Why am I the only one who got a S70 - not a 70D

[mwulff]

Hi - all, I am relatively new here.

So on Sunday I ordered a S70 for September delivery - in looking at all the threads, no one has ordered the S70 - just curious why??
....
The 10 extra miles of range does not seems to be that big of a deal. What else am I missing or should I know or worry about???

Thoughts??

There is nothing you should worry about. If I were to buy to buy today I would get the S70 model. However when I bought it was a choice S60, S85 or S85D. For some reason I can't quite grasp a lot of people put a lot of importance on AWD, personally I have never missed it in all my years of driving, and we sometimes have brutal winters here. So I really don't get what all the fuss is about with regards to AWD. My impression is also that in the real world the AWD system is not that much better with regards to range than the RWD system.

I use my car for work, driving my wife on house-calls when she has the evening shift, and so far we have not needed the extra range provided by the last 15 kWh.

But as the S70 is brand new and very few, if any, have been delivered to customers. That's why there is so little info the S70.

Still I think it's a great choice and congratulations on your purchase.

 

[jaguar36]

I just want to throw that out there for anyone thinking that you somehow "need" AWD if you live in snowy areas. You don't.

+1
We're not in canada, but we do get a fair amount of snow and our RWD 85 has been just fine even with the all-season Michelins. If I lived farther north I'd probably get snow tires for it, which have come a tremendous way recently and not only help you accelerate, unlike AWD they also help you stop and steer. When most people think of RWD I think they are mostly thinking of the mustangs and thunderbirds of the 80s that had like 20% of the weight over the rear wheels. Between the balanced nature of the Tesla and the advancements in tires, RWD is fine in the snow.

 

[brucet999]

Thanks Mknox and Jaguar for the reassurance that RWD Tesla is sure footed in snow. Living in SoCal, I'll only get into snow on an occasional ski trip and rain for us is just a faint memory.

 

[jimtelsa]

I'm going s70 in a couple months
Im also in so cal and the extra money gets the price down and a couple extras
With all the previous threads about the 60 and real world range, I think the s70 will be a pleasant surprise
With newer battery pack, it could be the sleeper of the group
I drove the 70d, and enjoyed the ride and build quality versus used 85's that I have been testing
But the cost savings was the key in the end , and I get more Frunk baby...
And a big must have...dont drill the nose cone....get the after market bracket if you have to do front plate...

 

[Jeff P]

The non-D was announced about two weeks after I ordered a 70D, but if I would have waited, I honestly might have just gone with the "lower" model and save $5k. Performance is neat, but I've never been a car guy (I've driven Corollas and Prii for the last 20 years). Last year we bought a Leaf, and our goal was just electric with range (and cherry on top for the supercharger network). So I guess it depends on what is important to you. I think people who want to spend $110k+ so they can accelerate slightly faster are insane, er, ludicrous, so what do I know.

 

[wcfinvader]

Yes, I get those conditions a lot. In fact, in March of 2013 when I first got my car, I had a nice big taste of it. It was so bad that my mirrors froze solid and when I defrosted them (they work in conjunction with the rear defrosters) The ice melted, flowed back into the mirror assembly and re-froze in a giant block! The roads were sheets of ice. In the winter of 2013/2014 we had the mother of all ice storms which shut down Toronto and Southern Ontario for days.

Anyway, the only difference I experienced with RWD vs. my previous AWD car is that you can't accelerate as quickly from a stop. You will get some Traction Control action. This, IMHO is a good thing. AWD can lull you into a false sense of security WRT how much traction you have, and you're no better than anybody else when it comes to the critical activity of stopping. In fact, the majority of cars in the ditch in winter are 4WD and AWD cars for this very reason. Another reason is that many drivers feel they don't need winter tires because of having AWD. The Model S traction control and stability control is nothing short of amazing. If the back end was ever about to come loose, the systems would catch it and keep the car straight instantaneously. I was never in a position where AWD would have enabled me to do something or get somewhere that I couldn't with my RWD. The Model S (or any other non-truck) is never going to be good in deep snow whether AWD or not simply because of ground clearance.

I'm not saying don't buy AWD. I probably would if I was buying today mainly because I like a "fully loaded" car. I'm just concerned that people think they "need" it in wintery conditions. What you really need is a good set of proper winter tires.

Tesla published a couple of videos on winter driving long before they announced the D cars. Here's one:

100% Agree. A properly equipped (snow tires) RWD or FWD will outperform a improperly equiped AWD always when it comes to the worst winter has to offer. I live in Iowa and see it every storm. Most of the cars in the ditch are AWD or 4-WHEEL-DRIVE. People put too much importance on AWD and not enough pn the tires. Tires give you the traction. Without traction the car is literally uncontrollable. Our leaf had trouble making it up our driveway in the winter before winter tires. Now that we got them it never has any issues. They work and are not a waste of money at all. No joke in Minneapolis not to long after we got the tires i tested out the stopping distance on a uncleared parking lot from 30mph and it stopped quicker in that condition than it did on clear roads.

 

[Miousic]

No D if you don't need D

Hi - all, I am relatively new here.

So on Sunday I ordered a S70 for September delivery - in looking at all the threads, no one has ordered the S70 - just curious why??

A little about me - I currently drive a Leaf, had a RAV4-EV and a Chevy S-10 EV. I live in Los Angeles (the valley) and do mostly city driving. About 20 miles to work each way, normal errands, driving kids to their activities, plus the occasional drive to San Diego or Santa Barbara.

The 10 extra miles of range does not seems to be that big of a deal. What else am I missing or should I know or worry about???

Thoughts??

I need all wheel drive because I unfortunately live in the snow up north! Why buying a D if you live down south??? With the D you will have this unpleasant torque effect on the steering on acceleration that you don't want. D is for desperate snow people. I tried a P85 (no D) and WOW what a feeling, no torque-steer YESSSS!!! I love sport driving, but 90% of the time I drive on snowy or bumpy road, so I bought the 85D with 19" wheels (smoother on Montreal's bumpy streets) D for parking in snowy streets and, just in case, air suspension to get out of that snowy parking. So, I'm sorry not helping you but I really have no idea why people in Los Angeles buy Ds. Have a good time with your car and don't change your mind.