A Fence Sitter just fell off

[Zaxxon]

Welcome to the dark side. Cookies are to your left.

 

[RFernatt]

Thanks for the story, Carotene. My wife and I more alike and both analytical, frugal. She was looking more for the $35K version with a couple options, but when it came time to place the order, she said get what you want. She knows I have been eaten up with EVs and Tesla and wanted to support the splurge. So, I did exactly that!

Like many folks owning Civics and Leafs and moving up to a 3, we would never consider spending $40K plus on just a car. Ergo, a Tesla is much more than "just a car." It's a time machine that let's you experience the future now. And, time machines aren't cheap!

Time machines may also have minor paint blemishes, panel gaps, and take a while to get parts since they are from the future...

 

[Foxtrotter]

Congratulations! You may have to ask for your VIN. I did have to on our second 3.
The system for delivery seems pretty overloaded right now.
Your wife sounds wonderful, just be aware that she may want the 3 after she drives it.

 

[NickFie]

Two points:
1) Though I don't need this range on a daily basis and the car will charge at home each night, the lower depth of discharge (DoD) due to the larger pack capacity should improve battery lifetime. A Li cell that is fully cycled 100% to 0% has a lifetime on the order of 100's of cycles. Keeping DoD between 80 - 30% has a drastic affect on cycle life into the 1000's. Tesla already manages this very well, but I can do my part in usage to ensure good life and low degradation.

2) We do multiple 2-3hr trips per year. DC area has a ton of attractions in this range. I'd prefer to limit the number of stops on these day trips with young kids.

3) When you need extra battery capacity you can either be grateful you have it, or wish you had it.

My wife and I returned from Cape Cod to Philadelphia yesterday. Higher capacity battery meant:
- Only one 30-minute Supercharger stop on the nearly 400-mile trip.
- 20 miles before our Supercharger stop, we spent 2 hours stopped behind an accident that blocked our side of the highway. We had no concern that our battery would be exhausted before we could Supercharge. Only used one or two percent of capacity to run the air conditioning and lights.

 

[MXWing]

Tesla has zero motivation to release the 35K Model 3. Not that they won’t, they just are not motivated to do so. Don’t see much point in shooting for 0 tax credit on one when you can use present credits to pay for the current niceties.

 

[Ingham]

I've been tortured by the decision to purchase a TM3 since late last year when my pal offered to give me his reservation. Until that point purchase wasn't even an option in the immediate term since going convention at that time was the wait for non-reserves would be 2 years or so.

I've hemmed. I've hawed. Made countless spreadsheets and assessed priorities. Ultimately, I decided that good things come to those who wait. I've read of quality issues, rejected deliveries, months waiting for repairs, and so on. Financially, we can comfortably afford it but i'm pretty conservative with spending and we're not prepared as I would like for this purchase (read: all cash) This Labor Day weekend I sat down with the wife to discuss the full picture. The costs, the risks, the all-important impending tax credit phase-out. And of course, my decision to wait for a few years.

She looks at me a says, "I hear you. You've been obsessing about this car for a long time. Put the numbers aside. I want you to get the car. We'll make it work regardless of the outcome. You have my blessing". She is a wonderful person in so many ways. She understood better than I in that moment that there is an emotion component to life choices. Where i'm analytical, she tends to be spiritual. It's a great balance. We sat on the couch with the iPad and ordered a MSM Model3 LR RWD on Sep1. Now I just hope it arrives before year's end.

I wanted to share this story with the others who find themselves struggling with the mental tug o' war. I don't know on which side of the fence you will eventually fall. I do know that for many, myself included, this is a big purchase that merits careful consideration. Good luck whatever you and your family decide.

Oh this is so me (you not your wife!) I evaluate things to DEATH - and you know what it can just spoil the FUN. It would be lovely to have the finances to just buy the mac Daddy and to hell with the costs ....but reality is a bit of a killjoy! Still.. once you know what you can afford go for it. I am struggling with "needing" LR Battery (ohio cold winters and intend to die of old age in the car!) and thinking I need AWD (Ohio snow! with a daily commute on freeways) - or can I go RWD and get awesome winter tires. If I wait for SR it will be a long wait but my lease is running out so what I spend in the extras I will ultimately save as I am not leasing anymore! ....see there I go! I am just waiting to see how northerners feel about RWD in the snow (and not the 1" everyone shows in their videos!)....help make the madness stop - I too have a fantastic other half that says - "sod it! get what you want!"

 

[scottm]

This is how it happened for me too, with clock wound back to 2009 watching Tesla Roadster... then the S came out.. and finally my wife on my birthday in 2014 said just do it, get the car and enjoy.

I had never pictured myself buying a $100K car, but I did. So easy with a few clicks.. The wait killed me, until the car rolled up to my house in a covered truck, and down it rolled. Silently.

It's been a fantastic experience since! We've both tremendously enjoyed it, spreading the EV word for last 4 years of driving.. going wherever we want on EV proving it could be done. Got more miles on EV per year than I ever did on any other car. Just took it to the drag strip for first time a week ago, and it performs the same or better than advertised when new. Battery degradation is less than 2%, which, practically speaking is nothing.

And now, I've repaid her the favor and told her to "get whatever car you want" to replace our aging second car (ICE).. She chose a model 3 dual motor. Faster, lighter, longer range and more capable than my S and for 30% less money. Just wow!

Good things come around!

For us, now it's Good-bye Gas, forever. I hear gasoline at the pump was one of the biggest factors of consumer inflation index this year. Hm, you don't say.

 

[Abstrakt1]

Very similar story to my own, I got my car last week and can say you will not regret it. The conservative spender in me struggled with the decision but my wife knew that I was in love with the car and gave me the support to feel comfortable with the decision.

 

[scottm]

Wives just know this: it's better to love a car than another woman.

 

[neroden]

I asked mine for my ViN after getting that email and she gave it to me in the next email.

Good, that's how it's supposed to work (sometimes you need your VIN to get insurance etc)

 

[Carotene]

I'm really loving these stories. We talk a lot about specs and reviews on this site, but the real, tortured struggle of the decision process truly brings the human element to this discussion. The uncertainty, perceived risks, expiring credits, the price tag! Sleep well my friends.

I asked mine for my ViN after getting that email and she gave it to me in the next email.

Thanks for the tip! Got my VIN and delivery date - Oct 1. Not too shabby!

 

[Blu Angel]

Carotene,

Great storyline and happy to see you're getting your Tesla on Oct 1st.
Welcome to the "Dark side!"

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall thinking bout Tesla,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, skip & a jump and landed in the Tesla dealership
All the king's horses and all the king's men rushed to persuade him about its many attributes,
[and] Couldn't put Humpty together again because he crossed over to the EV world!

 

[Zcd1]

...I've hemmed. I've hawed. Made countless spreadsheets and assessed priorities. ...Where i'm analytical, she tends to be spiritual. It's a great balance. We sat on the couch with the iPad and ordered a MSM Model3 LR RWD on Sep1. Now I just hope it arrives before year's end.

I wanted to share this story with the others who find themselves struggling with the mental tug o' war. I don't know on which side of the fence you will eventually fall. I do know that for many, myself included, this is a big purchase that merits careful consideration. Good luck whatever you and your family decide.

Great story, thanks for posting. I'm in the midst of the decision, too right now. Impetus was the end of the warranty on my current car. It's a pricey vehicle, with equally pricey out-of-warranty repairs, unfortunately, and I don't like multi-hundred or multi-thousand dollar surprise expenses.

So, maybe an M3P... Not as traditionally luxurious, 1 cu ft. smaller interior volume, slightly quicker, slightly noisier on the highway, but overall very cool. The tax credit and free supercharging are almost enough to make me forget about potential build quality issues - almost.

So, still thinking, but leaning towards "just do it"...