Diesel owner looking to convert

[UnderCharged]

First off, Merry Christmas/ Happy holidays everyone. hopefully you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Ok, I am currently a diesel truck owner thats daily commute is closing in on 100 miles a day. No my truck doesn't belch huge black clouds of smoke, but driving to and from the city I'm looking for something more comfortable and fuel efficient. I have been watching the m3 and ms closely and I have probably watched every youtube video on them..lol. I do like the fact the model s has free supercharging as there is a center 5 miles from my house so that's a plus. But what are some of the pros and cons you guys have experienced. the two models im looking at are the m3 2015 75d and a new p3d, any insight or advice for a potential ice convert who is use to a powerful truck. Thanks in advance

 

[VladB]

If you can afford p3d, go get it ASAP to get $7500 tax credit. No need to test drive it. You will have a few days to return it if you purchased without driving. As soon as you drive it for a few days, there is no way back, and you are not going to call your truck a powerful one anymore. Make sure you get autopilot.
Also, there is no more unlimited supercharging option available, unless you buy an old one with it.

 

[JLFORBES]

First off, Merry Christmas/ Happy holidays everyone. hopefully you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Ok, I am currently a diesel truck owner thats daily commute is closing in on 100 miles a day. No my truck doesn't belch huge black clouds of smoke, but driving to and from the city I'm looking for something more comfortable and fuel efficient. I have been watching the m3 and ms closely and I have probably watched every youtube video on them..lol. I do like the fact the model s has free supercharging as there is a center 5 miles from my house so that's a plus. But what are some of the pros and cons you guys have experienced. the two models im looking at are the m3 2015 75d and a new p3d, any insight or advice for a potential ice convert who is use to a powerful truck. Thanks in advance

Welcome to the Tesla Motor Club!

Have you had the chance to sit in a Model S or Model 3? Driving 100 miles daily I would want to feel comfortable. The S is larger with a softer ride, but the 3 is roomy with a sporty ride so depends on the feel you have in mind. Model S is a hatchback; Model 3 has a trunk. Are you interested in using the Auto-Pilot self driving features? Driving 100 miles daily i think would be an awesome way to use those features. Buying the 2015 might be an issue with future updates meaning that some future features might not be compatible with 2015 hardware. The SuperCharger being only 5 miles away will be useful with either car however I wouldn't want to rely on that especially since you possibly might be needing it every other day with a 100 mile daily commute. If you have the means to charge at home with either a clothes dryer outlet (14-30 or 14-50), or install a HPWC, than that would be preferable and save the SuperCharger for when it is really needed. You can use any Tesla owner's referral code and get 6 months free SuperCharging so that will help for a bit. If you are comfortable in the Model 3 size than I would go for the new Model 3 Performance and have the latest hardware and new warranty. You could also potentially get in on the $7500 tax credit on the Model 3 Performance if Tesla can locate one you like and you are able to purchase buy end of year.

 

[jerry33]

Charging st home is far more convenient than charging at a Supercharger—especially on top of a 100 mile commute. Supercharging is great for trips.

As an S owner with 120K miles, I’d consider an S if you can afford it. More room, better amenities.

 

[Benjanos]

I got my CPO 2015 Model S earlier this year and cannot be happier. Was waiting for a Model 3 but went for a CPO S because I figured I needed more space. We are a single car family of 4 with a dog. Model S hatchback is really helpful, dog can go in the back, with seats folded down I can easily get a full set of winter wheels in there etc etc. Also I don't know the status of roof racks on the Model 3 but an S with a sunroof allows roof racks which is again really helpful. If you get air suspension the comfort aspect should be well in hand. I find mine amazing. Second hand S will have the free Supercharging which is simple and nice. Oh and there is a load of concerns on CPO cars on this forum (fair enough) but you do get a Tesla warranty when you buy one, mine came with 4 extra years which is a real peace of mind.

Downsides. Coming from a truck you will be sitting lower, some people like sitting higher which I understand. Ingress and egress of an S is probably not going to be like your truck. But if you get a P85D, trust me none of that matters somehow.

Either way, hope you convert over. I'm sure you will be happy!

 

[Brian-MS90D]

The OP mentioned "powerful truck" which I assume means towing ability? If so, an electric MS or M3 may not be for you. You may want a MX (or future MY or Tesla truck), future Rivian, etc.

If the OP meant typical driving acceleration or torque by "powerful truck," then OMG that's funny. The Tesla will blow it away no matter what choice you make. Not even comparable (in a good way). Just go test drive one and stomp the accelerator to the floor a few times. That will hook you more than posts in an online forum.

 

[UnderCharged]

The OP mentioned "powerful truck" which I assume means towing ability? If so, an electric MS or M3 may not be for you. You may want a MX (or future MY or Tesla truck), future Rivian, etc.

If the OP meant typical driving acceleration or torque by "powerful truck," then OMG that's funny. The Tesla will blow it away no matter what choice you make. Not even comparable (in a good way). Just go test drive one and stomp the accelerator to the floor a few times. That will hook you more than posts in an online forum.

Not here to start an argument on what’s faster, looking for pros and cons on the two models. My truck is modded so it’s powerful to me, like I mentioned before I haven’t test drove or ridden in a Tesla so I have nothing to compare too. I also don’t tow or have a large family so the model x isn’t needed. I was thinking about renting one from turo but I figured I’d research them first.

 

[ckoval7]

If you're considering the Performance 3, then you may was to look at used P85D's as well. I think you get the best bang for the buck from the bigger battery and higher performance.

Comparing a sedan and a truck is kind of like comparing apples and oranges. They'll both get you around, but they accomplish different goals. I see you're in MD. If you're in/around AA county and you're curious about a 2015 MS, I wouldn't mind meeting up somewhere for you to take a look at it. There are likely others in different parts of the state willing to do the same.

With home charging, I'm certain it would serve you well for a 100 mile round trip commute. I wouldn't rely on supercharging for a commute like that.

 

[Rockster]

I grew up in AA county and return there on a regular basis. Like so many places I've noticed that traffic congestion has worsened considerably over the past 20 years. I can't stress strongly enough how useful autopilot (or at minimum, traffic-aware cruise control) is in stop-and-go traffic. Having the car worry about stopping and starting is a huge stress reducer in rush hour traffic. Autopilot is even more so, with the caveat that AP isn't perfect and using autopilot doesn't mean that you can forego paying attention.

 

[D.E.]

I’d find your nearest Tesla location that allows test drives then make the trip. We can tell you what we like about them but the bottom line is that you’ll need to make up your own mind. They’re probably as different from a diesel truck as you’ll find. Even if it is far enough you need to spend the night and return the next day, it’s a trip I’d recommend.

As mentioned before, there isn’t any more free supercharging with any of them. There’s 6 months of it with some. You’ll want to charge at home so you might look into whether 220v is easy to install in your garage. You don’t really need the Tesla charger in the garage, you can get by with 20-30A at 220v. I charged at 110 for a year, that’s very slow but it can be done.

Most of us really like the Teslas, as you might suspect from us being participants in a Tesla dedicated site. The cars and the company aren’t perfect, though, so you’ll want to go into it with your eyes open. The full self drive thing isn’t going to happen any time soon. The “autopilot” option is nice, I like it. There are a few people that don’t like it. The car gets frequent software updates. Usually that’s a good thing but not always. It’s fun, though, if you like that kind of fun.

Teslas pollute less than other vehicles but anyone that feels they don’t pollute at all is ignoring the car manufacture and the subsequent electrical production. Over the life of the car, there’s significantly less pollution than the internal combustion engined cars and trucks. They are hellishly more expensive to buy but cheaper to run. There’s a way to figure out the breakeven point but I don’t want to do it. My head is safely buried in the sand, I’m afraid my breakeven point will be after I’d dead.

Going with a used one will save you some money. Many of the used ones do have the free lifetime supercharging. The sweet point with performance vs price seems to be with the 2-3 year old P85D. They are coming off lease now and there are some avialable with less than 10,000 miles. If you are not price sensitive at all then the new P100D in the S model is quicker than anything else you are likely to find. They quote 2.3 sec 0-60 but that’s with the bogus 1 foot rollout. They’re probaby 2.6 second cars. That’s still violently quick. Too quick for me. The entry level S, the 75D is a 4 second car. They say 4.2, that’s with the rollout but there are some that have clocked theirs at 3.9 seconds without any rollout. Anyway, mine is a S 75D and it’s a thrill to drive every time.

 

[ricebucket]

Given the distance you drive each day, a long range model 3 is probably better. The S75 you're considering can also make the trip, but the long range M3 would leave you with much more breathing room (detours, range losses due to climate, etc.). It's important to note that you will often not get the rated range as shown on Tesla's website, that you'll normally only charge to 90% and you won't be running the battery down to 0% when you charge. It seems that a lot of the replies here have not considered this and many are not choosing from your list of 3 options (M3, P3D, 2015 S75). Given what I know from using my car, I would consider the convenience here to be the #1 factor in your purchasing decision.

As others have mentioned, you probably don't need supercharging for your normal use patterns, and it'll be much much more convenient to just charge overnight at home. So that's not much of an advantage of the S for you. Note that the model 3 is more efficient, so for the same distance of travel, you'll spend less on charging.

If you're price conscious, you can save the money on the P version and spend it on autopilot instead. Even the normal model 3 will accelerate incredibly well for anyone coming from a gasoline car.

 

[Chancellor32]

If I was in the market for a Tesla and looking to spend 50-80k. I would do the following depending on $$$.
Less than 60K
1. 2015 P85D
2. AWD M3D
60-70k
1. PM3
2. 2016-2017 MS 75D
70k +
1. 2018 S75D
2. PM3

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Just an FYI but Tesla just sent out an email this morning offering 9 months of free supercharging if you have not taken a test drive and 6 months of free supercharging if you have. I don't see that information on their website yet but I can provide the email if you need to see it.

 

[UnderCharged]

If you're considering the Performance 3, then you may was to look at used P85D's as well. I think you get the best bang for the buck from the bigger battery and higher performance.

Comparing a sedan and a truck is kind of like comparing apples and oranges. They'll both get you around, but they accomplish different goals. I see you're in MD. If you're in/around AA county and you're curious about a 2015 MS, I wouldn't mind meeting up somewhere for you to take a look at it. There are likely others in different parts of the state willing to do the same.

With home charging, I'm certain it would serve you well for a 100 mile round trip commute. I wouldn't rely on supercharging for a commute like that.

I live in Howard county but I have family in AA county so meeting up could work, thanks for the offer. You're right about the two being apples to oranges, which is why I'm looking at converting. If I had a boat or large trailer the truck wouldn't go anywhere, but I don't have either and my commute does get a bit rough in the truck. Home Charging is an option that i will look into, thanks for the suggestion. To give you guys an idea of my fuel consumption and quite possibly shock from it..sorry in advance. I'm averaging 11.5 mpg on a 60 mile commute. Now that commute is growing to 100 miles round trip so you can see the savings clear as day, Just last month I spent over $380 just in fuel. That doesn't include maintenance like oil, oil filter and fuel filter. That's another $275 every two and a half months, its crazy how the weather effects mileage on big trucks.

 

[D.E.]

Buying a Tesla to save money may not be the wisest choice. If you truly want the Tesla and you want to rationalize the choice, well that’s an approach as long as you don’t look at it closely. If you want to have a cold hard look at things, you’ll want to set up a spreadsheet. If you want to buy the Tesla, don’t put a Honda Civic on your spreadsheet.

 

[jerry33]

Driving a Honda Civic 100 miles a day wouldn’t be my first choice.

 

[Vitold]

If I was driving 100miles a day Autopilot would be a priority over anything else, unless you commute mostly on two-lane freeways, where AP is not recommended yet.

 

[UnderCharged]

Buying a Tesla to save money may not be the wisest choice. If you truly want the Tesla and you want to rationalize the choice, well that’s an approach as long as you don’t look at it closely. If you want to have a cold hard look at things, you’ll want to set up a spreadsheet. If you want to buy the Tesla, don’t put a Honda Civic on your spreadsheet.

I'm not looking for it to save me money, I'm looking for a more reliable and comfortable vehicle for my commute.

Driving a Honda Civic 100 miles a day wouldn’t be my first choice.

Exactly!! I drove an older civic(00 Si) it was stolen and stripped, will never own anything Honda or Acura again.

 

[ewoodrick]

Install 220V at home, next to vehicle.
Free supercharging isn't a big deal. Your total yearly charging bill may be about the same as a single fillup.

Any of the base models will run circles around the truck.

 

[jerry33]

I'm not looking for it to save me money, I'm looking for a more reliable and comfortable vehicle for my commute.

I’ve been driving mine with no autopilot on my 60 mile commute for the past almost six years, in addition to long distance trips. (5200 miles was the longest). It’s one of the two best trip/commute cars I’ve had (The other was a 1969 DS-21). I also like that I am not giving money to buy guns and ammo to use against our boys.