For me, cars are a mere functionary – a convenient mode of transport with a stereo, and, if I’m lucky, a cup-holder and maybe even a seat where a spring doesn’t poke too hard in the back

Yesterday, I was given the chance to drive a new bright red Tesla Model S 85D, which retails at a cheeky $121,000. I leapt at the chance to take the test drive, and possibly channel my inner Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear (though I didn’t scream “ more poweerrrrr” at any stage). 

And to be honest, I was impressed. Scrap that. More than impressed. 

For me, the first concern with any car is getting in it. At 6’4”, legroom is often something I struggle with. There was plenty of room in the driver’s seat - a big tick from my point of view. 

Sitting behind the wheel, the car’s dominating feature is the massive 17” touch screen, from where nearly all of the car’s functions are operated. It’s essentially a souped up smartphone on wheels.

There are only two physical buttons on the dash - the hazard lights, and the button to pop open the glovebox. The rest of the car, from opening the sunroof to the GPS, from setting the steering to temperature control, is all performed through this in-car multimedia system. 

The car comes with a sim card from Telstra, which allows passengers to surf the net while driving. It’s like having a PC monitor in the dash. 

Other than the lack of a gear stick in the traditional spot on the floor (it’s a simple Park-Reverse-Neutral-Drive column shift), it looks like any other car. 

For the test drive, we took the car from the Visitor Information Centre in Sloane St, out on the bypass and back over Rocky Hill, down Park Rd and through town. 

It’s a route that allowed the car to show off plenty, from the handling and cornering to highway driving and even waiting for roadwork on Hume St. 

For those who think the electric cars lack zip, the 85D showed plenty of toe on the highway.

We cruised along the bypass (sticking to 110km/h, of course…), and I was told that this model could do 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds, which is quick in anyone’s books.

Given there’s several hundred kilograms of battery underneath, this is mighty impressive, and the car is capable of potentially reaching 250km/h. 

However the biggest issue to come to grips with wasn’t with the car, but with me. There’s a natural correlation about putting your foot down and hearing the engine roar. When I did give the engine plenty, there was no sound, just acceleration, and that took some getting used to. 

The braking took some getting used to as well. The Model S is fitting with regenerative braking, meaning when you take your foot off the accelerator, the motor is re-purposed to recover the kinetic energy while you’re slowing down.

In essence, the car slows itself down and converts that energy back into the motor. It also means that you don’t have to ride the brakes -  it was a novelty going down the steep Park Road and not having to figuratively stand on the brake pedal. 

Driving around town, I barely touched the brake. It’s a great feature, and one that you can easily turn off for highway driving.

Like any new car, it would take a while to get used to the myriad features, and I can see how some people would take to the Tesla like a duck to water. 

Expect to see more Teslas around Goulburn, with the Supercharger now offering Tesla groups the chance to charge up while they’re here.

Tesla has plans to bring an entry level car into the market in the near future.