2019 Used Bolt for $25k vs. 2014 Tesla S for $30k?

[SSedan]

I know too well they are not maintenance free. But...not all used cars have the same maintenance requirements when purchased is all I was getting at. And not all used cars are sold at a lower price for maintenance reasons.

Buying used cars is always a risk. You need both knowledge and luck. And never believe a clean Car Fax report and never buy version 1.

Tesla just raised the SC charge rate for SR+ from 100 KW to 170KW. I'd prefer it stayed at 100Kw. But I rarely have to go to those anymore and charge daily on a 20 amp outlet at work.

I spoke to Tesla about my car before purchase not Carfax, they said it was regularly serviced. When I paid for the 4 year maintenance they recommended such and it was things like flushing the brake fluid and servicing the AC including desiccant, changing battery coolant. The failures I have seen other than the TPMS module are all pretty common.
On the supercharging rate, they drastically cut the rate on the S 85s and below in 2019 without explaination...........let us see how long the high rates on smaller batteries last.

BUT, not much. As far as I know (having driven Model Ss for 7 years) there simply is not any maintenance. Other than windshield wipers and fluid, I've done nothing. Not even cleaned out the carburetor. Don't know what "repairs" would be required for an S either, unless you're fixing rock dings, and they happen even when new. And since you're saving all that money, you should be able to afford a few MINOR repairs. There isn't even brake maintenance or repair, as it uses regen so much.

I tend to agree that what you'll be looking at is the beautiful curves of an S or the, uh, boxy curves of a Bolt.

I'd like to see a list of all the MAINTENANCE and REPAIRS a $30K S will need as compared to a Bolt.

I gave a list of what I have had to do with mine, though I forget the recalls of the steering bolt and airbag which were vendor issues the airbag one much bigger than Tesla.
My wife has a 2014 Impala with 10-12k more on it than my 2014 P85. The Impala is a better built car, needs fewer and cheaper repairs.
On the brakes, in the climate I live in Tesla is now recommending brake service annually due to binding and corrosion, so they admitted the problem.
On the money saving, I have also documented crudely here that in real winter the vast fuel savings is a myth, other three seasons sure.

Put down the koolaid and be honest.
I paid $50k for the car 2.5 years ago, guessing I could get low $30s for it now. So owning a $30k Tesla is what I am basing my comments on.

In that 2.5 years my range went from 256 (265 miles original) which was awesome to 242 and supercharging speed went from 120kw to 40 though it sounds like once it warms up I might see 70, but in 30f weather after 2 hours on the road it still isn't that fast so might just be summer. This hurts my ability to take trips with this car, my favorite westbound supercharger is 180miles, that stop went from 50minites to probably 1:15-20. 50minutes is a relaxed meal, longer turns into finding a way to kill time.

 

[Don TLR]

Hey, I drive a Bolt!

Benefit of Bolt = no vandalism or theft of vehicle to worry about.

Just an occasional vomit stain near the car,, its too bad you don't have a sentry cam to show the vids
JK..

 

[vickh]

buy cpo tesla w/ warranty

 

[SSedan]

buy cpo tesla w/ warranty

For $30k?

 

[vickh]

For $30k?

mid 30s https://ev-cpo.com/hunter/

 

[SSedan]

So mid 30s rather than $30k will get you a batterygate chargegate pre-AP car with a VIN close to mine.(42,xxx)
All the repairs I listed are from 65-95k miles so CPO might cover that unless they call it wear and tear.

 

[CrayZ1]

I'm seeing 2019 Bolt's with less than 10k miles going for about $25k, I've been looking at 2014 Tesla S for around $30k. The payment on the Bolt would be more affordable (and it's much newer). I'd be giving up free supercharging and Tesla batteries, etc. but getting better range with the Bolt.

It depends on how risk adverse you are and what your auto budget is.
Even new 2020 Bolts (259 EPA range, which is easy to exceed) are being heavily discounted and apparently can be found for under $30k new.
The LG Chem batteries GM uses have been heavily tested, some would argue the most durable known to date. The record for a GM LG Battery is 477,000 miles. It consumes less Wh per mile, so it's not a bad "green" choice.

I would go for the Model S, but a $30k loss would irritate me, but not hurt me.. I won't buy a Bolt because it lacks Adaptive Cruise Control. But it is an IIHS Top Safety Pick, which is a stricter test than NHTSA.

Obviously you need to drive a Bolt before you make a decision. They are fun little pocket rockets with true one pedal driving if you wish.

 

[SSedan]

A $30k Tesla is pre-AP and therefore lacks TACC.

 

[vickh]

So mid 30s rather than $30k will get you a batterygate chargegate pre-AP car with a VIN close to mine.(42,xxx)
All the repairs I listed are from 65-95k miles so CPO might cover that unless they call it wear and tear.

A $30k Tesla is pre-AP and therefore lacks TACC.

if you look at the archived listings on ev cpo you'll see quite a few AP1 S in the mid 30s. It was a tough choice for me, but I ended up going with the 3. (even had a CPO S ordered and cancelled at delivery!)

 

[SSedan]

If stretching to mid $30s why not stretch to $40 opens up a lot more options. Make sure to ignore the $2000 shipping.

 

[vickh]

If stretching to mid $30s why not stretch to $40 opens up a lot more options. Make sure to ignore the $2000 shipping.

not if you pick locally depending on where you live.

 

[eevee-fan]

You've never changed nor rotated the tires?

Have you forgotten about your repairs and visits to service which I've pointed to at 2017 Model 3 Reliability and Car and Driver suffers Model 3 failure on 12/25, but car told them about it remotely?

New 2020 Bolts (259 mile EPA range rating) with DC FC supposedly start at $25,235 at New Chevrolet Bolt EV Vehicles for Sale in Gaithersburg, MD - Criswell Chevrolet. I hear they're a legit dealer but I'm not on that side of the country. If legit, you could then take the $1875 Federal tax credit (Federal Tax Credits for Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Cars).

With the many improvements coming in the next 3 years, I would actually recommend the lease deal. At the end of 3 years, if you still rather keep the Bolt, buy it out for residual value. However, my guess if that you would rather move on to a new model with much higher range.

Incredible Chevy Bolt EV Deals: $10,000 Off MSRP, Lease For $169/Month

 

[cwerdna]

With the many improvements coming in the next 3 years, I would actually recommend the lease deal. At the end of 3 years, if you still rather keep the Bolt, buy it out for residual value. However, my guess if that you would rather move on to a new model with much higher range.

It depends on what the residual is and what one's needs and time horizon are.

Some folks have hit or near end of lease on their '17 Bolts (they began shipping in Dec 2016) and so far, I've heard their residual is too high vs. market value. And, in some cases, it's so high, it makes no sense to buy it and instead makes more sense to buy a heavily discounted new '19 or '20. Or, for them, it's better to just return the car and buy an equivalent used one for less $. You just won't get your own car back.

Not sure if GM will later discount the buyout prices or negotiate. I'm not a GM person so I don't know their past history on this, esp. if they find too many used vehicles of a given model are flooding the market.

I don't really need more range. My commute's under 13 miles each way and I have free L2 charging at work. I can L1 charge at home if I need to. It rarely gets below freezing here and is never below freezing by noon time. My degraded 1 bar down '13 Leaf is MORE than enough for my commute.

That said, Bolt is kinda getting long in the tooth and its max DC FC speed is kinda crappy compared even to a bunch of non-Tesla competitors. IIRC, even 2020 Bolt still maxes out at ~55 kW max DC FC rate. I've only used my DC FC inlet on free DC FCs and I actually never really needed the juice at any of those times. It was just for the heck of when I had time to burn and to cut down on how much L2 time I'd need at work.