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I'm a Model X owner. I have quality issues (loose seal & forgotten tow package at delivery, Falcon Wing Door "alignment" issues), but the rest of the car is we

I'm a Model X owner. I have quality issues (loose seal & forgotten tow package at delivery, Falcon Wing Door "alignment" issues), but the rest of the car is well worth it. I consider the quality problems to just be the price of driving the car of the future (though I really could do w/o those silly falcon wing doors). I don't think I have ever had a car that I love so much. It is big enough for family and friends, burns no fossil fuel, and leaves almost any other car in the dust off the line. And it keeps getting better and better with software updates. In just the 4 months that I've owned the car, auto pilot has gotten noticeably better and we've gotten tons of new little features.

robotresearcher 9y ago
The combination of known quality problems and frequent over-the-air updates to software worries me a bit. Software is harder to get right than seals and tow packages, and they are not paying very close attention to the latter. Apple's devices fit together just so, but even with their vast resources their software drifts around in quality.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
jaimex2 9y ago
I think you nailed it on the head. Even with the build issues they make better overall cars than anyone else.
- nilkn 9y ago
  I'd agree that Tesla's all-electric powertrains offer a better everyday driving experience than a traditional internal combustion engine. However, we're talking about $70k-$100k+ cars here, and there are some really competitive ICE cars in that price range when you start looking at everything else. For instance, while the entry-level cars from Mercedes don't really impress me that much, their more expensive models do, like a well-optioned E43 or E63 AMG. They really nail luxury in a way that Tesla doesn't. Also, I dare say I prefer their approach to the infotainment system.
  - ilovecars2 9y ago
    Not just Mercedes, there is the new BMW M5 which will do 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds (https://youtu.be/hxsBUkm9vBs https://youtu.be/hxsBUkm9vBs), Audi RS6 Performance and Porsche Panamera Turbo/Turbo S. A those cars have beautiful interiors, fit 2 kids and a dog and go like lightening.
    - drewg123 9y ago
      And burn tons of gas. The Plugin range for most cars is just terrible (except the Volt), and there were no competitive all electric until the Jaguar ipace (which just came out).
      - ilovecars2 9y ago
        It’s not that bad if driven sensibly: I’ve seen 40MPG (Imperial) from these cars on long trips. The trouble is it’s almost impossible to be sensible where there is a twin turbo V8 at your feet waiting to be unleashed. What’s the range like on the Model X if driven in a similar manner?
      - drewg123 9y ago
        For some reason I could not reply to your message asking the range of the X. The rated range is roughly 300mi, and you can get close to that in moderate weather if you drive sensibly. If it is cold all bets are off, since the heater is just pure resistance and takes a huge bite out of the range.
        deleted 9y ago
        [deleted]
  - drewg123 9y ago
    The Tesla was kind of a compromise. We both wanted something that would be big and roomy, but burn less gas than our Prius. I wanted something that would be faster than the sports car that I had before I was forced to get the Prius. When deciding on the Tesla, we drove a Volvo XC90 PHEV. It was, on paper, better than the Tesla for considerably less. But I just could not stand the automatic transmission or all the floor space wasted by the drivetrain hump. And the terrible battery-only range meant we'd be burning gas for most trips. The Jaguar Ipace is about the only other car I'd consider, but it was not yet available when we got the Tesla.
- sushisource 9y ago
  Spoken like someone who hasn't really driven a lot of cars. Does Tesla make better overall all electric cars than anyone else? Well, yeah, at the price point they sell them at. A Bolt EV is pretty damn good too. Better overall cars period? That's insane. Just nuts. As some sibling commentators pointed out you can buy a hell of a lot of car for ~80-100k. I mean, you can buy a Volvo Polestar V60 for ~63k which has a lovely interior and overall quality, and is both cheaper and faster than the base Model S. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-volvo-v60-polestar-test-review https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-volvo-v60-polestar...
lostmsu 9y ago
I have a $20,000 Honda, and none of the listed issues are even imaginable. Considering my model is not among the top selling ones, I'd say what you describe counts as pretty significant quality control issues.
- djrogers 9y ago
  I call baloney. A simple google search for "honda door alignment issues" brings up a ton of forum posts of people complaining about this, from brand new current models, going back many many years. No question that Honda likely has fewer issues, but to claim they are not 'even imaginable' is horse-puckey.
  - abduhl 9y ago
    ironically, a simple google search for "Honda falcon wing door alignment issues" brings up only Tesla results.
    - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
      How many Honda’s have falcon wings?
- madengr 9y ago
  Ditto for my $8,500 Nissan Leaf EV. I have read the issue is Tesla has no experience with steel manufacturing.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
ghostbrainalpha 9y ago
How often do you use the autopilot? Could you give any more detail on what improvements you noticed?
- drewg123 9y ago
  I use it mainly on the interstate. There is a section of interstate near my house with a long, sweeping high speed curve. When I first got the car, I'd have to take control on that curve, as AP would drift too far to the outside of the lane. Now I can leave AP on. When I first got the car, driver initiated AP controlled lane changes (using the signal to tell AP to change lanes) took a long time to initiate, and when they finally started, they were very abrupt. They now start sooner, and are much smoother. In the earlier versions, if you didn't hold the the turn signal long enough, the lane change would abort in a terrifying swerve back into the original lane. I have not seen that in quite a while (then again, I may have trained myself to always hold the turn signal long enough)
calvinbhai 9y ago
Curious to know how much of a factor is it to have something like a supercharger network across the country. Would you have bought this car if there was no such network? How often do you use it? I feel many many electric cars are coming up to compete with Tesla in every aspect, but no one seems to be bothered about something like the supercharger network.
- stephengillie 9y ago
  It takes a fairly significant amount of time to charge a car - sometimes equivalent to a commute. So most consumers base their purchase on charging at home, meaning apartment renters are more likely to get a hybrid. One of the oft-mentioned benefits of an electric car is simply charging it overnight, so it's ready to go the next day. Part of this not having to think about an extra trip for fuel every few weeks. It seems odd that someone would forgo this convenience to travel somewhere else for a recharge, or purchase a vehicle that could not travel a round trip on a charge.

robotresearcher 9y ago

The combination of known quality problems and frequent over-the-air updates to software worries me a bit. Software is harder to get right than seals and tow packages, and they are not paying very close attention to the latter. Apple's devices fit together just so, but even with their vast resources their software drifts around in quality.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

jaimex2 9y ago

I think you nailed it on the head. Even with the build issues they make better overall cars than anyone else.

nilkn 9y ago
I'd agree that Tesla's all-electric powertrains offer a better everyday driving experience than a traditional internal combustion engine. However, we're talking about $70k-$100k+ cars here, and there are some really competitive ICE cars in that price range when you start looking at everything else. For instance, while the entry-level cars from Mercedes don't really impress me that much, their more expensive models do, like a well-optioned E43 or E63 AMG. They really nail luxury in a way that Tesla doesn't. Also, I dare say I prefer their approach to the infotainment system.
- ilovecars2 9y ago
  Not just Mercedes, there is the new BMW M5 which will do 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds (https://youtu.be/hxsBUkm9vBs https://youtu.be/hxsBUkm9vBs), Audi RS6 Performance and Porsche Panamera Turbo/Turbo S. A those cars have beautiful interiors, fit 2 kids and a dog and go like lightening.
  - drewg123 9y ago
    And burn tons of gas. The Plugin range for most cars is just terrible (except the Volt), and there were no competitive all electric until the Jaguar ipace (which just came out).
    - ilovecars2 9y ago
      It’s not that bad if driven sensibly: I’ve seen 40MPG (Imperial) from these cars on long trips. The trouble is it’s almost impossible to be sensible where there is a twin turbo V8 at your feet waiting to be unleashed. What’s the range like on the Model X if driven in a similar manner?
    - drewg123 9y ago
      For some reason I could not reply to your message asking the range of the X. The rated range is roughly 300mi, and you can get close to that in moderate weather if you drive sensibly. If it is cold all bets are off, since the heater is just pure resistance and takes a huge bite out of the range.
      - deleted 9y ago
        [deleted]
- drewg123 9y ago
  The Tesla was kind of a compromise. We both wanted something that would be big and roomy, but burn less gas than our Prius. I wanted something that would be faster than the sports car that I had before I was forced to get the Prius. When deciding on the Tesla, we drove a Volvo XC90 PHEV. It was, on paper, better than the Tesla for considerably less. But I just could not stand the automatic transmission or all the floor space wasted by the drivetrain hump. And the terrible battery-only range meant we'd be burning gas for most trips. The Jaguar Ipace is about the only other car I'd consider, but it was not yet available when we got the Tesla.
sushisource 9y ago
Spoken like someone who hasn't really driven a lot of cars. Does Tesla make better overall all electric cars than anyone else? Well, yeah, at the price point they sell them at. A Bolt EV is pretty damn good too. Better overall cars period? That's insane. Just nuts. As some sibling commentators pointed out you can buy a hell of a lot of car for ~80-100k. I mean, you can buy a Volvo Polestar V60 for ~63k which has a lovely interior and overall quality, and is both cheaper and faster than the base Model S. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-volvo-v60-polestar-test-review https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-volvo-v60-polestar...

lostmsu 9y ago

I have a $20,000 Honda, and none of the listed issues are even imaginable. Considering my model is not among the top selling ones, I'd say what you describe counts as pretty significant quality control issues.

djrogers 9y ago
I call baloney. A simple google search for "honda door alignment issues" brings up a ton of forum posts of people complaining about this, from brand new current models, going back many many years. No question that Honda likely has fewer issues, but to claim they are not 'even imaginable' is horse-puckey.
- abduhl 9y ago
  ironically, a simple google search for "Honda falcon wing door alignment issues" brings up only Tesla results.
  - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
    How many Honda’s have falcon wings?
madengr 9y ago
Ditto for my $8,500 Nissan Leaf EV. I have read the issue is Tesla has no experience with steel manufacturing.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

ghostbrainalpha 9y ago

How often do you use the autopilot? Could you give any more detail on what improvements you noticed?

drewg123 9y ago
I use it mainly on the interstate. There is a section of interstate near my house with a long, sweeping high speed curve. When I first got the car, I'd have to take control on that curve, as AP would drift too far to the outside of the lane. Now I can leave AP on. When I first got the car, driver initiated AP controlled lane changes (using the signal to tell AP to change lanes) took a long time to initiate, and when they finally started, they were very abrupt. They now start sooner, and are much smoother. In the earlier versions, if you didn't hold the the turn signal long enough, the lane change would abort in a terrifying swerve back into the original lane. I have not seen that in quite a while (then again, I may have trained myself to always hold the turn signal long enough)

calvinbhai 9y ago

Curious to know how much of a factor is it to have something like a supercharger network across the country. Would you have bought this car if there was no such network? How often do you use it? I feel many many electric cars are coming up to compete with Tesla in every aspect, but no one seems to be bothered about something like the supercharger network.

stephengillie 9y ago
It takes a fairly significant amount of time to charge a car - sometimes equivalent to a commute. So most consumers base their purchase on charging at home, meaning apartment renters are more likely to get a hybrid. One of the oft-mentioned benefits of an electric car is simply charging it overnight, so it's ready to go the next day. Part of this not having to think about an extra trip for fuel every few weeks. It seems odd that someone would forgo this convenience to travel somewhere else for a recharge, or purchase a vehicle that could not travel a round trip on a charge.