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Did you guys shop around before deciding on the Model 3?

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In electric space, Hyundai/Kia but they had minimal availability, limited cargo and volume given the shape, and poor value given they have nowhere near the performance.

Polestar 2 would've gotten a hard hard look, but we're not available back then.

Giulia I'm not fond of the look, plus poor reliability record and no automatic transmission. Quite like the BMW 340i xDrive wagon, but also auto only, and has stepped too far away from it's sporting roots.

For my fun car fix it'll have to be a secondary vehicle, like an ND Miata, Alpine A110 (auto only), or some vintage roadster
 
I considered (and in most cases also test drove) pretty much every other smallish sport sedan offered- Lexus IS350, Infinity Q50, BMW 3, Mercedes 3xx, Audi S4 and RS3, VW Golf R, etc...

All of em were pretty much the same IS350 (from 2008) that I already owned other than updated infotainment. Why would I drop another 60k to essentially get the same car I already had that worked fine and was in great shape still?

The Tesla Model 3 however was actual and functionally a much better car than all of em. Obviously the acceleration, but autopilot in particular given I was doing a ~75 mile roundtrip daily commute with almost all of it being highways.

Was the only one of the group where I felt I'd actually be getting something worthwhile for the 60k instead of just keeping my existing car. The fact the full tax credit was available and I'd be saving ~$2000 a year on gas meant I'd be getting it cheaper than any of the ICE options too.
 
I’m not really interested in range. I’ll still have my 3 series, so my Model 3 will be my weekend car, where I won’t plan on long trips with it(and when and if I do take longer trips, I’ll just rent as I’ve always done).

I also prefer RWD over AWD. I live in SoCal where I don’t have to worry about cold weather and once and a while you do enjoy pulling out the back a bit :p.

Regardless, I looked towards my model 3 coming in.
We also have an ICE, so range also isn’t a top factor in our household. The M3 is recommended as it’s the a great daily driver and can fill in as a weekend fun car, and for under $65k.

We got the M3 as it seemed like the future of daily driver. Small, quick, enough range to handle most commutes without any inconvenience just on home charging. Some of the best L2/L3 autonomous driving (although at a cost) for the mind numbing daily commute at speeds generally 70 and below. It’s downsides in space, lack of luxury, and needing to charge means we’ll never take it on road trips. ICE/PHEV are still superior at cruising hundreds of miles at high speeds with luggage and passengers imo.
 
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Wanted the Rav4 Prime for the 7500 tax credit and its very usable 40 mile ev range along with decent power, then trade it in for the DM CT (I have it reserved) whenever it comes out end of next year, but there's just no way to get a Rav4 Prime especially not living on the east/west coast

Also the idea is that if the wife likes the M3 and wantsto kkeep it then we'll trade in our van for the CT (the wife doesn't like the CT's looks)

Or if the wife wants to keep our van (4 kids and NO MORE) than we'll trade in the M3 for the CT whenever it comes out
 
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In electric space, Hyundai/Kia but they had minimal availability, limited cargo and volume given the shape, and poor value given they have nowhere near the performance.

Polestar 2 would've gotten a hard hard look, but we're not available back then.

Giulia I'm not fond of the look, plus poor reliability record and no automatic transmission. Quite like the BMW 340i xDrive wagon, but also auto only, and has stepped too far away from it's sporting roots.

For my fun car fix it'll have to be a secondary vehicle, like an ND Miata, Alpine A110 (auto only), or some vintage roadster


You can’t get an automatic Giulia Ti in Europe? Interesting.
 
Sorry I meant no manual. It's auto only. I think the ZF Box is fantastic, but would be cooler with 3 pedals
I believe that only the Quadrifoglio comes in a stick. That is a car that I will definitely look at in a few years time. Even used ones are way overpriced and I wonder why.

I’ve got 4-5 cars in mind right now in three to four years time when the Sr+ is paid off.
 
Yes I did. I've always shopped a LOT before pulling the trigger, I enjoy reading and checking out cars.

I ended up changing two vehicles actually.

So a few months ago I had a 2013 F150 Lariat, and a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Plus a travel trailer. Well I bought a seasonal travel trailer here with my mom who's retired as a fun place she can watch my kid grow up, etc... so I knew I wouldn't need mine, and thus not the truck either. The jeep was a blast in Colorado and Utah, but in Minnesota it's great for the 2-3 days of heavy snow before the plows get out a year, and occasionally taking off the top, and really not great for everything else.

So anyways, I'd looked at getting a model 3 early on when it was first shown and had the deposit back in 2016 or 2017, and passed. I've always liked fun but practical vehicles. I've had a Mazdaspeed 3, VW GTI, Mini Cooper S, integra GSR back in the day.

So I was looking at a VW GTI, a Subaru WRX/STi, Mazda 3, VW Golf Wagon, a newer focus RS, etc.. And then something for the 2nd vehicle.

Ended up going to a Minnesota new car show just before Covid was shutting us down, and added a few to the list that were maybe's (an acura I liked, the new Mazda 3, Kia Soul...)

I'd test driven a Model 3 at our nearby service center and loved it already though. That was the dream car. Then when we sold our vehicles and trailer, realized our dream car was in the mix. Then they dropped the price a few grand and were upping the self driving cost by a grand in a couple weeks so we pulled the trigger.

I wasn't looking at an EV. Without anything comparable to a supercharger and Tesla's integrated directions with charging stops/times, there was nothing like that on my list. Maybe a used Leaf just as the commuter car in town back and forth to work for $5k as the 2nd car, but this was the only one where I could justify the price with as much traveling as we do new.

It kept checking all the boxes for us with the space we needed, fun to drive, safety features, etc etc and the idea of not having to get out in Minnesota winters to pump gas was just gravy on top.
 
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I looked at three other cars.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti
Mercedes CLA(Between a 250 and a 35AMG)
BMW 330i


I’ve had two other 3 series’(E90 330i and bought my 328i when I sold my 330i). Over the years I’ve lost interest in BMW’s, they’re philosophy has been lost over the last decade.

As for pricing and whatnot with the M and premium packages, the car was around 53k before taxes and whatnot. As I’ve mentioned above, BMW has lost what made it is the ultimate driving machine. I didn’t think it was worth the price and as I’ve had a couple BMW’s, I thought it was time to move on to something new.

The CLA was something I thought about buying a few years back when I got rid of my E350. But as was the case then there were better options out in the market.

The Alfa. I really love this car, I couldn’t find a single problem worth it. The pricing, the power, the exterior and the interior are flawless. I would’ve pulled the trigger but I had concerns that the model would change in the upcoming year.

So, did you guys look around before pulling the trigger on the Tesla?


P.S. If this isn’t the right place to discuss, my apologizes. I thought since this is the ordering place and some of us are waiting, we can discuss at other cars we looked at prior.
I didn’t look around. I bought my model 3 without even having drive one. I’ve wanted an electric since days of EV1. Drove in a model S and loved Tesla from then on out. So once opportunity presented itself, I bought the model 3 SP+. I’ll never buy a gas car again and no one should buy a gas car anymore. The service person was shocked I was picking one up without knowing how to drive it. 4 minutes later I learned and headed home
 
I had purchased a Lincoln MkZ 7.5 years ago (Hybrid version - and a very nice car); fell in love with the efficiency and relative "luxury" feel of that car; At that point the S was only out 12 months - but still a lot too rich for my blood at that point. But the whole time, I drove the Lincoln - I knew where I was going next - took 7+ years to get there. I had driven the Model 3 2x in the last 24 months ..... before I ordered!
 
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I test drove a Volvo S60, Genesis G70, and an Infiniti Q50. Had an 2010 Infiniti G37 as my last car. All were good cars, but the Model 3 SR+ is slightly cheaper than all of them and blew me away when I test drove it compared to the others. It's lacking a few features here and there compared to those other entry-level luxury, but performance and safety are right up there. At least to me.
 
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When I saw the Model 3 in person I just loved the way it looked. Ended up getting on Tesla’s site and obsessing with it. Over the past 2 years I’ve worked and got to a comfortable level financially, then 2 months ago I ended up in Grapevine, TX for work and found out there’s a Tesla showroom. Went to just see it and they asked if I would like to test drive. After being in dealerships with a ton of pressure, they made it feel like we were just hanging out talking EV’s. Finally got my Test drive the next day and Honestly I didn’t think I could love the car any more than I did, but wow. I was blown away. It wasn’t just a nice car, it was fun! I’ve never really enjoyed any car I’ve had, just kind of “yep, this is my A to B.” I was sold haha.
 
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I was trying so hard to find the perfect 911 Carrera 4S (997.2) and it just wasn’t happening. Was also considering a 2016 V60 polestar. Then I test drove the M3P and I knew I had to have it.

nothing else on the market really excites me. I really like the looks and practicality of the Audi S5 sport back but other than that, as a super capable daily driver for all year where it does snow, I think I made the best decision.
 
Drove a Cadillac XT5 Platinum edition - every bell & whistle they had to offer. Loved it. Drove great, handled great, beautiful interior. Figured I'd just lease another when it was up - GM's pullahead deals are usually quite good.

But then, during some downtime on a work trip... I test drove a Model 3. Very seriously - couldn't stop thinking about it. Couldn't sleep at night. Had to figure a way out of the Cadillac.

So I did - ended up selling it out from under the lease *just* so I could get into the Model 3 before the fed tax credit went away.

... now we also have a Model X. 100% Tesla family.
 
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I’m not really interested in range. I’ll still have my 3 series, so my Model 3 will be my weekend car, where I won’t plan on long trips with it(and when and if I do take longer trips, I’ll just rent as I’ve always done).

I also prefer RWD over AWD. I live in SoCal where I don’t have to worry about cold weather and once and a while you do enjoy pulling out the back a bit :p.

Regardless, I looked towards my model 3 coming in.
lol. If this forum had a dollar...Give it a week and the BMW will be the weekend car.
 
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lol. If this forum had a dollar...Give it a week and the BMW will be the weekend car.
I’m quite committed to my ways. I’m sure after a few years the Model 3 will be my daily driver and whatever I end up with will be my weekend car. I’ve done this routine before. When I had a E350 lease with my 328, the Benz was the daily driver and the 328i was my weekend car.
 
I came to Tesla while trying to get out from under BMW - I loved my 2012 335i, my wife loved hers, then the warranties expired and within a few months we blew through $5k for small repairs that I just don't agree with - such as $1700 over a valve cover gasket leak @Only 44k miles.

The main reason was I was no longer comfortable driving the 335, especially on a road trip, as I'd only be waiting for the check engine soon light to come on again; to queue me that it was time for another potential multi-thousand dollar repair. So I lost confidence regardless of the stats.

After shopping around, the M3 was the only car that I felt met or exceeded my expectations, and removed most of the repair types I've been dealing wtih from an ICE standpoint. Then I drove an M3 performance and that was it. Ordered that day and can't wait for it to arrive. :D

As a current BMW owner for over 20 years, looking to convert, I totally agree! Having a BMW outside of warranty period is a money pit. I’m VERY curious what Tesla owners experience AFTER the 4 year, 50,000 mile warranty. When things fail, what are the costs?
 
My next car had to be an EV.
I looked at the polestar2, but it doesn't seem viable in the US for now due to the pricing vs Europe (due to Trump's tariffs I suspect). In Europe it is the same price as the LR, here it is priced as the performance. Also the lack of service centers outside of a few places is an issue, in Europe they are using all Volvo dealers but not in the US.
I was also looking hard at the VW ID.4, but I am not really an SUV guy, and the lack of an AWD version until well into 2021 means the first ones are going to be slow. I definitely did not want to wait any longer. I do think VW will have some interesting EVs coming out over the next few years (VWs and their other brands like Audi and Porsche).
So for now the Tesla seemed the best fit, especially when you factor in the supercharger network.