Model 3 vs CPO Model S without AP

[mellt]

Hello folks,

So I plan to purchase our first Tesla car later this year (probably around November / December). The budget is around $65K. For that kind of money I can get a new Model 3 (AWD or RWD) with LR upgrade and premium interior OR a used Model S (probably something like 2015 85D or even 2016 90D - saw one in my city for sale for about $62K several weeks ago).

I've seen several threads like that, but there's one thing I'd like to mention in mine: I do not care about AP. I want to drive my car on my own and as long as there's some sort of a cruise control, I'm good. So I guess AP hardware version doesn't bother me that much (not sure how good AP1 is though).

When it comes to a used MS, my only concern is that it's kinda old and might have lots of issues so that I'll have to travel to SC often. Also, not sure how much more insurance for MS will cost (compared to M3).

What do you guys think?

 

[Tam]

Range is King in my book so I wouldn't get one with less range if I have the money!

 

[iluvmacs]

It really comes down to your preference of design and size of car. We thought it was a much better deal to get a CPO S for the same price as a new 3. 6 months later we sold it and got the 3 because we discovered how much of a better car it was for us. The S was huuuuge to drive (though I did like the cargo space!). You can really see all the design refinements in the 3. Plus we love how much more efficient it is.

 

[mellt]

I thought that since I'm getting a CPO vehicle with 4y/50k warranty AND free supercharging, in a long (like 3-4 years) it's going to be a cheaper to maintain car. On the other hand, no matter how you slice it, M3 is a newer car (as you mentioned) and probably it's more future-proof.

 

[Rockster]

We have both an S and a 3. in general, long road trips with lots of people and "stuff" we prefer to take the S (plus, it has free Supercharging). For daily driving, or for road trips with fewer people and less stuff, we prefer the 3 because it's more maneuverable and more nimble.

 

[mellt]

It's a bit hard to predict if we'll be driving A LOT out of town. Traffic in my city is not very dense even during peak hours, so I can't say there's a lot of stop-n-go driving. But I heard a lot of people say that after purchasing a Tesla car their driving activity increases significantly. Also, we are a family of 4 (2 small kids).

 

[AngryCPA]

Given your budget and not caring about AP, I’d get the base performance Model 3!

 

[Troy]

Range should be a bigger concern to you. Model S and X cars don't have the advertised range but the Model 3 does. Just to give you an idea, here are some Consumer Reports test scores:

Model S 75D:
259 mi advertised range
235 miles at 65 mph Consumer Reports test score (source)

Model X 90D
257 mi advertised range
230 miles at 65 mph Consumer Reports test score (source)

Model 3 LR
310 mi advertised range
350 miles at 65 mph Consumer Reports test score (source)

Range drops as the speed increases. The Model S 85D has 236 miles range at 75 mph when new. Let's say the used Model S you want to buy has 95% capacity left. That means 0.95*236= 224 miles. In winter you will lose 15-30%. Let's assume 15%. That means 0.85*224= 191 miles range left.

The distance between Kingman, AZ, and Flagstaff, AZ Superchargers is 147 miles. Check out supercharge.info. You need to leave some buffer too. That means you are already running into problems with range and it will get worse over time as the battery degrades more when your mileage increases. You would have to Supercharge to 100% which is not a good idea because Supercharging slows down as the battery gets full. Check out THIS video that shows 23 minutes between 90-99%.

 

[mellt]

Range should be a bigger concern to you. Model S and X cars don't have the advertised range but the Model 3 does. Just to give you an idea, here are some Consumer Reports test scores:

Model S 75D:
259 mi advertised range
235 miles at 65 mph Consumer Reports test score (source)

Model X 90D
257 mi advertised range
230 miles at 65 mph Consumer Reports test score (source)

Model 3 LR
310 mi advertised range
350 miles at 65 mph Consumer Reports test score (source)

Range drops as the speed increases. The Model S 85D has 236 miles range at 75 mph when new. Let's say the used Model S you want to buy has 95% capacity left. That means 0.95*236= 224 miles. In winter you will lose 15-30%. Let's assume 15%. That means 0.85*224= 191 miles range left.

The distance between Kingman, AZ, and Flagstaff, AZ Superchargers is 147 miles. Check out supercharge.info. You need to leave some buffer too. That means you are already running into problems with range and it will get worse over time as the battery degrades more when your mileage increases. You would have to Supercharge to 100% which is not a good idea because Supercharging slows down as the battery gets full. Check out THIS video that shows 23 minutes between 90-99%.

Thanks a lot for your detailed response! I think I'll be getting a M3DL w/o EAP - what's cool is that I can always add it later.

By the way, I saw several reports where people complain about M3L range - in some cases they can't even get 50% of the advertised range (even when driving using EAP). Did you guys hear about cases like that?

 

[talkingevs]

For me....new battery and longer range. Longer time under warranty. It's a no brainier

 

[farrell]

I bought a cpo s 85rwd with auto pilot get ap its worth it we also have a model 3 both cars are amazing its hard to choose which one to use on any given day. Both are worth every penny Sorry I'm no help at all

 

[Singuy]

I was going to go for a used model S but you are paying for old tech. The model 3 has an upgraded drive train with the magnetic motors, liquid cooled Intel processor for the touch screen, and new generation of batteries. The 7500 tax credit also brings the price down for the model 3. So becasue of this, I decided on the model 3 and also don't care baout AP.

 

[nvx1977]

Efficiency on the 3 is so much better than my S85 (no AP either). And if you like the pleasure of just driving (which I think you do given that you don't care for AP), the 3 is much more fun to drive. The car feels so much lighter than the S. The steering wheel is smaller and more responsive (less turning of the wheel to get car to turn).

Model S insurance is way higher than Model 3. This is primarily due to aluminum body panels. They cost a ton to repair. My 2014 S costs way more to insure than my new 2018 Model 3.

The S is better for trips due to better storage capacity. Power liftgate is really nice. Model 3 has a spacious trunk, but the opening requires you to sideload things in. Model S being a hatch allows much easier placement of stuff into the trunk.

The S, even a used one, is better for catching others' eyes (if you care about that).

 

[mellt]

Thanks guys! Really appreciate all the feedback. I decided to go with M3 AWD mainly because I don't really have much space for MS AND, as you said, the tech is newer in M3. We'll see how it goes in September - October