2017 Tesla Model S

2017 lineup ran 60/60D (through April), 75/75D, 90D (through Aug), then 100D/P100D; the 75D dual-motor AWD was the representative volume configuration for most of the model year.

Dual-motor AWD combined torque figure for the 75D, the volume trim.

Manufacturer figure for the AWD dual-motor 75D, consistent across sources.

Electric motors provide seamless, immediate power delivery with none of the rough transitions possible in ICE or hybrid powertrains.

A single-speed direct-drive EV powertrain cannot exhibit shift harshness or hesitation; delivery is inherently seamless.

AWD is available across most of the trim range with genuinely sophisticated per-axle torque apportioning (not a mechanical transfer case/locker system, so short of full off-road-grade hardware).

Multiple battery/performance tiers exist, but all are the same single powertrain type (electric) — no fuel-type diversity to reward here.

EPA combined MPGe for the volume AWD trim.

EPA city MPGe for the volume AWD trim.

EPA highway MPGe for the volume AWD trim.

EPA full-charge range for the volume AWD trim; the later-model-year 100D/P100D reached up to 335/315 miles respectively but were not available for most of the model year.

The 75 kWh pack was software/hardware-limited to 120 kW in 2017; higher Supercharger rates on other packs came via later software updates, not at launch.

Consistent with the car's 120 kW peak and the tapering charge curve typical of 2017-era Tesla battery packs.

EPA's standard annual energy-cost estimate for the volume AWD trim.

No fuel-grade cost or complication; home charging is the cheapest and simplest energy source in the class.

The Model S carried its 5-star NHTSA overall rating (earned in 2013 for this same first generation) unchanged into the 2017 model year; NHTSA does not retest a carry-over structure.

Good ratings in moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints, but only Acceptable in the small-overlap front test (even after Tesla's 2017 structural revision) and Poor headlights, so the 2017 Model S did not qualify for a Top Safety Pick award.

Forward collision warning, standard AEB, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, lane departure warning and visual blind-spot alerts were standard on every 2017 Model S trim, but the marquee feature — Autosteer lane-keeping under the Enhanced Autopilot package — was a $5,000 option, and no rear cross-traffic alert was offered at any price.

IIHS rated the Model S's front crash prevention Superior, with the vehicle avoiding collision outright in both the 12 mph and 25 mph vehicle-to-vehicle test scenarios.

Blind-spot warning was standard but alert-only (an ultrasonic-based on-screen arc active 20-85 mph, not a mirror-light radar system), and Tesla never equipped the Model S with rear-corner radar, so rear cross-traffic alert was unavailable at any trim or price.

The AP2 hardware that debuted in late 2016 had its Autosteer function re-enabled only in February 2017 (v8.0) and owners reported rough, jerky lane-centering and single-camera limitations through much of the model year as Tesla rebuilt feature parity with the retired AP1 system.

Traffic-Aware Cruise Control was standard and handled full-speed-range highway driving, but 2017 owner reports describe rough stop-and-go behavior and phantom-braking incidents as Tesla matured the AP2 radar/camera fusion stack over the course of the year.

Even with Enhanced Autopilot purchased, 2017 Autosteer required a hand on the wheel and nagged/disengaged without detected torque; there was no hands-free highway mode on any Model S trim this model year.

IIHS rated the Model S's headlights Poor on every trim tested, citing glare on low beam and inadequate visibility in all four curve-test configurations.

The fixed panoramic glass roof and low beltline/greenhouse give the Model S good natural forward and side sightlines for a sedan this size, period reviews called visibility a strength versus German luxury rivals of the era, though thick rear roof pillars limit the rear three-quarter view.

IIHS rated LATCH ease of use Marginal, citing anchors that are difficult to locate and maneuver around in the rear seats.

Standard 5-seat configuration for the volume trim; the 2 rear-facing jump seats were a factory option aimed at children, not full adult capacity.

Glass panoramic roof option aside, front headroom is mid-pack for a full-size luxury liftback sedan.

Long 116.5 in wheelbase gives generous front legroom, above the sedan band midpoint.

The sweeping fastback roofline that defines the Model S silhouette costs real rear headroom versus a conventional 3-box sedan; tall rear passengers' heads sit close to the headliner.

Adequate but unremarkable rear legroom for the full-size luxury class — Model S trades some rear knee room for its sloped roofline and battery packaging.

A hatch-style rear trunk plus a genuine front trunk gives Model S far more usable cargo volume than a conventional 3-box luxury sedan.

The front trunk is a genuine storage innovation unique in the segment at the time, and the enclosed center console bin (standard since the March 2016 running change) replaced the earlier open shelf — but door pockets and other cubbies remain modest versus German rivals.

Front seats on the pre-2021-redesign Model S were repeatedly flagged by period reviewers as flat and firm compared to Mercedes/Lexus rivals; rear bench is comfortable for two but tight for three.

Standard air suspension gives a composed ride that stays on the firm side, especially with larger wheel options — reviewers called it controlled but 'far from cushy'.

The electric powertrain is essentially silent, which removes the dominant noise source in a combustion luxury sedan, though wind noise around the mirrors and A-pillars is noticeable at highway speed in this generation.

Dual-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats were standard, with app-based remote climate preconditioning a genuine convenience; heated rear seats/steering wheel were trim/option dependent rather than universal.

Entry 2017 Model S 75 (RWD) started at $69,500 before destination; AWD and larger-battery trims ran up to $135,000 for P100D.

The 75D (all-wheel drive, 75 kWh) was the most commonly ordered configuration in the 2017 lineup, pairing AWD with the lowest step-up over the base RWD 75.

No scheduled oil changes or transmission service lower routine cost versus a comparable gas luxury sedan, but out-of-warranty drive-unit and 12V/suspension repairs on an EV of this era keep the total from being negligible.

Model S resale tracking shows roughly 60-65% depreciation over 5 years, worse than the broader luxury-sedan average, pressured by Tesla's frequent price cuts on new inventory and rapid year-over-year range/tech improvements.

Standard Tesla New Vehicle Limited Warranty for the period.

2017 Model S trims (75/75D/90D/100D/P100D) all used battery packs of 70 kWh or greater, which under Tesla's warranty schedule of the period qualified for unlimited-mile coverage for the full 8 years rather than a mileage-capped version.

No complimentary scheduled-maintenance plan was included — owners paid per-visit for annual service — but every 2017 Model S came with meaningful, genuinely valuable perks: free lifetime Supercharging for cars ordered before mid-April 2017 (reverting to free unlimited Supercharging fleet-wide again from May 2017 via the referral program), plus roadside assistance for the duration of the basic warranty.

$74,500 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (38% retained, or about $28,310) leaves about $46,190 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $50,690 in total.

Consumer Reports' October 2017 owner survey gave the Model S its first above-average predicted-reliability mark, a genuine improvement for this model year, but it followed several years of below-average ratings and CR's broader multi-year data still shows the Model S trailing same-model-year rivals overall — a real but fragile improvement rather than a settled top-tier track record.

Tesla has consistently landed in the bottom third of J.D. Power's long-term Vehicle Dependability Study in every year it has been tracked (30th of 33 brands in its 2021 debut, 28th of 32 in 2023) and CR brand rankings place it below the industry average across the same period — a durable pattern rather than a one-year blip, even though Tesla wasn't yet large enough to be individually ranked in 2017 itself.

This generation of Model S has accumulated roughly nine NHTSA recalls over its life (hood-latch, seatbelt-warning, instrument-panel font, steering-assist and 'rolling stop' software items among them) — typical-to-elevated activity for the era, none of it a repeated or systemic powertrain/fire safety failure, but enough individual campaigns to sit below a clean-record car.

The earliest Model S drive units (2012-2015) had a well-documented high early-failure rate, but Tesla revised the drive unit design starting around 2016, and the 2017 car benefits from that update; battery pack longevity, separately, has turned out to be a genuine strength (fleet data shows roughly 88-91% capacity retention at 100,000-200,000 miles), so the class now reads as newer/improved with lingering caution from the pre-2016 track record rather than a clean long-haul reputation.

Edmunds' 2017 review specifically praised tight panel gaps and excellent cabin materials for the price, and the minimalist, glass-roofed, leather-and-metal interior reads as premium against full-size luxury sedan rivals of the period, short of the switchgear richness of the German flagships it competes with.

Reviewers and owner forums present a genuinely split picture: Edmunds found tight, consistent panel gaps on test cars, while contemporaneous owner reports (TeslaMotorsClub build-quality threads) describe recurring trim-clip and door-panel looseness and worsening rear bumper gaps over time — consistent with Tesla's early-era reputation for inconsistent assembly rather than either extreme.

Tesla's company-owned service network was still thin relative to the fleet in 2017-2018, with documented owner complaints about multi-hour phone queues, unreturned calls, and delayed repairs; Tesla's own service-satisfaction metrics declined year-over-year through this period (only 42% rating their experience 'excellent', down from 57% the year before), placing the network below the dealer density and service reputation of established luxury brands.

Aluminum unibody construction, Tesla's tight control over its parts supply chain, and the added labor of de-energizing and often removing the high-voltage battery for collision work push repair estimates well above comparable gas luxury sedans — reports of $7,000-$45,000 estimates for what would be modest damage on another car — and there is essentially no mature aftermarket or independent-parts ecosystem to offset it.

The 17-inch center display was standard across the entire 2017 Model S lineup and remained the largest screen in the segment by a wide margin.

Widely cited by 2016-2017 reviewers as the benchmark infotainment interface of the era for responsiveness and clean layout, though climate and many vehicle functions routed through the touchscreen rather than physical controls.

Tesla has never offered Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on any Model S, by design — the vehicle relies entirely on its own in-house OS and apps.

Native navigation with real-time traffic was standard and functional, but 2017-era voice control was basic command recognition rather than natural-language understanding, and many owners relied on the browser or phone for richer navigation.

The available/standard Ultra High Fidelity 12-speaker sound system was well regarded by reviewers, and even the base setup was solid.

A fully configurable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster was standard since launch, ahead of most 2017 rivals that still offered analog gauges on volume trims.

Tesla pioneered whole-vehicle over-the-air updates starting with the Model S in 2012, regularly adding features and improving Autopilot — a capability no 2017 rival matched.

The Tesla app offered phone-based unlock and remote start (added via 2014 software update), remote climate control, charge monitoring, and basic Summon by 2017, free of subscription cost — well ahead of rival apps of the era.

Five USB-A ports were spread through the cabin (front console, rear console, glovebox), but factory wireless phone charging was not offered in 2017 (only aftermarket add-ons existed), and USB-C did not arrive until the 2021 redesign.

Proximity key fob entry was standard, and phone-as-key unlock/start via the Tesla app had already been enabled by a 2014 software update, giving genuine keyless convenience ahead of most 2017 rivals.

A standard rearview camera plus front and rear parking sensors covered the basics, but no surround/360-degree camera was available on this generation — that arrived on later Tesla hardware.

No head-up display was ever offered on the Model S; Tesla relies on the digital instrument cluster and center touchscreen instead.

Large frameless doors and standard LATCH anchors ease car-seat installs, and optional rear-facing jump seats suit older children, but the low sedan ride height is less convenient for lifting toddlers than a crossover.

Model S earned 5-star NHTSA ratings across categories and was noted for exceptionally low rollover risk; standard forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking came with the October 2016 Autopilot 2.0 hardware rollout that covers the full 2017 model year.

Generous combined trunk-plus-frunk capacity and a comfortable rear seat for two adults support family trips, but there is no rear-seat entertainment and rear climate control is basic dual-zone rather than a dedicated third zone.

Single-speed EV power delivery and strong regenerative braking make stop-and-go traffic effortless, and standard/optional Autopilot adaptive cruise and lane-keep further reduce commuting fatigue.

Per-mile electricity cost is far below a comparable gas luxury sedan even after Tesla began charging for Supercharger use for new orders in January 2017; home charging keeps routine commuting costs low.

At 196 inches long with a roughly 37-foot turning circle, Model S is noticeably large for tight city parking, though the standard rear camera and parking sensors help offset the footprint.

Model S carries no tow rating and no payload- or cargo-bed-oriented capability; it is a luxury sedan with no work-use provisions.

As a new-to-market premium EV in 2017, Model S had no fleet or hard-use durability track record, and its interior materials are luxury-oriented rather than wear-resistant.

No tie-downs, cargo bed, or upfit ecosystem exist for Model S; it is not marketed or equipped for jobsite use.

EPA range spanned roughly 249-315 miles depending on trim, paired with an already-extensive Supercharger network by 2017 and Autopilot driver assistance that eases highway fatigue in a quiet cabin.

Low ground clearance and a liftback-sedan body limit off-pavement use; roof racks were not commonly fitted and base rear-wheel-drive trims lack the traction of the AWD D variants for gravel or snow.

Flat-folding rear seats combined with the frunk give up to 58.1 cu ft of total cargo volume and two separate load points, handling bulky gear better than a conventional 3-box sedan trunk.

The under-floor battery pack gives a very low center of gravity and a 45/55 front-rear weight split, producing remarkably flat cornering and strong grip for a roughly 4,900-lb sedan.

Steering is accurate and well weighted but widely criticized by enthusiast reviewers as numb, with little road feedback transmitted to the driver.

Regenerative braking blends smoothly into the friction brakes, and instrumented 60-0 mph stops of around 102 feet were short and consistent across repeated runs.

The single-speed electric drivetrain delivers instant, vibration-free torque with no shift shudder or lag, among the smoothest powertrain experiences available in 2017.

The electric motor is near-silent under most driving conditions; the main audible trait reported by owners and reviewers is a faint high-pitched whine under hard acceleration.

Mid-pack turning circle for a full-size sedan, consistent with its 116.5 in wheelbase.

Power seat and wheel adjustment plus a low cowl give excellent forward visibility, but routing climate and many secondary controls through the touchscreen reduces tactile ergonomics versus rivals with physical switchgear.

Instant-torque acceleration and a composed, flat-cornering chassis make the Model S genuinely engaging despite numb steering feel, and enthusiast press repeatedly praised its surprising agility for a large luxury sedan.

Even the base 2017 Model S 75 came standard with the 17-inch center touchscreen, navigation, glass roof, LED lighting, forced-air cooled seats, and full Autopilot hardware (cameras/radar/sonar) — items rival luxury sedans from BMW, Mercedes and Audi charged thousands extra for or didn't offer at all at this price point. Autopilot's convenience software itself was a paid unlock, which keeps this short of the top band.

The Model S undercut comparably quick luxury sedans and even six-figure sports cars on 0-60 performance per dollar (P100D's sub-2.5s Ludicrous+ launch at $135,000 embarrassed cars costing far more), while 75/75D buyers got EV running-cost advantages and instant-torque drivability that combustion rivals in the segment didn't match.

Five trims spanned $69,500-$135,000 (75, 75D, 90D phasing to 100D, P100D) with RWD/AWD and battery-size choices, but it was a single body style with no lower-cost base trim under $70k and no wagon/coupe variant rivals' lineups sometimes offered — a reasonable but not sprawling range.

The Model S was the top-selling electric vehicle in the US in 2017 at roughly 26,800 units, outselling every EV rival and holding its own against established gas luxury sedans in its price bracket.

Tesla in 2017 carried an aspirational, tech-forward brand image with a loyal buyer base and significant cultural cachet, reinforced by strong press coverage and Consumer Reports naming the Model S the best overall ultra-luxury car that year.

Tesla sold direct with fixed, non-negotiable pricing and no dealer-style discounting, but the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit was still available in 2017 (ahead of Tesla's 2018 phase-out threshold), plus various state rebates — a real, if narrow, incentive path rather than MSRP haggling.

The 2017 model year was five years into the Model S's original 2012 generation. It carried the April 2016 facelift (revised fascia dropping the fake grille) and the newly-introduced Autopilot 2.0 hardware suite from late 2016, so the tech and drivetrain were current via Tesla's frequent updates, but the core body, platform and interior architecture were unchanged since 2012 — mid-cycle rather than freshly redesigned.

Consumer Reports named the Model S the best 'ultra-luxury car' and effectively its best overall-tested vehicle in July 2017 after a perfect test-track/road-test score (its composite score was pulled down only by average owner-reported dependability), and it remained the benchmark EV in contemporary comparison coverage.