Should I get a Roadster?

[Vip]

I have put down a deposit for a Model S. But every time I get on the computer to satisfy my Tesla psychosis I can't help look at pics of the roadster. It is such a sleek looking car!!
I drive 130 miles round trip for work (all highway of course). Live in Ohio.
My question for all the current Roadsters owners: "Is it worth getting given my situation?"

A few concerns I have are:
Will a 2008 Roadster have the standard range to get me to and from work?
How is the noise level with highway driving? (Just concerned about the removable hard top)
How is the comfort level given that I will be driving one hour each way?
Any other cons with long highway driving.
Thanks.

 

[Andrew Wolfe]

I bought a 2008 while waiting for my Model S.

Will a 2008 Roadster have the standard range to get me to and from work?

130 miles - no problem. In another 2-5 years you might need to start doing a range charge - but I'll bet its closer to 5 than 2.

How is the noise level with highway driving? (Just concerned about the removable hard top)

Noise level is awful - just like every other convertible/sports car I've owned. Of course, I almost never drive it with the top on. I got a louder amp for the stereo. I don't want to talk to anybody while I'm driving my Roadster anyway.

How is the comfort level given that I will be driving one hour each way?

No worst than any other sports car. Hard to get in and out of - but not so bad once you are in it. People seem to still be smiling after driving it for an hour.

Any other cons with long highway driving.

Not with a 65 mile drive - in fact that is probably the sweet spot.


You will have to get used to people stopping you in parking lots to see it and chat. Sometimes this makes you late.


Find a way to drive one for an hour. (A dealer with CPO's or a generous owner). If you still care about any of that stuff after a drive, it's not the right car for you. I vacillated for 2+ years before buying mine - but I've never looked back....

 

[ipdamages]

Will a 2008 Roadster have the standard range to get me to and from work?
Yes, but not by much if you drive it fast. And driving it down to a low state of charge isn't good for the battery. My estimated miles are about 140-145 when I depart in the morning, but I drive aggressively. I assume there is nowhere to charge an EV at work. If there is, that would be ideal. But if you are consistently driving 130 miles every day I don't think that would be great for the battery. That said, I say range charge it and enjoy the car. There is nothing like it.

How is the noise level with highway driving? (Just concerned about the removable hard top)
It is ridiculously loud. I find it is possible to have a phone call at speed, but I would not have a work call at speed as the other person is likely to have a hard time hearing you and you will likely have hard time hearing them. Saying "I'll be home in 30 minutes" is easy, though.

How is the comfort level given that I will be driving one hour each way?
No problem, though you should understand that it is a sports car. Firm seats, no reclining.

Any other cons with long highway driving.
You touched on the big ones. And sometimes drivers of large vehicles can't see you well. I never assume that anyone sees me. And I suppose for some the lack of storage is an issue, but I find that it is a great commuting car. Crank up the stereo and drive in pure electric bliss.

I got my car a couple years ago and I dig it. Every day. But yes, you will have fans. Tonight my wife and I were walking out of Houstons restaurant and there were three fans by my car, taking pictures with it. I rarely park in public, but when I do there are a lot of fans.

 

[augkuo]

Will a 2008 Roadster have the standard range to get me to and from work?
Yes, my commute is also about 130 miles round trip and I charge at the end of it - usually between 30-50 miles left on a standard charge.

How is the noise level with highway driving? (Just concerned about the removable hard top)
I have the sound deadening and door seals which makes it a bit quieter, people can now understand me when I use the handsfree and travel at 65 mph.

How is the comfort level given that I will be driving one hour each way?
I've driven the car 3 hours straight and have had no problems - most of my 50k miles is from doing 1 hour stints - but I'm 5'7" so a taller/bigger person might feel more cramped

Any other cons with long highway driving.
For the best range, you're travelling 50-60 mph...kinda sucks that everyone is passing you!

 

[Eberhard]

i have done nearly 150.000km since 11/2010. i wouldn't have done it, if the car wouldn't be comfortable to ride. best seats ever. Standard range is still over 160 miles > 85%.

best

Eberhard

 

[djp]

Will a 2008 Roadster have the standard range to get me to and from work?

Easily if you drive under 70mph. Cutting it close if drive over 75, but having a charge station at work would solve that.

How is the noise level with highway driving? (Just concerned about the removable hard top)

The hard top drops the sound level quite a bit compared to the soft top and I find it's fairly quiet on the highway. The 2.0/2.5 have extra sound deadening. The cabin has typical British sports car creaks and rattles regardless of speed.

How is the comfort level given that I will be driving one hour each way?

How tall are you? I'm 6'2 and comfortable once I'm in, but need to duck down to see stop lights.

Any other cons with long highway driving.

It's hard to keep the speed under 75.

"Is it worth getting given my situation?"

Yes!

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

It's not a function of "is it worth it" but rather "do you want it".

The car will do everything you need it to do. Standard range is 185 miles or so, which meant 145-150 for me because I thoroughly enjoy my driving. For a 130-mile commute and an $80K to $110K car, I'd budget in another $2K to put in a charger at work so I could be nicer to my battery. A well-managed battery will last you a very long time: data from the Plug-In America study of Roadsters suggests you should still have 80% of capacity, or more, after 100,000 miles.

The question is, will the car make you happy? A Yugo would get you to work and back successfully. So would an S-class or a Model S. You're selecting a car based on your size, stature, comfort level, preferences (do you talk while driving, or listen to music? do you use the top or drive topless [pun intended]), and so on. The objective answers are: the Roadster can do all the stuff you want it to do, and do it well. The subjective part is left for you to work out.

Personally, I absolutely LOVED my Roadster. But although the Model S is somewhat less "fun to drive" than the Roadster, it does so many other things so well that I'm happy I switched and now I don't miss the Roadster. It's all about preferences and priorities.

 

[adiggs]

I have put down a deposit for a Model S. But every time I get on the computer to satisfy my Tesla psychosis I can't help look at pics of the roadster. It is such a sleek looking car!!
I drive 130 miles round trip for work (all highway of course). Live in Ohio.
My question for all the current Roadsters owners: "Is it worth getting given my situation?"

A few concerns I have are:
Will a 2008 Roadster have the standard range to get me to and from work?
How is the noise level with highway driving? (Just concerned about the removable hard top)
How is the comfort level given that I will be driving one hour each way?
Any other cons with long highway driving.
Thanks.

Yes. What was the question again?

(I could say instead that I agree with everything that everybody else has said, and that I'm loving my Roadster and there are days I wish I had a 60 mile commute instead of a 6 mile commute, but would just take a lot more words and still say the same thing )

 

[ckessel]

I had a Roadster as a loaner for 2 days while my S was being worked on. It was fun, sort of a crazy fast version of go karts to me, but:

- Really noisy. Aside from engine and road noise, it was a bucket of rattles and squeaks.
- Uncomfortable. The seat has one adjustment: forwards and backwards. The form factor was decent, but I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time in it. Getting in and out is a pain. Out in particular. The sides where I'd rest my leg weren't padded in any way so that wasn't comfortable either.
- No creature comforts. No power steering. Suspension rocks you around a lot. You could charitably say it definitely lets you "feel the road".

It was fun, but I wouldn't want to own one. It's worse in almost every way from the Performance Model S. You'd have to really love the 2-seater Roadster aspect of it enough to trump most all other factors.

 

[Doug_G]

Funny, I find the Roadster's seats to be very comfortable. A story: A couple of years ago I really threw out my back - I was in a lot of pain. I avoided the Roadster for a couple of days because I figured I'd hurt myself getting in/out. But driving my then-second car, a G37, was so horribly agonizing I'd have to stop and get out every five minutes. After a couple of days of that I figured I'd try the Roadster. Ahhhh. It turned out to be the only seat I was comfortable in, car or otherwise!

Yes, the Roadster is noisy. But it's a LOT of fun to drive!

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

I'll admit that getting in and out is not -- ever -- an exercise in grace and flowing movements. You get down into the car, and you climb up out of it. Not something that women in skirts or dresses will enjoy (in some cases, even countenance) and something that some men (like me) in even mildly restrictive clothing (say, some of my suits) can negotiate without awkwardness. Entry/exit is an issue to be considered depending, like everything else, on the driver's circumstances.

 

[Doug_G]

Entry/exit depends on size and experience. Small people, e.g. skinny teenagers, petite people, etc., seem to just pop out of the car. Bigger people like me have to climb out. By experience, I mean there's a way to do it that makes it easier, and with a little practice it becomes trivial.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

Consider my comments in light of my having used the Roadster as my daily driver for 18 months. I'm neither petite nor a skinny teenager, of course, which was part of my point: entry/exit is an issue the OP should consider depending on personal circumstances and dimensions.

 

[bart513]

Here is a YouTube video on how to get in and out of the Roadster. I watched this and found it VERY helpful. As it can be a bit of a challenge I wouldn't change it for the world!!!!
Tesla Quicktip: How to get in - YouTube

 

[ckessel]

The Roadster was undeniably fun (I did state that). The fun aspect just wasn't remotely enough, for me, to overcome the daily driver negatives of such a car. However, if roadsters in general are your preferred type of car then you'd be coming into it with a different mindset.

 

[Pantera Dude]

I really enjoy driving my roadster and I don't have a model S. If I owned both cars, my guess is that I would drive the S more often for that 60 mile commute to work. If you like to listen to AM radio, you will likely be disappointed in the roadster, the reception is not too good at best. Regarding the noise, I almost always put in my earplugs when driving on the freeway, primarily to cover up the wind noise. I then crank up the stereo and the music or news is good enough for me. The roadster is not the car for audiophiles. :biggrin: The S should give you a little more range which means you could either drive a little faster or drive the same speed and not work the battery quite as hard. I don't live in the cold country but I would think the S would be the better car to drive in the winter for comfort and for safety, (think stability control, which the roadster does not have). I like to drive 75-80 on the freeway and I think 130 miles at that speed would run the battery down farther than I would want to do every day, (my ideal range is about 174 miles), the S would allow me to come closer to achieving that range/speed goal. So the practical choice seems to be the S, but for me, life isn't all about making practical choices. :biggrin: You might want to go with the roadster first to get yer ya's ya's out, (for the Rolling Stones fans out there :biggrin, and if you get tired of that go with the S?

 

[Doug_G]

Consider my comments in light of my having used the Roadster as my daily driver for 18 months.

I used mine as a daily driver for three years, except in winter.

Yes, the Model S is more practical. But all things considered the Roadster makes a pretty darn good commuter car. And it's fun.

 

[tdevince]

... The roadster is not the car for audiophiles. :biggrin: ...

What car is? I find it amusing the money people spend on high quality sound that can only be fully appreciated in a garage when the car is not moving. Cars are not places to really appreciate good sound systems. I guess if you only want the "Bang Bang" of bass to annoy everyone else at stop lights then any car audio will do.

 

[Vip]

So it is still noisy (wind) even with the top on?

 

[tdevince]

the hard top is quieter than the soft top, but it still more noisy than most luxury car interiors.