Tesla Model X

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Yeah, it seems like the Model X was a big mistake from the above + the overly complex falcon wing doors (which also prevents roof racks) and front doors that seem fraught with issues. Examples below:
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/crunch-falcon-wing-doors-fail-to-sense-obstacle.68268/
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/front-passenger-door-not-operating.68443/
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/falcon-wing-scratching-and-scuffing-other-parts.71339/page-6#post-1733581 - this guy has had ton of trouble, if you haven't followed his posts (https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/falcon-wing-scratching-and-scuffing-other-parts.71339/page-2#post-1602045 was from a few months ago)
numerous cases of "snapping" when FWDs are opening/closing:
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/recent-model-x-build-quality.74331/page-5#post-1756182
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/driver-side-falcon-wing-door-hinge-snapping-when-opening.77686/
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/recent-model-x-build-quality.74331/page-7#post-1773067

It may be time to stop the bleeding and discontinue the Model X in its current form and begin designing a replacement w/o these complex doors.

It'll be real interesting to know how problematic these doors are 2-4 years down the line, esp. w/more temperature cycling (expansion and contraction), parking on inclines (https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/preventing-doors-from-losing-calibration.68036/#post-1515625), calibration and alignment over time from usage and normal vehicle bumps and vibrations, etc.
 
It reminds me of a neighbor of mine once who was a Ferrari enthusiast. He had not one, but two of them. Every few weeks there would be a truck coming by either picking one up or dropping one off (sometimes both), taking them to Orlando for service. He told me it was $1500 for an oil change and some belt that needed to be replaced pretty regularly at $4k a pop... and those were just a couple of the maintenance items on top of a lengthy list of issues. On any given day just having the car start was a notable occurrence. While that's an extreme scenario of ownership I'm always amazed to hear what people people are willing to put up with and the expenses they incur to drive a "great car".

It all serves as a reminder that there are a lot of people operating in completely different strata from me. Despite its shortcomings, our LEAF only went back for a couple minor things in the time we had it, and our lowly Sentra, which cost 1/10th what people are shelling out of some of these Teslas, has been back for a grand total of one minor defect in two years with a sensor adjustment that was fixed in 15 minutes.

Tesla should be grateful for having so many customers with the patience and resources to accompany them on this journey. I do wonder though as they try to take their products more mainstream if the pool of customers with deep pockets and appetite for inconvenience will become exhausted. Some of those people are going to need to get to work.
 
LTLFTcomposite said:
It reminds me of a neighbor of mine once who was a Ferrari enthusiast. He had not one, but two of them. Every few weeks there would be a truck coming by either picking one up or dropping one off (sometimes both), taking them to Orlando for service. He told me it was $1500 for an oil change and some belt that needed to be replaced pretty regularly at $4k a pop... and those were just a couple of the maintenance items on top of a lengthy list of issues. On any given day just having the car start was a notable occurrence. While that's an extreme scenario of ownership I'm always amazed to hear what people people are willing to put up with and the expenses they incur to drive a "great car".

....

Once again, you take uncommon issues (at this point) and imply they are affecting all Model Xs.
Regarding the costs you mention above, there is no similarity as there are no costs at this point to manufacturer issues.
Our X has had service, but has never not allowed us to go to work.
Implying your neighbors level of issues and costs apply to all X owners is way off base.
 
I never said the model X was as bad as a Ferrari, nothing could be that bad, but these stories are disturbing, and as cwerdna pointed out the confidence those FW doors will age gracefully is low.

All cars are evil, but if you ranked them on a 10 point scale of evil where 1 is a Honda accord and 10 is a Ferrari, some of these model X's accounts have them scoring a solid 8. Glad to hear for you sake and Tesla's you are scoring much better.
 
dgpcolorado said:
TonyWilliams said:
dgpcolorado said:
They needed some help with efficient Supercharging theory (driving at 85 is not the fastest way to make a trip!)

I beg to differ. Here's my comparisons with Superchargers 125 miles apart with 120kW available, burning the battery down to 10% SOC:

SPEED ------------------55mph --------- 90mph

CONSUMPTION - 3.8miles/kWh --- 2.0miles/kWh

kWh BURNED ----- 32.9kWh ----------62.5kWh

TRAVEL TIME ------- 2.3 hours ------ 1.4 hours

CHARGE TIME------ 0.4hours -------- 0.8 hours


Total Time Enroute -- 2.7 hours ---- 2.2 hours every 125 miles
Ah, but Tesla's don't charge at 120kW straight line speed (mine charges at about 75 kW after the first minute or two, but that's not a fair comparison for the bigger battery cars). The charge rate tapers sharply, especially after about 50% SOC. And that increases charging time significantly for the faster travelers because they have to charge to a much higher SOC than the turtles. The empirical results of others suggest an optimum speed of about 70-75 mph in the bigger battery cars but it does depend a lot on weather and Supercharger Station spacing.

I specifically noted "120kW AVAIALBLE"... adding 32.9 or 62.5kWh in 0.4 to 0.8 hours is not 120kW.
 
Via IEVS:
5-Seat Tesla Model X Now Available With Fold Flat Seats, 88 Cubic Feet Of Cargo Space
http://insideevs.com/5-seat-tesla-model-x-now-available-fold-flat-seats-88-cubic-feet-cargo-space/

While they fold flat onto the rear seat cushions, they don't provide a flat load floor all the way from the hatch to the rear seat backs, as there's a considerable step up, perhaps as much as a foot. So, better but not yet ideal for cargo, and useless for sleeping in barring the use of a pad or box to raise the level of the cargo area to the folded seat height. OTOH, as someone pointed out in the comments, is anyone who can afford a car costing around $100k likely to sleep in the back of their car?
 
GRA said:
OTOH, as someone pointed out in the comments, is anyone who can afford a car costing around $100k likely to sleep in the back of their car?
Well, I've read plenty of reports of Model S owners sleeping in their cars. While it's certainly a small minority of owners, of course, driving an expensive car and possessing the desire to camp off the beaten path are not mutually exclusive. If I were car camping alone, or perhaps only with my wife, I'd seriously consider sleeping inside a vehicle with a large enough area to lie flat. This could be preferable to sleeping in a tent, both in terms of comfort and in terms of setup time.
 
abasile said:
GRA said:
OTOH, as someone pointed out in the comments, is anyone who can afford a car costing around $100k likely to sleep in the back of their car?
Well, I've read plenty of reports of Model S owners sleeping in their cars. While it's certainly a small minority of owners, of course, driving an expensive car and possessing the desire to camp off the beaten path are not mutually exclusive. If I were car camping alone, or perhaps only with my wife, I'd seriously consider sleeping inside a vehicle with a large enough area to lie flat. This could be preferable to sleeping in a tent, both in terms of comfort and in terms of setup time.

+1. I have done it a half dozen times in the past 12 years including twice in a $29,000 Prius that I paid cash for (not bragging but bought 3 Priuses for cash... Payments is not something I am found of... actually, wait. the payments I am ok with, its the interest I avoid...)

and my options at the time was spend several hundred on camping equipment I didnt have or make do. so instead of a tent, sleeping bags and the dealing with the weather, I choose 4 comforters, about 8 pillows (great for filling in gaps and leveling the sleeping area) all costing me... nothing
 
abasile said:
GRA said:
OTOH, as someone pointed out in the comments, is anyone who can afford a car costing around $100k likely to sleep in the back of their car?
Well, I've read plenty of reports of Model S owners sleeping in their cars. While it's certainly a small minority of owners, of course, driving an expensive car and possessing the desire to camp off the beaten path are not mutually exclusive. If I were car camping alone, or perhaps only with my wife, I'd seriously consider sleeping inside a vehicle with a large enough area to lie flat. This could be preferable to sleeping in a tent, both in terms of comfort and in terms of setup time.
As someone who regularly sleeps in the back of my Forester at trailheads when I need a quick start, I'm with you, but I suspect we'd be a tiny minority of Model S/X owners. The Model S still has more flexible utility than the Model X for people like us (and those who want to be able to easily load a bike in the back without removing a tire, etc.). Maybe someone will eventually be able to convince Elon that the number of people who need fancy back seats is smaller than those who buy CUVs/SUVs for their flexible utility. They're still stuck with the FWD until Gen 2.
 
Jalopnik reviewers sort of (?) likes the X.

But IMO, some questions are best not asked...

The Tesla Model X Is The Best Minivan $150,000 Can Buy

Here’s a question no one has ever asked: “How can I get an enormous van that weighs more than 6,000 pounds, rockets to highway speed in less time than it takes to sneeze, and has enormously silly doors like you’d find a DeLorean?” It doesn’t matter that no one ever asked it, though, because the Tesla Model X is amazing. Even if it is a $150,000 minivan...
http://jalopnik.com/the-tesla-model-x-is-the-best-minivan-150-000-can-buy-1788281178
 
GRA said:
Via IEVS:
5-Seat Tesla Model X Now Available With Fold Flat Seats, 88 Cubic Feet Of Cargo Space
http://insideevs.com/5-seat-tesla-model-x-now-available-fold-flat-seats-88-cubic-feet-cargo-space/

While they fold flat onto the rear seat cushions, they don't provide a flat load floor all the way from the hatch to the rear seat backs, as there's a considerable step up, perhaps as much as a foot. So, better but not yet ideal for cargo, and useless for sleeping in barring the use of a pad or box to raise the level of the cargo area to the folded seat height. OTOH, as someone pointed out in the comments, is anyone who can afford a car costing around $100k likely to sleep in the back of their car?
New video has surfaced which shows that the new 2nd row seats do indeed fold nearly flat and level with the cargo area floor (which has to use a couple of removable panels to raise it to seat back level), about the same angle or maybe a bit better than my Forester, so good. Via IEVS: http://insideevs.com/video-5-seat-tesla-model-x/ So you give up some height, but have straight-in loading all the way to the front seat backs. I'm a little concerned that the panels don't appear to be supported except at the sides, and appear to be a bit flimsy to support heavier loads or sleeping bodies, but it would take personal inspection to see if my concerns are justified or not. In any case, this gets the Model X closer to what it always should have had from the get-go. Now, if they could just dump the Falcon Wing doors and use either regular or sliding doors, they could put a motorized shade in the roof to cover the panoramic windshield when desired (as Citroen did on their cars that first used this type of windshield), instead of some afterthought removable sunshade that looks as if it costs $12.95 at Kragen or Pep Boys.
 
Safety recall, via IEVS:
Tesla Issues Recall For Certain Charging Adapters Due To Overheating / Potential For Fire
http://insideevs.com/tesla-issues-recall-certain-charging-adapters-due-overheating-potential-fire/

Only the optional NEMA 14-30 (some), 10-30 and 6-50 adapters are affected; standard 5-15 and 14-50 (came with car), 6-15, 5-20 and are okay.
 
We had 4" of snow here some days ago and I was able to take the Model X out in it before the streets were plowed to test its handling on the straight and corners, braking, and acceleration.

I was EXTREMELY impressed with how the car handled the snow and slick conditions. It hard braked smooth and straight. The ABS brakes were much less 'ratchety' than any other car I've used them under (Chevrolet, Honda, Subaru, Ford, for example of our past vehicles).

Under moderate acceleration it was smooth and straight like there was not even snow on the ground. The traction control system is the Teslas are very impressive. I have the 20" tires below with 7 to 8/32nd tread left.

20" TIRES
Continental CrossContact LX Sport – an All-Season Crossover/SUV tire designed to combine performance, ride and noise comfort on highway driving, but also with year-round traction, even in light snow.
Front Tires: 265/45 R20 – 40 PSI (*46 PSI / 317 kPa)
Rear Tires: 275/45 R20 – 40 PSI (*46 PSI / 317 kPa)

22" TIRES
Pirelli Scorpion Zero Assimetrico
Front Tires: 265/35 ZR22 – 42 PSI (*50 PSI / 345 kPa)
Rear Tires: 285/35 ZR22 – 42 PSI (*50 PSI/ 345 kPa)
 
You would be shocked if you had real studless winter tires.
Also snow on it's own is not slippery surface. It can be fluffy and just cover
clean dry pavement. Trust me I know :lol:
 
Just to whip old, dead Dobbin some more, here's some of what Motor Trend had to say about the Model X in it's "SUV of the year" contest (where it was a finalist):
You’re looking at what could easily have been our 2017 SUV of the Year with two simplifications: fold-flat second-row seats to allow owners to carry big stuff inside the car and traditional rear doors to permit strapping stuff to the roof.

These gadgety, form-over-function errors cost the Model X dearly in our engineering excellence and performance of intended function criteria. The power front doors and the Rube Goldberg-esque falcon-wing rear doors both proved glitchy, occasionally striking adjacent cars and once peeling off a piece of its own rear quarter-window trim. Besides neutering the vehicle’s utility (prompting the quip “the U in SUV is silent here”), the mono-post seats rattle and don’t adjust comfortably. They lack inboard armrests, too.

Even that big windshield, which is super cool for stargazing, turned the Tesla into a convection oven on a sunny desert day.

“Everything that makes it great can be found on the Model S,” Jonny Lieberman said. “ Everything that’s new for the X is a gimmick or doesn’t work properly 100 percent of the time. . . .”
http://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-model-x-2017-suv-of-the-year-finalist/

At least the seats now fold. In another 4-5 years (assuming they're still around), they can dump the doors on Gen 2.
 
Via IEVS:
Tesla Model X Energy Consumption When Towing Various Trailers – Video
http://insideevs.com/tesla-model-x-energy-consumption-towing-various-trailers-video/
By Bjorn Nyland, includes chart comparing them for X60D/75D/90D/100D. Bottom line, it sucks (but we knew that).
 
Just over 30,000 miles on my 13 month old Model X and everything on it is working perfectly. Falcon Wing Doors are working great. I am not affected by the Tesla suppliers parking brake part issue.

Picked up a 5'x10' utility trailer in a nearby state recently on craigslist. Superchargers along the way but my consumption was reasonable anyway (380-390) given it was empty. Loading it up in the near future to take it to my sons where we are also going to do some projects and then leave it with him. Able to use Traffic Aware (Adaptive) Cruise Control but not AutoPilot/Steer while pulling a trailer.

Currently planning a 1,500 mile each way roadtrip using http://www.myscenicdrives.com to help determine how to break it up by days automatically and evtripping and evtripplanner to verify superchargers along the way and energy usage. Pretty simple so far. National parks, waterfalls hikes, etc in the planning.

Absolutely love the 'big sky' windshield and especially cool when traveling in the trees and national parks (trip above). Don't have ANY problems with heat from it. The area on it where a normal windshield would be has serious tinting just like a sunroof.

used-2016-tesla-model_x-awd4dr90d-12992-15151849-49-640.jpg

Jacques-Florida-pp-1.jpeg

Model-X-panoramic-windshield-yosemite.jpg
 
sparky said:
Love that last pic.
Glad your X is working out. Thinking of LEAF + S to 3 + X route myself.
Think how much better the view would be if he got out of the car! ;) Having once owned a convertible, everything else falls into the also-ran category, view-wise.
 
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