Around 50k budget what you recommend?

[aerodyne]

Agreed. My approx ownership costs, Less Loss of Use of Money, in the first year of a used Tesla MS, no accidents or major maintenance:

$15,000

Cost of electricity (Free SC for life) for 11k miles:

$168.00

 

[cucubits]

Free supercharging is a cool perk. It may not hold that much real value but I wish Tesla hadn't removed it from their used car sales.
Private sales S market is just crazy but there are good deals on occasion on Tesla used section.

There are other pro-cons here when considering a used S with the mentioned budget:

Private party:

- hard to find good deals
- less/no warranty
+/- having to deal with private party individuals
++ chance to actually see the car before buying
+ chance of free supercharging transfer
+ not having to deal with Tesla's hit or miss used car purchase process


Buying from Tesla:

++ 4 years/50k miles warranty
+ good prices on occasion
+/- not having to deal with private party individuals
- no free supercharging
- I think they've even stripped EAP/FSD on newer cars but this doesn't matter as all those are above our 50k budget
- - no chance to see the car before buying, there's always a chance for hidden/undisclosed problems


It kind of comes down to what each buyer values most.
In my case, I'd love free supercharging but I put more value in warranty. Also I am looking for one specific color which I see very very rarely for sale on forums or they're asking such insane prices that there's no point even starting a discussion with the owner.

Regarding AP hardware, the question at this price range is AP1 vs HW2.0 which is pretty rare on dual motor setups under 50k (late 2016). In this case I actually prefer AP1.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Hi all.
New to the forum and ready to purchase model S.
With around 50k budget what would you guys recommend?
Go with P85D older or 90D facelifted?Or?

Thanks

I wouldn't spend a penny on Model S or X at this point in time. Tesla is capping battery capacity for owners of older vehicles and is slowing supercharging speed based on the age of your vehicle. There is something wrong with the Model S/X battery design that Tesla refuses to talk about. These vehicles are essentially 7+ year old designs that are in desperate need of updating.

All of the new development dollars and tech are going into the Model 3. Elon publicly stated that S/X are no longer Tesla's priority. Why would you buy into a dead end?

 

[cucubits]

I wouldn't spend a penny on Model S or X at this point in time. Tesla is capping battery capacity for owners of older vehicles and is slowing supercharging speed based on the age of your vehicle. There is something wrong with the Model S/X battery design that Tesla refuses to talk about. These vehicles are essentially 7+ year old designs that are in desperate need of updating.

All of the new development dollars and tech are going into the Model 3. Elon publicly stated that S/X are no longer Tesla's priority. Why would you buy into a dead end?

I've heard about this and it is somewhat concerning but, it doesn't matter that much if one doesn't plan on supercharging a lot and 2016 S-es still have around 5 years drivetrain/battery warranty. Also important how long one plans to keep the car.

In my case, simple answer for the last question: I wouldn't buy a Model 3 because I don't like how it looks and I wouldn't pay over $50k for a car with worse ride quality and more cabin noise than a $20k ICE car. Ride quality and cabin noise are very high on my priorities list.

 

[Cheburashka]

Why do you think the Model S has quieter cabin noise than a $20K Mazda 3, for example?

 

[cucubits]

Why do you think the Model S has quieter cabin noise than a $20K Mazda 3, for example?

Good question, especially since I had a '14 Mazda 3 and it wasn't the quietest out there. The S I test drove wasn't whisper quiet but it was way better than a Model 3. Trouble is, this was a new '18 S. I have no idea how a '16 S would compare. I can just hope it's similar. Also, maybe I can rent one before buying...

I'm just choosing the "less bad one". For now there are no other similar EVs out (similar power/range/looks).
My plan is get a used S now, enjoy it for a few years and then see the market. I have very high hopes for the upcoming e-tron GT.

 

[Cheburashka]

'16 is the same as '18 in my experience in terms of the noise level.

I feel it's noisier than other luxury cars overall but if you're used to more basic cars then it may appear quiet.

 

[cucubits]

Side question, is there a difference in road noise in an S with air suspension vs one without?

 

[PhilDavid]

I wouldn't spend a penny on Model S or X at this point in time. Tesla is capping battery capacity for owners of older vehicles and is slowing supercharging speed based on the age of your vehicle. There is something wrong with the Model S/X battery design that Tesla refuses to talk about. These vehicles are essentially 7+ year old designs that are in desperate need of updating.

All of the new development dollars and tech are going into the Model 3. Elon publicly stated that S/X are no longer Tesla's priority. Why would you buy into a dead end?

I disagree. A used Model S for around $50K is a great value. The car has already depreciated a bunch and if you buy one with a warranty, you are good for 2-4 years. When the Model S is refreshed, a new one will cost close to $100K so that still won;t be an option for the OP.

If I were the OP, I'd look for a used Model S in great condition with AWD.

 

[Ostrichsak]

I disagree. A used Model S for around $50K is a great value. The car has already depreciated a bunch and if you buy one with a warranty, you are good for 2-4 years. When the Model S is refreshed, a new one will cost close to $100K so that still won;t be an option for the OP.

If I were the OP, I'd look for a used Model S in great condition with AWD.

Agreed 100%.

 

[steve841]

IMO .. I've had 2 Model S's.

If my budget was 50k, I'd buy a Model 3. If you can stretch it, M3P.

My sister just snagged a M3, So, I finally got to drive the M3 - And while I prefer the traditional dash, the M3 was really a nice car.

It would be about perfect if: Heads up display and power lift gate. Really, that's all it needs.

 

[Alysashley79]

I’ll toss my two cents out here. FWIW. I have a p85D. Keep two things in mind. Budget first and then what you want second. Personally I don’t like the p90’s. I was taking to a guy at the super charger and his battery is about a year newer than mine and has degraded far worse than mine. So it depends on which 90 battery revision you get and when buying used from Tesla you never know. My car has 46k on the odo. Is 4 years old and has lost about 4% to depredation.

when I was looking I wanted perf. Air suspension and cold weather. I ended up with a fully loaded p85D. I was under your budget.

 

[dannycamps]

For the money, I'd go for a 2015 S 85D. That's the first Tesla I owned (purchased used earlier this year). Mine had a range of 240 @ 90% / 267 @ 100%. The build quality (at least in the one I had) was good and the car was well cared for.

 

[cucubits]

If I will find both at the same time, it'll be a hard choice between a non facelift 85D and a year newer facelift 75D.

 

[aerodyne]

Dannycamps +1. As far are the refresh nose, it is ok, but I like the classic look of the nose cone.

 

[cucubits]

Maybe also worth mentioning, what makes my above an even harder choice is resale value. I don't intend to keep the car for more than 3 years and I would love to be able to get something back. The 85D because it's "better"/more rare or the 75D facelift because it's newer...

 

[aerodyne]

If you have all the major options on an 85D including PUP, leather, SAS, sunroof, I think that would be competitive with facelift and AP2 on a newer 75D.

You might like it enough to keep it longer than 3 years....

 

[MJP.P3D-]

To each, his/her own: I respect the nosecone aesthetic but greatly prefer the facelift (aesthetically) and completely disagree that an AP1 85D could ever be “competitive” with an AP2 75D down the road (technically). Today, yes—and this is speaking (ok, writing) as a prior AP1 owner. There is a credible case to be made that AP1 is sufficient by today’s measure however AP1 advancement is exactly zero: it is what it is. AP2+ will continue to evolve and thus be, IMO, more desirable as the years progress... Still, buy a Tesla—any Tesla: just getting in the game makes you a winner! Good luck and enjoy the drive...

 

[cucubits]

Besides the nosecone, headlights and battery size, are there any other functional differences between a facelift AP1 75D and a non facelift (2015) 85D?

 

[Dsancho]

Hi all.
New to the forum and ready to purchase model S.
With around 50k budget what would you guys recommend?
Go with P85D older or 90D facelifted?Or?

Thanks

I was in the same position as you. I ended up with a 15 p85d, I’m happy with my decision as I value performance more.