I wanted to take a moment and provide an update to my ownership experience after two years and 35,000 miles. Actually two years and 3 months, to be exact. I ordered my "classic" P85 in June of 2013 and received it two months later in August. At the time, Tesla's Arizona service center was being operated out of a small, temporary facility. I ordered my car without ever having test driven a Model S and solely on what I read in the forums.
If you don't want to read the rest of this long post, here is the bottom line:
Would I do it again? IN A HEARTBEAT!
How much do I love this car? I BOUGHT STOCK IN THE COMPANY!
If you have more time...
Two years into ownership and I couldn't be happier. This car does everything I could have ever wanted and more. Never once did I experience any range anxiety. A few months ago I drove to San Diego, that was a very easy trip with no range or charging anxiety whatsoever. I recently purchased the CHAdeMO adapter to help me visit the town of Bisbee, AZ and other locales which are outside of the Supercharger network. More adventures!
I've completed one long road trip from Phoenix to the SF Bay Area, about 1,400 miles round trip. I used to hate driving long distances in my previous car - a Toyota Prius. I drove the same trek a few years ago in the Prius and hated every minute of it. I couldn't wait to arrive at my destination. The 1,400 miles driven in my Model S were the most pleasurable miles I have ever driven in my life, primarily because I took more breaks. Supercharging along the way was a game changer and not at all inconvenient in the overall schema. When I drove the same route in my Prius a few years ago, I arrived at my destination with the most horrible backache you can imagine. The pain was in herniated disc territory. Even though driving the same route in a Model S took approximately a little longer, I felt much more refreshed and with no aches or pains!
To be honest, I lingered much longer than I needed to at the Superchargers because I met such interesting people! When was the last time anyone said that about stopping at the Shell station? I met a Tesla suspension engineer once while charging at Harris Ranch around 11pm. That was a fun conversation!
I had some cosmetic issues with my car when it was delivered, mostly little things. All issues were resolved deftly by my local service center. By all accounts, initial quality has improved substantially in the last year.
The one recurring issue I've had is with the drive unit, but when I bought the car in 2013 I knew there would likely be some teething pains. Thankfully, having my DU replaced was no more inconvenient than getting an alignment done. Outstanding Tesla service makes up for any potential negative on this front, especially when I'm given a loaner car that is better than the one I own! If you are on the fence, don't let what you read about this issue in the forums keep you from buying this amazing car. I've informally polled many owners here in Arizona during our get togethers, it seems that DU replacements are uncommon.
A lot has been said in the forums about Tesla changing as a company, policies becoming more restrictive, etc. All I can say is this: I have noticed no change to the outstanding quality of service here. Realistically, Tesla has to evolve its service division to keep pace with all of the new deliveries and the introduction of the Model X. In many ways I was spoiled by Tesla. I used to enjoy email banter with their SVPs. I even exchanged a few emails with Elon Musk over questions I had about the car prior to ordering. It seems those days are over, but not because Tesla's core values have changed. The organization has grown so much in the last couple of years that it may no longer be practical to continue doing in 2015 what made sense in 2013. It feels a little surreal to be lamenting the loss of something that nobody else who buys any other brand enjoys. Spoiled is the word that comes to mind.
Service issues arise with any car. What's important is how those issues are handled and whether the company makes things right. Tesla service hits the ball out of the park each and every time. Whenever one reads about a negative experience in the forums, remember that we are hearing only one side of the story. It's very easy to jump to conclusions and I've certainly done my share of that. Keep in mind that we never, ever hear Tesla's side.
If I can offer one piece of advice, it's this: The Service Manager is your best friend. If you need to escalate an issue, that is the person to speak with before posting frustration in the forums. Even if escalating something to the regional or executive level, communications will still flow through the local Service Manager who will be the point of contact. My Service Manager here in Scottsdale is an owner advocate, as are all of the SMs. They are an incredibly valuable resource.
I hope to be in a position to buy a 2nd Model S or a Model X in the next couple of years and I can't wait. Cheers!
If you don't want to read the rest of this long post, here is the bottom line:
Would I do it again? IN A HEARTBEAT!
How much do I love this car? I BOUGHT STOCK IN THE COMPANY!
If you have more time...
Two years into ownership and I couldn't be happier. This car does everything I could have ever wanted and more. Never once did I experience any range anxiety. A few months ago I drove to San Diego, that was a very easy trip with no range or charging anxiety whatsoever. I recently purchased the CHAdeMO adapter to help me visit the town of Bisbee, AZ and other locales which are outside of the Supercharger network. More adventures!
I've completed one long road trip from Phoenix to the SF Bay Area, about 1,400 miles round trip. I used to hate driving long distances in my previous car - a Toyota Prius. I drove the same trek a few years ago in the Prius and hated every minute of it. I couldn't wait to arrive at my destination. The 1,400 miles driven in my Model S were the most pleasurable miles I have ever driven in my life, primarily because I took more breaks. Supercharging along the way was a game changer and not at all inconvenient in the overall schema. When I drove the same route in my Prius a few years ago, I arrived at my destination with the most horrible backache you can imagine. The pain was in herniated disc territory. Even though driving the same route in a Model S took approximately a little longer, I felt much more refreshed and with no aches or pains!
To be honest, I lingered much longer than I needed to at the Superchargers because I met such interesting people! When was the last time anyone said that about stopping at the Shell station? I met a Tesla suspension engineer once while charging at Harris Ranch around 11pm. That was a fun conversation!
I had some cosmetic issues with my car when it was delivered, mostly little things. All issues were resolved deftly by my local service center. By all accounts, initial quality has improved substantially in the last year.
The one recurring issue I've had is with the drive unit, but when I bought the car in 2013 I knew there would likely be some teething pains. Thankfully, having my DU replaced was no more inconvenient than getting an alignment done. Outstanding Tesla service makes up for any potential negative on this front, especially when I'm given a loaner car that is better than the one I own! If you are on the fence, don't let what you read about this issue in the forums keep you from buying this amazing car. I've informally polled many owners here in Arizona during our get togethers, it seems that DU replacements are uncommon.
A lot has been said in the forums about Tesla changing as a company, policies becoming more restrictive, etc. All I can say is this: I have noticed no change to the outstanding quality of service here. Realistically, Tesla has to evolve its service division to keep pace with all of the new deliveries and the introduction of the Model X. In many ways I was spoiled by Tesla. I used to enjoy email banter with their SVPs. I even exchanged a few emails with Elon Musk over questions I had about the car prior to ordering. It seems those days are over, but not because Tesla's core values have changed. The organization has grown so much in the last couple of years that it may no longer be practical to continue doing in 2015 what made sense in 2013. It feels a little surreal to be lamenting the loss of something that nobody else who buys any other brand enjoys. Spoiled is the word that comes to mind.
Service issues arise with any car. What's important is how those issues are handled and whether the company makes things right. Tesla service hits the ball out of the park each and every time. Whenever one reads about a negative experience in the forums, remember that we are hearing only one side of the story. It's very easy to jump to conclusions and I've certainly done my share of that. Keep in mind that we never, ever hear Tesla's side.
If I can offer one piece of advice, it's this: The Service Manager is your best friend. If you need to escalate an issue, that is the person to speak with before posting frustration in the forums. Even if escalating something to the regional or executive level, communications will still flow through the local Service Manager who will be the point of contact. My Service Manager here in Scottsdale is an owner advocate, as are all of the SMs. They are an incredibly valuable resource.
I hope to be in a position to buy a 2nd Model S or a Model X in the next couple of years and I can't wait. Cheers!
