2023 Tesla Model S Electric

The 2023 Tesla Model S is expected to offer some handling upgrades while the standard set of features will remain the same. The sedan is offered in two trims, Base and Plaid. The Plaid is the high-performance model and is covered in a separate review. The Base Model S carries a price tag of $74,990 and comes pretty well-equipped.

Some standard features of the car include an adaptive suspension setup and a massive centrally-mounted infotainment system that also gets integrated Google Maps and a gaming processor to run games. The central touchscreen controls almost everything inside the Model S.

In terms of charging convenience, the 2023 Tesla Model S can be charged via a 110V mobile connector or an available 220V Tesla Wall Connector

Trim:

Model S (Base)

MSRP:

$74,990 (excluding destination charges and taxes)

Key Features: 

• 19-inch Tempest wheels / 21-inch Arachnid Wheels (+$4,500)
• All-LED exterior lighting with LED fog lamps
• Basic Autopilot / Enhanced Autopilot (+$6,000)
• Full Self-Driving Capability (+$12000)
• Three-zone automatic climate control
• Tesla Mobile App for remote monitoring

Tesla vehicles are known for their high driving range apart from their gut-punching performances. The city driving MPGe is rated at an average of 124 MPGe while the highway number drops to 115 MPGe. With a household 240V charger, the sedan takes an average of 12.5 hours to charge fully from zero.

The 2023 Tesla Model S will get a standard 100 kWh battery pack that will allow the car to travel a maximum of 405 miles on a full charge. Not only that, The Tesla Model S can accumulate up to 200 miles of charging from just 15 minutes of charging with Tesla's supercharger network. 

Models	2023 Tesla Model S	2022 Porsche Taycan 4S	2022 Audi E-Tron GT	2022 Lucid Air Pure
MPGe (City)	124	79	83	141
MPGe (Highway)	115	80	79	140
MPGe (Combined)	120	79.01	82	141
Battery Capacity (kWh)	98.0	79.2	93.4	118.0
Range (miles)	405	199	238	425

The Porsche Taycan 4S focuses more on the performance and thrill part and compromises on the driving range aspect. As a result, it manages only 199 miles of total driving range from its smaller 79.2 kWh battery pack.

The 2022 Audi E-Tron GT gets a slightly bigger battery pack than the Taycan 4S and offers slightly more, 238 miles of total driving range. The Lucid Air gets the biggest battery here and offers the highest driving range of 425 miles on a single charge.

Right from its launch, the Tesla Model S interior has hooked buyers with its tech-rich cabin and huge center console. Apart from that, the overall interior of the sedan sports a minimalist design.

The major upgrades that the Model S received in recent times were that futuristic yet awkward steering yoke and that huge infotainment display. However, the Tesla Model S 2023 interior gets the round steering wheel as well for no additional cost. 

The dashboard is sleek and devoid of any physical controls. The center stack has a wide, cushioned armrest and two illuminated cup holders. All seats are comfortable, and the front seats offer good support due to extra bolstering. The interior is available in three color options: All Black, Black/White, and Cream.

The overall fit and finish levels are decent but lack the refinement you get from a sedan costing nearly a hundred grand. The Model S trunk space surprisingly excels at it, and being an EV, it gets two trunks. The rear seats can be folded in multiple ways, while the standard cargo capacity measures 28 cubic feet.

Models	2023 Tesla Model S	2022 Porsche Taycan 4S	2022 Audi E-Tron GT	2022 Lucid Air Pure
Seating capacity	5	4	5	5
Front row (Headroom/ Shoulder room/ Legroom) in inches	39.7/54./42.4	N/A	39.3/56.4/41.9	N/A
Rear row (Headroom/ Shoulder room/ Legroom) in inches	38.1/58.1/35.5	N/A	37.5/53.8/32.2	N/A
Cargo capacity (cubic feet)	28.1	17.2	11.0	32.1

The Porsche Taycan’s cabin is the best among luxury EV cabins. Apart from allowing you to indulge in luxury, the Taycan offers a screen-heavy dashboard while it doesn’t look as minimalist as the Model S. Even though interior dimensions are not released, the car offers decent room for all the occupants.

The Audi E-Tron GT gets a good interior but the space for the rear seats is no match for the Model S’s. The Lucid Air also follows a minimalist design approach, offering adequate features and space for all the occupants.

The 2023 Tesla Model S features a 17-inch infotainment display in which you can play games and stream shows from Netflix too. The audio requirements are handled by a 22-speaker setup that delivers rich sound with excellent clarity along with punchy bass.

The second-row seats get an entertainment display with an integrated gaming computer that can handle several graphic-intensive games without any hiccups. On the downside, Tesla doesn’t offer Android Auto or Apple CarPlay as standard and not even as optional extras.

Some of the key interior features of the 2023 Tesla Model S include:

• Ventilated front seats with heating
• Heated second-row seats
• Heated and power-adjustable steering wheel (Cold Weather Package)
• Satellite Radio
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• Standard navigation with Google Maps 

During its launch, the Tesla Model S looked quite different from other EVs. To make it stand out, Tesla carried forward the Model X’s front-end design to the Model S, and the latter now looks less interesting than before.

Apart from that, the overall exterior design of the Model S looks and feels premium but is not what its price tag would suggest. The new headlamp design gives the car an aggressive appeal at the front.

On the sides, the design has been kept as smooth as possible for maximum aerodynamic efficiency, and the door handles sit flush with the doors that pop out upon pressing or swiping over a nicely concealed sensor.

The windows get chrome borders, while the rear end design remains almost similar to the pre-facelift model’s rear end. The 2023 Tesla Model S exterior color list includes Pearl White, Solid Black, Midnight Silver Metallic, Deep Blue Metallic, and Ultra Red.

Models	2023 Tesla Model S	2022 Porsche Taycan 4S	2022 Audi E-Tron GT	2022 Lucid Air Pure
Curb weight (lbs)	4,561	4,771	5,060	5,203
Length (inches)	197.7	195.4	196.4	195.9
Width (inches)	78.2	77.5	77.3	76.2
Height (inches)	56.3 - 58.1	54.3	55.6	55.4
Ground clearance (inches)	4.6 - 6.2	N/A	NA	NA
Wheelbase (inches)	116.5	114.2	114.2	116.5

The 2023 Model S curb weight is the lowest. The Porsche Taycan 4S looks like a shortened and more aggressive version of the Panamera. Even though it matches the 2023 Model S dimensions, the Taycan feels compact and is quite maneuverable in city limits too.

The Audi E-Tron GT might not impress horsepower lovers with its output figures, but its design is quite modern. From the rear too, the E-Tron is quite a looker and its LED tail lamps look unique when compared to the rivals here. The Lucid Air doesn’t feel “lucid” firsthand but its “sci-fi movie”-like design gives a strong hint about the future of EVs.

Some standout exterior features of the 2023 Tesla Model S include:

• All-LED exterior lighting
• Power-operated liftgate
• Glass roof with tinted glass

Tesla vehicles are quite advanced in terms of safety and security, especially due to the "Autopilot" and "Sentry" modes. The 2023 Tesla Model S hasn’t been crash-tested by both the NHTSA and the IIHS in the last few years, but as far as build quality goes, the Model S has proven itself to be a safe vehicle.

IIHS rated the older but same-generation Tesla Model S as superior in front crash prevention tests. However, for headlights, it scored a poor rating. Apart from the basic safety aids, the Model S also gets several ADAS features as standard.

Some of the key safety features of the 2023 Tesla Model S include: 

• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Lane Departure Warning
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Forward Collision Warning and mitigation

2023 Tesla Model S vs 2022 Porsche Taycan 4S

The Porsche Taycan 4S used to give the Model S a tough fight in terms of performance and handling but then, Tesla said no more! With the updated Model S, the Taycan simply gets obliterated in a majority of the key aspects such as performance, driving range, and practicality. However, the Taycan 4S still stands out with its exterior design and plush cabin along with that impressive braking prowess.

2023 Tesla Model S vs 2022 Audi E-Tron GT

The Audi E-Tron GT costs significantly more than the Model S in its base form and tries to justify the price with its outlandish exterior design and that awe-inspiring cabin. However, the Model S still has an edge over the E-Tron GT in terms of practicality, driving range, and performance.

2023 Tesla Model S vs 2022 Lucid Air

The Lucid Air is the newest kid on the block and is yet to gain traction amidst the rising competition. Moreover, the brand has only managed to sell a few hundred units before being hit by quality-control issues.

However, upon its launch, the car did promise a Tesla-like driving range along with a break-neck, sub-3 second acceleration time for the 0-60mph sprint. Moreover, it arrived with a whole new design concept with its futuristic exterior and interior design as well.

If you wish to spend the gas money you’ll save on something as cool and insane as the new Model S, then yes, the car is absolutely worthy of every dime. The Model S hardly goes wrong in a majority of the key areas, which is expected to be excellent for an EV costing as much as a hundred grand.

Also, with the FSD capability, the car will keep improving on a daily basis and will autosteer on city streets with enhanced autopilot. With that impressive driving range, quick acceleration, and growing number of Supercharger networks, you can feel more assured about running out of juice, even if you decide to have a little fun along the way.