Getting ready to buy my first Tesla... What to know...

[bernal.dennis@]

I just got a new job that is 50 miles away from my house. I don't have a home charger or anything.
I currently drive a C7 Corvette year round here in RI.
I will not be selling the vette, just adding a Model 3 to the stable.

I plan to buy new.

Is there any advice or things I should know about the car before buying?
Reliability?
Quirks?
Anything at all....

I plan to only use the car to get to work and back. C7 will be used for everything else.
Getting a quote for a car charger to be installed in my garage on Friday.

Thanks for any insights and help that can be provided!

 

[Ital]

Congrats! you are going to love it. Drives very smooth. Which model 3 are you getting?
You will need to buy floor matts as it does not come with it.
I got mine in February, Just watch some videos in regards to build quality so that way before pick up you can make sure everything looks good as some have had issues with build quality. Mine was good.

 

[one2many]

Get a lead foot, it helps.

 

[bernal.dennis@]

Since this is just going to be my commuter vehicle, I just need 50 miles a day out of it.
For this reason I am targeting the bottom of the range.

I am watching some videos now on YouTube about "know before you buy" with reference to the Model 3.
Seems really simple compared to when I bought my used Corvette back in 2019.

Just need to look into when is the best time to buy. Think there is a state incentive here in RI after July 7th, so I might wait till then.


Has general reliability been good on these cars? (I will google search as well).
Just trust hearing it from users more

 

[Miata Head]

I'd say read up on cold weather EV performance for your area before diving in. I live in SoCal, so largely don't have to deal with cold batteries, but if I was anywhere in the NE or snowy areas, I'd think hard about an EV.

I bought in March this year. But if it wasn't for the tax rebate and annoying car market, I probably would not have bought a Tesla this year. In hindsight, I think it might have been better to do a lease since we don't drive much and the new 2, redone 3 and cybertruck are supposed to be coming soon.

 

[Braumin]

Reliability has been amazing. I have had my Model 3 Performance for almost 2.5 years. Other than a recall on the heat pump my only other service call was to have one of the parking sensors replaced.

Only other thing I have to do is add washer fluid and maybe change a cabin air filter. It's fantastic.

The best thing to know is you are going to want home charging. I think if you bought an electric car and didn't have the ability to charge at home you would slowly start to hate it. Charging at the fast chargers is expensive and time consuming compared to just parking your car at home and plugging it in. For 50 miles a day you won't need anything too high power but it's always best to charge at 240V if at all possible. Whether that's the mobile connector (cord you can plug in to the wall) or the wall charger is up to you. The wall charger from Tesla is one of the best priced ones on the market I think.

 

[Braumin]

I'd say read up on cold weather EV performance for your area before diving in. I live in SoCal, so largely don't have to deal with cold batteries, but if I was anywhere in the NE or snowy areas, I'd think hard about an EV.

I bought in March this year. But if it wasn't for the tax rebate and annoying car market, I probably would not have bought a Tesla this year. In hindsight, I think it might have been better to do a lease since we don't drive much and the new 2, redone 3 and cybertruck are supposed to be coming soon.

It gets to -40 here. Cold weather performance is definitely something to think about. Your range will be roughly 1/2 of the summer (where it is already lower than what it is rated at). Short trips are the worst since the car uses a ton of power to warm up the battery every time. Longer drives are still less range but not as bad as multiple short trips.

As far as the actual car performance in the winter though it is excellent. The heat pump can make plenty of heat. It does get kind of loud when it is really cold because it is working hard. The all wheel drive has been improved with software updates and is now quite good in the snow.

I have the larger battery than @bernal.dennis@ is looking at, but here are my real world ranges on the highway. Summer I can get about 400 km or 250 miles. At -30°C with wind in the winter, best I could probably do is 250 km or 150 miles.

 

[bernal.dennis@]

Thanks for all the advice. If I am doing this, I am only doing it with a Tesla wall charger at home (240V).
I even have a gift card to Best Buy for $500 and they sell the Tesla wall chargers for that, so there is that benefit.

As for cold weather use, I will ask some fellow engineers I know here that drive their M3s year round.

I find that people that don't live around here think winters are brutal and they simply aren't (in my eyes).
Snowed twice last winter, a couple inches each time. Melted all in a couple days. RI is not Maine. Ocean everywhere keeps the snow from forming.

Anyways, I will do some more research on cold weather performance.

 

[bernal.dennis@]

Wow that is COLD! (-30°C)
My garage is up against my house so even at freezing temps, a cup of water never freezes in there.
I tested last winter, haha.

Noted the drop in performance. I currently drive my corvette year round 50 miles a day when in the office.
Guess if there is ever a concern over range due to temps I can always just take that.

Sounds like there could be if it is really cold and I need to drive 100 miles in a day for my commute.

 

[SO16]

It’s possible that a standard plug may be sufficient for your needs but a 240v setup is definitely nice.

If you bought a long range Model 3 and then get the acceleration boost or Model 3 performance, you “might” get tired of your C7. Haha

 

[Braumin]

Wow that is COLD! (-30°C)
My garage is up against my house so even at freezing temps, a cup of water never freezes in there.
I tested last winter, haha.

Noted the drop in performance. I currently drive my corvette year round 50 miles a day when in the office.
Guess if there is ever a concern over range due to temps I can always just take that.

Sounds like there could be if it is really cold and I need to drive 100 miles in a day for my commute.

If it never really gets below freezing you won't really have any issues. The heat pump is able to source all the cabin heating from the air all the way down to -10°C so it is very efficient.

Also one other thing to mention that new EV buyers/owners don't often understand. Unlike with a gas car where the highway range is your best and city is the worst, it is the opposite in an EV. Because the car is so efficient, most of your losses are for drag. Drag increases with the square of speed. You will notice the range decrease from 60 mph to 70 mph. Gas cars have this too, but because their base fuel consumption is so high, the percentage difference is not as great. Speed is the real killer of range. When I said I can do 400 km on the highway, I mean at about about 65 mph. If you are on an interstate doing 80 mph it will be less range.

I find it unfortunate that EV sellers (Tesla being likely the worst offender here) only offer a single range rating which is based on a combined city/highway EPA test. I really wish they would offer separate city/highway values like gas cars do.

Regardless, you will love your Model 3.

 

[804son]

50 miles one way, You'll be fine even in the cold.

 

[voldar]

Hi, I am also in the process to buy a new Tesla M3 LFP battery, and I am in Quebec Canada. LFP battery needs to be warm to provide the best performance. So preconditioning during winter in very cold days should be considered. This would not be my first electric vehicle, but it would be my first Tesla. Since I decided to buy one, I watched a plethora of videos about the model I am interested in and I can say that I have a pretty good idea of what it can and what it cannot do.
We don’t have to forget that Tesla’s displayed range is not the real one and Teslas are known to underperform when it comes about the EPA range.
From what I understand, Tesla has to be treated like a baby in regards of paint quality because any chip might make a dent into it. The model I am interested into has a very decent charging curve that even though it’s slower on the 0 to 50% state of charge it’s better in the 50 to 100% state of charge than the higher models. From what I’ve seen a charge from 10% to 80% is about roughly 20 minutes if the battery is above 35 C. So preconditioning before charge is paramount when driving a Tesla with LFP battery even in temperatures above freezing.
There are a lot more to say about but …
And by the way, the RWD model is the most efficient of all the Teslas.

 

[3sr+buyer]

I just got a new job that is 50 miles away from my house. I don't have a home charger or anything.

Is there any advice or things I should know about the car before buying?
Reliability?
Quirks?
Anything at all....

Using the cabin heater is not free, unlike in an ICEV, although newer Model 3 with heat pump use less energy than older Model 3 with resistance heating. Recent Model 3 do have heated seats, which consume much less energy than heating the cabin air.

Tires do not bulge out from the wheels, so it is easy to scrape the wheels when parking next to a curb. Consider turning on the cameras when parking next to a curb.

If you have sunny hot days in the summer, you may want to install an aftermarket sunshade during the summer months.

Some features that are used when parked like sentry mode and cabin overheat protection can consume substantial energy.

For cars with NCA batteries (Performance model), keeping charge level below 55% may help reduce battery degradation. For cars with LFP batteries (RWD), keeping charge level below 70% may help reduce battery degradation, but Tesla recommends charging to 100% at least weekly, probably to ensure that the BMS does not lose the true state of charge in due to the flat voltage curve (which is noticeably different only at 100% or at low states of charge like under 15%. LFP batteries likely degrade slower than NCA batteries. Obviously, if you go on a long drive, charge to the level needed for it.

Only reliability problem that I have seen on my car is that the rear defogger did not work.

Model 3 RWD does not come with floor mats, so if you want them buy whichever ones you like.

An EVSE is not included. A hardwired EVSE like the Tesla Wall Connector can do up to 48A on a 60A circuit. A portable EVSE can do up to 40A on a 50A circuit with a non-Leviton receptacle, although most portable EVSEs including the Tesla Mobile Connector do 32A or lower. The Tesla Wall and Mobile Connectors are very competitively priced, so it is unlikely that a third party EVSE will be price competitive unless subsidized by your utility company or something like that, or you also want to charge a non-Tesla EV. Non-Tesla EVSEs will have a J1772 plug, which requires using the J1772 adapter included with the car.

Note that the RWD model charges only up to 32A, while the Performance model charges up to 48A.

 

[bernal.dennis@]

Great info here! Thank you all. Feeling better and better about this potential purchase.

 

[ewoodrick]

I just got a new job that is 50 miles away from my house. I don't have a home charger or anything.
I currently drive a C7 Corvette year round here in RI.
I will not be selling the vette, just adding a Model 3 to the stable.

I plan to buy new.

Is there any advice or things I should know about the car before buying?
Reliability?
Quirks?
Anything at all....

I plan to only use the car to get to work and back. C7 will be used for everything else.
Getting a quote for a car charger to be installed in my garage on Friday.

Thanks for any insights and help that can be provided!

If you get a 50A connector installed, you should be in great shape. Being in RI, you could possibly go all the way down to 240V/20A for as few of miles that you drive.
Hopefully the car will be in a garage, keeping the battery warmer during the winter months is advantageous.

I have this sneaky suspicion that the C7 may eventually join the ranks of Biden's, permanently parked in the garage.

Even the cheapest, slowest Tesla is a lot of fun to drive. And has plenty of acceleration to get you in trouble.

 

[one2many]

I just hope its arrest me red.

 

[mactilla]

For what it's worth... Get the M3P and never look back, although you should still try to say nice things to your corvette as you walk by it every day.
To add, My 3 favorite accessories: (1) Screen swivel--I got mine from Abstract Ocean (2) 3D Maxpider floor mats (3) Carbon fiber overlays to cover the interior wood. Also, PPF and nice ceramic window tint. The car is an absolute joy to drive.

 

[Metralla]

I'm in New England north of you. My daily drive was 150 miles or more, year round. I never had to charge away from home.

Even when we get -15 F like we did in February, no issues at all. Best car I've owned. And I've had a lot of cars.

 

[RichAZ/CapeCod]

Have two Teslas; MY LR AWD and M3 SR LFP. Look hard at the M3 SR. Really like both cars. This last Sunday finished a six day, 2,800 mile trip from AZ to Cape Cod in the MY. On the other hand the M3 is a lot of fun to drive, more nimble and a tad easier to park and such. Very comfortable seats (wife says better than our 2020 MY...).

Test drive both but think the M3 will fill your needs.

Rich