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I got to drive "ludicrous speed" Tesla Model S!


atomcat68

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Much has been argued about this car back and forth. I'm not going to argue about the way the company is run, if it will ever make a profit, what consumer reports rates it...

 

All I will say is that it is the best car I have ever driven! END OF STORY!

 

2.8 to seconds to 60!

 

Although every car nut loves the sound of a great engine...but... That shriek that car makes at full throttle with its 4(!) electric motors!

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Edited by atomcat68
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How did you find the interior quality to be?

 

I liked the interior quality. The upholstery and dashboard were top notch. There is a storage space between the front seats due to not having a transmission or exhaust pipe that has the type of floor you'd expect in a Nissan Xterra cargo hold, but if you spill something it will hold it without it leaking into the rest of the car. This is a great space to put your camera or for a woman to put a handbag, even the really big ones!

 

The touch screen was top notch! It was very responsive, better than my Samsung phone! Better than even some of the Apple products. To understand how poorly engineered the Ford one is, you have to compare it to something like this. (I know the fire is started, but I call it like I see it and even Ford's newest ones aren't this good.)

 

All the interior panels fit and seemed right for a car that cost $124,000. The styling was very modern and made Mercedes and Aston Martin's (Rapide) interiors seem prissy and BMW seem dull and downright cheap. Actually the Aston Martin interior seemed to look like a 1970's car with real leather that smelled "perfumy".

 

The rear seats had only adequate knee room, but were very wide and considering how sleek the roof line was, there was plenty of head room. The middle seat oddly enough was the most roomy due to no floor intrusion from mechanical components and the center controls being further away than in most cars.

 

Like I said the only thing that seemed like it didn't belong was the floor of the storage space between the seats, but you couldn't argue the function.

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The touch screen was top notch! It was very responsive, better than my Samsung phone! Better than even some of the Apple products. To understand how poorly engineered the Ford one is, you have to compare it to something like this. (I know the fire is started, but I call it like I see it and even Ford's newest ones aren't this good.)

 

Has nothing to do with engineering and everything to do with cost and durability. Ford doesn't sell $124K sedans.

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Has nothing to do with engineering and everything to do with cost and durability. Ford doesn't sell $124K sedans.

 

That's the point I was going to make.

 

I could buy myself a new Platinum Super Duty PowerStroke and my wife a new Platinum Explorer, and still have enough money left to buy fuel and gas for a year compared to the cost of one Tesla at $124k. And it won't pull my fifth wheel nor haul all 5 of us worth a damn!

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Has nothing to do with engineering and everything to do with cost and durability. Ford doesn't sell $124K sedans.

 

Neither does Samsung or Apple, but the touchscreens on both those items (Tablets and phones) work better than Ford's. The Ford touchscreen, although they improved them, are among the worst I have ever experienced.

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Neither does Samsung or Apple, but the touchscreens on both those items (Tablets and phones) work better than Ford's. The Ford touchscreen, although they improved them, are among the worst I have ever experienced.

 

 

Is a phone or tablet designed to last 20+ years?

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That's the point I was going to make.

 

I could buy myself a new Platinum Super Duty PowerStroke and my wife a new Platinum Explorer, and still have enough money left to buy fuel and gas for a year compared to the cost of one Tesla at $124k. And it won't pull my fifth wheel nor haul all 5 of us worth a damn!

But it is not good to totally write off this type of vehicle because the Explorer is useful at a great deal of things and is a great car, reflected by great sales.

 

Every manufacturer put in a half assed effort into EV cars. Tesla is just starting to show what they can do. With all the improvements going into ICE engines in recent years, why can't EVs improve with the same kinds of efforts.

 

More choices make for a better marketplace. The Tesla is nothing short of revolutionary. Does it have flaws? Yes, but so doesn't everything else.

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Tesla is the Apple of the EV Car world. Some people think they can do no wrong and are worth the extra price up front. Others can't justify that cost.

 

Only difference is that Apple is making a profit. Can't say the same for Tesla. Still in the negative last I saw. As a company, that can only last so long.

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Tesla is the Apple of the EV Car world. Some people think they can do no wrong and are worth the extra price up front. Others can't justify that cost.

 

Only difference is that Apple is making a profit. Can't say the same for Tesla. Still in the negative last I saw. As a company, that can only last so long.

 

And at one time Apple's stock was one dollar and they didn't make a profit. I said at the beginning of the thread I am not reviewing how Tesla is run as a company, but on the product itself. The product was much better than I ever expected it to be. If Tesla survives, and it is intensely difficult for a star up company in a crowded field, then maybe they will be the next Apple.

 

Remember, many wrote Ford off for dead too.

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But it is not good to totally write off this type of vehicle because the Explorer is useful at a great deal of things and is a great car, reflected by great sales.

 

Every manufacturer put in a half assed effort into EV cars. Tesla is just starting to show what they can do. With all the improvements going into ICE engines in recent years, why can't EVs improve with the same kinds of efforts.

 

More choices make for a better marketplace. The Tesla is nothing short of revolutionary. Does it have flaws? Yes, but so doesn't everything else.

 

 

I'm not writing it off, just saying you aren't exactly comparing apples to apples with the touch screen, fit and finish, or anything else when comparing to Ford. It costs much much more, and should be held to a much higher standard. Comparing a Tesla screen to a Ford screen is like comparing an iPhone 6 screen to the screen of a $75 smartphone you can buy with no contract at WalMart.

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Judging from the latest JD power ratings, neither are cars.

 

You mean the ones that show the worst vehicle today is better than the best vehicle 25 years ago? Vehicles have never been more reliable.

 

You don't have to make ICE cars bad to make EVs look better.

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And what do you think will happen to that giant glass screen in a crash? Can you say "shards of glass" everywhere? I'm just trying to point out the design choices that Ford has to make that Tesla ignores. They chose the wow factor over durability and safety, which is fine. But it doesn't mean Ford couldn't do the same thing under similar circumstances.

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You mean the ones that show the worst vehicle today is better than the best vehicle 25 years ago? Vehicles have never been more reliable.

 

You don't have to make ICE cars bad to make EVs look better.

 

I am not making ICE cars bad. I am trying to point out that Tesla brought out another alternative to the market place that should be explored by others.

 

Every time Tesla is mentioned on this forum they are immediately dumped upon by most (including at times, me). I think if everyone looked at it with an open mind, they'd see some of the good in it as the car does bring a lot of good to the table. The bad stuff will be improved if they have the chance- as I said before this is a risky business gamble for anyone, especially a start up.

 

With the reliability comment I was going to make a comment about Ford being one notch from the bottom, but didn't want to start a firestorm, but oops. Like I said, give someone a chance to work on the bad and they will improve, and most on this Ford forum believes Ford will work on this problem that has been plaguing them and getting worse over the last few years.

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And what do you think will happen to that giant glass screen in a crash? Can you say "shards of glass" everywhere? I'm just trying to point out the design choices that Ford has to make that Tesla ignores. They chose the wow factor over durability and safety, which is fine. But it doesn't mean Ford couldn't do the same thing under similar circumstances.

I work for a company that sells and services tablets and never once did one shatter into shards of glass, and I've seen some huge impacts to these screens including 70 inch lcd televisions that fall off walls. That argument is weak. I recycle "crash victims" all the time and this not an issue. That is like saying your windshield will kill you with shards of glass. Screens are protected much the same way.

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You're comparing dropping a tablet to 2 cars hitting each other head on at a closing speed of 100 mph+?

 

Not once did I say Ford's version was better. All I said is there are tradeoffs in both cost and durability between the 2 designs and Ford made a choice to go with a particular type of screen for those reasons. Tesla chose differently for different reasons. It has nothing whatsoever to do with engineering because neither Ford nor Tesla builds their own screens - they all buy them from the same third parties.

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I think this attitude is what irritates a lot of non-Tesla disciples: the notion that everything Tesla does is somehow groundbreaking stuff that no other company can do. Some of the car control software is great and groundbreaking. Maybe some of the battery technology. But it's still a battery powered vehicle with electric motors driving the wheels just like a Leaf.

 

What does a Tesla model S do that Mercedes, Aston Martin or Bentley couldn't do with the same type of investment - other than lose money?

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You're comparing dropping a tablet to 2 cars hitting each other head on at a closing speed of 100 mph+?

 

Not once did I say Ford's version was better. All I said is there are tradeoffs in both cost and durability between the 2 designs and Ford made a choice to go with a particular type of screen for those reasons. Tesla chose differently for different reasons. It has nothing whatsoever to do with engineering because neither Ford nor Tesla builds their own screens - they all buy them from the same third parties.

False. Tesla builds theirs in house

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I am 99.99% certain they do not build their own capacitive touchscreens in house.

 

They are assembled in the same factory as the cars. Tesla may not design them, but they are assembled in the Tesla factory.

 

It's in the video here: https://www.yahoo.com/autos/inside-teslas-fremont-electric-car-plant-model-model-133000655.html

Edited by fordmantpw
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My guess is they're referring to the final product with all the other hardware and software added to it. I just don't believe they're building a 17 inch capacitive screen from scratch in their factory when they are readily available from china or japan.

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