Model S for commuters?

34,000 miles since November 2013.

Most were commute (between 75-102 miles daily, depending on traffic and route chosen) I used HOV lanes solo to get there and back faster with car.

It's great and comfy for that.

Hi TLDFW, a friend of mine easily puts over 35,000 miles a year on his Model S. I think you're in the sweet spot with an 80 mile commute. Depending on what you get, you will not only have smooth ride, but also in style and comfort. What's making youhesitate?

TLDFW said:

I drive about 80 miles a day round trip and would dearly love to spend that time in a Tesla! Lol

BUT, is this car a good choice given the number of miles I would put on it?

Or is it more like an exotic car that is driven on special occasions?

I have driven a Tesla and was very impressed, but I know the maintaining of a car is another issue.

Thanks for any advice!

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You will probably be hard pressed to find a car that is more suited for an average distance commute each day. As you are staying within the 80% charge for the round trip and maybe on ocation need to charge during the day as well as home at night. I have a similar commute everyday so about 160miles RoTp with usually a couple of stopps mid way in each direction. I have had my car for close two two years and it has only been in for regular service except in the beginning I had a few infancy problems..... You might have some but TESLA will most probably take good care of you.... you can not forget you are still an early adopter, so you have to have patients with a few glitches here and there in all domains. But once sorted only joy

good luck

It's an amazing car for a lot of driving. The more you drive, the more you save. And you have fun doing it.
I got to talk to a few people at TMC Connect last year who each drive more than a thousand miles a week. In their Model S.
Definitely sounds like the perfect car for you.

I have about a 90 mile round trip daily commute, and this was a primary consideration in my purchasing a Model S. I currently have a little over 45,000 miles at a little over two years.

To echo the sentiments of others here: Tesla Model S is a top notch commuting car (especially when you factor in the gas savings). Exotics to me are something you drive on a rare Sunday or to a car show. Indeed, the thought of a 100,000 mile Ferrari seems odd (though I'm sure it happens). The Model S, on the other hand, is a great commuting/family/road trip car that doesn't need to be babied.

TLDFW said:

I drive about 80 miles a day round trip and would dearly love to spend that time in a Tesla! Lol

BUT, is this car a good choice given the number of miles I would put on it?

Or is it more like an exotic car that is driven on special occasions?

I have driven a Tesla and was very impressed, but I know the maintaining of a car is another issue.

Thanks for any advice!

Click to expand...

A Tesla is definitely intended for daily use. Using it as an exotic "warm summer days" car is a complete waste of money.

My wife drives 80 to 100 miles on her typical day. The Model S is a perfect car for that. We put 27,000 miles on our P85 in 18 months. Most of it daily commuting.

At 80 miles per day you probably average 22K+ miles per year. 90K~ in four years.
Perhaps a gently used CPO Tesla would give you the best ROI as the depreciation would be behind you.
Flip it with another in 2 or 3 years.

drove almost 6 hours in a day for 'fun'. walked away like I was in the car for 30 min. No issues. you'll be fine.

SabrToothSqrl said:

drove almost 6 hours in a day for 'fun'. walked away like I was in the car for 30 min. No issues. you'll be fine.

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I have an early car with the first gen seats, and I agree... they are actually more comfortable than they look. The only thing I miss is an adjustable headrest.

TLDFW said:

Or is it more like an exotic car that is driven on special occasions?

I have driven a Tesla and was very impressed, but I know the maintaining of a car is another issue.

Click to expand...

Tesla Model S is an exotic car that can double as a commuter car (more efficient than a Prius), a family road tripper (Autopilot and free "gas"), people hauler (seats up to 5 adults and 2 kids with the optional rear facing seats), Costco car (more cargo space than many small SUV/CUVs).

Maintenance has been great. Basically just tire rotations, windshield wipers, and windshield wiper fluid.

As the others have said... the more you drive, the better your TCO in this car.

I drive ~2K miles a month in it... my fuel savings makes it a no-brainer. And it's darn fun to drive to boot.

The choice comes down to driving the Tesla daily on two bucks worth of electricity, emitting nothing; or driving an ICE for $5-8 per day, with emissions? The ICE is smaller but way cleaner and more efficient. One could put a Tesla in a barn somewhere for rediscovery in 25 after it becomes antique, but why? I've never understood how that happens under normal circumstances.

I've pondered trading my BMW convertible for a commuter EV, but I kinda like the old-fashioned straight six RWD dinosaur for weekends so will probably hang onto it. Maybe I'll put IT in the barn somewhere as a time capsule at some point?

A Perfect Car for Your Commute . . .

1. Style, comfort, unparalleled driving characteristics, very quiet
2. Commuter lane access
3. Full commute, both directions, on one charge
4. Low fuel costs
5. Autopilot features for added safety
6. Wide variety of entertainment options
7. Traffic awareness (Google Maps w/ traffic & route guidance + now you can also look at the Waze incidents reports)
7. Redundant navigation systems (On-board Garmin + Google Maps)

Only thing missing . . . wings!

Wide variety of entertainment options???

taurusking said:

Wide variety of entertainment options???

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I was wondering about that too. It still doesn't have iPod controls. I suppose the reference was to TuneIn and Slacker in addition to AM/FM/XM radio.

mknox said:

I suppose the reference was to TuneIn and Slacker in addition to AM/FM/XM radio.

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Correct! All things are relative, but I have found Slacker great for broadening my music experience and Tune-In great for NPR, TED Talks, etc. So have yet to be bored with the options (maybe someday..??..)