‘Really Starting To Feel Outdated Compared to Others, For Example the Porsche Taycan’: Is a Tesla Model S Still Worth It?

Tesla enthusiast Brandon Kokes (@tesla.flex) shared how smitten he is with the 2026 Tesla Model S Plaid, but others are claiming the EV-maker is lagging behind the competition. In a recent TikTok, he enumerates all of the features that makes the car a winner in his book. Throughout the clip, Kokes highlights key functionality points, along with some of the car’s design cues.

Others aren’t so sure.

2026 Tesla Model S Plaid Love

“Here’s why the Tesla Model S Plaid is one of my favorite models that Tesla sells,” Kokes says at the top of his video. From the onset, he shows off the EV’s distinct exterior design aesthetic. Next, the clip cuts to the car’s minimalist cabin, with white upholstered chairs. And they receive plenty of natural illumination, thanks to the car’s roof. “The interior in the Model S Plaid is absolutely beautiful and it has a massive panoramic glass roof. Similar to the Model Y,” he says.

The TikToker continues, “Sport bucket seats and carbon fiber everywhere.”

Furthermore, Jokes is smitten with the storage capacity of the car that helped Tesla become a household name. Even though the Model S is a sedan it still has a hatchback-style trunk, which is perfect for hauling larger cargo. "When you fold the rear seats down and take the parcel shelf out, you’re left with so much space for activities,” Kokes tells viewers.

He demonstrates what this looks like on camera, revealing what the full cargo capacity of the model S looks like with its rear seats collapsed. According to Tesla’s official online specifications, Model S owners enjoy 61.4 cubic feet of space with this configuration. With the second row of seats engaged, the car still offers 25 cubic feet of cargo volume.

Big Cargo Capacity

To further delineate just how much space the back of a Model S has, Kokes hops in there himself. Laying down on his stomach with his legs dangling in the air, he speaks into the camera, “just imagine the things you can do in the back of a Model S.”

But the Model S’s interior doesn’t just offer drivers the ability to make impromptu camping trips or re-enactments of the Dream Phone commercial. Kokes also shows off subtle usability functions that can make commuting that much easier for folks. Like the ability to angle the infotainment screen in different directions. He demonstrates this on camera and the large touchscreen can be seen twisting itself to face the driver’s seat. “You can also tilt the display in the model S Plaid to face the driver. That way when you’re driving you can have a better angle of this display.”

Smart Summon

As Kokes’ video continues, he rattles off another feature. It’s one that would’ve seemed like something out of a science fiction film years ago: the Smart Summon feature. While Elon Musk teased this functionality for years, it officially rolled out to Tesla vehicles in September 2024. Kokes demonstrates it in action. He records the Model S from a distance inside of an empty parking lot: The car can be seen slowly lurching toward him as he holds a smartphone in his hand. It’s clear that there isn’t anyone inside the vehicle.

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“You can also use Smart Summon to make the Model S drive to you from up to 300 feet away. Which is perfect if you’re too lazy to walk to your car,” he says. There are additional uses for this feature, too. If it’s really cold or hot, for instance, and you want the minimize the amount of time you’re exposed to the elements. Drivers with limited mobility or disabilities may also find this functionality very useful. Just be sure to pay attention while you use it, as you're responsible if the car makes a mistake.

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Retractable Door Handles

“And finally by far one of the coolest features about the Model S is that when you walk up to the doors, the door handles automatically pop out for you. That way you can pull it to get inside,” Kokes says at the end.

While it’s difficult to argue that this feature isn’t visually pleasing in that it offers a sleek, uniform look to the vehicle, there have been safety concerns related to the handles. Class-action lawsuits have alleged the handles pose safety risks to drivers, particularly when they’re stuck inside of a vehicle and emergency service workers need to remove individuals stuck inside. The above-linked lawsuit claims the door handles on 2014-2016 Model S cars are defective and don’t retract out when they need to be. Furthermore, the family of a Florida man who died in his Model S after it caught fire attributed his passing to the car’s handles. They said the handles didn’t pop out in time for him to escape the vehicle, trapping him in the car. Unable to leave his EV after the crash, the man’s body was purportedly burned beyond recognition.

‘It Looks So Old School’

Some people who responded to Kokes’ video didn’t appear to have as much love for the Model S, however. One person wrote that they weren’t too enthralled with the way the car looks. Going so far as to say that Tesla’s more affordable offerings were better pieces of eye-candy. “I really dislike how the Model S looks on the outside. It looks so old-school like my 2008 Honda accord. I love my new Model 3 and the new Model Y,” they wrote.

Kokes went on to state in the comments section that he thought the upgraded Model S plaid model was an improvement over previous offerings from the EV maker. “They’ve really improved the quality of the Model S Plaid since I last owned mine,” he added.

But another user on the application was miffed about some of the car’s omissions when compared to other high-end electric cars. “The Model S is really starting to feel outdated compared to others. For example the Porsche Taycan. No 800V architecture, poor charging curve, no radars or sensors,” they said.

Model S Falling Behind?

Others online have also expressed that they, too, feel as if the Tesla Model S is lagging behind other high price counterparts. This Reddit user also brought up 800v architecture charging in a post to the site’s r/TeslaLounge. They pondered if Tesla is allowing itself to fall behind the curve when compared to other manufacturers implementing these higher charging capacities on their cars. Cars from Hyundai, Kia, Porsche, Audi, Lucid and others can all charge at 800v. But even if the Model S could, Tesla Superchargers are only 400v, so the company would need to upgrade its chargers, too.

The post weighed the pros and cons of Tesla’s decision to refrain from outfitting all of its vehicles with 800v capabilities. The user argues that 400v components do indeed offer a “mature and reliable technology” that’s been proven over a number of years. Conversely, charging times can’t touch what 800v offers, and drivers limited to 400v may feel as if they’re in an outdated vehicle down the line. Furthermore, the blog writes that even the Kia EV6 is primed for 800v charging. In our testing, 800-volt products like the Porsche Taycan can charge unbelievably quickly. 

By comparison, Tesla’s aren’t exactly slouches on their 400v charging architecture. Thanks to the brand’s charging efficiency and optimization (priming the battery before charging), drivers can get from 10% battery to 80% in about 30 minutes.

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The starting price for the 2026 Model S Plaid is $85,000.

InsideEVs has reached out to Kokes via email for further comment.

 

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