Convince me to stay with a Model X

[Sonus]

I have a Model X lease coming to an end and I need to return it this week.
I have a 2023 Model X Plaid on order but it will not be ready before I need to return my current Model X, Tesla lease center doesn't care.

Long story short they are pissing me off, their lack of customer service is unbelievable but this is not new and you all know this.

My options are:
1: Wait for the 2023 Model X to be ready (the App says May 24 - June 11 but it keeps changing on me)
2: get a 2023 EQS 580 SUV

The EQS is so nice and they are having an amazing deal on them now, I can get it for 2500$ down and 1600$ a month for a 24m lease on a 140K MSRP trim. which is so much cheaper than a Model X.

I love the way the EQS is built but I worry about the charging infra, on the other hand, Tesla treats their customers so badly they don't deserve my business.


What would you have done?

 

[ATPMSD]

First you really need to decide if, all things being equal, would you buy the Model X or the EQS. Then you can decide how much you care about the issues you raise such as customer service and charing options, and see if those will change your mind.

I would also suggest you do a little more research on charging options as Tesla has begun to open up their stations to non-Tesla vehicles.

Finally, 36-month leases are generally the sweet spot for leases. I would also suggest you go to your Bank or Credit union and see what the deal is on a purchase. In many cases the remaining loan at 36-months on a 72-month loan is about what the car is worth, so you can flip the car or keep it longer. It also gets rid of the problem of trying to replace a leased car immediately at lease end.

 

[cdub]

If you like the EQS then go with the EQS. I'm seeing a ton of them here in my neighborhood in SoCal. They seem really nice.

Tesla won't change until people start voting with their wallets.

Charging is becoming less of an issue. I didn't preorder an R1S because of my public charging fears but that's getting better. I'm thinking of buying that instead of a Tesla now as well because of the cyber steering wheel and lack of stalks. If they remove stalks off the Y you can cross that off my list too. That's not even getting into E's online antics which have made me not enthusiastic as well to buy a Y.

 

[EV_Dad]

Spend some time on EQS forums and Facebook Groups to make sure this would be a better experience. From what I've seen the fit-and-finish is better, and of course those cars are more luxurious and smoother-riding, but there are software failures and other EV-specific issues about which the dealers seem completely clueless and entirely dependent on MB Corporate. I've no idea of the actual statistics.

 

[cdub]

, but there are software failures and other EV-specific issues

Tesla sure does seem to have gotten these down well for the most part.

There really are big plusses and minuses to both so the decision is really hard. Tesla (or anyone else for that matter) not checking all the boxes for me yet is why I haven't gotten a new car yet so I understand the struggle.

 

[holeydonut]

My family just cross-shopped both, but ultimately my wife just wanted ICE since our recent 2023 Ultra Red Model X experience sucked so bad. But if you're sticking with BEV, IMO there is a short list of pro's for the Model X. I'm not sure your specific situation, so if the pro-Tesla items below aren't that big of a deal, the EQS 580 SUV is better in almost every other way.


Model X Pros:

1) The Plaid speed is whacky fast. If you really really really want to be in one of the fastest family haulers around, you have only one choice since anything less will be disappointing to you.

2) The 7 seat Model X has much more room than the 7 seat EQS580. My wife tested a 7-seat EQS and thought it was too small for our two car seats, her mom, and weekend stuff. The Model X Frunk and sub-trunk make the car a very great utility-value and probably the only useful 7-seat BEV at this time that can be obtained rather easily (R1S is still very tough to come by)

3) The costs for a 7 seater EQS are nuts. Adding the third row only seems possible if the EQS SUV is decked out. Looking at the MB inventories here in East Bay, the only 7 seat EQS had MSRP around $150k. And of course adding this 3rd row wipes out a ton of useful space.

4) Tesla's charging network. You already know how much better Tesla's network is vs everyone else.


The biggest CON in my mind against Tesla is their completely trash service/support mentality. Having picked up a GLS450 2 weeks ago, the experience and attitudes experienced by a MB customer are much better since the brand tries to reinforce their reputation of quality and commitment to making sure customers enjoy the product.

While it's easy for folks to hate on "stealerships" with pejoratives, my experience of a MB "stealership" is way better than the experience of dealing with Tesla's arrogant post-sale personnel. EQS sales offers in NorCal place these BEVs below MSRP with very attractive financing terms. EQS models are available now, and the folks selling them are trying to give a good experience. You won't deal with folks trying to be mini-Musks. So at this time, IMO it's a much better experience for the buyer of a MB vs the buyer of a Tesla in Northern California.

 

[James Cole]

TO ME...

Mercedes borders in bad taste/showoffness... (is that a word?)

Plaid X starting 2023 is not a Beta model anymore plus you get much better tech and drivetrain that should stand the test of time and hopefully value retention.

When going for electric vehicles Tesla is the only option right now, they have the market cornered in best value for money plus they know what they are actually doing, other automakers transitioning to electric are still pretty clueless right now, some say they are 10+ years behind Tesla.

People forget that Tesla is a very young company compared to the rest, Customer Service is extremely hard to get it right all the time when talking about a company that has presence pretty much worldwide, but am sure in time they will fix that too.

YMMV

 

[holeydonut]

Spend some time on EQS forums and Facebook Groups to make sure this would be a better experience. From what I've seen the fit-and-finish is better, and of course those cars are more luxurious and smoother-riding, but there are software failures and other EV-specific issues about which the dealers seem completely clueless and entirely dependent on MB Corporate. I've no idea of the actual statistics.

In my experience Tesla service is also clueless about EV-specific issues and failures of Tesla's manufacturing ability. YMMV, but in my experience it's a fallacy to assume Tesla understands things better than MB lol.

One thing MB does understand that Tesla does not understand is how to treat a customer if there is a repair. Our week old 2023 GLS had to go in for service (German quality!). MB immediately gave us another GLS (with lots of options) for a loaner. This meant it didn't feel bad having your brand new car unavailable, since I could still haul my family around.

When our week-old 2023 Ultra Red X also needed repairs, Tesla gave us a ****-box loaner. It was a 2017 nasty car that stunk and needed a new suspension. It felt like being put in a trash Dodge Caravan and got the kids and MIL sick due to the stink and terrible ride. Tesla said we were lucky to have a loaner at all.

So even if MB can't figure stuff out, at least you know you won't get crapped on with a trash loaner while they try. Looking at the MB loaner fleet at my local dealership, it was full of 2023 EQS, EQE, S-Class, and GLS. They're ready for the slew of problems to backstop experiences should someone have to take the car in.

Edit: Ignoring service/fixes for a second, the EQS 580 is lightyears better than the Model X in terms of interior comfort and build quality. Assuming the vehicles operated as intended, the EQS 580 is better in almost all aspects except for acceleration. You actually get cameras to help you park the car! It's amazing.

 

[Richbot]

No

 

[EV_Dad]

In my experience Tesla service is also clueless about EV-specific issues and failures of Tesla's manufacturing ability. YMMV, but in my experience it's a fallacy to assume Tesla understands things better than MB lol.

One thing MB does understand that Tesla does not understand is how to treat a customer if there is a repair. Our week old 2023 GLS had to go in for service (German quality!). MB immediately gave us another GLS (with lots of options) for a loaner. This meant it didn't feel bad having your brand new car unavailable, since I could still haul my family around.

When our week-old 2023 Ultra Red X also needed repairs, Tesla gave us a ****-box loaner. It was a 2017 nasty car that stunk and needed a new suspension. It felt like being put in a trash Dodge Caravan and got the kids and MIL sick due to the stink and terrible ride. Tesla said we were lucky to have a loaner at all.

So even if MB can't figure stuff out, at least you know you won't get crapped on with a trash loaner while they try. Looking at the MB loaner fleet at my local dealership, it was full of 2023 EQS, EQE, S-Class, and GLS. They're ready for the slew of problems to backstop experiences should someone have to take the car in.

Edit: Ignoring service/fixes for a second, the EQS 580 is lightyears better than the Model X in terms of interior comfort and build quality. Assuming the vehicles operated as intended, the EQS 580 is better in almost all aspects except for acceleration. You actually get cameras to help you park the car! It's amazing.

No argument there. My experience of Tesla's clueless and customer-hostile service has been the same, right down to the asphyxiating loaners. Just recommending that the OP take a look at those other forums/groups. Obviously I'm thinking about MB too or I wouldn't have been looking there, and it is indeed the Tesla experience that's motivating me to do so.

 

[holeydonut]

No argument there. My experience of Tesla's clueless and customer-hostile service has been the same, right down to the asphyxiating loaners. Just recommending that the OP take a look at those other forums/groups. Obviously I'm thinking about MB too or I wouldn't have been looking there, and it is indeed the Tesla experience that's motivating me to do so.

For real, my wife and I never would have considered MB if Tesla treated us remotely OK. I had massive Tesla-colored glasses on prior to this. I have 3x Powerwalls, solar, a Performance 3, and 2 Tesla Wall connectors. I wanted the Tesla BEV experience capped off with a Model X. Most of my neighbors thought I'd (edit by me: give Musk a handshake) if given the chance since my garage was filled with Tesla.

But then Tesla went out of their way to "mansplain" about how all cars stall out and safety isn't that big of a deal related to stalls. They added that vehicles from other automakers are worse than Tesla so it's not worth checking out other cars. That attitude is why we went to go check out other cars. And wow, Mercedes is super impressive.

The MB sales guy didn't do any of the BS tactics we were expecting them to. He spent time to educate my wife on the new GLS, and he was personally handling the service issues to made sure we had zero problems and had the best loaner.

Contrast that with Tesla where we got forced to drive from East Bay to Sunnyvale to get our dirty-as-hell Model X and nobody at Tesla could be bothered to do anything to explain about the car since they were "too busy." Tesla DGAF about their loyal customers. If you're spending $100k on a car, go treat yourself to a good experience too and check out that EQS 580. Unfortunately at this time, if you want the space to haul a family + gear, you'll want a GLS since the EQS SUV isn't as useful as a Model X.

 

[maytaurustiger]

Back in March, I was also toying with the idea that if I'm going to get the MX then should I get the EQS SUV instead. I still went with the MX because for EV, it seems Tesla is still the best i.e. better range and 0-60. Also, there are constant software updates so the car wouldn't be obsolete in a few years (I'm not sure if it's the same for the other EVs). For me, I dealt with Service a few days after I accepted delivery to fix my left FWD. My SC was wonderful and only took two days to complete. They did provide a loaner but the vents were sooo smelly (it was a 2018 M3). Especially if you're getting the MXP, I think it's going to be so much fun.
However, I do think the EQS is a lot more luxurious and better build, and since you already have the MX, maybe you want to change it up this time around? Also, @holeydonut is having a great experience with MB's Service so that should give a peace of mind in that regard.

 

[Sonus]

Here is my last communication with Tesla yesterday:



And here is the response today:

 

[holeydonut]

Here is my last communication with Tesla yesterday:

View attachment 940992

And here is the response today:
View attachment 940993

Lol, us know how you enjoy that Mercedes test drive you're about to embark on. If you're near Walnut Creek, I can let you know the sales guy we just went through. Easily the most impressive/friendly sales experience I've had in a looooong time.

BTW that response is actually a fairly good reply from Tesla.

My week-old Model X experience was very bad, and the vehicle was throwing so many errors that it didn't feel safe. When we requested to swap into a new car as an exchange (you know, since they sold us a minger), they told me it sounded like I had buyer's remorse and couldn't afford the Model X.

So the fact they didn't condescend you about whether you could afford a MXP seems like a pretty healthy/friendly response comparatively lol.

 

[cdub]

When we requested to swap into a new car as an exchange (you know, since they sold us a minger), they told me it sounded like I had buyer's remorse and couldn't afford the Model X.

Shut the front door! They didn't! They really said that? That's horrible.

 

[Tessellation]

Here is my last communication with Tesla yesterday:

View attachment 940992

And here is the response today:
View attachment 940993

I think that's the crux of Tesla's customer service problem - a sense of apathy in listening to the customer and doing right by them. I have no idea what's driving it, and if it's based on top-down guidance to focus only on the bottom line. But I do know it wasn't always like this. I bought my first Tesla in 2013 and it was a night-and-day difference in the personalized customer experience.

 

[holeydonut]

I think that's the crux of Tesla's customer service problem - a sense of apathy in listening to the customer and doing right by them. I have no idea what's driving it, and if it's based on top-down guidance to focus only on the bottom line. But I do know it wasn't always like this. I bought my first Tesla in 2013 and it was a night-and-day difference in the personalized customer experience.

I made this thread to discuss some possible ideas. I think it just boils down to Elon behaves a certain way, so people who align with Elon will behave a similar way. And I don't think anyone out there would make the claim that Elon cares much about how users/customers feel about his products/services.

Hypothesis on why Tesla's Service is so poor

I received a nice letter from one of the tesla SC managers over and they acknowledged and apologized for the systemic issues and vowed to do better. I think it's simply a matter of volume of business - Dublin, CA is by far the largest tesla service center in the united states. And california...

teslamotorsclub.com

Shut the front door! They didn't! They really said that? That's horrible.

Yeah, I was begging them to actually help me stay in a Tesla MX. They were mansplaining to my wife about how our kids and my wife's mother were perfectly safe in a car that had a propensity to shut down since all cars have that type of problem. And they couldn't care less about the absolutely abysmal manufacturing defects and terrible delivery we had experienced so far.

My wife offered to just hit "reset" on this and requested Tesla to put us in a different 2023 Ultra Red, white-interior, 7-seater, with 22" wheels, and a yoke. That's when Tesla said it sounded like we had buyer's remorse since "that's not how the auto industry works ma'am, and it sounds like your car is too expensive for you".

I took out my phone and showed them pictures "Look at my dream Tesla Garage!!! I have 3x Powerwalls, a Performance 3 (red with white interior), and 2 Gen 3 wall connectors. I put 50% cash down on this 2023 Model X. I wannnnnttt a working Model X pleeeeasseeee don't screw this upppp."

The guy actually said "you didn't take those images off the internet?"

So I had to load my Google home app and loaded the effing camera in my garage. He got a live view of my 3x Powerwalls, 2x Gen 3 TWC's, and a red P3 sitting there. But an empty spot where a 2023 Ultra Red MX with 22"s was supposed to be parked.

That's when he just said "we can't help you sorry - you just need to have patience. what you're asking for is unreasonable."

Tesla is doing @Sonus a favor; he'll be a lot happier leaving the Tesla ecosystem.

 

[cdub]

Elon cares much about how users/customers feel about his products/services.

It seems like he USED to! He used to always say how happy he was to make products people love. Sigh.

 

[Msicario]

I have a Model X lease coming to an end and I need to return it this week.
I have a 2023 Model X Plaid on order but it will not be ready before I need to return my current Model X, Tesla lease center doesn't care.

Long story short they are pissing me off, their lack of customer service is unbelievable but this is not new and you all know this.

My options are:
1: Wait for the 2023 Model X to be ready (the App says May 24 - June 11 but it keeps changing on me)
2: get a 2023 EQS 580 SUV

The EQS is so nice and they are having an amazing deal on them now, I can get it for 2500$ down and 1600$ a month for a 24m lease on a 140K MSRP trim. which is so much cheaper than a Model X.

I love the way the EQS is built but I worry about the charging infra, on the other hand, Tesla treats their customers so badly they don't deserve my business.


What would you have done?

I would definitely wait for the MX Plaid Be patient is worth the wait..

 

[cdub]

The guy actually said "you didn't take those images off the internet?"

What the absolute F