Model 3 or 2?

[ZapCarM3]

Might wait for the 2 but you know, I'd never get the first round of the newest stuff here. Unsurprisingly the new S is abundant with the classic paint or alignment issues.

Don't want to wait for the 2 only for delays and then disappointing first several months of production. So even if it comes out next year I feel like I'd want to wait another year again.

But I'm sick of not having my own Tesla but don't want to get a 3 right now and have the 2 quickly sink the retail value of the 3. Do you think this would happen?

 

[bjrosen]

I don't think the 2 will be sold in the US, it's for Asia and the EU where they like small hatchbacks and don't care nearly as much about range as we do. VW isn't bring the ID.3 to America for that very reason. The 3 or Y is your best bet. If you are worried about paint wait a year for them to start producing cars in Austin. Austin will have a state of the art paint shop and the move to castings should fix the panel gap issues. Aside from cosmetics Tesla's are very reliable, it's certainly the most reliable car I've ever owned. In the two years that I've owned my 3 the only service that it's had are two tire rotations, every ICE car that I've ever owned in the last 50 years had been back to the dealer several times in it's first two years. BTW for this years service I had it done in my driveway, a Tesla tech came to my house and rotated my tires and cleaned and lubricated the brakes and checked the brake fluid (it was absolutely fine but the cost for a check was minimal and it's recommended at two years). The total cost of the in house service was only $138, my time to take a car to a shop to have a tire rotation and brake service done is worth much more than that so in my book I made money on the deal.

 

[glide]

Might wait for the 2 but you know, I'd never get the first round of the newest stuff here. Unsurprisingly the new S is abundant with the classic paint or alignment issues.

Don't want to wait for the 2 only for delays and then disappointing first several months of production. So even if it comes out next year I feel like I'd want to wait another year again.

But I'm sick of not having my own Tesla but don't want to get a 3 right now and have the 2 quickly sink the retail value of the 3. Do you think this would happen?

Put it this way, whatever vehicle you are speaking of has not even been formally announced.

Cybertruck reveal was in 2019 and has been delayed until at least 2022.

How long do you feel like waiting?

 

[jjrandorin]

But I'm sick of not having my own Tesla but don't want to get a 3 right now and have the 2 quickly sink the retail value of the 3. Do you think this would happen?

A couple things here....

There is no model 2 (or whatever tesla will call it) as it has not even been announced yet as @glide said. You are looking at at least a couple of years before you could theoretically buy said vehicle. Probably MUCH longer.

Since tesla is STILL battery constrained (they cant make batteries fast enough) there is no (zip, nada, none) incentive for them to make a "cheaper" car to put batteries into at this point, other than "for the environment!". You would likely be waiting "years" for this vehicle, with years being defined as at least a couple, more like 3+.

Secondly, while no one at all can predict retail car values, planning a purchase around what your car will be worth whenever you sell it has never made a lot of sense to me, unless you are in the business of flipping cars. Even with that being said, when the model Y was released, model 3 values did not "quickly sink".

No one knows, but what you are basically saying / asking is "I dont want to buy a model 3 now, and have the model 2 or whatever its called quickly sink values when that car is released 3 years ish from now, do you think that will happen?"

 

[bill-dub-ya]

You should still have the option of leasing a Model 3. When the lease is up, you can see what other options may exist at that time (Model 2, Cybertruck, etc.).

 

[srs5694]

(Donning my flame-retardant suit....)

If you want a less expensive/smaller EV than the Model 3 and you want it soon, then I'd suggest you look at some non-Tesla EVs. Something like the Kia Niro EV or refreshed Chevy Bolt might work for you. Granted, you won't get the same DC fast charging speed, software updates, or other Tesla-specific features, but these vehicles are available now. If the Tesla Model 2 materializes in a few years, and if you like what you see in it, you can always trade in the EV you buy today for the Model 2.

 

[jjrandorin]

(Donning my flame-retardant suit....)

If you want a less expensive/smaller EV than the Model 3 and you want it soon, then I'd suggest you look at some non-Tesla EVs. Something like the Kia Niro EV or refreshed Chevy Bolt might work for you. Granted, you won't get the same DC fast charging speed, software updates, or other Tesla-specific features, but these vehicles are available now. If the Tesla Model 2 materializes in a few years, and if you like what you see in it, you can always trade in the EV you buy today for the Model 2.

Hopefully no flame retardant suit needed, since that is a perfectly reasonable thought process and suggestion.

 

[JustJohn]

Might wait for the 2 but you know, I'd never get the first round of the newest stuff here. Unsurprisingly the new S is abundant with the classic paint or alignment issues.

Don't want to wait for the 2 only for delays and then disappointing first several months of production. So even if it comes out next year I feel like I'd want to wait another year again.

But I'm sick of not having my own Tesla but don't want to get a 3 right now and have the 2 quickly sink the retail value of the 3. Do you think this would happen?

Quality issues are going to be there but the internet (and forums) distort actual figures. Owners with complaints, both real and imagined, are more motivated to talk about them online. Owners with no issues, like me, seldom make a point of praising something that is taken for granted. Either way, I wouldn't expect a Model 2's quality to be vastly different from the Model 3.

 

[Rmchrger]

(Donning my flame-retardant suit....)

If you want a less expensive/smaller EV than the Model 3 and you want it soon, then I'd suggest you look at some non-Tesla EVs.

Oh no you didn't just say... where's my not a flame thrower...lol.... joking of course.

Wife also wants that newer cheaper "mini tesla" as we call it. Thats if it becomes available. If not, then we'll probably look at the cheapest good condition used 3 we can find.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

I'd suspect - per some other posters - you're not going to be able to buy a "Model 2" any sooner than 2 years from now.

Are you not digging on an M3 in general, i.e., you want something more compact? If you're OK with an M3, maybe a shorter term lease like 24 months on an SR or LR[?] A lease would sort of cover your concern about value on the backside, particularly if/when a smaller model comes to the US.

 

[2021srplus]

If you can't/don't want to wait AND you want to minimize the effect of depreciation, purchase a used Bolt EV and drive it like crazy before GM sends you a notice to replace the battery pack, after which you'll have an even greater life of the vehicle until the Tesla that meets your needs arrives.

 

[afadeev]

Might wait for the 2 but you know [...] Don't want to wait for the 2 only for delays and then disappointing first several months of production. [...] But I'm sick of not having my own Tesla but don't want and have the 2 quickly sink the retail value of the 3. Do you think this would happen?

You, clearly, don't want either 3 or 2.
Hold out for 1, or better yet, Model 0. It will be 'da sh*t, that will sink the retail value of 3 and 2 !

 

[glide]

Quality issues are going to be there but the internet (and forums) distort actual figures. Owners with complaints, both real and imagined, are more motivated to talk about them online. Owners with no issues, like me, seldom make a point of praising something that is taken for granted. Either way, I wouldn't expect a Model 2's quality to be vastly different from the Model 3.

This excuse is so tired these days. Tesla quality is absolute crap. Whether people complain about it or not is a different story.

In Ryan Shaw’s most recent video, 3 out of 3 Plaids he saw all had serious defects. Doug Demurio called out poor quality in this Plaid review. Daerik’s Plaid had issues. And these are the vehicles making their way to influencers. Come to think of it, I have not seen a MS refresh delivered WITHOUT issues.

You can’t call that a statistical anomaly.

 

[stopcrazypp]

This excuse is so tired these days. Tesla quality is absolute crap. Whether people complain about it or not is a different story.

In Ryan Shaw’s most recent video, 3 out of 3 Plaids he saw all had serious defects. Doug Demurio called out poor quality in this Plaid review. Daerik’s Plaid had issues. And these are the vehicles making their way to influencers. Come to think of it, I have not seen a MS refresh delivered WITHOUT issues.

You can’t call that a statistical anomaly.

That's still anecdotal accounts of that particular new vehicle (same point the post you are responding to was saying), doesn't really say much about overall Tesla quality (can't tell what percentage is affected) and especially something like a Model 3 that they have been making for a while.

Unlike other companies, Tesla doesn't really seem to care about making "ringers", so that they are going to influencers don't really play any factor.

"Quality" also covers a lot of things, from cosmetic to mechanical.

 

[Ptheven]

If you can't/don't want to wait AND you want to minimize the effect of depreciation, purchase a used Bolt EV and drive it like crazy before GM sends you a notice to replace the battery pack, after which you'll have an even greater life of the vehicle until the Tesla that meets your needs arrives.

With how bad the seats in the Bolt are, I could never in good conscience recommend one.

 

[RedModel3]

Might wait for the 2 but you know, I'd never get the first round of the newest stuff here. Unsurprisingly the new S is abundant with the classic paint or alignment issues.

Don't want to wait for the 2 only for delays and then disappointing first several months of production. So even if it comes out next year I feel like I'd want to wait another year again.

But I'm sick of not having my own Tesla but don't want to get a 3 right now and have the 2 quickly sink the retail value of the 3. Do you think this would happen?

How much are you going to spend on gasoline and engine maintenance in the meantime?

 

[JustJohn]

This excuse is so tired these days. Tesla quality is absolute crap. Whether people complain about it or not is a different story.

In Ryan Shaw’s most recent video, 3 out of 3 Plaids he saw all had serious defects. Doug Demurio called out poor quality in this Plaid review. Daerik’s Plaid had issues. And these are the vehicles making their way to influencers. Come to think of it, I have not seen a MS refresh delivered WITHOUT issues.

You can’t call that a statistical anomaly.

I'm not calling it a statistical anomaly, I'm calling it a distorted internet opinion. You'll also recall that this is a Model 3 thread, not a Model S Plaid review so instead of a few discrete data points, you've presented none at all.
Before you go lumping me in with the "fan boy" cult, I've had various issues with several makes that were relatively small volume runs I've owned in the last decade, all under warranty. Cooper S, really no issues, great salesman. E46 BMW (in Germany), failed crank sensor, thousand Euro oil change at the 12000km service, Cooper Works Mini, crap: Blown clutch, blown engine, failed throttle body, M6, crap: Fail turbo oil feed line, failed driver seat motor, G37, not crap, exceptional dealer experience, Audi, also not crap, I consider this a fluke. Jeep Wrangler, no issues, it's just an uncomfortable vehicle to begin with. i3, failed fuel pressure sensor, failed charge port door, still happy with the vehicle overall.
Those are anecdotal data points, nothing more. I'll also maintain that satisfied customers are far less likely to comment that dissatisfied ones and forums or "influencers" reflect reality about as well as a Warner Brother's cartoon.

 

[glide]

I'm not calling it a statistical anomaly, I'm calling it a distorted internet opinion. You'll also recall that this is a Model 3 thread, not a Model S Plaid review so instead of a few discrete data points, you've presented none at all.
Before you go lumping me in with the "fan boy" cult, I've had various issues with several makes that were relatively small volume runs I've owned in the last decade, all under warranty. Cooper S, really no issues, great salesman. E46 BMW (in Germany), failed crank sensor, thousand Euro oil change at the 12000km service, Cooper Works Mini, crap: Blown clutch, blown engine, failed throttle body, M6, crap: Fail turbo oil feed line, failed driver seat motor, G37, not crap, exceptional dealer experience, Audi, also not crap, I consider this a fluke. Jeep Wrangler, no issues, it's just an uncomfortable vehicle to begin with. i3, failed fuel pressure sensor, failed charge port door, still happy with the vehicle overall.
Those are anecdotal data points, nothing more. I'll also maintain that satisfied customers are far less likely to comment that dissatisfied ones and forums or "influencers" reflect reality about as well as a Warner Brother's cartoon.

If they cannot get their $130K flagship vehicle right, what makes you think a Model 3 rolling off the line is any different?

Tesla quality control is the worst in the auto industry. People really need to stop making excuses for it.

 

[Gasaraki]

"Model 2" is just a rumor and like everyone said, there are not enough batteries to make the vehicles they want to make right now. With the Cybertruck, Semi, Roadster coming online, they will take up all the slack of the new 4860 cells and the 2170 cells will continue to be used up in the Model 3 and Model Y due to high demand for those vehicles.

Maybe they will release the Model 2 in China for the domestic market there because they have so much competition there. They need something cheap to compete with the other cheap EVs but probably won't be exported.

Think about it. What kind of EV are you going to get at $25,000? Nothing good, that's for sure. There are not even that many ICE vehicles that are $25,000, let alone an EV that has a higher material cost.

 

[stopcrazypp]

If they cannot get their $130K flagship vehicle right, what makes you think a Model 3 rolling off the line is any different?

Tesla quality control is the worst in the auto industry. People really need to stop making excuses for it.

That's a fallacy though that more expensive cars are necessarily higher quality. A lot of the luxury brands have relatively poor quality, with lots of things breaking early in its life (was just reading about cylinder misfire problems in Mercedes engines), while a cheap car like a Corolla remains reliable for a long time. It has to do with using older components (Toyota tends to be behind the times in tech, but uses tried and true components as long as possible) and the line running longer.

First year / new release problems also tend to crop up no matter what level the car as the people are getting used to assembly.