Even if nobody else saw you driving it, it would still be a lot of fun on the right road.
Showy status symbol? For sure, but with plenty of substance to back it up.
Quick read on Jalopnik about Tesla
- Thread starter AZjeff
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Showy status symbol? For sure, but with plenty of substance to back it up.
5.5 years to go 25k? Pre-pandemic I drove my car at the rate of about 32k/yr. This fall with RTO I think I'll be back to 25k/yr. A set of tires every 40k is my normal churn rate.
5 years on a new car without repairs is doable, I've seen it, but at some point, out come the wrenches. Wife and I like to aim for 10yr/250k ownership.
The description of Tesla drivers doesn't fit any of the Tesla owners I know. The Tesla owners I know are mostly retired folks who wanted a nice new car. In another era they would have bought a Buick. We like our Teslas in spite of them being a bit "different". Fuel here is expensive and we like the fact that Teslas are cheap to run. My Tesla was no more expensive than the other cars I was considering - maybe even a bit less. None of these Tesla owners have any particular affection for Elon Musk. Then again we don't buy cars based on whether the builder's CEO is somebody we like.
Most people around here (Tesla owners and everyone else) have quite an environmental orientation.
If anything happens to my Model 3 I'd just buy another one.
Most people around here (Tesla owners and everyone else) have quite an environmental orientation.
If anything happens to my Model 3 I'd just buy another one.
Pandemic, retirement and lotsa cars. If I am going anywhere of distance, I prefer to jump on a jet.
Overall, the most miles were put on in the last 2 years, approximately.
I have recently started to downsize the fleet. Gave the TSX to a friend. Gonna miss the heck outta it.
I would still be driving the Mid Range, but decided on the new car for a couple of reasons. Someone will get a perfect 2018 Model 3.
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I am very happy with the new car; probably the most satisfied of any car I have ever owned. I bought the 2018 as a gift for wifey as she is highly technical. I came to appreciate the car, far more than I ever imagined.
Each use case and likes are different; each to his/her own. By the way, around here owners are not just retired folks; it's far more than that. There are at least 7 Teslas on my street; 2 or 3 Bolts, a Kia and Nissan and the Taycan. A Lightning around the corner. A Cybertruck up the hill.
There’s about 2 dozen at our new Tesla store about 1/2 mile from my house. They’re rarely seen in the wild in my area. How did that gas guzzling ICE truck get into my pic?
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I get what you’re saying, but when it comes to the media, some of what you say is true but the other part of the equation is, they have to keep generating news every minute of the day so every time you pick up your smart phone there’s something to read. If they don’t generate a story every minute of the day the user will go to another website and that other website will get the advertising revenue
How do you like the revised controls? lane change knob(s), forward/reverse/park now on screen
Supposed to be quieter, handle better, ride better - any of that true?
Do you now charge it to 100%? Fit and finish? Did you trade it in?
We test drove the Highland about 2 months ago. On a lane change, I grabbed the turn signal stalk and got air. I had to laugh at myself. I picked it up right after that. After driving this way for awhile now, I would say it allows you to keep your hands on the wheel a little better, but this change is not for everyone. Certainly some will not like it. Sometimes my thumb seems to be off and I cannot click.
The forward/park/neutral/reverse process is simple. In fact, a setting allows the car to automatically pick direction.
The overall driving experience is new; it is far better. The car has 95% new parts. Go drive one; the Model 3 has grown up. The 1st thing you will notice is the seats; they are very good and I liked the other ones. The 2nd thing is the door close; it has been solidified and has a male/female guide along the bottom rail.
I have the Performance; it uses the earlier style (American?) battery. I charge to 80% which is 240+ miles. If I am driving further, I charge to 90%. Of course you will never see near that many miles at freeway speeds.
I traded in our perfect 2018 Mid Range with 25K miles; Tesla gave me $20,500 as I recall. I dissuaded 2 friends from buying it because I did not think it was the right car for them. One friend wanted a Tesla and loved the car, but only has 110v charging in his driveway; the other wanted it for his daughter but could not really afford it, all things considered.
Back to the controls, and the Model 3 in general. These cars are different; some people will take to it easily and like the car while at the other end of the spectrum some will hate it. I have said before, my father was a Yale grad but would struggle with this car.
I am extremely happy with the new M3P. Again, these cars are not for everyone, and some simply want buttons and old-skool ergonomics. They should not shop Tesla... Each to his/her own. There is no other car I would want to own right now, but that's just me.
It is a great around-town and freeway car. And if you want, it's turbo fast; a 10 second car. People are pulling out the passenger and rear seats and getting 10.7's and sub 2.7 0-60 times. There is nothing like it for $55 large. Those are Supercar times. If you are gonna show your passengers how fast this car accelerates, you have to tell them to brace themselves and put their head against the headrest, or you will hurt their neck and scare the heck outta them. Seriously.
I see a few around here and most of them are being driven by old geezers.
Someone will see at 10-12+ years, 200k miles? You will probably be onto the second new car by then. Even my beater Focus has lots of 25k mile intervals with no repairs needed, and I can generally fix it, or any mechanic anywhere can.
I haven't really looked deeply into the older Model S's to see how they are doing as the potential battery replacement buys a lot of gas! I've thought about one of them with the free charging, but realistically 90+% of my charging will be at home. Otherwise they check a lot of boxes to be a useful car.
When we went on our trip across western Canada the Tesla owners we saw were mostly in 3 groups: older guys who got out at charging stations to chat, young people who sat in their cars looking at their cell phones and not talking to anyone (like they do when eating in a restaurant), and apparently recent immigrants (who appeared to be South Asians and Chinese) who mainly spoke to family members sitting in their cars.
The local people I know who own Teslas are mostly well off older guys (as that's who I mostly associate with) but also a broad range of other people. My son-in-law has one for example.
Tesla Model 3s are simply very common on Vancouver Island. They're one of the more common newer cars (more common than Audi, Mercedes, Volvo or even BMWs). It's not uncommon to see several Teslas stopped at a light or coming down the road more or less together.
What's funny is currently, Tesla, due to their charger network, actually offers the closest experience to a traditional gas car on longer drives. I wouldn't let me mom buy any other EV right now because of how hard charging is for all other EVs in the US.
Tesla 3 and Y are very cheap to buy. Most people can get a Model 3 with RWD, sub-5.0s to 60mph, and 300mile real-world range for $35k + taxes and fees, and that's without any state incentives. At that price point, if you can charge at home, you'd be crazy to buy a Camry / Accord / Sonata instead.
At the end of the day, you're paying Ikea prices for BMW 3-series acceleration and handling, so it's weird to expect a $70k interior in a $35k car.
$35k isn't very much for a brand new Model 3...
Here they are $47k for the rwd and the 57k for the AWD out the door with all the incentives. I guesstimate only a $2k savings in fuel(just pays for battery replacement basically) for me per year, so right now they don't really make economic sense or pay for the PITA factor of winter range and charging. For now the analog manual trans beater seems to win economically and for ease of use, if I'm careful to get ones that don't have expensive problems.
You may be right if your passengers are are all old ladies. LOL
Click on watch on youtube.
As far as the economic argument is concerned, I think that would be true any time, or when comparing a beater to any new or nearly new vehicle, irrespective of whether an EV or ICE. You just have to be willing to drive a beater.
As far as ease of use is concerned, our Tesla Model 3 is the easiest car to drive we've ever owned. You just have to be willing to try something a little different. My wife prefers driving it to our old school manual transmission Honda Accord (which is a pretty great car too).
