Looking at MX for first EV purchase

[NewguyToEV]

Hey everyone. My wife and I are looking to purchase our EV for our family car. She is currently driving a 2019 Atlas that has been an unreliable headache. With school, sports, and activities we drive the family car about 30k mikes a year. I’ve done cost comparison spreadsheets and a used MX would only be about $150-$200/mo more than our current all in spend per month and when I pay off the Max in 24 months the overhead goes down significantly as you all know.

we would buy from Tesla so we get a warranty unless there are third parties that you guys trust.

questions:
1: should I steer clear of 2016 models?
2: Would a 75d be enough for 95% daily driving with home charging station ? The price jumps pretty good for a 90 and I’ve heard they have the worst degradation and a 100d is about the price of a new one.
3: we don’t need full self driving and probably not use AP very much. We actually don’t even like the ACC on the atlas.
4: how did you guys really justify the upfront cost? We can afford to do this but I am having a hard time dropping $70k on a depreciating assent.

any thoughts, I put, or suggestions is appreciated.

 

[Bigriver]

1: should I steer clear of 2016 models?

I would suggest you make sure and get one with less than 50,000 miles on it so that you get a 4 year/50k warranty. Over 50,000 miles only has half the warranty from Tesla. March 2018 is actually a magic cutoff I would use, as that is when Tesla changed from MCU1 to MCU2. It controls the 17” screen and there are just a lot of performance issues with MCU1.

: Would a 75d be enough for 95% daily driving with home charging station ? The price jumps pretty good for a 90 and I’ve heard they have the worst degradation and a 100d is about the price of a new one.

You said you guys typically do 30,000 miles a year. Wow, that’s a lot. Almost 100 miles a day, if spread evenly, but I’m sure there are a lot of days that it is easily double that. I would say no, you are going to find yourself too limited. Even the most extreme users typically only run their cars from 90% to 10%, you don’t get a full actual mile for each rated mile of the car, and a used car will have battery degradation. The car also uses some range while it is not being used. My rough estimate is wanting a car with a rated range that is double the miles I’ll typically go between charges. You just don’t want to have to always interrupt normal life to stop and charge.

3: we don’t need full self driving and probably not use AP very much. We actually don’t even like the ACC on the atlas.

Not everyone likes autopilot, but I sure do. If in the used market, I would strongly recommend looking for one with Enhanced Autopilot. Not an option that is available on new cars, but has lane changing that is a game changer. Blind spot monitoring isn’t so great, so I really like the car to do the lane changes.

4: how did you guys really justify the upfront cost? We can afford to do this but I am having a hard time dropping $70k on a depreciating assent.

I struggled with that a bit. Thought it was crazy when one of my family members spent almost six figures on a car. Don’t know exactly what changed it for me, but I haven’t regretted it. It’s an adventure that both me and my spouse are into.

Is there a reason you are considering a used X instead of a Y? The X is much more complex and more likely to have issues. And at 30k miles a year, actually, you’ll blow through the warranty period in no time. I have both a 2017 X and a 2018 model 3, and the model 3 has much fewer issues. As a Tesla employee said to me the other day: “The model 3 feels like an iPhone 11 and the model X feels like an iPhone 6.” I have to agree with that statement. I think the model Y will be even better. Unless you have specific needs for the larger size of the X, I think the model Y is a better value.

 

[zwz002]

If you drive 30k miles a year, the warranty wouldn’t matter as much since you’ll burn through it in less than 2 years. Tesla used warranty is 4-year/50k miles for cars with less than 50k miles or 2-year/remainder of 100k miles for cars with more than 50k miles. The latter is usually a bit cheaper, so why not get those if the warranty won’t be that much different for you?

 

[NewguyToEV]

I would suggest you make sure and get one with less than 50,000 miles on it so that you get a 4 year/50k warranty. Over 50,000 miles only has half the warranty from Tesla. March 2018 is actually a magic cutoff I would use, as that is when Tesla changed from MCU1 to MCU2. It controls the 17” screen and there are just a lot of performance issues with MCU1.


You said you guys typically do 30,000 miles a year. Wow, that’s a lot. Almost 100 miles a day, if spread evenly, but I’m sure there are a lot of days that it is easily double that. I would say no, you are going to find yourself too limited. Even the most extreme users typically only run their cars from 90% to 10%, you don’t get a full actual mile for each rated mile of the car, and a used car will have battery degradation. The car also uses some range while it is not being used. My rough estimate is wanting a car with a rated range that is double the miles I’ll typically go between charges. You just don’t want to have to always interrupt normal life to stop and charge.


Is there a reason you are considering a used X instead of a Y? The X is much more complex and more likely to have issues. And at 30k miles a year, actually, you’ll blow through the warranty period in no time. I have both a 2017 X and a 2018 model 3, and the model 3 has much fewer issues. As a Tesla employee said to me the other day: “The model 3 feels like an iPhone 11 and the model X feels like an iPhone 6.” I have to agree with that statement. I think the model Y will be even better. Unless you have specific needs for the larger size of the X, I think the model Y is a better value.

1: So basically look for a 3/2018 production vin or later? Seems like we should be looking at a 100d then based off of the info you provided. Its quite a jump from the 75 but I agree I do feel that 200 miles of range will leave us a little stressed. At that point I might as well look for someone looking to unload a newer one that they are selling unexpectedly.

2: We are a family of 6 so the MX is basically our only option as far as EVs go at this point. The 7 seater is a year away and the third row looks to be really small. Maybe I am wrong here based on looking at the pics and design. I like the Y and specifically how it doesnt have falcon doors. They are cool but I think the novelty will wear off quick, and Im sure they are more likely to get damaged with 4 children hopping in and out of the car multiple times per day. Especially 3 boys! LOL.

 

[NewguyToEV]

If you drive 30k miles a year, the warranty wouldn’t matter as much since you’ll burn through it in less than 2 years. Tesla used warranty is 4-year/50k miles for cars with less than 50k miles or 2-year/remainder of 100k miles for cars with more than 50k miles. The latter is usually a bit cheaper, so why not get those if the warranty won’t be that much different for you?

Very true. We burn through warranties quick and have ICE maintenance annually it seems. Obviously 4 oil changes per year($100.00/ea) plus fluid exchanges, and other various repairs as the ICE cars get more miles on them. My last esacalde was averaging about $@k/year in repairs the last 2 years of ownership. That was on top of 3-400/mo in gas and $100/quarterly oil changes.

 

[jacqueusi]

We seem to be in similar situations. I started my search early 2019 and sharing a few insights.

1: should I steer clear of 2016 models? - 2016 IS NOT ideal being the first year of production. I spoke to a Tesla sales rep who cautioned me against "low serial number" cars. Ideally, anything over 50000 serial number would be best. Their rationale being their office is at a Tesla service center and all the problematic Model Xs are low serial number. Considering budget and options, 2016 serial number cars over 30000 are on my radar.
2: Would a 75d be enough for 95% daily driving with home charging station ? The price jumps pretty good for a 90 and I’ve heard they have the worst degradation and a 100d is about the price of a new one. - I considered the 75 for awhile. I rarely find any 75s in the 30000 serial number range that fit my option configuration. Prices have dropped enough they are no longer on my list. Besides range, an advantage to a larger battery is charging rate. Handy for long trips where you short charge.
3: we don’t need full self driving and probably not use AP very much. We actually don’t even like the ACC on the atlas. - FSD is a must for us. Not only for some of the conveniences but if you drink the Elon Kool-Aide, resale value. I'm take Koo-Aide sips and think there is some merit to FSD resale value.
4: how did you guys really justify the upfront cost? We can afford to do this but I am having a hard time dropping $70k on a depreciating assent. - I'm already seeing 90D with FSD for under $70k and anticipate further drops. Both my cars are paid off, but at the time combined monthly was about $800/month and $120 in gasoline. Looking at staying below $1,000/month and charge at work. Assuming FSD gains in value.

I HIGHLY recommend ev-cpo for your search. I rarely if ever have seen Private Sales that are better than Tesla Used sales once you factor in 4 year warranty and FSD into the equation, and have the ability to pickup the car instead of the $2,000 delivery charge.

I wish us both luck!