Skip to content

Test Drive: Tesla Model X Isn’t Really All That (video)

In December, I wrote a post for this new service called Green Commuter, which is awesome.  Please check it out here. As a part of my compensation, they gave me a Tesla Model X to drive for a week, which I drove to San Diego and back.  Though I hadn’t planned on writing a review of the Model X, people keep asking how I liked it.  So here it is.

Listen, during the first day, I was in love with the Tesla Model X. It felt so NEW! So ADVANCED! I felt like I was driving THE FUTURE!  But then, as time went on, my irritations climbed and eventually, I was over it. Here are a few damn good reasons why:

  1. Falcon doors are irritating af.  In addition to gaining another crack with which to amputate a finger, my kids hated the doors. The switches to close them only worked upon occasion and making a quiet entrance was impossible. It was so bad that Freya insisted on being dropped off early for school so that none of her friends would see “those embarassing doors.” Ouch!
photo courtesy: Tesla Motors
  1. The driving was really only fun for the first 5 minutes. Torque! Yay! I beat everyone off the line! But after that, the drive felt pretty automated. Electric cars don’t have to be boring to drive. Tesla gotten this right before–I found the Model S fun and the Roadster is delightful! However the Model X was like having a super-sexy lover that gets you all hot and bothered but turns out to be a bore in the bedroom. Wonh, wonh.
  2. “Most Capable Sport Utility In History” My Ass! That’s Tesla’s tag line for this vehicle and it sounds great. Except sports involve boards, bikes, skis, dogs & friends. With those wonky doors, racks just don’t work. So, where am I supposed to put my gear? Oh, and I’m sure as hell not doing this:

    Photo Courtesy: Tesla Motors
  3. Space ships aren’t comfy. Though I absolutely loved the Model X’s seats, the interior was weird. With a ginormous windscreen, the driver feels overexposed. The funky back windows leave passengers feeling claustrophobic.  From what I read, it wasn’t just my kid that asked to pull over to puke…

    Mama in da space ship.
  4. This Family Car Forgot About Women. After much frustration, I found that the designers at Tesla could’ve worked out a lot of these issues if they had sat down with just a few more people with boobs. This car was clearly not designed by a woman or for women, if it had, I wouldn’t have to make this video:

So overall, if you can drive this car for a weekend, do it! It is a blast. Green Commuter is still completely FAB! But in terms of buying it for daily use, I can’t recommend it.  Once again, if you’re looking for a fuel efficient family car,  I still recommend the remarkable Volvo XC90 T8 plug in hybrid & the Pacifica plug in hybrid. I also liked the Acura MDX and am always and forever a BMW x5 fan, just look in my driveway.

2 thoughts on “Test Drive: Tesla Model X Isn’t Really All That (video)”

  1. Back seats in the S are pretty low, too low How are they in the X?

    1. motorheadmama

      They’re not low, but very odd. I didn’t ride in the back but sat it in it. Seats were comfy but it felt cramped & claustrophobic:(

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *