Tesla Model S mini review

We test-drove the Tesla Model S P85D (bigger battery, dual motors, all-wheel drive) on Saturday. It's a gorgeous car, with breathtaking acceleration, and amazing amounts of cargo space in both front and back.

The red is a deep, rich, lipstick colour. We were told it's made by putting translucent red over gold.

There's cargo space in the front, where you'd expect to find an engine. Cargo space, and a lid for the screen-wash fluid. There's no transmission hump across the back, so more legroom, and space to put a purse in the front because it has only one gear, according to our sales guy.

I have a couple of niggles with it though. I'm 5ft 4in on a good day and I have short legs. While I could move the seat far enough forward to reach the pedals, the seat belt was cutting into my neck the whole way, with no way of shifting it up or down, unlike my trusty Mazda3 hatchback. If I shifted the seat up to reduce the seatbelt problem, I couldn't have reached the pedals. Uncomfortable, and we've dropped cars from our possibles list for the same annoyance. I'm not going to buy something I'm not going to be comfortable driving. Which brings us to my second worry.

It's a personal safely issue. I work in downtown St Louis. I'm female. The last thing I want, when I'm walking up to my car at night, is for all four doors to unlock themselves when I'm several feet away, which the Tesla helpfully does. I want only one, the driver's door, and I want it to open only when I'm right by it and ready to get in. I feel it is not safe to have my car open to the world from multiple feet away. I'd hope that's configurable on the Model S, if not, please fix that Tesla.