$55k budget - what Model S to buy?

[jongrreat]

Hi all,
Considering a used Model S and looking for insights on model year / spec to buy. I previously owned a 2021 M3LR. Loved the car but sold to return to my muscle car roots. Anyway, I regret switching back to ICE and looking to buy another Tesla. With the price cuts, I was considering a new M3P until I realized they pulled USS. Plus, with a family, looking for the additional space that the S offers.

Budget is $55k max. My question is should I go for an older P85d, 100d, or p100d with potentially lower miles, or 2019-2020 Raven with higher mileage? The technology side is important to me and I’m somewhat OCD so the search isn’t easy. Range is important but I prioritize speed over range, plus we have charging at home and don’t have much of a commute.

What am I missing? Thanks in advance!!

 

[TwistedGray]

P90DL or P100DL

 

[beatle]

The Raven platform was the biggest leap with adaptive suspension, true one pedal driving (to a stop), better efficiency/range, and even more performance than the P100D. However, I don't think you can get one for $55k unless it has very high mileage and/or some other significant flaw, or if you're not buying a performance car.

Technology is a mixed bag with newer cars. Not everything is better. AP1 on the highway is superior to the later systems that have now had their radar systems rendered useless via software. Follow distance cannot be set as short as AP1, and following behavior is less humanlike than before. Stop and go traffic makes me sick if I use AP on my 2019 whereas my 2015 made me think that true autonomous driving was not that far away. Tesla has stopped screwing with the AP1 cars which is reassuring.

You can retrofit MCU2 to an earlier car, though it will bring up the price. If you care about technology, MCU2 is absolutely a must-have.

IMO, the plus suspension available on some P85Ds is better than standard smart air suspension which is what you'll get on anything until you get to the raven in 2019. Plus is still sportier though.

Sentry mode on the newer cars is neat, but a little overactive. It can be difficult/painstaking to go through sentry events and see if any were actually events and not just people walking by the car. I find that I just ignore the sentry alerts most of the time. It can be nice in an accident, but so is a dashcam (I added an integrated dashcam to my P85D for less than $200).

HID headlights are better on pre-facelift cars than the LEDs on those that follow.

Newer cars will have both faster charging and more range as you go through the years. People complain about charging speeds of the 85kwh cars, but I didn't find it to be a problem on my P85D. I think charging "miles per hour" on all cars, however, will be less than your M3LR which can go further on a kwh than any S.

 

[jongrreat]

The Raven platform was the biggest leap with adaptive suspension, true one pedal driving (to a stop), better efficiency/range, and even more performance than the P100D. However, I don't think you can get one for $55k unless it has very high mileage and/or some other significant flaw, or if you're not buying a performance car.

Technology is a mixed bag with newer cars. Not everything is better. AP1 on the highway is superior to the later systems that have now had their radar systems rendered useless via software. Follow distance cannot be set as short as AP1, and following behavior is less humanlike than before. Stop and go traffic makes me sick if I use AP on my 2019 whereas my 2015 made me think that true autonomous driving was not that far away. Tesla has stopped screwing with the AP1 cars which is reassuring.

You can retrofit MCU2 to an earlier car, though it will bring up the price. If you care about technology, MCU2 is absolutely a must-have.

IMO, the plus suspension available on some P85Ds is better than standard smart air suspension which is what you'll get on anything until you get to the raven in 2019. Plus is still sportier though.

Sentry mode on the newer cars is neat, but a little overactive. It can be difficult/painstaking to go through sentry events and see if any were actually events and not just people walking by the car. I find that I just ignore the sentry alerts most of the time. It can be nice in an accident, but so is a dashcam (I added an integrated dashcam to my P85D for less than $200).

HID headlights are better on pre-facelift cars than the LEDs on those that follow.

Newer cars will have both faster charging and more range as you go through the years. People complain about charging speeds of the 85kwh cars, but I didn't find it to be a problem on my P85D. I think charging "miles per hour" on all cars, however, will be less than your M3LR which can go further on a kwh than any S.

Thanks for the detailed response! Really appreciate it. I typically buy new so am a little wary about sifting through for the right one. Thinking I may focus on 2019-2020 Raven Long Range. Looks like that may fit within the budget. Anything to watch out for in my search? Finding one with an extended warranty already purchased would be ideal, but suppose I could do that after the fact.

 

[beatle]

The cars were pretty standardized by 2019 with fewer options so you're mostly looking at the paint color, interior color/trim, and 19" or 21" wheels.

IMO, paying extra for FSD is not worthwhile, but having EAP is nice to have for simple summon and not having to turn AP off and on when you want to change lanes.

 

[TwistedGray]

...having EAP is nice to have for simple summon and not having to turn AP off and on when you want to change lanes.

Which version of AP requires you to toggle it off and on to change lanes?

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Which version of AP requires you to toggle it off and on to change lanes?

You don't have to turn it off and on but with Basic Autopilot, manually changing lanes will disable it and then you have to re-enable it since there is no auto lane change functionality.

 

[TwistedGray]

You don't have to turn it off and on but with Basic Autopilot, manually changing lanes will disable it and then you have to re-enable it since there is no auto lane change functionality.

I am not sure what you mean by "basic autopilot", but with AP1 (the original AP) the car will change lanes for you without issue using the turn signal. It does not disable and need to be reenabled. Not sure what you're referencing.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I am not sure what you mean by "basic autopilot", but with AP1 (the original AP) the car will change lanes for you without issue using the turn signal. It does not disable and need to be reenabled. Not sure what you're referencing.

When FSD went up in price, the buy rate went down so Tesla came out with a bare-bones offering called Basic Autopilot in 2020. Tesla initially offered Basic Autopilot for $2000 but now it is standard on all currently sold vehicles. Basic Autopilot has auto speed (TACC) and can maintain the lane but does not have auto lane changes. Auto lange change functionality on newer vehicles requires Enhanced Autopilot or FSD.

 

[TwistedGray]

When FSD went up in price, the buy rate went down so Tesla came out with a bare-bones offering called Basic Autopilot in 2020. Tesla initially offered Basic Autopilot for $2000 but now it is standard on all currently sold vehicles. Basic Autopilot has auto speed (TACC) and can maintain the lane but does not have auto lane changes. Auto lange change functionality on newer vehicles requires Enhanced Autopilot or FSD.

Thank you!

Learn something new - bastards! : )

 

[Ryan Autry]

2019-2020 Model S Standard or Long Range (Raven)

or

2016-2019 Model S P100DL (Pre-Raven)

 

[jongrreat]

2019-2020 Model S Standard or Long Range (Raven)

or

2016-2019 Model S P100DL (Pre-Raven)

Thanks, that's kind of what I'm finding as well. In your experience, would you recommend Raven LR or P100DL and why? Thanks!!

 

[Crutonius]

I'd suggest trying out a regular non performance S if you haven't done so. That P carries quite a premium.

 

[TwistedGray]

I'd suggest trying out a regular non performance S if you haven't done so. That P carries quite a premium.

The P also carries quite a performance.

If you want a Tesla for performance, getting a non-P is a bit of a let down, in my opinion. Drive a P on the different driving modes...

Here is a comparison video (not exciting) that I did with my P90DL (0-30 times on Chill, Sport, Ludicrous, and Ludicrous +).
Mode 0-30mph times
Chill 4.01sec
Sport 2.14sec
Ludicrous 1.54sec
Ludicrous+ 1.44sec

 

[tesluv108]

Thanks for the detailed response! Really appreciate it. I typically buy new so am a little wary about sifting through for the right one. Thinking I may focus on 2019-2020 Raven Long Range. Looks like that may fit within the budget. Anything to watch out for in my search? Finding one with an extended warranty already purchased would be ideal, but suppose I could do that after the fact.

I 100% would spend the extra 5 to 10k to the get the p100dl. If you could find one with fusc even better. I have ap1 and I love it for the most part, it’s only tried to kill me once. Also I have an IRO dashcam which is a great option that looks integrated to the car. Regarding mcu2 I don’t have that yet. But I’ve had a model 3 and I don’t care that much about the differences right now. Secretly I’m hoping the screen takes a dump before extended warranty ends so I could get an mcu2 for deductible. Ludicrous should be a must for you. It’s just so much better than non ludicrous cars.

 

[Ryan Autry]

Thanks, that's kind of what I'm finding as well. In your experience, would you recommend Raven LR or P100DL and why? Thanks!!

I was just faced with this exact dilemma. I went with the Raven based on the suspension and new front motor. Plus the LR Raven is still decently quick with a 0-60 in 3.7 secs.

 

[TwistedGray]

I was just faced with this exact dilemma. I went with the Raven based on the suspension and new front motor. Plus the LR Raven is still decently quick with a 0-60 in 3.7 secs.

That's plenty fast at 3.7sec, but I'm a sucker for torque. The older P100DLs will run 0-60 in about 2.25sec...one and half mississiphulsess (as we say in my home).

 

[TwistedGray]

Regarding mcu2 I don’t have that yet. But I’ve had a model 3 and I don’t care that much about the differences right now.

Yeah I have had a MCU1 car, and MCU2 car, and now I'm back to MCU1 (all Model S). Other than the faster screen loading, meh...it ain't worth the cost. I still have FM radio which is another $500 (?) to retain when we switch to MCU2. I'll sacrifice a slower boot up time (it ain't that slow).

 

[jongrreat]

I was just faced with this exact dilemma. I went with the Raven based on the suspension and new front motor. Plus the LR Raven is still decently quick with a 0-60 in 3.7 secs.

Okay, thanks! Did you buy from Tesla or a 3rd party dealer? Buying through Tesla seems really nerve wracking since you can't see the car, but the extra 1 year warranty would be nice. Their pricing seems a bit inflated vs. current market.

 

[beatle]

Looking at Tesla's used car prices on ev-cpo.com, a raven performance currently only commands a small premium (maybe $4-5k) over a LR+. That surprised me. That puts a LR+ into the low-mid 60s. If $55k is a hard high limit, it puts you into a weird price bracket for tech/speed because it puts any raven out of your budget by several thousand.

I normally say to buy the most car you can afford, but while a P100D gets you (noticeably) more power/range/charging speed over a P85D, it loses the benefits of AP1, HID headlights, and performance plus suspension. A P85DL can be had for $40k or less, and it will still be faster than a LR+. It's true that you'd also be going without a battery/DU warranty, but you'd also have $15k in your pocket, and the 2015s were where Tesla had worked out many of the bugs of the earlier cars. Everyone values different aspects of a car differently so it's not an obvious choice.