Don’t think about loading up the Model S with options, because that’s simply not the way Tesla sells vehicles. Your extras when ordering a Model S include paint colors, wheels, whether to add the yoke (don’t!), and whether you want to invest in an Enhanced Autopilot package of conveniences, or in potential future Full Self-Driving Capability.
As far as other comforts and conveniences, Tesla includes a great set of them and packs a lot of brilliance into its superb 17.0-inch touchscreen up front, also including an 8.0-inch touchscreen for backseat passengers. The robust set of standard features, and the two great screens add up to an 8 here.
The Model S comes with a 5-year/40,000-mile basic vehicle warranty and an 8-year/150,000-mile warranty for the battery and the motors.
Which Tesla Model S should I buy?
Be sensible and go for the dual-motor version, which lands at a much stronger value for 2024 after some extensive price reductions in 2023. It costs $76,380, including the $1,390 destination charge.
With it, you get a lot. Synthetic leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, tri-zone climate control, a Sentry security feature, and a 22-speaker audio system are all included, as is a glass roof.
But the star of the interior and the feature list is the large 17.0-inch touchscreen, with its 2200×1300 resolution. It responds instantly to all kinds of inputs, and it’s so crisp and shapely detailed that rear-seat occupants can read fine text on it from the back seat—certainly not something we can say from other such systems. Don’t expect any pauses or jittering when switching around or zooming, either—which goes to show what happens when companies don’t skimp on processing power.
The 8.0-inch touchscreen for back seat occupants also serves them well for watching videos or climate controls, and those in front and in back get wireless charging pads.
The two screens, together, are a better setup than you can opt up to in any other luxury-brand EV, and they come standard. There is no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, but many won’t miss it.
The Plaid starts $15,000 higher and although there are bragging rights, it’s not a difference in performance that you’re simply going to notice on a daily basis. That said, at $91,380 it’s now a staggering $25,000 or so less than it cost last year.
How much is a fully loaded Tesla Model S?
Piling all you can on the Plaid, like premium paint, 21-inch wheels, a Cream interior, Full Self-Driving, and a mobile charging connector, you get to $113,380.
All versions of the Model S also now come with a Sentry Mode that functions much like a home security system.
While we’ll let you gamble as you see fit with the $12,000 Full Self-Driving option, for $6,000 Enhanced Autopilot adds automated lane changes, automatic parking, and a Smart Summon feature that, across a vast parking lot, will drive its way to you.
