The Spaceship Minivan

By: Kase van Rees

I understand why people think this car is ugly. But despite the bloated proportions of the body, there are still plenty of slick, modern styling touches. Factor in the crazy doors and suddenly it really doesn't seem so bad. As you move inside, the story is much the same. Everything in the interior is simple but elegant. The quality of the materials are not on par with others in this price range, but nothing feels cheap.

However, as we all now know, this car's party piece lies under your right foot. Though this is just a lowly 90D, non-performance model, the acceleration is truly stunning. Under normal circumstances, these are very calm cars to drive. Air suspension gives it a smooth, comfortable ride, and the lack of combustion keeps the cabin quiet and tranquil. So when you do put your foot down, the silent blast forwards can even catch the driver by surprise.

The Model X is amazingly functional and does feel premium in its own way. But nothing about this car is more addictive than its lightning throttle response. Few cars in the world can accelerate alongside the X, and most those that do wear a T-shaped badge as well. Something about that amount of instant torque makes you feel like the road is yours. And all of this performance comes guilt free, you're welcome planet earth.

And it doesn't even end there. Taking the SUV shaped body into corners with speed might be unsettling at first, but the ultra low center of gravity makes the X actually handle like a sedan. Like other Teslas, it really is a fantastic combination of performance and practicality. But every great machine carries its fair share of flaws.

Like many modern cars, the hundreds of sensors will chastise you any time you near an object such as your garage. The steering is also about as numb as it gets, and the brake pedal is very obviously electronic and difficult to master. The Model X has tons of charisma, but not a lot of personality. It makes you look as cool as anything, but it's a hard car to really love. That being said, you won't ever hear me complain about driving it. No shortage of fun to be had with this spaceship minivan.