Tesla Model S 2023 Redefining Luxury and Performance

This automobile is and will always be a landmark. Ultimately, the Tesla Model S elevated electric cars above efficiency and environmental friendliness. It altered the automobile industry in ways that are still being felt, and even after 11 years, it remains one of the greatest EVs available. It was fast, stylish, and technologically advanced. Even the standard model can reach 60 miles per hour in 3.1 seconds and has a 405-mile range; the Plaid can reach hypercar speeds. However, the competition is catching up after 11 years.

Since its launch in 2012, the S has undergone several updates. The most recent occurred in 2021, when the range was condensed into the essential dual-motor S and the tri-motor Plaid, which replaced the previous Long Range and Performance variants. A significant interior redesign included the Knight Rider-inspired yoke and a 17-inch centre display-oriented landscape. After eighteen months, the yoke has shown to be of dubious utility, and as of April, the corporation has made it optional. Retrofit versions of the now-standard wheel are also offered. Except for price reductions, 2023 will see little significant changes.

It took ten years for actual competition to emerge. Still, it is evidence of how well Tesla positioned the Model S. The Lucid Air, which delivers plenty of speed and economy in a significantly more abundant form, surpassed the S last year in terms of range. Although neither vehicle can match Tesla’s economy, the Mercedes-Benz EQS delivers far more spaciousness and elegance than the BMW i7, which combines the classic 7 Series qualities with electric power. Porsche’s Taycan and Audi’s e-tron GT are sportier, sleeker cars with less utility.

Still, this automobile is a mighty player. Both versions are pretty quick, but the Plaid is even faster than a Ferrari Monza SP1, and it is thrilling and recklessly exciting to drive in a manner reminiscent of a Dodge Charger Hellcat. Although Lucid has surpassed the S in terms of range, none of its rivals can equal it. Tesla’s Supercharger network—first developed to service the Model S—outperforms other charging networks’ dependability and speed. Because of its adaptability as a hatchback, the S is also efficient.

You can locate the weak places inside. The rear seat is tiny for a vehicle this size, and the simple interior doesn’t seem like one at this price, particularly when contrasted with Lucid and BMW’s options. We’re glad to see the yoke disappear since it’s inconvenient in parking lots and on twisting highways, and its controls are confusing. The displays are fantastic, and the clear view of the dash is superb. Still, all the menus are distracting, and there’s a high learning curve for anyone unfamiliar with digital technology. But the same could be true of the majority of the competitors.

Regarding technology, the S comes equipped with many advanced active-safety systems that aren’t often standard (hey, BMW). However, we cannot suggest the “Full Self-Driving” option since it isn’t what it seems to be. Tesla has no dealerships, and locating service locations in some regions might be challenging. These are just a few peculiarities of living at Tesla, not to mention the unfavourable reputation a particular CEO quickly gains. But the S is still elegant, quick, and effective after all this time. It will always be significant.

What’s New

• Tesla has switched over its previous car-shaped key fob with a card key.
• For individuals who dislike the yoke wheel on the Model S, a traditional circular steering wheel is now offered as a $700 option and may also be installed retrofitly.
• Although the standard Model S’s pricing has dropped to $91,380 from $106,440, and the Model S Plaid’s price has dropped from $137,440 to $111,380, the costs will still change in 2023.
• The back infotainment screen is now 9.4 inches instead of 8.0 inches, and the larger screen is contained inside a slimmer bezel.
• For an additional $3,000, a new shade of red paint called Ultra Red—akin to Mazda’s hue—is available.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Performance of a hypercar and family-friendly living
• extended standard ranges, quick charge intervals, and a top-notch charging network
• Despite a decade, it still looks fantastic and is loaded with functionality.

Cons:

• Gimmicky yoke steering wheel, too many features routed through screens
• When weighed against more recent competitors, the plain cabin doesn’t seem worth the price.
• The pricey and dubious “Full Self-Driving” option

Performance: Tesla Model S

The Model S may be configured in one of two quick ways. With two electric motors providing 670 system horsepower, the essential Model S AWD can reach 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. Only the Audi e-tron GT RS, Porsche Taycan, and Lucid Air are prominent challengers that can equal or surpass the ordinary S, but the Plaid is a very other animal.

The Plaid is quick, with three electric engines (one in the front and two in the rear) producing 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque instantaneously. It can easily outpace even true exotics like a Ferrari Monza SP1. When you floor it in Plaid mode, G-forces that were formerly only used by drag racers like Shirley Muldowney and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme cause the horizon to blur and force you back into your seat.

The Plaid can accelerate to 60 mph in little than two seconds, and even at high speeds, it provides an enormous, immediate, and very fun power surge. It takes less than two seconds to get 50 to 80 mph.

Despite its powerful engine, the S is still an excellent family vehicle for short trips around town. In contrast to 427 “Street Rat” Chevy Novas from the drag strip or Italian hypercars, the S is just as enjoyable to drive about town as a Honda Accord. The brakes can fade with repeated high-speed stops, but this shouldn’t be a big problem for everyday driving.

Additionally, it’s a common misconception that the S can only move quickly in a straight path. Though the steering is a touch numb, the car drives well on twisty roads despite not being a BMW M5. The large 21-inch wheels also travel instead nicely.

The one true disadvantage of a winding road? The yoke steering wheel annoys you when you have to move the wheel swiftly to navigate any place. The wheel is standard on Model S cars made after April 2023, which is much better.

Power Consumption, Charging, and Range:

Although the Model S was eventually dethroned as the best electric vehicle with a more extended range last year by the Lucid Air, this vehicle is still far from lightweight regarding content or energy efficiency. The EPA estimates that the essential Model S AWD has a range of up to 405 miles and 120 MPGe, while the Plaid has a range of up to 396 miles and 116 MPGe. If you equip the vehicle with the more elegant 21-inch wheels, its content reduces to 348 miles and 101, which is still more than 85% of all-electric cars on the market.

While using the Plaid’s intoxicating power might make people grin, it also reduces range, especially when driving on a highway (which causes content to disappear more quickly for all EVs). The Model S charges quickly, however. We could add 163 miles of range to the Plaid in 23 minutes on an average charge of $22.

Tesla’s Supercharger network was designed for the Model S, even if owners may utilize Level 2 home chargers for slow (overnight) charging and select commercial networks like EVgo. For now, the S is more convenient to use on a lengthy vacation than specific alternatives since it remains the most dependable and hassle-free charging network available worldwide.

Driver assistance and safety:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have not conducted an evaluation of the Tesla Model S in over five years. However, the 2022 Model S’s construction is comparable to that of the 2016 and previous models—which the NHTSA rated with a five-star rating. The Model S received the highest five-star rating in 2022 from the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP), an EU agency conducting testing like IHS and NHTSA. It also received excellent ratings across the board in all EuroNCAP’s assessments.

Tesla also packs a ton of active safety equipment. A very smooth adaptive cruise control system, automatic emergency braking, front collision warnings, side collision warnings, blind spot monitoring, and lane departure warnings with lane keep assist are all standard. Despite the unappealing moniker, they are all a part of Tesla’s basic Autopilot package, and the technologies are excellent. Though BMW offers some of this equipment as an option, the S’s primary premium rivals all have many of the same features.

However, Tesla is also offering two further enhancements. First up is Enhanced Autopilot ($6,000), which includes Autopilot’s long-range highway navigation along with Autopark, Auto Lane Change, Summon, and Smart Summon—features that are already available on some, but not all, of the S’ electric competitors.

The second package is the $15,000 “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) option, with limited off-highway autonomy and traffic signal recognition. In open highway conditions, FSD works well, but it is susceptible and can sometimes abruptly slow down the car to 30 mph in a 65 mph zone because it thinks there is a problem even when there isn’t. It is important to emphasize that “autopilot” and “full self-driving” are not autonomous systems and shouldn’t be seen as such. We cannot endorse FSD since it is expensive and not “fully self-driving.”

Coziness & Space:Tesla Model S

With 42.4 inches of legroom and 39.7 inches of headroom in the front compartment, the Model S has a lot of space up front. Though the standard wheel isn’t awful either, the open and airy impression that comes with the yoke (one of its few advantages) is aided by the glass roof, making it seem much roomier. The front seats include ventilation and heating, and they are comfortable.

Regretfully, the aft cabin lacks the same sense of vastness. While it isn’t as large as the i7 or the EQS, this is still a full-size vehicle. The rear legroom measures a relatively short 35.5 inches, only 0.3 inches longer than in the more miniature Model 3, which isn’t exactly a model of spacious rear seats either. Although the back headroom of the S is decent at 38.1 inches, it doesn’t do much to alleviate the claustrophobic sensation.

When this vehicle was the only one on the road, a cramped rear seat was tolerable, but the i7 and EQS are nearly limos in contrast. The Lucid offers substantially greater rear quarters while physically smaller and more in line with a medium vehicle.

Infotainment: Tesla Model S

The 17-inch touchscreen on the Model S is used for almost all of its functions. It takes some getting accustomed to the fact that the gearshift is also now located on the. Thankfully, the driver is also presented with a digital instrument and road-monitoring display, making accessing situational information like your current speed more straightforward than with the Model 3 or Model Y. But the cameras in the vehicle provide a clear representation of the traffic around you, just like on any other Tesla.

Even while the large central screen has a considerable learning curve for a system this complete, once you get the feel of the interface, simple tasks like changing the radio station or HVAC settings need two or three taps. Although the system isn’t very straightforward, and many symbols are tiny, the images are stunning and clear. But this also applies to Lucid, and there is a significant amount of digital excess present in both Mercedes and BMW. But their screens are better than Tesla’s.

There are several infotainment connections, and the back passengers even receive a 9.4-inch display (up from 8.0 inches last year) where they can play games and watch Netflix. However, there are an odd number of items that are not available. There is no AM radio, Apple CarPlay, or Android Auto. For children, that back screen is also quite challenging to access. Although only a few purchasers will care, it matters because this is a family vehicle.

Storage & Cargo Space:

The Model S remains the leader in cargo space even if there are more rivals than in the past. Said, no other car—gas or electric—offers as much utility with the type of performance that the Model S can achieve. Because of the S’s hatchback design, only hyper wagons like the Audi RS6 Avant and Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo come close.

When the massive hatch is opened, the area behind the back seats measures 25 cubic feet, much more than the trunks of the i7 and EQS. The volume expands to 61.4 cubic feet upon folding them down, like an SUV. Beyond that, more miniature goods may be safely and out of sight in the 3.1 cubic foot front trunk, sometimes called the “frunk.”

Only the gas-powered Audi A7 is comparable among sedans, and the Lucid Air’s trunk is even more significant than the S’s. Despite having a sizable box, the Lucid Air falls short overall. The Model S’s inability to provide small item storage for back passengers is its lone actual freight issue.

Design: Tesla Model S

After 11 years of manufacturing, the Model S is quite well-known, but despite its age, it no longer attracts as many people as the Lucid Air. Nevertheless, it’s challenging to criticize designer Franz von Holzhausen’s initial designs or the upgrades made over time. It has an athletic appearance that the i7 and EQS do not. Regretfully, only five hues are left, and every colour other than “White” will cost you an additional $1,500 or more.

The highly tinted glass top and the displays look fantastic, and the inside is simple and uncluttered. The materials aren’t horrible either, but in contrast to the luxurious interiors from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lucid, all this open space appears dull. Simply put, the S doesn’t feel like a six-figure vehicle.

Then there is the yoke, which lacks the conventional wiper stalks and signal. Although it looks great and takes some time, it’s challenging and makes moving around needlessly tricky. It feels like you’re playing football and only supposed to touch the pigskin’s tips. We’re happy that the new Lexus RZ, which has a variable steering yoke, is now an option rather than the standard vehicle since it’s much better.

Notably, fit and finish may still be inconsistent with Tesla vehicles, even though the companies used them over time. We have encountered almost-new Model S sedans with interior components that seem older than they should be.

Is the Tesla Model S from 2023 Worth It?

Even after all these years, the Model S still delivers outstanding speed, range, and charging capabilities, regardless of how you feel about the yoke, the rather plain interior, or the firm’s CEO. Its importance is indisputable. Tesla has also cut its rates for 2023 many times, but as the firm often makes sudden changes to its costs, you can anticipate that the figures may change over time. It should be noted that the prices shown were accurate at the time of publishing.

The 670-hp basic model, at $91,380 (plus a $1,390 delivery charge), is more expensive than the base Lucid Air Pure ($89,050), but it still significantly undercuts the BMW i7 ($120,795) and Mercedes-Benz EQS450+ ($105,550). The Germans provide much bigger interiors and a far more abundant experience than Tesla, but they fall short of Tesla in terms of efficiency and range. In addition, they charge extra for several active safety features. Although Lucid is only now beginning to ship the Pure, it outperforms the Tesla in terms of space and range, if not speed.

Even if the Plaid costs substantially more—$111,380 before options—than the i7, the Mercedes-AMG EQS ($148,700), or the rumoured Lucid Air Sapphire ($250,000)—it is still less expensive than any of its competitors. Spending much more on a hypercar from McLaren or Ferrari, which would not be as quick off the line and most likely wouldn’t have space for the family, is necessary to get this type of push elsewhere.

How Much Does Tesla Model S Insurance Cost?

The Model S is not inexpensive to insure, and Tesla’s insurance rates are well known to be exorbitant. For an essential S, the average yearly premium for a 30-year-old female driver with a clean record is $4,436; for a Plaid, it is $5,469. Although the Audi RS e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan Turbo S cost $5,939 and $6,534, the lower-trim Taycans and e-tron GTs lost much less money. We anticipate the Lucid will be similarly priced to the Mercedes-Benz EQS, which is $5,608 at this time.

Tesla Model S Generations

First Generation
2012 to Present

The much anticipated first original production car for the electric startup company, the Model S, was presented in 2012. In its initial iteration, the luxury sedan—Tesla’s halo vehicle—was available in four trim levels (S40, S60, S85, and S 85P) with 235–416 horsepower. Two rear-facing jumpseats in the cargo area could be configured in two rows for five seats or three rows for seven. A technology package that includes the option for Autopilot was introduced in 2014. It had a set of hardware sensors, radars, and cameras that allowed for the use of sophisticated driver-aid systems.

With introducing the optional “Ludicrous Mode” feature, which slashed the zero-to-60 mph time from 3.1 seconds to 2.8 seconds, and a larger battery and optional dual motors, Tesla upgraded the base S 60 trim in 2015 to the S 70D trim. The battery upgrade was made available as an over-the-air update. Model S cars manufactured after September 2014 may now download “Autosteer,” an enhanced driving feature still in development, over-the-air with the Model S Software Version 7.0 upgrade.

A redesigned Model S, which many consider to be Tesla’s second generation, was unveiled in 2016. A new battery pack, a suite of standard suite sensing equipment, a new external and interior design, and an upgraded CPU known as Hardware 2—which could perform advanced driving capabilities like Enhanced Autopilot—were all included in the redesigned Model S. The third-fastest production vehicle to accelerate was the 100 kWh Model S P100D with Ludicrous Mode.

“Navigate on Autopilot” and several other ADAS improvements were added to Software Version 9, released in 2018. The Smart Summon function was implemented via an Over-the-Air (OTA) upgrade in 2019.

A significant interior design redesign took place in the summer of 2021. All stalks were eliminated, and a yoke steering wheel, a new 17-inch touchscreen in the landscape style, a backseat touchscreen, a standard panoramic glass roof, and several performance, software, and range updates were introduced. In 2021, the Performance variant was replaced by the 1,020-horsepower variant S Plaid, while the Long Range and Long Range Plus versions were reduced to just the standard Model S.

Verdict

Even though the Model S is now eleven years old, it remains one of the most excellent electric vehicles available, and the carmaker has lowered pricing this year in response to fresh competition. There are two models: the 670 horsepower standard dual-motor model with a 405-mile range and the unbelievable Plaid with 1,020 horsepower and a 395-mile range. While both are fast, the Plaid can outpace million-dollar hypercars in terms of speed while still providing family hatchback utility and docile Accord-like behaviour in urban areas. Compared to recent competitors, the Model S seems more dated and low-end, and its ungainly yoke steering wheel is no longer standard.