Tesla-"It's so choice"

My 14 year old son and I took a test drive in the Tesla S yesterday at our local Tesla dealership in Woodland Hills, CA.  Heather was our guide and she was full of great information and very pleasant too.  While it is not a car that I can get today (I will get one one day) it was important to do for motivational purposes, if nothing else.

It is a car I have loved checking out online and occasionally in person, since it first came on the market.  I even watched the Model S delivery event live in June 2012, while I was working on a little movie down in New Zealand.

I was worried that driving the Tesla S might be a letdown.

Well I was wrong!  It is an absolutely the coolest vehicle I have ever driven.  Sorry Porsche.

The 17" touchscreen display is incredible in and of itself.  There are few actual physical buttons on the dash.  Most everything is on the display and you can navigate most things through the steering wheel too.  Whether you are checking out traffic, need directions, surf the web, control the speakers or the sunroof, it is all at your fingertips.

You can even set your driving style.  You want tighter handling?  Touch the screen. You want to conserve energy by regenerating power when you slow down?  Touch the screen.  You get the idea.

My favorite part though, was the acceleration.  From a stop, it accelerates so fast that it slams you into the back of the seat (Performance Model goes 0-60 mph in 3.9 sec).  My son had the biggest smile on his face when I hit the accelerator and he found himself jammed into the seat.  While cruising on the freeway next to other cars, you hit the "gas" and you leave the other cars in the dust.  It responds instantly and is absolutely AMAZING!

The Tesla S isn't just a great performance car with all the bells and whistles, Tesla has also invested a lot into the safety of its customers.  Recently the Tesla S received 5 Star Safety Rating from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in all categories, although not without some critiques.  Some complain that most other luxury cars are not even tested and that Tesla does not have features like collision avoidance features that some other luxury models have.  Still the Tesla S apparently managed to break the machine that tests the roof after putting the equivalent of 4 Tesla S's on it (that's over 18,000 lbs of force).  So where does it really stand?  Not sure, but take it for what it is worth, I'm sure we will be hearing more soon.

Now don't forget the Supercharging stations that Tesla is working hard on right now.  As we speak there are only about 21, mostly in California, but by next year, you will begin seeing them pop up all across the country, and the map of 2015 Supercharging stations looks remarkable.  In 30 minutes, you can get enough charge to drive 200 miles.  While you won't get range anxiety on most days (range of over 208-265 miles depending on the battery you get), the Supercharging stations will allow you to go on road trips without the hassles that you might now encounter.  

If you can afford a Tesla S, I highly recommend it.  As Ferris Bueller might say "it's so choice".  

Don't forget the Tesla X comes out next year and they are taking reservations now.  I can't wait!

I know this probably looks like an advertisement for Tesla, but I get nothing from Tesla and just simply believe it is one of the best products that I have experienced.