Why TikTok Has A Big Problem With This $150,000 Tesla
These days, everyone and their grandma knows what a Tesla is, and a lot of people want to own one of these electric vehicles. However, Elon Musk's EV also has a tendency toward dividing the internet — people often either love Teslas or hate them. As such, these EVs are a popular topic on social media, because one way or another, they're sure to draw an audience. This is proven true by the internet's reaction to a $150,000 Tesla posted by jf.okay on TikTok.
The video, titled "things in my $150,000 Tesla that make sense," has gathered a lot of comments (almost 9,000 at the time of writing), and they're filled with polarizing views. Users argue about whether the car is worth the price, and there seems to be no end to the discussion. Truth be told, the subject is worthy of a larger debate. $150k is a lot to spend on anything, and commenters on jf.okay's video bring up valid points that call into question whether the price tag is reasonable.
Although the TikToker doesn't mention which Tesla we're seeing in the video, it's most likely the Tesla Model S Plaid with some extra bells and whistles added into the mix to reach that huge $150k figure — the model's starting price sits at nearly $130k. Let's go over the features mentioned in the video and see whether they look worth an amount of money equivalent to buying a house in some areas.
Fun features fail to impress
The first thing the video points out is self-presenting handles. The handles remain hidden until you need them and are flush, completely in line with the rest of the car. This helps a bit with aerodynamics and reduces drag while driving. However, self-presenting handles are mostly just a fun addition and don't seem to make all that much of a difference. In addition, the flush handles on the Tesla Model S have received some bad press due to a fatal accident. The driver, who unfortunately died in the car crash, was trapped inside the vehicle, and emergency services were reportedly unable to free him in time due to the retracted door handles (via Bloomberg).
Whether the handles were responsible for this horrible loss or not, it seems they could pose a risk in such situations. In addition, the commenters on jf.okay's video claim the handles may fail to function as expected. "When it gets super cold and the handles don't come out of the doors. Seen it," says one commenter. This is part of a larger trend — many people claim that Tesla, despite being a luxury car, is not made of the most high-end parts. Some people go as far as to allege that having a unit in which everything functions properly is rare — though, of course, that is highly debatable.
Users talk about all types of supposed issues with the Tesla model, ranging from claims about frequent malfunctions to parts not fitting together correctly or simply breaking. Poor paint quality is also mentioned, although jf.okay puts that to the test in another TikTok short where he takes his Tesla to the car wash and cleans it with a rough brush. The car comes out seemingly unscathed, but judging by the comments, it's a bit of a miracle — you're not supposed to get that rough with the paint on a Tesla.
Could you get these features for less?
The TikTok video also touches on other features, such as a "rear screen for kids." While that's certainly fun, and you can see that Tesla supports Netflix, Hulu, and other popular platforms, this is hardly innovative and is available in cheaper vehicles from other automakers. Beyond that, the video emphasizes all the extra storage space offered in the Tesla Model S. The car features a frunk (a mini-storage space under the hood), a large trunk, and even a hidden compartment within the trunk for extra storage. All of that space is certainly nice, but TikTok users were not impressed.
"I'd rather get a minivan with two screens, 4x the storage and a third of the price," said Brenna in the comments, expressing many of the viewers' thoughts with a simple statement. There are cars that cost less and provide more, both in terms of storage and extra features. Even the controversial half-wheel steering yoke failed to win over some viewers, as it seems to offer little actual benefit other than a futuristic design.
The Tesla featured in this TikTok video is certainly impressive, although some of that is lost due to the fact that it's being kept outside and covered in snow. However, the vehicle itself definitely has a lot to offer, and whether it's worth $150,000 is ultimately down to how badly one wants to own a Tesla versus getting the best value for one's money. The top commenter on the video sums it up best: "It looks great and it's worth it, but the price is debatable..."