Tesla Model S review

Overview

The Tesla Model S is an electric sedan with 5 seats, a 100 kWh battery and a quoted EPA range of 405 miles. On paper it suits families who want space without moving up to a van. Prices start at around $74,990, with leases quoted from about $949 a month.

Its headline specification point is straightforward: long range and ballistic acceleration. The sections below break the published figures down and set them against the other electric cars in our Your state database.

Design & practicality

Bodystyle is a sedan with 5 seats and 793 litres of boot space. Against every EV in the database that puts it above average for outright carrying capacity, and among the very best among other sedans.

Boot volume is generous enough for family holidays and bulky pushchairs without folding seats down.

Range & charging

The quoted EPA range is 405 miles from 100 kWh of usable-plus-buffer capacity — among the very best in the database for distance between charges. Real-world figures are typically 10–25% lower in cold weather and at sustained motorway speeds.

That is a large battery, normally paired with high-power rapid charging. As with any EV, the running-cost picture depends far more on whether you can charge at home overnight than on the charging speed itself.

Performance

The published 0–60mph time is 3.1 seconds, which puts it among the very best for acceleration here and makes it seriously fast by the numbers. Electric drivetrains deliver that pull instantly from a standstill, so town-speed responses tend to feel stronger than the figure suggests.

Tech & features

We score cabin technology at 10/10 based on published equipment levels, which is above average across the database. The specification highlight is that long range and ballistic acceleration.

Expect a large central screen, over-the-air updates and driver assistance as standard on most trims.

Price & value

New prices run from $74,990 to $104,990, with three-year-old used examples from around $40,000 and leases quoted from $949 a month. That sits at the premium end of the electric cars in this database, and the upper-middle of the sedans specifically.

Our value score, which weighs the price against range, space and equipment, is 6/10. Whether it works out cheaper than your current car depends on your mileage, fuel price and charging setup — the cost calculator does that maths properly.