Overview & Reviews

After selling out of last year's limited-edition Signature lineup, the 2013 Tesla Model S returns with base and Performance trims only. The car is pretty much unchanged, though heated seats are now available with both cloth and leather upholstery. Later in the model year, Tesla discontinued the original base 40kWh battery pack; customers who ordered that version received a detuned version of the available 60kWh battery pack.

• Unknown reliability
• Lacks the convenience and familiarity of similarly priced luxury sedans.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 14.00

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  Excellent performance, utility and efficiency - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By fluxemag - December 5 - 8:51 am

  I rationalized buying such an expensive car based on $3000 a year gas savings, $500 a year registration savings and maintenance savings. I chose reasonable options like leather, the pano roof and the sound system with the never-produced 40kWh battery. So I am one of the few people who got the 60kWh battery for the price of the 40 (albeit with a software limitation). The car is just as fast as the G37 was, seats 5 adults very comfortably, is twice as efficient as a Prius and has tons of cargo space. The design of the interior and exterior is beautifully done. It does get slightly annoying to drive such a high profile vehicle because thats all anyone wants to talk about.

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  Best Car I Have Owned - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By sanfraned - January 16 - 12:24 am

  I very seldom write reviews, but after reading a couple of lousy reviews about the Tesla S, I feel compelled to do so. And by the way, I own a Tesla S. I didnt just borrow it for a week and my views are about the car, not about what I wish or about the stock market. I have had the fortune of being able to own some awesome cars over the last 20 years. Mercedes SL600, E55, S55, SL63, Nissan GTR, Porsche Turbo, Bentley Silver Spur, and the Tesla S. All great cars. Without a doubt, this is the most amazing car I have driven. It is a technology marvel, a power monster, and incredible fun to drive. It is reliable, inexpensive to run and soooo quiet. So great not to have to buy gas

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  Ouch... Be careful here. - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By twosmalltowns - April 21 - 5:25 am

  Ive been driving an S off & on for a few weeks (company got one as part of investor PR.) There are several concerns/problems: car is very heavy, and this will soon be a problem for suspension and tires on the bumpy, pot-holed roads. Secondly, the interior while "different" and kinda cool, is a bit cheap in some ways; the large touchscreen control center is Dangerous: having no buttons/knobs means you are staring at the screen and not on the road.) Most importantly, Tesla is a stock play, not a car company. All the hype is carefully orchestrated to build market cap. Be careful - and assume that they are smarter than you. Because they probably are.

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  Remarkable Car - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By txcattledog - September 15 - 2:04 pm

  For over 100 years, cars have improved incrementally. That has changed. In the last year, the car has improved exponentially, thanks to the Tesla Model S. Everything about the Model S is better than an gas car - drive experience, design, engineering. The car has an intuitiveness and effortlessness that is unmatched - acceleration, handling, controls. It only lacks ease of long trips, but that is being solved with the supercharger network and is already irrelevant to many. Daily, it excels - full every morning, at 1/4 the cost of gas, and 4 times the fun. We sold our Lexus when our Model S arrived and will part with our BMW for the Model X. Categorically. Unequivocally. Joyfully!!!

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  Base model: same rocket, smaller boosters - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By thranx - August 10 - 11:00 am

  Beats every car in town except a Tesla P85. Sports car, family sedan, and small SUV all in one. Available coved rubber mats allow safe storage of liquids in trunk. mini-USB drive holding tons of classical music plays through the cars system exactly as it would on my desktop or laptop...same file system, everything. Pano roof gives feeling of being in a convertible.

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  this is something you need to consider before you buy - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By amazinggrace - March 8 - 12:04 am

  my husband accidentally spilled the cooler inside the car after he hit the break, and the car just stopped in the middle of the road. the car was totally dead (was embarrassed as a lot of people that drove by knew it was a Tesla ~___~ and waved at me) and waited 2hrs for the roadside assistant to arrive. the next day the Costa Mesa service center called, and they were willing to change the connectors that had water damage for us for free, I WAS HAPPY THAT TESLA WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE AS I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING UNCOMMON TO HAVE IT HAPPENED INSIDE OF A CAR, WHO DOES NOT HAVE A COOLER? AND WHO DOES NOT CARRY WATER IN THE CAR?

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  Fascinating, sickeningly fast, ultra-quiet, & no gas! - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By dwoodruff - March 3 - 5:57 am

  I have owned my Model S Performance (P85) for 6 weeks. It is the most brilliant car Ive ever owned (and I have owned a long string of very good cars, including Ferrari Cailfornia, Audi S8, Porsche 997 Carrera S, Infiniti QX56, Audi allroad, BMW M3...). Automobile Magazine and Motor Trend had it right: it is a "game changer." The power delivery is unreal. It is dead silent. It handles tight and flat. It feels modern and well-assembled. You can keep tabs of the car on an App on the iPhone, including warming it up from wherever you are so it is toasty warm when you climb in. Park it in the garage and quickly plug in the charger, and it is full and ready to go every morning. Just amazing.

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  A game changer! - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By richard_d - July 24 - 8:14 pm

  Well, add me to the long list of people that switched from a high performance ICE vehicle to a Tesla. I had the new 2012 Porsche 911S, which is a great car in its own right. However, the instant torque and acceleration of the Tesla is something you need to experience to understand. With no gears to shift, the acceleration is smooth and endless. The suspension on the P85+ keeps the car flat while cornering, but somehow manages to provide a comfortable ride at the same time. The touch screen is beautiful and works very well. We were going to get an Audi Q7 or Porsche Cayenne for my wife, but we now have the Tesla Model X SUV on order!

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  Tesla is to cars what Apple is to phones. - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By drbones911 - December 15 - 3:30 pm

  I have approximately 7000 miles on this signature, performance version of the Tesla S. The car grabs a lot of attention and drives like a dream machine. Ive driven the car from Boston to New York City then into New Jersey and back again with no problems. Other than that, I never really need to use an outside charging station since I charge it each night in my garage at home. This car is not just for local commutes. The car of the future is already here and still many still people dont believe that its possible. Great job Tesla!

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  Best car Ive ever owned. - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By jimb32 - June 15 - 6:28 am

  Ive driven the Mercedes CLS 63 AMG for four years. With 66,000 miles on it, I was informed the intake manifold was cracked. No explanation how it could have happened. I decided to spend my money on the Tesla S. It has been the most fun Ive ever had in a car. Its quick, responsive, and Ive already saved over $1,000 in gas. No emissions, I plug into my house charger and it charges an hour or two when I get home. My electric bill is up $15 bucks a month. Ive had a few questions, and Ive taken my car back into the service center once. The guys at Tesla are amazing, friendly, and efficient.