I have had the luxury of having the key fob to a brand new 2014 Tesla tossed at me and have been driving it every day for a week and a half now. I do have to give the car back in a little over ten days and will miss it sorely - until the next time I get to drive it....
It's the 85kW version and had roughly 1,650 miles on it when I took it and now has 1,890.
I love the car. #4,600lbs and it is a rocket. With 325 lb·ft at 0 RPM's, it's just totally amazing the power and speed that gets you to top speed (yes, only 120MPH, but who cares
). For someone that has grown up around the digital age, the car is just about completely intuitive. It's like a giant laptop on wheels. The amount of space in the trunk/frunk/and folding down the rear seats is astonishing. I've never been one to care for American cars, but this one is awesome - I have to keep reminding myself that it is made in America. Just a solid car. It looks and feels like a German car.
No real range anxiety issues either. The one problem I have, is that I can't charge it at my home, but since it is my mom's and I do work out of my dad's woodshop, I just plug it in after 8pm and let it charge for an hour or so.
Like any other car, it does have its quirks. The sun visors are lacking, especially if you are not tall. There isn't a lot of space for women to stash their stuff and while it's nice that you have floorspace where the tranny tunnel would be, Tesla did come out with an add-on storage box that fits in that area, allowing for more storage. The cup holders are in front of the arm rests for the front seats and if you have a drink in one, it can get in the way. I like the steering wheel, very racing like, but I think it's a bit too thick overall. There are some very minor trim issues that could be finished better, but I can't really explain it.
The handling is superb. I have not even changed the steering wheel feel to sport mode. It's set to standard and is plenty tight. It's very comfortable to drive overall.
The app for the iPhone rocks. Turn on the a/c, monitor or change the charge rate, find your Tesla when you lose it in the mall parking lot....
The regenerative braking is the bomb! Once you get the feel of how it works as you take your foot off the go pedal, it's amazing. Right hand turns on a green light are a breeze, foot never comes off the pedal. Traffic on the freeway, same thing. One worries that because it slows so quickly, that the car behind you might just become one with you. Nope! The brake lights come on when lifting off the pedal at a certain point - smooth.
I wish I could afford one. I really don't mind that it doesn't go "vroom, vroom".
