Tesla Model S really sparkles in suburban driving on the way to shopping, eating out

In my Tesla Model S, I went shopping for a tuxedo rental in Westwood, N.J., for my son's prom.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Auto writers are so focused on 0-60 mph times they lose sight of the value of a car that can sprint easily to 35 mph in North Jersey's suburban driving.

In the five weeks I've had my Tesla Model S 60, I've enjoyed brisk, near silent pickup from traffic lights and stop signs on Bergen County's antiquated roads, where the speed limit is usually 25 mph or 35 mph.

When driving on Cedar Lane or Teaneck Road in Teaneck, N.J., the Model S is just what you need to keep ahead of others as those streets go from two lanes to one and back, and frustrate drivers with few turn lanes.

And when I need an afternoon pick-me-up, I can plug in and recharge my Model S just outside the entrance to Aroma Espresso Bar, a chain based in Israel, at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J.

The state's largest mall also has a Tesla Motors Store, where I've purchased a red Tesla cap to match my car.

In Englewood, N.J., I stopped at Jerry's Gourmet & More on South Dean Street, near Route 4, for restaurant-quality takeout dinners, such as pork shanks with all the trimmings, below.

The dinners are reduced to $5.99 after 4 p.m., if there are any left.

Lan Garden, 88 Route 46 west in Ridgefield, N.J., claims to be the only Chinese restaurant in the state offering more than 50 freshly made dim sum throughout the day and until 1 a.m. I prefer the dim sum to the regular menu.