The Tesla Model X, like its siblings, is a crazy fast accelerating car. Bear in mind this electric crossover weighs two and a half tons, yet Tesla says even the Long Range model can get from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds. Get the Performance, and that 0-60 time goes down to a blistering 2.7 seconds. Yeah, seriously.
But here’s the rub — our Tesla Model X…wasn’t that fast. In Roman’s earlier testing on the track, the “Adventure X” managed 0-60 in 5.4 seconds. That’s nearly a full second slower than Tesla claims. Even though it could hit that time consistently, we had the sense something was wrong. Was it a defect? Is it a service issue we’d have to sort through Tesla’s service centers?
How to make your Model X faster
We reached out to you all out there in the TFL community for an answer. One of the most common responses we received was to stop doing acceleration runs in the car’s standard suspension setting. Instead, drop the car to “Low”, and it should go even faster. Unbeknownst to us in our previous testing, Tesla restricts the power output in the normal ride height to protect the car’s CV joints. As they’re sitting at an angle in the standard mode, limiting the power restricts unnecessary wear and tear on the joints. Drop the car using its air suspension, and everything lines up so all the car can transmit all its power to the road.
So how did it do on these attempts? Significantly better, as it turns out, managing a respectable 4.77 second 0-60 time. Is that 4.4 seconds? No, sadly not. However, it’s within a reasonable shot of Tesla’s claimed time, and there are always factors that can slow a car down ever so slightly. Tire pressure, for example, can increase friction and slow the car down. So can reaction time and, unfortunately for me, the weight of the driver.
Even still, a 4.7-second 0-60 time is impressive for a big, heavy crossover. But 2.7 seconds? That’s even crazier, if ever we’re able to test a Model X Performance.
Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more Adventure X news, views and real-world reviews!
