2022 Tesla Model S

　　

2022 Tesla Model S Review

byNick YekikianNews Editor

　　Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the News Editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.

　　The Tesla Model S is the car that kickstarted the EV revolution we're living through right now. For a while, the Model S didn't have any true rivals because automakers were playing catchup in the electric vehicle market, but now the competition has finally arrived. The Porsche Taycan, Mercedes EQS and Lucid Air want a piece of the market the Model S has owned for the thick end of the decade.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

Tesla Model S EV Insights

Trim:Model S Base

　　4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $104,990 MSRPPlaid 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD) - $135,990 MSRP

　　

Range

　　405 miles

　　EPA Estimated Range

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 344 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 150,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　15 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　Tesla SuperchargerProprietary Tesla charging standard. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$60/mo

　　Model S

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　Tesla recently gave the Model S a thorough refresh inside and out, with a massaged look, a new infotainment screen and the much-talked-about steering yoke. Tesla originally claimed that it would make a Plaid+ version with a 520-mile range as well as 1,100 horsepower but has since walked that back. Plaid is as quick as the Model S is going to get for now, but as our testing has shown, it's plenty more than enough.

　　There are some drawbacks here. Despite constant improvements over the years, the Model S' interior isn't quite as refined as those in similarly priced rivals. Style might also be a turnoff — the Model S' design is now a decade old and doesn't really stand out anymore. Effectively, the competition is well on its way to catching what was once the undisputed king of the EV world. So does the Model S still stack up in 2022? Take a look at our Expert Rating to find out.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.1

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the Model S drive? The thrust and speed delivered by this tri-motor-powered sedan is nothing short of mind-bending. In zzdcar' testing, the Model S Plaid rocketed from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds and passed the quarter-mile mark in 9.4 seconds at 150.8 mph. This is the quickest vehicle zzdcar has ever tested by a good margin, surpassing the prior Model S Performance (2.9 seconds and 11.1 seconds, respectively) or sport coupes such as the Lamborghini Huracan Evo (2.8 and 10.8 seconds, respectively). The Model S is also as easy to drive as a golf cart, albeit a 1,020-horsepower one.

　　You might know that Tesla claims 0-60 mph happens in just 1.99 seconds. The difference between our as-tested result and Tesla's likely comes down to the testing surface and number crunching. We do our acceleration tests on regular pavement, not a prepared drag strip. We also publish acceleration without using the drag-racing 1-foot rollout. Applying that calculation would drop our tested 0-60 mph time down to 2.1 seconds.

　　We're less impressed with the Plaid's ability to stop and turn. While the powertrain will mostly retain its capability to catapult you to irresponsible speeds run after run, the brakes on our test car began to fade after slowing down from a few acceleration blasts. We ended up having to spend some significant time cooling down the brakes to ensure that they still worked. So from a safety standpoint, we lack some confidence in the Plaid's stopping hardware.

　　Even more disappointing is the Plaid's steering, which always feels too light and lacks a connection to the road. It's exacerbated by the awkward steering yoke that doesn't seem to serve any ergonomic function. The Plaid's tri-motor setup supposedly provides some sort of rear-axle torque vectoring, but the handling feels more muscle car and than sports car. It's not something that feels natural despite the loads of road grip provided by the sticky summer tires.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the Model S? The Model S Plaid's world-beating speed doesn't come at the expense of everyday comfort. This is a car you wouldn't hesitate to take on a road trip, run errands or commute in. Ride comfort is commendable with the standard adaptive air suspension, even with the larger optional 21-inch wheels and their less cushy tire sidewalls. The climate control is tri-zone and works relatively well. The seat ventilation and heaters work well too.

　　But the seats themselves are nothing special. The cushions are decently soft but lack lateral support considering the Plaid's performance potential, and the adjustments are pretty basic. The rear seatbacks feel a bit upright and the floor sits high so your knees sit closer to your chest than they would in most other luxury sedans. The absence of a gasoline powertrain means a lot less noise entering the cabin, but there is some that comes from the electric motors, and some to a lesser degree from the road and the wind.

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