Looking to buy a 2019 Model S Raven

[Lyrical]

Hi, I'm somewhat new to owning/driving EVs and am thinking about making the jump to a used Model S from an ICE car. My wife recently got a 2022 M3LR and I've started to enjoy the benefits of having an EV (charging overnight/being "full" each morning, instant torque, cheaper than gas, etc).

I don't particlarly love the M3 though (really don't like not having a center cluster) and I like the Model S hatch + look (and more power I believe) much more. I know the new MS refreshes are much nicer but out of my price range, but I did find a 2019 MSLR (Raven) w/ around 56k miles for about $55k. I'm aware it'll be missing some features of my wife's M3LR (faster charging, phone key, wireless charging) but not a big deal for me (unless there's a lot more I'm missing/unaware of?).

This particlar one (56k miles for $55k) seems to be among the cheapest I can find for a Raven model and think it's a decent deal but wanted to see if I could get any insight from the community. Carfax shows around 9/2019 first registration so it's about 3.5 years old so it's a bit high mileage but I've read the Raven motors hold up pretty well - not sure if I should be concerned.

Any advice/insight is much appreciated. Thank you!

 

[TLLMRRJ]

In terms of insight, there are several really impressive and very well integrated add-on driver's dashboards for the M3. Here's just one of many:

Tesla Model 3 & Y MSX-Pro Driver View Dash & LCD Display (Smart Instrument Cluster)

Tesla Model 3 Carbon Fiber Dash Panel by T Sportline brings the sporty feel to the interior of a Model 3. Manufactured with prepreg carbon in a metal mold for precision engineering, and clearcoated with a matte UV protective clear. Shop Tesla Model 3 Carbon Fiber Interior Upgrades!

tsportline.com

The M3 Performance is faster than a 2019 MSLR Raven by quite a bit (0-60 in 3sec vs 3.6sec), and with the new lower prices M3's, if you qualify for the tax rebate, a new 2023 Model 3 Performance will cost you thousands less than that used 2019 MSLR.

When it comes to buying any used car, prices have been on a steep decline recently, so you may want to wait 3-6 months and check the market again to save even more money.

 

[CheckChar362]

If you want to join the Tesla family because of the frequent software updates and new features, buy M3 instead of a legacy S. You won't receive much new features judging by the features added for the last 2 years for all legacy S/Xs.

If you don't care about new features for a legacy car and will be content in owning what you paid for, buy a legacy S.

 

[SilverGS]

If you want to join the Tesla family because of the frequent software updates and new features, buy M3 instead of a legacy S. You won't receive much new features judging by the features added for the last 2 years for all legacy S/Xs.

If you don't care about new features for a legacy car and will be content in owning what you paid for, buy a legacy S.

A lot of the "new" features are entertainment focused.

If you find a good deal on a legacy S it's not as bad as some people make it out to be.

 

[CheckChar362]

A lot of the "new" features are entertainment focused.

If you find a good deal on a legacy S it's not as bad as some people make it out to be.

Here is a post about the missing features: Pre-refresh S / X now officially known as “Legacy” in terms of software

 

[mswlogo]

The Model S is MUCH nicer than the 3. I’ve had a 2018 3, 2019 Raven X and Refresh S.

You won’t get as many updates but you will get updates. To be honest I liked the portrait screen better in the Raven.

That sounds like a good deal. I’d never buy used personally. Consider adding a 3rd party warranty. Search forums on it.

 

[vcor]

Used prices may be low for the next month or so and then head up again. It turns out that 3 years ago in mid-March, car factories, dealers, Tesla, and suppliers mostly shut down due to the lockdowns. This means few cars were sold or leased. The used car market lives a lot on cars coming off leases. With few cars leased in Spring/Summer 2020, the number of used cars available from the end of leases means a lot fewer used cars being available this spring. With fewer used cars available, the costs seem likely to go up again. Hard to make predictions, but we may be in a sweet spot for getting a good used car deal.

 

[SilverGS]

Here is a post about the missing features: Pre-refresh S / X now officially known as “Legacy” in terms of software

Still not worth it for some folks IMO. None of these features significantly improves the most important and basic features of an already amazing car.

 

[David29]

Here is a post about the missing features: Pre-refresh S / X now officially known as “Legacy” in terms of software

What does "Autopilot Comfort Damping" mean? I don't know what Autopilot has to do with ride quality...

 

[beatle]

What does "Autopilot Comfort Damping" mean? I don't know what Autopilot has to do with ride quality...

Pretty sure it's the switch that automatically sets the adaptive suspension to comfort mode when you activate autopilot. It's a nice feature.

 

[Lyrical]

In terms of insight, there are several really impressive and very well integrated add-on driver's dashboards for the M3. Here's just one of many:

Tesla Model 3 & Y MSX-Pro Driver View Dash & LCD Display (Smart Instrument Cluster)

Tesla Model 3 Carbon Fiber Dash Panel by T Sportline brings the sporty feel to the interior of a Model 3. Manufactured with prepreg carbon in a metal mold for precision engineering, and clearcoated with a matte UV protective clear. Shop Tesla Model 3 Carbon Fiber Interior Upgrades!

tsportline.com

The M3 Performance is faster than a 2019 MSLR Raven by quite a bit (0-60 in 3sec vs 3.6sec), and with the new lower prices M3's, if you qualify for the tax rebate, a new 2023 Model 3 Performance will cost you thousands less than that used 2019 MSLR.

When it comes to buying any used car, prices have been on a steep decline recently, so you may want to wait 3-6 months and check the market again to save even more money.

I appreciate the insight into this. I might get this for the wife's M3. It's a good point, though, noting that some of my gripes could be remedied via 3rd party hardware.
Thank you to everyone for their comments/advice/insight/information. It's greatly appreciated.

Here is a post about the missing features: Pre-refresh S / X now officially known as “Legacy” in terms of software

This list is actually very good to know. These aren't huge hits for me but losing auto seat heaters and blind spot camera is kind of a bummer. Much appreciated for the information!

A lot of the "new" features are entertainment focused.

If you find a good deal on a legacy S it's not as bad as some people make it out to be.

Minus the two I mentioned above, the other, more enterainment focused features are a non-issue for me, so I appreciate your insight on the Legacy S still being a good value proposition.

The Model S is MUCH nicer than the 3. I’ve had a 2018 3, 2019 Raven X and Refresh S.

You won’t get as many updates but you will get updates. To be honest I liked the portrait screen better in the Raven.

That sounds like a good deal. I’d never buy used personally. Consider adding a 3rd party warranty. Search forums on it.

Good to know! Thank you for the insight. Having driven the M3 a lot (my wife's) and having limited time in the MS via test drives, I don't immediately notice huge differences in driving but I imagine (hope?) the MS is much nicer in ride quality and overall build. I also prefer the protrait orientation of the screen, though, I guess netflix suffers a little (haven't tried it, rarely used on M3, but still).

Used prices may be low for the next month or so and then head up again. It turns out that 3 years ago in mid-March, car factories, dealers, Tesla, and suppliers mostly shut down due to the lockdowns. This means few cars were sold or leased. The used car market lives a lot on cars coming off leases. With few cars leased in Spring/Summer 2020, the number of used cars available from the end of leases means a lot fewer used cars being available this spring. With fewer used cars available, the costs seem likely to go up again. Hard to make predictions, but we may be in a sweet spot for getting a good used car deal.

Interesting. Could be. Maybe I need to pull the trigger then to secure the deal haha.

Pretty sure it's the switch that automatically sets the adaptive suspension to comfort mode when you activate autopilot. It's a nice feature.

I'm fairly certain I saw this option in the 2019 Raven MS...like 90% certain I saw this on the menu options yesterday when I looked at the car.

 

[Lyrical]

I forgot to ask, is there anything in particular I should be wary of on the 2019 Raven models? Anything I should particularly check or pay close attention to that anyone is aware of?

 

[kizamybute']

Hi, I'm somewhat new to owning/driving EVs and am thinking about making the jump to a used Model S from an ICE car. My wife recently got a 2022 M3LR and I've started to enjoy the benefits of having an EV (charging overnight/being "full" each morning, instant torque, cheaper than gas, etc).

I don't particlarly love the M3 though (really don't like not having a center cluster) and I like the Model S hatch + look (and more power I believe) much more. I know the new MS refreshes are much nicer but out of my price range, but I did find a 2019 MSLR (Raven) w/ around 56k miles for about $55k. I'm aware it'll be missing some features of my wife's M3LR (faster charging, phone key, wireless charging) but not a big deal for me (unless there's a lot more I'm missing/unaware of?).

This particlar one (56k miles for $55k) seems to be among the cheapest I can find for a Raven model and think it's a decent deal but wanted to see if I could get any insight from the community. Carfax shows around 9/2019 first registration so it's about 3.5 years old so it's a bit high mileage but I've read the Raven motors hold up pretty well - not sure if I should be concerned.

Any advice/insight is much appreciated. Thank you!

2019 Model S Raven was exactly the car that I had. Had several Tesla's for 9 years consecutively. Tried a Model 3 in there too and hated it. The 2019 Model S with updated Raven suspension was absolutely the best version they built in my opinion. I'm absolutely not a fan of the interior of the new Model S. Suspension was a HUGE upgrade over the pre-raven air suspension.

As it is an electric car and Tesla's can be quite costly to repair if they break, I would recommended looking into seeing if you can purchase an extended warranty on it. They're a little pricey, but would give you 4 more years and 50,000 miles of worry free driving. $55,000 isn't a bad price. If they took care of it and the car is clean, 55,000 miles isn't that bad for an EV. As far as I know, Tesla will allow you to purchase a warranty up to the date the original warranty expires, so would double check on the date it was first built to make sure it is still an option.

Best of luck.

 

[mswlogo]

Pretty sure it's the switch that automatically sets the adaptive suspension to comfort mode when you activate autopilot. It's a nice feature.

Most will argue that the suspension adjustments are stuck in Sport mode (firm) no matter what on the Refresh. So much for that feature.

 

[beatle]

I'm not sure about the refresh, but the setting works well on my 2019.

 

[lowtek]

Most will argue that the suspension adjustments are stuck in Sport mode (firm) no matter what on the Refresh. So much for that feature.

I've seen this in a few threads .. I have a 2021 and there's a noticeable difference between the settings .. definitely smooths out rough road when set to the far left and you can feel every bump when set to to the far right.

Also, the dampening is dependent on the set ride height. In other words, if you're running in low it's tighter than if you're running in normal. One can assume so you don't bottom out the body on the tires.

We live in Alabama and I-65 is terrible ... wifey makes fun of me because I adjust the suspension to "I-65 mode", i.e., far left and medium height, it definitely makes a big difference.

 

[David29]

Here is a post about the missing features: Pre-refresh S / X now officially known as “Legacy” in terms of software

If I were on the market for a Raven, I do not think any of the "missing features" on the list in the link would trouble me enough to discourage me, with the possible exception of the blind spot camera feature. Still, I have lived with the blind spot limitations on my current model S for 7 years, so I think I could manage. But there are some physical features on the latest models that may or may not appeal to some people. For me, one temptation might be the new audio system hardware, which I understand is on par with the best Tesla has done in Models 3 and Y. But I am not keen on the new control layout, and the cars have become very expensive.
So I would be tempted to get a used Model S Raven myself, except that, unfortunately, I am looking into getting a more SUV-like car, because of back problems that would be better with a higher, more erect seating position. Otherwise, the Raven models strike me as just about the perfect evolution of the Model S.

 

[vcor]

For those comparing a 2021 Raven to the current 2023 LR/Plaid, there are a lot of changes. I've documented differences and those items that both have here: Model S Comparison for 2021 – TeslaTap There are so many changes that the new LR/Plaid is really dramatically different (and better IMHO). Still, there is always a cost concern, and getting a used Raven will save you quite a bit and still give you plenty of fun.

 

[Lyrical]

Thank you to everyone for their advice/insight. I quoted/replied to a bunch of you guys but for some reason that post is under mod review and isn't posted.

I appreciate everyones time and help - it's given me a lot of clarity! I think I will be purchasing this 2019 Raven MS.

 

[tesluv108]

The Model S is MUCH nicer than the 3. I’ve had a 2018 3, 2019 Raven X and Refresh S.

You won’t get as many updates but you will get updates. To be honest I liked the portrait screen better in the Raven.

That sounds like a good deal. I’d never buy used personally. Consider adding a 3rd party warranty. Search forums on it.

I second that the S is far superior to the 3 having owned both. The pano roof that opens is something Tesla should bring back and I’d probably get another 3 too. I purchased used and a big factor was the transferable extended service agreement. I’ll be nervous when it expires lol