The deposit, of course, is for people who want to be among the first to get the car and are willing to accept the opportunity cost of $50,000 earning no interest for an indeterminate length of time.
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$50k Deposit
- Thread starter ShadowR55
- Start date
The deposit, of course, is for people who want to be among the first to get the car and are willing to accept the opportunity cost of $50,000 earning no interest for an indeterminate length of time.
XLR82XS
D M C
Reeler
Decade of Pure EV Driving
The deposit doesn't guarantee you are one of the first or lock in any pricing. Tesla will probably ship one configuration first and those folks will get it. On the Model 3, it was the RWD version so I had to wait months until my config was ready. On the Model Y, it is the opposite where AWD shipped first. For the first few months, the cars being shipped are really prototypes that will have to be reworked several times with upgrades and fixes.
The deposit does not guarantee the configuration you want. But the deposit is the price you have to pay if you want the opportunity to be one of the first.
I settled for a configuration I didn't want on my Model 3 so that I could get the car sooner. In the end, one option I did want and did get (LR battery) is useless since I moved to my present location; one option I wanted but didn't get (AWD) would have been useless in my present location; and one option I didn't want but had to get (upgraded interior) turns out to be so nice I'm glad I got it. I don't know if the glass roof is now an option or if it remains standard on all Model 3 cars. I didn't want it and still don't like it. Though if the car ever gets to Level 3 I could look up at the clouds through it. In balance, my car suits me better than the configuration I wanted.
If you want to be first, you have to pay the deposit. You may have to settle for a configuration you don't want. But without paying the deposit you will not be among the first.
Reeler
Decade of Pure EV Driving
The Model X was an example of a car where early buyers had a lot of problems. The Tesla Ranger in my town was called back to the factory in the early days of the X to help fix problems they were finding even before shipping the cars out. They needed every mechanic they could pull in because there were so many flaws.
My Model 3 was a fairly early one, a "first production" model, and I never had any trouble with it. "Panel gaps" have been pointed out to me, but I can hardly see them and they don't bother me. Without someone pointing to them, I cannot tell which panels have gaps.
But it's always a chance that early buyers take. Sometimes, some people want something now and are willing to pay the price and take the chance. My little Zap Xebra was a p.o.s. that was always having issues, but I loved it. I ordered my 2004 Prius in November of 2003 and took delivery in January of 2004 in spite of recommendations to wait for the bugs to be worked out. That car never had any trouble until the MFD started to go wonky fifteen years later. But if I'd waited just two or three months to order it I'd have had to wait over a year to get it.
So we all choose our level of risk. The 2020 (?) Roadster doesn't interest me, but I expect them to be extra-careful to avoid issues because it's going to be their showcase car.
I visited the Tesla headquarters when the old Roadster was still under development and got a ride in a prototype. The seats were horrid (too low to the floor and leaning way back) and the cooling system was way loud. It had a two-speed transaxle which they had locked out because it was not strong enough. I decided against it. Not sure I would have put down a $50K deposit in any case.
I ended up buying the Zap Xebra instead. That was my daily driver for four years. Zero to 35 mph in 31 seconds.
It wasn't until 2011 that I bought my Roadster, which by then was a very different car than the prototype. I drove that for seven years until I got the Model 3. Been driving electric since 2006 or 7.
From what little I know of the history, my 2.5 Roadster was a much better car than the 1.5, which I think (?) was the first one that went out in significant numbers. But these were the first cars that Tesla ever made, and they only made the drive train. They've had a lot of experience since then, and they're more established and have a reputation and a lot of nay-sayers out there. The stakes are much higher to make the New Roadster good from the start, and they have the experience to do it right from the start. I'm certain that early New Roadster buyers will be much more satisfied than early Model X buyers.
It's just not the car I want. And in spite of being a roadster, the thing is humongous.
It would be fun to experience 1.9 seconds 0-60 acceleration, though.
I ended up buying the Zap Xebra instead. That was my daily driver for four years. Zero to 35 mph in 31 seconds.
It wasn't until 2011 that I bought my Roadster, which by then was a very different car than the prototype. I drove that for seven years until I got the Model 3. Been driving electric since 2006 or 7.
From what little I know of the history, my 2.5 Roadster was a much better car than the 1.5, which I think (?) was the first one that went out in significant numbers. But these were the first cars that Tesla ever made, and they only made the drive train. They've had a lot of experience since then, and they're more established and have a reputation and a lot of nay-sayers out there. The stakes are much higher to make the New Roadster good from the start, and they have the experience to do it right from the start. I'm certain that early New Roadster buyers will be much more satisfied than early Model X buyers.
It's just not the car I want. And in spite of being a roadster, the thing is humongous.
It would be fun to experience 1.9 seconds 0-60 acceleration, though.
Ciaopec
Active Member
AMPd
Well-Known Member
Had I invested 100k in bitcoin when it was around 150 dollars per coin I’d be... well yeah it’s best to not think that way
MikeHolliday
Member
Nobody should be buying a Roadster, if they do not have a signifigant amount of inverstments. Today I just received the VIN number on my Model Y. $63,200 plus taxes. I am pretty confident that leaving the money in the investments and financing through Tesla at about 2.5% I will earn 50% of my payment each month in the my gain on investments. The Point is that my large porfolio grows more than 7%. So, yes you can earn more than 7% in investment. Banks pay 1/4% no one in their right mind would have money in a "Bank".
Agree, getting a MY today, PUP, for my kids, ok and me, to use when they come to visit-they’re young adults. I financed 100%, except 486 bucks that was some balance, at 2.5% for 72 months. There’s not a chance I’d give up cash in exchange for 2.5%. The total interest payment if I make all 72 is about 4 grand over 7 years.
I have to find a post I made about asking if it’s worth getting in line with a deposit and almost every responder said no and one said buy the stock, not sure if it was you, but if I decide to get a roadster it will be completely paid for by Tesla.
2virgule5
Member
This was a very precient post... quite literraly putting the reservation money at that time into $TSLA would have given you the Roadtser for free by now... ;-)
Pinot.Noir
Member
I'd rather wait a bit and let them get the kinks out.But you would not have been first in line.
MaxPowers
Member
Delayed gratification will be a good thing in this case. It would suck having major issues with a $200k car.
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