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I've got a P85D test drive scheduled for tomorrow--what should I pay attention to?

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I'm seriously considering trading in my MY 2013 BMW M5 for a new P85D and I've got a test drive scheduled tomorrow. What things about the Tesla should I pay attention to in order to ensure I don't regret my decision later? I suppose I'm asking all of you to tell me what you were unpleasantly surprised to find out about your Model S. Don't tell me the car is perfect, every car has flaws even at this price point. My M5 certainly does.
 
Hold on to your belongings when you slam the pedal. I had a 650xi that was pretty quick, but the p85D is on a completely different level. You will feel that. Don't forget to support your head too.

Coming from the BMW, you will think Model S is minimalistic. You will get to like it though. It is a great ride.
 
I'm seriously considering trading in my MY 2013 BMW M5 for a new P85D and I've got a test drive scheduled tomorrow. What things about the Tesla should I pay attention to in order to ensure I don't regret my decision later? I suppose I'm asking all of you to tell me what you were unpleasantly surprised to find out about your Model S. Don't tell me the car is perfect, every car has flaws even at this price point. My M5 certainly does.
You should be aware that you won't be able to wipe that smile off your face anytime soon.
 
Pay attention to all the options.... ask to see both style seats, sound systems, wheels, premium interior, pano roof and any other options.
You have the ability to then figure out which options are for you and worth your dollars.
I would pay close attention to how you fit in the car and ease of entry and exit for you.
Also pay close attention to the various interior colors and dash coverings.
The tan and grey are much lighter in hue than you might imagine.
Try to see a car with the tan headliner and the black headliner... it really does make a large difference in the feel of the car.

Since you are in NYC, please do NOT order 21" wheels. Your potholes and road conditions with certainly damage the 21" wheels. And you WILL WANT the Cold Weather Package.

Have Fun... I am sure others will offer you some good suggestions....
 
I agree with what @ArtInCT says... I wish I had paid more attention to all the options and the interior colors to help me make my decision when placing my order. I had to go back to the gallery (not one close to me) so I could see them again. Make sure the seats are to your liking; hopefully it will have the Next Gen seats.

Also, I'm guessing you will want to see how the car handles coming from an M5. I don't think you will be disappointed. I did some spirited driving on my test drive and the Tesla rep didn't flinch.

Good luck and have fun!
 
I agree with what @ArtInCT says... I wish I had paid more attention to all the options and the interior colors to help me make my decision when placing my order. I had to go back to the gallery (not one close to me) so I could see them again. Make sure the seats are to your liking; hopefully it will have the Next Gen seats.

Also, I'm guessing you will want to see how the car handles coming from an M5. I don't think you will be disappointed. I did some spirited driving on my test drive and the Tesla rep didn't flinch.

Good luck and have fun!
Agree with both of these points. Best to see and sit in the various options if possible. The web site configuration tool does a good job but it's nothing like seeing it in person. I found the tan and grey leather seats too light so went with black.
The reps must get special training to remain calm during test drives since drivers have a wide variety skill sets (and no prior experience with the car) and want to "see how it performs". I know that my rep did not flinch (at least externally) in spite of my less than perfect skills when I took my test drive.
 
As a previous M5 and RS4 owner, I can tell you what I found different on the cars.

It was a really hard decision, and almost bought an RS7, because the German cars are big on making you feel luxurious in the interior. The Tesla is more of a Scandanavian modern, minimalistic, function for design look. That will take some getting used to. Also, you have to be prepared to realize that one of the things that people love about high performance cars is that the sound and action of the cars make you FEEL: a performance car makes you feel cool, with revving and all that. A Tesla is TOTALLY different. Getting the P85D (mine will be delivered in 2 weeks) to accelerate fast is easy. Very easy. Passing on the freeway or side roads is instant and awesome, like you were trolling around at 6,000rpm. Except that you never have to shift!

The main problem with the Tesla is that the interior is spartan and devoid of simple things that ALL other cars have: coat hooks, grab handles, lighted vanity mirrors, map pockets, an armrest in the back, cupholders in logical places, cargo nets (missing in the P85D), pockets in the back of the seats, a console, a frickin' way to attach your key to your keychain, etc. The main reason that I find these items missing so annoying is that they could have been easily added as Tesla ramped up production, but they weren't. No one has held the interiors people at Tesla responsible for this, and there really is no excuse for it that makes any sense at all. So you will have to overlook these inexcusable omissions because the car is so cool and has so many advantages.
 
Thanks for the info. I agree the Tesla interiors look really spartan. This is what my current interior looks like and it's just a lovely place to be.
CosyVehicleImage.jpg
Acceleration in my M5 is also very quick but you don't get to really hammer it on public roads very often. On the other hand, you live in the car's cabin every minute you are driving. Definitely something to think about.
 
The main rub for me with the V10 M5 was having to properly align the earth, moon and stars to keep TC from intervening. The M5s have become progressively less, well, M5s.

Moving from BMW to Tesla will require acclamation to a very spartan interior. I've grown to love it. I'm a big guy and have grow to appreciate having all the room around me and, given that I do not keep or want to keep a lot of crap in my car, I like the lack off all the cubby holes and stuff.

Take a moment to enjoy the lack of having to deal with the car. You walk up, get in, put your foot on the brake to put it into drive then drive away. When you stop, you can put it in park if you think it is going to roll or simply get out and walk away. The concept of starting and stopping no longer apply. Equally, if not more enjoyable, is the there is no longer any need for water/oil temperature. You can (and I have) opened my garage door and flat footed it out of my garage. I did it a few times with my old P+ and only once with the PD. It is a hoot.

Lastly, and most important for me, that torque is ALWAYS there. See a hole, occupy the hole. It's that grin thing another poster mentioned..........

Sincerely,
A used to be life long M5 guy :)
 
I agree that the M5 has a pretty interior. However, my wife has an X5, and the infotainment system (I think they call it iDrive?) is a joke. So the Tesla will be a wonderful upgrade there.

Remember, an M5 is cool to gearheads, while a P85D is cool to ANYBODY.
 
Yeah, the BMW iDrive is nothing special compared to your average smart phone. The navigation used to be very good but they changed vendors and it's awful now in my car. I'm expecting the Tesla to be a significant upgrade though I've read complaints that its slow which is somewhat surprising. I also have the upgraded B&O Audio in my BMW which is a very good system. I'm interested in hearing how the upgraded audio in the Tesla compares.
 
The black alcantara headliner with matching alcantara dash top, Obeche wood gloss trim, and next gen seats are pretty darn sumptuous and sporty, imo. Tesla has made their own design language rather than trying to outdo the Germans with their multilayered dashes and myriad switches. This is all part of transforming the driving experience -- please let us know what you think!
 
I'm seriously considering trading in my MY 2013 BMW M5 for a new P85D and I've got a test drive scheduled tomorrow. What things about the Tesla should I pay attention to in order to ensure I don't regret my decision later? I suppose I'm asking all of you to tell me what you were unpleasantly surprised to find out about your Model S. Don't tell me the car is perfect, every car has flaws even at this price point. My M5 certainly does.

I don't have much to offer that hasn't already been said except to say that I traded in my 2013 BMW M5 on my first Model S (P85+) and had no regrets.
 
Update. Drove it today. Yeah, it's fast, but my M5 is almost as fast and makes very cool engine noises. Plus, real world passing is probably faster with the SMG gear changes. Yeah the interior is kind of stark and it's missing seemingly obvious things (no coat hooks? :confused:).

But you know what? I was there when the new software update was pushed out and I understand now what Tesla's doing beyond making big, heavy, quick electric cars. Tesla is making a rolling, smart, updatable computer that also happens to be a very good car. That's a concept that's light years away from what anybody else is doing. My M5 is a big V8 that gets horrible mileage swathed in expensive leather but with a computer that can't keep up with my smartphone. In six months, the Tesla will be driving itself out of my garage and waiting for me by the side door. In six months, my M5 will need another oil change and its technology will be six months older.

I'm in. All in. Deposit placed on a Red P85D. Delivery scheduled for late April. Stay tuned.
 
Very well done. A bit off-topic: I see so many negative posts on FB/twitter about Tesla and the Model S from haters/jealous people -- even in response to today's announcements. They expect everything to be be perfect or perfected. Now. And if it's not, then that's a reason to slam Tesla, as if there aren't thousands of other companies in this world that are doing nothing to innovate in any real manner.

You have to walk before you run, and I would say Tesla is now really, really running. You are now part of that, so congrats!

Down from soapbox :).
 
Update. Drove it today. Yeah, it's fast, but my M5 is almost as fast and makes very cool engine noises. Plus, real world passing is probably faster with the SMG gear changes. Yeah the interior is kind of stark and it's missing seemingly obvious things (no coat hooks? :confused:).

But you know what? I was there when the new software update was pushed out and I understand now what Tesla's doing beyond making big, heavy, quick electric cars. Tesla is making a rolling, smart, updatable computer that also happens to be a very good car. That's a concept that's light years away from what anybody else is doing. My M5 is a big V8 that gets horrible mileage swathed in expensive leather but with a computer that can't keep up with my smartphone. In six months, the Tesla will be driving itself out of my garage and waiting for me by the side door. In six months, my M5 will need another oil change and its technology will be six months older.

I'm in. All in. Deposit placed on a Red P85D. Delivery scheduled for late April. Stay tuned.

That is great to hear! Another convertee! I hope you still get some sleep the coming weeks..
 
The MS is a big car, bigger than the M5. Check it out when parking. Especially the width. Also consider aftermarket enhancements. I realized I needed a center console. Look into the Evannex products for thought starters there.

Otherwise, get ready for a long term grin you would never get from a BMer. Love my MS and not looking back.