Looking at the used market for a Tesla Model S

[vitesse]

My wife and I have decided to have a good hard look at buying a used Model S. Our budget is £40K max (cash rather than contract or HP).

This is an unusual decision for us as we have traditionally been very careful about the cost of cars, we mostly buy relatively inexpensive but higher-spec. older cars and run them into the ground, though I have bought a new sporty model in the past (and kept it until it was worn out )

This time, we're at the time of life where we can still enjoy driving, we want something a bit self-indulgent, a bit of a luxury; that we have denied ourselves until now. Equally important are the green credentials, plus the tech, as well as the performance. We're also inspired by the road safety aspects of the tech.

I'd appreciate some feedback on the logic that is steering us towards our choice...

1. Not to worry too much about mileage as there is less mechanical complexity to wear out. Concentrate more on condition.
2. Get a dual motor model as it's less likely to slip and slide in the wet and icy conditions and dual motors are more efficient so you get a smidgen more range. They are slightly more expensive but should help maintain resale value.
3. Ideally get a car that is no more than 3 years old - a tall order but I have seen suitable examples advertised. It seems that the build quality and quality of the fixtures (like seats) and finish have steadily improved over time.
4. Avoid the big alloys and extra low profile tyres for better ride and road noise suppression and puncture resistance.
5. So looking out for deals on either a 70D, 75D or even a 85D
6. Frustratingly it looks like a facelift model is out of our price range.

We had thought about putting a deposit on a Model 3 but a) this would be a bit on the small side compared to our current Mazda 6 hatchback, which our kids regularly exploit at the end of the university year in terms of load capacity! We're also less than inspired by the minimalist interior design of the 3. And the idea of waiting doesn't appeal as our current car really needs replacing sooner rather than later.

Unanswered questions also include - used warranty options and add-ons, what to look out for, what goes wrong - opinions seem to be polarised (hey this is our time!)

I'm reasonably tech-savvy and have done a fair bit of research, but feedback from Tesla focused minds at a place like this would be greatly appreciated

Sorry for the long post!

 

[Mikeisnomech]

1. Not to worry too much about mileage as there is less mechanical complexity to wear out. Concentrate more on condition.
True up to a point, but I'd be inclined to but below 50k miles so you get a window of Tesla warranty for peace of mind (the battery and motors are warranted for 8 years unlimited miles) but that might be tight on your budget

2. Get a dual motor model as it's less likely to slip and slide in the wet and icy conditions and dual motors are more efficient so you get a smidgen more range. They are slightly more expensive but should help maintain resale value.
The D motors are generally more sure footed. As for resale, I think there are other bigger factors like AP on the car, air suspension, premium pack etc.

3. Ideally get a car that is no more than 3 years old - a tall order but I have seen suitable examples advertised. It seems that the build quality and quality of the fixtures (like seats) and finish have steadily improved over time.
The whole of the uk market seems to be on tesla-info.com - I wish they'd add used cars to the Aus site. Might make comparisons easier. The 85D had the option of next gen seats which are more supportive than those that went before but you might be tight on budget. Don't forget to factor in benefits like unlimited free supercharging on the older cars and I recall something about zero car tax in the UK if the car was an early one(?)

4. Avoid the big alloys and extra low profile tyres for better ride and road noise suppression and puncture resistance.
Big alloys are for show, otherwise economy, ride and curbing risk are all better with the 19" alloys, tyres are cheaper, less convinced about punctures.

5. So looking out for deals on either a 70D, 75D or even a 85D
The 75D is likely to be a facelift, the 85D will be prefacelift.

6. Frustratingly it looks like a facelift model is out of our price range.
See above - but I agree, you might need to stretch your budget to 45k to get one, but see the comment on savings above although you may have factored that into your budget already.

 

[Dapimp]

I bought my MS privately a few months ago, I had a similar budget. In terms of your logic:

1 - I agree. I didn't want huge mileage but wasn't put off by circa 50k which is probbaly average for a 4 year old car.
2 - Feedback I had from a Tesla shop was the 75D has more range than an 85S. The D will certainly be less likely to slip and slide, but I am used to RWD (and prefer it) and I have never had a problem driving in the snow so it wasn't a factor to me. Not sure about any impact on resale value but it will be harder to get a D model for £40k but there are plenty of RWD in your budget so how important is this for you?
3 - There won't be much choice in your budget if you want a 2016. I bought a car that had just gone over 4 years but had the transferable extended warrently. Benefit of 3 year old car is you still get some warrenty. So is it the age or the warrenty that is important to get things fixed in the first year of ownership?
4 - The 21" looks great but lots of complaints. The 19" have a better ride (the general consensus) and give you better range. That said if you get a car with 21" I will exchange them for my pristine 19".....
5 - Sounds like you have made your mind up with a D.
6 - Yes.

The spec will be personal to you. I went with a coil suspension car and a hard roof rather than SAS and Pan roof. Less to go wrong in the future. But I would have had SAS and Pan roof if there was the right car available when I wanted it. For me colour was really important, I just love the red! I do wish I had got the high fedelity speaker set up which has DAB. Tune In is ok but does drop out briefly every day.

Hope that helps.

 

[culverwood]

All your points look sensible. If there are any 60Ds out there still you could add them to your list as they can be upgraded at a very small cost to 75D.

The S is a big car, for me a little too big for the B roads of Hertfordshire, have you sat in a 3 it may not be as small as you think.

 

[vitesse]

Our Mazda 6 isn't small and we're used to single track country lanes but yes the Model S is a bit wider. I guess the Tesla will nag when you get too close to the hedge! Or maybe not?! How does the side sonar work with bushes?

 

[WannabeOwner]

2. Get a dual motor model as it's less likely to slip and slide in the wet and icy conditions

I had a RWD loaner and it was very squirmy in the wet. People tell me that's not the norm, so either my driving or the loaner had slicks!

There is a roundabout near here under dual carriageway. The left turn onto the uphill slip is right-angle, and neither tight nor easy ... If I am first at the lights I can use P-full-bore around bend and up the ramp. On the only occasion I had something interesting behind me it was only just approaching the bottom of ramp by the time I was up the top No wheel spin, no slip, no drama. Wouldn't make any difference if it is wet - except a Porker behind me might spin off ... )

Betcha can't do that in a RWD ... but that may not be your bag of course.

3. ... steadily improved over time.

All cars have uptodate OTA firmware of course, benefit compared to other Marques.

4. Avoid the big alloys and extra low profile tyres for better ride and road noise suppression and puncture resistance.

Definitely. Plenty of big-rims bent on potholes.

6. Frustratingly it looks like a facelift model is out of our price range.

The facelifts are everywhere. Tell everyone you got a Classic If you do enough longtrips the unlimited Supercharging might be a benefit (but at 2p-3p a mile, if you charge from E7, Free Supercharger isn't going to make much financial difference)

How about a brand new M3 for similar money? no worries about Warranty, and better miles-per-kW (Performance M3 has more range than the P100D according to recent Bjorn video)

How does the side sonar work with bushes?

It shows the distance on the dash, colour coding to Orange and then Red ... but if you are driving close to the hedge but watching the dash bad things might happen!

 

[DJP31]

Lots of good advice given above. Many owners trading up go to Richard Symons R Symons Ltd who buys their "old" Tesla's as Tesla are just not interested in taking part exchange cars - and it's reflected in low ball trade in values.

He is extremely well respected in the Tesla owner community and would be worth speaking to. He will be able to tell you exactly what to expect for your budget. He's been hurt by the dramatic price cuts in the top end cars and just relocated to a new site but I think he's now back to business as usual. He also knows the cars inside out, unlike many others who will advertise a car without understanding the spec properly.

For disclosure purposes I've not sold through him (yet) and have no connection.

 

[vitesse]

It shows the distance on the dash, colour coding to Orange and then Red ... but if you are driving close to the hedge but watching the dash bad things might happen!

So the Sonar does register a porous surface like a hedge OK?

I mentioned the Model 3 in my original post; not convinced by the interior design and it's probably a bit too small for our needs, plus we can't have one 'now'

 

[vitesse]

Lots of very useful feedback, thanks - always room for more

How common is the powered tailgate? I read somewhere that the became standard some time ago?

 

[DJP31]

Lots of very useful feedback, thanks - always room for more

How common is the powered tailgate? I read somewhere that the became standard some time ago?

It’s a nightmare trying to keep up and catalogue the changes to the spec. I’m pretty sure it was part of the Premium Upgrade Pack until mid ‘17 and then the price of the car went up but PUP was included. When I ordered mine in Oct ‘16 the winter pack, air suspension and premium sound system were extras. They are all now wrapped into the price of the car.

 

[themetz]

Could be perfect timing..... I'm looking for a buyer of my 2016 MS85D in May!
Will be top end of your budget though...
37,000 miles, owned and cherished from new with free supercharging! Shown here with my 21s on, but it'll be back to the stock 19s for sale.
Worth a conversation?

 

[arg]

How common is the powered tailgate? I read somewhere that the became standard some time ago?

In older cars, it was part of the 'tech pack' - which was a 'must have' option on cars of that age (you didn't get navigation without it, for example). Can't remember when the options got repackaged, but cars at the older end of your target range will be in the tech pack era.

 

[vitesse]

Just to clarify, batteries AND motors are covered by the 8 year/unlimited mileage warranty?
I've come across some tempting deals and then found out that the Autopilot function would need expensive activation. This seems rather odd to me or would these be ex-hire or chaffeur cars?

 

[DJP31]

Yes battery and motors have 8 year unlimited mileage warranty.

It's possible the cars you are looking at are ex 'commercial' especially if high mileage. There are a significant minority of owners who either didn't want AP, didn't think it was worth the money, or were already stretching so couldn't afford it.

 

[vitesse]

Well, there is a black 70D, 16 reg, with pano roof and the unwanted turbine alloys for £41K at Nissan dealer... 48K miles (EDIT: 45K miles ). Only problem is that it's in Glasgow I might give them a call to find out if there are any catches.

Having owned a black car in the past it's not my favourite colour to keep clean but it does look very nice. I personally think white is the worst colour for the Model S.

 

[vitesse]

View attachment 392923 View attachment 392921 View attachment 392922Could be perfect timing..... I'm looking for a buyer of my 2016 MS85D in May!
Will be top end of your budget though...
37,000 miles, owned and cherished from new with free supercharging! Shown here with my 21s on, but it'll be back to the stock 19s for sale.
Worth a conversation?

Possibly - but shame you have the hard top Lovely looking car though.

 

[WannabeOwner]

So the Sonar does register a porous surface like a hedge OK?

Haven't specifically tested a deciduous hedge in Winter. I'll have a go and report back

[M3] is probably a bit too small for our need

Boot presumably? the rest of the car is pretty big. Can't remember, but presume there is some space under the Frunk if that would solve your space issue - but it aint the same as a Hatchback, for convenience etc., that's for sure.

we can't have one 'now

I doubt it will be long ... but the bottom-of-range / cheapest won't be any-time-soon

Autopilot function would need expensive activation

When first introduced it was limited-ability, maybe that put some people off.

You sure about "expensive"? When I bought my car AP1 was like £1,500 (probably a bit more for retro-buy). I wonder if original price still holds for those cars? If so might need former owner to upgrade before you buy, unless that is a transferable option (at legacy price)

There is more to come for AP2, but right now not much to choose between the two, particularly if you will only use it on dual carriageway, and AP1 reads speed signs (gantry etc.) which AP2 doesn't, yet.

Don't know about the rest of the flock here, but I don't use AP on single carriageway roads, except maybe major A-roads with decent lines centre and nearside - in which case its not really any different to the quality of markings on a dual carriageway.

 

[vitesse]

Haven't specifically tested a deciduous hedge in Winter. I'll have a go and report back



Boot presumably? the rest of the car is pretty big. Can't remember, but presume there is some space under the Frunk if that would solve your space issue - but it aint the same as a Hatchback, for convenience etc., that's for sure.



I doubt it will be long ... but the bottom-of-range / cheapest won't be any-time-soon



When first introduced it was limited-ability, maybe that put some people off.

You sure about "expensive"? When I bought my car AP1 was like £1,500 (probably a bit more for retro-buy). I wonder if original price still holds for those cars? If so might need former owner to upgrade before you buy, unless that is a transferable option (at legacy price)

There is more to come for AP2, but right now not much to choose between the two, particularly if you will only use it on dual carriageway, and AP1 reads speed signs (gantry etc.) which AP2 doesn't, yet.

Don't know about the rest of the flock here, but I don't use AP on single carriageway roads, except maybe major A-roads with decent lines centre and nearside - in which case its not really any different to the quality of markings on a dual carriageway.

I haven't looked at a 3 in the metal - we could wander along to a showroom for a gander.

I saw a price of £2.5K for activating AP - though I guess that may have neen in dollars. AP2 is only for later hardware 2+ cars I assume?

We envisage AP as being an extra set of eyes and ears to help us avoid unexpected close encounters. Obviously it works best on dual carriageways and motorways but I was hoping it would be usable for other roads.

 

[WannabeOwner]

I saw a price of £2.5K for activating AP - though I guess that may have neen in dollars. AP2 is only for later hardware 2+ cars I assume?

yes, that's right, but I don't know if there is a legacy price (as promised at purchase) for legacy cars. e.g. an HW1 / AP1-capable car.

We envisage AP as being an extra set of eyes and ears to help us avoid unexpected close encounters. Obviously it works best on dual carriageways and motorways but I was hoping it would be usable for other roads

I take that view too. I don't care if AP or me detects a problem, the two is better than me on Solo, and I have had AP react to slowing traffic at just the moment I was glancing at dashboard.

But to have the advantage of the safety features on "other roads" AP has to be on, and driving, and I don't find it useful in that scenario - I would be constantly taking over for parked cars sticking-out-a-bit and so on. Main A-roads, then fine. The 10 minute drive from dual-carriageway to my home, which is reasonably well marked, for that I don't see any point / advantage.With AP off you would still have AEB etc. working on your behalf and if you try to drive into something (including accelerating towards it because you are going to overtake) you will get Klaxon and all sorts warning you of impending impact

If you have a passenger and keep switching to Manual, and back to AP, the bing-bong each time may annoy your passenger

If AP is NOT fitted then you only have constant-speed cruise control; traffic-aware cruise control only comes with AP

 

[vitesse]

Well, there is a black 70D, 16 reg, with pano roof and the unwanted turbine alloys for £41K at Nissan dealer... 48K miles (EDIT: 45K miles ). Only problem is that it's in Glasgow I might give them a call to find out if there are any catches.

Having owned a black car in the past it's not my favourite colour to keep clean but it does look very nice. I personally think white is the worst colour for the Model S.

Spoke to the dealership - it also has the air suspension and AP is enabled. If only it was within sensible range of us rather than 280 miles.