First Tesla Model S test drive with Elon Musk (video)

[carz89]

Originally Posted by daniel

You mean that there is no neutral position on the accelerator of the Roadster, as there is on the Prius? That's even worse than I thought!

My point is that it would be much better to keep the braking on the brake pedal. And, as with the Prius, have the brake pedal apply pure re-gen until you press it hard enough to indicate that you need more braking than re-gen can supply, or the car was going too slow for re-gen, and then apply friction braking.

The Prius does it right on the brake pedal, and this is one of the things I love about it.

I agree completely, based on first-hand knowledge.

I recently test-drove a Tesla Roadster from Menlo Park. The salesman let me drive it, alone, for 1 hour in the back country just west of Palo Alto! I just had to sign a paper saying if I break it, I bought it.

My overall impressions:

I really had a problem with the regen braking. Yes, take your foot off the accelerator and you slow down quickly. For that whole hour of driving (city, country and highway), I never had to press the brake pedal to slow down, which was hard to get used to. The salesman later said that the brake lights turn on whenever you take your foot off the accelerator and the car slows down.

Extremely quick and nimble and quiet. Kind of fun driving on a 2-lane road in the hills. 0-60 in 3.9, which is blazing, but it actually felt faster! (probably because the top was down.) I passed a Porsche 911, a Corvette, and several Mustangs as if they were standing still. I really tested the cornering, and the car stays amazingly level, no roll. Just battery and motor and lots of cars in the way. Great for the thrill of going fast, but a very unrefined car with terrible visibility except straight ahead. I like my Prius better. The Prius is 4 times more complex and refined and practical, yet only 1/4th the cost. No power steering. No power mirrors. Only a speedometer and tachometer (which is pretty stupid). Small 3” diagonal LCD for all the rest. Crappy stereo.


Even if I had the money, I'd rather buy 4 loaded Prii (for family members) rather than 1 Tesla Roadster.

[cwerdna]

Originally Posted by carz89

I agree completely, based on first-hand knowledge.

I recently test-drove a Tesla Roadster from Menlo Park. The salesman let me drive it, alone, for 1 hour in the back country just west of Palo Alto! I just had to sign a paper saying if I break it, I bought it.

Geez! Lucky! I didn't think they'd allow test drives, let alone a 1 hour unsupervised test drive. Did they run your credit or something or they just knew you were made of money? I'm not sure if they let a young looking (34 year old) Asian guy test drive if I showed up in either of my cars: my Z or my Prius.

Thanks for your info, btw.

[ceric]

Why not?
If you arrive in a BMW 7 or a MB S...I am sure they will let you take a shot.
Go borrow one from your rich friend. There are plenty of BMW, MB in bay area.

[daniel]

Originally Posted by carz89

I really had a problem with the regen braking. Yes, take your foot off the accelerator and you slow down quickly.

I thought that could be turned on and off??? But when I first talked to a Tesla rep (two years ago) and asked about the regen, I felt that was the wrong way to do it. However, it's much cheaper and easier to do it that way than to do it the way the Prius does.

At that time they were still going to have the two-speed transmission, and they were going to have very light regen in second gear, and harder regen in first gear.

Originally Posted by carz89

I passed a Porsche 911, a Corvette, and several Mustangs as if they were standing still.

Not every owner of a muscle car always drives it fast.

Originally Posted by carz89

Great for the thrill of going fast, but a very unrefined car [...] Even if I had the money, I'd rather buy 4 loaded Prii (for family members) rather than 1 Tesla Roadster.

Only two kinds of people are going to buy a Tesla Roadster: People who want a Ferrari but a Ferrari is too slow for them, and people who absolutely MUST have an electric car, and the Roadster is one of very few EVs available today, and I think it's still the only 4-wheel PRODUCTION EV capable of driving on the freeway.

[cwerdna]

Originally Posted by ceric

Why not?
If you arrive in a BMW 7 or a MB S...I am sure they will let you take a shot.
Go borrow one from your rich friend. There are plenty of BMW, MB in bay area.

LOL! Err, I can only think of one person I know w/one of the above. I know he had a BMW 7 series but he lives in WA state. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him to borrow it either.

I've driven them both at Mercedes and Lexus driving events but on a closed course.