85D vs P85D

Philjsanderson · Apr 19, 2015

Good evening all,

I have been avidly reading posts on here for some time. I have my P85D on order and can't wait for the day it eventually arrives and I can enjoy the insanity.

However, I have recently had some cause for doubt and that has come with the upgrade of the 85D to a 0-60 of 4.4.

Due to the premium cost of the P85D I missed out some of the extras such as the premium interior leather and lighting. I chose pretty much everything else.

It now seems that I could have the 85D with all of the extras and save myself about 14k. I like acceleration but I think I could live with 4.4 instead of 3.1.

So my question is really, am I missing something else that you get with the P85D that I have not realised (apart from the spoiler and red callipers) as the cost difference is so vast.

As the UK deliveries of the P85D have been delayed until late August, if I cancel and reorder an 85D I only have to wait until September, get pretty good acceleration and save a load of cash.

I am hopeful that someone has some experience of both cars and whether I should stick with my order or change it to the 85D.

I hope that you can shed some light on my situation and ultimately convince me the P85D is worth it.

Cheers
Phil

Fares Almazrooei · Apr 19, 2015

Stick with the P85D

MsElectric · Apr 19, 2015

Stay with the P85D. Especially if you plan to keep your car for a while. When you drive your P85D I bet you'll ever wish that you bought a 85D but after taking delivery of an 85D you may wish you had ordered the P85D. For about 15% more you will be enjoying what is likely the world's finest performance sedan.

IMHO the P85D should come with the Premium Interior standard sort of like when you order an S600 it comes with pretty much everything.

donaldp · Apr 19, 2015

I have not ordered yet but was dead set on a P85D and am now seriously considering the 85D for the same reasons you mentioned. I agree that 4.4 to 60 is fast enough especially when considering the price differential. One opposing thought to consider is that the zero to 60 for the P85D will likely improve with future OTA upgrades so you have to ask yourself how important that g-force is to you.

bhzmark · Apr 19, 2015

I was considering the P 85d primarily to get next gen seats and improved suspension. It now appears that the suspension difference is very minor and next gen seats are also available in the regular models. The primary remaining reason to get a p85 D is because of faster delivery and of course acceleration. Those reasons probably aren't enough for most people.

mwulff · Apr 19, 2015

Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: "How often will I launch this car from a standing start to 60 mph?" If the answer is something other than "every day" then get the 85D or save even more money and get an 85 RWD.

You pay a lot for that second of your life that you gain by going from 0-60 in a second less. Honestly all Model S cars have enough performance for all daily driving anyway.

dkonigs · Apr 19, 2015

mwulff said:
Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: "How often will I launch this car from a standing start to 60 mph?" If the answer is something other than "every day" then get the 85D or save even more money and get an 85 RWD.

You pay a lot for that second of your life that you gain by going from 0-60 in a second less. Honestly all Model S cars have enough performance for all daily driving anyway.

Whenever I ask myself that question, the answer always feels like "almost never, unless I plan to rear-end someone in the process." Of course I've never been the performance-car type. The regular 85D is already much more powerful than what I'm currently used to, which is why I decided to save the difference and spend it on options.

lolachampcar · Apr 19, 2015

I need to go down to the local SC and drive an 85D. The suspension on my PD is a huge leap froward from my P+ which was much better than my original P. I would be very surprised to find that Tesla is providing the PD suspension in the standard D as it is firm and I would think Tesla would want options for their customers (ala 535 to M5).

mwulff · Apr 19, 2015

I Think the air suspension is the same for all models but I don't know for sure.

Personally I prefer the standard non-air suspension because it is simpler and cheaper to fix. I have seen horrible bills from air suspension that went wrong, and it's only a matter of time before it does. Of court how much time will vary from car to car.

David99 · Apr 19, 2015

When I got mine, there was only the option between 85 and P85 and the difference was about $10k. Very often I thought about it and secretly wished I had the P85. Then, recently I got the chance to drive a P85+. The difference in acceleration is not anywhere near as much as I thought. Definitely not regretting having 10k in my pocket now. And keep in mind, only when the battery is rather full you will get full power on the P85D.

gg_got_a_tesla · Apr 19, 2015

I'll go against the grain and recommend the 85D. Back in October, when we were in the process of replacing our wrecked S60, my wife and I picked the 85D initially till it was announced that our beloved Green is set to be discontinued and that we'd have to go all in to get a Green D by the end of 2014. That's pretty much the only reason we went for the P85D.

Personally, I rarely use the Insane mode; and, 4.4 is a fantastic number and I'd recommend taking the higher efficiency and range of the 85D over the bragging rights of the P85D.

Doug Darby · Apr 19, 2015

I test drove the P85D and since have lots of miles in my friend Danals new P85D.
"VIOLENT" Is the word I use to describe the launch and believe me Danal and I have done plenty.
I bought and took delivery last Wednesday of an S85D. "CRAZY" Is how I describe the launch. Definately noticable. But after the launch I was after the slught increase in range. Everything else is similar just $18K cheaper.
I almost changed to the P about 3 times but now I have absolutely no buyers remorse about getting the S85D.
Just another perspective. ..

supratachophobia · Apr 19, 2015

85D for the better range and the fact the P85D will see a battery/cost/performance upgrade before you know it. I think the 70D was basically the writing on the wall for that.

jwg · Apr 19, 2015

I don't think you would regret getting either one. I initially was convinced I wanted the P85D (so I would have "the best" and wouldn't regret not stepping up) but I eventually decided the increased range of the 85D was more important to me. Honestly, I would have only performed the insane launches a handful of times just when demonstrating the car to friends but I bet there will be many times I appreciate having the greater range. I didn't really buy the car to show off, so ultimately even if it weren't such a considerable price difference I would have leaned towards the 85D. I don't regret my choice.

JMG · Apr 19, 2015

jwg said:
I don't think you would regret getting either one. I initially was convinced I wanted the P85D (so I would have "the best" and wouldn't regret not stepping up) but I eventually decided the increased range of the 85D was more important to me. Honestly, I would have only performed the insane launches a handful of times just when demonstrating the car to friends but I bet there will be many times I appreciate having the greater range. I didn't really buy the car to show off, so ultimately even if it weren't such a considerable price difference I would have leaned towards the 85D. I don't regret my choice.

I could just copy and paste this entire paragraph. I went in thinking, "Knowing me, I'm only going to get the best." and slightly apprehensive because I knew I was more than likely going to spend $125k on a car. I test drive the P85D, thinking this would just solidify the decision, but I wound up going the opposite way. I realized that the insane mode, which was incredible, was only something I would use very sparingly on a normal day to day usage. For the increase in cost and decrease in range, it actually affirmed my decision to go with the 85D. I was a little bummed about losing 2 seconds in the 0-60, but alas, my car has now improved to 4.3 seconds before I even got it (production complete, in transit).

Not to mention, I was a little worried about the social stigma of buying such an expensive car. So now, when telling people I bought a Tesla...I can say, "But I didn't get the top of the line insane version of the car."

REBroker · Apr 19, 2015

It really is a personal choice and comes down to needs and wants of the individual. To me, this is a toy and a daily driver, two cars in one, and I wanted the best toy I could buy, while still using it daily, the P85D did the trick. Make no mistake, the 85D is not regarded as a super car, the P85D is, whether it deserves it or not. As for range, I have yet to use more than 120 miles in one day of driving, and I drive quite a lot, but all local driving. And sure, having the bragging rights and "the car in the news" doesn't hurt either but I believe it comes down to whether you value the toy factor more, or the value/range factor more.

P.D. (Queue Dos Equis Voice) I don't launch daily, but when I do, I prefer to do it in the launch master, not it's little brother

Jim MacInnes · Apr 19, 2015

With over 2000 miles on my new 85D I couldn't be more satisfied. It is a powerhouse too, and I doubt you would be disappointed with its capabilities. The 17 miles of extra range is nice too.

anxman · Apr 19, 2015

As one of the P85D owners, I echo some other people here that the 4.4s on the 85D is more than sufficient. Both are excellent choices but the 85D is enough even for power junkies like me. A 3.1s 0-60 time is mostly impractical.

ArtInCT · Apr 19, 2015

bhzmark said:
I was considering the P 85d primarily to get next gen seats and improved suspension. It now appears that the suspension difference is very minor and next gen seats are also available in the regular models. The primary remaining reason to get a p85 D is because of faster delivery and of course acceleration. Those reasons probably aren't enough for most people.

I am not sure that the suspension difference is very minor. Having test driven both back to back on nice twisty upper Westchester County NY roads recently.... the P85D's suspension performance demands that I type this.

Nevek · Apr 19, 2015

REBroker said:
It really is a personal choice and comes down to needs and wants of the individual. To me, this is a toy and a daily driver, two cars in one, and I wanted the best toy I could buy, while still using it daily, the P85D did the trick. Make no mistake, the 85D is not regarded as a super car, the P85D is, whether it deserves it or not. As for range, I have yet to use more than 120 miles in one day of driving, and I drive quite a lot, but all local driving. And sure, having the bragging rights and "the car in the news" doesn't hurt either but I believe it comes down to whether you value the toy factor more, or the value/range factor more.

P.D. (Queue Dos Equis Voice) I don't launch daily, but when I do, I prefer to do it in the launch master, not it's little brother

More power to you (literally)! Great to have choices.

85D vs P85D

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