Tesla driving experience

[Tozz]

I am looking for a new car, and I'm very interested in a used Model S. I have rented a 1-year old Tesla for a few days to gain some hands-on experience with the car, and am looking for some answers to questions I have. I hope somebody can help me out here.

I am currently driving an 11-year old Audi A6. The car is starting to like the garage more then it likes me, so its time for something new. However, the car drives really great.

My 3-days experience with Tesla is that the car is great to drive. It looks great, the features are great, AutoPilot is amazing, the lack of sound is amazing as well.. So all in all I am very pleased. Also the fact that is an EV interests me a lot. However, there are some issues I have with the car, and I am wondering if this is an issue with this specific car or if it is Tesla specific:

- The suspension is (in my opinion) horrible or too stiff/hard. I can feel every dent in the road. Ever when setting suspension to 'very high' this does not seem to change very much. My 11-year-old A6 seems more comfortable. I am driving in 'comfort' mode. This car has (I believe) 21 inch alloy rims. Would this be better with 19 inch rims?

- Steering is also very direct, a little too direct for me. A slight touching of the steering wheel has direct effect. I drive the car in 'comfort' mode. I dont want to know what it does in 'sport'. The result is that I feel it drives like you're driving in very windy conditions.

- When making very sharp corners (eg. when driving out of a parking spot, low speed) there is a very strange thumping sound from (i believe) the front wheels. I think it might be a wheel that is skidding over the road instead of rolling due to the sharp steering. It was not something I could imagine from a EUR 133k car. I couldn't find anything about this issue online.

- When doing a 'launch', I hear a clicking/ticking sound from behind the car. It is only when 'launching' the car and does not happen when I floor it in 'chill mode', only in 'normal' mode. I found a Youtube video of an asian guy with the exact same sounds, but I cant find the video anymore.

These issues is causing me to have doubts. For EUR 133k (USD 158000) I would expect a car that is absolutely flawless and it is not. I dont know if this is specific to the car I now drive or if this is a Tesla thing.

I believe the last two issues are technical issues that can probably be resolved. However, I am more worried about the first 2 issues. I am seriously having doubts to to buy a very expensive car that I believe drives less comfortable than my 11-year-old, maybe worth 3k, old Audi A6.

I hope someone can convince me

 

[Tiger]

See related discussion:

• Rough ride
• Steering Mode
• P85+ owners, are you disappointed in P85D steering?
• Mystery 90D Thumping Sound
• Nasty noise on hard acceleration

If I was you, I would wait for the upcoming refresh.

 

[Tozz]

Thanks. The 'nasty noise on hard acceleration' is indeed the same sound.

Sorry to hear that the rough ride is apparently a characteristic of the car. Again, would not have expected this from a car this expensive. This is, sad to say, a deal breaker. I don't want puking kids and an angry wife in the car.

 

[ATC@LWSK]

Thanks. The 'nasty noise on hard acceleration' is indeed the same sound.

Sorry to hear that the rough ride is apparently a characteristic of the car. Again, would not have expected this from a car this expensive. This is, sad to say, a deal breaker. I don't want puking kids and an angry wife in the car.

Hi Tozz, welcome to TMC. First and foremost, the car is worth the money - at least to me and to many others. Honestly, I find your statement a tad bit over-dramatic. Do you think the rest of us almost 200k Tesla drivers would be driving with puking kids and angry wives? I've never heard a single one experiencing that. Yes, the car may have a hard ride, but it's not unbearable - quite the contrary. I'd say, take a test drive with Tesla, experience the car with 19in, and see if it makes a difference for you. For me, except for looks, I find the 19in wheels to be preferred option over 21in, for different reasons, ride smoothness being at the top.

 

[Tozz]

Hi Tozz, welcome to TMC. First and foremost, the car is worth the money - at least to me and to many others. Honestly, I find your statement a tad bit over-dramatic. Do you think the rest of us almost 200k Tesla drivers would be driving with puking kids and angry wives?

You are right, I might have overstated a little bit. The reason I wrote this is because both me and my wife had issues with getting nausia in the car, but I now get that that might be primarily due to having to get used to driving without brakes (and throttling the 'gas' better). I did some additional km's yesterday and I noticed it was getting better already.

But having said that, the hard ride is a disappointment. Also the cracking/thumping noises is something I did not expect from a 133k car.

However, I am still interested. But I think it is primarily the fact that its an EV. I probably wouldn't have chosen the car had it been an ICE.

I have asked my accountant to calculate all the pros/cons. I was looking at a used Tesla, but here in The Netherlands all tax benefits are not applicable for used cars. And because used tesla's from eg. 2016 and up are not much cheaper than a new one, I asked my accountant to check if a new car wouldn't be cheaper or somewhat equal than a used one considering all the tax benefits.

 

[purplewalt]

I am looking for a new car, and I'm very interested in a used Model S. I have rented a 1-year old Tesla for a few days to gain some hands-on experience with the car, and am looking for some answers to questions I have. I hope somebody can help me out here.

I am currently driving an 11-year old Audi A6. The car is starting to like the garage more then it likes me, so its time for something new. However, the car drives really great.

My 3-days experience with Tesla is that the car is great to drive. It looks great, the features are great, AutoPilot is amazing, the lack of sound is amazing as well.. So all in all I am very pleased. Also the fact that is an EV interests me a lot. However, there are some issues I have with the car, and I am wondering if this is an issue with this specific car or if it is Tesla specific:

- The suspension is (in my opinion) horrible or too stiff/hard. I can feel every dent in the road. Ever when setting suspension to 'very high' this does not seem to change very much. My 11-year-old A6 seems more comfortable. I am driving in 'comfort' mode. This car has (I believe) 21 inch alloy rims. Would this be better with 19 inch rims?

- Steering is also very direct, a little too direct for me. A slight touching of the steering wheel has direct effect. I drive the car in 'comfort' mode. I dont want to know what it does in 'sport'. The result is that I feel it drives like you're driving in very windy conditions.

- When making very sharp corners (eg. when driving out of a parking spot, low speed) there is a very strange thumping sound from (i believe) the front wheels. I think it might be a wheel that is skidding over the road instead of rolling due to the sharp steering. It was not something I could imagine from a EUR 133k car. I couldn't find anything about this issue online.

- When doing a 'launch', I hear a clicking/ticking sound from behind the car. It is only when 'launching' the car and does not happen when I floor it in 'chill mode', only in 'normal' mode. I found a Youtube video of an asian guy with the exact same sounds, but I cant find the video anymore.

These issues is causing me to have doubts. For EUR 133k (USD 158000) I would expect a car that is absolutely flawless and it is not. I dont know if this is specific to the car I now drive or if this is a Tesla thing.


I believe the last two issues are technical issues that can probably be resolved. However, I am more worried about the first 2 issues. I am seriously having doubts to to buy a very expensive car that I believe drives less comfortable than my 11-year-old, maybe worth 3k, old Audi A6.

I hope someone can convince me

Hi Tozz, Welcome from the States!

My only car is a Standard 85 RWD with air suspension, 4 1/2 years of driving it.
Originally, I had 21" wheels, and after an unfortunate incident with a pot hole switched to 19" wheels.

- The car rides a bit "less crisply" with the 19" wheels than the 21"s, (and gets much better mileage on the tires).

- I prefer driving in the "Standard" steering mode. I have driven D versions (AWD), and those cars feel like they are on rails going around corners (makes driving one even better than my car). Select the steering mode that allows you the best feedback for your driving experience under all conditions.

- At very low speeds, my car does make some sounds when sharply turning. There is nothing wrong, the car is just doing its thing.
There is not a motor to mask any of the "sounds", so the ICE cars may be making the same sounds when doing the same maneuvers.

- After the first 20 or so, I don't do launches (anymore). The car is still capable to do them, I just kind of quit showing off (and save some tire wear). Since I don't have a D, I have never heard the clicking/ticking sound first hand, just through some videos.


The difficult thing for most people to relate to is how much a Tesla model S or X costs versus ANY standard ICE car. The market place has many less expensive ICE cars that just drive differently, not necessary better. Every car has its own personality, charms, quirks and defects.

Driving a Model S (actually any EV), the overall driving and ownership experience is just 'different'. Your expectations/perceptions might need a bit of adjustment from any previous ownership.

Most of them are pluses:
- I wake up with a full (90% range) battery every morning. Similar to a cell phone, 5 Seconds to plug it in to recharge.
- Due to regen, my brakes are lasting a lot longer than I would have thought possible (96K miles) for such a .
- Quiet(er) driving under most driving conditions. 19" wheels are quieter than 21"s. Most of the time, only noise I do hear is sounds the tires are making,
- No periodic oil changes, or transmission service adjustments.
- Overnight downloads for new software on your car. The car asks for you to confirm a convenient schedule for a 45 minute period when it will be "OFF" and sitting still. And then it outlines the updates in the morning.
- VERY safe vehicle for you and your family. Multiple videos show how safe the car is in both avoiding and enduring collisions.
- Supercharger Network allows for long distance driving.
- One Pedal driving technique. Takes about 15 minutes to learn and begin to utilize.
- Model S is faster/quicker for 90% of your driving than any Audi. Period.

And the Minuses:
- Long distance driving using Superchargers may require a bit of planning for a specific route. If you do travel "off the network", it might require a bit of diligence to locate viable and rapid re-charging.
- Model S is a large, long and low car. Parking in tight spaces can take a bit of extra concentration. One needs to ALWAYS be conscious of high curbs on the front, back and sides.
- You probably need to stick with certified Tesla Service Centers (hope you are close to one) for all technical work on your car. There are Tesla Service vehicles for remote owners. Most garages can fix and change tires, technical issues require specialized equipment and training.

 

[dedicatedtek]

I liked to comment about your comparison to an A6. Before I ever test drove my first Tesla, my next car was going to be an Audi A7. But then I test drove a TeslaModel S. And there was no turning back after that. For me as an additional comparison, my wife has a 2012 Audi Q5.

My Model S is just a 70, rwd with 19in wheels and coil suspension. It did not cost me a 100k. But I wouldn't trade it for an Audi any day now.

 

[Pezpunk]

first of all ... no matter how much you pay, you will NEVER get a "flawless" vehicle from any manufacturer. i don't care if it's a million-dollar Bugatti. *sugar* happens at factories, in assembly, in transit, and so on. physics still apply to every car, even expensive ones. fact of life. People who are like "I PAID X DOLLARS, IT SHOULD BE PERFECT" are doomed to a life of disappointment. money does not and cannot make life (or anything else) perfect.

suspension / steering: raising and lowering the suspension does almost nothing regarding its stiffness. the feature is for clearance, not softness. 19" tires are a little bit softer, but the Model S is a sport sedan. Somewhat stiff suspension and precise steering are intentional and desirable traits in any vehicles of this class. If you want a road yacht with pillowy suspension and soft steering, get a 1970s Buick.

for the nausea, yeah, it's just a matter of getting used to driving with one foot. you have to let off the throttle very gradually. alternatively, you can set regen to low. that would probably help if you don't mind losing some range.

For what it's worth, my kids love riding in my P100D.

My P100D doesn't make any clicking or ticking noises during launch, at least not that i've heard. And i do launch often.

The car isn't 100% comparable to ICE vehicles. It's fundamentally different, and in my opinion the advantages it offers far outweigh whatever quibbles one might have by doing a feature-by-feature comparison to an ICE vehicle.

 

[Ande]

thumping sounds/acceleration sounds may be worn universal joints. Certainly not a normal sound, or expensive to fix.
precise steering is a thing you will learn to like, rather than sloppy one, and , like cornering, it will always depend on the wheel/tire size.
-same for general stiffness.
"very high" setting does not mean "very soft" , it's high only

 

[jgs]

Your A6 is presumably a 2007 model or so. Mine was a 2000, when I moved from it to a Model S a few years back. Now that you mention it I suppose I did notice both the suspension being a little stiffer (though not much, I have 19" wheels on my S) and the steering more responsive (I have it in standard setting); however, I view both of these as pluses rather than minuses. The latter two points you mention, I haven't noticed. By the way, you mention setting suspension to "very high" to try to adjust the ride feel -- as @Ande mentions, it probably doesn't actually affect ride feel much. Furthermore, in case you hadn't noticed, the car self-lowers as you increase your speed -- "very high" reduces to "high" when you get to road speed, "high" reduces to "normal" when you get faster than city street speed (I forget the exact thresholds, and I'd have them in mph anyway, but you get the idea).

Since factors like these are so subjective I can't tell you how to react, however I can say that I haven't missed my A6 even one single time in the close to three years since making the switch. One thing to add I haven't seen mentioned yet, the AWD on the Model S is superior to the Quattro on my 2000 A6.

 

[Tozz]

I have talked to the company that rented the MS to me, and they indicated that the 'thumping' sound indeed comes from the tire that is skidding over the road. It is due to the width of the tires. My local garage also confirmed this happens as well on the Porsche Panamera. So this is 'a feature'. I can understand Tesla might not want to restrict the steering to prevent this, as that would compromise the turning radius.

I have driven my A6 again after it came back from the repair shop, and must admit that the little downsides of the MS were quickly forgotten. Man, the noise that ICE makes. Brr

So, I have a appointment with Tesla this Tuesday. If we agree on the terms I will join the Tesla club soon!

@jgs: I indeed noticed that the suspension quickly returns to 'high' when driving over +/- 15km/h. And I did not notice any difference either.

I asked them about any upcoming MS changes, but they indicated that any refreshes will most likely not be available in 2018.

Thanks everyone!

 

[ATC@LWSK]

That's the spirit @Tozz

It will be one of the best, if not THE BEST decision you've ever made.

If you need a referral code to avail free Supercharging for life, PM me. I have one for you.

 

[Tozz]

The order has been made for a 100d

 

[12Pack]

I have talked to the company that rented the MS to me, and they indicated that the 'thumping' sound indeed comes from the tire that is skidding over the road. It is due to the width of the tires. My local garage also confirmed this happens as well on the Porsche Panamera.!

Actually its due to the fact the inside tire has to travel less of a distance than the outer tire in a tight turn. In a softer car with smaller tires, the inside tire just slips continuously and hence this is not noticeable. On a set-up with more grip, the tire clings on and only lets go in a more noticeable ("thumps") way.

Congrats on the 100D - welcome to the world of EVs (and sportier cars).

 

[Tozz]

Maybe I didn't explain that well, but I believe we are talking about exactly the same thing

 

[ATC@LWSK]

Congratulations Tozz, the hardest part begins now... The wait!!

 

[CSFTN]

And just to be clear ... raising the suspension above "normal" actually makes the ride a bit more firm, and more jumpy Don't do it, except for when you nee to clear a sharp bump or climb a steep driveway. Alternatively, lower than normal introduces other issues, and isn't a route to a softer drive, either. Softer drive on this car is mostly about the tires Get 19s, don't over-inflate.

(Myself, stiffer = better, within reason)

 

[Tozz]

Congratulations Tozz, the hardest part begins now... The wait!!

Uff. i wish they made a button in the "My Tesla" configuration page 'Skip my 7 days waiting period and build the car already!'