Tesla Model S 85D
Discussion
Hi All
A quick search seemed to show there are no Teslas in Readers Cars so I thought I would chip in.
While some may not see it as particularly PH, I think it qualifies as it seems to do what is does very well, moves things on a bit and is flippin’ quick. So here’s my story so far, I will try and chip in if anything interesting happens and make a log of my costs.
The Journey
I am afraid that I have been interested in the idea of electric cars since the mid 2000s when I saw on line the work done by AC Propulsion – the company Tesla took on to develop their drive train. In fact I was saving to buy one of their drivetrains to build my own car when Tesla took over and took them off the market. I also applied to be an early adopter for the Mini E (which also used an ACP drive train) but I don’t think I was doing enough mileage at the time so was turned down. I would have loved a Roadster but the cost was too high and second hand they are still very expensive with less than 100 on UK roads today.
In 2012 with cash earned from filing a few patents at work, I bought a used Lotus Evora which I loved but my daughters are now in their teens and objecting to squeezing in the back for family trips. So once again I started looking at electric cars. Last spring a colleague at work was also interested and got offered a sizeable discount on a Leaf if he arranged a visit from Nissan with a couple of Leafs at work so we could have some test drives. I tried one and was very impressed but it did not tug the heart strings. Over the summer of 2015 some of my patents had granted and I now had a bigger pot to play with, but then I got made redundant. Car buying went on the shelf for a bit. In October I got a new job in Swindon again 22 miles from home with a lovely drive on B roads or a clear M4 going against the traffic, but circumstances there changed and it looks like I will be in Maidenhead for the next year or so – 35 miles from home and nasty commute on the M4 along with the traffic to London. Constant traffic jams and nose to tail traffic. Time to look for a car to suit the commute.
In February I borrowed a new 94h BMW I3 but the day I picked it up was -2 degrees C and fully charged it only showed 73 miles of range, this would give me 3 miles of contingency and that was before battery degradation over time. So that got scratched off the list. I suspect the range would have been better if BMW had thought to turn on Preconditioning which warms the car (and I think the battery) ready to drive, but it still seemed pretty marginal.
The Car
I did not think I could afford a Tesla model S as I really wanted a dual motor model and even 2nd hand they were very expensive, but it did not stop me idly checking the PH classifieds every so often. My car to be was on a posh car dealer advert in Essex, taken as part ex for Range Rover and reduced by £3000 after languishing for a month with no interest. It was the right spec – 85D, right colour – Deep Blue – check my profile there is a bit of a theme there, but it did not have the sub zero pack – heated rear seats, washer jets and steering wheel, so I hesitated. The price then dropped another £3000 which put this 14 month old car at similar pricing to a 2014 model S (not P), so the following Monday I booked the viewing and started to do a little more research. One of the bits of advice I got was to aim for as late a model as possible and not worry about mileage. Telsa make continuous improvements and a partial list can be found here: https://sites.google.com/site/teslamotorsclubwiki/...
This car was ticking the right boxes!
Next I emailed Tesla to see what I could find out about the service history, the response was not much due to Data Protection but they suggested I call the car’s local service centre. A quick call established the owner had been into the centre 5 times but were not allowed to disclose service history but confirmed there was nothing in the records to worry about. I since found out a couple of visits were for buying extras like a European charging adapter and a type charging 2 cable. I specifically asked if there were any issues I should worry about that would not be covered by the warranty, and the answer was not apart from the interesting information that a well known manufacturer had been known to be buying the odd Tesla, tearing it down, having a good poke about and then re-assembling and putting it back into the wild. Turns out this invalidates the warranty. I contacted a mate who works at said company and got the reassuring response “Not one of ours!”. I also ran an HPI check just to be sure, which flagged up finance on the car which turned out to be the dealer’s It turns out many car dealers purchase their stock using finance, sounds obvious but had never occurred to me before that the dealer finance would be linked to the car.
On the Friday Mrs Spunagain and I took the day off and drove off to Essex to have a look, fell in love and put down a deposit! The car looks better in the flesh than in photos kind of Maserati like. No leather seats, but that does not bother me (but may be an issue at resale time). But is does have the panoramic roof, premium pack which adds a few odds and ends and Autopilot. The test drive was great with the car as solid as a rock with no rattles squeaks or untowards noises or behaviours, apart from the insane acceleration.
The Purchase.
The car dealer offered me 24-to 25k for the Evora, so I went to Lotus Silverstone and arranged a Sale or Return deal, I took the car down the Sunday after seeing the Tesla and the following Saturday it sold, and after costs I trousered £30510, much more than half the cost of the Tesla, so the cost to change was around the price of a Mini Cooper S. It is worth saying Lotus Silverstone have been fantastic – I bought the Evora from them in 2012 and they took very good care of it for the 5 years I had it. £7500 depreciation in 5 years and 32k additional miles is not bad!
When I viewed the Tesla I noticed a few chips on the alloys and well worn tyres and negotiated a set of Pirelli P Zeroes and wheel refurbs all round. As you can take the boy out of Essex I went for a Shadow Chrome recolour, which looks good but is possibly a bit darker then I had in mind. The car came with Cable and adapters for a Commando (16 A) Type 2 (22kW) European and 3 pin plug.
Pick up.
3 hours on the train to pick the car up and I drove home via the M25 and the M4 A33 Supercharger to try it out – a free top up in 30 minutes, and Ikea to pick up a double mattress. I have since found Ikea has 3 Ecotricity Chargers which are £6 for 30 minutes, but this is refundable in Ikea if you buy anything which is not food. To get the best from that I think I need to get a Chademo adaptor which will allow up to 50kW DC charging but I still need to check this. This is because my car only has a single AC charger so I think I would be limited to 22kW using the AC charger they have there, rather than the 43kW available if it had two chargers.
The car is fantastic, doing most of the M25 in Autopilot which is very strange and going to get some getting used to. I am charging either at Reading Supercharger or of my 3 pin plug at home for now, but have got a 7kW charger installation booked for April with www.chargedev.co.uk who were recommended to me by a Leaf driving friend. 75% of the cost up to £500 will be paid for by a Government grant which has extended beyond March this year.
1st Impressions
The car in incredibly serene at low speeds but like the Leaf and i3, wind and tyre noise become more obvious over 60mph. One thing is that IMHO, the stereo needs speed sensitive volume as I find myself adjusting it a lot, I had this in my MG ZT and it worked very well. The ride is quite firm, more BMW like than Lotus like but not uncomfortable. The handling is pretty good, there is bit more roll in the corners than I am used to, but that is to be expected of a 2 ton car! The suspension is the same as the P or performance variants so I will have to go after-market if I want to improve it, but there is only so much that you can do with that much weight. (Mine has springs rather than the optional air suspension). But it is also very big - it is as wide as an S class, and to my shame I have already curbed one of the front alloys .
Once I had spent some time playing with the seats I have found a very comfy setting and spend 2 hours in the car last week with the family visiting National trust house in High Wycombe and my brother in Slough. No complaints from anyone! The acceleration is crazy, my youngest daughter wanted to name the car "Jesus" as that is what one of my mates yelped when getting the drag strip demo! The car has now been named "Flash" after the sloth in Zootropolis and because it is a bit... (You have to name the car in the UI). I just got a FW update installed last night and now have more ventilation fan settings than yesterday!
I seem to get another 70 miles of range overnight on the 3 pin plug, so I supercharge every 3rd day or so to keep it topped up, I reckon I have added between £10 and £20 to my electricity bill so far. I have also found a bunch of 4 free 7kW chargers in Newbury Parkway car park which seems to give me cheaper electricity then charging at home even with the parking fee so I use the Tesla now for trips to the Town.
I am limiting the charging to 80% day to day to maintain battery life and will only set it to 100% before a road trip.
I have had the car for 2 weeks now and done over 1000 miles in those 2 weeks, the car is become the default option for any journey and so is getting far more use than the Lotus ever did, from my kids point of view it is “cool” but not as embarrassingly attention grabbing as the Lotus, it turns out that while 14 year olds love to take selfies, they are less happy being photographed by strangers on the motorway! It is like a normal car but faster, quieter and with may more toys.
The standard stereo as it turns out is really good! Before picking the car up I looked at a number of upgrades but you are talking serious money with very little to show for it. At the volumes I listen to a sub would make a difference but to be honest there is enough bass for my cheesy 80s and 90s rock collection. It is the 1st car I have had which I have not felt the need to muck about with the stereo set-up! Oh and of course it goes up to “11”
I have also spent a little money on some toys. The keys look like little black plastic Dinky toy Teslas but don’t have a convenient loop to attach a key ring, so I a got pair one of these. Topfit Key coverlhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Topfit-S...
It also allows us to tell whose is whose as they are pair to the cars settings – seat, Steering wheel, mirrors, AC and radio.
There is a big tray area in front of the seats where the transmission tunnel would normally live. Mr’s Spunagain loves it as it is a perfect place to keep her handbag, but it is my car and anything I put there slides around. Tesla sell a tray for stupid money so I have picked up this for £65, which does the job nicely.
Centre cubby tray
Next
I have a service booked, giving me time to find any niggles and get the car up to date on its service history (Although servicing is not mandatory at all to keep the 4 year “Body” and 8 year battery and drivetrain warranties going!) I think I is worth having come resale time.
I am also planning a family road trip to Sunderland to visit the In-laws which will be my 1st big road trip of nearly 300 miles. It looks like there are 2 Superchargers on the way so it should be pretty painless. But will buy a Chademo adapter for emergencies. I have already installed and registered the Ecotriciy app just in case.
I might look at Economy 7 as an option for home charging but need to do the sums to see if it makes sense with my other power usage.
Finally once I get my V5 I can register with Tesla and install the Tesla App on my phone allowing me to control changing and heating remotely and use the "Summon" command.
I will try and answer any owner type questions!
A quick search seemed to show there are no Teslas in Readers Cars so I thought I would chip in.
While some may not see it as particularly PH, I think it qualifies as it seems to do what is does very well, moves things on a bit and is flippin’ quick. So here’s my story so far, I will try and chip in if anything interesting happens and make a log of my costs.
The Journey
I am afraid that I have been interested in the idea of electric cars since the mid 2000s when I saw on line the work done by AC Propulsion – the company Tesla took on to develop their drive train. In fact I was saving to buy one of their drivetrains to build my own car when Tesla took over and took them off the market. I also applied to be an early adopter for the Mini E (which also used an ACP drive train) but I don’t think I was doing enough mileage at the time so was turned down. I would have loved a Roadster but the cost was too high and second hand they are still very expensive with less than 100 on UK roads today.
In 2012 with cash earned from filing a few patents at work, I bought a used Lotus Evora which I loved but my daughters are now in their teens and objecting to squeezing in the back for family trips. So once again I started looking at electric cars. Last spring a colleague at work was also interested and got offered a sizeable discount on a Leaf if he arranged a visit from Nissan with a couple of Leafs at work so we could have some test drives. I tried one and was very impressed but it did not tug the heart strings. Over the summer of 2015 some of my patents had granted and I now had a bigger pot to play with, but then I got made redundant. Car buying went on the shelf for a bit. In October I got a new job in Swindon again 22 miles from home with a lovely drive on B roads or a clear M4 going against the traffic, but circumstances there changed and it looks like I will be in Maidenhead for the next year or so – 35 miles from home and nasty commute on the M4 along with the traffic to London. Constant traffic jams and nose to tail traffic. Time to look for a car to suit the commute.
In February I borrowed a new 94h BMW I3 but the day I picked it up was -2 degrees C and fully charged it only showed 73 miles of range, this would give me 3 miles of contingency and that was before battery degradation over time. So that got scratched off the list. I suspect the range would have been better if BMW had thought to turn on Preconditioning which warms the car (and I think the battery) ready to drive, but it still seemed pretty marginal.
The Car
I did not think I could afford a Tesla model S as I really wanted a dual motor model and even 2nd hand they were very expensive, but it did not stop me idly checking the PH classifieds every so often. My car to be was on a posh car dealer advert in Essex, taken as part ex for Range Rover and reduced by £3000 after languishing for a month with no interest. It was the right spec – 85D, right colour – Deep Blue – check my profile there is a bit of a theme there, but it did not have the sub zero pack – heated rear seats, washer jets and steering wheel, so I hesitated. The price then dropped another £3000 which put this 14 month old car at similar pricing to a 2014 model S (not P), so the following Monday I booked the viewing and started to do a little more research. One of the bits of advice I got was to aim for as late a model as possible and not worry about mileage. Telsa make continuous improvements and a partial list can be found here: https://sites.google.com/site/teslamotorsclubwiki/...
This car was ticking the right boxes!
Next I emailed Tesla to see what I could find out about the service history, the response was not much due to Data Protection but they suggested I call the car’s local service centre. A quick call established the owner had been into the centre 5 times but were not allowed to disclose service history but confirmed there was nothing in the records to worry about. I since found out a couple of visits were for buying extras like a European charging adapter and a type charging 2 cable. I specifically asked if there were any issues I should worry about that would not be covered by the warranty, and the answer was not apart from the interesting information that a well known manufacturer had been known to be buying the odd Tesla, tearing it down, having a good poke about and then re-assembling and putting it back into the wild. Turns out this invalidates the warranty. I contacted a mate who works at said company and got the reassuring response “Not one of ours!”. I also ran an HPI check just to be sure, which flagged up finance on the car which turned out to be the dealer’s It turns out many car dealers purchase their stock using finance, sounds obvious but had never occurred to me before that the dealer finance would be linked to the car.
On the Friday Mrs Spunagain and I took the day off and drove off to Essex to have a look, fell in love and put down a deposit! The car looks better in the flesh than in photos kind of Maserati like. No leather seats, but that does not bother me (but may be an issue at resale time). But is does have the panoramic roof, premium pack which adds a few odds and ends and Autopilot. The test drive was great with the car as solid as a rock with no rattles squeaks or untowards noises or behaviours, apart from the insane acceleration.
The Purchase.
The car dealer offered me 24-to 25k for the Evora, so I went to Lotus Silverstone and arranged a Sale or Return deal, I took the car down the Sunday after seeing the Tesla and the following Saturday it sold, and after costs I trousered £30510, much more than half the cost of the Tesla, so the cost to change was around the price of a Mini Cooper S. It is worth saying Lotus Silverstone have been fantastic – I bought the Evora from them in 2012 and they took very good care of it for the 5 years I had it. £7500 depreciation in 5 years and 32k additional miles is not bad!
When I viewed the Tesla I noticed a few chips on the alloys and well worn tyres and negotiated a set of Pirelli P Zeroes and wheel refurbs all round. As you can take the boy out of Essex I went for a Shadow Chrome recolour, which looks good but is possibly a bit darker then I had in mind. The car came with Cable and adapters for a Commando (16 A) Type 2 (22kW) European and 3 pin plug.
Pick up.
3 hours on the train to pick the car up and I drove home via the M25 and the M4 A33 Supercharger to try it out – a free top up in 30 minutes, and Ikea to pick up a double mattress. I have since found Ikea has 3 Ecotricity Chargers which are £6 for 30 minutes, but this is refundable in Ikea if you buy anything which is not food. To get the best from that I think I need to get a Chademo adaptor which will allow up to 50kW DC charging but I still need to check this. This is because my car only has a single AC charger so I think I would be limited to 22kW using the AC charger they have there, rather than the 43kW available if it had two chargers.
The car is fantastic, doing most of the M25 in Autopilot which is very strange and going to get some getting used to. I am charging either at Reading Supercharger or of my 3 pin plug at home for now, but have got a 7kW charger installation booked for April with www.chargedev.co.uk who were recommended to me by a Leaf driving friend. 75% of the cost up to £500 will be paid for by a Government grant which has extended beyond March this year.
1st Impressions
The car in incredibly serene at low speeds but like the Leaf and i3, wind and tyre noise become more obvious over 60mph. One thing is that IMHO, the stereo needs speed sensitive volume as I find myself adjusting it a lot, I had this in my MG ZT and it worked very well. The ride is quite firm, more BMW like than Lotus like but not uncomfortable. The handling is pretty good, there is bit more roll in the corners than I am used to, but that is to be expected of a 2 ton car! The suspension is the same as the P or performance variants so I will have to go after-market if I want to improve it, but there is only so much that you can do with that much weight. (Mine has springs rather than the optional air suspension). But it is also very big - it is as wide as an S class, and to my shame I have already curbed one of the front alloys .
Once I had spent some time playing with the seats I have found a very comfy setting and spend 2 hours in the car last week with the family visiting National trust house in High Wycombe and my brother in Slough. No complaints from anyone! The acceleration is crazy, my youngest daughter wanted to name the car "Jesus" as that is what one of my mates yelped when getting the drag strip demo! The car has now been named "Flash" after the sloth in Zootropolis and because it is a bit... (You have to name the car in the UI). I just got a FW update installed last night and now have more ventilation fan settings than yesterday!
I seem to get another 70 miles of range overnight on the 3 pin plug, so I supercharge every 3rd day or so to keep it topped up, I reckon I have added between £10 and £20 to my electricity bill so far. I have also found a bunch of 4 free 7kW chargers in Newbury Parkway car park which seems to give me cheaper electricity then charging at home even with the parking fee so I use the Tesla now for trips to the Town.
I am limiting the charging to 80% day to day to maintain battery life and will only set it to 100% before a road trip.
I have had the car for 2 weeks now and done over 1000 miles in those 2 weeks, the car is become the default option for any journey and so is getting far more use than the Lotus ever did, from my kids point of view it is “cool” but not as embarrassingly attention grabbing as the Lotus, it turns out that while 14 year olds love to take selfies, they are less happy being photographed by strangers on the motorway! It is like a normal car but faster, quieter and with may more toys.
The standard stereo as it turns out is really good! Before picking the car up I looked at a number of upgrades but you are talking serious money with very little to show for it. At the volumes I listen to a sub would make a difference but to be honest there is enough bass for my cheesy 80s and 90s rock collection. It is the 1st car I have had which I have not felt the need to muck about with the stereo set-up! Oh and of course it goes up to “11”
I have also spent a little money on some toys. The keys look like little black plastic Dinky toy Teslas but don’t have a convenient loop to attach a key ring, so I a got pair one of these. Topfit Key coverlhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Topfit-S...
It also allows us to tell whose is whose as they are pair to the cars settings – seat, Steering wheel, mirrors, AC and radio.
There is a big tray area in front of the seats where the transmission tunnel would normally live. Mr’s Spunagain loves it as it is a perfect place to keep her handbag, but it is my car and anything I put there slides around. Tesla sell a tray for stupid money so I have picked up this for £65, which does the job nicely.
Centre cubby tray
Next
I have a service booked, giving me time to find any niggles and get the car up to date on its service history (Although servicing is not mandatory at all to keep the 4 year “Body” and 8 year battery and drivetrain warranties going!) I think I is worth having come resale time.
I am also planning a family road trip to Sunderland to visit the In-laws which will be my 1st big road trip of nearly 300 miles. It looks like there are 2 Superchargers on the way so it should be pretty painless. But will buy a Chademo adapter for emergencies. I have already installed and registered the Ecotriciy app just in case.
I might look at Economy 7 as an option for home charging but need to do the sums to see if it makes sense with my other power usage.
Finally once I get my V5 I can register with Tesla and install the Tesla App on my phone allowing me to control changing and heating remotely and use the "Summon" command.
I will try and answer any owner type questions!
I live further up the coast from your Sunderland road trip and a local taxi firm has the largest fleet of electric cars in europe including a Tesla model S.
They are not a rare site on the roads up my way yet they always turn my head when one goes by.
When you mention getting used to Autopilot is that their version of adaptive cruise control?
Do these still have the giant ipad in the centre console as well? If so how do you find it?
Lovely colour by the way.
They are not a rare site on the roads up my way yet they always turn my head when one goes by.
When you mention getting used to Autopilot is that their version of adaptive cruise control?
Do these still have the giant ipad in the centre console as well? If so how do you find it?
Lovely colour by the way.
Thanks very much for a great write up. You're in a very similar situation to me, although my commute is 140 miles a day (round trip) which works out about 25,000 a year (Friday I work from home) so I am struggling to justify putting that many miles on such an expensive car. I will try and make my Honda Accord diesel last another year before taking the plunge.
However I do have a Lotus in the garage to cheer me up, and Elan +2 :-)
Have fun with the Tesla - I test drove a P85D and it was crazy fast! Lovely car.
Rich
However I do have a Lotus in the garage to cheer me up, and Elan +2 :-)
Have fun with the Tesla - I test drove a P85D and it was crazy fast! Lovely car.
Rich
interesting write up and like you I am watching the EV market for the last few years, my budget is alot smaller though and likely to jump at the ZOE 40 in the next 6 mnths as a 2nd car
seems like a nice colour and spec, I have heard that the P85 is quick and you get plenty of bonnet storage space, do you lose alot of space having the 'D'
Keep posting us updates from time to time so we know how your getting on etc. will be interesting to hear.
Edit.
I also like the older style front bumper to the model S.
seems like a nice colour and spec, I have heard that the P85 is quick and you get plenty of bonnet storage space, do you lose alot of space having the 'D'
Keep posting us updates from time to time so we know how your getting on etc. will be interesting to hear.
Edit.
I also like the older style front bumper to the model S.
Edited by familyguy1 on Thursday 6th April 09:06
Edited by familyguy1 on Thursday 6th April 10:25
Hi All
Thanks for the positive comments, I will try and add more as stuff happens. I will try to report the good and the bad and not just go into Tesla fanboy mode!
Hi Dave H23
My car has Autopilot1 hardware and software which steers, brakes and accelerates to the speed limit + or – a programmable offset. It manages with traffic slowing , speeding up and even stopping, it is great for lazy stop start queuing. It will change lane by itself and overtake - all i have to do is indicate - it does the rest using cameras and a bunch of Radar and (I think) ultrasound sensors to check for other cars.
Autopilot 2 hardware has 4 cameras and will allow for full autonomous mode once the SW is ready.
The Giant I-pad is there and after a week it is really easy to use. Autopilot is great if you want to fiddle with the stereo or set a new destination on the sat nav without drifting across lanes.
Hi Family guy, I will try and get a photo comparison of the front boot, from what I hear the courtesy car when I get the service is likely to be a single motor P85.
Hi Trollied, the local roads are great, one novelty is having the sun roof open as you go through the villages – you can hear the birdsong!
Summon command is one thing I am still getting the hang of, but essentially you can set it to autopark itself, e.g. into your garage, then pressing the summon on the app or the right key press on the fob will get the car to pull it self out of the garage back to the point you ran the autopark feature. It will even open the garage door if you have an electric garage door opener. I am hoping for a demo when I get the service done. It will only move 12 metres but that is enough to get out of a tight garage or parking spot.
Hi r129sl, all my trips so far have been within range, but two hours is very comfortable!, I will report back when I am back from Sunderland which will be a "2 supercharger" route each way.
Thanks for the positive comments, I will try and add more as stuff happens. I will try to report the good and the bad and not just go into Tesla fanboy mode!
Hi Dave H23
My car has Autopilot1 hardware and software which steers, brakes and accelerates to the speed limit + or – a programmable offset. It manages with traffic slowing , speeding up and even stopping, it is great for lazy stop start queuing. It will change lane by itself and overtake - all i have to do is indicate - it does the rest using cameras and a bunch of Radar and (I think) ultrasound sensors to check for other cars.
Autopilot 2 hardware has 4 cameras and will allow for full autonomous mode once the SW is ready.
The Giant I-pad is there and after a week it is really easy to use. Autopilot is great if you want to fiddle with the stereo or set a new destination on the sat nav without drifting across lanes.
Hi Family guy, I will try and get a photo comparison of the front boot, from what I hear the courtesy car when I get the service is likely to be a single motor P85.
Hi Trollied, the local roads are great, one novelty is having the sun roof open as you go through the villages – you can hear the birdsong!
Summon command is one thing I am still getting the hang of, but essentially you can set it to autopark itself, e.g. into your garage, then pressing the summon on the app or the right key press on the fob will get the car to pull it self out of the garage back to the point you ran the autopark feature. It will even open the garage door if you have an electric garage door opener. I am hoping for a demo when I get the service done. It will only move 12 metres but that is enough to get out of a tight garage or parking spot.
Hi r129sl, all my trips so far have been within range, but two hours is very comfortable!, I will report back when I am back from Sunderland which will be a "2 supercharger" route each way.
Great write up, surprised this is the first Tesla readers cars thread! Interested to hear more details about how you get on with it.
I must say everything you've said about charging sounds over complex to me, it's definitely something that needs to be simplified for more mass adoption to take place IMO.
Any thread for the Evora, or at least a pic?
I must say everything you've said about charging sounds over complex to me, it's definitely something that needs to be simplified for more mass adoption to take place IMO.
Any thread for the Evora, or at least a pic?
Quick off topic on my last car - the Lotus Evora:
It went to Lotus Silverstone three weeks back for SOR and it sold 5 days later.
I had my NA Evora for 5 years and 33000 of my miles plus the 5k miles it had when I bought it as an ex Lotus management car. Mine was a Dec 2010 car – a Model Year (MY) 2011 with Tech and Sport packs, reversing camera and Pioneer satnav stereo which has been great.
My 2 daughters (11 and 14) are could not really fit with us all in the car any more so it was time for something with a little more room.
The Lotus has been fantastic to drive - comfy and quiet on a cruise, but an animal that will easily break traction in the wet in low gears if you are not careful! The traction control seems quite relaxed about wheel spin in sport mode!
The looks are fantastic and are way better than any photo shows. I used to still catch sight of it in the car park at work and could not believe it was mine!
I had a full 2bular exhaust and manifold, a BOE air filter and Essex Autosport ECU tune which helped with the torque and the aural drama when you clogg it! The sound was fab, but the power gains are not going to set you hair on fire to be honest. Their Dyno showed 298hp.
The soundproofing was a revelation after 14 years in an Elise. In fact while I say above that the exhaust is quiet, if you open the windows it is another story entirely. If you think you need a sports exhaust (or louder sports exhaust), make sure you run through the gears with the windows down first, you may well be surprised!
The handling is best described as like a big Elise, it stuck to the road like glue, but the ride was great - for example much less harsh than a Mini Cooper S.
I had the long box which is great for economy (30+mpg in the real world) but poor for 3-6th gear acceleration. I am glad I had it for motorway cruising, but cursed it overtaking - I would rather have been able to a lower geared 3rd and ride the torque than drop to second. You should definitely test drive the close ratio and long boxes before you buy if you are considering one. I had a CR Sports racer as a courtesy car from Lotus Silverstone and to be honest the CR box transforms the car, it is much more fun to take it through the gears at legal speeds. In fact the CR box is so good that I have looked into upgrading the gearbox and it can be done at a scary £3-4K. May be wait until the clutch needs replacing.
The other advantage of the long box (if it worries you) is that the MY2011 car like mine got 199g/km which means cheaper tax. It looks like you lose about 4-5mpg with the CR box.
Some servicing cost examples below from my ownership, but bear in mind there are all main dealer costs with a few mods thrown in for good measure, you can get better prices at indys but I have been very happy with Lotus Silverstone. Here are the bills I have had:
5th Year Service +Wheel refurb and Headlight clear coat respray £1541+£343 for a new pair of rear tyres.
4th year service – (the big one) + new mud flap brackets and A pillar trims: £867.
£200 or so on fitting heated seating elements
A full set of OEM Pirelli tyres (18” and 19” were £644 fitted from Headley tyres) Note the 19 and 20s are much pricier!
Essex Autosport ECU crack and rolling road tune: £1068.
3rd year service + fitting of 2bular manifolds and Y pipe and BOE CAI filter kit: £1498.
2nd Year service (with brake fluid and fitting Dynamat to doors): £550.
While I have spent a fair bit (mostly on mods), on the up side the depreciation has been very reasonable – I have dropped less than £7.5k depreciation in 5 years.
I have also had a few niggles which were all sorted under warranty by Lotus Silverstone who have been fabulous. But you should look out for them when buying cars off warranty and get them fixed by the dealer or negotiate with the seller.
One last mention. A while back we all went out to a country show and parked up in the field in the Evora. The 2 girls got out my side from the back and walked round the car, another parent in the car to our left spotted the girls and blurted out before he could stop himself “Where the F**k did they come from?!”
It went to Lotus Silverstone three weeks back for SOR and it sold 5 days later.
I had my NA Evora for 5 years and 33000 of my miles plus the 5k miles it had when I bought it as an ex Lotus management car. Mine was a Dec 2010 car – a Model Year (MY) 2011 with Tech and Sport packs, reversing camera and Pioneer satnav stereo which has been great.
My 2 daughters (11 and 14) are could not really fit with us all in the car any more so it was time for something with a little more room.
The Lotus has been fantastic to drive - comfy and quiet on a cruise, but an animal that will easily break traction in the wet in low gears if you are not careful! The traction control seems quite relaxed about wheel spin in sport mode!
The looks are fantastic and are way better than any photo shows. I used to still catch sight of it in the car park at work and could not believe it was mine!
I had a full 2bular exhaust and manifold, a BOE air filter and Essex Autosport ECU tune which helped with the torque and the aural drama when you clogg it! The sound was fab, but the power gains are not going to set you hair on fire to be honest. Their Dyno showed 298hp.
The soundproofing was a revelation after 14 years in an Elise. In fact while I say above that the exhaust is quiet, if you open the windows it is another story entirely. If you think you need a sports exhaust (or louder sports exhaust), make sure you run through the gears with the windows down first, you may well be surprised!
The handling is best described as like a big Elise, it stuck to the road like glue, but the ride was great - for example much less harsh than a Mini Cooper S.
I had the long box which is great for economy (30+mpg in the real world) but poor for 3-6th gear acceleration. I am glad I had it for motorway cruising, but cursed it overtaking - I would rather have been able to a lower geared 3rd and ride the torque than drop to second. You should definitely test drive the close ratio and long boxes before you buy if you are considering one. I had a CR Sports racer as a courtesy car from Lotus Silverstone and to be honest the CR box transforms the car, it is much more fun to take it through the gears at legal speeds. In fact the CR box is so good that I have looked into upgrading the gearbox and it can be done at a scary £3-4K. May be wait until the clutch needs replacing.
The other advantage of the long box (if it worries you) is that the MY2011 car like mine got 199g/km which means cheaper tax. It looks like you lose about 4-5mpg with the CR box.
Some servicing cost examples below from my ownership, but bear in mind there are all main dealer costs with a few mods thrown in for good measure, you can get better prices at indys but I have been very happy with Lotus Silverstone. Here are the bills I have had:
5th Year Service +Wheel refurb and Headlight clear coat respray £1541+£343 for a new pair of rear tyres.
4th year service – (the big one) + new mud flap brackets and A pillar trims: £867.
£200 or so on fitting heated seating elements
A full set of OEM Pirelli tyres (18” and 19” were £644 fitted from Headley tyres) Note the 19 and 20s are much pricier!
Essex Autosport ECU crack and rolling road tune: £1068.
3rd year service + fitting of 2bular manifolds and Y pipe and BOE CAI filter kit: £1498.
2nd Year service (with brake fluid and fitting Dynamat to doors): £550.
While I have spent a fair bit (mostly on mods), on the up side the depreciation has been very reasonable – I have dropped less than £7.5k depreciation in 5 years.
I have also had a few niggles which were all sorted under warranty by Lotus Silverstone who have been fabulous. But you should look out for them when buying cars off warranty and get them fixed by the dealer or negotiate with the seller.
One last mention. A while back we all went out to a country show and parked up in the field in the Evora. The 2 girls got out my side from the back and walked round the car, another parent in the car to our left spotted the girls and blurted out before he could stop himself “Where the F**k did they come from?!”
Good to see one of these in here at last. I too am surprised there aren't more on PH - maybe there are but the owners are keeping it quiet. They are interesting machines and whether you like the idea of EVs or not (I certainly do), they are here to stay.
I look forward to seeing updates on this thread and will be reading with lots of interest
I look forward to seeing updates on this thread and will be reading with lots of interest
Very interesting write up - and a smart looking car in that colour!
You mentioned the volume not being speed related - can you submit that as a request to Tesla as presumably they can update the software to allow that?
On the same vein what other updates can you car receive?!
I will be interested to know how your longer trips go. I am in two minds regarding the enforced longer 'refuelling' stops as it seems it could be annoying to wait an hour at a supercharger but also after 250 - 300 miles on a long trip its probably not a bad idea to stop and have a break. I think after my current V8 expires electric would be fun to try.
You mentioned the volume not being speed related - can you submit that as a request to Tesla as presumably they can update the software to allow that?
On the same vein what other updates can you car receive?!
I will be interested to know how your longer trips go. I am in two minds regarding the enforced longer 'refuelling' stops as it seems it could be annoying to wait an hour at a supercharger but also after 250 - 300 miles on a long trip its probably not a bad idea to stop and have a break. I think after my current V8 expires electric would be fun to try.
AnduHowman said:
Very interesting write up - and a smart looking car in that colour!
You mentioned the volume not being speed related - can you submit that as a request to Tesla as presumably they can update the software to allow that?
On the same vein what other updates can you car receive?!
I will be interested to know how your longer trips go. I am in two minds regarding the enforced longer 'refuelling' stops as it seems it could be annoying to wait an hour at a supercharger but also after 250 - 300 miles on a long trip its probably not a bad idea to stop and have a break. I think after my current V8 expires electric would be fun to try.
You can do that - you can even record comments in the car that Tesla engineers pick up - but I can't remember the button presses to do it. I will ask about it when I go in for the service.You mentioned the volume not being speed related - can you submit that as a request to Tesla as presumably they can update the software to allow that?
On the same vein what other updates can you car receive?!
I will be interested to know how your longer trips go. I am in two minds regarding the enforced longer 'refuelling' stops as it seems it could be annoying to wait an hour at a supercharger but also after 250 - 300 miles on a long trip its probably not a bad idea to stop and have a break. I think after my current V8 expires electric would be fun to try.
Here is a quick list of some of the Over the air updates I found here:
Over the air updates
9/23/2012 V1.9.11
Added projected and rated range
Added Entry / Exit feature – Displays on and Media auto play for entry and decrease volume upon exit
10/9/2012 V1.13.16
Added Driver profiles (up to 10 can be saved)
Added Creep mode (emulate automatic transmission idle forward)
Added Traffic lines in map
Added higher volume granularity
Added Lock and Unlock touch screen buttons separated for ease of use
Added Mobile App Remote Access
11/30/2012 1.15.14
Added cancel button to nav
11/30/2012 1.17.5
Added Vehicle sleep mode (reduced vampire drain)
Added App launcher
Added voice commands
Added auto present door handles
Added vehicle alarm
Added ability to switch between metric and imperial units
Added range mode
Added USB sorting for media
Added ability to call phone numbers from map screen
Added fan speed and sunroof controls to steering wheel controls
Added location aware homelink
3/13/2013 1.19.35
Added scheduled charging mode
6/7/2013 1.31.48
Added supercharger locations to maps
Added visited chargers to maps
Added battery charge limit slider (Standard and Max Range)
6/20/2013 1.33.61
Added contact sorting options
Added new defrost mode
Added battery support (will draw power from wall instead of battery for HVAC)
Added battery ability to heat from utility instead of itself
8/28/2013 1.35.107
Added wifi
Added tow mode
Added screen cleaning mode
Added radio presets to steering wheel controls
Added tracking modes in map (north up or vehicle up)
12/21/2013 1.49.57
Added Current anomaly detection (auto reduce charging amp by 25% if problem is detected)
Added wiper service mode
Added TPMS reset option
5/25/2014 1.51.109
Added RDIO
Added hill assist
Added smart air suspension options (auto lower for highway speeds)
Added home and work locations
9/4/2014 1.64.39
Added Asian font support for media player
Added FOB reprogram/swap ability
Added slacker radio reset ability
11/19/2014 1.67.125
Added traffic aware navigation
Added Calendar
Added more power management options
Added location based air suspension settings
Added custom car name
3/17/2015 2.2.200
Added international OSK (onscreen keyboard)
Added trip energy prediction
Added TACC to AP1 cars
Added auto high beam to AP1 cars
Added forward collision warning to AP1 cars
Added energy option for battery display
Added smart preconditioning (auto warm your car based on habits)
Added reverse lines in backup cam
Added parkview assist
Added shuffle and repeat to media player
Added factory reset option
9/21/2015 2.5.85
Added trip planner with routing via Superchargers
Added range assurance
Added valet mode
Added Blind spot warning
Added AEB (auto emergency braking)
Added pin dropping to navigation map
12/31/2015 2.9.77
Added Launch mode
Added Clock widget
Added RWD Torque sleep
9/18/2016 2.36.31
Added perpendicular autopark
Added Homelink Auto open/close
Added auto brightness to display
Added Supercharger availability
Added Spotify music service
Added Summon to ap1 cars
12/22/2016 2.50.114
Added supercharger amenities
Added automatic driver profiles based on key fobs
Added 2 car visibility to cars with AP
Added ability to name trip meter
Added swipe abilities in navigation
Added cabin overheat protection (cools the cabin if past 40C)
Added homelink audio tone
Edited by Spunagain on Thursday 6th April 14:11
Nice to see a Tesla in here
Looks like you are a local to me! i Work in Reading, quite near Green park and their Super Chargers.
My dad picked up his 90D last October as a replacement for his F10 M5... he loves the car and couldn't be happier..
Me, i'm not so sure. After a drive to Bristol and back, i can safely say that i would rather the M5 and that in most ways the BMW was a better place to be.
The thing is that the build on the Tesla is just not there, many creaks and rattles in what is essentially a £100k car, then the little things that are odd/missing. Iphone integration is terrible, there are no coat/suit hooks in the car (not a major issue, but frustrating for those that need them) Also, the stereo isn't all that great IMHO, especially as a comparison to the BMW's one (they were both the upgraded ones)
however, The car is damn awesome, fast as anything (quicker to 60 than the M5) and a very, very comfortable cruiser. I just find myself wanting and feel a little disappointing that i wasn't wowed. P.s. i couldn't even hope of affording one at the moment, so obviously this is just my view as a non-owner, so no disrespect meant
If someone offered me one... i would snap it up!
Looks like you are a local to me! i Work in Reading, quite near Green park and their Super Chargers.
My dad picked up his 90D last October as a replacement for his F10 M5... he loves the car and couldn't be happier..
Me, i'm not so sure. After a drive to Bristol and back, i can safely say that i would rather the M5 and that in most ways the BMW was a better place to be.
The thing is that the build on the Tesla is just not there, many creaks and rattles in what is essentially a £100k car, then the little things that are odd/missing. Iphone integration is terrible, there are no coat/suit hooks in the car (not a major issue, but frustrating for those that need them) Also, the stereo isn't all that great IMHO, especially as a comparison to the BMW's one (they were both the upgraded ones)
however, The car is damn awesome, fast as anything (quicker to 60 than the M5) and a very, very comfortable cruiser. I just find myself wanting and feel a little disappointing that i wasn't wowed. P.s. i couldn't even hope of affording one at the moment, so obviously this is just my view as a non-owner, so no disrespect meant
If someone offered me one... i would snap it up!
I can see where you're coming from - they are very good cars to drive, and very fast, but for me the quality and styling don't stack up for such an expensive car - not by a long shot. They will no doubt fix the quality in time though, and of course the styling is subjective.
It sounds like the perfect car for the OP though, and great to see an owner's view on here - I look forward to further installments!
It sounds like the perfect car for the OP though, and great to see an owner's view on here - I look forward to further installments!
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