Model 3 23.7K miles vs 10K?

[laza121]

Hello,

I am considering buying a used Tesla directly from their website. I have 2 options -

1. 2018 White LR AWD Model 3. 10K miles. Original warranty till October 2022/50K miles (1 yr/10K miles extended warranty after)
2. 2018 Red LR AWD Model 3, 23.7K miles. Original warranty till December 2022/50K miles (1 yr/10K miles extended warranty after)

#1 is 1000$ more expensive than #2. Considering battery reduces a little bit with miles (and there's a 13K difference in mileage), should I just go with #1?

I like both red and white

 

[chrstna4]

The miles probably don't matter much since these cars last hundreds of thousands of mile so 13k miles isn't much in the long run. The white car might be less banged up physically but that's just a guess. I think most Tesla owners take exceptional car of their cars. The red car would've been more expensive due to paint so maybe there are some more dings on that car if it's less expensive (the paint would've added $1-2k on a new car). It might just come down to if one color edges out the other in your preference or if more dings would bother you (you may never know the difference since they took the photos down for used cars). I bought a used Model 3 in July when they still had photos so I found the less dinged up version and I plan to get the paint corrected and a ceramic coat at some point so the little dings didn't bother me.

 

[laza121]

That's a good point. However, the red started out more expensive than the white. I booked the white, but the price for the red has been going down consistently
And yup, I can't see the pictures so I'm buying this blind. Were any of the dings very noticeable?

 

[laza121]

@chrstna4 I do have range anxiety though. Do you think the red would have ~10 miles less range than the white?

 

[lpp06]

That's a good point. However, the red started out more expensive than the white. I booked the white, but the price for the red has been going down consistently
And yup, I can't see the pictures so I'm buying this blind. Were any of the dings very noticeable?

Sometimes you can find pictures on TeslaCPO.io - Search Tesla's Vehicle Inventory

Also, if you already put down the $500 + Transport fee deposit - those are non-refundable

 

[laza121]

@lpp06 There's no transport fee for them since I can pick them up myself. You're right - I would lose 500$. But that's factored into the 1000$ difference between the two. The "actual" difference is 1500$ haha

 

[lpp06]

@chrstna4 I do have range anxiety though. Do you think the red would have ~10 miles less range than the white?

Not to diminish your fear of range anxiety, but are you ever in any situations where 10 miles would make a difference?

You can simulate common routes on A Better Routeplanner to account for degradation. Under settings, you can play with degradation. 10 miles on a LR AWD is about 3.2%. So you can do a route with 3% degradation, and then the same with 6.2% and see if the difference is important to any of your common routes.

 

[Fernand]

What automation package on these? Does either have FSD?

 

[laza121]

@Fernand Yup, both have FSD enabled and paid for.

 

[laza121]

@lpp06 That's fair. I guess it just comes down to making a gamble on how someone treated a car with 23K miles (in 2 years -red obe) vs 10K (in 2 years 3 months - white one). Only thing is I need to travel 4 hours out of state to get the red.

And the inventory site is super useful, thanks! I see the red one there - TeslaCPO.io - Search Tesla's Vehicle Inventory
Can't find the white though.

 

[TexanEV]

Wats the price on each?

 

[laza121]

@lppo6 @chrstna4 The black is actually the cheapest and it has white interiors. TeslaCPO.io - Search Tesla's Vehicle Inventory
I'm just weary of buying black because of the maintenance.

 

[laza121]

@TexanEV White is 45.7K (FSD included)
Red is 44.7K (FSD included) TeslaCPO.io - Search Tesla's Vehicle Inventory

And I also see a black with white interior for 44,400 TeslaCPO.io - Search Tesla's Vehicle Inventory

 

[chrstna4]

@chrstna4 I do have range anxiety though. Do you think the red would have ~10 miles less range than the white?

I don't think there will be much range difference between the cars - just my opinion - and if there is it likely has more to do with how the previous owner drove it. I bought a 2019 LR AWD and when I got it the TezLab app said I had a 304 mile range on the car based on several days of driving. I go on a lot of long drives (I've put almost 10k miles on the car since July) and now the TezLab app says I have 307 miles of range. I know everyone frets about range loss and battery degradation (which I agree is a little stressful) but range also has to do with how you drive the car and many external factors like rain, cold, hills, wind, etc. Because I have taken several 300-1200 mile trips now, range anxiety is not a concern for me anymore. I use A Better Route Planner for a general plan but I stop a little more frequently for shorter charges on the route (it seems to cut my drive time down, give me more comfort breaks, and it means I have a "fuller tank" more often on my drives - I suggest watching Out of Spec Motoring road trip videos on YouTube to help you learn about road trip tricks and education - I learned so much about driving/owning a Model 3 there). My arrival state of charge tolerance is 15-20% when plan the next charger and that means any environmental factors or impromptu lead footed driving is covered - the car will predict the SOC to arrive at the next charger or destination while you're charging and I add an extra 15-20%. I have arrived at a charger with 5% SOC twice early in my ownership before I gave myself more of a buffer - you can always drive slower if you feel like your range is getting too low. I'd also suggest the PlugShare app and ChargePoint app so you can find chargers if you're in a pinch (which you likely won't be - I mostly use it to find free charging when I go shopping, like the Whole Foods in W Seattle).

 

[chrstna4]

Were any of the dings very noticeable?

My car had some scratches on the rear bumper but they aren't very noticeable. I think there was something else I was troubled by at first but now I don't notice any of the scratch unless I'm looking for them. I saw another car exactly like mine online at the same time that had a little more damage but nothing a paint correction couldn't fix.

I think, bottom line, you're going to love this car (no matter which one you finally get). When you're driving around, enjoying the ride, you'll know you made the right choice. Plus, it's covered under warranty so there's no worries.

 

[chrstna4]

@lppo6 @chrstna4 The black is actually the cheapest and it has white interiors. TeslaCPO.io - Search Tesla's Vehicle Inventory
I'm just weary of buying black because of the maintenance.

I was looking at the pictures for the cars and it looks like the black has more close ups that are supposed to show damage (though I can't see much damage) and the red has one big ding that goes through the paint but I think that could be fixed with a paint correction at a detail shop or you can get a paint kit from Tesla and do it yourself. Cosmetic damage might bother you at first but that's fixable with a little money and/or your time - I'm planning to do the paint correction and ceramic coat only to have a new looking car and to make washing it easier. It doesn't need it - though the red one does need that ding through the paint fixed as soon as possible if you get it. The most important part is the guts of the car and Teslas are very sturdy and difficult to do damage to with normal driving (fewer moving parts than an ICE car), even frequent launching when the light turns green. Tesla would make sure the guts of the car are in good shape before selling it and they warranty it so they'll fix anything, if it comes up.

 

[polyphonic54]

For $1k --14k fewer miles.

 

[laza121]

@chrstna4 Thanks a lot for all those details!! I'm trying to find the ding you're talking about though - could you tell me which picture you saw it?

Also, do you think tires wear would be a thing though? I'm guessing at 23K miles, I might need to change the tires soon right?

 

[chrstna4]

Look at each of the close up for damage (I had to zoom in to n some of them). The paint issue is above a tire. There also seems to be scatter damage behind the passenger door. And there seems to be paint damage on the front passenger side.

Maybe the car was driven on a lot of gravel roads.

 

[chrstna4]

I forgot to add that my car has just under 20k miles and the tires are getting close to needing to be replaced. You’ll probably read that Teslas are notorious for needing tires sooner than other cars. Probably all the instant torque - ha! The tires on the red car look pretty new (seeing depth of tread that appears deep on the tire close up photo).