My destination was the Apple store at Yorkdale. Being an EV geek a slight detour happened to take place, to the Tesla showroom just across the eisle. A few minutes into the conversation, mostly about the upcoming Model 3, a test drive was scheduled, obviously of the car they had "in stock" - the Model S.
And a few days later there I was, at an inconspicuous building on Lawrence near DVP, spotting a red "T" badge in front of it.
My test car was a white Model S P85D; yes, the one with 2 motors driving all four 21" wheels. Needless to say, based on what I watched and read, I had high expectations for the car, and most of them have been met.
The Tesla was about the size of my Genesis and almost as good looking (I'm not joking, just trying to be un-biased towards either car). All four door handles slid out welcoming us in. Inside the car everything was... interesting. I missed the door storage compartments, but there was a spacious one between the front seats. Obviously the LED dash display was stunning. Huge, bright and instantly responding to every push of a button or a slider. It showed seat heat settings, climate controls and road traffic around us. There were also various steering and regen tune ups.
The interior felt more futuristic but less luxurious than the one I'm used to, but it is hardly the point of this car. The joy of driving is what the Model S is all about, while saving the Earth of course
The suspension feels firmer than the Genny's and the scantly shod 21" wheels let more road noise inside the car, or at least that was my impression, maybe influenced by the lack of engine rumble. Otherwise the body is brick solid and there are no creaks or rattles over any road surface. The cornering is out of this world. There is no body lean to speak of and it has to be the easiest car to learn drifting on
Power delivery and brake force are easy to feel and modulate, the car does precisely what you tell it to do through the pedals. Again, there is no delay in responses or waiting for a downshift when accelerating or for any turbos to spin up.
The AWD grip and acceleration are insane. Floor it - boom! - you are doing 120kph. No noise, no drama, only a pleasant whistle-like humming coming from the motors. Off a stop light, if you want to change a lane or few, don't bother with the side mirrors, there isn't going to be anything as fast around you. And you won't leave your fellow motorists in plumes of smoke which they will likely appreciate. And yet, the S is a perfect and civilized daily driver. As I said above, the "gas" pedal allows you to precisely determine how fast you you want to be going, with a smart help from the "Creep"
- that's when the car slowly pulls forward the moment you let go off the brake pedal and before you step on the accelerator.
In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed the test drive and only wish I could have the car for
a bit much longer. It is very different from everything I've ever driven. Not the most luxurious but definitely the most contagious. I suppose after a week of driving (or piloting?) such a super car there will be no going back to the fossil age, not for me anyway.
And finally, the Tesla ppl are pleasant to deal with. No pushing, no qualifying, no usual "what are you driving and when are you trading in" Everything was scheduled over email. I just wanted to yell "shut up and take my money" if I had any at the moment. I asked to let me know when the booking for the Model 3 will begin.
I'm looking forward to your questions. I will be back to keyboard later tonight.
