We have a long history of talking about Tesla on these pages having reviewed both versions of the Roadster over the years. But while both of those cars were truly surprising neither is near as compelling as the Model S in both form factor and price. Recently we got behind the wheel of the electric four door and came away with a few first thoughts. While we ‘ll have a long-term drive later this summer we wanted to bring you some initial findings from our first drive.

– The Model S is surprisingly well built for the first totally new product from a totally new automaker. No creaks or rattles even over Chicago ‘s worst roads. It feels worth every bit of its $70k price-tag.
– Acceleration is as advertised, which is to say M5 killing.
– Handling was good on the passively damped Performance model we tested. Not M like mind you, but it has a set-up that catered to the enthusiast more than even a standard 5 or 7 Series.
– Ride was exceptional;firm but comfortable.
– Technology is rampant. The massive touch screen is compelling even though the interface design is already looking dated. But why is unlocking the doors two clicks away?
– Quality levels are high with most major touch-points taken straight from the current generation Mercedes E and S class.

Look for a full review(with specific emphasis on what it ‘s like to live with the Model S) later this summer.

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