Maybe new owner in Austria (Europe)

[Wild Weasel]

Hi there.

I want to introduce my self because I will spend some more time next few weeks on this forum. I know, there are also European ones or such in my nature language (German) but it is always a benefit to get information from different sources.
I live in Austria near Salzburg and think about buying a full electric car at the end of 2017 to be delivered at the end of Q2 / start Q3. This case I also took a look at tesla. I have actual a reservation for M3 done but after looking at interior design and also from outside I will not buy a M3. Also I want to have AWD and a range of 300+km also in winter times plus some features that M3 will not be able to give at the time I need the car.
So I will look for a Model S if it meets my requirements in a few months. Because of this I am looking around to gather some information about durability and production quality, because the car should last for 10 to 15 years. US is some time ahead in launching the MS so I think I will get more of those information here than in other forums.
So far from here this moment, more questions will follow I am sure

PS: I hope my English is not that bad than I think it is.. sure my grammar is not that peferct.

 

[redan]

Welcome to TMC. Your English is just fine - certainly much better than my German would be! Stick around and learn and don't be afraid to ask questions - it is a great community, with varied participants from all over the world. Just be prepared to be hooked - both on the car and the forums.

 

[hmmm]

Welcome indeed.

A couple of things I have learned based on this forum (others should jump to correct me if needed...)

- In terms of build quality, the higher the VIN, the better. The main buckets I have seen mentioned here are vin 0-10k, then 10k to 50k is better and above 50k is better and pretty much the current state.
- If you had to choose between mileage vs VIN, all else being equal, go with VIN for the above reason. Miles/Kms are not as relevant with an EV.
- When in doubt, get the biggest battery you can afford in a cold/er part of the world as temp impacts mileage significantly. On the other hand, Europe is fairly "small" and the SC network is getting better and better, so that may not be as relevant.

From personal experience, I would also take as many test drives as you can to get a feel for the car. I am not sure if they do overnight test drives in Austria, but it was really valuable to me: the S is a *big* car, so you want to make sure it "fits" within your driving/parking habits.

 

[Wild Weasel]

Great reply here

Yesterday my wife and me have been in a local store.. and now it seems we are looking for a Model S AND a Model X