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Considering upgrading to LR (from SR+)

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I'm thinking of getting the long range model (better range, dual motor, faster, AWD, better sound system) but not sure if it's worth $12K extra (plus no federal rebate).

Anyone here go from SR+ to LR?

How bad is the sound quality in the SR+?

I assume you haven’t taken delivery of it yet? Unfortunately you won’t be getting the federal credit if taking delivery now with either car. I’m also not sure where you’re getting the $12k difference... it’s $9k going from SR+ to LR AWD and even with 9% sales tax that would be no more than a $10k difference... what’s the extra $2k?

I would say $9k plus tax the upgrade would be worth it if you can afford it. The long range pack had the ability to charge faster (250kW peak vs ~170kW), the extra range can be huge benefit in the winter* and all wheel drive is way better in snow. This isn’t to mention the rear heated seats (~$300 value) and better audio...

*if you think about heating being a fixed load in both cars, the smaller battery will have a larger percentage used up heating compared to the bigger battery. In bad conditions (heavy rain with standing water in the road and running the heated seat and using the heater in the cabin) I saw about 60wh/mi additional usage at a speed of 65mph. That means about 3.9kWh was used due to the conditions. Assuming a 50kWh pack that was almost 8% of my total battery used in one hour just due to environmental conditions. These would basically be the same in the LR car (rolling resistance due to rain and standing water would be close to the same between cars) BUT since I have a larger battery this represents only 5% of the total battery. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but after two hours it’s 16% vs 10% and three hours of driving it’s 24% vs 15%. This adds up over a road trip in more frequent charging sessions...
 
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I assume you haven’t taken delivery of it yet? Unfortunately you won’t be getting the federal credit if taking delivery now with either car. I’m also not sure where you’re getting the $12k difference... it’s $9k going from SR+ to LR AWD and even with 9% sales tax that would be no more than a $10k difference... what’s the extra $2k?

I would say $9k plus tax the upgrade would be worth it if you can afford it. The long range pack had the ability to charge faster (250kW peak vs ~170kW), the extra range can be huge benefit in the winter* and all wheel drive is way better in snow. This isn’t to mention the rear heated seats (~$300 value) and better audio...

*if you think about heating being a fixed load in both cars, the smaller battery will have a larger percentage used up heating compared to the bigger battery. In bad conditions (heavy rain with standing water in the road and running the heated seat and using the heater in the cabin) I saw about 60wh/mi additional usage at a speed of 65mph. That means about 3.9kWh was used due to the conditions. Assuming a 50kWh pack that was almost 8% of my total battery used in one hour just due to environmental conditions. These would basically be the same in the LR car (rolling resistance due to rain and standing water would be close to the same between cars) BUT since I have a larger battery this represents only 5% of the total battery. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but after two hours it’s 16% vs 10% and three hours of driving it’s 24% vs 15%. This adds up over a road trip in more frequent charging sessions...

He's from Canada, and we get a $5,000 rebate from our Feds, but the car has to be under $55,000 to qualify for it. In BC I get an extra $3,000 credit. And ya, for us the price jumps up $12K going up to the LR... I'm sticking with the SR+.
 
I assume you haven’t taken delivery of it yet? Unfortunately you won’t be getting the federal credit if taking delivery now with either car. I’m also not sure where you’re getting the $12k difference... it’s $9k going from SR+ to LR AWD and even with 9% sales tax that would be no more than a $10k difference... what’s the extra $2k?

I would say $9k plus tax the upgrade would be worth it if you can afford it. The long range pack had the ability to charge faster (250kW peak vs ~170kW), the extra range can be huge benefit in the winter* and all wheel drive is way better in snow. This isn’t to mention the rear heated seats (~$300 value) and better audio...

*if you think about heating being a fixed load in both cars, the smaller battery will have a larger percentage used up heating compared to the bigger battery. In bad conditions (heavy rain with standing water in the road and running the heated seat and using the heater in the cabin) I saw about 60wh/mi additional usage at a speed of 65mph. That means about 3.9kWh was used due to the conditions. Assuming a 50kWh pack that was almost 8% of my total battery used in one hour just due to environmental conditions. These would basically be the same in the LR car (rolling resistance due to rain and standing water would be close to the same between cars) BUT since I have a larger battery this represents only 5% of the total battery. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but after two hours it’s 16% vs 10% and three hours of driving it’s 24% vs 15%. This adds up over a road trip in more frequent charging sessions...
I thought you were in Canada and gave me a heart attack lol
 
I assume you haven’t taken delivery of it yet? Unfortunately you won’t be getting the federal credit if taking delivery now with either car. I’m also not sure where you’re getting the $12k difference... it’s $9k going from SR+ to LR AWD and even with 9% sales tax that would be no more than a $10k difference... what’s the extra $2k?

I would say $9k plus tax the upgrade would be worth it if you can afford it. The long range pack had the ability to charge faster (250kW peak vs ~170kW), the extra range can be huge benefit in the winter* and all wheel drive is way better in snow. This isn’t to mention the rear heated seats (~$300 value) and better audio...

*if you think about heating being a fixed load in both cars, the smaller battery will have a larger percentage used up heating compared to the bigger battery. In bad conditions (heavy rain with standing water in the road and running the heated seat and using the heater in the cabin) I saw about 60wh/mi additional usage at a speed of 65mph. That means about 3.9kWh was used due to the conditions. Assuming a 50kWh pack that was almost 8% of my total battery used in one hour just due to environmental conditions. These would basically be the same in the LR car (rolling resistance due to rain and standing water would be close to the same between cars) BUT since I have a larger battery this represents only 5% of the total battery. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but after two hours it’s 16% vs 10% and three hours of driving it’s 24% vs 15%. This adds up over a road trip in more frequent charging sessions...

This is a very thorough analysis which I appreciate.

I'm in Canada, so the price difference is $12K CAD. Plus, we also get $5K Federal rebate on SR+ models only, making the price difference to be over $17K once you add in taxes.

Note that SR+ is more "nimble" as it's lighter. It also is more efficient. Plus, given that it is lighter, it will have less stress on tires and suspension making them last longer (theoretically).

If I get this car, I'll likely keep it for 10+ years as it will be my full-time daily driver. $17K cost divided over 10 years is minuscule, but I am money conscious.

I love the AWD but I think I'll stick with the SR+ model.
 
When you take into account more realistic fuel efficiency, cold weather, battery degradation (after a few years), and the fact that you don't charge to 100% or drive until 0% you are going to wish your SR+ had more range when you need to drive more than 180 km per day.

So how often do you drive more than 180km in 1 day?

If you drive 200km/day frequently, then you are definitely going to regret not getting the LR. But if most days you drive 20km, and you only only go on road trips a handful of times per year then the SR+ is the obvious choice. $17K is a lot just to avoid spending a few extra minutes charging once a year on your annual road trip.

I drive my Model 3 long distances enough that I am glad I have the LR, and wish they had an option for an even bigger battery. But for many people, especially people with another car they can use on road trips, the SR+ has more than enough range.
 
How bad is the sound quality in the SR+?

I can offer some feedback here. I went from a 2014 Model S with the High Fidelity sound system to a SR+ and find the SR+ to have noticeably better, and richer, audio quality. I too was worried about audio quality of the SR+ pre-delivery and found it to be excellent (at least from the driver's audio stage). I am sure the LR and Performance models have even better audio quality, but the SR+ definitely does not have bad audio quality, at least in my opinion.
 
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When you take into account more realistic fuel efficiency, cold weather, battery degradation (after a few years), and the fact that you don't charge to 100% or drive until 0% you are going to wish your SR+ had more range when you need to drive more than 180 km per day.

So how often do you drive more than 180km in 1 day?

If you drive 200km/day frequently, then you are definitely going to regret not getting the LR. But if most days you drive 20km, and you only only go on road trips a handful of times per year then the SR+ is the obvious choice. $17K is a lot just to avoid spending a few extra minutes charging once a year on your annual road trip.

I drive my Model 3 long distances enough that I am glad I have the LR, and wish they had an option for an even bigger battery. But for many people, especially people with another car they can use on road trips, the SR+ has more than enough range.

In winter, I never drive more than 180 kms per day (usually 70 km to 110 km).

During summer months, we take several road trips. We could also drive our other ICE vehicle if we ever need a true long-distance driver.
 
I'm still not sure either, I originally ordered the LR, then thought about it and switched to SR+ and every day I still think about switching the order back to LR.

The difference is just too big to justify going LR over SR+ for me though, $12000 in car price, $5000 federal rebate and $8000 provincial so the difference is $25,000. I think I am going to keep the order as SR+, I just hope I don't regret it in the winter.
 
I'm still not sure either, I originally ordered the LR, then thought about it and switched to SR+ and every day I still think about switching the order back to LR.

The difference is just too big to justify going LR over SR+ for me though, $12000 in car price, $5000 federal rebate and $8000 provincial so the difference is $25,000. I think I am going to keep the order as SR+, I just hope I don't regret it in the winter.
With those rebates the SR+ makes the most sense. If I had to do it again, it would be SR+ for best value or I'd go all out and get the Performance. I wouldn't even consider the LR AWD.
 
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I can’t share from experience on the standard range + as I have the long range awd version, but wanted to share about A cold weather experience. I didn’t realize how much range is reduced with cold weather. It was only like mid 40s and the drive was 180 miles. I barely made it to a supercharger with 5 miles and I initially fully charged the car up to the maximum 310 range. My car did have 4 people inside.
 
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I can’t share from experience on the standard range + as I have the long range awd version, but wanted to share about A cold weather experience. I didn’t realize how much range is reduced with cold weather. It was only like mid 40s and the drive was 180 miles. I barely made it to a supercharger with 5 miles and I initially fully charged the car up to the maximum 310 range. My car did have 4 people inside.

Lots of energy being burned to keep the cabin warm.
 
I'm thinking of getting the long range model (better range, dual motor, faster, AWD, better sound system) but not sure if it's worth $12K extra (plus no federal rebate).

Anyone here go from SR+ to LR?

How bad is the sound quality in the SR+?

Two things to consider:

-- Range anxiety. Remember that for long-term battery health you are better keeping SoC between 20% and 80%. How many long trips will you make outside that range? How many where you will be worried about range? I'm told it gets cold in Canada (grins), and that can rob your car of a LOT of range.
-- Resale value. The M3 is still newish, but the sweet-spot for the resale market desirability seems to be LR AWD, so you might get more $$$ back when you sell the more expensive model.
 
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