Just ordered a Model S 75D! Please help!!

[Ulmo]

I worked in Manhattan before. I would not consider getting a car there. Just too stressful

Because of the weather, you can't even keep your car clean

True true, but on the other hand, why not? If you're in a good driving situation and comfortable with that good driving situation, who cares how dirty it gets? I'm sure there's some local way they clean cars around there. Perhaps the door man knows a guy. Or, it's just one more bill to go through a touchless car wash or something as part of a vacation out of the city or something, or order up a mobile wash service to come in.

On the other hand, if the situation isn't good, then I'd agree with you.

Part of my truck driving was coming down 2nd Ave all the way from one end of the island to the other (back when my yard was in the Bronx). I'd put the tip of my fingers on the wheel and shake it slowly spilling into each of my adjacent lanes slowly (at the right frequency to be scary) while coming down the middle lane, and give the occasional honk; this was done to scare away the taxi drivers, by dumping a little into their lanes on the left and right in a scary way. This scared off most of the cab drivers, and the seas would part, and I'd make every green light with no danger of hitting anybody. I was not stressed at all. It was very comforting. If you can't find your comfort spot driving in Manhattan, I would not do it either. I think every single unique commute or driving pattern is different and needs to be assessed on its own. There were plenty of drives that I avoided since they were insane and I'd never do them (mostly congestion, and mostly through bottlenecks at that).

Let me compare to my current commute. I leave for work 80 minutes early every morning since I hate dealing with the crappy crappy crappy crappy crappy crappy crappy drivers that are on the roads later. But, if I do leave early, I enjoy a rather reasonable commute with reasonably low stress level, with almost no crappy drivers, and so little traffic, that I can just go around them if I do see any. (The worst are pickups that intentionally block people behind them by driving beside another car, but like I said, I leave early enough that they can't usually succeed in doing that.) The other thing I do is make sure to have a decent car. In the evening, I know the best times to come back, and only get on the road at those times; if I have to do some errands after work to time shift my commute, I do. And, I only use routes I like. If I think another route is less stressful, I will take it, even if it means I must enjoy god-level beauty and intense fun mountain driving (oh darn!).

 

[Swift]

Yes, I got a pretty good quote from Geico for this car. About $130 a month.
That's good, right?

Yes for NYC.

 

[Swift]

Don't know much about NYC, but if you have parking and charging, go for it. You'll love the car

Exactly. No big deal if you have the right setup. I’m in and out of the city all the time.

 

[Eeems]

I've driven in Manhattan quite a number of times and mostly it isn't that bad. Parking is a mess, though. And getting through a tunnel or across a bridge can be ridiculous at time. It seems as though you already have home parking and charging, and it fits in your budget. So go for it. Another sale for the company that aims to save the planet.

Try not to park the car on the street. I've seen people literally bump and shove their way into a parking spot, moving cars in front and behind as much as a couple feet. Tesla has a bunch of destination chargers in garages so you should get familiar with those and use them wherever possible. If you have to hand your car over to a valet, always use valet mode!

The best piece of advice I ever got from some big-city-dwelling friends was to never leave anything visible when parking the car. Not even a quarter. Some people will bust your window out to get steal stuff from your car without thinking twice about it.

Thanks a lot for the advice, really helpful!
Another question: how easy it is to steal a Tesla? Is it easier or harder than a regular car?
Also, what's the best thing to do to prevent it to be stolen (besides it's standard alarm system)?

 

[gregtopf]

Let me add my $.02 here. I live in NJ and commute to Midtown daily. I did the bus for a while, and the train for a while, but for the last ten years I've driven. Lots of cars, lots of learning. I started driving in a Land Rover which killed me, both with parking and gas. Since then I've had a brand new Forester, two Audis, and now a Tesla. I will tell you two things that I think may be important.
First, do NOT get 21" wheels. I had them on one of my Audis and as you can see they didn't last long. Two potholes and two destroyed wheels. So that's my first thing. The second recommendation is to get a clear bra. My Subaru had all 4 corners scratched to hell from parking lot attendants trying to squeeze corners. So both Audis I've done eXpel on and never had a problem. The small scratches get taken very well by it.
And just understand that you will drive the car and it may get a scratch or scrape. It happens.
I drive my Tesla in daily. I have destination charging at work, so that's taken care of. The car is going in for expel tomorrow.

If you're going to drive it, drive it. Just accept that it may not stay perfect. That's why I got a CPO.

 

[Eeems]

Oof .. in Manhattan? That's rather thread-bare.

-----

Regarding the other issues that have been discussed above:

I agree with everyone that in Manhattan you should get a CPO or used private sale and save the money, especially at only 170K annual income before taxes. The main reason is that your car will get beat up, so you will want to not care about dings, scratches, broken windows, etc., and replacing the car often (sell your car every couple years and replace with another used one and let some poor sap fix the dings or get it really cheap; if you're having a bad year, you can push it out a few months or buff out a scratch yourself, or if you're having a great year, you can keep on schedule and put some in some investments of some sort). It should not be a show car. (Alternatively, if you are not telling us about some sort of multi-million dollar retirement savings, then, if this is just some weekend show car, I change my tune.)

At your income level, the fact you live where there is a garage with charging makes the difference between this being basically insane (if you had no garage and no charging) and basically an awesome and great idea (your current home situation). That makes a huge difference.

But, you would have to mirror this with ample destination parking, as well as ample road space during commute; I presume you already know about this, since it is practically obvious in Manhattan. I used to be a truck driver in NYC (every boro, every neighboring State), so I know all about driving there; it's very doable. But, there are some particular routes that are so congested that I'd consider them in particular undoable.

I learned my best parking abilities from a priest who lived in Manhattan. He would drive his car to everywhere he went there, like anybody in any suburb would. He believed in a Godlike ability to find the perfect parking spot in front of every store or place he ever visited; indeed, he knew every free parking spot in the city, and only visited places that had perfect parking. I incorporated that into my parking policies ever since, and it works great. There's never a need to use inferior parking; if you are tempted to do so, change your plans (i.e., change your destination), not your ability to park. Nothing is worth bad parking options. That is the magic to it: change the goal, not the goalpost. (This has the side effect that you'll only visit places that are frequented by other people with your same perfect-parking-only policy, and you'll slide into a world view that doesn't know of the parking-poor. In the case of the Priest, he only used free parking; I've evolved my parking view into that which I can afford, and happily pay huge amounts of parking as long as it's in my specification range, and just don't care. I use this exact method when going to doctor appointments in San Francisco. It's surprisingly cheap.)

Hello Ulmo, thanks for your advice.
Well, I find it OK to live on an annual $170,000 in Manhattan.
I'm single, I own my apartment with a very low monthly expense, have no kids, no pets.
I hate shopping and spending money on pointless stuff, and don't really have any expensive habits or hobbies.
But I love Tesla and it's concept and I'm not willing to buy any other car (not even other EV cars that other ICE car companies make).
I know it sounds silly to own a brand new Model S for a NY-er, but I'm not trying to "save money" on this purchase, when Tesla is doing something as marvelous as trying to "save the planet."
Buying a new Tesla is my contribution to the amazing effort this company makes and I am willing to sacrifice some of my hard-earned savings.
Thanks for your insights though.

 

[redan]

Another question: how easy it is to steal a Tesla? Is it easier or harder than a regular car?
Also, what's the best thing to do to prevent it to be stolen (besides it's standard alarm system)?

Generally it is more difficult to steal a Tesla. If someone really wants to steal your car, (like a professional car thief group), there's not much that you can do to stop it. But a Tesla should stop an ordinary car thief with it's regular defenses. Also consider installing cameras in your car, especially for driving in NYC.

Attempted Tesla Model S Break In Thwarted By Flush-Mount Handles - Video

 

[calisnow]

Personally -

Thanks a lot for the advice, really helpful!
Another question: how easy it is to steal a Tesla? Is it easier or harder than a regular car?
Also, what's the best thing to do to prevent it to be stolen (besides it's standard alarm system)?

this can't be a real post

 

[Max*]

Personally -

this can't be a real post

Have you been to NYC? lol, it's a real post.

When they realize they can't steal your car, they'll jack it up on milk crates, and steal your rims.

 

[calisnow]

Have you been to NYC? lol, it's a real post.

When they realize they can't steal your car, they'll jack it up on milk crates, and steal your rims.

I've spent lots of time in New York - that's my point. This guy's questions don't read as though they are written by an adult New Yorker.

 

[SMAlset]

Congrats on your 75D. We've had ours since March and absolutely love driving it.

I wouldn't worry so much about it getting stolen (don't really hear about that), but instead would be more concerned about break-ins. Here on the opposite coast in our area smashing in the small rear side windows on Teslas seems to be a favorite way to flip the rear seat, peer into the cargo area and see if there's anything worth their further effort retrieving from the car leading to more broken windows. Happened to us (and a few others on here) just recently and we had nothing in the back cargo area. Just ended up with a $1200 repair bill. We don't leave our parcel shelf up any longer making it easier to see there's nothing back there to take. Really a problem for all cars with hatchbacks and these days that's a lot of cars and models. Anyway guess that would be my first bit of owner advice.

If you have 3 chargers in your building, do you know how many people will be sharing them? As EVs gain popularity that could be a concern. Probably would be helpful to learn the charge rate on them per hour just so you know. I've seen destination chargers with charge rates vary quite a bit depending on how much power the owners want to supply. If you haven't already, check out the Tesla website on charging: Charging | Tesla. And on that page "On the Road Supercharging", will take you to a map where you can see all the Destination Chargers and Supercharges in a given area. Your car navigation will direct you as well, but the website map is nice since you won't have your car yet. I see Manhattan will have a few Superchargers coming in 2017 and more in 2018. That should make needing a fast charge on occasion much more convenient and easier for you.

So what color choices did you opt for?

 

[D.E.]

Okay... I'm totally new to buying a Tesla, so I appreciate your feedback.
My first question is:
Is it reasonable and maintainable to own a Tesla in Manhattan, unless you're a doctor or lawyer or banker?
I think my friends and family think I'm insane (regardless of them saying "oh no, you're a rational human being").
I am just a fan with a heart for Tesla and whatever that Elon guy does.
And now I need a car and I'm not willing to buy any of those over-advertised stinky gasoline-suckers.
I appreciate any suggestions, and wanted to introduce myself to the community.

It doesn't matter what you do. It doesn't matter your income, it only matters how much extra income you have and whether you choose to use the extra for this car. The guy who lives cheap, doesn't have a family, and who lives for the car he drives can spend a lot more than the guy with 3 kids in private schools who has to use every bit he makes to keep himself out of the red.

The car is expensive. You can get capable transportation much more cheaply. So it becomes a judgement thing, and that is yours alone. What is right for me won't be right for you.

I suggest you figure out and list exactly what qualities you want in the car. Then look at the environment in which you'll use the car. If money is an issue, see where you can compromise to give you what you want realizing that big cities are very hard on finishes and body panels.

Teslas aren't a prime target for thieves. You can't hot wire it. It reports it's position to an owner's cell phone. There isn't a ready market for used parts. If you turn it on, or plug it in to charge it, the owner can locate it. If you turn it off and don't charge it, you have a 5000 pound paperweight. There are other cars that are much more practical targets for thieves.

I side with the people that suggest buying used. You get about all the benefits, an amazing car, but the car is already dinged up a bit, you save a lot, and you won't be as worried about every inevitible New York new ding. You'll get the car cheaper but you'll, still have the upkeep, insurance, and ongoing costs of an expensive car. Broken windshield, Honda $150, Tesla nearly 8-10 times as much. Sideswipe... you can get a Honda repaired in a few days. Tesla's can take months, many months. And you can't just go to any body shop, you have to go to a Tesla sanctioned body shop. A very expensive Tesla sanctioned body shop. And they won't look to salvaged parts, they'll only use brand new parts. But Tesla isn't good about supplying new parts, people report month after month delays. If you borrow the money for the car, you still need to make those payments, insure it, and see it depreciate while you wait. So since Manhattan is a risky environment, and your chances of needing Tesla body repair are higher than for most of us, I'd buy used, put less of your money at risk, and have some extra if you need a rental for a while.

I'd suggest you spend some time reading the posts here. Filter out the anger, the people who aren't ever going to be happy, and get a general idea of the issues people see. Tesla is an amazing car from an amazing company but there are issues and you should be aware of all the issues. Not to do so can make your experience less than ideal. Knowing the issues ahead of time makes you aware and much more likely to take things in stride. It is good to be a "fan with a heart for Tesla" but I suggest you be an educated fan. Then when things crop up as they seemingly always do, you'll have weighed those things and you'll likely remain a truehearted Tesla fan.

 

[Doctt]

For those of you supporting the idea of owning a tesla in NYC, You actually proved my points. It is too stressful.....

Everything is fine except.... Getting up early to avoid crappy drivers, make sure there is parking setup, put in clear bra to minimize damages, learn to avoid break in, no 21" wheel, avoid potholes (and NYC has tons of them), get a used instead of new because the car will get dinged up,etc.

I am sorry. If this is not stressful, I don't know what is.

Look, it is up to OP. If OP decides to get one, congratulation! But it is stressful to drive an expensive car in NYC.... at least for me

 

[SMAlset]

For those of you supporting the idea of owning a tesla in NYC, You actually proved my points. It is too stressful.....

Everything is fine except.... Getting up early to avoid crappy drivers, make sure there is parking setup, put in clear bra to minimize damages, learn to avoid break in, no 21" wheel, avoid potholes (and NYC has tons of them), get a used instead of new because the car will get dinged up,etc.

I am sorry. If this is not stressful, I don't know what is.

Look, it is up to OP. If OP decides to get one, congratulation! But it is stressful to drive an expensive car in NYC.... at least for me

The OP from post one said he had just ordered his MS 75 so he already took the plunge. I understood him to be looking for advice and opinions on big city ownership and commuting with an EV and what to expect.

LOL, most of the things mentioned above apply to living in any urban area with a lot of traffic which I'm sure you know living in L.A. Not NYC here but the SF Bay area is bumper to bumper traffic, multiple lanes, for miles every weekday. So yeah plenty of crappy drivers, parking in downtown areas is always an issue finding a spot, rock chips, car break-in, pot holes, car dings. Heck driving any car can be stressful in large urban areas if you let it get to you. I prefer living in the suburbs myself but then the time in traffic can be worse if your work takes you into the city.

 

[Lasttoy]

The only consideration is, do you have garage to install a 14.50 wall receptical ? You need one double empty spot in your breaker box.
You will never look back, I am a certified gear head with 2 muscle cars. Owned 5 Vettes. You will never regret it.

 

[Eeems]

Oof .. in Manhattan? That's rather thread-bare.

-----

Regarding the other issues that have been discussed above:

I agree with everyone that in Manhattan you should get a CPO or used private sale and save the money, especially at only 170K annual income before taxes. The main reason is that your car will get beat up, so you will want to not care about dings, scratches, broken windows, etc., and replacing the car often (sell your car every couple years and replace with another used one and let some poor sap fix the dings or get it really cheap; if you're having a bad year, you can push it out a few months or buff out a scratch yourself, or if you're having a great year, you can keep on schedule and put some in some investments of some sort). It should not be a show car. (Alternatively, if you are not telling us about some sort of multi-million dollar retirement savings, then, if this is just some weekend show car, I change my tune.)

At your income level, the fact you live where there is a garage with charging makes the difference between this being basically insane (if you had no garage and no charging) and basically an awesome and great idea (your current home situation). That makes a huge difference.

But, you would have to mirror this with ample destination parking, as well as ample road space during commute; I presume you already know about this, since it is practically obvious in Manhattan. I used to be a truck driver in NYC (every boro, every neighboring State), so I know all about driving there; it's very doable. But, there are some particular routes that are so congested that I'd consider them in particular undoable.

I learned my best parking abilities from a priest who lived in Manhattan. He would drive his car to everywhere he went there, like anybody in any suburb would. He believed in a Godlike ability to find the perfect parking spot in front of every store or place he ever visited; indeed, he knew every free parking spot in the city, and only visited places that had perfect parking. I incorporated that into my parking policies ever since, and it works great. There's never a need to use inferior parking; if you are tempted to do so, change your plans (i.e., change your destination), not your ability to park. Nothing is worth bad parking options. That is the magic to it: change the goal, not the goalpost. (This has the side effect that you'll only visit places that are frequented by other people with your same perfect-parking-only policy, and you'll slide into a world view that doesn't know of the parking-poor. In the case of the Priest, he only used free parking; I've evolved my parking view into that which I can afford, and happily pay huge amounts of parking as long as it's in my specification range, and just don't care. I use this exact method when going to doctor appointments in San Francisco. It's surprisingly cheap.)

Manhattan?!?! I didn't think anyone actually owned cars there... Given the congestion, I would bet a Fiat 500e would be just the ticket, if you really wanted to tool around in an electric car. Of course, if you spend a lot of time driving outside Manhattan, a Tesla is fine.

Given the limited room to accelerate beyond 20mph in and around Manhattan, I bet you'd get that same electric acceleration thrill up your leg in the Fiat.

Not to talk you down off that Tesla ledge or anything...

Personally -

this can't be a real post

Personally -

this can't be a real post

Okay... have you ever lived in New York City?
It seems like you don't really know this town, and how much it grew in every way.
But I appreciate your feedback. Come and enjoy some time here.
Very Tesla-friendly environment.

 

[Doctt]

The OP from post one said he had just ordered his MS 75 so he already took the plunge. I understood him to be looking for advice and opinions on big city ownership and commuting with an EV and what to expect.

LOL, most of the things mentioned above apply to living in any urban area with a lot of traffic which I'm sure you know living in L.A. Not NYC here but the SF Bay area is bumper to bumper traffic, multiple lanes, for miles every weekday. So yeah plenty of crappy drivers, parking in downtown areas is always an issue finding a spot, rock chips, car break-in, pot holes, car dings. Heck driving any car can be stressful in large urban areas if you let it get to you. I prefer living in the suburbs myself but then the time in traffic can be worse if your work takes you into the city.

True. But sound like he second guess his decision.

Anyway, tons of good info from all of you.

OP, enjoy your new car. U will love it as long as you have proper expectation and follow some of the great advices here

 

[D.E.]

1. With a new order he has the first week to change his mind without penalty.

2. NYC is huge. It makes a difference where in the city you are, the route you drive, where you park, etc. You can get an idea of the risk to the car by having a look at the fairly new cars parked there. If they all are banged up, you can figure yours will get banged up as well. If they are in great shape, then you can probably keep yours looking good too.

3. I have a daughter in D.C. She lives within sight of the White House. She's been there a year. Cars on the street generally show some damage. Her car has been to the body shop twice. This last time it was fairly minor damage, a parked hit on a corner, a little body damage, a crunched tail light, etc. It is a Civic. It took a week to fix, the car looks new. A similar corner hit on an aluminum Tesla would have been a bigger deal.

4. It only takes an occasional idiot. Most drivers are good. Her car seems to interact with 2 idiots a year so far. If it is parked, there's never a note. There were security cameras last time, they were apparantly installed for show only, helping in the rental of apartments, they didn't work. None of the apartment's security cameras work.

So back to the Tesla in NYC, I'd still recommend he go used if cars that are similar in use patterns to his show damage. If he's ordered a new one and he's in the "non-final" stage, he can change his mind without penalty. If he lives, drives, and parks in areas of NYC free of idiots, drunks, underinsured drivers, and texters, then a new car should be a fine choice.

 

[calisnow]

Okay... have you ever lived in New York City?
It seems like you don't really know this town, and how much it grew in every way.
But I appreciate your feedback. Come and enjoy some time here.
Very Tesla-friendly environment.

I love New York - best city in the world. Well, Rome, London SF are high on my list also. No haven't lived there - traveled there many times but have not had the chance to live there unfortunately. I'm sure a Tesla will be just fine and no I don't think you'll get it stolen or dinged up. The questions about what you can afford when you are the one who knows your income, whether it will work in the city when you are the one who knows your city - just seemed a bit naive so I thought you were some kid posting for fun.

 

[Ulmo]

Okay... have you ever lived in New York City?
It seems like you don't really know this town, and how much it grew in every way.
But I appreciate your feedback. Come and enjoy some time here.
Very Tesla-friendly environment.

1994-1999. Also visited in 2001 briefly (the smoldering towers stank so I was glad to leave). Things do change.