5,000 Miles Without Fumes
My hope was to write this article after hitting 1,000 miles, then 2,000 miles, then …, but time was short and the driving was fun so I am just now getting to a recap of my experiences now that I am an experienced Tesla Model S driver and proud to say enthusiast. My hope is to give you as unbiased an opinion of Tesla Model S ownership as possible, but any owner is going to be a little biased given the huge Tesla grin they wear all the time.
To me the biggest testament to the Model S isn’t what I say about it. Instead, it’s my wife’s opinion of the car that speaks the loudest. She’s not a car person. She’s not a techy. She is however an environmentalist. When I broached the idea of spending 80K on a car she was not an eager buyer regardless of its environmental credentials. There was a lot of convincing, test drives, holiday and birthday gifts thrown into the mix as well as the desire to make me happy that lead to her ultimate approval. While I knew she would like the car, I never expected her to love it enough to forget the price tag. If I am not taking the Model S for the day, my wife drives it. Errands are no longer a chore but an adventure. She was shopping in Trader Joe’s when an ecstatic young girl came in clamoring about the Tesla in the parking lot. When my wife confessed it was hers the girl was shocked and then apologetic about taking pictures of it. Another time, someone pulled up next to her to check out the car. The driver’s girlfriend was not very happy with the enthusiasm gushing like a love sick, school boy as he peppered her with questions. Now there is no regret, just pleasure leading the charge to change the way America drives.
Having been completely happy driving my BMW Z4 for the last decade, I would have been completely happy buying another one except for the environmental impact. While an environmentalist, I was not willing to completely sacrifice performance for the sake of the planet. That’s what made the Tesla perfect for me. So how do I feel 5,000 miles and 4 months into ownership? See the following synopses of my experience.
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