Our good friend Kyle Conner from the Out of Spec network just bought a brand-new Tesla Model S Plaid. Being that it's one of Tesla's most expensive models, one might assume the paint job is top quality, though Tesla has been under scrutiny for its paint quality for many years. Is it finally improving?
Kyle took the Model S Plaid to Clear Detailing in Windsor, Colorado, to connect with Coleton Guerin, the company's sole owner and head detailer. Guerin provides a full evaluation of the new Plaid's paint job. He starts with a preliminary inspection followed by a thorough washing. Then, they measure the paint's thickness and check for any scratches or defects.
Depending on who you talk to, you may have heard that Tesla has made notable strides with its vehicles' overall quality over the years. However, others continue to point out that the electric automaker's lineup isn't as high-quality as it should be considering the cars' high prices.
The Model S Plaid starts at $135,990, though you can get the standard Model S for $104,990. The vast majority of cars at such price points are not only luxurious and made with high-quality materials, but also well-built, with impressive fit and finish and premium paint.
After providing a brief tour of the Plaid and an introduction to Coleton, Kyle talks a bit about the car's paint job. Coleton says he doesn't advise having a service or delivery center wash and prep the car prior to delivery, since they may scratch it. Kyle not only agrees, but also adds that he just took delivery of it without any "dealer" prep. Nonetheless, both Coleton and Kyle are quite impressed at first glance.
Coleton finds a few minor marks, some residue, and small defects, but nothing that stands out. He notes that he's been doing this for years, and he's seen many new cars. That said, this particular Model S doesn't show any obvious concerns, which is somewhat surprising since its gloss black paint typically shows every imperfection. Kyle also notes that there are no real obvious panel gap issues either. Coleton shares that his own personal Tesla Model 3 also came from the factory in pretty impressive condition.
The guys proceed with washing the car to expose more potential concerns before combing over the car much more thoroughly. After washing and rinsing the new Tesla, Coleton measures the paint's thickness for consistency across the car.
While they find that the paint is within an acceptable range of thickness, and pretty consistent across the car's panels, there's an area on the hood at the passenger side that's strangely inconsistent, and Coleton doesn't have a good explanation for it, though it's similarly inconsistent on his Model 3, which shows thicker measurements than the Model S.
Check out the video for more specific details about the Model S Plaid's paint quality. Then, head down to our comment section and let us know what you think.
