> Only the top-of-the-line performance model is $105k, and that's before tax credits which bring it back down to five figures.

Which loan financing and sales tax brings back up to six figures.

Both of which are not normally included in auto price comparisons. You have to measure apples to apples here.

You're correct, but we're not comparing car prices.

The original claim was that being able to pay six figures for a car puts the purchaser in rare company. For the sake of that argument, it doesn't matter where the six figures come from.

The original claim was "the 6 figure prices most Tesla vehicles sell for."

Taxes, sure, but financing? That's just dishonest.

I looked for a breakdown of Tesla sales, but could not find anything. I am pretty sure that it is accurate to say the majority of Tesla Model S's on the road are 6 figure vehicles. I know this is anecdotal, but here in the Houston area, I would say the breakdown of Model S vehicles on the road are about 5% P65, 65% P85, and the rest P85D/S/+. Now, Im sure there are people who bought the stripped down P65 with no options. However, Most of these P85s are loaded, and a quick glance at the Tesla motors site shows that a 70 will cost you 76,750 base and 91,250 loaded (+ 1200 dest&regulation fee.) A 85/D will cost you 81,750 base and loaded is over 101,250. Cars like the ones most magazines test are fully loaded top of the line models. The sticker on the P85D in the video vs the charger hellcat was 129k. Sure you can get one in the 75-90k range, but most on the road are not going to be equipped that way.

This is just the nature of the car business(even a disrupted one). People want options, and base price is rarely what gets delivered, there is just too much profit to be had from options.

I am not saying this to deride Tesla, but lets call the model S what it really is, a 100k electric car with great performance.

You might be a bit mixed up on the Tesla lineup. The P models are the high-end performance versions (the P is for "performance"). There's no such thing as a stripped-down P Tesla. There was never a 65 of any variety. There was a 60, but there was never a P60. Right now the lineup is 70D, 85, 85D, P85D. (The D being for "Dual motor" i.e. all wheel drive.) Previously there was a 60 instead of the 70D. Long ago there was a 40, but it got discontinued almost instantaneously.

My own anecdotal experience is that virtually every Tesla on the road is an 85, with 85D starting to supplant it now, and the 70D probably going to start taking that crown once it ships.

I bought my 85 with lots of reasonable/useful options (tech package, sunroof, rear seats) but without the frilly stuff (high-end sound system, "premium interior") and it was comfortably under $100,000 even without counting the federal tax credit.

I wouldn't object too strenuously to rounding my price up to "100k" as part of discussions like this, though.

My mistake, I knew P stood for performance so just a typo. Its been so long since Ive seen the 60 that I couldnt remember the model designation. Either way, I still think my argument stands as reasonable...

It most definitely is a luxury item, but not high-end luxury; it's interesting how the sales corrolate with the price. If you look at Scandinavia, the Model S is around the same price as a BMW 5 series and people go "OMG! WANTS!", whereas in the UK with essentially zero subsidies it competes with Aston Martins or the Maserati Ghibli and the posh people go "Bah, no thanks".