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:
- 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!
- 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.
- “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 - 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. - 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.
Back seats in the S are pretty low, too low How are they in the X?
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:(