S85 Owners: Do you wish you had bought S60 instead

[glhs272]

Yep, these 60 vs. 85 threads more or less always come to the same conclusion: whatever works most for you. Just make sure you know what you need. Occasionally I need to haul a 5 yard load of gravel, I don't drive a dump truck everyday. But some people need those dump trucks!!

 

[bonnie]

How many 60 v. 85 threads do we really need? There are probably a half dozen threads going through the exact same question. If you search, you'll probably pull up a few hundred posts that basically go through the same mental process, with most people telling you to get an 85 and a few 60 owners who say they are perfectly happy satisfied with their decisions.

Just wait until the X hits general delivery ... and then -shudder- GenIII. I'm surprised there isn't a Roadster vs. Roadster Sport vs. Model S thread. And grateful.

 

[gameon]

85 here. Wish I had gone with the P85. After driving 14k miles in Model S, a 60 would be a no go. The 8 year unlimited mile warranty is alone worth the $10k, given a new pack is $45k.

you mean after 8 yrs (whenever you need) the battery you will spend around $45k (price might go down but how much

 

[brianstorms]

85 or nothing here. I can't even imagine a 60. I didn't care for the P85. As I've told Tesla, I'd rather have a 90 or 100 or 110 or 120kWh non-performance Model S before a "performance" model. The only performance I care about is R.A.N.G.E.

 

[Rifleman]

regret not getting a 60? Heck, I am still regretting not getting a 40 when it was available (as opposed to the Volt I am driving now)

 

[tomas]

Regret not getting a fisker, would be beautiful yard sculpture.

 

[qwk]

you mean after 8 yrs (whenever you need) the battery you will spend around $45k (price might go down but how much

The 60kwh warranty is only good for 125k miles. Some people here will do that in 3-4 years. What if a microprocessor or contactor fails in the battery after the 125k miles? The battery might have sufficient capacity for anyones use, but won't work. That's why the 85kwh pack is such a smart choice.

 

[RainmakerJL]

Classic YMMV. Just think through what is best for you and go for it. Range need is up to you as is performance. We do a lot of family trips of 500 plus miles and never used my sedan in the past. We take the minivan. I went 85 in the hopes of being able to convert the wife but it's unlikely. We will see.

 

[Volker.Berlin]

S85 and no regrets at all. Not even for a split second. More is better.

 

[pilotSteve]

S85 and very pleased. The S60 would have left me range challenged (not necessarily unable but would be worried) on about ten drives I've made over the past 12 months.

Basically its the same sort of reasoning I used when buying my BMW 550 over a 530. I keep my cars for 5+ years and the pleasure remain strong long after the financial sting has disappeared.

 

[AC1K]

downgrade to a 60kWh and loose my 416HP? lol No.

 

[David_Cary]

The 60kwh warranty is only good for 125k miles. Some people here will do that in 3-4 years. What if a microprocessor or contactor fails in the battery after the 125k miles? The battery might have sufficient capacity for anyones use, but won't work. That's why the 85kwh pack is such a smart choice.

I would put that likelihood at less than 1% and most likely it would be a $3000 or significantly less repair. So the warranty is probably worth $30. IMO - worth $10k - crazy. Also, it does take a 99%ile driver to get 125k miles in 4 years. The average driver never gets there in 8 years. So maybe 20% get there in 8 years and they get there in 6 years or so - so the extra warranty is only helpful for 2 years when the chance of failure is probably approaching 0.1%.

Now - I realize there are a lot of high mileage drivers out there. But even the 25k miles a year gets 5 years out of the 60 warranty. It isn't like the warranty is covering degradation....

 

[amitb00]

Thanks to all for your thoughtful comments. This helped me big time. It was nice to see that no 85 owner regretted having ordered 85. It shows how much we all love Tesla. I am also glad to be part of Tesla family who is so enthusiastic and help out others in a big way.
It does seem that I am likely to use Model S for my daily drives and weekend errands. I have a big family with three kids. Parents and cousins occasionally join us on long road trips so along with the range, space is also crucial for me on long trips. I will likely take Odyssey for road trips. I am not in a cold climate. Even with some range loss, S60 should work out OK for me in city. I have added rear seat to increase capacity for the car and use it as much as I can in the city. There are many good reasons for buying 85 and even though I will occasionally feel bad about my decision to finalizing on S60, I guess it will be my initiation into Tesla club. Once time comes to retire Odyssey and if all works out well, I will get Model X which I will use for long drives. I am certain to buy the biggest battery at that time and 11K saved here will help at that time.

 

[amitb00]

After my order was confirmed with S60, I continued to have dilemma. I know I can afford S85 and that I don't need S85. S60 will be adequate for my needs. However having read about experiences from so many, I made a call to Tesla Motors and they were able to upgrade my battery to 85 kWh. I will write on this thread after few months, if I regret buying 85 kWH. Cheers, Amit

 

[AmpedRealtor]

No regrets buying a P85 - none!

You'll never regret having more range than you need, but the reverse is not true.

 

[jebzter]

60 kwh around the Washington DC area and no range issues at all.

 

[amitb00]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=768006143231768&set=pcb.551419384978018&type=1&theater
I am bringing back one of the old threads. When I was ordering Tesla, I was sure I did not need 85 kWh and was willing to even forego Supercharger as I have an Odyssey and I thought let me use that for long trips. I confirmed on a 60 but then so many of you told me to change. I changed back to 85 and then also added twin chargers w/o HPWC. In the very first trip out of town, I used SC at Ft. Meyers. I also landed in Ft. Meyers with 11 miles to spare. Yes, if I had 60 I would have made sure that I work around that and don't land up stranded. However I feel I made use of last 50 miles of 85 and also SC capability. It gives better flexibility and this is for me, who was so sure I will never need 85. To those who are still giving orders for Model S, just order 85. Those who already have 60, it is a great car. All the owners, have fun!!!

 

[Alysashley79]

I have a 60 loaner right now while my drive unit is being swapped out for a new one. I LOVE my P and have no regrets and don't think I could ever get anything less than a P as my main car. However as my second car....I've found...i could totally do a 60...I didn't think that a 60 would be enough. I thought I'd have range anxiety for some reason. However I drove exactly 135 actual miles today and came home with 31 rated miles left and that was after a 90% charge so.??I'm hoping that some of the people that bought 60's will be turning them in shortly and I can grab one up. It really is a great car!!

 

[William13]

I had plenty of regrets prior to the P85 arrival. No regrets after driving it.

 

[Todd Burch]

I'm the opposite. I bought an S85. Had been thinking about a P85, but never spent so much on a car and decided the extra $10k (at the time) wasn't worth it. Boy am I regretting that. If I could do it all over again, I would have purchased a P85.

So I'm regretting that I didn't spend MORE! Now I feel stuck...no easy way to go to a P without losing a lot of $$.