Any reason not to get a 70D?

[ayavner]

@No2DinosaurFuel - thank you for that well-written, well-thought-out summary. You bring up excellent points, many of which are also rattling around in my mind. So far I have driven the S and the 3, and preferred the S for the overall feel and space - the 3 felt a bit like my wife's BMW X1 - which is a great car, but I've always been a Jag guy (grace, pace, and space). I really really like the look of the Jag I-PACE, though waiting for those to be on the market for awhile so they come down on price and have some of the kinks worked out. The others of similar size and performance are also too new, hence way above my range.

I think the id4 is more model 3 size/feel right? I've not seen one in the wild yet. The Mach-E looks pretty compelling, and I might look at those when prices start moving back in the right direction. The Hyundai Ioniq seems nice, but accelerates like a 70s honda civic from what I can tell (no I haven't looked it up haha).

So the Telsa so far ticks the boxes, but I am by no means emotionally stuck on the idea if something else comes along. I agree $20's is really more reasonable for a car of this age. The aging battery does worry me.

Thanks again my friend, one way or the other i'll update the thread if/when!!

 

[Brass Guy]

I've never driven a 70D, but if it's anything like my RWD 85 it'll be plenty fun to drive. I love my S, don't care for the 3.
Maybe someone can chime in, but I think all Model S batteries except the original 60 had 8 year warranty; so you should be safe at least a couple years still.
As far as MCU1, IMO the biggest problem is all the updates - with stuff that I never needed; games, farts, UI downgrades... I at least want my green traffic lines and full color map back, Tesla! Mine was shipped with V5 software, just released at the time. I got a few upgrades like Hill Start Assist; but most major updates since then have been a disappointment to me.
I did eventually get the MCU upgrade, but when I first got the car the interface was very responsive - and less glitchy than the current software.

The price may be high (I don't know), but if it's just what you're looking for you might have to grab it.

My 8 years is up (wow, yesterday I think) and if/when my battery goes, I'll probably pay for a replacement. I don't want a new S, I want mine.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

I've never driven a 70D, but if it's anything like my RWD 85 it'll be plenty fun to drive. I love my S, don't care for the 3.
Maybe someone can chime in, but I think all Model S batteries except the original 60 had 8 year warranty; so you should be safe at least a couple years still.
As far as MCU1, IMO the biggest problem is all the updates - with stuff that I never needed; games, farts, UI downgrades... I at least want my green traffic lines and full color map back, Tesla! Mine was shipped with V5 software, just released at the time. I got a few upgrades like Hill Start Assist; but most major updates since then have been a disappointment to me.
I did eventually get the MCU upgrade, but when I first got the car the interface was very responsive - and less glitchy than the current software.

The price may be high (I don't know), but if it's just what you're looking for you might have to grab it.

My 8 years is up (wow, yesterday I think) and if/when my battery goes, I'll probably pay for a replacement. I don't want a new S, I want mine.

70D does have the unlimited mileage 8 year battery/drive unit warranty. I sold mine with 180,000+ on it last October for around $23k. new owners upgraded to MCU2, put another 30,000 miles on it, and sold for 30k. So, yeah, used car market is definitely pushing prices higher.

 

[ayavner]

Seems like the mileage also factors in? < 50,000 miles and pampered all its life should be worth a bit more, but $16K more? wonder how much of that is the market and how much is the mileage/options etc.

If I get any MCU1 car, I'll definitely plan to upgrade to MCU2 - the couple i've tested did seem a little laggy for my taste, and I can see that being a pain when you need something quickly.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

I'm not trying to discourage you; I just want to make sure you have realistic expectations on price. If it's in as good a shape as you say, the asking price seems in the ballpark. I'm sure you could get them down a bit, but probably not to the low 20s.

The 70D is an incredible value. I put a ton of miles on mine and never had any problems with the drivetrain. Handles needed repair, I had a leaking coolant valve once, sunroof sqeeked, but otherwise it was an incredible car. Toward the end, the slower supercharging was becoming an issue, making road trip more annoying. But for a daily driver I don't think you can go wrong.

 

[jpk195]

As others have said, at some point the price on the 70d will come down significantly, but no guarantee that’s soon, and if you’ve found a car you want and can afford it and aren’t worried about resale, I’d say go for it.

I’m not sure if you’ve considered a 3 - it’s another Tesla that can be had in the price range you are looking at if you go SR or LR RWD. I’ve had both an S and 3, and it really comes down to what you want. I actually have a loaner 3 this week since my S is getting serviced - it’s nowhere near as nice looking and is missing some nice features, but the handling and tight steering I do miss.