Used Tesla Model S long-term test

The car: 2016 Tesla Model S 75D Dual Motor
Run by: Alex Robbins, used cars editor
Why it’s here: It’s one of our favourite new electric cars, but does saving your money and buying a used Tesla instead actually make more sense?
Needs to: Prove that an electric luxury car makes sense both day to day and on longer weekend trips – and show us that there’s nothing to fear from buying one used

Price when new £70,235 Value on arrival £50,600 Value now £50,600 Mileage on arrival 23,335 Mileage now 24,901 Real-world range 200 miles

Price when new does not include optional extras

13th November 2018 – If you're appy and you know it

One of the great things about the Tesla Model S is how much of it can be controlled remotely via Tesla’s app. This isn’t something Tesla is alone in; editor Steve Huntingford was able to control certain aspects of his Volvo XC40 via an app, and other manufacturers offer similar functionality, whether through phone apps or a smart key.

However, in my experience, none can offer quite the breadth of control as Tesla. First up, the more obvious stuff: on a cold morning, you can set the temperature of your car remotely and get it to warm up for you (or cool down if it’s warm outside). If the external temperature’s cold enough, the car will also automatically demist and defrost itself. You can set it to do this at a certain time each morning, before your drive to work, or activate it freestyle from the app.

You can also control a variety of functions remotely: beep the horn or flash the lights if you can’t remember where you parked; open the sunroof slightly to vent warm air; open the front or rear boot; or even lock, unlock, start and stop the car, allowing you to use the app if you’ve lost or forgotten your key.

You can also keep tabs on the battery's charge and unlock the charging port when it’s plugged in, as well as find the car's location on Google Maps. This updates in real-time, so you can actually track the car – entertaining to keep tabs on a friend who might have borrowed it, or very useful if someone steals your car.

Finally, of course, there’s Tesla’s Summon feature. This enables you to use the app to pull the car into or out of a parking space – say, if someone’s parked really close to you and you can’t get in. It only works if there’s space and there are no obstructions, apparently; I say ‘apparently’ because I haven’t yet had an opportunity to try it. Watch this space.

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