The Tesla Model S is one of the first successfully mass-produced EVs in the world. When it was released in 2012, its long driving range and tech proved that EVs are a viable mode of transportation, and it helped start the shift to an all-electric future we are seeing today. The Model S is Tesla's largest and most powerful sedan (it actually utilizes a hatchback design). It costs twice as much as the smaller Model 3 sedan, and it shares the interior, and many of the same electric components and tech, found in the Model X, Tesla's largest SUV.
The base Model S has an impressive EPA-estimated driving range of up to 405 miles, and its starting price surpasses the six-figure mark with destination fees. Tesla has been slowly increasing its pricing on all models, and we expect that to continue. The 1,020-horsepower three-motor Model S Plaid is the range-topping Model S and one of the fastest-accelerating production vehicles in the world. And if you enjoy road trips or can't charge at home, the Model S is supported by Tesla's vast Supercharger network.
With its recent 2021 refresh, we don't expect too many changes for 2023, and Tesla hasn't confirmed anything. Tesla will likely add new features via over-the-air updates, and to stay competitive, there is a good chance the driving range will slightly increase. We might see some improvements made to the Model S' braking system, especially to the Plaid's. During Edmunds' testing, the Plaid displayed its incredible acceleration, but the same can't be said about its subpar braking performance. When it comes to handling, Tesla has been seen testing at the Nürburgring in the past and boasts about its track times. To maintain its track performance, we expect Tesla to continually improve the Model S' handling prowess. As for the yoke-style steering wheel, Tesla could offer a traditional round steering wheel in 2023 or in later years.
If you aren't sold on the Model S, you now have a few other choices from automakers that have recently introduced all-electric models. The BMW i7, Lucid Air, Mercedes-Benz EQS and Porsche Taycan are new to the segment, and they make compelling alternatives that excel in categories such as comfort, luxury, design and build quality. If you want to know what our test team thinks of the Tesla Model S, check out the in-depth review below in the Edmunds' Expert Rating.
Edmunds Expert Rating
great
Our VerdictThe Edmunds 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.
The Tesla Model S Plaid is the Usain Bolt of the car world. Line it up at a drag strip and it'll outsprint pretty much anything on the road today. The Model S' hatchback practicality and access to Tesla's Supercharger network are big pluses too. Unfortunately, the Model S also has some big drawbacks, such as a frustrating interface (the steering yoke, specifically) and disappointing fit and finish.
Rated for you by America’s best
test team.
How does the Model S drive? The thrust and speed delivered by this tri-motor-powered sedan is nothing short of mind-bending. In Edmunds' 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 Edmunds 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.
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 new 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 will take 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 tech? Having Google Maps built-in continues to be one of the better navigation experiences, but it's not without issues. In areas of spotty service, you'll either have a slow-refreshing map or no map at all. But having the power of Google search in the car is a huge convenience, not to mention it looks great on a 17-inch touchscreen. The Plaid's 22-speaker sound system is also quite awesome and can push out loud-yet-rich sound through the cabin.
Though Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration has become pervasive in the industry, Tesla still doesn't offer either system. The Bluetooth system offers just one phone connection at a time, while on some other cars you can connect additional devices. At least there are ample options for keeping your devices charged up with four wireless chargers, four USB-C ports and one USB-A port.
As far as driving aids go, no advanced driving aid system is better known than Tesla's Autopilot. It works great in slow-moving and stop-and-go traffic, but it seems to be more easily spooked or confused on roads that aren't clearly marked or are lined with parked cars on the shoulder. Tesla has a tendency to release new features in beta phase too, making you the guinea pig. This underdeveloped approach feels half-baked.
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.
Range and Efficiency
8.0/10
How are the range and efficiency? The 2021 Model S Plaid we tested was 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 Edmunds' real-world range testing, 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 more range than just about every EVs we've tested except the Model 3 Long Range. The electricity consumption is also impressive given the car's power. A Porsche Taycan 4S we tested, for example, checked in with 32.3 kWh/100 miles.
Is the Model S a good value? Is the Tesla Model S Plaid a good buy for the money at nearly $140,000? Well, that depends on what you value. If you're looking for a vehicle with incredible speed and nearly unassailable bragging rights, there is nothing better for the money. However, we found a number of questionable build quality issues, from the driver's door not being aligned correctly to torn rubber moldings and noticeably crooked interior trim pieces. If these sorts of things are overlooked during production, it makes us a bit uneasy about how the more important hardware has been assembled.
Build quality aside, access to Tesla's vast Supercharger network is one of the best parts of Tesla ownership. It helps relieve range anxiety and can allow you to take the Model S across the country on most major highways without worry. The basic warranty is four years/50,000 miles, which is about average in this luxury EV segment. The powertrain and battery are covered for eight years/120,000 miles.
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.
[Editor's note: The following information is based on last year's Model S and modified from what we know about the 2023 model. We will update this section once we have complete information.] The Tesla Model S is a five-passenger electric luxury sedan available in two trims: Model S and Plaid. Here's what the Model S comes with, but be aware that Tesla updates the Model S on an ongoing basis rather than by model year, so additional changes may occur throughout 2023.
Model S
Standard features include:
- EPA-estimated 405 miles of EV range
- Touted 0-60 mph acceleration of 3.1 seconds
- Dual electric motors produce 670 horsepower combined
- 19-inch wheels
- All-wheel drive
- Adaptive air suspension
- LED headlights and foglights
- Tinted glass roof
- Power liftgate
- Tri-zone automatic climate control
- Heated front- and second-row seats
- Ventilated front seats
- Satellite radio
- 22-speaker sound system
- Power-adjustable, heated steering wheel
- 17-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation system
- Driver information display
- Rear-seat entertainment display with gaming computer
- Wireless smartphone charging pads in the front and rear
- Wi-Fi hotspot
Every Model S also comes with a suite of safety systems that Tesla calls Autopilot. It includes:
- Front and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)
- Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
- Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)
- Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
- Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Tesla and the car in front)
- Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Plaid
Tesla's top trim level, the Plaid gets maximum performance via an upgraded battery system and an additional motor but otherwise has the same features as the base model. Total output stands at 1,020 horsepower.
Edmunds' testing shows the Plaid can sprint from zero to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds, while the EPA says it can provide up to 396 miles of range on a full charge and when equipped with the car's 19-inch wheels. Going with the 21-inch wheels drops that estimate to 348 miles. We've put this latter Model S Plaid through our real-world EV range test; it made it 345 miles, which is among the longest distances we've observed.
Tesla's so-called Full Self-Driving Capability option is available on the Model S. It adds nifty semi-automated driving features, including automated parking and the ability to change lanes simply by flicking the turn signal. It also adds the Summon feature, which Tesla says enables the vehicle to drive unmanned to its owner in a parking lot. Tesla also says the Full Self-Driving Capability feature will gain additional automated driving capabilities in the future via over-the-air updates.
