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Do you enjoy going slow in your Model S?

sbeggssbeggs
edited November -1 in Model S
As we were descending from Idyllwild, CA (5,400 ft) to Palm Springs this morning, we both realized how much of a pleasure it was to have the fine control, and we enjoyed taking it slow on the precipitous hairpin bends.

Memories of trying to rein in our ICE cars before they picked up too much speed came back to us.

We bought the Model S for that instant torque, but have fallen in love with the way the T corners and tightly holds to the road when it gets curvy and goes downhill fast.

I'm writing about our one-week trip on the Southern California forum in the Idyllwild thread, if anyone is interested in reading more details.
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Comments

  • sweetmanpesweetmanpe
    edited November -1
    Complete control with a well-feathered pedal. A great pleasure for me as well.
  • centralvalleycentralvalley
    edited November -1
    Yes, sbeggs, I thoroughly enjoy letting gravity and the regenerative braking take me seamlessly through the twists and turns of mountain roads.

    I have descended from Echo Pass, Donner Pass, Monitor Pass, Sonora Pass, the Grapevine and a few in central Colorado. Driving is effortless unless there is a driver from the prairie in front of me who has no idea how to drive down a mountain!

    Did you see where they filmed the opening sequences of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" there on SR79 south of Cathedral City? (Although the highway has been straightened out somewhat since 1962.)
  • Captain_ZapCaptain_Zap
    edited November -1
    I like the ability to go ultra slow in parking lots.
    I can't do it with "creep" on though.
  • jbunn_25716jbunn_25716
    edited November -1
    After driving my S for a few months, I took my wife's former C70 down the road for a spin. I got quite alarmed at one point. Took my foot off the gas on a downhill slope, and the car kept speeding up. Took me a heartbeat to remember that that's what ICE cars do. I found the experience unsettling. Within a few months of getting the Tesla, we sold both gas cars, and are only electric now.

    I enjoy the fine control when going slow, as well as the fine control when going fast. Driving State Road 1 in Califonia is a great Tesla experience. I've driven most of it from Sonoma county north of San Francisco down to Santa Barbara north of LA. Very smooth and safe ride on a road that can be scary at times.
  • Mireille and ConanMireille and Conan
    edited November -1
    Yes, it's a great experience. May be one of the best kept secret joys of driving the MS!
  • mmcches553_93246541mmcches553_93246541
    edited November -1
    I also drove that road yesterday. Left Escondido with 156 rated miles and arrived at the top with 67 rated miles. Plenty to make the SC at Indio. When I got to Hwy 111 junction with Washington I had 87 rated miles. Full control all the way down the twisties and 20 miles more in rated range. Only owned the car for 3 weeks and loving it more each day.
  • Shesmyne2Shesmyne2
    edited November -1
    We took a drive from the Bay Area to Stinson Beach last weekend (it was a lovely summer day)
    and while my husband knows I'm not fond of the 'Thelma&Louise' curves on Hwy1 the grin on his face the whole way was priceless. As was the 'Aww' when we caught up to a car ahead of us...
    Similar feelings driving BigSur

    Still Grinning ;-)
  • sulesule
    edited November -1
    Sometimes. This is best in the summer (well, good weather with leaves still on trees) and pano roof open while driving through a wooded area...
  • KevinR.co.usKevinR.co.us
    edited November -1
    My time driving the S has been a zen like process. The enjoyment of driving, and your almost seamless integration into the driving experience, is still an amazement to me.

    Driving is no longer a chore and I am in no hurry. The journey (at any speed) is as important as the destination now.

    I'm coming up on 2 years now and enjoy the S at any speed.

    So my answer is "Yes"
  • FUCKTESLA90530FUCKTESLA90530
    edited November -1
    The only similarity to the XJ-S which my Model S replaced is the same joy of a nice, low speed drive. The difference is that it's better. There is a 25 zone near me which his a beautiful drive without stop signs or signals. I can open the sunroof and enjoy the silence.
  • CheckeredFlagCheckeredFlag
    edited November -1
    Don't under estimate the "power" of slow control! Motorcycles are more difficult to ride slowly because you have to better manage the weight of the bike. Take a turn to slowly and you may have a tough time to recover. The Tesla makes slow driving really easy (along with the extra two wheels!).

    I reverse my MS into a tight garage space with amazing control. The ultra slow mobility is unlike any other vehicle I've ever had. And letting gravity pull car forward while feathering the pedal to reverse avoids shifting between Drive and Reverse. With a piece of yellow tape on the ground, I use the rear-camera to hit my mark spot-on, consistently., every single time. Control is easy, fast and accurate.
  • AoneOneAoneOne
    edited November -1
    And it's much easier to let show-offs pass you buy in their noisy gas-guzzlers when you know you could easily pass them. You could, but why bother?
  • AoneOneAoneOne
    edited November -1
    "pass you by"
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited November -1
    The term instant torque gives a wrong impression that it's good only when you accelerate fast. The proper desicription should be instant response and instant feedback which makes fine control at any conditions effortless and pleasant experiences.
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited November -1
    @AoneOne +1 - I'm past the stage of feeling the need that I have to keep ahead of the ICE's, I let them pass and feel good about it.

    I do however admit though that I sometimes do blast back past them, very immature, I know, but what the hell :o)

    I have become very fond of slow driving, especially in the city. It's just so, so relaxing.

    I just realised that I don't even floor it any more, sometimes brisk acceleration, but never at the max.

    Must be getting old...
  • electrishelectrish
    edited November -1
    @sbeggs: I can see the regen being very helpful when going downhill, but is it a hindrance when going at highway speeds?

    I am still driving an ICE - my P85D is on order - so I am currently observing the way I drive right now and trying to figure out what will change with the Model S. In our neck of the woods people cut into your lane if you leave too much space between yourself and the vehicle in front of you, so I oftentimes find myself following that car closely with my right foot hovering over the brake pedal, in order to be able to react quickly when the convoy in front of me decelerates.

    I assume that I won't be able to do this anymore with my Model S, since the deceleration will be too brisk when I take my foot off the gas and hover over the brake pedal, or am I mistaken?
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited November -1
    @electrish No worry. I used to have the same thought until I got my S and drove it for a few days. You will find how easy and effortless it is to regulate speed accelerate and decelerate. You will also find how easy and effortless it is to move into the next lane with minimal gap provided. Essentially you can place your car at any place at will without needing to stop and think will it make it like you do when drive even a powerful ICE. It's not just for the P85D but for all MS.
  • Caterham7Caterham7
    edited November -1
    I take my P to the Track and Drag strip where going slow is not really the idea.

    That said I have noticed on the open road I do not feel the need to prove anything to anyone on how fast I can go. (The ICE's that zoom past me to the red light)I love just gliding slowly up to them silent and smmoooooth.

    Then a green light and BANG!! there gone in a cloud of tailpipe emissions and roaring engines..........me I just accelerate nice an easy, silent and smoooooooth (-:

    I find I am driving under the speed limit on the X-pressways (inside lane) just cause the car is so relaxing and feels so good to drive.

    Without doubt the Tesla has made a profound difference in my driving habits (and blood pressure).
  • hamer_117146hamer_117146
    edited November -1
    I find I pretty much drive all the time with an eye toward trying to minimize power usage. That does not mean that I drive more slowly on the interstate than I would otherwise, in general, but that I accelerate slowly, and try to anticipate speed changes so as to use the regenerative braking when I can. Around town, as I drive to and from work (a 5-7 mile drive, depending on the route I take), I try to keep the usage down. It is kind of a game.
  • lphlph
    edited November -1
    As someone I knew who was the chief test driver for Rolls Royce used to say to me "It is not how fast the car can go but the way it does it that is important"
    Truly great cars can not only go fast but are sublime when doing it and at all other times too.
    Tesla has ICE's beat.
  • AmpedRealtorAmpedRealtor
    edited November -1
    I drive conservatively and accelerate modestly, or no faster than most other cars in the same situation. I am particularly tickled when a muscle car driver pulls up next to me in his Challenger or Mustang, it's hard to know because they all look the same to me. He revs his engine and peels away looking like a complete fool as I simply accelerate like everyone else and go about my day.

    I feel a greater sense of power when I exercise restraint in using it.
  • PBEndoPBEndo
    edited November -1
    Once I pull into my neighborhood, weather permitting, I roll down the windows and open the pano for the last .75 miles to my house. I drive slower than I did in any of my previous cars. The "silent and smooth stroll" makes for a very relaxing return home from work.
  • jbunn_25716jbunn_25716
    edited November -1
    Amped,

    I wish they had a "Like" button on this web site. Real power is knowing you have it but not using it.
  • omarsultanomarsultan
    edited November -1
    Good thread--long downhill stretches without touching the accelerator or the brakes is one of the secret pleasures of this car.

    O
  • Brian HBrian H
    edited November -1
    carlk;
    After you give in and blast past, do you then slow to invite him to invite you to do it again?
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