2019 Tesla Model S Review

It's fair to say the Tesla Model S was the originator of the current luxury electric-vehicle boom. Yes, there were other EVs before it — notably the Nissan Leaf — but it was the first to be aspirational, not just efficient. It was fast, packed with technology, and expensive. Combined with founder Elon Musk's outsize personality and claims, it became something more than just a car.

Recent updates to the car may be controversial to some. The smaller battery pack option has been dropped, and now all cars come with the same 100-kWh battery pack. That means the new trim structure doesn't involve any physical upgrades to the car; rather "upgrades" are software unlocks to enable capability the car already has.

For example, the new Long Range trim is a $10,000 upgrade over the base Standard Range model. For that money you get an extra 85 miles of range, made available via a change to the car's software. If you opt for the Model S Performance and decide you'd like Ludicrous Mode enabled, you'll be shelling out an added $20,000.

Shoppers may be accustomed to paying more to get more power and more features. But it remains to be seen whether tech-savvy buyers will be happy to dig into their wallets for a software key that allows their car to do something it was mechanically already capable of.

While there are plenty of excellent competitors for the cheaper Model 3 (and competitors for the Model X are rolling out), there's really nothing on the market that competes with the Model S yet.

You might consider shopping for conventional luxury sedans such as the Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS and Porsche Panamera. They're great cars, certainly, but they just don't offer the same slick all-electric power or technology-above-all-else ethos. At most, you can get them with mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid drivetrains. From a style perspective, however, the Germans win the day with their fresher sheet metal and richer interiors.

Notably, we picked the 2019 Tesla Model S as one of Edmunds' Best Electric Cars and the Model S P100D as one of the Best Sport Sedans for this year.

What's it like to live with?

Edmunds' editorial team was one of the first to acquire and live with a 2013 Tesla Model S for a full year. To learn more about the Tesla Model S of this generation, read our complete 2013 Tesla Model S long-term road test. In our experience the early build Model S was prone to premature tire wear and a number of quality issues, which were sorted out in the subsequent years. That said, we found it to be a fun car to drive and unlike anything else on the road at the time.

The 2019 Tesla Model S differs from our early long-term Model S in a number of ways. The front bumper and grille have been revised, range has improved, and the front motor has been updated to boost performance. And all 2019 Long Range Plus models are now offered exclusively with Tesla's dual-motor all-wheel drive (ours was rear-drive only) and a smart air suspension. It's the same generation, though, so most of our general driving impressions still apply.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Tesla Model S P85D (dual electric motors | direct drive | AWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2015, the current Model S has received some revisions, notably the discontinuation of the P85D trim. It's similar to the current base Model S, however, and our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's Model S.