Having previously taken our S85 into the White Mountains for vacation, I can agree that it would be tough to get even 200 miles out of a single charge. The elevation changes, steep grades at highway speed, and especially the occasional strong winds will sap away the battery much faster than you'd want. We were able to get by just fine with a small amount of foresight and planning, but that is something many people don't want to deal with.
Granted, those factors would all hit an ICE just the same, but people are comfortable with the ability to pull over into even a tiny backroad town and find a gas station somewhere. That is a valid complaint.
I agree with the other benefits you highlight, but the model s has a similar range to most gas vehicles. You could just as easily complain about the constant hassle to stop and charge your model s (and the fact that charging stations are less common than gas stations).
Imagine every few days having to take your cell phone to a special store to charge it. That's what we've been doing with cars and we just accept it as an inherent part of car ownership.
Fueling at home is extremely liberating, more than making up for the rare need to find a charger.
Road trips are a completely different issue. For me, trips over 200 miles happen once every few months, and I think I get out more than a lot of people do.
We're in the process of replacing our second car and that will end up being less than half the price of the Tesla. But if I were going to spend > 60k, I would buy a second Tesla without the slightest hesitation.
In 37k miles I've never experienced limp mode and don't know much about it. I regularly drive for over 2 hours at Midwest highway speeds.
Can you describe your half-day jaunt through the mountains in more detail? I'm having trouble figuring out how this is out of the question.