2025 Tesla Model S

How does the Model S drive? We tested a Model S Plaid, which is the highest-performing version. The thrust and speed delivered by this tri-motor-powered sedan are nothing short of mind-bending. In Edmunds' testing, it rocketed from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds and passed the quarter-mile mark in 9.4 seconds at 150.0 mph. This is still among the quickest vehicles Edmunds has ever tested and similar to what we've gotten from the Lucid Air Sapphire (2.2 seconds and 9.2 seconds, respectively) and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT (2.1 seconds and 9.3 seconds, respectively). The Model S, like these other triumphs of engineering, is also as easy to drive as a golf cart, albeit a 1,020-horsepower one.

This much power requires excellent brakes and tires. Pleasingly, the Model S Plaid we tested came with the Track package upgrade that comes with sticky Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar 3R tires and high-performance carbon-ceramic brakes. This combo delivers the much-needed stopping power and endurance for drivers looking to liberally use all of that horsepower. The stock brakes and tires are otherwise suitable for the regular Model S.

We are thrilled you can option the Model S Plaid with a regular steering wheel in lieu of the ergonomically disastrous steering yoke. The more traditional wheel provides huge gains in control. The Track mode for the Plaid is also great. The settings allow you to adjust handling balance and the tri-motor torque vectoring to make the Plaid feel so much more alive and engaging when you're driving around corners.

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.

How’s the interior? This is one of the few areas where Tesla has taken a step back with the latest Model S. The controversial steering yoke is the largest pain point here, and the decision to remove the traditional column stalks and replace them with touch-sensitive buttons has made simple everyday actions much more distracting. Even changing lanes requires you to take your eyes off the road momentarily to press the correct arrow button. The big 17-inch touchscreen is a little easier to navigate than the previous Model S touchscreen, but learning the menu structure takes a bit of time.

Interior space is decent as far as midsize sedans go, as is the ease of getting in and out. Notably, there is far more space here than in the Model S' closest EV competitor, the Porsche Taycan. The all-glass roof provides lots of headroom. But backseat toe room is a bit tight under the front seats. The floor height is also awkwardly high when you're sitting in back. The Model S is easy to see out of, especially out the front. The Model S' fastback hatch makes for a slightly shorter window view out of the back, but not so short to cause any real obstruction.

How’s the storage? The Tesla Model S is actually a hatchback, and that means there's lots of rear cargo space, plus a bonus front trunk that's easy to access and take advantage of. It features far more cargo space than many rivals, EV or not. The split rear seats fold flat, opening up the space even more. Storage up front is much improved compared to prior years of the Model S. There's a variety of sliding and retracting compartments that better help to organize all your stuff up front. The cupholders still lack an anti-tip design and don't hold drinks all that well, but there are also now door pockets, which means not everything has to go in the center console storage space.

Getting a car seat in and out is relatively easy. The doors open wide, though the anchors seem to be buried a little deeper than usual. The lack of headroom might be a bit of an issue when installing a seat.

Is the Model S a good value? The 2025 Model S Plaid with 21-inch wheels has an EPA-estimated range of 322 miles and consumption of 36 kWh of electricity used per 100 miles. There is no estimate for how the Track pack wheels and tires affect range, but we suspect they would not improve things. We also range tested a 2021 Model S Plaid equipped with the optional 21-inch wheels, giving it an EPA-estimated range of 348 miles and a consumption rate of 33 kWh/100 miles. In the real-world Edmunds EV Range Test, we came up just a tiny bit short of the EPA estimates, managing 345 miles on a single max battery charge with a slightly more efficient consumption rate of 32.1 kWh/100 miles. That's a laudable amount of range and efficiency given the performance the Plaid delivers.

We also subjected the Plaid to the Edmunds EV Charging Test and found the Plaid's fast-charging speeds to be pretty impressive too. We measured an average charging speed of 523 miles of range per hour of charging, slightly edging out the Lucid Air Grand Touring's speed of 518 mph.

Putting aside personal biases of those of us who prefer cars that are fun to drive around corners, the sheer power, speed and the ease of its accessibility make the Model S Plaid incredibly entertaining. It also has a strong sleeper vibe; there's no giant rear wing or other obvious styling element to indicate that you're driving a 1,020-horsepower sedan. We heartily respect understatement. Oh, did we mention that we drag raced this car against two of the fastest production motorcycles in existence? Yeah, we did that. And the Model S won. Handily.