2016.5 75 Model S vs. 2020 Model 3 long range

[eriksangkaen]

Good morning,

Someone in my area is selling a 2016.5 model S (Mileage : 22,500 || Price = $40,000) with the following options: air suspension, leather seat, moon roof, free supercharging for life, and premium connectivity. There are cosmetic damages in the rear bumper due to the an older couple owning it.

Additionally, I'm also interested in a 2020 Model 3 Long Range AWD.

I would like to know if someone can provide an advice on which car I should buy.

 

[P85_DA]

Go with the 3 ..newest technology etc ..but aside from range what else is important to u ? Looks , space , ??? They are different cars but a 2016 will get u AP1 and older McU for me that is probably a non starter

 

[T.R.T.e.s.l.a.]

Love the S but, honestly, go with the 3.
If it was a 90 or 100 or at least a dual motor, it could be different, but a 75...

Edit:

Unless, of course, you never do long drives and need the space and the confront of the air suspension.

 

[SilverGS]

@eriksangkaen I went through the same decision making process a year ago when I bought my 2016 75D.

It all boils down to your personal preferences in terms of the following main points:

Pros - Model S 75D (you didn't mention if the Model S you're looking at is Dual motor or RWD, I'm assuming Dual motor)

• Space,
• looks - this is obviously subjective
• quiet while driving - much better wind noise insulation,
• very comfortable air suspension
• Range on a 75D is 249 miles which is more than enough for most folks.
• Better looking interior - leather, two displays (this is subjective as some people don't care about a leather interior and the dual displays)

vs.
Pros - Model 3 LR AWD

• Faster charging
• Latest version of AP
• More nimble on a track or very spirited driving (this is not critical to everyone of course)
• More range compared to the 75D

To summarize, I've had my 75D for a year and the only thing I would change if I could go back in time is that I would have waited another year to be able to afford a newer version of AP on a Model S. I don't miss not having it, but its cool to get major updates.

 

[FatherTo1]

Depending on the build date, 2016.5 S is still missing several things from a newer S. Below is a list of features I collected when we were shopping (specifically for an S):

1) Used RWD Model S will have a bigger frunk (front trunk), big enough to swallow a stroller. The frunk has shrunk over time due to AWD becoming standard but also due to bigger air filter for Bio-Defense option.

2) Premium Rear Seat design began July 22, 2017. There were four generations of seat designs and recent years had a mismatch between front and rear seats. https://youtu.be/Ih7WqPFAx00

3) All-glass roof was an option since 2017 and became standard Nov 2018.

4) Rear cupholders (and rear USB ports) started 06/2016, so get a July 2016 car to be sure you have it (if that's important to you).

5) MCU2 introduced March 2018. The CPU update makes the main screen interface quicker and more responsive. ***UPDATE: Since V10 Software Update in Sept 2019, only MCU2 cars have the processing power to handle Theater Mode (Netflix, Hulu, Youtube when parked). ****

6) Raven update provided 10% more efficiency/range and new smoother air suspension, started the last week of April 2019.

7) Facelift cars appeared mid 2016 (new front instead of black nosecone).

8) Sentry Mode is available on all Model 3 (of any year), but only on Model S with a build date of September 2017 or later because you need at least Autopilot 2.5 for Sentry Mode to work. If you have Autopilot 2.0 then Sentry Mode “works” but it doesn’t record to a USB drive, instead it records to “Tesla cloud servers” but nobody has access to the videos!

As much as I love our S, between your two choices I would strongly lean towards the 3 for the full warranty, longer range, newer hardware with Sentry Mode, and faster Supercharging. If you need more space, then maybe save up for a Y or newer S.

 

[ucmndd]

Dec 2016 S75 owner here. Lots of weird assumptions and potential misinformation in this thread. This is due in part to 2016 being a particularly complicated year.

First, since you say "2016.5", I'm going to assume that means the visually and mechanically refreshed car that was produced after April 2016. However, the next big differentiator is AP1 or AP2. If the car was produced after October 2016 and has AP 2.0 hardware, that's a very significant data point for your decision. So if you don't know, find out now.

Between an AP1 car and the 3, I'd say it's an easy choice and you should buy a 3.

If it's AP 2.0, you can pay to have the infotainment upgrade performed for $2500, which will give you the new Intel MCU and HW3 Full Self Driving computer that is being put in brand new cars today. That's obviously an added cost but pretty compelling if you really like the looks and size of the S vs the 3.

Since you also say "75" instead of "75D", I'm going to assume you actually mean it and that the car is RWD. Nothing wrong with that per se, but just beware this is basically the slowest car that Tesla has ever made, with a 0-60 time of 5.5. Not that it's "slow", but a LR 3 will be much faster.

RWD or not, the refreshed S does NOT have the old-style bigger frunk like someone suggested above.

It's largely a personal choice and only you are going to be able to answer whether or not you're willing to accept the risks of owning a car out of warranty and if the ~$7k more for the 3 is worth it to you.

For me, I love my S, and over 110,000 miles it's been quite reliable and cheap to maintain. But if it got totaled tomorrow I'd very likely replace it with a 3.

 

[eriksangkaen]

Thank you for everyone for responding!

I was referring to 2016.5 Model S 75 RWD with AP1.

 

[P85_DA]

Thank you for everyone for responding!

I was referring to 2016.5 Model S 75 RWD with AP1.

Unless u really like looks of S I would definitely get a 3 or find a later build AWD S ...AP is amazing unfortunately Tesla isn’t investing much more in AP1 and u have no upgrade path beyond that