Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

FSD or Long Range?

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
let me preface, I made another post about a charger saying I just bought a Model 3. Well its not finalized yet because I'm looking at another one.

My options are a 2019 M3 SR+ with FSD, 41,500 Miles, or a 2018 M3 LR, Std Autopilot, 45,000 Miles. Both are the same price. Trying to decide what's more valuable to me. FSD, or long range battery. Obviously I can add FSD a lot easier than upgrading the battery (buying a new car) but at that point I'm probably better off finding a used M3 LR with FSD and saving a few thousand.

I live in Phoenix and my commute is about 120 miles round trip 3-4 days a week. SR+ battery will be just fine so is it worth getting FSD for the long commute?
 
I live in Phoenix and my commute is about 120 miles round trip 3-4 days a week. SR+ battery will be just fine so is it worth getting FSD for the long commute?

Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how you drive, and whether you are comfortable with the idea of running your battery from 90% (because you will not be charging it to 100% daily) to 20-30% daily.

You should be looking squarely at some kind of LR tesla model 3, with a 120mile round trip commute (that commute will use between 130 to 180 ish miles of range, depending on the speed you drive).
 
Would definitely go LR, especially if it's AWD. FSD isn't really vetted-out yet and not sure if what's available is worth the extra cost. I got my 2018 LR AWD with EAP and I feel like that's the sweet spot, offering everything outside of some city-driving benefits (for now).
 
One more thing I will tell you, OP, as someone who has been here a while. One of the most vocal factions here on TMC is the "FSD sucks / dont waste your money" faction. People who like stuff are not nearly as vocal as people who dont. Most of the people who like FSD are waay (waay) (waaaaay) over having a debate on whether FSD is "worth it" any longer.

So, most of what you will see is people telling you that "FSD isnt worth it" because the people who think its worth it are likely not going to engage in that discussion.

With that being said, even those who think FSD is worth it would normally tell you to "take the battery size" first. If the choice is "smaller battery or FSD" the answer is almost always "skip FSD and get bigger battery" even from people who like FSD.

Now, back to your specific case. I will bring to your attention what I said a few posts up. You state your commute is "120 miles round trip, 3-4 times a week". That commute absolutely should have a LR battery, not a SR one. For the reason why, you will charge an SR+ from 90% to 20 ish percent. Thats from 236 miles to 52 miles or 184 miles. Miles will NOT roll off at 1:1 unless you drive like 50 MPH on the highway, which you likely are not, if you have a 60 mile 1 way commute.

So, your 120 mile commute is going to take, if driven at 70-75 or 80 MPH around 150 -180 miles, or, said another way, you will be basically driving your effective range 3 times a week, if you buy a SR+. It gets cold in AZ in the winter (likely as cold as it does in CA) so you will get worse range in the winter, even though you may not live in the snow.

Someone with your commute should be looking at a LR tesla, or they will likely be frustrated with the fact that their car "cant make a 120 mile trip without range anxiety".

TL ; DR ... dont even consider a SR+, get a LR, and if budget is an issue, without FSD (said as someone who has, and happens to like, FSD).
 
I like driving, so I may not value FSD as much as some others. It's also paying today for something that won't fully materialize until some point in the future. It could actually be a decade before FSD is really FSD.

My commute is 60 miles per day, and I have a 2021 M3 LR AWD. I don't have home charging yet, so conservatively didn't want the battery below 20% as a precaution. During colder weather, I was at the supercharger 3 times per week.

I second what others have said... LR isn't just "nice to have"... for your commute, it's necessary.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: jjrandorin
I have FSD but honestly don’t use it very often. I think it’s more gimmicky than practical at this point in its development/evolution. Perhaps in 2-3 years, we’ll see a version of FSD that is more worthy of its hefty price tag. As others have mentioned, standard Autopilot is more than sufficient in most cases and for most people.
I certainly do not regret buying FSD, because it was ”only” $6000 when I purchased my vehicle in 2019. I had already decided at time of purchase that I was going all in (getting everything with the vehicle), mainly because I did not want to feel regret later for not getting FSD... and cost was not really a factor anyway. I use FSD on occasion to show off to family/friends and that’s about the extent of it.

If I were buying a new Tesla today, I would probably not get FSD upfront, but rather wait until the pending subscription service becomes available. I think the subscription option makes much more sense for most folks.
If I had to make a choice between range and FSD, I’d definitely pick range. Actually, I’d pick power/acceleration over range. :cool: and, FSD would be at the bottom of the list.