Falling out of love with my Model Y AWD - Sell or Keep

[Rocket_man]

You seem to change cars every time the wind changes direction. How long has Tesla been making cars? They have been making a sedan since 2012. So barely a decade. How long had they been making the Model Y in Austin when you bought it? A year or less? In a factory that is still under construction. How long has BMW been making cars? Almost 100 years. Which car is going to be more refined? I think your expectations are too high for Tesla. You just can't go by some marketing promises. My opinion is you should stay away from Tesla until they have been making cars for 100 years.

I have a model 3 that I bought at the absolute worst time to buy a Tesla, when supply was low, prices were high, and before the tax rebates were announced. I Turo'd the car two different times to test it over a weekend to see if it was the car for me. I sold an Acura to buy it. No it is not as refined even as an Acura. But I didn't expect it to. I've owned a BMW, and liked it, but dumped it as soon as the warranty was up. I'm not sure I'll ever go back to BMW.

I bought the model 3 to see if I could live everyday with an EV and yes I can. I charge at home 99% of the time. I've taken two road trips and the Model 3 LFP has a max charge rate of like 150kw and only at a low SOC which I've never actually seen. But on my limited road trips when I stop to charge, I'm up in the 90%+ SOC by the time I pee and eat and grab a drink, so I don't really need 250 Kw charging.

I think my next car will be a Model Y Juniper if the tax credit is still a thing when it comes out. I recently drove a new Model Y with the upgraded suspension and it was already much improved over my Model 3. I'll take a beating selling my Model 3, or it may go to a family member. But I'll go into my next Tesla purchase with eyes fully open. One day other companies will make better EVs and maybe I'll buy one of those, but for the near future I think Tesla is still the EV to go with.

 

[PhillyCA]

I hear you loud and clear. I loved my 2020 MY when I first got it. But now, only four years later, the cheaply made car is revealing its true colors.

• Front suspension has no zerk fittings to grease & lube
• AC contaminated. $4k replacement cost
• Window issue, puddle light replacement
• Rear door button replace

I may be standing on the ledge with you!

 

[Iron]

• Front suspension has no zerk fittings to grease & lube

That's not a Tesla omission. Suspension components come sealed. Cars haven't been made with those for many decades and if you find one it might be an exception to the rule or an aftermarket part.

 

[lencap]

Just to close out this thread, a few comments.

Yes, I do trade out cars often, and sometimes for frivolous reasons. Tesla still has the best charging network, and will likely keep that lead for some time. However, opening the SC network to other brands made it hard for me to overlook the relatively “busy” ride and constant road noise, especially on concrete roads. I’m still a Tesla fan, but, for me, the model Y lost its luster. That doesn’t make it a bad car, it just reflects that my priorities in a car may differ from others.

I explored alternatives and found a 2024 certified pre-owned Cadillac Lyriq AWD to be a better match for my needs. That doesn’t mean I will never buy another Tesla, or that I find their cars inferior. My 2 Teslas served me well, didn’t require much service (aside from some build quality issues) and were highly efficient with unique features that others still don’t have. My intent of this post was to highlight my frustrations based upon my expectations. I truly expected the Austin built 4680 battery pack GigaPress manufacture would correct some of the build quality issues and provide faster charging with what was supposedly a better battery. Unfortunately it did neither (the 4680 SC curve is very slow), and that’s why I became disappointed.

The Lyriq charges slower at home (larger battery pack & less efficient), has better real world range, is far quieter with a better ride, and has a more traditional dash layout, something that my wife prefers. Comfort is also quite good, and the roof has a powered built in sunshade - much appreciated in hot summer weather. Tesla tech is better (although the optional SuperCruise is very impressive with level 3 certification). The Cadillac NACS adapter should be available soon giving me more charging options.

The Lyriq has 8,000 fewer miles and extended bumper to bumper warranty with no mileage limit expiring in July 2028, and had a nearly $19,000 higher list price. I sold my car to Carvana ($5,600 higher offer than Tesla made), and after all fees/taxes/registration costs the move to a 2024 certified pre-owned Lyriq from the 2023 Austin built 279 mile range Tesla Y cost just over $8,000. That seemed very reasonable and sealed my decision. To me the tradeoffs were worth it, but that may not be true for others.

Thanks again for the forum - it’s a great source of information and sharing opinions, even when we may disagree with the views of others.

 

[Peter N]

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.

Tempted to re-affend with another ICE: Say out loud, "Get thee behind me, Satan!"

 

[exxxviii]

I explored alternatives and found a 2024 certified pre-owned Cadillac Lyriq AWD to be a better match for my needs.

Ooof. I am curious if or when I will see you pop up on another forum. I was on the wait list for the Lyriq for over a year before I bailed out on it. The car is an absolute technology dumpster fire. Many issues still unresolved. Beautiful and nice driving. But probably a year away from maturity and stability. Good luck backing up in the rain. Super Cruise seems to work about 75% of the time. AKG audio system is more like most luxury car base systems. OnStar is stoopid expensive to do what Tesla does for free. And, it requires a Google account connected to the car. (GM was selling your drive data, but at least they quit when caught. No telling what Google does with your drive data.)

Definitely join the Lyriq forum and read the two-kilopost “Bugs and Quibbles” thread to prepare yourself…

 

[mborkow]

My first two cars were GMs…those were both a long time ago but I swore never again. Nevertheless, good luck with your new car!

 

[lencap]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I believe at this point there is little more to say, and I'd suggest the moderator close the thread.