Edmunds Tells Us Why The Tesla Model S Plaid Is A Waste Of Money

Here we have it, Edmunds' full instrumented test and in-depth review of the Model S Plaid.

tesla model s plaid waste of money

Steven Loveday

By: Steven Loveday

Sep 8, 2021 at 9:53am ET

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Edmunds didn't include the words "Why the Tesla Plaid's a Waste of Money" in its latest YouTube video title or description. In fact, it wasn't until we started writing this article and grabbed the featured image for the video that we saw those words. Were we surprised? Well, we didn't expect it since the title we had was about the publication's instrumented test review, but we're not surprised by Edmunds' take.

To say that a car is a waste of money is something that will certainly get people's attention, especially if it's a car that has impressed droves of hardcore Tesla fans, as well as car enthusiasts, in general. Whether or not a car is best for you comes down to your needs, your personal preferences, and your budget.

People who can easily afford the Model S Plaid don't likely consider it a waste of money. In fact, it's many of those same people who may pay hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars on a limited production supercar. Compared to vehicles produced by the likes of McLaren and Ferrari, the Model S Plaid is a steal, and it's way more practical.

With that said, you can get the brand-new Tesla Model S Long Range for $40,000 less than the Plaid. And, essentially the only difference between the cars is their acceleration and top speed, as well as the status that comes with Plaid ownership. We've pointed out for some time that the Plaid is pricey when considering the incredible value the Long Range version offers.

As it turns out, Edmunds has a whole lot to share here, and just because it's pointing out that the Model S Plaid is expensive compared to the base Model S, this is not to say the publication isn't impressed with the Plaid. Edmunds writes:

"The Tesla Model S Plaid is a high-performance luxury electric car that Tesla says pumps out 1,020 horsepower and does 0-60 mph in 1.99 seconds. If all of that sounds impressive, that's because it is."

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Whether or not you're impressed with or irritated by Edmunds' choice of words on its video's featured image, set aside some time and enjoy this detailed instrumented test and driving review of the Model S Plaid. The topics and timestamps are as follows:

Intro 00:00
Acceleration Test 01:04
Driving Impressions 05:23
The Numbers 10:17
EV Range Test 12:38
Exterior Walk-around 13:41
Interior 15:19
Low-friction Circuit 20:48
Edmunds' Take 22:44