2018 Tesla Model S

CarGurus (opens in a new tab) says the Model S got an extensive refresh the year before, so there are fewer changes for 2018. Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) describes an interior dominated by a massive 17-inch touch screen that houses controls for the climate system, all infotainment and vehicle settings, and lists a starting MSRP of $78,125 when new for the 75D. A 2018 owner writing on The Chicago Garage forum (opens in a new tab) says of the navigation that it 'routes you to weird places' and cannot be updated easily but loves the car regardless.

NHTSA lists 11 recalls. The ones with a physical consequence are 21V00B, where the front trunk latch assembly on 2014 to 2021 Model S vehicles may be misaligned so the secondary hood latch cannot engage, and 22V818, where the electronic power assist steering system in 2017 to 2021 Model S and Model X may lose power steering assist. 21V035 concerns 2012 to 2018 Model S vehicles with a center display that uses an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC flash memory chip; NHTSA files it under back-over prevention software. The rest are software recalls: 21V846 (a communication error in the forward-collision system in one software build), 22V169 (Autopilot computer firmware and the display function), 22V037 (the 'rolling stop' behavior), and two Autosteer and Full Self-Driving Beta recalls (23V838 and 23V085). Because so many are over-the-air, the VIN lookup shows which were completed.

Consumer Reports (opens in a new tab) confirms the 2018 Model S has been recalled 11 times and quotes owner reports of door handle failures, one owner writing that the problem has appeared on four doors and that Tesla refuses to own the issue and do a recall. Another owner describes the trouble of getting a Tesla mobile technician to repair a fault. Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) says it does not yet have enough repair-order data to list common problems for this model year. That leaves the recall list and the door handles as the practical checks: operate every door from inside and out, check the center display and the rear camera, and confirm the hood latch and power steering recalls are closed.

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) says used 2018 Model S prices run from $22,300 for the 75D to $26,200 for the P100D at a dealership, and the 75D's page (opens in a new tab) says it has depreciated $13,623, or 39 percent, in three years, leaving a resale value of $20,900 and a trade-in value of $17,150. On a car this age, ask for the battery health report and the service history before you agree on a price.

The Model S rates 98 to 103 MPGe combined with fuel costs of $750 to $800 a year on fueleconomy.gov (opens in a new tab), against 20 to 24 mpg and $3,250 to $3,900 for the 2018 Porsche Panamera and 23 mpg and $3,350 for the Audi A7. That is about $2,500 to $3,000 a year less to fuel than either. The trade for that saving is the Model S's record of recalls and door problems above. Choose the Model S if running cost is the priority and you have a place to charge.