Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Any reason not to get a 70D?

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Hi all - I've been scouring the market for something like a 2015 75D or 85D (due to budget), but recently a beautiful 70D came up on the market, with < 50,000 miles and looking like its never even seen rain. It has all the features I would have looked for and the owner seems meticulous.

So that said, is there any reason to disregard a 70D? I mainly settled on the 75 or above based on range, but if the 70 is "close enough" and ticks all the boxes, will i regret it later? I'm a bit torn on whether to wait or whether to buy this one before the guy decides to bump the price up lol.

Anyway just food for discussion - would love to hear from 70D owners, pros/cons, any little 'tricks' or secret upgrades I can look for etc. Will plan to look at it this weekend if its still available.
 
Everyone's situation and budget is different. A 70D has less range than an 85, but it is still reasonable for most cases. My car is down to 243 at 100% but is still plenty for road trips and my bladder. I would have appreciated some more range / faster supercharging speeds on my last trip to the beach where charging infrastructure was almost completely absent, but I still made it work.

All that said, right now is a terrible time to buy a car due to inflated prices. If you have the option to wait, you'll likely save a fair amount of money.
 
Some good points - hmmm, I probably drive < 10,000 miles a year, since i work from home. I rarely drive more than a couple hours without a bladder break or chance to stretch. Horrible time to buy a car, agreed... wonder when that will be slowing down? On the other hand, it is probably the best time to try to sell my current car, so maybe that part of it will be a wash. Dunno.

What about performance? I know it will never be insane or ludicrous, but for average day to day driving do most feel like it is "fast/quick enough"? I am pretty sure 5.x 0-60 will feel revolutionary to me after toddling around in a Volvo XC60 LOL.

Are the motors not the same as the 85D? I wondered why some time ago the 85D's one day got an OTA upgrade to 4.x 0-6 and others didn't. I thought the main difference was just in the battery size/range?
 
I've owned my 70D since May of 2015 and love it. My battery has only degraded around 6% and I still get 232 miles at 100% and 206 miles at 90% state of charge. Still more than enough for most drives but I am tempted to want 400 miles for long range. I recently drove from Palm Springs to Lake Tahoe and Napa and needed 4-5 charging stops averaging 30 minutes to make it each way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2101Guy
The 70D is a solid choice if the range is suitable for your driving needs and if you can get a good price for it. It won't have the drive unit failures common to the earlier Model S and is still very quick. The battery degradation seems quite good too (ABRP claims less than 4% degradation in mine).

Things you might want to look into include the slower supercharging (my 2015 does 110kW on a v2 supercharger for maybe 5% before it drastically throttles down) and the older technology (unless upgraded, it would have the MCU1).
 
Thanks guys - next question - does $39K seem a bit on the high side? Just looking at ads here in the forum over the last 6 months or so, seems like they are mostly a solid mid-30's car (no "P" or anything, but it does have tech package, cold weather package, AP, etc). Just trying to figure out if there might be wiggle room in the price or if its just artificially inflated to take advantage of the current market. Private seller, and it really is in cherry condition.
 
my 2015 70D is of similar low mileage (<50,000km) and has been overall great. Plenty fast enough off the stop light to still delight every time. Never a worry about range.

FYI only problems to date [knocks on wood]: inverter for rear drive unit failed within 1st year though car was still driveable on other motor (replaced whole rear drive unit under warranty); twice replaced 12V battery - one in 2nd year under warranty and the other earlier this year out of warranty (may be due to my particular driving pattern - many short drives and relatively high % of time waiting in car to pick up someone so maybe heavier load on 12V electronics while doing that?); replaced trunk cinching actuator/latch (warranty). I think that's about it for significant mechanical issues. My MCU1 is showing its age but not dead enough yet for recall replacement - considering doing MCU2 upgrade. Battery degradation is very small, seems to be less than 2% down from original spec.

Like chronoreverse mentioned above, I seem to be getting slower Supercharging than original, I think ever since one of last year's software updates. To be fair, I haven't taken a long road trip to truly check out the SC rates on a warm, low SOC battery - but on the few times I've recently tried a local 150kW SuperCharger , unlike when new I've not seen more than maybe 50-60kW or so to start, then rapidly decrease. So that's one thing you might want to check out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ayavner
Yes, you’re right about the motors and I have to say they are quite fast as well. The difference is in between the motor and the battery, Tesla also highlights battery power in kW and it’s bigger on the 85D. I think it’s the same Inocel high voltage fuse that allows bigger power on performance models. That’s the reason it quicker.... And I personally feel it’s my best car purchase ever. What more to say, MCU1 on my car is still running reasonably good, of course it’s not perfect but so far it handles all my everyday needs and must say Tesla have taken care of the functioning as well.
As others have said, if range and price is acceptable- don’t hesitate. It’s a fun car, Good luck!

edit: one thing to look for - battery sticker. Mine is V3 battery, manufactured 01/16 so it has very low degradation
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ayavner
I've got a 2015 70D and unless you need to travel >200 miles on a single trip, it is a great daily driver. It used to get 230 on a full charge, but after a software update I notice it only goes to about 220. If you like to drive >80 mph, expect decreased range and plan for a supercharge stop and cup of coffee.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ayavner
We currently have one as a loaner for a few weeks. I will say I would love to own it. I can't confirm the actual mileage but I really think 100% was well over 270 miles. I actually think it showed 282 10% charge. The MCU screen is dog slow. The driver screen has substance around the edges of the screen and will need to be replaced. Driving, it's awesome. Handles well and has great turn in being a D. I've own a 2017 S 75 RWD in the past. This 70D feels more active. The car is in great shape although it only has approx. 55k So happens this model has the rear facing jump seats. It looks like a classic and I'm really enjoying it. I'm about Tesla out or I'd see if we could purchase. Charging is super slow (58K if I remember at or about 50%.) That's ok for I don't think you want to be in a hurry with such a great classic Tesla.
 

Attachments

  • messages_0 (49).jpeg
    messages_0 (49).jpeg
    98.1 KB · Views: 62
  • Like
Reactions: ayavner
As for whether the car you're looking at is a good deal... prices are relative these days. I think overall, $39k for a 70Di is silly money, but prices are all over the place. I bought my 2015 P85DL almost 2 years ago from Tesla with a 2 year warranty. A comparable car today with a 1 year warranty is $7k more! That's absurd! I'd peg the car at low to mid 30s, but the market will determine what something is worth. That said, Tesla wants $48k for a 2015 70D with 41k on the clock. Looney Toons!
 
Exactly! To @KalJoMoS point, the price is smack dab in the middle of the KBB private seller range for both Good and Excellent conditions. To your point, @beatle, I see them with double that mileage on some of the 3rd party "dealers" (Ottosource, Autocentrix, etc) for mid-40's, with nothing in particular I can hang the difference on... then I see them in this very forum from earlier this year going for low 30's. There just doesn't seem to be much consistency, other than what the market will bear. If I recall, in "car years" they'll all be 1 year older in September.

That said, its still listed after a couple of weeks so maybe a little while longer will soften things up.
 
I purchased by 2015 70D in 2018 used from Tesla. It was probably a lease return. Except for some minor stuff it has been quite reliable. Original battery capacity was 240 but I get 225 max after about 70,000 miles, so that's pretty good. I recently got the MCU2 upgrade and I and the family have been satisfied with the extras that come along with that. While an 85, 90 or 100D would be more powerful, the 70D still impresses when you want it to move either from a stop or if you are on the highway and need to accelerate quickly. It will beat anything that isn't a Tesla that you would normally come across.

The price seems a little high, but used cars are currently expensive so you might be stuck.

One last thought is that the Supercharger network is good enough to make long drives work with big or small jumps. This has improved over time.

Good luck!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ayavner
Thanks, its still in my saved list but still mulling over everything. Labor Day weekend, so if I remember correctly this is when all the dealers are trying to make room and clear inventory to avoid taxes. So maybe things will start swinging back the other way.

I probably wasn't really keeping up, but never did understand how a chip shortage leads to a unilateral inflation on used car prices. Someone FLEW down from the Chicago area to buy my wife's 2011 Ford Edge, sight unseen, and paid almost asking. I'd be shocked if that thing has more than 1 chip in it anywhere.
 
Here are my opinions

1) $39K for a 70D is way too high. If it was closer to $25K with no issues in perfect condition, then maybe in this market. Regular/normal market, I wouldn't even consider it if it is anything more than $20K.

2) I would stay away from 70D/70 model. They are using the same cells as the 85D/85 models which tesla neuter the charging speed. Some might got a bit back after some updates, but I think it is still drastically below what they got originally. Compound the issue of a lower voltage pack, you are essentially looking at a 60D/60 charge speed. Remember those?

3) if range is not an issue, then the 70D would serve you well and assuming you transfer it right, then you should get to keep the free unlimited supercharging which if you use plenty of, might save a significant chunk on the lifetime cost of the car***

4) *** here is the asterisk point. Be prepared to cough up a hugh battery replacement cost. The numbers floating around is $15K-$20K for a new pack. Now it is wholly possible you won the lottery and never need to replace your battery pack way into your ownership of this 70D, but I wager most people don't win lotteries. Time/battery age is the major issue in your case here that will most likely kill your pack, not vehicle mileage.

5) for $39K, why not look into other EVs which still have tax credit remaining which you can get at a comparable or cheaper cost? Think id4, standard range mach-e, etc. Heck if you believe the Democrats in Congress, why not wait for the renewed EV credit? Heck why not consider the model 3? There are a lot of options if you are in the $39K range.

6) The technology in the 70D is definitely ahead of most other common internal combustion vehicles, but compared to the newer EVs and definitely compared to a model 3, it will be feel like a car of the past. The Tegra powered MCU (Media Control Unit) is way underpowered for what Tesla allows you to do. Hence things are not always smooth or responsive. If you can put up with it, then I say you are good to go, but if you are expecting newer Tesla MCU response, then I say look elsewhere. You can always pay for the upgrade the MCU, but I hear that is at least $1500 or more for the upgrade so factor that into the cost.

7) Range is a tricky one. Remember Tesla tend to not meet their EPA range and definitely never meet their range they state on the gauge. I know because ever since I got my car in 2016, I have never ever got anywhere close to the range they promise even driving pretty conservatively. So if the Tesla says you have 200 miles, I would derate that to 80% to be safe if you are a normal driver. If you are an aggressive driver, derate that to 65%. Cold weather or towing? Make that 50%. So you might say you do not care for long range, but just be aware of your real range vs what Tesla's instrument cluster says.

Personally for me, I would stay away from older Model S mainly due to the impending warranty bill related expenses and old tech you are getting with the car. Teslas are cars you don't want to own out of warranty and you might still have some warranty left on the used 70D you are looking at. But I wager you can get a new Tesla Model 3 which will have a longer warranty period compared to your 70D you are looking at.
I recommend looking at other EVs if you are looking for EVs. But if you must stick with Tesla, I would say spend a bit more and go for the Model 3 Standard range. It is a decent car though you will have to call them to get the special price. If you need the space, pay quite a bit more, and get the Model Y if you are OK with with the looks.

Best of luck on your decision!