Tesla Model X Is A 518HP EV SUV That Costs As Much As A GT500

The Tesla Model X at its base starts at $81,000 which is definitely a pretty penny to pay for a car. While I could justify my reasoning for buying a 2020 GT500 for $80,000 I’m not quite sure I could reason a purchase for the model X.

The Most Important Aspects of Tesla Model X

To begin with, let’s talk about the most important aspect that an electric car brings to the table: its efficiency. The Model X when converted to outputs that a gasoline car produces equals out to 99mpg in the city and 93 on the highway. Let’s start off by saying: that’s awesome. My WRX on a great day will max out at 35mpg and it’s a 4 cylinder with boost. I’ve seen it into the 40s but I’ve got to be in sixth gear going 55mph for that to happen. The caveat of the Model X is the range. While it produces very appealing numbers in terms of MPG it does not use gasoline, so it’s comparing apples to oranges.

The “Long Range” version of the Model X starts off at $84,990 and with just a $3,990 bump up from already 80 grand, it seems very likely that a buyer would purchase this spec. The Tesla Model X Long Range has a range of up to 328 miles battery only, which is pretty impressive for what you get and considering how big, heavy, and sluggish this car is. It’s heaviest version weighs in at just shy of 5,600lbs or 2,540 kilos.

The weight of this car is all but limiting, with 518hp and instant torque, this car hardly feels heavy. With that being said, it actually beats out my Subaru WRX with a 10.8lb/hp conversion, which could suggest its faster than my WRX. An electric, family sized SUV/Crossover that’s faster than my track inspired WRX. That is just absurd but not surprising when you look at Tesla’s history.

The Model X levels all the way up to just shy of $140,000 for the P100D model which absolutely absurd. You could buy a Porsche 911 GT3RS and other super cars with that kind of money. The Model X isn’t trying to be a supercar, though it’s supposed to be a top of the line high tech, all electric, reliable family sedan and so far it’s fitting the build.

Tesla's Longevity and the $6,000 Stock Price Target

I am interested to see the longevity of the brand especially as Tesla begins to inch it’s way toward the magic “$6,000” price target that big boy investors have attached to it. I’ve only had TSLA in my portfolio and watch list for 3 years now and I just can’t see that happening, but that doesn’t mean I’m not bullish. Tesla has an unmatched product that needs to be explored from their state of the infotainment system to their state of the art batteries.

At the moment the only competition to the Tesla is Porsche as the public gets their hands on the race inspired slippery Porsche Taycan. Would I buy the Tesla Model X? I wouldn’t buy the P100D, I will tell you that, but I would however consider a Long Range on the used market if the price is right.

Also, please check out my yesterday's story discussing the Model 3 Performance as a beginning of an era in automotive industry. See you in my next story discussing why it's very cheap to manufacture the Tesla Cybertruck.

Alex Belauste reports Tesla cars and stories at Torque News. He has worked with the automotive industry for the last 18 years and has since grown very fond to the community. Alex has owned 16 different cars and writes automotive news based on research, his personal expertise and experience. Belauste has studied business at Oklahoma State University and has since started his entry into the professional automotive world. Follow Alex on Twitter at @Belauste and on Instagram. Search Torque News Tesla for more daily Tesla coverage from our expert reporters.