Ditching Gas - My Personal Story Continues

Configuring Our Tesla
Once we decided to buy the Model S the next issue was configuring it. We had to finalize our design within a week of Jennifer’s test drive and there were lots of choices. We already knew we were going to get the 85kwh battery and skip the performance upgrade. Even without the performance enhancement the car was psycho fast and we didn’t want the 21” sport tires given NJ’s propensity for inclement weather. We settled on the midnight metallic blue paint and gray leather seats. We were also sure that we wanted the tech package. It included a few non essentials like auto presenting door handles and ambient lighting, but was required for turn by turn directions on the navigation system. There was no way I was going back to a 4-5” screen of a cell phone for navigation once I had Tesla’s 17” touch panel in front of me. Then the choices got difficult. I was originally planning to forgo the active air suspension until I talked to a configuration specialist. He implored me to get the upgraded suspension. When I sited budget as an issue, he suggested dropping the leather seats to keep the cost the same. Given Jennifer’s pothole experience, the weight of the car, and the overwhelming consensus that the Model S’s suspension was phenomenal, we opted for both the leather seats and the active air suspension. We were not sorry we did.

The last big issue was whether to get the stock or upgraded stereo. This was a difficult decision. As I stated, I wasn’t wowed by the upgraded stereo. What would the base sound like? I thought of upgrading it aftermarket, but feared having anyone tamper with the electronics of the Tesla. For my ears, which are far from an audiophile’s, the upgraded stereo was exceptionally crisp, but lacked base. Ultimately, we decided to go for the upgraded stereo and we are happy we did. I found that I you lowered the treble and mid tone while maxing the base a reasonable balance was struck and I get the overall sound I desired. I am definitely really enjoying a modern stereo. BMW is notoriously slow at adapting certain technologies and my car didn’t have built in Bluetooth or the ability to play MP3s. Having my complete music collection in the car and accessible at the touch of the screen is awesome. However, there are still a few limitations. The stereo software is not complete. You cannot store your music internally yet, so you must keep it on your phone or an SD card. I do the latter. Also, there is no random play feature yet. Both are sure to be added shortly. In the meantime, the free premium slacker radio app fills most of your need. In addition to the standard music stations you can tap the voice command button on the steering wheel and request any song you desire. This works with amazing effectiveness. After trying a mainstream song like Come Away with Me by Nora Jones I decided to give it a real test. The Streak, by Ray Stevens was child’s play for Slacker. Then I tried Witch Doctor not even knowing the name of the artist. Again, it was not a problem. However, requesting Papa Oo Ma Ma left Slacker befuddled. I can’t say I blame it.

The story continues ...