2019 Tesla Model S

Volume trim for MY2019 is the Long Range dual-motor; the Performance trim above it adds Ludicrous mode and a higher peak-output rear drive unit.

Tesla does not publish a torque figure on its own spec sheet; this is the figure consistently corroborated across independent spec aggregators for the 2019 Long Range dual-motor powertrain.

Manufacturer-quoted 0-60 time for the Long Range volume trim, corroborated by independent instrumented tests; the Performance trim's Ludicrous-mode figure is the halo number for the nameplate.

Dual-motor EV powertrain delivers instant, linear torque with zero lag or coarseness — reviewers consistently cite this as a benchmark trait of the Model S, and the April 2019 Raven update added new drive units with even quieter, smoother delivery.

Single-speed reduction gear per motor means no shifting at all — power delivery is continuous with no hunting or harshness.

Dual-motor AWD is standard on both the Long Range and Performance trims (the bulk of 2019 production) with independent front/rear torque control, though there is no low-range or terrain-mode hardware since this is a road sedan. The base Standard Range (RWD, limited early-2019 availability only) is the exception.

Battery-electric only — no gas, hybrid, or PHEV alternative is offered on the nameplate; the only choice is between range/performance tiers, all EV.

EPA-certified combined MPGe for the 2019 Model S Long Range, the volume trim.

EPA-certified city MPGe for the 2019 Model S Long Range.

EPA-certified highway MPGe for the 2019 Model S Long Range.

EPA-rated full-charge range for the Long Range volume trim, following Tesla's April 2019 efficiency update that raised the rating from 335 to 370 miles.

Tesla enabled Raven-era Model S units to charge at up to 200 kW on V3 Superchargers starting June 2019; this was a step up from the ~120-145 kW ceiling of pre-Raven cars on V2 hardware, though real-world V3 tests in 2019 commonly observed 150-181 kW peaks before later software updates raised the ceiling further.

Tesla did not publish a single 10-80% figure for MY2019; this is the midpoint of contemporary real-world charging-curve tests on V3 Superchargers for the Raven Long Range, slower than later model years once the charge curve was further optimized.

EPA standard-assumption annual energy cost for the 2019 Model S Long Range.

Charges on any standard Level 2 home setup or Tesla's own Supercharger network; no fuel-grade cost or complexity at all.

Model S has carried a 5-star NHTSA overall rating (5-star in every subcategory) since its original 2013 testing; the platform has not been re-tested for 2019 because it remains the same first generation (2012–) body structure.

IIHS rates the Model S Good in moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints, but only Acceptable in small overlap front (driver-side torso moving too far forward, head contacting the wheel through the airbag) and Poor on headlights — disqualifying it from Top Safety Pick/TSP+ despite otherwise strong structural results.

By 2019 Tesla made its base Autopilot suite (automatic emergency braking, forward/side collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning & prevention, Autosteer, and traffic-aware cruise control) standard across every Model S trim with no option-gating — but the suite has no rear cross-traffic alert at all in 2019, which keeps it short of a comprehensive ADAS set.

IIHS rated the Model S's standard front crash prevention system Superior for vehicle-to-vehicle, avoiding the collision outright in both the 12 mph and 25 mph test runs; no separate IIHS pedestrian AEB test result was published for this generation.

Blind-spot monitoring is standard and alert-based (camera-fed blind-spot view appears on the touchscreen when signaling), but there is no rear cross-traffic alert or active intervention of any kind in the 2019 lineup.

Autosteer is standard and generally tracks lanes smoothly on well-marked highways by 2019, though reviewers and owners still note occasional wander and reduced confidence on poorly marked roads or tight curves relative to the best lane-centering systems of the period.

Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is standard and capable across the full speed range, and Navigate on Autopilot (automated highway lane changes, available as part of the Enhanced Autopilot/Full Self-Driving option) impressed some reviewers, but Consumer Reports' May 2019 test found its automatic lane changes 'far less competent than a human driver,' including cutting off cars and passing on the right.

No hands-free driving mode exists in the 2019 Model S — Autopilot, Navigate on Autopilot and the nascent Full Self-Driving package all require continuous hands-on-wheel torque with driver-monitoring nags; true hands-free highway driving was not introduced on any Tesla until years later.

IIHS rated the 2019 Model S's standard LED reflector headlights (curve-adaptive, with high-beam assist) Poor overall — fair visibility on straightaways but inadequate illumination on curves, with excessive glare from the low beams.

The low, sloped glass roofline gives generally good forward sightlines, but owners and reviewers consistently flag thick A-pillars that create meaningful blind spots at angled intersections, partially offset by a standard rear-view camera and an automatic blind-spot camera feed shown on the touchscreen when signaling.

The Model S seats 5, so this item applies, but reviewers and owners consistently describe its LATCH anchors as deep and difficult to reach behind a tight seat-bottom bolster and anchor-cover flap, with narrow, low-slung rear door openings that make rear-facing seat installation especially awkward versus class norms.

Standard Long Range/Performance configuration seats 5; the optional child jump seats of earlier model years were dropped by the time of the April 2019 Raven refresh.

Front headroom sits mid-pack for a full-size luxury sedan; the standard panoramic glass roof trims a bit versus a solid roof.

Generous front legroom reflecting the Model S's long wheelbase and flat EV floor.

The Model S's sloping fastback roofline is a well-known rear-headroom compromise for taller rear passengers, among the tightest in the full-size luxury sedan segment.

Adequate but not class-leading rear legroom for a full-size sedan; roomy enough for adults on moderate trips.

Tesla markets the Model S's combined trunk-plus-frunk capacity as class-leading for a sedan, aided by the rear glass hatch and lack of an engine up front.

The front trunk is a genuine standout, and the deep center console, large door pockets, and flat floor (no transmission tunnel) make everyday storage excellent for the segment.

Pre-2021-refresh seats are supportive for daily use but were a recurring mild criticism in period reviews for being flatter and less plush than rival German luxury sedans.

Standard adaptive air suspension (refined further with the April 2019 Raven update) delivers a controlled, largely composed ride that reviewers rated well for the segment, with firmness on Performance wheels.

No engine noise and a well-sealed cabin make the Model S quiet at speed, with only modest wind/tire noise and slight motor whine noted by reviewers.

Heated front and rear seats and a HEPA-filter 'Bioweapon Defense Mode' cabin air system were standard/available, plus app-based remote pre-conditioning; ventilated seats were not yet offered (added in the 2021 refresh).

Entry trim for 2019 after Tesla's April 2019 lineup simplification (75D → Standard Range).

Long Range was the volume trim after the April 2019 restructure (replacing the 100D); Standard Range was a low-volume, short-lived offering discontinued by October 2019.

No engine/transmission service, but Tesla parts, body panels and out-of-network repair labor run well above the segment despite EV simplicity; estimates vary by source.

Model S depreciates heavily versus the typical sedan — driven by rapid Tesla software/hardware iteration, large battery replacement anxiety, and later/cheaper Teslas undercutting used values.

Standard Tesla bumper-to-bumper coverage for the 2019 model year, in line with mainstream (non-luxury-extended) warranty norms.

Battery and drive unit coverage runs 8 years on all 2019 trims; the Long Range and Performance volume/halo trims carry no mileage cap, which is class-leading.

No complimentary scheduled-maintenance plan — owners pay per visit — but roadside assistance is included through the warranty period, and Tesla's reinstated March 2019 referral program offered 1,000–2,000 miles of free Supercharging to new buyers for a time.

$81,190 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (35% retained, or about $28,417) leaves about $52,774 in depreciation. Add the projected $13,720 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $66,494 in total.

Consumer Reports rated the 2019 Model S at 41/100 predicted reliability, labeled 'Average' — not top-tier, but enough of a rebound from 2018 that CR restored the Model S's 'Recommended' status in November 2019 after pulling it the prior year. Mid-2019 Raven cars add a new front drive unit and adaptive air suspension with no track record yet at time of scoring, which keeps this from climbing higher.

Tesla placed 23rd of 30 brands in Consumer Reports' 2019 annual reliability survey — a 4-spot gain from 2018 but still bottom-third, dragged down by Model X. J.D. Power did not formally rank Tesla at all in 2019 because Tesla would not grant the access needed for a representative sample, so the brand has no official VDS standing this year, leaving CR's bottom-third placement as the clearest signal.

NHTSA data compiled by Cars.com/Consumer Reports shows 10 recalls touching the 2019 Model S, including a 2018-2019-specific back-over-prevention campaign for Autopilot Computer 2.5 firmware — typical activity for the era rather than a systemic or fire/powertrain-severity pattern. The 2019 MY predates the two worst Model S recall years (the Palladium refresh's door-latch/airbag campaigns and the earlier MCU1 eMMC/steering-bolt/parking-brake recalls, both of which target different build windows that don't include 2019).

The mid-2019 Raven refresh replaced the front induction motor with a new permanent-magnet switched-reluctance motor derived from the Model 3 Performance unit, plus an in-house adaptive air suspension — both unproven at high mileage as of this model year, though built on components with no early red flags. Pre-Raven 2019 cars carry forward the older, well-documented induction drive units that routinely exceed 200k miles, and the EV drivetrain's inherent simplicity (one moving part per motor, no transmission) supports durability overall; a documented drive-unit failure mode from coolant intrusion into the inverter is a real but second-order flag on the nameplate's broader history rather than something specific to 2019.

By 2019 the Model S cabin is the 2016-facelift dash (vertical center screen, physical switchgear) carried four model years on, with real wood/leather options but increasingly dated layout and piano-black trim prone to scratching next to newer Full-Size Luxury Sedan rivals' cabins. Materials are genuine where used rather than class-leading for the price, which lands this in the competitive-but-not-standout band.

Panel-gap inconsistency and delivery-day alignment complaints are a persistent, well-documented pattern across the Model S's production history including this era — Tesla Motors Club owner threads from this period describe gaps 'off-spec for pretty much any other major automaker' — though 2019 predates the nameplate's worst fit-and-finish year (the 2021 Palladium refresh). Issues are typically correctable at the first service visit rather than being structural.

Tesla's US service footprint was still thin and expanding through 2019 — Electrek reported roughly 25 new service locations opened in a single quarter with 30-plus more announced — well short of the ~150-200 location network Tesla would reach a few years later, and the direct-to-consumer model has no dealer network to fall back on for overflow capacity.

2019 sits inside Tesla's well-documented collision-parts crunch: TeslaMotorsClub owner reports from this period describe body shops with 50-60 Teslas backed up waiting on parts and multi-month repair timelines, and even as average parts-wait time was reportedly down 65% from a 2018 peak, individual cases still ran weeks to months. Routine running costs stay low (no oil service, regenerative-braking-extended pads/rotors), which keeps this off the very bottom.

The 17-inch portrait-mounted touchscreen was standard across the 2019 Model S lineup and was the largest in the segment at the time.

The large, fast, media-rich touchscreen with free OTA-delivered feature updates was widely praised as the benchmark infotainment system of its era, though reviewers noted heavy touch reliance for basic functions (climate, mirrors).

Tesla does not offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on any Model S, by design, instead relying on its own integrated touchscreen ecosystem.

Native navigation (with Supercharger trip-planning overlay) was a genuine strength, but 2019-era voice commands were limited to a narrow set of functions (calls, navigation, some media) well before Tesla's more conversational 'Hey Tesla' assistant arrived in 2021.

An 11-speaker premium sound system was standard equipment on the 2019 lineup and was well reviewed for clarity and output.

A crisp, fully digital driver display (separate from the central touchscreen) was standard on every 2019 Model S trim, showing speed, range, Autopilot visualization and trip data.

Tesla's whole-vehicle over-the-air update capability — adding new features, performance tweaks, and safety functions without a dealer visit — was and remains an industry-leading differentiator, and was fully active on the 2019 Model S.

The Tesla app provided remote climate control/pre-conditioning, lock/unlock, vehicle locate, charge management and phone-as-key functionality at no subscription cost in 2019.

2019 Model S offered only USB-A ports (two front, two rear) and no wireless phone charging pad — that arrived with the 2021 interior refresh — so device power provisions were merely adequate for the era.

Standard key fob and phone-as-key via the Tesla app, with door handles that auto-present on approach, gave a strong keyless experience standard across trims.

A rearview camera and front/rear parking sensors were standard, but the 2019 Model S did not yet offer a true photographic 360-degree surround view — that capability came later via software.

Tesla has never offered a head-up display on the Model S, instead routing all driver information through the digital instrument cluster and center touchscreen.

Standard LATCH anchors and a wide rear bench work for car seats, but the low sedan seating position and large door sills around the battery pack make buckling small kids more awkward than in a crossover/SUV.

Standard Autopilot (automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring) plus a 5-star NHTSA overall rating gave the Model S a strong, trim-independent safety package for families.

Quiet highway cruising, Autopilot-assisted long stints, and generous combined cargo work well for a family of four on trips, offset by firmer rear-seat cushioning and only 5-seat capacity.

Instant torque, strong regenerative braking that approaches one-pedal driving, a quiet cabin, and no transmission shifts make stop-and-go commuting notably relaxed.

EPA-rated at roughly 30 kWh/100 mi for the Long Range Raven, the Model S's electricity cost per mile is a fraction of any comparable gas luxury sedan's fuel cost.

A large footprint (nearly 196 in long) and a wide ~38-39 ft turning circle, with only a rear camera and parking sensors (no 360 view in 2019), make tight urban parking more effortful than in smaller rivals.

Tesla did not offer a tow rating, hitch option, or cargo-bed functionality on the Model S in 2019 — it is not meaningfully work-capable.

The simpler EV drivetrain (no engine, transmission, or exhaust to wear) offers some inherent mechanical durability, but the luxury-focused interior and lack of any work-oriented ruggedization mean it isn't suited to hard-use duty.

No tie-downs, rack/upfit ecosystem, or washable work-duty surfaces are offered; the frunk and trunk are designed around luggage, not tools or jobsite gear.

The Raven-era Long Range's 370-mile EPA range, Tesla's mature Supercharger network with built-in trip planning, a quiet cabin, and standard Autopilot combine to make the Model S an excellent long-distance tourer.

Dual-motor AWD (standard on Long Range/Performance) adds some all-weather traction, but low ground clearance, no roof rack/rail provision, and no tow rating leave it pavement-bound with little genuine adventure capability.

A 60/40 split-folding rear seat, large hatchback-style rear liftgate, and the added front trunk give genuinely flexible gear-hauling for a sedan, even without roof-rack capability.

A low center of gravity from the floor-mounted battery pack gives the Long Range AWD composed, well-controlled cornering for its size and weight (~4,800 lbs), even if it's not as sharp as the Performance variant.

Steering is accurate and adjustable in weight but is consistently described by reviewers as light and short on genuine road feedback.

Stopping power is adequate and the Raven update refined brake-pedal tuning, but blending between regenerative and friction braking was still noted as occasionally inconsistent versus the smoothest EV rivals.

A single-speed EV drivetrain with instant torque, no gear shifts, and no engine stop/start gives essentially seamless, vibration-free response — a Model S hallmark since launch and further refined by the Raven motor update.

The electric motors are near-silent under most driving, with only a faint high-speed whine under hard acceleration and no combustion-engine vibration through the controls.

A wide turning circle reflects the Model S's large footprint; it sits toward the less-maneuverable end of the full-size sedan band.

Seat and wheel adjustability and outward visibility are good, but routing climate, mirror, and other controls almost entirely through the touchscreen rather than physical switches drew consistent reviewer criticism as a daily ergonomic compromise.

Blistering acceleration and instant throttle response make the Long Range genuinely exciting in a straight line, even if it lacks the engagement of a dedicated sports sedan through corners; the Performance trim pushes this further with Ludicrous mode.

Premium interior, glass roof, 15-inch touchscreen, navigation, and base Autopilot (lane-keep/adaptive cruise) came standard across all 2019 trims, but Tesla charges thousands extra for Enhanced Autopilot/Full Self-Driving and some comfort items — competitive, not segment-leading, generosity.

Exceptional straight-line performance (sub-4-second 0-60 on Long Range, sub-2.5s on Performance w/ Ludicrous) and strong EV range per dollar versus rival luxury EVs, offset by pricing that lands near the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series.

Only three trims (Standard Range, Long Range, Performance) and a single body style/drivetrain layout per trim (Standard Range was RWD single-motor, the others dual-motor AWD) — a narrower lineup than most luxury-sedan rivals offering multiple body styles and engine choices.

2019 was a down year for Model S/X: combined deliveries fell sharply (Q1 2019 the lowest since Q3 2015, down ~37% YoY) as the cheaper Model 3 cannibalized demand and the federal EV tax credit stepped down for Tesla buyers.

Tesla carried an aspirational, cult-following brand image in 2019, and the Model S specifically was the halo car that built that reputation — reinforced mid-year by MotorTrend naming it 'Ultimate Car of the Year' across the magazine's 70-year history.

Tesla does not negotiate or haggle and rarely ran traditional sales incentives in 2019; the federal EV tax credit for Tesla buyers stepped down mid-year (to $1,875 by July 2019), shrinking the effective discount versus 2018.

By 2019 the Model S was 7 model years into its single generation (debuted 2012), on the same core platform with only incremental updates — the April 2019 refresh brought a more efficient drive unit, faster charging and adaptive suspension, but the body/architecture was unchanged and newer luxury EV rivals were approaching.

Despite its age, the Model S remained a critical favorite in 2019, capped by MotorTrend's 70th-anniversary 'Ultimate Car of the Year' award and continued top marks from Consumer Reports and Edmunds as a benchmark EV.