Our new Tesla Model X hits the dirt.
When you spend upwards of $90,000 on a brand new Tesla Model X, one of the last things you think about is taking it off-road. At least, that’s the case if you’re among a vast majority of new Model X owners. This is the Adventure X series, however, and we specifically plan to take this car off-road. To that end, Roman and Tommy see just how capable Tesla’s crossover is out of the box, and how it can handle itself when the going gets rough.
For those who are new to the series, we traded in our “Thrifty 3” after a long series of its own, opting for this 2019 Tesla Model X Long Range. With up to 325 miles of all-electric range, this crossover is certainly a practical, if expensive, enterprise. That is by far more range than its two main rivals, the Jaguar I-Pace and the Audi e-tron. The Jaguar has around 240 miles of range, while the Audi manages just 204 miles on a single charge. When it comes to building a true overlander, as we’re setting out to do with the Model X, you need to have as much range as humanly possible.
Points against the Tesla Model X out of the factory, however, have to go to its range-friendly all-season tires. Do they have the grip to pull the two-and-a-half ton SUV up a Rocky Mountain trail? We find out the answer in the video above, as well as subject the Tesla to our TFL Slip Test.
The results
The results were a bit surprising. It is a big, heavy package, which doesn’t help either climbing the hill or fighting gravity trying to remain in control on the way down. Against the likes of our Volkswagen Touareg, it also has relatively low ground clearance. That said, the electric motors are excellent for instant torque, and the overall bones are there to potentially make this a substantial off-roader.
Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates to our Adventure X series! Let us know what you think and what you’d like to see in the comments below.
