Armen Hareyan - - Yesterday on the Torque News Youtube channel I published a video report talking about Tesla not releasing its Robotaxi service this week, but instead releasing three new vehicles. They are actually supposed to be major refreshes. John Poldo, commented the following under my video. "I’m ready to buy a 3rd Tesla Model S, but these changes are insignificant and a great disappointment. Tesla has the technology for 4-wheel steer by wire and an 800 V battery, so they should go into the Model S to make it more competitive against Lucid and others. At $90K, I expect massage front seats and a power frunk. My EV6 for business cost half as much and included a heads up display, so why not also in the flagship Model S? Tesla’s refresh of Model S is pitiful." - John Poldo Hi John, thanks for taking the time to share this well-thought-out comment, and I mean that sincerely. Your words really encapsulate what I suspect a growing number of long-time Tesla supporters are quietly (or not so quietly) starting to feel. You’ve owned two Model S vehicles and are ready to buy a third. That alone speaks volumes. You're clearly a fan, not a critic by default. But the tone of your comment - words like "insignificant," "disappointment," and "pitiful" - makes it clear how far the bar has shifted. Tesla once set that bar; now it feels like it’s just leaning on it. Let’s unpack what you said, because there’s a lot in there and frankly, it echoes what I hear often from longtime Tesla owners in forums and Facebook groups I follow as part of my reporting for Torque News. First, your point about Tesla having the tech but not using it in the Model S is sharp and fair. Yes, they do have steer-by-wire systems in development - we’re already seeing it inch into production with the Cybertruck and Roadster, even if implementation is slow and clunky. Same with the 800V architecture: they built the Semi around it, and the Cybertruck’s charging hints at it. So why not update the S, their so-called flagship sedan, to include these foundational upgrades? It’s a good question, especially when competitors like Lucid are pushing 900V systems, delivering real-world efficiency gains, and offering interiors that Tesla just doesn’t try to compete with. Your mention of Lucid is not just a jab, it’s a real comparison that people in this price bracket are making now. And some of them are jumping ship. Massage seats? Power frunk? Even Hyundai gives you that in a $50K IONIQ 5 Limited. Rivian gives it. Mercedes EQS makes it feel like a spa. Tesla? Still playing minimalism like it’s 2017, while charging $90K-plus. At some point, minimalism starts to feel more like omission. And your heads-up display point hits home. For years, Tesla fans defended the absence of a HUD because “FSD will make it irrelevant.” But here we are, many years into FSD beta, and it’s still not even Level 3 autonomy. Meanwhile, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis - all are loading HUDs with lane guidance, AR navigation, and speed zone warnings. It’s the kind of everyday functionality you come to expect in a modern vehicle, especially one that claims to be on the bleeding edge. Your EV6 having these features at half the price of a Model S makes this refresh feel especially lackluster. And you’re not alone - many Tesla owners have been test-driving the EV6 GT, IONIQ 5, or Mustang Mach-E GT just out of curiosity and coming back with the same impression: “You know, it’s not a Tesla, but… for the money, it’s hard to justify staying loyal.” I do think Tesla is playing a long game that most automakers aren’t, focused on software and manufacturing scalability. They’re playing chess while others are playing checkers, yes, but to the paying customer, that distinction fades if the interior feels old, or the basic feature set feels light, or the upgrades aren’t felt. A “refresh” that doesn’t include significant changes to drive unit architecture, battery system, or user experience ends up feeling like a repackaging job. Especially when the price point hasn’t budged. At the end of the day, Tesla can’t rely on autopilot updates and acceleration numbers forever; those were revolutionary five years ago. Now people want comfort, premium materials, and everyday convenience. The kind of things you just outlined. I’ll close with this: Tesla might be betting that hardware can remain stale if software keeps evolving, but in the luxury space, customers are buying both. You clearly want to stay in the Tesla ecosystem, but you’re also saying loud and clear: It needs to earn its flagship status again. I hear you, and I hope someone at Tesla is listening, too. It's also worth noting that Tesla's current refresh strategy might reflect something much bigger brewing behind the scenes. As unusual as it sounds, Tesla may be betting more on an autonomous future than on refining luxury features in today's vehicles. If the company truly believes private car ownership is on the verge of disruption, the idea of pouring money into massage seats and 800V platforms may seem, from their perspective, a temporary distraction. This aligns with what Torque News EV reporter Rob Enderle explored in an earlier piece about Tesla’s Robotaxi ambitions and the unexpected shift toward a world where your car might not be your car for long. Thanks again for commenting and stirring this important conversation, John. Let me know what you decide in the end. And if you end up cross-shopping Lucid, EV6 GT, or even the Porsche Taycan, I’d love to hear your take. What features do you believe Tesla must add to the Model S to justify its $90K price tag? Have you cross-shopped other luxury EVs like the Lucid Air or Kia EV6, and what swayed your decision? Armen Hareyan is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and Youtube. He has more than a decade of expertise in the automotive industry with a special interest in Tesla and electric vehicles.