Current Owners: If you had to buy again would you still get a Model S over a 3? Why? Confused buyer!

[croman]

My wife and I are both professionals and are young. We got a 3 reservation on the first day because we knew our LEAF wasn't going to cut it in the long run. We decided we couldn't wait for the 3 and bought our (then) 60D and took delivery 2 days before Christmas 2016.

The S is perfect for us. Its large enough to make road trips comfortable (the entire point of upgrading vs. the LEAF). Its such an amazing car. It is no understatement that it has changed our lives.

As far as storage, we have tons of solutions from installing our own kangaroo pouches on the seatbacks to storage bins that tuck under or around the floor area. We even have organized and utilized the footwell in the rear trunk for car trips (drinks, food, and tableware/napkins).

Be aware: No 3s will be available before year end to non-Tesla employees. Further, the 3 has very limited trunk storage and the frunk storage will not fit much. AWD might be important to you and only the S will have it for a while. Finally, the 75D S is now much faster than the 3 (over 1 second) on 0-60 and overall power.

I don't think a 3 will ever be in our future because of its limitations in terms of storage and features.

 

[d21mike]

I answered Yes without even thinking about it. I definitely wanted a larger car and the multiple screens. And even though I have not driven a Model 3 I do believe the Model S is a higher quality car which even Elon eluded too. But is the Model S worth double the Model 3 I am not as sure.

 

[sdugan99]

No regrets switching my 3 reservation over to an S.

Main Reasons vs 3
1. Could have it now
2. Larger
3. 2 Screens
4. Free Supercharging
5. Tax Rebate
6. AWD

 

[Chopr147]

so I lock in the rebate

Not the only reason of course but it is part of the equation now. The $7500 may not be available after 2017. While I complain about storage up front the S is a large car that can take in a lot of luggage in the back and with the seats down. I just wish the seats lied flat. I have had an issue a couple times with the height between the cross member and the seat back. It's only 25" about. I have an upstate house and found a need many times to haul things back/forth. Sometimes i'm outta room

 

[brkaus]

I voted yes -

- I need the space for family trips.
- Able to bring home large things from the store.
- For me, so what if the touch screen is faster... I'm mostly driving and not messing with the screen. Same for lighted vanity mirrors, etc.
- I've grown used to not having side pockets. When I cleaned out my BMW, it was mostly full of melted crayons and junk.

With that said, if it was my second Tesla, I'd get the 3. As a matter of fact, have a reservation and planning on purchasing one. But the primary reason is size. I don't need/want a large car for our second family car.

 

[XiomyB]

I voted YES!


I originally wanted the 3 and by chance I was able to seat in one in person, was not able to drive it. After seeing the Model 3 it was a no brainer for me I had to have the Model S! so I got the MS shortly after that and I love it. The model 3 is super nice but I’m not into the minimalist look, I think the S is minimalist enough. If money is not a factor I would definitely go for the S.

 

[SMAlset]

I will bring up a comment someone else made already, and that's to consider buying your house first. The purchase of either car will probably affect your asset/liabilty ratio and your finance rate on your home mortgage which over a long term can add up.

We have a 75D which my husband primarily drives but we both really love driving it and hope to keep it for a long time. It would be my ideal car too although I wish it were a bit shorter and I question if we really need to spend as much for a second car that primarily is around town errand car. I have to say I really love the space in our 75D and how comfortable it is. At first I thought it was too stark interior-wise and it bothered me it lacked some of those things you mentioned but for me they don't matter to me any more. I think you are right in thinking those things aren't a showstopper for you. This car just handles so incredibly well and I actually look forward to driving it. Believe me I've waivered back and forth between the two as we get ready to replace our old car. In the meantime we're on the list for a M3 as well right now. It's a tough choice because of the various pluses and minuses of both cars.

 

[Carl]

Love my current MS AP1, loved my previous non-AP MS, but am frankly inclined towards M3 now. If I may use @sdugan99's criteria as a reference:

1. Could have it now

N/A, I'll keep my MS until whenever I can have an M3 (even if that is mid-2019)

2. Larger

Too large for medieval city centers, frankly. There is no single car sold in Europe which is wider than the MX, and no car except "supercars" (Lambo etc.) any wider than the MS. Of course the cargo space is great, but it's not worth the sacrifices (e.g. having to give up on certain underground parkings, not being able to use the left lane when there are roadworks on a highway, etc.). The smaller M3 will probably also have better handling.

3. 2 Screens

Don't care

4. Free Supercharging

Do the math. Psychologically a nice thing to have but financially only a few hundred euro's, maximum, per year.

5. Tax rebate

Same for MS and M3 over here.

6. AWD

I really miss the joy of my first MS which was RWD (but didn't have AP). You can feel the front motor of AWD in your steering wheel, it makes more noise and it doesn't handle as nicely

 

[democappy]

If I was to buy today, I would definitely get an S again. The only reason I can possibly think I wouldn't is price.

However, to me the S is still the only the real option out there. I stretched more than I would normally like to pay for a car. Hopefully, I keep this car for the next 6 or 7 years and then I will have a whole lot of great EV options to explore.

 

[MYB_S90D]

Thing is, you could see a refresh of the S in the next year or so that would roll in a lot of the niceties/improvements of the 3. Including use of the new 2170 cells.

On the other side of the ledger, it may already be too late to get a custom order S delivered before end of year (no matter what the Tesla page says – ppl who've ordered recently say their order date is bouncing around a lot)... and the current GOP tax bill seeks to end the Federal EV tax credit by end of year.

May not shake out that way, but, food for thought.

.

I have a friend who ordered an S a week ago - they were told it would be delivered in January. So probably already too late to order a custom S and get it this year.

 

[canny714]

I like the S. Both me and my wife have one. Hers; white. Mine; black.

 

[paperjohn]

1. Free supercharging
2. Large trunk for hauling lots of stuff.
3. Comfortable for long or short trips.
4. Beautiful car this model S.

 

[roblab]

You get what you pay for. Somehow M3 buyers can't believe that.

 

[G'sinHawaii]

You are on the Model S forum, and most of us here have a Model S....

My point being, I currently have an 2014 S, a 2017 on its way to me, and I waited in line 1st day for a Model 3 reservation.

I would never by a Model 3 for myself, if for the wife. I like BIG cars....

think about Mercedes, BMW, Toyota and every other manufacture out there, different size cars and different budgets.....

get what you can afford, as getting what you want might not be the best decision.... that come in time.... maybe it is your time, maybe not, I am not the judge on that...

 

[Jason S]

I probably would've taken a 2019 Model 3 over my 2012 Model S in 2012.

But that wasn't an option.

So I got the best dang electric available (for 2012) and don't regret it at all.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

I have to say I'd buy the 3 over the S.

Why?

Cause I bought the S with the EXPECTATION of going to the 3. I didn't really need a care the size of a spaceship. But, it has been a nice ride though. So I certainly don't regret it.

Now there are things I'll have to get used to on the 3. The only screen being in the center for example. I'll have to get some aftermarket HUD. I'll also miss the heated steering wheel, and it really bites that the 3 doesn't have it.

I would miss having two screens more if Tesla bothered to properly do the two screens. For example you don't really need the center console screen to be on all the time. But, they have no way to completely turn it off for times in which you don't want it on. Then also are still using the old tegra to drive it so it's not as responsive as the one on the 3.

When it's all said and done they both have their pluses and minus. Ultimately it depends on your needs. The lazy part in me is really attracted to the >300miles for under $60K. Where I can drive all the way to Portland without bothering to charge.

 

[K-MTG]

If you can't decide...just buy both

 

[Verdi]

I don't like the Model 3. I don't like how it looks. I don't like the interior. I don't like the "smart" solutions it has. No speedometer ahead of you, only electric opening of the back doors, no hatch back opening...

So yeah. I'd probably choose Model S again. But actually in 2 years when my lease is up I will look for other brands. Hopefully there will be alternatives. If not, I'm open to keeping my current S for another 3 years.

 

[David_Cary]

Size and efficiency favor the 3 for me. Prior cars - Leaf, Civic hybrid, 545, 300TT, RX-7, Celica, Corolla, Bug - first car. The S is clearly the biggest and 95% of the miles are just me. And we have 1 child.

I love my S and I drive it in a spirited manner. I have gotten used to the size for sure but for my commute, I think I would appreciate a smaller car. The dynamics on the S are really good but I often think - imagine the same weight distribution (ie low), with the same acceleration (I have a 70D), in a smaller lighter package. That would be killer - and I am assuming the 3 will be.
I could care less about 2 screens. I mean I like them but driving dynamics matter more to me. Ditto to touchscreen speed.

The best of course is a 3 and and S/X. The S is great for road trips. An X would be even better. So in my sexist world, a 3 for me and an X for my wife. We have an S and are building a house so I need to wait. Since I really want an AWD 3, hopefully things will work out. And my wife can schlep around in the S for another 6 months to space out the purchases a bit.

 

[whitex]

I think the MS touchscreen is fast enough. It is certainly a BILLION times faster than any similar system in any other brand car on the road that I've experienced. Seems to be an irrelevant point to me, but then again I also don't understand people who obsess over 4k TV's.

I voted for S over 3 because of size, aluminium body, performance, hatchback vs. trunk, and instrument cluster vs just IVI. I bought 3 Model S's to-date, I don't own a single 4K TV nor do I desire one, but I will strongly disagree with you on the touchscreen - it sucks that it takes multiple clicks, each less responsive than my iPad2 (yes, really old tech) do do things like turn on the headlights. There is no way you are going to tell me that you can turn headlights on faster in a Model S than I can do in any Toyota - they have a switch, click and they are on, Model S, touch screen->wait->touch screen again->wait again->touch screen again. The stupid disappearing top icons drive me nuts whenever I need to access them, half the time by the time they show up they are disappearing again (sometimes probably because I got bored waiting if they will show up and decided that the screen probably didn't register my initial touch, but it did, so my second touch hides the icons)! I even considered hacking in some actual physical buttons for few functions like headlights or suspension level or rear camera enable. Once Tesla gets its Model 3 production issues figured out I would expect them to port whatever faster IVI they developed for the 3 into the S and X - simplify supply and improve the S/X in the same move. Probably still no physical buttons but if the UI was responsive that would not be such a big issue.