How rare are Model S' without the Tech Package

[dhanson865]

I inquired with Tesla this past week about the "$200" navigation upgrade and was also told that you need to have the upgraded sound package in order to do the nav upgrade. However, I was told that this was $1000 if you had the upgraded sound already. If not, it is $5000 to upgrade the center touch screen, and then an additional $1000 for navigation. So $1000 if you have sound, $6000 if you don't. Not sure how the other poster got it for $200. I don't have the upgraded sound so DEFINITELY not worth it for me

I wouldn't have cared about the old NAV but after firmware 6.1 with the new features I'd actually want to use the car nav over my phone's nav now.

I'd say it's worth the $1000 assuming it gives you all the niceties of the 6.1 elevation aware / charge required aware / you could drive slower aware routing.

It'd be key to watch for the tech package OR upgraded audio if you want smart routing now.

 

[paco3791]

I wouldn't have cared about the old NAV but after firmware 6.1 with the new features I'd actually want to use the car nav over my phone's nav now.

I'd say it's worth the $1000 assuming it gives you all the niceties of the 6.1 elevation aware / charge required aware / you could drive slower aware routing.

It'd be key to watch for the tech package OR upgraded audio if you want smart routing now.

+1, still don't know that's it's worth the extra grand but the value proposition is much closer if I can get access to the 6.1 features.

 

[AWDtsla]

So let's get this straight. Some of you guys would spend a good part of a decade with a car being slightly dissatisfied every time you use it in order to save ~3% on a $100k purchase?

Do you like cake without frosting? Perhaps coffee without caffeine. Sharks without lasers. Shall I go on?

This falls neatly into false economy. If 3% is that precious, you should buy a much cheaper car.

 

[EdA]

So let's get this straight. Some of you guys would spend a good part of a decade with a car being slightly dissatisfied every time you use it in order to save ~3% on a $100k purchase?

Do you like cake without frosting? Perhaps coffee without caffeine. Sharks without lasers. Shall I go on?

This falls neatly into false economy. If 3% is that precious, you should buy a much cheaper car.

Well I had my car nearly 2 years before the GPS would route around traffic and that was the only feature important to me
in the tech package. My wife's car (she was going to hold out for an X but got tired of waiting) does have the tech package
so that is now the roadtrip car. The tech package would be essential to me now since folding mirrors and parking sensors
are things that would interest me. My car was so early it has features provided by the tech package which you wouldn't get
now (driver profiles....)

I did go a year without dessert once and I don't drink coffee...maybe that's why it is so rare

Oh, and my car was "well below" $100k

 

[youlikeadajuice]

So let's get this straight. Some of you guys would spend a good part of a decade with a car being slightly dissatisfied every time you use it in order to save ~3% on a $100k purchase?

Do you like cake without frosting? Perhaps coffee without caffeine. Sharks without lasers. Shall I go on?

This falls neatly into false economy. If 3% is that precious, you should buy a much cheaper car.

I didn't feel like paying 3% more on my car for something my phone could already do just fine, that seems like smart economics to me. Would it be cool to have NAV built into my car? Sure. $3750 cool? Not so much for me, and I am not even remotely dissapointed with my decision. Mine was also substantially less than $100K, would've been closer to 5% for me for something my phone already does. To be honest, I'd probably be really disappointed if I DID get the tech package then which doesn't include any of the cool autopilot features that are included now.

 

[bxr140]

So let's get this straight. Some of you guys would spend a good part of a decade with a car being slightly dissatisfied every time you use it in order to save ~3% on a $100k purchase?

Cars are [often] emotional purchases, so you can't always apply your logic to another's descisions.

 

[iridium]

I'm in the group as well.. $4k for a whole bunch of features I didn't need and haven't needed. However, the new features in the Nav app are interesting and different from what my phone can do. If it is really only $200, I would definitely consider it even though I've actually never needed navigation.

Honestly, the one embarrassing thing is that I have to carry around an old school garage door opener because I didn't get the tech package.. should see if they can add homelink after the fact.

 

[iridium]

I gave Tesla a call and was told adding the nav package couldn't be added on.. would love to know how people have pulled this off.

 

[EdA]

I gave Tesla a call and was told adding the nav package couldn't be added on.. would love to know how people have pulled this off.

You have to have the upgraded audio system.

 

[SoTX_WestTX]

So let's get this straight. Some of you guys would spend a good part of a decade with a car being slightly dissatisfied every time you use it in order to save ~3% on a $100k purchase? (...) If 3% is that precious, you should buy a much cheaper car.

Because at some point the next $1 you add to the cost is $1 too many. For me, this was a stretch purchase. Besides "splurging" on the leather seats, mine was the basest budget config. I ended up financing MUCH less than $80k. I could technically afford the entire payment, but it was too close for comfort so I got a roommate.

Like others have said, none of the then-offered features mattered at all to me. I would have been too early for an auto-pilot capable version by just a few weeks, if memory serves. Of course, I didn't know that at the time. If I had, I would have delayed my delivery date.

All that said, the more accurate range estimations for the Nav on 6.1 would have been a feature I would have saved longer in order to afford. That's only based on my experience taking a few long trips, though, so I'm not sure if I would have fully appreciated the benefit at the ordering stage. Right now, I would totally pay $4,000-$5,000 to retrofit my S to get the currently available features.

Instead, I'm just going to enjoy the hell out of those two plain white lines on the backup screen I have now since that's pretty much the only benefit I've experienced with 6.1. Haha...

 

[iridium]

You have to have the upgraded audio system.

I do have upgraded audio.. They just said that adding nav is not possible.

 

[EdA]

Because at some point the next $1 you add to the cost is $1 too many. For me, this was a stretch purchase. Besides "splurging" on the leather seats, mine was the basest budget config. I ended up financing MUCH less than $80k. I could technically afford the entire payment, but it was too close for comfort so I got a roommate.

Like others have said, none of the then-offered features mattered at all to me. I would have been too early for an auto-pilot capable version by just a few weeks, if memory serves. Of course, I didn't know that at the time. If I had, I would have delayed my delivery date.

All that said, the more accurate range estimations for the Nav on 6.1 would have been a feature I would have saved longer in order to afford. That's only based on my experience taking a few long trips, though, so I'm not sure if I would have fully appreciated the benefit at the ordering stage. Right now, I would totally pay $4,000-$5,000 to retrofit my S to get the currently available features.

Instead, I'm just going to enjoy the hell out of those two plain white lines on the backup screen I have now since that's pretty much the only benefit I've experienced with 6.1. Haha...

This is interesting because when I committed on my order there was no supercharger network announced even!
I had no idea what road trips would be like and fully expected to keep an ICE car in the family, but now we're a 2
Model S family and #2 has the tech package.

- - - Updated - - -

I do have upgraded audio.. They just said that adding nav is not possible.

That contradicts what my local service center said...
Go "elsewhere" for a second opinion?

 

[PlanB]

I am currently driving a service loaner without Tech and it suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. You guys have no idea what you are missing.

 

[paco3791]

I am currently driving a service loaner without Tech and it suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. You guys have no idea what you are missing.

Ha! different strokes for different folks I guess. I've driven many a loaner with the tech package, and the performance package for that matter and just have not been blown away by either. cool?, sure, but I don't regret not getting those options, now or in hindsight, it just wasn't in the budget at the time.

 

[EdA]

For those of us (North Americans) without the tech package but with a 3rd party GPS, see this thread: TomTom GPS file for all North America superchargers

 

[neroden]

Things I like about no-tech package:
- Manual lift gate - I like being able to open/close as quickly and easily as I am able to and not having to wait for the car to do it for me.

For reference, I was told a secret by the Tesla service department: you can open and close the liftgate manually even if you have the automatic liftgate.

I got the tech package back when it was necessary in order to get foglights, and I also needed the driver profiles (we have 4 regular drivers of this car). But I find I use all of it.

 

[paco3791]

For reference, I was told a secret by the Tesla service department: you can open and close the liftgate manually even if you have the automatic liftgate.

I got the tech package back when it was necessary in order to get foglights, and I also needed the driver profiles (we have 4 regular drivers of this car). But I find I use all of it.

Yeah I was lucky enough to get an early car that still had driver profiles linked to the leather seat option. They are a really nice feature.

 

[Panu]

Driver profiles has been standard feature for a while and now is also navigation.

 

[hingisfan]

Driver profiles has been standard feature for a while and now is also navigation.

Not correct....driver profile is part of tech pkg.

 

[KurtR]

Not correct....driver profile is part of tech pkg.

Not anymore. The current specification sheet indicates that driver profiles are standard, along with navigation, daytime running lights, and parking sensors.