I own a 2022 Mercedes Benz GLB 250. I drive 30,000 miles a year. Looking for input as I look into Model Y

[whisperingshad]

You obviously didn't do the exercise, let me help. Hertz is reporting a 50-60% savings on maintenance alone. As you point out, they probably do the bare minimum at a wholesale cost. This doesn't even account for fuel. They have 100,000 Tesla's, that's a big sample size.

Hertz Added EV Rentals And Went From Bankruptcy To Huge Profits

You may be thinking the profits are due to people loving EVs, but the bigger point here is Hertz learned EVs are 50-60% cheaper to maintain than gas cars.

insideevs.com

You obviously don't understand sarcasm.

Also every rental I have had always was due or overdue for maintenance lol

 

[Metralla]

I was in a similar situation, driving up to 50,000 miles annually for over 30 years.
When the time came to buy a car (while an offer to purchase my business was under consideration) I decided to get the Tesla instead of yet another Audi.

The cost of driving dropped dramatically. My daily mileage in my first year was similar to yours. There is absolutely no question you will save money.
Nor will you need to charge away from home on such daily drives.

 

[vlc92189]

I am in Mount Airy, MD. you will need to do some public charging. You don't want to regularly charge above 90% or run the battery below 20% state of charge. Anything less than 150-160 should be doable but anymore than that you will want to stop at a supercharger. Out here we have Potomac Edison and after I add in all the fees I am paying just under .11 per kwh which is pretty good. A supercharger is going to be at least double that and sometimes triple. It is doable without too much inconvenience. Plus, you will leave every day with a 90% charge so you should be stopping less.

Also, keep in mind that at 30k per year you will be out of the B2B warranty in year two. The battery and drive units have a longer warranty.

8 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first, with minimum 70% retention of Battery capacity over the warranty period.

Now, let's say you save $2,500 in fuel per year it would take you 2.5 years to recoup the $6,000. That would give you 1.5 years of savings before your out of warranty. So you would save $3,750. Now if fuel prices go up again or if your numbers are higher that changes things. There is also a convenience factor though because you will be charging mostly at home. You need to do some math and make sure your comfortable taking the loss on your current vehicle which is sounds like you are.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. I really appreciate it!

 

[MY1stEV]

Right now, I am spending roughly $350/400 a month on gas

Dunno if this helps, but this is what I spent on charging for the last YEAR. I only drive about 12k mi per year, with a family trip in the summer and at Thanksgiving/Christmas, so my supercharging use is minimal.

 

[vlc92189]

I was in a similar situation, driving up to 50,000 miles annually for over 30 years.
When the time came to buy a car (while an offer to purchase my business was under consideration) I decided to get the Tesla instead of yet another Audi.

The cost of driving dropped dramatically. My daily mileage in my first year was similar to yours. There is absolutely no question you will save money.
Nor will you need to charge away from home on such daily drives.

Do you still drive as much? Also, are you glad you went EV versus ICE?

 

[Metralla]

No, I retired at the end of May last year. My driving is far more normal now. Though I do more long trips for fun- drove to Florida (the long way) last year, just got back from a trip to North Carolina. Love the car.

A car like this would have been great for me all through my career. The 3 gets better range than some of my ICE cars, but that would be immaterial as I would always have been home each night.

And yes, the car is so much better than ICE it's almost weird. The WSJ article today surveying people who are considering an EV seems to be populated with folks who haven't a clue.

 

[vlc92189]

Dunno if this helps, but this is what I spent on charging for the last YEAR. I only drive about 12k mi per year, with a family trip in the summer and at Thanksgiving/Christmas, so my supercharging use is minimal.

View attachment 904901

Yes it does thank you very much. I KNOW this will save me roughly $400 a month on gas. Also probably 1k a year on maintenance. I am struggling with the financials though. 6k negative equity, 1k for installation of charger, and then taxes/tags/title again.

 

[TesLEEZ]

At 17cents per kwh with home charging, I calculate a Model Y to use about $1,300 a year for electricity. That's about $108/month for electricity. The GLB250 averages about 27mpg according to fuelly. At 27mpg, that's 93 gallons of gas per month * $3.29 = $305/mo for fuel. Lets just say you own both cars for 5 years or about 150k miles.

The GLB 250 will use $18,277 in fuel to drive 150k miles at $3.29/gal.

The Model Y will use $6,500 in electricity to drive 150k miles at 17c/kwh.

Tire prices appear to be about the same for both cars. But insurance for the Tesla will likely be higher than the Mercedes. The rest of the maintenance will be cheaper for the Tesla.

The Fuel saving of $11,777 will negate the negative equity, but the other $5k is probably not enough to negate the additional purchase price of an EV over a comparable gasoline car.

 

[exxxviii]

Yes it does thank you very much. I KNOW this will save me roughly $400 a month on gas. Also probably 1k a year on maintenance. I am struggling with the financials though. 6k negative equity, 1k for installation of charger, and then taxes/tags/title again.

Realistically, it is a tall leap to make an economic justification to trade a car negative equity. And honestly, you cannot economically justify a trade under good conditions. The cheapest car you can one is the one you already have. So, it is an emotional justification. If an EV makes sense (fits your use case), you can afford it, and you would enjoy it over the ICE, then go for it.

 

[cusetownusa]

Hi everyone, first time poster here!

I recently purchased a MB GLB 4 Matic 250 in July of 2022. I wanted to purchase the MYLR but could not justify the price increase at that time. I drive 30,000 miles a year annually for work and I am thinking of trading my vehicle in. I did not put any deposit down on my current vehicle and I am looking to trade it in to purchase a MY. I do get paid for the amount of driving I do. With the price decrease/tax incentive, I am really considering making a purchase.

So here is my question. Do any of you truly notice a savings in gas/maintenance? Right now, I am spending roughly $350/400 a month on gas and roughly $300 every 3-4 months for oil changes. If I were to trade my vehicle in to CarMax I would have about 5-6k of negative equity (I can pay this off). 90% of my drives I am home same day so the daily charging would benefit me. I am struggling to make a decision as I do not want to be in this situation again/make the wrong decision.

Thank you all

Look up what your electricity rates are, especially at night if you can do a TOU plan. Then you will be able to get a rough estimate on how much it would take to fuel your car compared to a gas car.

if you have good rates you could save a ton based on how much you drive. I save about $2,000 per year compared to my Jeep Grand Cherokee I owned on about 12,000 miles per year driving.

You have a perfect use case for an EV. Assuming electricity prices are reasonable for you. You would also save a lot of time not going to gas stations or getting oil changes.

 

[Unclepaul]

In addition to the fuel savings, plus no longer needing the continuous hassle of taking your gasser in for service, an un-considered benefit of driving an EV only becomes apparent after you have gotten used to it and then get forced back into a ICE vehile for one reason or another.

Starting up a gas engine seems crude and unsettling. The idle sounds of it running inside or out seems crude and unrewarding. Dropping it into gear feels clunky, same with switching from drive to reverse. You lose precise throttle control as the transmission shifts when it wants, instead of when you want. You need to stop frequently at smelly and pretty ugly gas filling stations. Revolting mini markets beacon you to come inside for unhealthy distractions/food/slurpies.

Your notice your garage smells like gasoline again. You need a key fob and press of a red button to start up your engine. The annoyance of the manditory Start/Stop at every pause of motion, Driving out of your way, and sitting in long lines to get a few cents/gallon off the extravagant gasoline prices. You begin to wonder if it is time for you to change your oil, transmission fluid, plugs, timing chain etc. You again need to remember to not allow your car to idle for too long in the garage or risk poisonous fumes.
You get upset at Wifey for bringing the car home with the tank empty because she hates going to the gas station, you carry an extra credit card in your wallet simply for gas fill-ups and the cash rebate.
You no longer need to worry when your gas engine makes a strange noise, that it will result in expensive repairs.

All in all, often times you don't realize all you need to put up with to drive a gasser. The EV makes more power, better throttle response, no downshifting on hills, gives regenerative braking on down hills or coming to a stop making brakes last forever etc.

Of course, change is hard, and many die hard's will cling to their gassers as long as they can. They embrace the negatives because they are familiar and non threatening. Don't really care about the pollution they cause, noise they make, expenses they require, or really just how complicated a piston engine really is. Ask them if they would ever consider getting rid of their electric refrigerator and replacing it with a gasoline/diesel powered one, will result in them saying that would be really stupid. Slowly that reality will sink in that the days of gasoline powered society will slowly convert to an electric future. Burning Billions of gallons of gasoline every day, to transport individuals about their daily tasks is perhaps not the best idea.

 

[kelpcar]

Realistically, it is a tall leap to make an economic justification to trade a car negative equity. And honestly, you cannot economically justify a trade under good conditions. The cheapest car you can one is the one you already have. So, it is an emotional justification. If an EV makes sense (fits your use case), you can afford it, and you would enjoy it over the ICE, then go for it.

but isn't this a case of sunken cost fallacy? Whether or not it was a mistake, the prior car was purchased. But the decision is made on future costs and savings. Emotionally, I think the DMV fees are harder to let go of, as CA charges full sales tax + 2% for registration. Some states, I understand, subtract trade in value, so changing a car a year later is not an expensive exercise in terms of their fees.

 

[exxxviii]

but isn't this a case of sunken cost fallacy? Whether or not it was a mistake, the prior car was purchased. But the decision is made on future costs and savings. Emotionally, I think the DMV fees are harder to let go of, as CA charges full sales tax + 2% for registration. Some states, I understand, subtract trade in value, so changing a car a year later is not an expensive exercise in terms of their fees.

Not really. This truism is based on the fact that your existing car will almost always depreciate far less than a new car. Even with other costs factored in, usually the depreciation trumps everything else. The sunk cost in the existing car really isn't relevant.

If the OP could save $4,700/year with a Tesla, but the Tesla Model Y depreciats more than $4,700/year compared to the Mercedes Benz GLB 250 going forward, then it is an economic bust. That is likely, given the MLB already incurred its initial hefty dose of depreciation. And that depreciation makes the sting of abandonment even worse.

 

[kelpcar]

Not really. This truism is based on the fact that your existing car will almost always depreciate far less than a new car. Even with other costs factored in, usually the depreciation trumps everything else. The sunk cost in the existing car really isn't relevant.

If the OP could save $4,700/year with a Tesla, but the Tesla Model Y depreciats more than $4,700/year compared to the Mercedes Benz GLB 250 going forward, then it is an economic bust. That is likely, given the MLB already incurred its initial hefty dose of depreciation. And that depreciation makes the sting of abandonment even worse.

I see that, though I generally buy cars to own for 10+ years. I'm not thinking about selling it in 3 years.

And the OP, with 30k driven per year, will more rapidly incur depreciation to the point where it doesn't matter. On a side note, I'd expect a lower cost gas powered MB to depreciate more steeply than an EV, but that's a market guess.

There is a danger of falling into a grass is greener next door trap. My first vehicle after motorcycles as a Toy 4x4 truck. I got irritating at having to move stuff from the bed to the backseat when I parked, so 2.5 years later I shifted to a Sub Outback. It solved the security problem, but then I discovered how wetsuits smell. I was above on the loan at the trade in, but effectively paid to rent the truck for most of that time. And I had people using the back seat much less than I envisioned. If I did it over, I just would have added the hard shell over the bed.

 

[J Neptune]

Keep your car. The negative equity alone on your car will never be made up in different between owning your current car vs MY.

All the ev saving math is just smokes. Add $450 for a home charger and 500-1000 dollar on install. Not to mention the $5000-6000 k in negative equity. Find out how you can use the tax codes to benefit you more.

 

[J Neptune]

Cost	ICE	Model Y	Savings	Comments
Fuel	$4,500​	$900​	$3,600​	3¢/mile charging cost based on my lifetime numbers cited above
Oil	$1,050​	$0​	$1,050​	Fuel & oil costs stated in OP
TOTAL	$5,550​	$900​	$4,650​

That’s very interesting. I own both EV and gas car. Pretty much equivalent in size I guess. Didn’t know it was $4500 vs 900 in fuel cost difference between them.

 

[GoVols!]

Well, no oil changes, no fluid leaks, no transmission service, etc. My fuel costs (home charging) for my Model Y have been about 3¢ per mile over the life of the car. You are probably paying roughly 15¢/mile for gas in the GLB. You won't have to replace brakes on a Model Y. But you may have to replace the tires sooner.

The huge intangibles are never going to a gas station. And the ease of driving a Model Y will greatly reduce your fatigue at the end of a day you drove 100 - 150 miles.

IMHO, you are a perfect candidate for an EV. You are effectively a professional driver, putting 2 - 3 hours a day in a car. You are well below the range of the Model Y. And you are home almost every night so charging is a non-issue. Your use pattern is abusive for an ICE but nothing to an EV. (You just need to check charging availability in those 10% nights you are not home.)

I concur with this. City driving is hard on gas vehicles, while EV is far more efficient at this.

 

[J Neptune]

I concur with this. City driving is hard on gas vehicles, while EV is far more efficient at this.

Even with negative equity of $5-6k?

 

[GoVols!]

Even with negative equity of $5-6k?

You can look at the fact Tesla dropped prices beyond the loss you’d take. If taking a loss is not in the budget which is absolutely understandable of course, consider first trying to sell it on Cargurus and Autotrader for what you owe on it. Don’t rush the selling/buying process and sit back for a month or two if that’s what it takes to sell it. I hate throwing away money as well.

 

[Midnightsun]

Electrical cost/kilowatt hr at home will determine how much you save. This figure varies so much it is like paying 25 cents a gallon of gas vs $5 a gallon. In my case I pay 3 cents however I have seen posts where some pay over 30 cents. I can charge at the office for free as well as our marina where we spend our weekends most of the summer, needless to say my electrical costs on a yearly basis are very little. I would say a couple of hundred at most.

My concern is how often do you hit the 200 mile mark which is really pushing it if you want to charge at home most of the time. Do you travel all over the place or is it a fixed route most of the time? No fun with range anxiety happening on a regular basis. If you know you want to go 200 miles that day, you want to bump her up to 100% charge and you should be ok to make it back as long as you are not driving 80 all the time on the freeway as this is where EV's get the least milage. Colder winter temps will affect how far you travel, summer warmth makes quite a difference. Ideally you should be in a heated garage for best range results in winter.