I would like to think that you are right about no conspiracies......but then why has the University of Arizona invented several amazing battery technologies and supercapacitor technologies in the past 10 years.....and then NOTHING is heard from about these tech's again? A U of A prof who I know well in the Electrical Engineering department told me that a HUGE CHUNK of the energy program's money comes from private donations and a large part of the income also comes from selling patents of their invented technology. And why is the Bringham Young Professor that claimed to have invented cold fusion now living on a private island in the middle of Zurich with a $10M yacht at his disposal (see article in popular science) and not granting interviews? I think that lots of consiracies exist and are legit., like the documentary "who killed the electric car".

In any case, I just LOVE the deep throated rumble of a gas vehicle. SO much, in fact, that I ordered two new ML63's for 2016. I just saw one in person yesterday in Phoenix that appeared to have been driven up from Chihuahua, Mexico (assembly plant) to Kierland, Phoenix. It is a LOT more aggressive looking than the current 2015 ML's. I can't wait to get mine! Also going to order a GTS AMG. Not enough room in the garage, so my wife suggested ordering a lift! That woman is a GENIUS!!!!!!!

 

PJ, can you post a bigger picture of your avatar?

 

Jason- Pictures of my beast.

 

Not sure I've heard about the U of A stuff, but I suppose its for sale to the highest bidder.
It's going be hard not hear the rumble of an internal combustion engine. Love that V8 sound.

 

100 percent agree on all points. Very well said.

 

By the way, your wife is a gem...I had to stop after a Porsche Cayenne and my Mercedes E550 Cab. I am blacklisted until the last kid graduates college. She insists I now look at **** instead of cars online.

 

This thread is entertaining beyond belief; I just wasted my entire Monday afternoon reading it. Thank you very much!

 

Very interesting and entertaining thread.

 

You all are welcome.. from the OP

Nothing new to add, Until V7.0 Software and full autopilot come out with the over the air software update in a couple months.

Tesla wishes to surpass the S550 in autonomous driving, will know if it happens soon.

 

Two very different cars! It's like going to the Opera or going to a Rock Concert. I don't think if you are in the market for a S class you would even spend the time to look at a Tesla Model S. Tesla has a long way to go in the fit and finish department, especially with the interior. Even my next generation seats aren't that great, no ventilation available today (although I saw the Model X has them).

Even though most people think Tesla has amazing technology I don't exactly agree. I can use voice commands to make a call, but if someone has multiple numbers under their name (home, work, cell etc.) MB allows you to use the voice command to choose between them,Tesla makes you physically touch/choose the right entry. So pros and cons in this department.

For those who say the AC system uses too much power and you have to drive around 'hot' all the time, you are absolutely wrong. I pre-condition the car before I get in it (remote access through the app) and the car learns your habits, it knows what time I leave for work and the car temperature is ready for me automatically. Nice and cool when I get in and I keep the range mode on which limits the AC power, but I've never been hot, too cold in fact. What is true are those who live in very cold climates, winter weather limits range in a major way, hot weather does not. You can't pre-condition an ICE car in your garage unless you want to die from the carbon monoxide.

I think our Tesla is more comparable to our old E550 4Matic, definitely not to the S Class.

Not trying to talk anyone into a Tesla, but we love ours and we love our S550. 2 different cars that are good at different things. Insane Mode is truly insane, we can't wait for the upgrade to Ludicrous mode!

 

Sorry if not on topic, but have you used the Mercedes app which allows you to use those features? There's a problem with the app in the UK so I can't use it at this moment.

 

The MB app is super limited. Lock, unlock and honk the horn. The locate only works within a mile or so of the car. No remote start and nothing telling you the current stats of the car

Tesla lets you lock, unlock, flash lights, sound horn, open close sun roof (vent), track you car on a map no matter where it is, tells you current charge and interior temperature. You can heat or cool the car too.

So hopefully someday MB increases the functionality of their M-brace app, it's lacking today.

 

The remote start feature starts with the 2016 models afaik.
The mile radius for locating the car is supposed to limit the use for the driver only. If I recall this is the result of a lawsuit against MB (wife used the locate function to find cheating husband, which in turn sued MB).

 

Interesting. Back in the day MB used to sell GPS tracking systems as a dealer installed option so the 'older men with younger girlfriends' could see what they were up to in the Benz they bought them!

The driver in the tesla can actually turn the app connectivity off in the car so the driver is in control.

 

Many on this board like the concept of the EV but are not wowed by the Tesla design and build quality (including me).
Still not a lot of movement in terms of competition but I saw Porsche's Mission E. Not production but very cool and practical in terms of range.

310 mile range, charges to 80% (250 mile range) in just 15 minutes. Has inductive charging as well.

Now hoping for something from MB
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...charging-video

 

No contest.
Unless you are talking about this Tesla:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tesla-Model-S-P85D-/201415953135?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2ee5538aef&item=201415953135

 

That is something I would want

 

Tesla is miles better than the Fisker overall however on pure looks the Fisker destroys the Tesla on exterior/interior design. The Fisker was a dud but has super car exotic looks and honestly the Tesla MS looks a bit like a Mazda mx-6/Ford Fusion/Kia look to it.

 

Wow! This is a crazy thread. Please don't shoot me for resurrecting it, but I had to comment!

As one who owns neither the S class nor the Model S, I have to say that I find both cars incredibly appealing. I am not planning to get a new car for another year or two, but I would say the top 2 contenders are the Model S and the S Class (coupe, that is). That’s how I found this thread, lol. They are both totally different cars, and honestly, I may be one a few people cross shopping a sedan like the Model S with a couple like the S-class.

I am firmly of the belief that EVs are the future of cars. That being said, if I am going to have EVs for the rest of my life, I may want just one last ICE before I move into the future. The combination of the power, luxury, and design of the coupe is hard to beat (and I love the sound it makes too, lol). I drive 6 minutes to work some days, and at other times, my commute lasts an hour and a half each way, and almost never am I driving aggressively. I like occasional spirited driving, but most important to me is a car that can relax me after a 10+ hour day where I sometimes don't even have time to stop to eat or go to the bathroom. I think the Mercedes wins here. I am simply blown away by the interior and luxury, and I find the coupe to be breathtaking.

That being said, the Model S is version 1, and while the interior is not what I would prefer, it can only improve over time. And one major aspect of the Tesla philosophy that I admire is their commitment to their customers and the constant upgrades and innovations they make available to owners AFTER purchase. I have had my 2012 CLS for almost 4 years now, and I haven't had one single feature added to the car. I use my phone for navigation because the POI database and Nav interface is cumbersome and outdated. The basic functionality is there, but the tech aspect of the car feels incredibly dated. I would gladly pay for new features and upgrades, but this is not what Mercedes does.

Tesla, OTOH, is making new battery packs available, offering a hardware upgrade to Ludicrous mode at a discount when compared to purchasing new, and constantly releasing firmware updates that add significant new features to the car (version 7 is coming this week with the autopilot update). That is true after sale customer service. Add in the amazing performance, driving dynamics, and the ability to just plug your car in when you get home, and it is an alluring combination. I hardly ever drive more than 250 miles at once, so the charging issue isn’t a huge deal for me, but I respect those for whom it is a big issue. I think time will mitigate this issue somewhat as larger capacity batteries become more commonplace and the charging infrastructure improves.

Frankly, I am hopeful both car companies will move towards each other. MB will definitely be entering the EV market more aggressively at some point, and they will likely develop cars that equal the performance of Tesla. MB would also inspire even more brand loyalty if they offered the option to upgrade their cars with new features, even at a cost. Will this make folks keep their cars longer and upgrade less frequently? I don't know, but I would be WAY more likely to buy successive Mercedes models if I felt confident I would be able to upgrade to new features/functionality over time.

Similarly, Telsa will not be alone in the performance EV market for long. As other cars come out with similar/superior performance and offer increased aesthetics, interior quality, etc, they won't have any choice but to offer more luxurious interiors, premium materials, etc. I read somewhere a while back that a major redesign of the Model S is due in 2018. With the focus on the Model X and upcoming Model 3, I think that date may be a bit of a stretch, but I will say this – I can’t wait to see that car. They have got the powertrain pretty much worked out and the batteries and motors probably won’t change significantly, so they will have a lot of time to focus on the sheet metal, interior, features, etc. I think (hope) that the redesign will significantly increase the luxury and comfort as it is almost there already.

I think if I were to buy a car tomorrow, it would be the S class, but I might be willing to trade it in for Version 2 of the Model S a few years down the road if Tesla can up their interior quality and luxury game.

 

Hi everyone, OP here.

Well There is finally something to add and I strongly encourage you all to at least set up a test drive of the Tesla now even if you have already done so before. The main reason I jumped ship and chose Tesla over MB is "Autopilot' and it is finally released. I drive 55 miles each way daily. I now have 33k miles on my Tesla in 10 mos and still feel it was the correct decision for me, and loving the car, but today was a real game changer.

On the highway part of my commute, 40 miles I drove hands and feet free on autopilot with having the car tell me to hold the wheel 2 times for about 5 seconds each. So 39.9 miles of just sitting hands and feet chilling. Around curves, in traffic and open road, changing lanes by me turning on the signal and nothing else. NO NAG like all other manufacturers are doing. On Secondary main roads almost flawless and on back country roads I would say it did good when no cars in front and great when there was a car in front.

It will also get better every week as Tesla is taking out pinpoint driving data and building its own crowdsharing cloud based high res navigation system that will pinpoint each lane on the road, not just the road itself, so if the road markings are not great, the high res navi will follow based on cars that have went on that road before instantly in real time.

There is even more updates coming over the air to react to red lights and stop signs, home Garage parking etc etc.


It is truly freaking amazing and if you have the chance to try it yourself you should just to see how awesome the future is for us all.

Enjoy your cars, whichever you choose.

 

may the force be with you

 

They were taking so long to get Autopilot out but the wait was worth it.

I too woke up in the morning last week to find that my car can now drive itself on highways and it really is amazing how well it works. Best of all, it does not nag you to hold the steering wheel unless it really needs you to guide it at a certain points. Tesla Autopilot can drive itself on interstates and other major roads for 10s of minutes at a time and this is going to completely change the experience of driving the car for 2-3 hour stretches at a time.

In addition to Autopilot, I see they enhanced the HVAC system, implemented a better version of hill hold, and a bunch of other improvements all for free. Version 7.1 is going to be exciting as that's when the car will drop us off at our door step and then park itself in the garage.

Every single person I have offered to drive our Tesla tells me at the end of the drive that their next car will be a Tesla. It seems, even in Europe the Model S is on the verge of outselling the Mercedes S Class, after outselling the BMW 7 Series and the A8 by huge margins.

Given that no German carmaker has yet to announce an electric car remotely competitive with the Model S for at least another 2-3 years it is astonishing how long they have been in denial that the Model S offers such a superior driving experience that many of their traditional customers are sacrificing some of the interior luxuries and niceties to buy a Model S instead of a competing offering by the Germans.

Hopefully this loss of market share will finally compel the Germans to take EVs seriously and build a competing alternative to the Model S sooner rather than later. Most likely by the end of the year or early next year the Model S will be outselling the S Class even in Europe. Drsaab makes a great point about Autopilot as that's going to make the model S even more compelling in the future.

"In the first nine months of 2015, Tesla Model S sales of 10,600 in Western Europe exceeded the outgoing BMW 7 Series with 2,650 and the soon to be replaced Audi A8 limousine with 4,700. The Model S was only 800 sales short of the Mercedes S class, compared with a shortfall of 6,200 in the same period last year, AID said."


http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwint...n-on-mercedes/

Here are two great videos Tesla Autopilot in action

 

Do we have an independent, real world 1/4 mile time and trap speed from a P90D yet?

 

P90D is crazy fast but the problem is the car has very little road presence, as i posted before it has kind of a ford fusion/mazda mx-6 look about it.

 

It seems P90D (with Ludicrous option) owners are still not able to reach the stated 10.9s 1/4 mile time so presumably that is coming with a software update. They seem to be able to reach low 11 seconds consistently though.

Our P85D is in the 3.2-3.4s 0-60mph range and that is absurdly fast. When the P90D tests come out, it should yield some interesting results. As fast as our P85D is, this is what a P90D with Ludicrous mode can do to a P85D. It's staggering given than the P85D is already pulling 1.1Gs in an instant and the P90D makes the P85D seem slow.