Tesla Model S buyer’s guide
How to buy a great executive EV from just £30k
IT’S 2020 and we’re still waiting for a pure-electric executive or luxury saloon from a mainstream, established brand to hit the market. Yet Tesla announced its Model S 12 years ago, in June 2008.
The company has had its fair share of bad news in recent years, including patchy reliability, problems with parts supply, and massive losses every quarter, but owners tend to love this US manufacturer’s products because they’re so innovative, and because of how far ahead of the pack Tesla has been.
However, it’s not just the Model S’s unique proposition that owners love; this is also a car that’s extremely usable, thanks to its long range, roomy cabin, blistering performance and hi-tech driver aids. Sure, you have to pay for the privilege of buying a Model S, but sometimes the best products are reassuringly expensive.
History
ALTHOUGH the Tesla Model S was first shown in prototype form in March 2009, it didn’t reach production until June 2012 – four years after it was first announced.
Right-hand-drive cars didn’t arrive in the UK until June 2014, when buyers were able to choose between the P60, P85 and P85 Performance Plus; the latter got a more muscular electric motor, while the number after the P denoted the battery pack’s size in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
The four-wheel-drive P85D of February 2015 was the first Model S with twin electric motors, and two months later the entrylevel P60 was superseded by the P70D.
From July 2015 the P70 and P90D were available, while a year later the P70 and
OUR VIEW
WE’VE never had a one-hit wonder in our Driver Power survey before, but that’s what the Model S is; it came first in the 2016 New Car Survey but hasn’t appeared since. Its lowest score was 33rd for build quality, and it came fifth for reliability and seat comfort – but other than that it was a clean sweep of first places. The reviews are mixed on carbuyer.co.uk, partly because of some disappointing used buys.
YOUR VIEW
ALAN Cartwright from Leicester owns a 2016 Model S 75D. He says: “I bought the car for its practicality, performance, refinement and comfort. I’m not disappointed at all and, while my car has been very reliable and cheap to run (it’s done 42,000 miles), the interior quality should be better for the price. But there’s nothing else like it, especially with the security of four-wheel drive, so I’ll keep it for a while yet”.
P70D were replaced by the P75 and P75D. Soon afterwards, the range-topping P100D arrived, with standard air suspension.
Which one?
ALL Model Ss are fundamentally the same, which means you get an electrically powered hatchback with either five or seven seats; the latter version features a pair of rear-facing kids’ chairs in the boot.
While equipment levels vary from one car to another, the biggest difference in their cost and usability is the size of the battery; buyers generally want the biggest they can afford for the longest range (see running costs, left). We’d aim for at least a 75 model because it offers a good blend of range and affordability, plus it’s plenty quick enough.
Every Model S comes with a 17-inch infotainment screen, Bluetooth and DAB, 19-inch alloys, xenon headlights plus a reversing camera. It’s common to find cars with lots of options; look for air suspension and upgraded seats for added comfort.
Alternatives
THE Model S has no rivals, because this is the only pure-electric car in its class currently on sale – although the smaller, cheaper Tesla
PRACTICALITY There’s plenty of room for adults in the rear seats, while the standard panoramic roof floods the cabin with light
Model 3 might be worth a look. You could buy a Jaguar I-Pace, but prices start at around £50,000 because it hasn’t been on sale for as long. There are plenty available, though.
The Audi e-tron is also relatively plentiful, despite arriving only last year, but again prices start at a hefty £57,000.
Ignore these two cars and you’re looking at hybrids or plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), with the Porsche Panamera arguably the closest fit; a 55,000-mile 2014 E-Hybrid starts at £30,000. The Mercedes S 500 e and E 350 e are very impressive PHEVs, while the E 300 Bluetec is a non-plug-in hybrid. All of these come in saloon form only, just like the very impressive BMW 530e PHEV.
Verdict
MORE than a decade after it was first shown, this Tesla is still in a class of one. Plus, the brand already has years of EV experience under its belt, which in theory could keep it ahead of the pack for a while yet.
Scour the owners’ forums and it’s clear that Tesla’s dealer network has become less attentive than it once was as sales volumes have grown, but this is still a brand that tends to look after its customers well.
Regular updates to the specification mean that, for used-car buyers, newer often means better. But so far the battery packs of even the oldest examples are refusing to degrade significantly, so any Model S should have plenty of life left in it.