There is a lot of good in the Tesla Model S Plaid, despite the hefty price, considering it starts at about $130,000. The acceleration is insane, and for a very non-supercar-like price, the Tesla Model S Plaid can thrill the need-for-speed out of you.
Model S Plaid or not, there are plenty of Tesla fans in the world, and for many, it is the ultimate dream car, at least when it comes to EVs. It is priced at $40,000 more than the Model S Long Range, and the sole reason for this price difference is the 0-60 MPH run of under 2 seconds. The Tesla Model S Plaid is a berserker, and not just in EVs, but in cars, on the whole.
But has it reached perfection, considering it’s the halo car of Tesla right now? Hardly, as many of the issues that plague the Model S, carryover in the Model S Plaid as well and become even bigger, consider the “ludicrous” acceleration.
Of course, the people who buy the Tesla Model S Plaid are still over the moon about it. Mostly because it can beat a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and even McLaren in not just 0-60 MPH runs, but also quarter-miles. Enough said…
The Issues With Range
YouTube channel Vehicle Virgins head, Parker Nirenstein took possession of his Tesla and while he’s thrilled with it, there are some issues he discusses in his video. Tesla claims a range of 348-390 miles on the Model S Plaid, but for Nirenstein, the range is only 150-170 miles. He does admit that he runs the Model S Plaid on only Plaid mode, but even then, the real-world range is a bit disappointing.
Another grouse than Nirenstein has that the Model S Plaid looks too similar to all the other Model S cars, and the facelift did not change it enough. So despite driving around in a $130,000 car, the looks belie it.
Also, some feel that at this price, Tesla needs to add more features to the Model S Plaid. A heads-up display would help and ambient lighting could set the tone. Plus a few special animations while accelerating on the Plaid mode would not be amiss.
The Steering Yoke Receives Scathing Reviews
The steering yoke in the Tesla Model S Plaid is not working out. Edmunds reviewed it as “the horrible steering yoke is a metaphor for the entire car.”
And frankly, they are not wrong. The steering yoke is great when you are driving on a highway or even drag racing Bugatti and Lambos to shame, but when you try and park the Tesla Model S Plaid in tight spots, and turn the steering, you grab empty air. Might make for many fender benders before Model S Plaid users finally get used to the steering wheel that is a yoke. The horn button on the top right corner of the yoke is also not ideally placed, and many Tesla Model S Plaid owners have spoken about sounding it accidentally while turning their cars.
Some also find the driving controls a bit awkward because when the steering yoke is in default, the menu options get difficult to see. A separate controller may be best. Turning on launch control is also a problem because it's complicated. First, you need to turn on drag strip mode that can take nearly 10 minutes to kick in and enable cheetah stance, which all sounds gobbledegook to anyone who does not own a Tesla Model S Plaid.
Too Much Power. Period.
Now most Tesla Model S Plaid fans would not agree. But the idea of a 1,020 horsepower four-door road sedan is a bit much. Going from 0-60 MPH in under two seconds, in near silence is not just much, it can be scary.
Do we need that much power in a street-legal car, and is it truly safe? On the flip side, that’s the very USP of the Tesla Model S Plaid.
The reason why veteran automotive writer, Jason Cammisa, had this to say, “Judged as a Chiron-beating fast, everyday luxury car, I must say with apologizes to Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz, and every automaker on the planet: good luck catching up. You’ll need it. And at $130k nobody has a chance.”
Cammisa is not wrong. The people who yearned for fast cars but could never scrape the money needed for them, or were environmentalists at heart and refused to buy the guzzlers have a messiah in the Tesla Model S Plaid.
Never mind the fact that quality control is still a problem and there are examples of the Model S Plaid being delivered with dings, dents, and rattling parts. Thing is, Tesla is more than ready to step up and fix all the issues anyone has with the Model S Plaid. So it’s going to do its darndest to make the Model S Plaid the next big thing on the drag strip. As will Elon Musk.
Sources: InsideEVs, Teslarati, Instagram, YouTube