I think it really depends on when in 2013 but generally that’s a good price. After VIN about 20000 you get parking sensors and it seems there may be fewer mechanical problems. I went a little higher miles (60k) for less money ($35k), but thats an individual decision and what was available at the time. As others have mentioned it would be really nice if it has replaced door handles and drive unit. Newer tires is a plus, as are evenly worn tires. The back right wears faster than the others esp if its been driven hard. The screens going bad from what I saw seemed to be really bad only in the first few thousand cars, but are very expensive to replace. I think door handle fixes now are not as expensive as they used to be. I’d say make sure the 60 will get you where you want to go. It actually works well for me given the superchargers on the routes I travel, but it definitely adds more time to your trips vs an 85 since you have to charge up more fully. To me saving the $7k or so was worth it in my situation (you never notice it unless on road trips where SCs are over 100 mi apart) but others will feel differently.
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Looking to by Model S (our first Tesla)! Advice/leads?
- Thread starter Cclitten
- Start date
I think it really depends on when in 2013 but generally that’s a good price. After VIN about 20000 you get parking sensors and it seems there may be fewer mechanical problems. I went a little higher miles (60k) for less money ($35k), but thats an individual decision and what was available at the time. As others have mentioned it would be really nice if it has replaced door handles and drive unit. Newer tires is a plus, as are evenly worn tires. The back right wears faster than the others esp if its been driven hard. The screens going bad from what I saw seemed to be really bad only in the first few thousand cars, but are very expensive to replace. I think door handle fixes now are not as expensive as they used to be. I’d say make sure the 60 will get you where you want to go. It actually works well for me given the superchargers on the routes I travel, but it definitely adds more time to your trips vs an 85 since you have to charge up more fully. To me saving the $7k or so was worth it in my situation (you never notice it unless on road trips where SCs are over 100 mi apart) but others will feel differently.
Food for thought. I did a lot of research here on the TMC forum, by going in to a Tesla Service Center to sit in and test drive the MS. Ok, I went by and sat in it a few times, then while traveling for work I sat in the Model 3 for about an hour. Tried all the seats, features, frunk, trunk, touch screen...then went and sat in an S immediately in the same show room. I was spoiled, the only one in there on a weekday (Aventura Mall, Miami) and did the same thing. I came to the conclusion that I really liked the S.
1. Ask the current owner to have Tesla print all of the service records. This is one time where having more things replaced on earlier cars is better. Drive units, MCUs, door handles and on early cars, even batteries, are good things to have been changed out.
2. I'd be cautious buying a low mileage Model S unless it comes with a warranty. Higher mileage cars that have been serviced when required are going to be more reliable in the long run because they've already been tested. I went with a November build 2014 Model S 85 with 115,000 miles on it. There is still more than 4.5 years left on the battery and power train warranty. The higher miles helped get the price in a sweet spot for me ($42.5k).
3. Buy a car with features you actually need and will use. I really wanted to minimize future issues from popping up. I went with coil suspension, body color roof, textile seats, subzero package, 19" wheels, AP1 and the 85kWh battery. It was perfect for me. The body color didn't matter to me, but gray is a color I can live with. I wanted to use it for long road trips so AP1 and the 85kWh battery were important to me. The 19" wheels ensured I could buy tires that were reasonably priced and the set I just put on is warranted by the manufacturer (Bridgestone Serenity Plus Low Rolling Resistance) for 50k miles. Tire rotations are free for the life of the tires from Firestone. Other places do the same deal. Not having the panoramic roof ensured there would be no leaks or roof glass repairs. The textile seats are surprisingly comfortable and still have leather like trim in the right places to make them easy to get into. Coil suspension is much less expensive to maintain over the life of the car and rides quite nicely. I like the connected feel. The 85 non-performance car has outstanding performance in "Standard" mode. Most of the time I find my wife and I use "Chill" mode to save the tires and extend the range. Still, "Standard" mode is faster than the ZO6 Corvette I used to have when I want to play a little.
3a. Rear wheel drive is very capable, even on snow and ice as long as you don't have a steep driveway or plan on driving over unplowed roads. Tires are important, do some research. I listed what I chose above after lots of reading, then using the LRR tires on another car. Quiet tires that are LRR enhance the driving experience. Getting as many miles as possible for your money on tires is a personal decision, some don't care.
4. Since the car was higher miles and did not have some of the features a lot of other potential Tesla buyers usually go for, it was on the market for a little while. This also helped the price come down a bit as sellers usually get more realistic with the asking price as time goes on and it is an easier buying process when the negotiation is right around the kbb.com private sale price or below.
5. My parking situation can handle a car with the physical dimensions of the Model S. Some people are not as fortunate. Something to check. Parking is a challenge for a lot of people. Size of spot and the ability to charge at home are important to how much you will enjoy driving your Model S.
6. The used private party Model S market here (U.S.) in the Spring of 2018 seems to be $35k for an S60, $45k for an S85. The price varies based on the features included, usually in the upward direction by about $5k. Expect to pay $10k more if you want all the bells whistles, plus AP1. I live in Western Pennsylvania. I was looking at cars in California, Texas and Idaho. Being in LA you will likely have five or six cars easily within a day's drive you could look at if you decide to shop here on TMC or any of the other private party car buying sites.
1. Ask the current owner to have Tesla print all of the service records. This is one time where having more things replaced on earlier cars is better. Drive units, MCUs, door handles and on early cars, even batteries, are good things to have been changed out.
2. I'd be cautious buying a low mileage Model S unless it comes with a warranty. Higher mileage cars that have been serviced when required are going to be more reliable in the long run because they've already been tested. I went with a November build 2014 Model S 85 with 115,000 miles on it. There is still more than 4.5 years left on the battery and power train warranty. The higher miles helped get the price in a sweet spot for me ($42.5k).
3. Buy a car with features you actually need and will use. I really wanted to minimize future issues from popping up. I went with coil suspension, body color roof, textile seats, subzero package, 19" wheels, AP1 and the 85kWh battery. It was perfect for me. The body color didn't matter to me, but gray is a color I can live with. I wanted to use it for long road trips so AP1 and the 85kWh battery were important to me. The 19" wheels ensured I could buy tires that were reasonably priced and the set I just put on is warranted by the manufacturer (Bridgestone Serenity Plus Low Rolling Resistance) for 50k miles. Tire rotations are free for the life of the tires from Firestone. Other places do the same deal. Not having the panoramic roof ensured there would be no leaks or roof glass repairs. The textile seats are surprisingly comfortable and still have leather like trim in the right places to make them easy to get into. Coil suspension is much less expensive to maintain over the life of the car and rides quite nicely. I like the connected feel. The 85 non-performance car has outstanding performance in "Standard" mode. Most of the time I find my wife and I use "Chill" mode to save the tires and extend the range. Still, "Standard" mode is faster than the ZO6 Corvette I used to have when I want to play a little.
3a. Rear wheel drive is very capable, even on snow and ice as long as you don't have a steep driveway or plan on driving over unplowed roads. Tires are important, do some research. I listed what I chose above after lots of reading, then using the LRR tires on another car. Quiet tires that are LRR enhance the driving experience. Getting as many miles as possible for your money on tires is a personal decision, some don't care.
4. Since the car was higher miles and did not have some of the features a lot of other potential Tesla buyers usually go for, it was on the market for a little while. This also helped the price come down a bit as sellers usually get more realistic with the asking price as time goes on and it is an easier buying process when the negotiation is right around the kbb.com private sale price or below.
5. My parking situation can handle a car with the physical dimensions of the Model S. Some people are not as fortunate. Something to check. Parking is a challenge for a lot of people. Size of spot and the ability to charge at home are important to how much you will enjoy driving your Model S.
6. The used private party Model S market here (U.S.) in the Spring of 2018 seems to be $35k for an S60, $45k for an S85. The price varies based on the features included, usually in the upward direction by about $5k. Expect to pay $10k more if you want all the bells whistles, plus AP1. I live in Western Pennsylvania. I was looking at cars in California, Texas and Idaho. Being in LA you will likely have five or six cars easily within a day's drive you could look at if you decide to shop here on TMC or any of the other private party car buying sites.
Thanks for the input. I've never paid more than $45k for a new car, so it is weird to pay $49k for a used car...but a Tesla is a Tesla.
thegooch49
Member
If you are patient, I think you can get this done. I think it's a bonus that you are in the LA area, I think it will expose you to more deals. I think a 60 with AP is definitely do-able private party for $45K. An 85 will be very tough. It will be higher miles (around 50K miles) for that price. Sweet spot would be shortly under 50K miles, so you can buy the Extended Service Agreement down the road when it hits 50 (or 4 years old). CPO prices are horrible currently, I expect prices to come down in a month. I had a reservation on a late 2014 S60 w/ 27K miles for $47,000 in LA, that had AP and 4-year (I later decided on a different car). I would look at joining the private group on Facebook called TeslaShowroomDeals. There are some helpful people on there, that can link you with a killer OA to help w/ the search.
Lastly, I think your requirement of AP is a smart one. Sure it's not for everyone, but it's mandatory for some people, and is the 'heart' of the Tesla experience for some. Having AP will greatly help with resale down the road.
