I like my Model S but it’s 5 years old now. Totally sold on the EV concept but the new S’s aren’t coming here anytime soon

Me too … but I replaced my MS (performance) a couple of years ago with a Raven LR, so hopefully the new model will arrive before I feel the need to replace it … alhtough price just went up (in USA) another $5K … I wonder if I can go on strike for Better Pay …

I had an M3 as second-car, now replaced with MY. All LR non-Performance: over a marked 200M-ish distance the MS & M3 get from 40 to 90, and the MY to 86 – so “nothing in it” (although the 0-60 are quite a bit difference, so that’s all in the 0-30 or 0-40 – if you use that a lot )

The M3 was very tight “hot hatch”, the MY suspension is a bit harsh, nothing like as tight to drive, and needs some concentration when flooring-it (all probably to be expected with SUV). But hatchback and high ride position suit us – elderly relatives much prefer the get in/out height – the MS is worst for them, in that regard.

I would miss the air suspension of MS on long journeys – we’ve taken the MY on a few medium length journeys, and the impact on the condition that driver / passenger arrive in! is noticeable. MS drives like a barge of course, but for long journey cruising I would want something where I arrive refreshed.

Before MS I had a Blue Motion Golf (being Eco … up until DieselGate of course). Moving from Golf to MS (and adding in AP reduction in driver effort) made a huge difference to my arrival condition – at that time I was doing 30K miles a year, and 2+ days a month that were > 300 miles. Those out-and-back days were very significantly different from Golf.

So, for me, having experienced that long distance comfort, that would now be a key requirement for a replacement. For a second car I’d be happy with an M3 – great fun to drive. But my dogs wouldn’t like the boot! hence the MY.

On a recent tour of Ireland, in convoy with an M3 LR, my MS Raven LR went quite a bit further on a charge (don’t have the details to hand, but a good 10% further). Rnage on long journeys (although only a couple a year, but for example to Alps for skiing) I really appreciate the MS range. Allowing for either an overnight stop, or a decent lunch (at Supercharger) to get 10%-100% refuel, my Alps trip adds ana dditional 3x 20 minute refuellign stops (on a 12 hour journey) – and they contiirbute to passengers arriving more refreshed. I think eTron more-stops faster-charging would annoy me, but as really-fast-charging becomes widespread maybe its not that big a deal. Actually, NOT having time for a pee and coffee at a stop WOULD probably annoy me!

The Y is not much smaller than an X

(From a quick google) “Tesla Model X has 91 cubic feet, compared to the 68 cubic feet of the Model Y” …

Taycan would be top of my list coming from an S.

Me too. However, am I right that there is no one-pedal driving and you have to use the brake (on which you get regen for first part of pedal-travel)? I’d hate to give up one-pedal now …

BMW i4 M50 worth a look …

I have never owned / driven a BMW but I saw a recent (very balanced) review of BMW vs. Tesla and the “driver aids and experience” of the BMW was very impressive. (Tesla won out on other areas)

I also have free supercharging.

Me too. But I’ll lose that when I replace for Plaid/whatever … I’ve been thinking about what that is worth, given increase in Supercharger costs etc. Apart for the phycological aspect! I’m not sure its significant (your use-case might be different of course …)

TesalFi says I have been averaging 1,000 kWh at Superchargers p.a. … so about £300-quid p.a.

I’ve outgrown driving fast for the sake of it – I’m up there with the speed limit but do stay legal and defensive and fuel sparing.

Yes, me too. Although … I think my driving style has changed. “Pressing on” on country roads used to involve a fair speed around corners to maintain speed Back in ICE days there was also “Straight available around next bend, change down ready in case can overtake” … with all the noise and discomfort that entailed (didn’t realise it at the time of course) and my driving style has changed to much reduced cornering speed but increased-power after. For that bend/straight situation I of course no longer have to “get ready” with a down-shift, just come round the corner at a decent distance from car in front, and if the straight is clear just boot-it.

Lift-off for regen to reduce speed to as-required for a bend, or turning at a junction, has become my new replacement for hyper-miling in ICE … seems to me to be surprisingly easy to do, and of course with one-pedal-driving I can just feather it if I lifted-off a bit early. Also, if I am coming into a bend a bit hot then hovering the brake is probably all I need – the continued regen as I arrive at, and turn into, the corner is enough to bleed off those last few MPH.

Might sell my brake pads on eBay …

need to plan journeys with an EV

I don’t find that so much. The original MS was about 250 miles all-our motorway range and I had out-of-range about 2 days a month. The replacement is 300 and I have very few days, now, that exceed that. If I’m driving to the Alps I’m happy to plan … the (relatively) recent change to SatNav to allow waypoint means I can navigate to “home” and then add a stop for my destination, so I can see how much short I am (and have the car pick a refuelling stop on the out-leg if necessary, whereas before [waypoints] it would be quite happy to arrive “empty” and leave me nothing for the return leg.

Probably only 2 or 3 years until we have EV refuelling “everywhere” – like Norway – and the stupidity of different APPs for each location will go away, along with 50kW chargers no longer being the only option in some places, and presumably better reliability. So not long until “just set off” I reckon … by then ICE drivers will be having to plan where the fuel pumps have NOT been removed / replaced with EV ones