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Buying a used AP1 Model X... is this a bad idea?

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Hi all, I found a great deal on a 2016 75d with 43k miles from Tesla and put in my order. It has AP1 and has a pretty basic feature set, the only add on it seems is the subzero package. Is buying an AP1 car pretty dumb at this juncture? Honestly I don't think my wife and I would use autopilot that much, but I have been reading that the blind spot detection in AP1 model X cars are pretty bad. With something this big I would like at least some form of working BS detection. Thanks!
 
I would say depends on how often you use AP. I have a midrange model 3 with 2.5 AP and EAP and rarely use any of it because its unreliable, and in hindsight i could of saved 5k. Also you wont have sentry mode with AP1 so once again it all depends on how often you use it. The blindspot is not that great anyway so dont sweat it, makes a very low sound and pretty late lol
 
I have had a Model S with AP1 and now a Model 3 with AP2. AP1 is great, for what it does. I have been driving my Model 3 with AP2 for two years and use the autopilot capability every day (I can't imagine driving any car without that, it is damn good), IMO AP1 shares the same core features of AP2 and does a fine job of that.

Or said differently, if tomorrow magically if my AP2 becomes AP1, I am not sure I would be upset.
 
I wouldn't rule out the car just because of AP1. But I am skeptical of "great deal". I haven't seen any used X's that I would even consider a fair deal.

Make sure you think about the cost in terms of $/mile and $/year. When you do, a lot of the used X's cost more than a new car. Ridiculous to pay more to drive an older car.
 
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I wouldn't rule out the car just because of AP1. But I am skeptical of "great deal". I haven't seen any used X's that I would even consider a fair deal.

Make sure you think about the cost in terms of $/mile and $/year. When you do, a lot of the used X's cost more than a new car. Ridiculous to pay more to drive an older car.
Being new to the Model X community (coming from a 3), I’m a little intrigued by your post. Consider that the OP probably paid $50k vs. $90k. How will he be paying more, overall, to drive an older car? I guess if you’re talking “lease”, then maybe I get it. Otherwise, I’m confused and curious to know.
 
Hi all, I found a great deal on a 2016 75d with 43k miles from Tesla and put in my order. It has AP1 and has a pretty basic feature set, the only add on it seems is the subzero package. Is buying an AP1 car pretty dumb at this juncture? Honestly I don't think my wife and I would use autopilot that much, but I have been reading that the blind spot detection in AP1 model X cars are pretty bad. With something this big I would like at least some form of working BS detection. Thanks!

If you don't think you'll use it much, then I think it's all you'll need. I have a 2016 model x w AP2 (Dec build) and model 3 w AP 2.5, both have enhanced autopilot. I use AP every time I'm on the highway in either car, even if it's just to work (15 min drive). I think they're fantastic but I've not used really any other feature film EAP. So what AP1 offers (TACC, auto steering) is really the core of what you'll need. Personally I love the auto lane changing on EAP (AP2+) but if I could get $3-5k back for not having it, i'd take it. I don't use navigate on autopilot.

We've not had any issues with X after year 1. I did go into service center 4 times in first year for issues though.

Only hesitation I would have right now is a 2016 x vs model y? What made you choose the used X over the Y, which will come with AP3?
 
If you don't think you'll use it much, then I think it's all you'll need. I have a 2016 model x w AP2 (Dec build) and model 3 w AP 2.5, both have enhanced autopilot. I use AP every time I'm on the highway in either car, even if it's just to work (15 min drive). I think they're fantastic but I've not used really any other feature film EAP. So what AP1 offers (TACC, auto steering) is really the core of what you'll need. Personally I love the auto lane changing on EAP (AP2+) but if I could get $3-5k back for not having it, i'd take it. I don't use navigate on autopilot.

We've not had any issues with X after year 1. I did go into service center 4 times in first year for issues though.

Only hesitation I would have right now is a 2016 x vs model y? What made you choose the used X over the Y, which will come with AP3?
Thanks for all the replies guys. As far as why we are leaning towards the X, I feel like the Y will be too cramped with 2 car seats and would feel very bad for the adult in the 3rd row. My wife is currently driving the x5 and 2 car seats are already a struggle in that car, so I figured the x would give us some more breathing room.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. As far as why we are leaning towards the X, I feel like the Y will be too cramped with 2 car seats and would feel very bad for the adult in the 3rd row. My wife is currently driving the x5 and 2 car seats are already a struggle in that car, so I figured the x would give us some more breathing room.

Gotcha! That definitely makes sense. I considered trading in our X for a Y when the 3rd row is released, but I need to see it to know who can actually sit back there. 2 car seats is tight in the 3--middle seat unusable with our 2 Britax car seats. Our X is 6 seater with our 2 car seats in the 2nd row, and 3rd row is very usable then. Love the FWD on the X when dealing with car seats!
 
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Being new to the Model X community (coming from a 3), I’m a little intrigued by your post. Consider that the OP probably paid $50k vs. $90k. How will he be paying more, overall, to drive an older car? I guess if you’re talking “lease”, then maybe I get it. Otherwise, I’m confused and curious to know.

DISCLAIMER - Below I am going to make a several assumptions that seem reasonable to me, but I am sure that not everyone will agree with them. If you think that my assumptions are off, feel free to insert your own numbers. I am not advocating that my assumptions are 100% accurate. My advise is just pick some numbers and think about the value before you dive in. Just because a car is less expensive than others on the market doesn't necessarily mean that it is a great value.


How long do you think these cars will last? For a number of reasons, I don't think these cars are going to last much longer than 8-12 years. If you buy a used car from Tesla and get an additional 4-year warranty, you are pretty much guaranteed that the car will make it to 8. So I will go with 10 years. You might get lucky and it could last a few more years, but I don't want to plan on getting lucky.

So with a 10 year lifespan.

A new 2020 Long Range Plus costs: 85K / 10 = 8,500 per year, and a 4 year old car at 50K costs 50K / 6 = 8,333 per year.

So that used car is not more expensive than the new one, but it is essentially the same price as a new car. Already a pretty bad deal in my book - I want a substantial discount if I am going to miss out on the new car smell.

BUT - that is comparing a 2016 75D to a 2020 Long Range Plus. Those are not equivalent cars! Many things that were optional in 2016 (and not included in the lower priced used cars) are now included standard in 2020. Things like leather seats, heated (rear) seats, heated steering wheel, automatic doors, bioweapon mode, etc are frequently missing from the lower priced used cars. Additionally, Tesla has discontinued the smaller battery model X's. A 2016 75D only had a 238 mile range. A 2020 X has a 350 mile range. That is a HUGE difference. Using the price of a 2020 Long Range Plus to calculate the value of a used 75D makes about as much sense as using the price of a new Model S to calculate the value of a used Model 3.

If Tesla still sold a car today with the options and range of a 2016 75D, it would probably be priced under $70K. So even though you can't buy it, the more fair comparison is a a new car at 70, vs a 4-year old car for 50K. If you do the math that way: you are looking at 7K / year for new vs 8.3K / year for a used car. Thats crazy. Personally, the price would have to drop below 6K/year = 36K before I would consider a 2016 75D a great deal.

Again, you could very reasonably pick different numbers and with different assumptions you might come to a very different conclusion. Given the current market value of used X's clearly most people value these cars way more than I do. I don't think that anyone needs to agree with my numbers, but I do think that every used car buyer should think about the annual cost instead of just looking at the total vehicle price.
 
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How long do you think these cars will last? For a number of reasons, I don't think these cars are going to last much longer than 8-12 years. If you buy a used car from Tesla and get an additional 4-year warranty, you are pretty much guaranteed that the car will make it to 8. So I will go with 10 years. You might get lucky and it could last a few more years, but I don't want to plan on getting lucky.

So with a 10 year lifespan.

Assuming a 10 year ownership is pretty generous. Most of the cars on the Tesla Used listings are off lease, so those vehicles were never going to be owned by one person for that long. It would make the most sense to sell prior to the warranty expiring, so even owner tend to trade or sell prior to that.

A new 2020 Long Range Plus costs: 85K / 10 = 8,500 per year, and a 4 year old car at 50K costs 50K / 6 = 8,333 per year.

So that used car is not more expensive than the new one, but it is essentially the same price as a new car. Already a pretty bad deal in my book - I want a substantial discount if I am going to miss out on the new car smell.

You are completely ignoring the severe depreciation that the Model X suffers. The depreciation is not linear, most of it happens in the first 5 years. So by purchasing used, someone else eats the 50%+ hit on value.

Also, these vehicles will not be worth $0 at the end of 10 years.

Lastly, some people cannot afford an $85K car, but can afford a $50K car. Or maybe they can invest that $35K over the next 4 years.

...

Again, you could very reasonably pick different numbers and with different assumptions you might come to a very different conclusion. Given the current market value of used X's clearly most people value these cars way more than I do. I don't think that anyone needs to agree with my numbers, but I do think that every used car buyer should think about the annual cost instead of just looking at the total vehicle price.

All that matters is that you feel good about the deal. If you find enough value in that new car smell to offset the first three years of depreciation, then by all means. Personally, I found my value equilibrium at a lower price point.
 
Lastly, some people cannot afford an $85K car, but can afford a $50K car.

That is precisely what I am warning people to avoid. Don't just look at the total price. The total price is almost irrelevant. It is the cost / year that matters.

Just to make the it obvious through a huge exaggeration. At the end of 10 years how much will you have spent on cars if you keep buying 50K cars that break down and get sent to the junk yard after 1 year? And how much would you have spent if you had spent 85K on a car that lasted the entire 10 years? Anyone who can afford to spend 50K on a car that will only last 1 year, can afford to spend 85K on a car that will last 10 years.

No I'm not saying that 1 year is in any way reasonable. My only point is that how long the car will last is highly relevant.

Also, these vehicles will not be worth $0 at the end of 10 years.

For my example I used the simplest scenario. Buy the car, drive it until it will go no further. That just happens to be what I always do and it is the simplest to think about. No, it won't be worth 0, but an old broken down X won't be worth enough to change my conclusion that the used cars are over priced.

But in any case, I don't want to defend my assumptions. That's why I didn't include any numbers at all in my first post. Everyone should pick their own numbers. There is not "right" answer since no one can accurately predict the future.

I just want to encourage people to think about the price in terms of an annual cost instead of just looking at the total sticker price.
 
I just want to encourage people to think about the price in terms of an annual cost instead of just looking at the total sticker price.

Tesla Used vehicles under 4 years old and with < 50K miles qualify for an extended warranty for the next 4 years / 50K miles. So your argument about a used car being sent to the junk yard after 1 year is irrelevant.

What's the depreciation for the first 4 years? Based on current prices, it's nearly $12K / year averaged over the first 4 years. We don't have solid numbers for the next four years, but we can look at the similarly aged Model S market. The oldest MS are still selling in the $25-30K range. Let's go ahead and set the bar low for MX prices in 4 years at say $30K. That means about $5K / year average.

New things are nice, buts let's not pretend that buying new luxury cars will ever represent the best value.
 
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I've been very happy with my 2016 MX with AP1.
Works great on the highway. Use it every chance I get on the highway.
Having said that, we have had a variety of small issues given its a first year production model. Enough that we purchased the extended warranty.