2021 Tesla Model X Performance

"Here at Green Car Guide, we aim to provide independent and honest advice; if a diesel car is a more suitable solution for someone than an electric car, we would tell them. However the Tesla Model X really shows what is possible, and it starts to make it difficult to argue against electric cars. Okay, so £100,000 certainly isn’t affordable for most people, but it shows that electric cars can be practical, and from now on we will start to see a wide range of pure electric SUVs – and other body styles – from a variety of manufacturers that will be more affordable, and that will also offer other approaches – such as a focus on greater agility in some cases. But the Tesla Model X will always be able to claim that it was the first all-electric, 300-mile range, all-wheel drive, 7-seat SUV that can fit easily into your life, and that’s why it deserves a Green Car Guide rating of 10 out of 10. By signing up you agree to the terms in our privacy policy. Charging, Electric Cars, Electric Vehicles, EVs, Batteries, Renewable Energy, Clean Energy, Leasing, Electric Bikes, Electric Vans, Home Energy, Home Charging, Recycling"

"Review of a Model X Raven by German Autogefühl. Interesting findings - He is impressed with the quality progress!! Autogefühl has made a new second review of the updated Model X Raven. He is really impressed with the quality of the updated version. He's saying theres is no build quality difference between this new Tesla model X Raven, and the German luxus cars! - And that is a big thing! He is always very fair and unbiased in his reviews - take a look at the review of the ID3 to see how hard he is going after the bad software..."

"The Tesla Model X is the only all-electric, 300-mile range, all-wheel drive, seven-seat SUV that you can buy. It’s amazing to drive, and our week with the car shows that it can fit into your life perfectly, even if a very muddy hill is involved. And it’s from a company that didn’t even exist 15 years ago. At £100,000, it’s not cheap – but it’s the future. Anyone who fears electric cars, or still compares them to milk floats, needs to drive the Tesla Model X, and it’s highly likely that most of these people would be converted to EVs. So the Model X is excellent to live with when you’ve got it, but it’s not until the car has gone that you really appreciate it. Jumping from the Tesla into the next car on test – which in our case happened to have a diesel engine, clutch and gears – really showed how old fashioned such a vehicle feels to drive in comparison."

"Tesla Model X P100D hauls over 2,000 lbs like a champ I was inspired by the positive feedback my last post got (from the road trip I did) and wanted to share this too... I just bought a camper but the X's hauling limitations are 5,000 lbs, so my options were limited. I decided to buy an A Liner LXE 2021 because it's relatively cheap ($20k) and has all the things two people (and two dogs) would need (including a shower and toilet) and it weighs a cool 1,900 lbs. (\~2,200 fully loaded with our stuff). I was super impressed with the Tesla's ability to haul it (without charging mid-trip), especially given the +/- 4k elevation gain between Boise (2,730′ elevation) and Stanley (6,253′ elevation). On the way back (128 mile trip), I used \~190 miles of my battery. In other words, I made it with 80 miles left on a 270 mile charge. Someone asked for more pics so here... ​ Me driving the thing out of the dealership A Liner popped open The camping setup Inside!"

"“A Mistake in a Tesla and a Panicked Final Call: The Death of Angela Chao” Wall Street Journal article loosely implying that the gearshift on a 2020 Model X (Raven) caused this person to crash into a pond and die. I’ve seen people mess up gear selection in the Raven Model X stalk myself, but I feel any car with a stalk is like this (particularly when driving an unfamiliar vehicle) and dislike them for this reason. Of course, the stalk became history with the Model S/X Refresh in 2021. And now Highland Model 3 has dropped it, and Model Y will soon too. I am glad for this change. Full article found here, relevant excerpts below. “The night was chilly and very dark, with no moon, so rather than walk, Chao got in her Tesla Model X SUV for the four-minute trip back to the house. The account of what happened to Angela Chao that weekend is based on interviews with people close to Chao and her family, county officials who were briefed on what happened or were there, as well as reviews of law-enforcement documents. Within minutes of saying her goodbyes, she called one of her friends in a panic. While making a three-point turn, she had put the car in reverse instead of drive, she said. It is a mistake she had made before with the Tesla gearshift. The car had zipped backward, tipping over an embankment and into a pond. It was sinking fast. Could they help her? Over the next several hours, her friends, then the ranch manager and his wife, and then paramedics, and firefighters and sheriff’s deputies rushed around and tried to break the windows, find an escape hatch or any way to get Chao out of the car. Somehow an executive who made her living on the sea was drowning in a stock pond within sight of her home.”"

"Goodbye Tesla (Long Story) I’ve been an EV enthusiast for quite some time and have even had the privilege of working with some major players in the space, including Lucid and Rivian. So I’m very familiar with EV products, charging infrastructure, build quality, and the all-important cost equation. My first Tesla was a leased 2020 Standard Range Model 3. As we all know, it’s a great little car that serves its purpose—but it also leaves plenty to be desired in build quality, luxury, size, and overall style. My most recent Tesla was a brand-new 2024 Model 3 Performance with just 8,000 miles on it. There were a few initial hiccups—Tesla had to adjust the steering column, and the dealer somehow installed the wrong tires on a staggered Performance setup—but since it wasn’t purchased directly from Tesla, I won’t fully blame them. That said, I was still kidding myself. Yes, it’s quick. Yes, HW4 is solid. But the same shortcomings were still there. And no matter how fast it is, it’s still a Model 3—even in Performance trim. Reality check: I have two kids—one in a booster and one still rear-facing—so I had absolutely no business daily-driving a Model 3 Performance. My wife does own the Etron SUV version so the kiddos mostly ride in that. I’ll occasionally take them to school and when we go out but there mainly in her SUV. But the deal was good, curiosity won, and I wanted to see if I could make it work. Before that, my daily was a 2019 C63 AMG, my heart has been in Germany for a while. I owned both cars outright, which gave me the freedom to experiment. Over the years, I’ve owned plenty of sport sedans, mostly European, so compromises don’t go unnoticed. Looking for more space, I had what I thought was a great idea: buy a used 2020 Tesla Model X directly from Tesla. I did my Reddit research—some horror stories, but mostly happy owners—so I felt confident. That confidence lasted about five minutes. The moment I drove off the lot here in Las Vegas, I noticed steering wheel vibration and grinding/crunching noises when turning. Turns out Tesla’s “multi-point inspection” isn’t exactly exhaustive. A service appointment quickly revealed bad front half-shafts. Add in cosmetic issues like a squeaky second-row motor and creaking trunk struts, and things were already off to a rough start. The half-shafts were replaced, but the vibration persisted. Trunk struts were scheduled for mobile service, and I immediately booked a second appointment. That’s when the advisor casually told me, “Honestly, you should just buy a Model Y—there are so many problems with the X.” I wasn’t sure whether to appreciate the honesty or file a complaint. Eventually, it was discovered that the wrong tires were installed front and rear, supposedly causing the vibration. They swapped them, balanced and aligned everything, and even replaced the front passenger wheel. In my 36 years of buying cars, I can confidently say this was the worst CPO experience I’ve ever had. Tesla absolutely droppe"

"[UPDATE] My used Tesla buying experience I made a previous post here: about my experience buying a used Tesla. This is an update to the experience now that the repairs are "complete". The list of issues I presented to Tesla were: * 5" scratch on passenger door * 3.5" scratch on front facia * 1.25” scratch on frunk lid, just to the left of emblem (It seems more like a long 5-6” scratch, broken into two 1.25ish” scratches) * 2nd row passenger seat rattles a bit at interstate speeds (If pressure is applied it stops) * Rear driver side trunk piston makes a noise, and shakes when opening (Seems like it is struggling to open trunk) * Front driver side tire sounds rough when coming to a hard stop, or going over speed bumps (Use Summon and it’ll sound rough when it comes to a stop. Also try going over speed bump. Does not sound healthy at all. Uncertain if passenger side is affected as well) * Driver side mirror doesn't auto tilt down when going in reverse, passenger side one does. * The metal piece the trunk hatch locks into is broken down, seems like someone closed the trunk hard * Weather stripping on falcon wing doors are degraded and deteriorating (Both doors. Seems like they’ve left residue on the top as well). * Wiper blades don't seem effective. Likely the original blades and should be replaced. * Driver side window sounds painful when rolling down * Drive side plastic molding near wheel well, and along bottom of door appears to be warping? * Driver side doors (Both driver door and falcon wing door) appears to register direct sunlight as an obstruction and does not open doors fully when sun shines directly on that side. * Rear driver side bumper does not appear to be aligned with body properly. * Headlights appear to be dim when used at night * All tire valve stem caps missing * MCU2 upgrade * Autopilot HW 3.0 upgrade * Tuner upgrade The vehicle was dropped off for repair on December 20th. While en route to the service center I got a low tire pressure warning light, so I added that to the list as well. Was quoted to be returned on December 23rd. On December 23rd they then bumped it to December 28th. The reason given was "You're vehicle is 4th in queue to be worked on, we expect to start it tomorrow", which baffled me, but whatever. They then put in a date of December 28th at 6pm, which as they close at 6pm I knew was a placeholder date. Unfortunately this presented an issue because my wife's grandmother was not doing well, and my wife wanted to drive 300mi to go see her, and we wanted to use the X because of Biodefense mode. So I leaned on the service center to try and get more clarity of when it'd be completed, and was essentially told it'd be after the weekend. Fine, I have my SR+ 3, it's done the trip, it'll be the first time it does it in the cold. Monday, December 28th, rolls around and I wait patiently, and am trying not to be pushy, b"

"> "Many minor bugs - HVAC system, windows, suspension creaking noise, LTE connectivity going offline, etc." > "It's pretty buggy; software issues, doors, infotainment screen...it's always something. I've never had to take a car to a service center more than this one." The Green Score for the Model X is great, since as an all-electric car, it has the lowest tailpipe emissions. Buying a used Tesla is another great way to lower your environmental impact - every used car purchased means one fewer new car that needs to be produced and shipped. Finally, you can really up your green game by powering your EV with renewable energy for the ultimate clean machine."