2017 Model X vs 2023 Model X

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here it is. And it might help somebody that is looking into buying a 2023 X.

2023 Model X vs 2017 Model X
This will not be a power/spec/features comparison, instead I will try to be brief about what caught my attention. I recently upgraded from M3 to MX and the MX is now in the service center for fixing the panel gaps (sounds normal now) and for some weird alerts that came up about none of the ADAS features being available (cruise control, autosteer, emergency braking etc), no regen either. That went away in a few hours, but was pretty scary. So while I am waiting for my X to be "fixed" I got a 2017 MX as a loaner. I've been driving M3 and MY for the past 5 years and have completely forgotten what the old S and X driving was feeling like. The 2023 X felt much like a Y with more features. When I got behind the wheel of the 2017 X I started having flashbacks. I will try to summarize:

2017 vs 2023 Model X differences
1. The 2017 front doors so you can enter/exit without touching the door. 2023's doors only staj ajar and you have to hand-wrestle the motors to open them. If there is a way to adjust/set the doors to open - please let me know.
2. Dashboard screen (instrument panel) is customizable - you can put a clock, navigation, trip counters, media, energy meter (with average KWh/m for past 30 miles) etc. The 2023 only has this little (almost invisible) bar on the bottom that shows power.
3. The regen is significantly weaker on the 2017 and there is no option for the car to completely stop on its own. If you get it to a complete stop it will roll back or forward depending on the angle of the road (it doesn't take much). I remembered that you can keep it still (on hold) by pressing the brake pedal harder after the car is not moving. Then the H symbol shows on the instrumental panel.
4. The portrait screen is by far more ergonomic to operate. You have your arm on the arm rest and not having it "hanging the air". Even so, I like the landscape better and if I get to choose again - it will be landscape even with the "hanging arm".
5. Only a month of stalkless driving and now it is annoying Not to mention this car has 4 of them! (well one is a tiny one that you do not get to use while driving, but still..)
6. I know I already mentioned the Energy app, but still - the only way to see what your consumption is in a 2023 X is by opening the Trip counters. Energy app only shows estimation and other crap data that is useless. BY the way, the CONTROL/DISPLAY on the 2017 has Energy Display setting options as Percentage and Distance, but also Rated and Ideal when Distance is selected. I found the Ideal to be very close to real life usage estimation.
7. No ultrasonic sensors means no Summon / Smart Summon.

I will not get into the center console, vents etc, just wanted to share some points I think are important. And if it is not clear by now - some of the updates are unfortunately downgrades... I think...

There might be more things I do not recall for now, but I will post if I remember.

"Render - Tesla Model X 2017 By Alang7™" by Alang7™ is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Admin note: Image added for Blog Feed thumbnail

 

[Joey_82]

Nice summary, thanks for sharing. I currently drive a legacy X (pre-raven), and have been so tempted to upgrade to a newer model.

I had a 3 prior to the X, and also have a Y in the household. I needed a bigger vehicle and ended up with the X (which I love) and don't think I could go back to any other vehicle (or even 3/Y for that matter).

I haven't driven the newer S/X, but your comment about it feeling like driving a Y with more features really excites me. The legacy X I have drives well (it has 22's), but it's a rough ride and has some cabin rattles that at times drives me a bit crazy. The X is in excellent shape but sometimes the ride is rough and turns me off a bit, especially when I take our Y for a drive and it feels so much quieter and very smooth. Other thing I love about the new X is the yoke, landscape display (newer Ryzen MCU of course), and storage layout.

But, my concerns are similar to what you mentioned - lose customization in the instrument panel (very minor), no stalks (meh, don't really care), lack of USS (bugs me a bit) and also inclusion of cabin camera (that I'd find a bit annoying - on our Y with FSD I find its bugging me so often). My legacy X with EAP and USS works beautifully for all the highway driving I do.

At the end of the day I don't think I'm going to pull the trigger (really not necessary), but I remain tempted.

 

[macd1995]

I have a 2017 and am patiently waiting for 2023 to arrive. No smart summons? Can you move the vehicle with a fob? I love that feature? Makes me curious what else is actual Missing... or removed that were features in the older cars? Never thought about that.

 

[ratchet]

I had an April 2017 Model X that I swapped for a new X in early August. My incentive was the FSD transfer before the end of September.

Item 3. The old model could not fully stop because it had different motors (inductive instead of the newer permanent magnet). However, I found that once I turned off Creep Mode in the old one (which I did after about two weeks), that Brake Hold was pretty reliable after a complete stop even if I didn't press the brake pedal extra hard. Worked fine for me.

Item 6: Yeh, being an engineer, I miss the details on the energy apps and the convenience of having them on the driver's instrument panel.

My biggest irritation, though, is that I used the mirror fold button on the driver's door a lot. I back into my garage and would leave the mirrors out until I had the rear of the car just inside the garage door before I would fold the outside mirrors (so the "Fold at this location" was not a good option). There is almost no clearance on my garage door with the mirrors out. Similarly, I would wait until I exited the garage before opening the mirrors (even though I could wait until I exceeded 30 MPH for them to deploy automatically). The new car requires THREE actions (press CONTROLS icon, press Fold Mirrors button, press CONTROLS icon again so I can see the backup camera). I use the backup camera because I have painter's tape on the garage floor to position the car so the doors will clear the support posts in the middle of the garage as well as be far enough in so the garage door will close without hitting the front bumper. I was hoping that the Fold Mirrors button could be added to the Apps Launcher bar or even be a selection on the left scroll wheel menu, but no luck yet.

 

[shahryaran]

Model X is the most space shipy of all the models.

 

[Georgesb2]

I had an April 2017 Model X that I swapped for a new X in early August. My incentive was the FSD transfer before the end of September.

Item 3. The old model could not fully stop because it had different motors (inductive instead of the newer permanent magnet). However, I found that once I turned off Creep Mode in the old one (which I did after about two weeks), that Brake Hold was pretty reliable after a complete stop even if I didn't press the brake pedal extra hard. Worked fine for me.

Item 6: Yeh, being an engineer, I miss the details on the energy apps and the convenience of having them on the driver's instrument panel.

My biggest irritation, though, is that I used the mirror fold button on the driver's door a lot. I back into my garage and would leave the mirrors out until I had the rear of the car just inside the garage door before I would fold the outside mirrors (so the "Fold at this location" was not a good option). There is almost no clearance on my garage door with the mirrors out. Similarly, I would wait until I exited the garage before opening the mirrors (even though I could wait until I exceeded 30 MPH for them to deploy automatically). The new car requires THREE actions (press CONTROLS icon, press Fold Mirrors button, press CONTROLS icon again so I can see the backup camera). I use the backup camera because I have painter's tape on the garage floor to position the car so the doors will clear the support posts in the middle of the garage as well as be far enough in so the garage door will close without hitting the front bumper. I was hoping that the Fold Mirrors button could be added to the Apps Launcher bar or even be a selection on the left scroll wheel menu, but no luck yet.

I use the S3XY buttons, aftermarket, and have a button programmed to open and close mirrors. It might work for your model as well...

 

[PAUL POWELL]

I have a December 2017 build Model X P100D and I test drove a Plaid Model X yesterday with the thoughts of upgrading but after driving it I couldn't justify spending another $60k on top of my current X. A few thoughts I had about the differences between a Performance VS Plaid. Given the differences I noticed below, there's no way I would give up my current MX. I might be looking for a nice low mile Raven Performance instead. My fear is that Tesla will stop updating this hardware with new and interesting features in the future. Also, the new red is absolutely STUNNING..

1. I found the Plaid to be slightly quieter and a slightly softer ride. It could be the 22" wheels on my 2017 vs the 20" wheels on the demo Plaid.
2 The lack of the customizable screen and the lack of customization of the steering wheel buttons/scroll wheels to be very annoying.
3. The transmission moving to the screen was more annoying than I expected. I really like the PRND stalk on the 2017 MX.
4. The turn signals and other controls on the steering wheel I thought would be annoying but it wasn't and actually I found the turn signals to be more convenient than the stalks on the 2017.
5. The headlights are 1000% better in the new Plaid. The new headlights tend to go missed on the reviews and comparisons I have read, probably because people haven't test drove them at night. The Matrix headlights are INSANE!!!!
6. The Plaid isn't that much faster than my P100D below 60mph. my butt dyno, which is generally well calibrated, (especially after Taco Bell) didn't notice much difference below 60. I did notice that it didn't reduce the rate of acceleration like my P100D at or above 60. Although I didn't get it that far above 60 because of traffic and safety.
7. I found that the driver's door didn't open fully automatically on the Plaid to be a bit annoying, and I like the door handles on my 2017.
8. The steering wheel on the Plaid was thinner and I liked the feel better than the 2017. I didn't try a yoke, that was a non starter...
9. The center console in the Plaid is better designed, but I would really miss the adjustable sized cup holders in my current X. I like that I can stick my bit Yeti mug down low and out of the way of my arm while driving.

 

[Joey_82]

I have a December 2017 build Model X P100D and I test drove a Plaid Model X yesterday with the thoughts of upgrading but after driving it I couldn't justify spending another $60k on top of my current X. A few thoughts I had about the differences between a Performance VS Plaid. Given the differences I noticed below, there's no way I would give up my current MX. I might be looking for a nice low mile Raven Performance instead. My fear is that Tesla will stop updating this hardware with new and interesting features in the future. Also, the new red is absolutely STUNNING..

1. I found the Plaid to be slightly quieter and a slightly softer ride. It could be the 22" wheels on my 2017 vs the 20" wheels on the demo Plaid.
2 The lack of the customizable screen and the lack of customization of the steering wheel buttons/scroll wheels to be very annoying.
3. The transmission moving to the screen was more annoying than I expected. I really like the PRND stalk on the 2017 MX.
4. The turn signals and other controls on the steering wheel I thought would be annoying but it wasn't and actually I found the turn signals to be more convenient than the stalks on the 2017.
5. The headlights are 1000% better in the new Plaid. The new headlights tend to go missed on the reviews and comparisons I have read, probably because people haven't test drove them at night. The Matrix headlights are INSANE!!!!
6. The Plaid isn't that much faster than my P100D below 60mph. my butt dyno, which is generally well calibrated, (especially after Taco Bell) didn't notice much difference below 60. I did notice that it didn't reduce the rate of acceleration like my P100D at or above 60. Although I didn't get it that far above 60 because of traffic and safety.
7. I found that the driver's door didn't open fully automatically on the Plaid to be a bit annoying, and I like the door handles on my 2017.
8. The steering wheel on the Plaid was thinner and I liked the feel better than the 2017. I didn't try a yoke, that was a non starter...
9. The center console in the Plaid is better designed, but I would really miss the adjustable sized cup holders in my current X. I like that I can stick my bit Yeti mug down low and out of the way of my arm while driving.

Thanks for sharing, really enjoying reading these comparisons. I have a Feb 2018 built P100D with 22's. Love the acceleration, but just in attempt to keep cost down if I was making the upgrade I was looking at LR with 20's (really want to maximize range). Very cool to hear about the comparison to the Plaid.

It's tough, as tempting as it is, the cost of the upgrade is like another vehicle itself. Could keep the X and buy a 3 to keep alongside it. I did have similar thoughts about looking for a raven that's in good shape.

 

[KerrySkates]

My understanding is that Summon is a feature of Enhanced Autopilot and FSD - even without the sensors. Are you sure that the 2023 doesn’t have those features for this reason as opposed to the lack of hardware?

 

[jjjord]

My understanding is that Summon is a feature of Enhanced Autopilot and FSD - even without the sensors. Are you sure that the 2023 doesn’t have those features for this reason as opposed to the lack of hardware?

You are correct - it is a feature that goes side by side with EAP/FSD, but it is dependent on the USS.
I asked about it and I was told this here in the forum:

There are no cars without ultrasonic parking sensors which have summon, smart summon, or autopark enabled.

“Coming in a future software update” since November of 2022.

 

[KerrySkates]

You are correct - it is a feature that goes side by side with EAP/FSD, but it is dependent on the USS.
I asked about it and I was told this here in the forum:

Good to know. Another example of why removing the sensors instead of replacing them with better ones was not a good idea. Now there’s a fleet of vehicles that can’t use an advertised feature and may never be able to if they can’t get vision sorted out. And even if they do solve problems with vision, nights and weather will disable those features and make them pointless for those owners

 

[PAUL POWELL]

Thanks for sharing, really enjoying reading these comparisons. I have a Feb 2018 built P100D with 22's. Love the acceleration, but just in attempt to keep cost down if I was making the upgrade I was looking at LR with 20's (really want to maximize range). Very cool to hear about the comparison to the Plaid.

It's tough, as tempting as it is, the cost of the upgrade is like another vehicle itself. Could keep the X and buy a 3 to keep alongside it. I did have similar thoughts about looking for a raven that's in good shape.

Yeah, I was pretty set on getting a new Plaid, but the features I’m losing in the Plaid coupled with the $60k cost to upgrade caused me to really appreciate mine.

 

[Sunshine Speed]

Here are some things I would miss if I traded my P90D X for a 2023 or newer model:
1) FSD. I use it all the time and it's too expensive to buy or subscribe to on new models. I had full set of newer cameras installed last year for free.
2) No Eye tracking on autopilot/FSD - Eye tracking nags are super annoying when I'm driving any newer Teslas.
3) Auto-opening driver door and fully open: My X does this anytime I'm away from home, it's great especially when carrying bags in both hands.
4) Vertical screen - It's better for maps and Nav and a shorter reach. Exact same size screen compared to Refresh X (17-inch). I don't watch movies/TV very often in the car.
5) Ultrasonic sensors
6) Gloss black seatbacks - looks like a work of art compared to newer seatbacks, especially with my white vegan interior.

The main reasons I want to upgrade to newer models are range, faster acceleration 60 to 120mph, 1-pedal driving to complete stop, slightly quieter cabin, slightly softer suspension, warranty, efficiency, lithium ion 12V battery. Most likely upgrade path for me is a 2021 Model X Raven Performance, or a 2025 Model Y Performance (after the Juniper Refresh), assuming the interior is improved and the car has quieter cabin and softer ride compared to my Dec2016 P90D X.

 

[RCP401]

I had an April 2017 Model X that I swapped for a new X in early August. My incentive was the FSD transfer before the end of September.

Item 3. The old model could not fully stop because it had different motors (inductive instead of the newer permanent magnet). However, I found that once I turned off Creep Mode in the old one (which I did after about two weeks), that Brake Hold was pretty reliable after a complete stop even if I didn't press the brake pedal extra hard. Worked fine for me.

Item 6: Yeh, being an engineer, I miss the details on the energy apps and the convenience of having them on the driver's instrument panel.

My biggest irritation, though, is that I used the mirror fold button on the driver's door a lot. I back into my garage and would leave the mirrors out until I had the rear of the car just inside the garage door before I would fold the outside mirrors (so the "Fold at this location" was not a good option). There is almost no clearance on my garage door with the mirrors out. Similarly, I would wait until I exited the garage before opening the mirrors (even though I could wait until I exceeded 30 MPH for them to deploy automatically). The new car requires THREE actions (press CONTROLS icon, press Fold Mirrors button, press CONTROLS icon again so I can see the backup camera). I use the backup camera because I have painter's tape on the garage floor to position the car so the doors will clear the support posts in the middle of the garage as well as be far enough in so the garage door will close without hitting the front bumper. I was hoping that the Fold Mirrors button could be added to the Apps Launcher bar or even be a selection on the left scroll wheel menu, but no luck yet.

Voice command will fold/unfold mirrors: "Fold/unfold the mirrors." Not as convenient as a single button press but maybe better than using the three actions. I like your use of painters tape to dial-in parking location -- I'm going to use that too.

 

[thyname]

Here are some things I would miss if I traded my P90D X for a 2023 or newer model:
1) FSD. I use it all the time and it's too expensive to buy or subscribe to on new models. I had full set of newer cameras installed last year for free.

That one reason alone, is completely valid and would suffice.

The main reasons I want to upgrade to newer models are range, faster acceleration 60 to 120mph, 1-pedal driving to complete stop, slightly quieter cabin, slightly softer suspension, warranty, efficiency, lithium ion 12V battery.

You quickly went through all of these in one single phrase and no paragraphs / bullet points / numbered, but I for one find all these A LOT

 

[Sunshine Speed]

That one reason alone, is completely valid and would suffice.



You quickly went through all of these in one single phrase and no paragraphs / bullet points / numbered, but I for one find all these A LOT

Yes I agree, the upgrades are massive, which is why I made sure to point them out. But Refresh would probably be $90K after CA sales tax with NO FSD, and wait for tax credit later. $103K with FSD, and my trade in might be worth $33K in a quick sale. So I can't afford the Refresh, and even if I could, then I'd be annoyed by eye tracking nagging on autopilot. More realistic for me is 2021 Raven X Performance with FSD included and some warranty remaining.

 

[Joey_82]

Yes I agree, the upgrades are massive, which is why I made sure to point them out. But Refresh would probably be $90K after CA sales tax with NO FSD, and wait for tax credit later. $103K with FSD, and my trade in might be worth $33K in a quick sale. So I can't afford the Refresh, and even if I could, then I'd be annoyed by eye tracking nagging on autopilot. More realistic for me is 2021 Raven X Performance with FSD included and some warranty remaining.

It's stupid but this would bug me in a new X as well. My 2018 has EAP which I use for the majority of my driving day to day (even having to pay for EAP on a new X would sting), and our Y has FSD. I love using FSD whenever I can bug that eye tracking nag drives me crazy at times.

 

[Delphi Wiz]

Can any of you specifically compare the following between 2017 MX100D and 2023MX?

1. Ride quality, I have heard owners rave of the softer and cushiony ride on 2023, is it so much better?
2. Noise quality, are the windows double pane? Is there Bose active noise cancelling on the new 2023?
3. Consumption comparison, my average on 2017 is between 350-425 whr/mile, does 2023 consume less with the new motors and battery tech?
4. Materials, does the new MX have better interior? is it more plush, are the seats ventilated?
5. Do you get a key fob? is it still a separate purchase?
6. Road noise, this may depend on the tires, but is the road noise less on 2023 MX?

I have been on the fence for upgrading, specially now since they have the special promotion on free SC charging transfer.

thanks,

DW

 

[chillaban]

Can any of you specifically compare the following between 2017 MX100D and 2023MX?

So I just took delivery of an Oct 23 Model X with 22” wheels, will try to answer some of these questions. I owned a legacy S and a 2022 MYP before this, but have driven plenty of loaner X’s.

1. Ride quality, I have heard owners rave of the softer and cushiony ride on 2023, is it so much better?

Substantially better ride quality. This new adaptive suspension is better in every way compared to the legacy S/X Smart Air Suspension. The Auto/Comfort mode almost feels as good as a Cadillac magentic suspension, gliding over roads at slow speeds and at high speeds it absorbs bumps without a mini-earthquake in the car. It is better than the comfort suspension Y and absolutely better than the legacy S/X (that’s the ranking order IMO)

It’s also nice in that it can be either soft or firm and both settings have a noticeably different feeling. That’s great if someone in your family likes stiff sport suspensions while another person wants that Lexus-style feel.

1. Noise quality, are the windows double pane? Is there Bose active noise cancelling on the new 2023?

Yes all the windows are double pane from what I can tell, and overall they now use MUCH more rubber weatherstripping that’s correctly contoured and much more supple than what they used on the 2017 S/X.

Wind noise is all but nonexistent at 70mph. At 85mph I hear a little vague wind noise but that’s too be expected from a SUV shaped car.

Re ANC, IMO that’s snake oil and not at all effective or worthwhile.

1. Consumption comparison, my average on 2017 is between 350-425 whr/mile, does 2023 consume less with the new motors and battery tech?

For general “not even trying” driving with AC operating normally on a California fall day, my 20 mile mixed highway/city commute read 290Wh/mi. This is pleasantly surprising as it’s better than my 2017 S.

I expect it to be a huge upgrade over the legacy X.

1. Materials, does the new MX have better interior? is it more plush, are the seats ventilated?

Better interior: Absolutely. That’s the immediate first impression getting in. The seats are heated and ventilated and unlike many past generations, the ventilated seats actually feel good — you instantly feel the cool but it also doesn’t freeze one spot of your ass off while leaving everything else warm.

In terms of “plush”, I actually feel the 2017 era of the S/X front seats were more plush and had that sensation like you were sinking into Grandma’s leather couch. The newer S/X seats are firmer — there’s a little bit of pillow-y sink and then it stops and supports you there. It feels like the difference between a high-end office chair versus a movie theater recliner.

1. Do you get a key fob? is it still a separate purchase?

No, no key fob comes with the car. It comes with 2 key cards just like a 3/Y. You can pair any of the 3/Y / refresh S/X style keyfobs with it though. You cannot pair a legacy S/X style keyfob, not even the bluetooth based Model X 2017 keyfob.

1. Road noise, this may depend on the tires, but is the road noise less on 2023 MX?

Yes, even with 22” rims, the road noise is overall less. Of course as you mentioned a lot of this depends on tires.

 

[awd_rails]

Tesla gave me a 2017 Model X for a loaner when I brought my MY in for service recently. What got me was the placement of the front seat cup holders under the center armrest! That has got to be the worst placement having to slide the armrest back to use the cupholder. The center armrest becomes practically unusable then, and the reach for your drink is awkward. That would have been enough for me to trade-in for 2023 MX! lol

Not to mention you can't drive with just 1 pedal. Felt like I was back in an ICE car. lol