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This is not news. Every Tesla owner knows that if they spent the same amount of money on a Mercedes or even better a Volkswagen that they would get better fini

This is not news. Every Tesla owner knows that if they spent the same amount of money on a Mercedes or even better a Volkswagen that they would get better finish. But quality isn't just about finish. It's about having the features you want: mind bending acceleration in what is essentially a family or executive car, a good electric car before anyone else had one, a better driver assistance package, a simpler ordering process, a service organization that comes to you to fix things, a user interface built for this century not the one before, a charging infrastructure that not only works but is nearly ubiquitous. The old car companies could have done all those things but they chose to protect their existing product lines instead. When they finally get their act together then Tesla will have a hard time, until then, I'll stick with my five year old Model S and to hell with the fact that the finish isn't quite as good as a Mercedes E class.

alkonaut 6y ago
I think the order process thing was basically a US thing where Tesla could sweep in and disrupt an archaic system. In many other places you could order a new custom built car online fifteen years ago. That this is somehow revolutionary in the US still is pretty unique.
trabant00 6y ago
What are you talking about? This is not about finish but quality as in things breaking down or not. > a good electric car before anyone else had one This motivation is sad.
milkytron 6y ago
> a service organization that comes to you to fix things Even if they come to you to service your car, aren't there still issues with actually getting fixes in a timely manner? I recall reading about customers who needed replacement parts and having to wait weeks/months to get it fixed.
- kwhitefoot 6y ago
  Yes, it sometimes is a a problem. I have had two mobile service visits. One to replace the 12 V battery that was done under warranty and happened quite quickly and on time; another to replace a smashed door mirror that was delayed by a week because of a mistake in their internal processes. The biggest problem I have with Tesla (the company not the car) is that they are very bad at communication. Unlike the supercharger network, which is very nearly ubiquitous in northern Europe, their telephone service is almost impossible to use because it is simply permanently overloaded. This is a major problem if you are trying to call them from a mobile phone in an area with poor coverage such as when one has blown out a tyre by hitting a pothole on a rural road in north Devon in the pouring rain.

alkonaut 6y ago

I think the order process thing was basically a US thing where Tesla could sweep in and disrupt an archaic system. In many other places you could order a new custom built car online fifteen years ago. That this is somehow revolutionary in the US still is pretty unique.

trabant00 6y ago

What are you talking about? This is not about finish but quality as in things breaking down or not. > a good electric car before anyone else had one This motivation is sad.

milkytron 6y ago

> a service organization that comes to you to fix things Even if they come to you to service your car, aren't there still issues with actually getting fixes in a timely manner? I recall reading about customers who needed replacement parts and having to wait weeks/months to get it fixed.

kwhitefoot 6y ago
Yes, it sometimes is a a problem. I have had two mobile service visits. One to replace the 12 V battery that was done under warranty and happened quite quickly and on time; another to replace a smashed door mirror that was delayed by a week because of a mistake in their internal processes. The biggest problem I have with Tesla (the company not the car) is that they are very bad at communication. Unlike the supercharger network, which is very nearly ubiquitous in northern Europe, their telephone service is almost impossible to use because it is simply permanently overloaded. This is a major problem if you are trying to call them from a mobile phone in an area with poor coverage such as when one has blown out a tyre by hitting a pothole on a rural road in north Devon in the pouring rain.