Configuring P85D, questions on Sound Studio

n2mb_racing · Feb 15, 2015

Hi everyone,

I'm ordering a P85D. I just drove one yesterday at the Raleigh, NC store.

Here's my configuration:

85 kWh Performance Model S 97,000
Including $7,500 Federal Tax Credit
All-Wheel Drive Dual Motor Included

EXTERIOR
All Glass Panoramic Roof 2,500
21" Grey Turbine Wheels 4,500
Red Multi-Coat Paint 1,500

INTERIOR
Black Next Generation Seats 3,500
Matte Obeche Wood Décor 650
White Alcantara Headliner Included

PERFORMANCE
Tesla Red Brake Calipers Included

CHARGING
Supercharger Enabled Included

OPTIONS
Tech Package with Autopilot 4,250
Smart Air Suspension 2,250
Destination and Regulatory Doc Fee 1,170

VEHICLE PRICE AFTER TAX CREDIT 117,320

Quick questions about options I didn't select:

1. Ultra High Fidelity Sound: They didn't have any cars without it for me to hear the difference. For most music, can you hear any difference between the regular sound system and the sound studio? As for functionality, will I miss anything besides streaming in the car? I can always stream music with my phone, right?

2. Dual chargers: I can't see any need for these, since even with the single charger, the car will fully charge overnight at home. There also don't seem to be many 80A capable locations in the wild to use them. Am I wrong?

3. Rear Facing seats: I don't have any kids yet, let alone 3. It seems like something that could be added with some handiwork, down the road, if needed.

4. Spoiler: Doesn't seem like it does anything worth $1000.

5. Premium Interior: Didn't seem like a big difference over the standard interior, once I've already selected the Next Gen seats.

6. Subzero Weather Package: I live in Durham, NC, park indoors and don't plan on moving for >4 years. I'm guessing it isn't needed.

Thoughts? Any options I should add?

Thank you!
-Jon

PlanB · Feb 15, 2015

Why would you get the white headliner verses the black since you ordered black seats?, the white stains easily.

I would get the Dual chargers and the Subzero. (those are the two things people ask me about the most)

alset · Feb 15, 2015

n2mb_racing said:
3. Rear Facing seats: I don't have any kids yet, let alone 3. It seems like something that could be added with some handiwork, down the road, if needed.

This cannot be done as a retrofit and can only be ordered from the factory. It doesn't just include the seats but also a rear impact area redesign to allow for less crumple zone in the back (to protect kids legs).

That said, if you don't have any kids yet, I would probably skip. I have them and use them for shorter journeys but on longer journeys, I need the kids within reach in the regular rear seat in any case. For the first 2+ years of a kid, you're going to need a dedicated child seat anyway.

n2mb_racing · Feb 15, 2015

PlanB said:
Why would you get the white headliner verses the black since you ordered black seats?, the white stains easily.

I would get the Dual chargers and the Subzero. (those are the two things people ask me about the most)

Interesting. Why dual chargers? When do you use them?

I can see the subzero. The heated steering wheel seems nice.

For the headliner, I thought black on black might be dark. The other car I currently have had for 10 years has black seats and a white headliner with no stains. But then again, also no kids during those 10 years.

- - - Updated - - -

alset said:
This cannot be done as a retrofit and can only be ordered from the factory. It doesn't just include the seats but also a rear impact area redesign to allow for less crumple zone in the back (to protect kids legs).

I thought I read somewhere here that the crash beam could be installed along with the seats. Good advice.

Thanks!

PlanB · Feb 15, 2015

n2mb_racing said:
Interesting. Why dual chargers? When do you use them?

I can see the subzero. The heated steering wheel seems nice.

For the headliner, I thought black on black might be dark. The other car I currently have had for 10 years has black seats and a white headliner with no stains. But then again, also no kids during those 10 years.

I think of resale.

Whenever I have sold a Tesla that is a big selling point with people. Also, Tesla is rolling out a ton of HPWC to restaurants, hotels, casino etc....Although you might not need them now you may some day. It's just a smart feature to get for the $1500.

jerry33 · Feb 15, 2015

n2mb_racing said:
Interesting. Why dual chargers? When do you use them?

You use them anytime you are connected to an A/C source of more than 40 amps. This includes HPWCs, and some J1772s (Sun Country J1772s in particular). Twin chargers are something that you may not use often, but when you do, you'll be glad you have them. In addition, if you have a TOU with a short low rate window, they will save you a bundle because you'll be able to complete your charging inside that window. And they cost far less when purchased with the car.

PlanB · Feb 15, 2015

As for the rear facing seats, it is totally subjective but I would never put any kid in those seats. I do not care what Tesla has done to the back end the thought of kids being back there to me is not good. And the fact that there is hardly any room back there.

donv · Feb 15, 2015

You really want the dual chargers. You probably want to get an HPWC for home as well, which makes things much easier (and then you'll use the dual chargers every night).

SeminoleFSU · Feb 15, 2015

If you like to listen to music, the studio sound is much nicer. You don't even have a sub with the standard package. It would be a crying shame not to have that with a car this nice. Of course you could prob upgrade the stereo aftermarket cheaper so there's always that..
Spoiler is a waste of money although it looks cool on lighter colors
Dual chargers are nice if you are going to take road trips a lot. But even then I only had ONE occasion where I charged at the Tesla dealership coming back into town where this would have saved me a half hour instead of an hour. Now we have superchargers and that wouldn't happen again.. I say skip it. You can always add it later, it just costs more to do so.
Subzero: I think this is overkill if you have a garage. I do wish they made the heated steering wheel standard or its own option because there have been times I would've loved it, even here in GA or traveling around the SE states, including NC and TN

PlanB · Feb 15, 2015

The thing to remember is there is no air/heat vents in the back of the car so for this reason alone the Subzero is a good thing to have to keep the rear passengers warm.

Cyclone · Feb 15, 2015

PlanB said:
The thing to remember is there is no air/heat vents in the back of the car so for this reason alone the Subzero is a good thing to have to keep the rear passengers warm.

In a soundproofing thread around here, one member ripped it the interior and installed sound deadening materials to quiet the ride. They included pics and sure enough, under the front seats, there were cents for the rear passengers and it looked like there may have been vents in the center armrest too (facing the rear passengers). My non-Tesla has the same setup plus a vent in the center armrest.

But alas, I don't have a Model S yet, so I easily could be wrong (misread or misunderstood something) or the design could have changed. Now, the third row, I have read lots of reports about that one not being climate-controlled, so that could be an area contributing confusion.

Photos of car interior taken apart for sound deadening

http://media.caranddriver.com/image...del-s-60-interior-photo-646376-s-1280x782.jpg

tga · Feb 15, 2015

n2mb_racing said:
I can see the subzero. The heated steering wheel seems nice.

Is everyone getting the heated steering wheel now with the subzero package? When the heated wheel was initially introduced, only cars headed to the far north got it with the subzero package.

ie, if you added subzero to a FL-bound car, no heated steering wheel. Same configuration going to Maine, you go the heated wheel.

yobigd20 · Feb 15, 2015

21" wheels = big mistake, extreme prone to wheel & tire damage high maintenance & very very very costly

personally, I would option it out with everything except the 21" wheels and the premium interior pkg (aka add the sound studio & dual chargers & rear facing seats & spoiler & subzero to your existing order & subtract the 21" wheels/tires). go aftermarket with 19s instead (like 19" grey TSportline TST turbines with 255/45ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires).

svp6 · Feb 15, 2015

Got the premium sound - big difference. I did not realize how good the Tesla is until I drove my wife's G37 with premium Bose sound - no comparison, the Bose sounded like a toy in comparison. Given how quiet the car is you will appreciate a good sound system.

Used the car for 6 weeks and 1600 miles, have yet to get into a situation where I regret not having dual charger. I did not get the premium interior, and the standard lights in the trunk are absolutely horrible. Whether it is worth 4250 for it is another question.

pgiralt · Feb 15, 2015

n2mb_racing said:
1. Ultra High Fidelity Sound: They didn't have any cars without it for me to hear the difference. For most music, can you hear any difference between the regular sound system and the sound studio? As for functionality, will I miss anything besides streaming in the car? I can always stream music with my phone, right?

I would definitely get UHF sound. It sounds much better than the standard.

n2mb_racing said:
2. Dual chargers: I can't see any need for these, since even with the single charger, the car will fully charge overnight at home. There also don't seem to be many 80A capable locations in the wild to use them. Am I wrong?

Really depends on where you plan on driving. For example, if you ever plan to drive out to Boone, you're going to wish you had the second charger so you could charge at 80A at Makato's restaurant as it's the only place to get reasonably fast charging in the area. Don't think about if you'll need it daily. Think about destination charging at the places you will visit. Especially thoughts without superchargers near by.

n2mb_racing said:
3. Rear Facing seats: I don't have any kids yet, let alone 3. It seems like something that could be added with some handiwork, down the road, if needed.

Can't be added after the fact. There is additional crash protection when the seats are put in that cannot be retrofitted. If you think you'll want them, order them now.

n2mb_racing said:
5. Premium Interior: Didn't seem like a big difference over the standard interior, once I've already selected the Next Gen seats.

The biggest issue for me is the arm rests are no longer leather without getting the premium interior package. Also you can't get the ambient lights without it now. It's a lot of money to pay for those two things, but you might want to compare before you decide.

n2mb_racing said:
6. Subzero Weather Package: I live in Durham, NC, park indoors and don't plan on moving for >4 years. I'm guessing it isn't needed.

Only reason I'd get it is if it came with the heated steering wheel. Might be worth it for those weeks like this coming week.

SW2Fiddler · Feb 15, 2015

pgiralt said:
... you could charge at 80A at Makato's restaurant as it's the only place to get reasonably fast charging in the area. Don't think about if you'll need it daily. Think about destination charging at the places you will visit.

Think of others waiting for you to finish charging!
Dual Chargers.

smsprague · Feb 15, 2015

1. Ultra High Fidelity Sound: They didn't have any cars without it for me to hear the difference. For most music, can you hear any difference between the regular sound system and the sound studio? As for functionality, will I miss anything besides streaming in the car? I can always stream music with my phone, right?

I did not get it and wish I did. The features are the same except for XM - I think Slacker is better. Not having a sub really makes a difference.

2. Dual chargers: I can't see any need for these, since even with the single charger, the car will fully charge overnight at home. There also don't seem to be many 80A capable locations in the wild to use them. Am I wrong?

I have 8,000 miles in 7 months with multiple road trips in Arizona and California without ever being remotely close to needing the dual chargers. Glad I did not get them. It is the option I struggled with the most.

4. Spoiler: Doesn't seem like it does anything worth $1000.

I think it looks cool - I would get it.

5. Premium Interior: Didn't seem like a big difference over the standard interior, once I've already selected the Next Gen seats.

Seems like a waste.

6. Subzero Weather Package: I live in Durham, NC, park indoors and don't plan on moving for >4 years. I'm guessing it isn't needed.

Not cold where I live.

jerry33 · Feb 15, 2015

smsprague said:
2. Dual chargers: I can't see any need for these, since even with the single charger, the car will fully charge overnight at home. There also don't seem to be many 80A capable locations in the wild to use them. Am I wrong?

it depends on where you live. Also just because there aren't any now, doesn't mean there won't be any next year. Many Leaf owners that I know who live in my area didn't get the quick charge port in their Leaf because there weren't any when they purchased their car. Every one of them regrets it, and several have traded in their Leaf to get one with the quick charge port. Now it's somewhat better for the Model S as you can get it later, but it's far more expensive to do so. And when you are on a trip, if you can take advantage of it (a PlugShare Model S owner that has an HPWC for example), you'll be very glad you have it.

David_Cary · Feb 15, 2015

There are zero 80A in our area but the Boone one is interesting. I have a Leaf without a QC and while I regret it now that there are a few around here, I've never had a need to use them. So maybe I don't really regret it.

Last time I was at the Raleigh store (3 weeks ago), they had the standard sound on a grey base model and the upgraded sound on the P85Ds. Have you checked with them?

I didn't get the subzero - I have a garage. But I am going to miss the heated steering wheel (not worth a $750 gamble for me given the regional differences) since my Leaf has one. Especially today but of course the Tesla has a better app for preheating. I used the rear seat heaters once in 2 years, 22k miles ... mostly because a car seat doesn't get the benefit.

You seem to have a misconception. The standard stereo has all the same functionality as the upgraded except for XM. You can still stream through the car without a phone. If you don't want XM, then it is "just" sound quality. If you plan on streaming, you may not appreciate the upgraded sound. Only because streaming is not the highest quality.

I went for the base on everything for my S85 - just Tech and leather. When I was thinking of the P85D, the only other thing I would add is the seats. But that is me.

n2mb_racing · Feb 15, 2015

yobigd20 said:
21" wheels = big mistake, extreme prone to wheel & tire damage high maintenance & very very very costly

personally, I would option it out with everything except the 21" wheels and the premium interior pkg (aka add the sound studio & dual chargers & rear facing seats & spoiler & subzero to your existing order & subtract the 21" wheels/tires). go aftermarket with 19s instead (like 19" grey TSportline TST turbines with 255/45ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires).

Interesting. Is the handling or grip better with the 21s? I'm primarily interested in performance, not comfort.

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