I don't intend to start a flame war or any political discussion whatsoever. I just want to get this off my chest & get a feel for how many others like me are out there. I can appreciate the arguments around the reduction in fossil fuel usage etc. But for me, personally, that wasn't a primary concern. Maybe I'm overthinking how people view Tesla owners... Or I'm spending too much time reading the cesspool that is reddit.
The Model 3 wasn't part of my decision set when I was car shopping - I just happen to have a Tesla store 5 minutes from my house and figured what the hell, let's see what's up. Drove a P3D+ and was blown away. Found out about the P3D- and was sold.
The reasons why I chose this car:
The Model 3 wasn't part of my decision set when I was car shopping - I just happen to have a Tesla store 5 minutes from my house and figured what the hell, let's see what's up. Drove a P3D+ and was blown away. Found out about the P3D- and was sold.
The reasons why I chose this car:
- Performance. An AWD car that hits 60 in 3 seconds for $50K w/ no mechanical guilt. Instant "throttle" response. Pretty good handling (hoping MPP coilovers + PS4S tires dial it in to where it should be).
- Mechanical simplicity. I enjoy tinkering, but fixing an endless stream of leaking transmissions/differentials/gaskets eventually starts getting old (looking at you, BMW). I plan to keep this car a long, long time & hope its simple mechanical nature means that it'll be extremely reliable & perform as it does for longer & with fewer issues than an ICE car.
- Practicality. It's a high-performance car but I don't have to worry about getting valve adjustments every 50K miles, or turbocharger heat soak, or carbon buildup, or endless debates about oil catch cans, or making sure it's warmed up before driving hard, or feeling like an idiot shuffling to & from work in a 400+ hp machine that gets 16 mpg in stop & go traffic that seldom sees over 35 mph. And it seats 5 people & has a crazy amount of space vs. a similarly-sized conventional car.
- Daily driving is extremely easy. I really don't like firing up an ICE car to make short trips - it feels wasteful & "unhealthy" for the car. Battery doesn't charge well, cats don't heat up, nor does the engine, etc. Silly concern but there's no such thing in the Tesla - it's ideal for daily driving.
- Looks. I don't think the Model 3 looks spectacular, by any means. But "evolving" pedestrian safety standards & endless bloat has rendered most cars looking pretty awful. Gone are the days of svelte, understated styling. So compared to the other options, I think it's pretty good, especially lowered with meaty tires + chrome delete.
- Finally - everything else sucks in comparison. There's nothing as good, especially at the same price point. It's either too dated, too watered-down/boring/suited for the masses, or doesn't come in a manual... something I dearly want in an ICE car. Most manufacturers have simply forsaken the enthusiast & are computerizing every facet of the driving experience. Might as well take it all the way & go for the car that takes this concept to the extreme, but wraps it up in a novel & thrilling driving experience.