Comparing two used M3

[ddemar]

Interested in getting others opinions on my two options..

I'm looking to buy a used M3 LR RWD. I found two great options on the Tesla site-

A- 2018 14k miles, $44k
B- 2018 33k miles, $40k

Is the 20k mileage difference worth the 4k price tag difference (and additional sales tax)?

Cars are equal in features

 

[chrstna4]

With Teslas lasting so many miles, the additional mileage may not make any difference. I know Telsa isn't putting pictures of the cars on the website anymore (but maybe you're looking outside Tesla to find these) and there may be a difference in wear and tear on the cars - more scratches, dings, etc. That might be something that makes the price difference worth it - or you can decide to spend some money on paint correction/detailing/protection. I bought my car used back when photos of all the dings and scratches were posted with the listing. My car was in almost perfect condition (a couple scratches in the bumper) and a few had more damage to them for the same price (repairable and the car overall was in great condition). People who own Teslas tend to take really good care of them so the difference may only be depreciation due to miles on the car. You could end up with a really good deal.

 

[OCR1]

You don’t list the options on either car so it’s hard to provide much meaningful advice. A brand new LR AWD Model 3 (white, 18” wheels, no FSD) is $47K. So if these used cars are similarly configured it’s hard to imagine why you would buy a two year old car to save $3K. If the cars have FSD that makes them a better value.

 

[ddemar]

Sorry, thought I added it but didn't- both have FSD (I think all used 3's through Tesla come with FSD now)

 

[OCR1]

Sorry, thought I added it but didn't- both have FSD (I think all used 3's through Tesla come with FSD now)

OK, that makes them a better value, if you want FSD. I have FSD on one car and basic autopilot on the other. We rarely take advantage of any of the advanced features of FSD since it’s still a very immature technology.

So personally I would rather have a brand new LR AWD car for $47K than a 2 year old LR RWD car for $44K. But if you really want FSD, I would go for the 14,000 mile car for $44K. That is a big difference in mileage and likely wear and tear on the car.

I’m not sure if you are eligible for any incentives or rebates that might affect your decision. In California there is a $2K rebate for new cars but used cars have no rebates.

 

[ddemar]

Yep I thought about that, but definitely want FSD (especially since they’ll probably raise the prices more, especially once it’s fully legal and functional).

 

[Tdriver]

There is also the warranty time vs mileage accumulation.

 

[mjx858]

The less mileage, the better. You’ll have a better chance of getting a Model 3 with less cosmetic issues. If you’re not in a hurry to buy, you might want to keep checking the used section periodically throughout the day for new used inventory or check after midnight to see if any current Model 3s being offered had a big decrease in price overnight. I’ve seen a 2018 LR RWD with 33k miles go for $37,400, 2018 Performance stealth with 25.7k miles sell for $42,500, and I just bought a 2018 Performance with Performance upgrade package with 18.5k miles for $46,300. All of them had FSD.

 

[ddemar]

The less mileage, the better. You’ll have a better chance of getting a Model 3 with less cosmetic issues. If you’re not in a hurry to buy, you might want to keep checking the used section periodically throughout the day for new used inventory or check after midnight to see if any current Model 3s being offered had a big decrease in price overnight. I’ve seen a 2018 LR RWD with 33k miles go for $37,400, 2018 Performance stealth with 25.7k miles sell for $42,500, and I just bought a 2018 Performance with Performance upgrade package with 18.5k miles for $46,300. All of them had FSD.

yep, there’s a few with 33k ish miles going for 40k right now. When do they drop in price? After being on the site for X days? How frequently have your seen this happen?

 

[mjx858]

yep, there’s a few with 33k ish miles going for 40k right now. When do they drop in price? After being on the site for X days? How frequently have your seen this happen?

I’ve only been tracking prices of used model 3 for a month. From what I read on these forums is that the big drop in price is random. The ones I saw with a huge discount, according to EV CPO, were on the market for 12-14 days. There’s no knowing which one will have a big drop in price, but once they drop by $8-10k, they sell it within a few hours. In a month, I think I’ve seen about 4 big discounts, but I wasn’t checking everyday. Seems like the big price drops happens overnight. I saw and bought mine at 4am PST. Most cars usually drop by $100-300 each day and then they increase the price back up by a few thousand dollars.