pine for the P+.

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I just drove a loaner with standard stereo set up. There's a definite difference. But that's not to say its bad either. My Wife could care less about that, but for me I'm spending nearly two hours a day commuting. The extra sound quality is a delight for the drive. I should point out though, I really love driving with no sound, just enjoying the silence of the car/drive.
I think we also tend to leave the music off and just talk. I turn on music occasionally when driving alone. For long drives, it would be a benefit! And we will have that as we go to San Diego for family visits and maybe N. Cal. But is the Ultra High system that much better than something you can get from Crutchfields or a similar company? I suppose it would be easier to add it and not worry about a separate company dismantling your car to later. Something to consider.

Parking sensors are a must have, IMO. We are definitely adding this feature. Too many of you like or want this feature.

You'll likely never need the second charger, unless Chademo takes off, and we the adapter comes out, though that may be speedy in itself. Just read about Chademo. Interesting idea. And probably others will get better in time. Thanks again.
 
Few thoughts:
- Don't bother with dual-chargers. I think in the US you'll be pretty hard pressed to find 80A circuits in the wild where you can take advantage of it except at the Tesla Service Centers.
- Obeche wood gloss will have a glare in the sun. The matte is a better option because of it.
- My wife "use to" get motion sickness when reading in the car. With air suspension, she doesn't experience it at all. I read this somewhere and really happy I got it for multiple reason.
 
In WA state the dual chargers can still be useful. There is an owner lead effort to install 70 and 80A J1772 stations around the state. In other places you are right though. Little to no 80A public stations.