Greetings!
Sad to say I’m falling out of love with my Austin built 4680/GigaPress 2023 Model Y AWD, and I’m afraid I may make a hasty emotional decision.
I bought a 2018 Model 3 RWD in November 2018, realizing build quality was “a work in progress”, and features like FSD were “yet to be determined”. My reasons for buying were the SC system and lack of any meaningful competition. I sold it 2 years later, frustrated by the less than stellar ride, noisy interior and ever present tire noise. Much of my decision was based on my wife’s newly acquired 2021 BMW 330e, a plug in hybrid with limited 20 mile range, but sufficient for her daily driving most of the time.
I admit to enjoying BMW cars over the years, having owned several including 3, 5, 8 series cars along with 2 i3s, one pure BEV, the other with the ReX range extender. My fondness for BMW is a combination of build quality, along with a very enjoyable driving experience. My preference is a sporty feel, good dynamics and, most importantly a superior suspension setup.
I replaced the 2018 Tesla with V8 Mustang GT, manual transmission, missing the joy of driving an engaging and entertaining car. I sold it, moving into the 2023 Model Y. I hoped that the new changes (4680 batteries, Austin GigaPress build, upgraded suspension, quieter interior and more) would be a good addition to the BMW 330e. The Y would be the daily driver, doing COSTCO/carrying duty, which running costs and upkeep at very attractive levels.
The reality is somewhat less fulfilling. The 4680 pack is very slow to SC, even compared to my 2018 Model 3. It takes nearly 50% longer to replenish the same distance as my model 3. It’s even slower compared to my friends 2022 Model Y LR AWD with 2170 batteries. It seems the 4680 battery pack throttles down very aggressively slowing charging dramatically.
More frustrating is the ride quality and noise levels. Initially they were better than my friend’s 2022 Y, but that was on a smooth surface on the test drive and slow speed driving locally. On concrete roads the noise is beyond annoying. Compared to mybwof’es BMW the Model,Y rides like a truck. And can someone please tell me why Tesla windshield wipers remain unusable? When they required them to be automatically on all the time when in autopilot they made it impossible to use the system without phantom wipes all the time. As you can likely tell, I’m not very happy.
Adding to the angst my car had misaligned doors (fixed, but still not fully resolved), numerous rattles/squeaks (also fixed, but not resolved) and noise levels are louder than when new (currently 14k miles). That’s why I bought the Austin car - promised better build quality and better battery pack/charging. Neither expectation was real. Resale value is horrible, with the list price dropping over $15k, and new cars benefitting from $7,500 additional tax credits. Carmax is offering less than half of the January 2023 list price on my car in trade with 14k miles. Tesla’s offer is lower!
So, now what? I still like Tesla, but I find that the dream is turning into a nightmare. I also admit that I still enjoy the feel of a ICE sports sedan, and sports cars in general. A manual transmission car (I briefly had a Miata) puts a smile on my face, despite being a senior with arthritis. The model S is fast, but not as engaging to drive in dynamic situation (heavy weight, “OK” suspension), as least for me. The new Model 3 performance seems promising, but I’ve not seen one yet to test. I did try the FSD free trial, and it is a step forward, but not a must have for me. Standard autopilot is fine.
I had several,other EVs and won’t buy any car that doesn’t work on Tesla’s NACS standard. Those cars will likely come online in 2025 models, but maybe not. The BMW 5 is about the size/performance I’d like, but I can’t find an equivalent Tesla. The S should be the answer, but it doesn’t light my fire - seats are too low, A pillar too close to our preferred seating position. My wife and I are “vertically challenged”. I’ve also had friends sell their S cars due to lots of issues (most were 2022 and older cars).
Help talk me off the ledge. I’m afraid I’ll wake up with a Corvette in my garage If I can’t figure this out!
Thanks, I feel better.
Sad to say I’m falling out of love with my Austin built 4680/GigaPress 2023 Model Y AWD, and I’m afraid I may make a hasty emotional decision.
I bought a 2018 Model 3 RWD in November 2018, realizing build quality was “a work in progress”, and features like FSD were “yet to be determined”. My reasons for buying were the SC system and lack of any meaningful competition. I sold it 2 years later, frustrated by the less than stellar ride, noisy interior and ever present tire noise. Much of my decision was based on my wife’s newly acquired 2021 BMW 330e, a plug in hybrid with limited 20 mile range, but sufficient for her daily driving most of the time.
I admit to enjoying BMW cars over the years, having owned several including 3, 5, 8 series cars along with 2 i3s, one pure BEV, the other with the ReX range extender. My fondness for BMW is a combination of build quality, along with a very enjoyable driving experience. My preference is a sporty feel, good dynamics and, most importantly a superior suspension setup.
I replaced the 2018 Tesla with V8 Mustang GT, manual transmission, missing the joy of driving an engaging and entertaining car. I sold it, moving into the 2023 Model Y. I hoped that the new changes (4680 batteries, Austin GigaPress build, upgraded suspension, quieter interior and more) would be a good addition to the BMW 330e. The Y would be the daily driver, doing COSTCO/carrying duty, which running costs and upkeep at very attractive levels.
The reality is somewhat less fulfilling. The 4680 pack is very slow to SC, even compared to my 2018 Model 3. It takes nearly 50% longer to replenish the same distance as my model 3. It’s even slower compared to my friends 2022 Model Y LR AWD with 2170 batteries. It seems the 4680 battery pack throttles down very aggressively slowing charging dramatically.
More frustrating is the ride quality and noise levels. Initially they were better than my friend’s 2022 Y, but that was on a smooth surface on the test drive and slow speed driving locally. On concrete roads the noise is beyond annoying. Compared to mybwof’es BMW the Model,Y rides like a truck. And can someone please tell me why Tesla windshield wipers remain unusable? When they required them to be automatically on all the time when in autopilot they made it impossible to use the system without phantom wipes all the time. As you can likely tell, I’m not very happy.
Adding to the angst my car had misaligned doors (fixed, but still not fully resolved), numerous rattles/squeaks (also fixed, but not resolved) and noise levels are louder than when new (currently 14k miles). That’s why I bought the Austin car - promised better build quality and better battery pack/charging. Neither expectation was real. Resale value is horrible, with the list price dropping over $15k, and new cars benefitting from $7,500 additional tax credits. Carmax is offering less than half of the January 2023 list price on my car in trade with 14k miles. Tesla’s offer is lower!
So, now what? I still like Tesla, but I find that the dream is turning into a nightmare. I also admit that I still enjoy the feel of a ICE sports sedan, and sports cars in general. A manual transmission car (I briefly had a Miata) puts a smile on my face, despite being a senior with arthritis. The model S is fast, but not as engaging to drive in dynamic situation (heavy weight, “OK” suspension), as least for me. The new Model 3 performance seems promising, but I’ve not seen one yet to test. I did try the FSD free trial, and it is a step forward, but not a must have for me. Standard autopilot is fine.
I had several,other EVs and won’t buy any car that doesn’t work on Tesla’s NACS standard. Those cars will likely come online in 2025 models, but maybe not. The BMW 5 is about the size/performance I’d like, but I can’t find an equivalent Tesla. The S should be the answer, but it doesn’t light my fire - seats are too low, A pillar too close to our preferred seating position. My wife and I are “vertically challenged”. I’ve also had friends sell their S cars due to lots of issues (most were 2022 and older cars).
Help talk me off the ledge. I’m afraid I’ll wake up with a Corvette in my garage If I can’t figure this out!
Thanks, I feel better.
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