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Okay so I have to admit up front I always find these threads to be annoying but now I find myself in the unique position of needing just this kind of thread...

My Model S lease is up in November and Tesla is offering me the opportunity to swap out "now" which is great but... I'm stuck... I really want a Model X but aren't excited with the $1,800 a month lease payment, can afford it, just not excited about it. I got a chance to drive a M3P and was absolutely blown away by how fun it was to drive... I told my friends it was like driving a cheetah on meth... LOL :)

All of that being said, I use the SAS on my Model S all the time and there is no SAS on the M3P. I use the electric open/close hatch on my Model S all the time, again, M3P it's a manual open/close. I just feel like while the car is fun to drive it's a "meh" car overall lacking basic features and functionality. I am not trying to sound like an elitist or anything but I really like my Model S and am not crazy about giving up certain features I use all the time.

I decided to open this in the 3 forum because I believe I can't be the only one who is already a Tesla owner and looked at getting a 3 as a replacement and was hoping to get some feedback on how others made their decisions. I have to make a decision by COB this Friday due to the swap out promo ending and I am really 50/50 on what direction I want to go...

Thoughts? I get it if someone wants to reply with something snarky about my complaints WRT the lacking features on the 3...

Jeff

EDIT: I just noticed a similar thread further down so my bad for the stupid redundancy...
 
I have a P85 and a RWD LR Model 3. Even though the S is faster off the line than the 3, I now look forward to driving the 3 more. A performance 3 would absolutely blow my Model S away, not just in speed but in agility. (I drove a Performance 3 yesterday. Wow.) I've driven every version of the Model S, including the P100D with ludicrous mode and the Performance 3 beats them all.

Sure, I wish the 3 had a power trunk but when I was whipping that P3 around the curves yesterday I wasn't thinking about a power trunk at all.
 
I own an S now and am comparing features that I like about it that the 3 lacks. The X has all the features an S has and then some...

Jeff
Gotcha. I drove an S for the first time as a loaner a few weeks ago (100D). It clearly has a softer suspension and is a quieter cabin than my Model 3...a 'touring car' in essence. But after several days of use, the conclusion for me was "I get Model S, but for me it's not worth an extra $50k." Model 3 definitely lacks some elements that are standard in a luxury car, as you note, but driving the S100D reminded me why I waited for my 310mi $55k Model 3. In my case, I miss the ventilated seats of my Lexus, as well as its comfortable suspension and quieter ride, but I wouldn't have coughed up the incremental $50k to Tesla to solve (most) of those things via an S100D.

So like most things Tesla, it's about your use case, what you value, and the value equation overall. Good luck w decision.
As a side note, I wonder if Model S/X sales are lagging this quarter if they're trying to entice current owners to end their current leases early to jump into their next car this quarter.
 
My thought is that you are driving the car a lot more than you are opening and closing the hatch. I've found the electric open/close on other cars to be annoyingly slow (no experience on S or X) and find the release/close on the Model 3 to be perfectly fine.

Cannot opine on the SAS and if you need it or not as I have never had a car with that. I find the suspension okay on the Model 3 - can be rough driving on some streets with many pot-holes but generally smooth elsewhere and the ground clearance is perfectly fine for my needs. YMMV.
 
@jeffro01 I have an X now and am trying to convince myself that I want a Model 3. The Performance Model 3 was a blast to drive, but it is missing some features. The manual trunk doesn't bother me because it is light and easy to handle. I do use my air suspension often, and I like having the backup camera showing on my display at all times.
 
I like the bigger luggage capacity of Model X. Both Model S and 3 don't have towing capability.

I like the auto-door-handle of Model S and I like Model X auto-driver-door automation even more!

I am not happy with cell-phone as a key for Model 3. I have to manually find my cell phone, turn on the phone, unlock my phone with a password then turn the app on from time to time as this kind of key is not as reliable as Model S' and X's fobs are. Nor do I like the way Model 3 keeps stealing my cell phone calls at home because of the attached garage proximity. I might as well keep Model 3 parking far away out on the street!

Another one that bothers me is the absence of a browser!

I would pick Model X if the budget allows. Otherwise, pick a 3 due to budget restraint.
 
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The main thing I hear from your post "for" the Model 3 is the fun to drive aspect. Assume this is more handling and the feel of a small sports car and not speed since the MS for example is slightly faster. Price doesn't seem to be the issue so much and you haven't mentioned the Federal Tax Credit which could play into it depending on delivery schedules of the different models.

Personally not sure how I could go from wanting an X in size to a Model 3. Not only for passenger space but cargo and frunk. If that's not an issue maybe then it's do-able. Assume this will be your sole car?

I too wanted SAS (we have slanted driveway and lots of places in town with high speed bumps), also really wanted a pano roof I could open. Additionally not sure about the screen (I know everyone said they adjust in practically no time) however due to the progressive glasses I wear and having to turn my head to look straight forward to have things be in full focus it's still a concern. Did a test drive to try to check that out, but you don't really get much time in the car. My husband doesn't think this will be an issue; we'll see soon. People are adaptable so there's that. He thinks with audio directions I'll be fine.

I wish this was a liftgate instead of a trunk. I'm losing a lot of cargo space going from an MS and part of that is in height in the cargo area. While the automatic liftgate is nice (and with the heavy liftgate on the MS, super nice--Model 3 trunk weight not an issue), for me the liftgate option just offers much more usable space with easier access to things stored in the cargo area. I've heard a number of people say that their Model 3 in the rain leaks water into their trunk when the trunk is lifted. Not sure if this is widespread or maybe already addressed. Can say that our Model S hasn't had that issue.

For some losing XM radio would be a big loss. In the limited traveling we've done with our MS (no XM), we've encountered a number of slacker/tune-in blackout locations. No option to add on the Model 3. I really want a blackvue dashcam in the car and on our MS we always use the park mode so we have 24/7 coverage. On the S/X you can presently hardwire it in so you are always ON. Can't do with the Model 3 and you'll need to install a battery back up system. If you don't drive the car every day, keeping it charged might be an issue. The battery backup is much less desirable to me. Life is a series of compromises.

Those are really my concerns downsizing to the Model 3. I pulled the trigger when the AWD became available as it was one of the things I really did want on my car that at least became available. Since Tesla doesn't layout what will be future feature trims on the car, it's hard to know if you should wait on ordering a Model 3 that might include SAS or a pano roof, etc. within a year. Musk did say Model 3 would have a smaller subset of options. In the end I decided if I still miss a larger car in a year or two, there's always sell or trade in. Saving the money spent on the Model 3 compared to buying the MS now, might make it worth it. Model S/X will probably have longer range by then too but might lose free Supercharging if you do alot of trips.
 
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All of that being said, I use the SAS on my Model S all the time and there is no SAS on the M3P.

I have a steep incline to one side of my driveway (U shaped) and before delivery of my RWD 3 I pretty much resigned to having to use only one side for entry and exit. We had a '10 Prius that would scrape most times going up the driveway.

Much to my surprise the 3 can handle it like a champ. Has OK ground clearance combined with very short overhangs. So I have not scraped the car on any inclines or speed bumps yet (knock on wood).
 
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I'm going from a Model S that I absolutely love to a P3D+.

Now it wasn't an easy decision, and honestly I think the decision was mostly a glitch. I'd love to give the impression that I always knew what I was doing, and that each decision is calculated. But, sometimes it simply doesn't work out that way.

The P3D has what I traditionally want in a vehicle. Where I want it to be as you said "a cheetah on meth", but I'm going to miss a lot of things about my S.

Now I don't care about SAS or about the automatic lift gate. The two elements that I really like about the S is the heated steering wheel, and the navigation having lots of real estate. Owners of the Model S like to complain a lot about limitations of the nav, but it's so wonderful being able to easily see so much. On the IC there is the turn-by-turn, and then on the Center Console there is the entire route. So I can easily see where the car plans on taking me.

With the Model 3 I'll have some of that, but it's not going to be the same.

My original plan with the Model 3 was to save money, but I'm not doing that since I got the P3D.

Maybe in a way it's a good thing since I always tend to remember the things that ended too soon more positively than the things that continued on. I never really had any significant issue with the Model S, and it never let me down. It gave me a unique experience that I'm grateful I had.

I had a Tesla before Elon went nutty due to stress, overwork, and lack of sleep.
 
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Went from a 2015 85D to a P3D+. Racked up over 66k miles on the S as my daily driver over 3 years.

The most obvious disadvantages to me going from S —> 3 are the decreased cargo capacity, lack of a keyfob for quick summon, and the removal of the autopilot stalk. I didn’t have the power liftgate on my S, so didn’t lose anything there. Also, I personally prefer the looks of the S over the 3.

The P3D+ feels significantly faster than my S, especially at highway speeds. Fit and finish on the 3 is better. Audio system on the 3 is better. Seats are much MUCH more comfortable. White interior and cabin just looks...futuristic, like a concept car. Love actually having door pockets, and center console storage. The chrome door handles don’t scald my hands the way the S would (this is big-time for me here in SoCal. I couldn’t leave my hands on the door handle of the S for more than a second w/out getting burned). Efficiency is better on the 3, even w/ the giant 20” wheels.

So far, after 2400 miles w/ my P3D+, I’m super happy w/ my “downgrade”.
 
I have a steep incline to one side of my driveway (U shaped) and before delivery of my RWD 3 I pretty much resigned to having to use only one side for entry and exit. We had a '10 Prius that would scrape most times going up the driveway.

Much to my surprise the 3 can handle it like a champ. Has OK ground clearance combined with very short overhangs. So I have not scraped the car on any inclines or speed bumps yet (knock on wood).

The only time I've ever really scrapped on my Model S without SAS was at the Hotel Eastlund in Portland on the ramp. It was such a tight ramp that I couldn't angle it, and I could tell from the marks that lots of cars hit. I took it really slow, and it rubbed a bit.

The ramp was that way because supposedly they had some heating/plumbing under the ramp that was too costly to move. The funny thing was they recently got destination chargers yet a Model S can't get over the ramp without scrapping unless it has SAS.

I look forwards to trying the ramp with the P3D+ which is actually a bit lower than the standard Model 3.
 
Went from a 2015 85D to a P3D+. Racked up over 66k miles on the S as my daily driver over 3 years.

The most obvious disadvantages to me going from S —> 3 are the decreased cargo capacity, lack of a keyfob for quick summon, and the removal of the autopilot stalk. I didn’t have the power liftgate on my S, so didn’t lose anything there. Also, I personally prefer the looks of the S over the 3.

The P3D+ feels significantly faster than my S, especially at highway speeds. Fit and finish on the 3 is better. Audio system on the 3 is better. Seats are much MUCH more comfortable. White interior and cabin just looks...futuristic, like a concept car. Love actually having door pockets, and center console storage. The chrome door handles don’t scald my hands the way the S would (this is big-time for me here in SoCal. I couldn’t leave my hands on the door handle of the S for more than a second w/out getting burned). Efficiency is better on the 3, even w/ the giant 20” wheels.

So far, after 2400 miles w/ my P3D+, I’m super happy w/ my “downgrade”.

You say that, but your picture icon is of your S so we really know where your heart is. :p
 
Appreciate the responses so far. Naturally the 3 and the X are completely different cars in every possible way so I get that it's difficult to compare them. I just loved the M3P drive, but wasn't really crazy about everything else with the car.

Jeff

Is SAS the only "deal-breaker" for getting an M3P? — Only reason I ask is that we know it's coming. We just don't know exactly when next year.
 
@jeffro01,

3 Model S owners (@Rockster, @S4WRXTTCS, @eyespii) just LOVE their new P3D+
2 Model X owners ( @Ormond, @Tam) choose Model X again

Personally, having read your storyline, I believe you should get the 2018 P3D+
If perchance you will NOT be thrilled, then trade it in 3 years for the new upgraded 2021S or 2021 X

Heres the link to the upcoming 2019 Q3 interior refresh and 2021 S & X upgrades
Tesla is planning a big Model S/Model X interior refresh in Q3 2019 – full refresh in 2021

I have a P85 and a RWD LR Model 3. Even though the S is faster off the line than the 3, I now look forward to driving the 3 more. A performance 3 would absolutely blow my Model S away, not just in speed but in agility.
I've driven every version of the Model S, including the P100D with ludicrous mode and the Performance 3 beats them all.

Incredible Acceleration in intoxicating!!

@jeffro01 I have an X now and am trying to convince myself that I want a Model 3. The Performance Model 3 was a blast to drive, but it is missing some features.

Definitely sticking with the X

I am not happy with cell-phone as a key for Model 3. Another one that bothers me is the absence of a browser!

I would pick Model X if the budget allows. Otherwise, pick a 3 due to budget restraint.

X if dollars are no problem,
3 if budget is a concern.

I'm going from a Model S that I absolutely love to a P3D+.

Now it wasn't an easy decision... The P3D has what I traditionally want in a vehicle. Where I want it to be as you said "a cheetah on meth", but I'm going to miss a lot of things about my S.

Gotta LOVE that push back into the backrest!!

Went from a 2015 85D to a P3D+.
The P3D+ feels significantly faster than my S, especially at highway speeds. Fit and finish on the 3 is better. Audio system on the 3 is better. Seats are MUCH more comfortable. White interior and cabin just looks futuristic. The chrome door handles don’t scald my hands the way the S would in SoCal. Efficiency is better on the 3, even w/ the giant 20” wheels.
... after 2400 miles w/ my P3D+, I’m super happy w/ my “downgrade”.

The best explanation of ALL the improvements of 3 over S
 
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