Friend on Limited Income wants to buy a roadster - give me the good, bad and ugly

[pauld2002]

I am 68 and can barely get in and out of the car anymore. And this is without the top on! The car does not have power steering either, so parking the car takes some effort. It is a challenging car for seniors. But I have to say, it is fun to drive and you get lots of attention. He will be the cool dude at the senior center!

 

[da2ny]

I turned 76 yesterday and I consider my Roadster to be part of my daily exercise program. I may be 76 in calendar years, but I don't feel a day over 40! A man is only as old as the car he's driving!

 

[Pyre]

Don’t do it. While we all love them, they have far more problems than a modern Tesla, are more expensive to repair with limited repair options (he might wait months for some repairs), and certain things cannot be repaired, such as many battery failures.

He would be much happier if he bought a Model 3.

WRT your questions:
1. I do not know off the top of my head.
2. Very. Don’t think I ever got out of Medlock’s with less than a $1k bill. Similar pricing (or higher) at Tesla.
3. Tesla will still service them, but he may wait a while. He may also look at The Electrified Garage, which I think now has a Florida location.
4. No. But there are still some new warehoused parts that Tesla has and there is a robust salvage market for parts. Some folks are having parts made themselves and sometimes do bulk buys on this forum.
5. Mediocre. It’s Tesla’s Achilles Heel. I’ve owned several Teslas and have had good and mediocre experiences with Tesla. Wait times for appointments and parts are the biggest problems. And they are BIG problems.
6. Power Electronics Module (PEM) failures. Battery failures.
7. Just don’t do it. He’s not a car guy, has never owned an EV, and doesn’t take care of his cars. Not the car for him.

Reading number 7.

Ironically, I have cared the least and did the minimum maintenance (but some mods) to the most expensive vehicles I have owned.
2020 ram limited 1500 and this tesla m3p.

My cheap crappy cars (flat black 86 notch mustang) I babied like no other. Other than some burn outs lol.

Funny how I have changed after being such a gearhead

 

[CaptUAL]

Bad idea. The roaster is bascily a toy for the well heeled. Just saying.

I’m on a limited income, and I want an airplane, yacht and 2022 Roadster

 

[KJA2001]

We are all on limited incomes. Unless you have a goose that lays golden eggs.