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I keep wavering back and forth between a Model S and Model 3
- Thread starter diplomat33
- Start date
Yes, I think it does. AP2 are newer cars. The lowest price is around 75k whereas the lowest AP1 CPO is around 55k.
kishdude
P #130
I'm an owner that previously drove a Model S P85 for 5 years and currently have a Model 3. Overall, I like the Model 3 better, but for me it is about size. I like the smaller size of the 3 better for me than the S. If you prefer a larger car you should go with the CPO S. Everything else is secondary.
I just took delivery of a Model 3 and it was the first time I sat in one. Compared to my original first generation Model S, this car fits me like a glove. I don’t know why, but entry and exit is a lot easier, the steering wheel feels great, and it’s nice to have a proper center console. I’m not sure if it’s as quick as my S, but it’s definately more fun to drive. I’ve gotten used to the center screen but I am looking forward to customizing the steering wheel buttons to better navigate the apps instead of using the touch screen exclusively. One cool feature is the AC vent which runs the whole dashboard. You can customize exactly where the air goes from the touch screen and my kids love playing with it.
One thing to consider is that the Model 3 was engineered and built with the latest and greatest technology and I could tell right away that the build quality was much better than my original Model S. Hope this helps.
One thing to consider is that the Model 3 was engineered and built with the latest and greatest technology and I could tell right away that the build quality was much better than my original Model S. Hope this helps.
anticitizen13.7
Not posting at TMC after 9/17/2018
The Model 3 has that coolness factor.
I like having the "cool tech".
I don't really like smaller cars.
I find the S much more attractive. Plus, I like bigger cars. I've test driven a S and I loved it.
I feel like my 3 options are this:
- Get a Model S CPO now.
- Wait 10 months and get a Model 3.
- Wait 10 months and if I have enough saved up, get a new Model S instead of the 3.
Just wanted to share my thought process with my fellow Tesla fans.
This is an easy call.
Wait 10 months, save $, and get a new Model S.
If you get a Model 3 and get it in 10 months, you'll be getting a smaller car than you want that you also find less attractive than the Model S. In 10 months, Model 3 will be a lot more commonplace, and its commonality will only increase since it a "mass market" car.
A new Model S today has Autopilot 2.5 hardware, or the "cool tech". In 10 months it is possible that Model S will get newer technology.
My advice is to wait 10 months and get the Model S: the size you want, the looks you want, and the tech you want.
RayK
Active Member
And about 2X the price as a nicely loaded 3. I won't mind driving a 'mass market' car. I'm currently in a 2000 BMW 323i. It seems like 1 out of every 20 cars here in Silicon Valley sport the blue and white roundel (some have painted theirs black or red, but I digress), with half of those being 3-series. I didn't buy the car for any exclusiveness; it was merely what I thought was the best performing car for the price I paid. Ditto for the Model 3. I don't see paying twice as much to go two seconds faster to 60mph. I'm not really interested in FSD; sports cars are meant to be driven, not ridden in like a taxi (or Uber or Lyft).
Don't get me wrong. I could pay cash for a P100D at the moment. But I think it would be a waste of my money at this point in my life (I'm 61).
Don't get me wrong. I could pay cash for a P100D at the moment. But I think it would be a waste of my money at this point in my life (I'm 61).
and here I am old enough at 73 to watch kids like you debate gratification. I'm in the same boat, keep a Roadster reservation, or not. Trade my S for a new better one, take the 3 I can now configure or not. realistically I don't need a car in the US anyway, but could not resist the S. So many options! My spouse seems to be arguing for teh pair of identical 3's, one US one Brazil. Cancel those roadster thoughts, after all l'll be at least 75 by the time it comes. But, I'm healthy, exercise an hour or more per day and anyway most of my family seem to last to 100 or so.
Ah, decisions!
As my next door neighbour says, "these are first world problems."
kingjamez
Member
Despite my choice to stay with the S, it is remarkable to me that there are such strong arguments for the 3 despite its roughly 1/2 price point. That is a real achievement by Tesla. It seems that you are likely to be very happy with either decision.
-Jim
-Jim
elderforester
Member
I was in the same boat until I read owner reviews of the Model 3.
“Too much road noise. Stiff ride. No Cush factor.” End of consideration. Model S ordered in Jan.
Also recalled description of the Model 3 as competition for BMW Series 3 and Mercedes C Class. As a BMW Series 7 owner, not interested in feeling the road any more. YMMV.
“Too much road noise. Stiff ride. No Cush factor.” End of consideration. Model S ordered in Jan.
Also recalled description of the Model 3 as competition for BMW Series 3 and Mercedes C Class. As a BMW Series 7 owner, not interested in feeling the road any more. YMMV.
I keep wavering back and forth between wanting a Model S and wanting a Model 3.
Pros for getting a Model 3
The Model 3 has that coolness factor. Everyone is talking about it. I like having the "cool tech". Overall I like the uniqueness of the minimalist interior. I also like the price point of the Model 3. For my budget I could get a long range Model 3 with EAP. So I would get more range than with a S and the latest AP hardware/software with future updates. The long range option would be perfect because it would be more than enough range for my daily driving as well as give me more range if I did a road trip.
Cons for getting a Model 3
I don't really like smaller cars. Also, there are a few nitpicks that I've read about the 3 that might bug me such as the stiff suspension, more road noise, and having to use screen while driving to do things like set TACC speed. Also, as a non-owner, I might have to wait quite a bit longer to get the car (I got about 10 months to go if my delivery estimator is correct).
Pros for getting a Model S
I find the S much more attractive. Plus, I like bigger cars. I've test driven a S and I loved it. I love the smoothness of the ride and the power. The Model S has always been my "dream car". If I went for a CPO, I could get a Model S now instead of waiting months for a 3.
Cons for getting a Model S
If I got a Model S now, it would probably be a CPO with AP1. While I know AP1 is good and would definitely meet my immediate needs, I would prefer AP2 in order to take advantage of future updates which will make it even better. Plus, with AP2, I would eventually be able to get FSD. And as good as an S is, getting a CPO from say 2014-15, I would still feel like I was getting the "old tech" since I would be getting an older S with the old nose cone and AP1. Last, if I got a Model S CPO, it would not have as much range as I could get with a Model 3. I would probably be looking at a S60 with around 208 miles. That would be perfectly fine for my daily driving but would require more supercharger stops if I decided to do the occasional road trip.
I feel like my 3 options are this:
- Get a Model S CPO now.
- Wait 10 months and get a Model 3.
- Wait 10 months and if I have enough saved up, get a new Model S instead of the 3.
Just wanted to share my thought process with my fellow Tesla fans.
I am in a similar boat, except that I have a 2015 Model S 70D on lease, and the lease ends in September. I have a Model 3 reservation. So I have to decide what to do when the lease is up. I keep wrestling with the decision, even though I have months to go.
I have ridden in Model 3 twice, about 10 minutes each time, and have driven it once for about 10 minutes on local roads. I was very impressed with ride, handling, pep, and general feeling of the car. I have not been in it long enough to truly assess the seats, audio, visibility, etc. Nor have I driven it on a highway.
My sense of the pros and cons is quite similar to yours.
Objectively, the Model 3 would be more economical in the long run, and would be more than acceptable for 90+% of my driving. Not sure yet about long distance.
Before having the Model S, I had never bought a new car in my life, and thus have always driven cars that were not up to date, did not have the latest gimmicks and technology, and were not covered by warranty. (I never even had a CPO car.) Sure, I lusted after the new models like any red-blooded male, but I managed to enjoy what I could afford when i was young, and continued to buy used cars even when i could have afforded a new car later in life. So, i think I can live with the "older technology" in my AP1 Model S. Probably my biggest hesitation about keeping the S is the risk of problems when the warranty expires. But i lived without new car warranties for more than 40 years so I can do it again. (The resources and reputation of the Tesla and the Benz are of course quite different, so the risk is higher with a used Tesla, i think.) Plus i do have some fear that i have become accustomed to the pleasure of periodic updates to the car, and I suspect that Tesla will tend to neglect the pre-facelift AP1 cars as time passes (if they aren't doing so already).
Another more emotional factor is that my Model S has gray leather seats and a sunroof, both of which we are fond of and neither of which is available in the Model 3. Plus a power liftgate, more familiar controls, etc.
So, not sure yet, but for the moment I am leaning towards keeping my Model S.
Sounds as though the S may be a keeper for you. Among other things, it's a shame to give up sunroof.
Re your comment about using M3 over long distance, though: Although, we've noticed more road and wind noise in the 3, and found it more "connected" to the road (both a blessing and a curse), we were not at all sorry we used it for the 600-mile round trip from LA to Mammoth Mountain. It was comfortable enough for the long trip. And, it certainly didn't hurt that LR charging-speed and range advantages made that long trip half an hour shorter in each direction!
A further thought line, for two-car families ...
My wife's opinion is that the best answer to the question "S or 3?" is ... "Yes!"
Now, that she's happily in her 3, which she's more than willing to trade off with me, she contends that having one of each is the best of all worlds. And, as I go back and forth almost daily between driving the two, I tend to agree. Very different. Love them both. Each is my favorite when I'm driving it. And, the only thing better than driving either is being able to choose my daily poison.
Except ...
Our smooth-riding, baggage-swallowing, S, which should be our road trip car, is instead the one just range-constrained enough to notice ... given the impacts of major elevation gains, mountain cold, bike rack aero drag, and long between-Supercharger distances (in places such as northern AZ and southern Utah).
Which suggests an S100D ...
And, our local Store Manager has noted availability of a nicely-outfitted red fellow with a substantial showroom discount. But ...
That would seem silly given the likelihood of at least a minimal MS refresh: M3-grade MCU, M3-grade interior storage (which we use a lot), and enough of a battery bump to solve our range problem for good. But ...
If awaiting that refresh would cause us to leave $7500 fully or even partially at the curb, that would seem silly ...
And, paying $110K for a Model S when a stellar M3LRD costs about $60K (less than resale value of my 85D) seems silly ...
And, ignoring a ready-to-configure M3 invite just itching to be used the moment AWD drops seems more self-discipline than I can summon ...
First-world problems, all. And, fun to boot!
My wife's opinion is that the best answer to the question "S or 3?" is ... "Yes!"
Now, that she's happily in her 3, which she's more than willing to trade off with me, she contends that having one of each is the best of all worlds. And, as I go back and forth almost daily between driving the two, I tend to agree. Very different. Love them both. Each is my favorite when I'm driving it. And, the only thing better than driving either is being able to choose my daily poison.
Except ...
Our smooth-riding, baggage-swallowing, S, which should be our road trip car, is instead the one just range-constrained enough to notice ... given the impacts of major elevation gains, mountain cold, bike rack aero drag, and long between-Supercharger distances (in places such as northern AZ and southern Utah).
Which suggests an S100D ...
And, our local Store Manager has noted availability of a nicely-outfitted red fellow with a substantial showroom discount. But ...
That would seem silly given the likelihood of at least a minimal MS refresh: M3-grade MCU, M3-grade interior storage (which we use a lot), and enough of a battery bump to solve our range problem for good. But ...
If awaiting that refresh would cause us to leave $7500 fully or even partially at the curb, that would seem silly ...
And, paying $110K for a Model S when a stellar M3LRD costs about $60K (less than resale value of my 85D) seems silly ...
And, ignoring a ready-to-configure M3 invite just itching to be used the moment AWD drops seems more self-discipline than I can summon ...
First-world problems, all. And, fun to boot!
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Just for reference, my current car is a 2008 Chrysler Sebring limited edition 2 door convertible. It is about 9 inches longer than the Model 3 and 4 inches narrower than the Model 3. The Model S is actually 2 inches longer than my current car. So just in terms of size, the Model S is more the same size as my current car.
kingjamez
Member
Our S replaced a 2009 Camry. I thought that the S would feel similar in size. I can’t explain it but despite its size the S feels more nimble and easier to fit into tight spaces.
I thought I wanted a 3 for its nimbleness and I’m sure it beats the S there, for my family the S is as manuverable as we need. The S is often described as a “boat” but I don’t feel that way at all, at least compared to our Camry.
-Jim
I agree. When I test drove a Model S, it did not feel like a "boat" at all.
I had a MS 85 AP1 for a loaner for 1500 miles. I have to say the older seat is quite uncomfortable comparing the gen 2 seat. You don't feel it much for shorter drives, but my commute is 3 hours roundtrip everyday, so every little extra cushioning helps. But you can always get aftermarket car seat cushioning.
M3totms
Member
This is my perspective also. The 3 is a very nice car. But the AP2 hardware is really it's only win over the S in my option. A 4 year old S is still a $100k car vs a $60k 3. The great thing is you will love either car. Now the choice is to you wait for the experience or start it now.
EV-lutioin
Active Member
Honestly, the nav is way better in the Model 3. It's actually easier to look at one screen instead of two and all the features that are on the left screen on a MS/MX are now incorporated onto the one M3 screen. And the processing speed is crazy fast. One of the first things I said when I drove Model 3 for the first time, in the midst of rush hour traffic in a city I don't know well is, "Wow, the navigation is so much better than our Model X"
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