My difficult driveway

[Kipernicus]

I'm rather concerned that Model S will be too large for my driveway and garage. The problem is that the driveway is curved, has a storm drain to one side, and a pillar in front of the single garage door (~92" wide). I've scratched my current car a few times (99 Passat) and Model S is a foot longer and wider.

Here's the general lay:


with detail of the storm drain. I've been using that high curb as an excuse to get the air suspension.


And here's how I need to approach at an angle and cut in around the pillar to squeeze into the garage:





I don't think I can make it, do you?
I'm already using every bit of concrete and coming within inches of the pillar and the garage door opening.
It may help if I put in a curb ramp by the storm drain (without covering it) so I can get a more head-on approach. Like something from these guys
www.bridjit.com or CurbRamps.com


Otherwise, I'm seriously considering downgrading to the new Rav4EV, both for the size and for the cost. But I give up a lot too

PS - no I can't park on the left side garage because that's where my wife's car goes (she doesn't want to deal with the curve either) and since Model S is so long we wouldn't be able to do laundry with it parked on the left. It would get old real fast to have to scoot the car out every time we wanted to access the dryer.

[Yggdrasill]

I think it is possible to place a Model S into the garage, but I think you need to reverse into the garage. (Assuming the garage is wide and deep enough, of course.)

My solution:

- Reverse into the driveway, placing the back of the car as close to the pillar as possible.
- When the pillar is exactly in line with the back axle, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right.
- Reverse until the car is in line with the garage.
- Turn the steering wheel left until the front wheels are pointing straight forward.
- Reverse all the way into the garage.

(In the second to last picture, you have about half a meter of concrete next to the back wheel you aren't using - reversing into the garage makes it easier to use that space as well.)

[jkirkebo]

+1 on reversing in. Try it with your existing car, my guess it will be much easier. And with the reversing camera (hopefully with guidelines) on the S, even easier.

[YoungStranger]

Ive got a passat and swinging that big nose into a parking space is always a little scary. Perhaps the lower front end of the Model S would help. I would also suggest reversing and also for the first few times lay a yellow tape down for sighting purposes, rather like people hang tennis balls down from the ceiling to stop them hitting a wall. I know the model S is wider but you still have plenty of room at the garage door.

[Arnold Panz]

Add me to the list of people who say you need to back the car in. Try it with the Passat, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much extra room it gives you. I've got a very similar challenge -- a "two car" garage with a pole in the middle, and the garage is on the side of my house, so I have to swing the car in from the street and the get it straight enough to get into the one-car garage-sized opening. After trying a few different things, backing in became the clear best way to do this, and the Model S should be even easier because the back wheels are so close to the back of the car.

The other suggestion is to cut down those little bushes in between the two garages -- it's a relatively unnecessary extra obstacle that increases the degree of difficulty in pulling into that spot.

[ElSupreme]

Plus 1 for backing your car in. I personally find it much easier to back into my garage than to back out. Lots of things to sight on when driving in.

[Kipernicus]

Thanks for the comments. Yes those bushes have got to go, and I'll need to clear out the boxes to have room to open the door when I back it in. I'll try it with the Passat. Nice thing about the Model S is that it's easy to scoot over to the passenger side to get out if I'm too close to the wall on the driver's side.

[Tommy]

Have you tried approaching from the other direction; steer the front wheels to just miss the curb height change, the back wheels may clear or "ride" over the curb doing this way but it may give you a straighter alignment to the garage opening.

[Lloyd]

Have you tried asking the city to move the storm drain? It is preventing you from using your property as designed!

[smorgasbord]

I'm going to be blunt here: you're hosed.

Your 1999 Passat is 68.5" wide. The Model S is almost 9" wider, at 77.3". Adding mirrors, the Model S is 86.2" wide - that leaves you less than 3" on each side - not easy with a straight driveway. Now add curve, drain, posts and it's just not pretty.

If you've scratched your Passat, you're going to scratch your Model S. Backing in may help, but it's going to be tricky and you're going to have to get rid of the boxes and stuff stacked along the outside wall.

I know this is disappointing news.