Potential 2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance purchase

[JeffKeryk]

I'm closing in on a month of ownership, zero complaints. I'm shocked how good a commuting car this is, I actually look forward to driving. For this application, I don't miss my old ICE vehicle a bit. Enough storage for errands and plenty comfortable as long as you don't need to stuff 4 or 5 people in it.

Received my first electric bill which has roughly 2 weeks of overnight charging. Didn't even make a dent, in fact I used nearly the same amount of electricity for the month of April as last year. Currently paying 0.097 per KWh. Wife has been using it in the afternooons / evenings after I get off work to cart kids around to sports & activities, range has never been an issue. I charge it to 75% overnight and I'm usually in the low 50's when I get home from work (70 miles round trip). I'm still getting a feel for what the climate setting (heat/air) penalty is on range, thus far it doesn't seem to be a big factor. I suspect in the dead of winter I'll certainly notice it.

All of the charging has been done at home despite the app recognizing some as "other."

Thanks for the update. While not for everyone, EVs can make a lotta sense for some. Now with close to $5 rag around here, I am not missing gas ups at all.

And you have one fun car to drive...

 

[Nistech2010]

Talk me into it or out of it, your choice, but please explain why and refrain from political commentary. I'm considering this purchase purely out of a "what does a vehicle need to do for me" perspective; politics and tree hugging simply aren't a factor here.

Test drove one with 65K at a local dealer. Still picking my jaw up off the floor. Between giggles and moments of terror, the wife threatened to leave the car at one point and walk home if I stomped on the accelerator pedal one more time. One of the those things where the novelty will fade. Performance aside, I'm a practical person (and in my 40's, so not looking to kill myself in one of these) and very curious about these things:

Mechanical bits and parts: suspension, brakes, pumps (whatever ones exist), is this a non-starter for a DIY type person? I have a big learning curve ahead as it pertains to the electric drivetrain, but since I have a shop w/ lift I'd like to do the rest of the maintenance and repairs myself if possible.

Reliability in general with an electric drivetrain. Are these vehicles known for issues-- motor problems, cooling system, etc?

This will be a commuter car only, 70 miles round trip (for me) and a run around town car for the wife when I'm not working. Zero range anxiety and I'd installed a dedicated 50A 240V circuit when I built my shop for a future electric vehicle. I'll likely have a 3-4 year loan on it, so ideally battery health won't be an issue. I know Li-ion batteries and how to take care of them (limit charge to 80%, no deep discharge) so hoping this can be a 200K+ mile vehicle.

Previously we were considering a used WRX for small car, but I can't do that when this electric car is about the same price.

The 65K mile example we test drove was $20K. It was rough enough around the edges (curb rash on wheels, dirty interior, some minor panel gap issues) that we kept looking. Found one at a specialty car dealer w/ 75K for $22.5K but it's in better condition in every way possible. One owner local car, I simply couldn't find a defect anywhere inside or out. Checked insurance, it's on the higher side for a small car like this, but not as high as I was lead to believe doing research on Reddit and such.

Please chime in with your thoughts / experiences!

There's a reason it's was only 20k

 

[Nistech2010]

or opinionated old people, we should just whack everyone over say 45 and all drive Yaris's to 1200 square foot boxes and wear all white.... you know everything alike, no room for any differences... right comrade?

You mean how every tesla is basically the same car and they come in like 2 colors?

 

[92saturnsl2]

You mean how every tesla is basically the same car and they come in like 2 colors?

Not really, those not familiar with them might make that statement. They share design elements, but the 4 most popular models are not the same car at all. Perhaps you could lump the model 3/Y together but I can spot the difference with a quick glance.

Glad someone brought this up, the car is doing awesome, somewhere around 95K miles now. We hardly drive our other vehicles anymore. Mid summer (July?) I got a warning in the service menu of a coolant valve fault. It's the 5-way valve attached to the coolant tank that directs coolant flow to different areas depending on conditions. It was stuck in series mode without radiator loop, keeping coolant temps (which affects battery temp) elevated in summer heat. It didn't progress to a "customer facing" warning.

After a bit of research, $50 actuator purchased from the local Tesla service center, about 2 hours of my time and it's been smooth sailing since. No complaints in our recent colder weather, we've gotten down in the 20's several times, there's a range penalty but fairly insignificant so far for what we use the car for.

On longer trips, "fill-ups" at a Supercharger happen quicker than it takes me to stop and eat, no complaints there either. I may have to stop in another 200 miles, but I'm ready to stretch my legs again by that point.

 

[JHZR2]

At some point in time, you'll need something that Rockauto doesn't offer.

Also, just beware of the EV tire "issue." They go thru a lot of tires.

That would be my issue/concern. Not that a lot should be needed at 65-75k, but at some point parts will be needed.

And tires… expensive tires.

I love the idea of a depreciated EV if range isn’t a consideration. Safety issues aside. But $20k buys a lot of other used cars…

It will be interesting to track as this story progresses. I wish OP much luck.

 

[92saturnsl2]

That would be my issue/concern. Not that a lot should be needed at 65-75k, but at some point parts will be needed.

And tires… expensive tires.

I love the idea of a depreciated EV if range isn’t a consideration. Safety issues aside. But $20k buys a lot of other used cars…

It will be interesting to track as this story progresses. I wish OP much luck.

Fair points. The way I see it, The M3/Y are among the best selling cars in the world, including the US (don't know exact statistics). I'm not worried about parts availability.

Tires? A few months after buying the car, I got a crack in one of the ridiculously sized 20" rims. To get the car back in service quickly (hard to go back to my other vehicles), I purchased a set of 19" wheels with Pirelli P-Zero P235/40/R19 tires mounted/balanced from Tirerack, shipped to my door. Can't fit an 18" wheel over the big brakes. So I'm out $1800 sort of, but it should keep me going for at least a couple years.

I have an AC tig welder, so I repaired the cracked rim, remounted tire and put the old 20" set back on the car for another 10K or so until a different one cracked. I'm going to repair the newly cracked wheel as time permits, but I don't trust the OEM 20" wheels with roads around here, especially since the wife drives it a lot and is oblivious to potholes.

The tires themselves aren't anymore expensive than the P235/55/R19 on my other vehicles, even if you check all the quiet/EV options (foam in tires, low rolling resistance). The minivans I've owned over the years ate tires fastest (40K life typically), perhaps the Tesla will give them competition.

This is an experiment for me. I won't hide the bad/ugly, I have no horse in this race or preconceived notions. All I know is it's the best driving/riding/handling car I've ever owned hands down. If it burns me, I'll learn something and move on. As of now, 100% range sits at 254 miles (out of 310 when new) and hasn't budged since I bought it in April. Knowing Li-Ion battery best practices, I don't charge it unless needed (I'm okay with it sitting at 20-50% and charge scheduling makes it easy to be topped up when needed); these are things that aren't for everybody and works for me as it's primarily for commuting. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across country if needed, knowing full well I'd have to allocate extra time for charging stops. I should point out that supercharging is expensive, cost 3.5X what it does to charge at home. When doing the math, it makes $/mile the equivalent of a 30mpg gas powered car. Not many 30mpg cars drive this nice though.

 

[buster]