I'm probably in the same situation many are in. I have a perfectly good car that I bought new: 2017 Mazda CX-5 GT/ AWD, with every option, perfectly maintained with 48k miles. With the current vehicle shortage my Mazda is probably worth $3-5k more than it would be under normal circumstances.
I've driven the MY Long Range a few times and I'm impressed overall but feel some of it is just odd. I'm going to list some of my concerns about the car and hope some of you here in "the community" can help to quell them.
Frame less doors- The windows roll up/down every time the doors are opened and closed to clear window trim and seal windows better when doors are closed. This seems to be something that was done intentionally to secure repairs later in the vehicle's life cycle.
Sunroof with no shade- It gets damn hot here in Oklahoma. When I test drove the MY I noticed that whatever space age glass Tesla put on this roof it simply doesn't block enough light or heat. I understand there are aftermarket shades but from what I've seen most sag in the middle and look tacky. I've talked to a couple of tint shops and one refused to tint it stating that it could cause heat to build up and crack the glass and the other said they wouldn't because they didn't have the template. This is one area that I feel Tesla really went cheap.
Spartan Interior- This is a Love/Hate thing for me. At first the novelty of it took my breath away. Then I realized almost EVERYTHING is controlled through the display screen. I think there should be either a heads-up display or a small instrument cluster. Although, I did find that I got used to using the center display for speed and other functions. My biggest pet peeve is no dedicated door lock/unlock button.
Thermal battery capacity loss- I've watched several videos discussing this topic and it looks like extreme cold can impact range by over 30%.
Electric door release- The only way to open the doors (from the outside) is thought the electric release door handles. How do you get into this car if it goes completely dead?
I'm still muddling through details and haven't placed my order yet. Tesla's site currently states the delivery date as 6 months out but a service center associate told me delivery would likely be 2-4 months.
Mazdas are hard to say goodbye too. Fantastic cars way above their price point. I just traded-in a 2018 Mazda 3 for the Model Y a week ago. The Zoom Zoom served me very well and I loved the finish, the ride, everything about it. Can't beat that car at $20k price point.
However her value went up, I got a fantastic quote and Tesla was my dream car for many years. All aligned for a perfect time for me to switch.
That being said - Tesla is the best car I have driven. Nothing comes close. I am deeply biased about Tesla and rave about them but still I was not prepared for the sheer experience of owning one. It is just better than I imagined so far.
I am not writing from an established position having the car for only 7 days and putting only 400 miles on it so far but here are my 2 cents:
Frameless doors - I really like them. Clean look, feels futuristic. The concern can be about the roll up and down function every time you use the door - just a moving part that can technically malfunction but considering that powered windows last years and years on cars I am not too concerned.
Sunroof - I live in SoCal, leaving the car at work in full sun for full day. Cooler than the Mazda after 8 hours, also with black interior. The sunroof blocks 95% of VLT and has very good UV block. Watch one of the latest videos about their glass on Tesla YouTube channel. Keep in mind that the car has overheat protection function and can sporadically run fans or A/C to cool down the interior while parked and locked. Plus I can vent windows or run the A/C myself from my phone at any time. The overall convenience factor of this car is insane.
Spartan interior - this is subjective of course. For me this is the best car interior I had the pleasure to use. It stills feels luxurious to me but I never owned anything of a Mercedes class, mind you. I literally didn't buy a Toyota Camry Hybrid when I shopped for a new car just because of all that 80s era button extravaganza. I absolutely LOVE the interior of Tesla, I even feel that the S has too much stuff (pre refresh / Plaid). Perfect minimalism and I love the screen controls.
Thermal battery loss - can't elaborate on that - SoCal. I know it is a thing but nothing of a concern for a California owner, understandably. If I was living in a colder climate, I would add this to the top of my list of concerns when considering an EV for a new car. Teslas still have the best battery technology and the best battery management system on the market.
Electric door release - this can be a concern, surprising that Teslas have no service slots for mechanical door release from the outside. In normal car you still have normal key lock and a spare key with your fob.
Long story short - seems like you really want to get into the EV game and you want a Tesla. Cars are moving machines and they can go wrong at any time. Tesla still has the least moving parts in a car and show me a car with that amount of fun, utility and useful technology in that price point. You can keep asking yourself tons of questions but in the end it all comes down to how important it is for you to enjoy driving a car. I drive a lot, over 80 miles a day and right now I can't imagine driving anything else than a Tesla. That is how good it is, literally life changing. I used to come very tired from my commute in a very comfortable Mazda - now I just look forward to commute, to drive it anywhere. I am less stressed on the road, much more relaxed. For me, the car is worth it just for that honestly.