Model 3 RHD confirmed for Mid-2018

[Candleflame]

there isn't really a budget as such. But it's clear that I won't be leasing a Model S as I just cannot justify spending that much on a car. At least not one I only plan to keep for like 12 months. I had a bit of a look at some leasing plans in Australia (although I think I won't be able to have salary packaging initially) but they seem to be very pricey if I lease for less than 36 months...

Location will be Townsville/Cairns. It will be mainly for traveling around the area but I would occasionally be visiting friends which are potentially farish away.

My needs exclude small hatchbacks, general motors/american cars and automatic gearboxes for ICEs(now that's a problem in australia right there i think).

I had the perfect backup plan which was buying/leasing a Hyundai Ioniq EV and then those ***** are delaying it till 2018 in Australia. WTF.

Hyundai reveals reason for Ioniq delay

They are blaming it on the infotament system. like... I have never heard anything as rediculous like this. I have seen RHD versions driving around in the UK since October last year.

 

[Shock-On-T]

That's a bit of a bummer given that I am moving to Australia in 2 months time. Hoped I could bridge to the Model 3 with a rented/loaned car for a few months but that is obviously not really viable anymore.

Anybody any ideas what the best plan of action is if i need a car in australia from June 2017 until the M3 arrives (I am a day 1 or 2 reservation holder so should hopefully get it rather early in Aus)

You can rent a plain old Toyota Corolla long-term from Bayswater Car Rentals in Sydney for $25/day.
Also there are sharing services like goget in Sydney.
Then there's Uber, which often works out cheaper than owning if you're not commuting far every day.
Finally you could buy a cheap 2nd hand car and sell it when the M3 comes out.
That's probably the best option if you're waiting a year for the M3.
I remember years ago buying a Hyundai Accent in London. Just walked in to car yard, card and PIN in the machine, got the keys and papers and drove off. Total transaction time 15 minutes. Drove that little champ for a year until we were settled in.

 

[Burnt Toast]

there isn't really a budget as such. But it's clear that I won't be leasing a Model S as I just cannot justify spending that much on a car. At least not one I only plan to keep for like 12 months. I had a bit of a look at some leasing plans in Australia (although I think I won't be able to have salary packaging initially) but they seem to be very pricey if I lease for less than 36 months...

Location will be Townsville/Cairns. It will be mainly for traveling around the area but I would occasionally be visiting friends which are potentially farish away.

My needs exclude small hatchbacks, general motors/american cars and automatic gearboxes for ICEs(now that's a problem in australia right there i think).

I had the perfect backup plan which was buying/leasing a Hyundai Ioniq EV and then those ***** are delaying it till 2018 in Australia. WTF.

Hyundai reveals reason for Ioniq delay

They are blaming it on the infotament system. like... I have never heard anything as rediculous like this. I have seen RHD versions driving around in the UK since October last year.

I think you might want to have a look at car prices (cash) in Australia in general, you will be in for a nasty surprise. It's bluediculous.

 

[moose]

Our 1997 Toyota Camry Grande got rear ended and was totaled by the insurance company. They paid me out $3g and bought a 2001 Mercedes E240 with 150,000 clicks for an extra $1g. This to tide us over until the 3 arrives we had hoped by mid next year, which is still a possibility based on what we hear on RHD.

 

[meloccom]

Our 1997 Toyota Camry Grande got rear ended and was totaled by the insurance company. They paid me out $3g and bought a 2001 Mercedes E240 with 150,000 clicks for an extra $1g. This to tide us over until the 3 arrives we had hoped by mid next year, which is still a possibility based on what we hear on RHD.

The same thing happened to me in October 2013 when my 1999 Mercedes A160 was rear ended by a texting teenager in a Jeep and was written off. I ended up buying a Holden SV6 ute in partnership with my brother and sold him my share when we picked up the Model S in December 2014.
Got a lot of trips to the tip done that year.

 

[Candleflame]

Does Tesla do the car trade in thing in Australia where they pick up your old car up when you get your new car and sell it for you?

 

[Candleflame]

I think you might want to have a look at car prices (cash) in Australia in general, you will be in for a nasty surprise. It's bluediculous.

The UK is one of the most expensive places in the world to own a car so I don't think there will be any surprises in Australia.

 

[Burnt Toast]

The UK is one of the most expensive places in the world to own a car so I don't think there will be any surprises in Australia.

Sorry mate, but your are terribly misinformed. The UK is one of the cheapest places in the world to buy a car. Australian cars often cost more than twice as much as UK cars, especially when you are stepping up into Tesla money. (Teslas being the exception with standardised pricing). As an example, A Mercedes E350 retails for about $150,000 before options (which are very expensive here), so £92,000 vs £48,000 in the U.K. It gets worse as you go up too. An S class can easily set you back $400k. I lived in the UK for 7 years and the prices were exceptionally low, sometimes close to the lowest in they world exchange rate dependant.

 

[Burnt Toast]

Also if you are moving to Australia for the first time, finance could be an issue as you won't have a credit history.

 

[Blue heaven]

there isn't really a budget as such. But it's clear that I won't be leasing a Model S as I just cannot justify spending that much on a car. At least not one I only plan to keep for like 12 months. I had a bit of a look at some leasing plans in Australia (although I think I won't be able to have salary packaging initially) but they seem to be very pricey if I lease for less than 36 months...

Location will be Townsville/Cairns. It will be mainly for traveling around the area but I would occasionally be visiting friends which are potentially farish away.

My needs exclude small hatchbacks, general motors/american cars and automatic gearboxes for ICEs(now that's a problem in australia right there i think).

I had the perfect backup plan which was buying/leasing a Hyundai Ioniq EV and then those ***** are delaying it till 2018 in Australia. WTF.

Hyundai reveals reason for Ioniq delay

They are blaming it on the infotament system. like... I have never heard anything as rediculous like this. I have seen RHD versions driving around in the UK since October last year.

Hi Candleflame

Following on from ShockOnT, you can't go past a second hand Toyota to fill in the 12-18 months, anything up to 15 years old, Toyota's are gutless, boring and virtually indestructible, parts are easy to get, service centres everywhere.
If you see one for sale and it has a "I love lawn bowls" sticker on the back buy it, Klugers wagons are great but have auto gearboxes, I think the odd Camry is sold as a manual, beware of some Toyota's though- they have a habit of drifting in to the right hand lane and cruising at 5kmh below the speed limit.

 

[Candleflame]

Sorry mate, but your are terribly misinformed. The UK is one of the cheapest places in the world to buy a car. Australian cars often cost more than twice as much as UK cars, especially when you are stepping up into Tesla money. (Teslas being the exception with standardised pricing). As an example, A Mercedes E350 retails for about $150,000 before options (which are very expensive here), so £92,000 vs £48,000 in the U.K. It gets worse as you go up too. An S class can easily set you back $400k. I lived in the UK for 7 years and the prices were exceptionally low, sometimes close to the lowest in they world exchange rate dependant.

I had a look at some BMWs in Australia and the price difference isn't really that big (i am aware of australian taxation) - more to do with the low pound at the moment. I really dont know where you get the 48 vs 92k from. That sounds hardly believable.
In the UK you get shafted with insurance costs and high fuel prices. When I used to live in Australia I remember car ownership costs to be relativley low and obviously wages are much higher.

@Burnt Toast. Seeing how I probs wont be able to get salary packaging I will very likely buy a 2nd hand car anyways. I'm just struggeling somewhat with the selection as most cars seem to be automatic in Aus.

 

[Burnt Toast]

I had a look at some BMWs in Australia and the price difference isn't really that big (i am aware of australian taxation) - more to do with the low pound at the moment. I really dont know where you get the 48 vs 92k from. That sounds hardly believable.
In the UK you get shafted with insurance costs and high fuel prices.

@Burnt Toast. Seeing how I probs wont be able to get salary packaging I will very likely buy a 2nd hand car anyways. I'm just struggeling somewhat with the selection as most cars seem to be automatic in Aus.

I'm afraid you are mistaken, those figures I got are off the Mercedes Australia drive away website and the Mercedes UK website. That is an example, there are many others. The more expensive a car gets, the bigger the gap gets. Very cheap cars like Toyota Echos are actually cheaper in Australia, but step up to a mid level luxury car and the gap is huge.

The price has little to do with taxation (taxation on a car above about $60k is ~ 10% GST ~10% import duties and ~ 33% luxury car tax) So add those on top of the base price. The base price in Australia is also higher than most other countries (I think only Singapore, Malaysia and Denmark are more expensive), so double the price of UK cars is pretty standard as a RRP. The manufacturers set the base price and rip off consumers in Australia, because we are not allowed to import cars personally. Exchange rate certainly plays a part, but given the Australian dollar is down on the US dollar also, and around about traditional levels with the pound, it has little effect on the price. Double has always been the gold standard for Australian car prices versus the UK prices for the last 20 years. Step up to a Rolls Royce and you are looking at triple ($1.4million on the road for a Phantom DHC for example).

If you want accurate pricing, go to the manufacturers websites and look at their drive away pricing section. (Put in your destination state). You will get a nasty surprise. Luckily for us, Tesla doesn't play this game, and charges the same rate for their cars (plus tax). As an examples, a Model S60D with leather and autopilot (but no other options) is about $150k on the road (£91,000).

In terms of manual transmissions, pretty much no one buys a manual in Australia unless they are buying a sports car (but even then most opt for a DCT box). When I lived in the UK there was this notion that people were superior drivers if they had a manual and they seemed to think they had more control of the car, or somehow it provided more enjoyment. Having owned a manual car in both Australia and the UK, I can safely say that an automatic gearbox is superior in every way, including performance, fuel economy and ease of use in traffic (bad in Australian capital cities). Modern automatic boxes such as a ZF8 are fantastic and vastly superior to manuals. Just try one.

 

[Candleflame]

I don't like automatics & I have tried them before. As you can see I am not alone as they are somewhat rare in Europe. And more expensive.

Anyways, re: pricing:

I can't really see how this is any different. The UK models are actually slightly more expensive if the pound wouldnt have dropped so much in value.

 

[Burnt Toast]

I don't like automatics & I have tried them before. As you can see I am not alone as they are somewhat rare in Europe. And more expensive.

Anyways, re: pricing:

I can't really see how this is any different. The UK models are actually slightly more expensive if the pound wouldnt have dropped so much in value.

Dude, you need to do the maths. £25,000 is $AUD40,000. The 320d starts at $70,168 which is £56,000. Those are your figures, and that is a cheaper car, step up to something decent and the price gap will grow. (£48,000 for the 318i but nobody would buy that here, far too small engine).

Also I suggest you try a good automatic versus a bad one. Big difference. Just live with one and you'll find it a better solution. Also when it comes time to sell your car, if it's manual you will have a really hard time selling it here. Nobody wants them.

 

[Shock-On-T]

Just to chime in:
Living abroad can be stressful and you don't want to be buying an expensive car until you're settled in (or you have plenty of free cash).
You never know if you, or someone in your entourage, will suddenly get homesick or need to repatriate for any of a number of reasons.
Much easier if you're offloading a Corolla than a Model S

As for UK vs Aus car prices, the U.K. Is much cheaper, especially for 2nd hand and new prestige.
The UK also provides discounts for efficient cars, which makes EV ownership cheaper.

And finally, if you don't like automatics, you're gonna hate Teslas! They are more auto than auto.
I used to prefer manual, but it's so tiresome in city traffic I could never go back.

 

[meloccom]

You can buy low mileage Nissan Leaves for around $25k along with a share car or rental for longer trips.
Biggest problem would be selling the Leaf at the end.

 

[Candleflame]

Dude, you need to do the maths. £25,000 is $AUD40,000. The 320d starts at $70,168 which is £56,000. Those are your figures, and that is a cheaper car, step up to something decent and the price gap will grow. (£48,000 for the 318i but nobody would buy that here, far too small engine).

Also I suggest you try a good automatic versus a bad one. Big difference. Just live with one and you'll find it a better solution. Also when it comes time to sell your car, if it's manual you will have a really hard time selling it here. Nobody wants them.

Ok let's do the maths:
The 320d is 33000 pounds in the uk which was before the pound crashed last year around 73000 AUD. This does not take into account that the median household income in the UK 2013/14 was 23000 pounds (59000 AUD at the time) and in Australia 2013/2014 81000 AUD. And that fuel is about half the cost of what it is in the UK. And that Australian insurance is probably a fraction of the UK insurance cost.

I mean, I agree, cars in the UK are usually somewhat cheaper than France/Germany etc, particularly second hand cars. So I am not surprised that this also holds true for comparing the UK to Australia, which has also the problem of being far away from manufacturing.

Good point regarding selling the car ,that could be a bummer.

Just to chime in:
Living abroad can be stressful and you don't want to be buying an expensive car until you're settled in (or you have plenty of free cash).
You never know if you, or someone in your entourage, will suddenly get homesick or need to repatriate for any of a number of reasons.
Much easier if you're offloading a Corolla than a Model S

As for UK vs Aus car prices, the U.K. Is much cheaper, especially for 2nd hand and new prestige.
The UK also provides discounts for efficient cars, which makes EV ownership cheaper.

And finally, if you don't like automatics, you're gonna hate Teslas! They are more auto than auto.
I used to prefer manual, but it's so tiresome in city traffic I could never go back.

If I get homesick I will take take my Model 3 with me or if it's a nicer ICE, that maybe too. Not a problem to re-register it in Germany. Only reason I'm not doing that with my car here is because it's a LHD and I won't be able to get an Aussie license plate with it. I don't consider EVs automatics; no annoying creep and it's a single reduction gear instead of a transmission.


@Melecom Not interested in the Leaf. It's a small ugly hatchback with low range. And even I can see how this would be a difficult sell in Aus.

 

[Burnt Toast]

Ok let's do the maths:
The 320d is 33000 pounds in the uk which was before the pound crashed last year around 73000 AUD. This does not take into account that the median household income in the UK 2013/14 was 23000 pounds (59000 AUD at the time) and in Australia 2013/2014 81000 AUD. And that fuel is about half the cost of what it is in the UK. And that Australian insurance is probably a fraction of the UK insurance cost.

I mean, I agree, cars in the UK are usually somewhat cheaper than France/Germany etc, particularly second hand cars. So I am not surprised that this also holds true for comparing the UK to Australia, which has also the problem of being far away from manufacturing.

Good point regarding selling the car ,that could be a bummer.




If I get homesick I will take take my Model 3 with me or if it's a nicer ICE, that maybe too. Not a problem to re-register it in Germany. Only reason I'm not doing that with my car here is because it's a LHD and I won't be able to get an Aussie license plate with it. I don't consider EVs automatics; no annoying creep and it's a single reduction gear instead of a transmission.


@Melecom Not interested in the Leaf. It's a small ugly hatchback with low range. And even I can see how this would be a difficult sell in Aus.

Mate you can argue till the cows come home, but I've lived in both countries for many years, owned cars in both countries and I can tell that that unequivocally, cars in Australia have always traditionally been double the price of UK cars for moderate to expensive cars. I just had a look at the pounds performance over the last year, and the highest point on the graph was 2.0:1, which would make a 320d worth $66k Aud. This however was an extreme peak, and not representative of the avg price. You might want to live in a fantasy world where cars are cheap in Australia, but the reality is that they are and always have been extremely expensive, only bested by a couple of countries. The costs of ownership in the UK is higher without a doubt, in terms of petrol, but service and parts are significantly cheaper in the UK (by half) and unless you are an 18 year old male, insurance is equivelant. Income is no doubt higher in Australia, but that doesn't change absolute costs, and the cost of living in Australia is extremely high, area dependent. Luckily for you Queensland is about the cheapest place to live, but in Melbourne or
Sydney the cost of accommodation is higher than London on average. These days a 2 bedroom house in a nice suburb in Melbourne are often pushing $2 million, with an average well over the million mark. Sydney is even more expensive, with a citywide average (including the bad suburbs, and there are a lot of them) around $1 mill. The cost of food in Australia is also significantly more than the UK, but on the flip side it is also better quality. And don't get me started on (in pretty much every sense) compulsory private health care. So yes incomes in Australia are higher than the UK, but so is the cost of living. The cost of cars is significantly higher and has and always will be. Even if you find your extreme example of currency peak, you will still find that stepping up to a mid range sized car like a 5 series would show a huge price difference. Mid engine, mid sized entry level luxury cars have always occupied the $130-150k realm (now they are largely in the 150k end).

 

[BenT]

"Mate you can argue till the cows come home, ..."

Please don't feel you have to.

 

[moose]

We are in Siem Reap Cambodia. Our driver (tuk tuk and car for longer trips) bought a 2002 Toyota Camry with 130,000 km for US$11,000. We bought a 2001 Mercedes E240 with 150,000 km for AU$4,000. Granted that was an exceptional deal. Book value was AU$7,500 to AU$9,000. But that is still a long ways from what Cambodian have to pay for 2nd hand cars.

No one has seen a Tesla in Cambodia, however, there are some in Hanoi, Vietnam. Not expecting to find one in Ho Chi Minh City, but who knows. There is one in Casablanca!