Model X Wannabe: How to convince the wife?

[Mdlxwannabe]

Hi Folks. Great forum, and lots of good info. I've searched, and read through a lot of similar threads to my subject.

Currently have family (~4 year old, and 1.5 year old), and driving a 2005 Honda Pilot with wife having a 2013 Subaru Outback.

My friend just took delivery of his Y, (AS WELL AS A NEWBORN), took me for a ride recently and it was LIFECHANGING.

My main roadblock now is my wife. Currently, we have 138K on the Pilot and realistically is serviceable for the next 3-5 years.

What are some "practical" pointers I can ponder on as I strategize the next 3-6 months so that my wife is more amendable to the idea?

Current State:

• I just turned 40; this could be indicative of a mid-life crisis. I can continue my Wannabe status forever.
• Two serviceable cars at home (2005 Pilot - 138K - Mine) with no daily commute for the foresee able future.
• Wife will not go on a test drive.
• Current financial situation, we are able to afford, but have not had a 100K car in the past before.

What i've tried with wife to no avail:

• Reviewed past 2 years of maintenance (oil, brake jobs, gas) and miscellaneous costs for the Pilot.
• Reviewed and compared to KwH we pay at home (padding with potential charging).
• Reviewed NTSB safety ratings of the X.
• Discussed the potential improvements and life changing benefits of Autopilot and FSD the next 3-5 years.

Any other suggestions? (practical ones, vs. get divorced, etc.)

Thanks for reading my sob story. I will continue to live vicariously through you X owners for foreseeable future.

 

[Puddles]

As a motorcyclist, I can vouch for the safety aspect. Make everything about safety.

"Hon, I need this cool new helmet. It is much safer than the one I have."

"Hon, Yamaha just came out with a really nice new sports touring bike that is SO MUCH safer than what we have now."

"Look at these kangaroo skin gloves. They would be a LOT more comfortable than these cowhide gloves and comfort equals safety!"

"Babe, these tight leather riding pants would be SO MUCH safer than the baggy mesh pants you have now."

I'm sure you're up to this.

 

[DSolie]

Same boat as you, just down the freeway. I too took a ride that was life changing. At 43, I attributed it to a mid-life crisis. The wife wouldn't "allow" me to budget a new 100k+ Model X, so I looked at used inventory and was pleasantly surprised. Find one with under 50k miles and you get a 4/50k warranty.

I found a 2016 75D MX with 24k miles in Dallas from the used inventory and she arrived in Renton this AM. Pickup is tomorrow at 2pm.

 

[Mdlxwannabe]

Same boat as you, just down the freeway. I too took a ride that was life changing. At 43, I attributed it to a mid-life crisis. The wife wouldn't "allow" me to budget a new 100k+ Model X, so I looked at used inventory and was pleasantly surprised. Find one with under 50k miles and you get a 4/50k warranty.

I found a 2016 75D MX with 24k miles in Dallas from the used inventory and she arrived in Renton this AM. Pickup is tomorrow at 2pm.

Surely, I was not the only one... May I ask, how long until you were able to convince your wife?

Also, is this part of your strategic plan of eventually trading in for a new model one she sees the light?

 

[NoSoup4U!]

You may want to tell her that you can get this amazing car for a huge discount if you're going for a pre-raven 2018 or 2019 model. I have one of those and, since Tesla dropped the price on these, our cars have lost considerable value. It does NOT need to be a $100k car at all. While the difference between a '16 X and the current raven X might be strong, the difference from an '18 or '19 X to the raven is less so.
Good Luck with wifey!

 

[buckerine]

So what exactly is her objection? If the finances permit and it's a nice upgrade from what you currently have, why is she saying no? I had to fight this battle, too, but my wife loved the layout of the six seater and it's way easier to get kids in and out with the falcon wing doors. She's loved it in the time that we've had it.

 

[cypho]

My wife was not on board with my Tesla plans. She also wouldn't go on a test drive. So I purchased a model 3 I didn't tell her about it until after.

Within a few weeks we were no longer fighting over how I was an idiot for buying a car she didn't approve of. Nope, we were fighting over who got to drive the Tesla.

Next time we need a new car I doubt I could convince her to test drive anything other than a Tesla.

For my wife the killer feature is how the heat/ac continues to run when you are not in the car. After becoming accustomed to never having to climb into a car that is too hot or too cold, it is hard to give that up.

The model 3 is a good stepping stone to bigger and better things. Because the price is not (much) more than whatever car your wife had in mind it's a much easier sell. And then once she's hooked on Tesla, you can go for the model X next time.

 

[HadoukenZR]

Sellings points for me when I convinced my wife.

- Falcon wing doors : Save your back loading the kids into traditional SUVs (we had a Audi Q5 before). Model X loading kids is a god send!

- Auto Pilot : At first my wife didnt want me to use it since she didn't trust it. Then one day after I came back overseas from a business trip she swore AutoPilot was the best thing. Being able to turn around tending to the kids for a short time in bumper to bumper traffic on way to work was invaluable. Great for long distance trips too to reduce fatigue (confirmed is a huge help when we took road trips from SF to LA)

- Maintenance : Compared to gas cars, EV maintenance is a no brainer. We drove our MX for over 40K miles now and I've only had it serviced once for the 2yr maintenance. Much cheaper compared to gas cars.

- Not sure what finance rates nowadays but when I financed 100K it was 2%. Damn good deal

As others have said... Once you own a Tesla you wonder why you didn't get one sooner.

Disclaimer. Be ready to accept quality flaws and deal with occasional SW bugs. Literally a computer on wheels

 

[ChadS]

I basically followed cypho's plan - start with something cheaper for yourself, and let her experience it and, likely, take it over. In 2009 I told my wife I was going to replace my car with a used 2003 Toyota RAV4-EV. She said "experiment with your car all you want, but don't touch my car."

Within 3 weeks, she had commandeered the RAV4-EV, because she realized it was nicer than anything we had ever owned. At that point it was easy to convince her I should buy another EV, even though the only one available at the time was the Tesla Roadster. In fact she kind of pushed me to do it; I was really hesitant about spending that much money.

But since then, we haven't purchased anything but Teslas; in fact my wife won't consider (and doesn't want me to consider) anything else. She has a Cybertruck reservation, and is pushing me to trade my 3 in on a Y.

 

[DSolie]

Surely, I was not the only one... May I ask, how long until you were able to convince your wife?

Also, is this part of your strategic plan of eventually trading in for a new model one she sees the light?

It took about a week. I found the one(s) I wanted, got a few good lines on offloading my existing ride (2017 Tahoe). showed her the gas savings and was able to prove that owning the tesla would be about $50 more expensive/month over the Tahoe. That was the big helper.

She hee-haw'd for a day, to show dominance, then came to the dark side. she's already made a few comments on how she's going to want a tesla soon, she just feels it... and she's never even ridden in one.

Yes, my long term plan is to keep this for at least another 3-4 years, then upgrade from there.

 

[Mdlxwannabe]

So what exactly is her objection? If the finances permit and it's a nice upgrade from what you currently have, why is she saying no? I had to fight this battle, too, but my wife loved the layout of the six seater and it's way easier to get kids in and out with the falcon wing doors. She's loved it in the time that we've had it.

Just cannot comprehend why we'd spend that much on a car. EV and all. (along with other scenarios, WFH till who knows when, kids future tuition, expenses, etc).

 

[Mdlxwannabe]

Surely, I was not the only one... May I ask, how long until you were able to convince your wife?

Also, is this part of your strategic plan of eventually trading in for a new model one she sees the light?

Thanks.... I'll need it (or at least the mid life crisis ends)...

 

[Mdlxwannabe]

My wife was not on board with my Tesla plans. She also wouldn't go on a test drive. So I purchased a model 3 I didn't tell her about it until after.

Within a few weeks we were no longer fighting over how I was an idiot for buying a car she didn't approve of. Nope, we were fighting over who got to drive the Tesla.

Next time we need a new car I doubt I could convince her to test drive anything other than a Tesla.

For my wife the killer feature is how the heat/ac continues to run when you are not in the car. After becoming accustomed to never having to climb into a car that is too hot or too cold, it is hard to give that up.

The model 3 is a good stepping stone to bigger and better things. Because the price is not (much) more than whatever car your wife had in mind it's a much easier sell. And then once she's hooked on Tesla, you can go for the model X next time.

LOL... wow, glad it worked out for you in the end! Knowing my wife, I do not think that would be viable

 

[ChrisOtt]

I almost bought the X 2 years ago, now with the price drop and larger battery it makes more sense.

Resale prices are good, and charging rates just got updated. Short of a refresh, now is the best time if you need something.

That said, with no commute — I’d wait until after battery day to get an idea on what’s coming.

I’m only driving 1 of 2 cars at any given point but getting rid of one in two months. Since the 7-seat Y isn’t ready yet, I can save money and look forward to the new car.

Solution: put down $100 for the cyber truck and you have 3 years to think about it

 

[Mdlxwannabe]

Sellings points for me when I convinced my wife.

- Falcon wing doors : Save your back loading the kids into traditional SUVs (we had a Audi Q5 before). Model X loading kids is a god send!

- Auto Pilot : At first my wife didnt want me to use it since she didn't trust it. Then one day after I came back overseas from a business trip she swore AutoPilot was the best thing. Being able to turn around tending to the kids for a short time in bumper to bumper traffic on way to work was invaluable. Great for long distance trips too to reduce fatigue (confirmed is a huge help when we took road trips from SF to LA)

- Maintenance : Compared to gas cars, EV maintenance is a no brainer. We drove our MX for over 40K miles now and I've only had it serviced once for the 2yr maintenance. Much cheaper compared to gas cars.

- Not sure what finance rates nowadays but when I financed 100K it was 2%. Damn good deal

As others have said... Once you own a Tesla you wonder why you didn't get one sooner.

Disclaimer. Be ready to accept quality flaws and deal with occasional SW bugs. Literally a computer on wheels

Thanks, having made it this far yet in my negotiations..... Maybe i'll hit my head a few times loading our kids in our throw my back out to sell the falcon wings.

I did talk re the Maintenance and the reply I got was that all cars have associated costs and that's not a similar comparison as a new car purchase.

 

[Mdlxwannabe]

I almost bought the X 2 years ago, now with the price drop and larger battery it makes more sense.

Resale prices are good, and charging rates just got updated. Short of a refresh, now is the best time if you need something.

That said, with no commute — I’d wait until after battery day to get an idea on what’s coming.

I’m only driving 1 of 2 cars at any given point but getting rid of one in two months. Since the 7-seat Y isn’t ready yet, I can save money and look forward to the new car.

Solution: put down $100 for the cyber truck and you have 3 years to think about it

LOL, never thought about the cybertruck route... You may have found me the winner, sir!

 

[jabe99]

Hi Folks. Great forum, and lots of good info. I've searched, and read through a lot of similar threads to my subject.

Currently have family (~4 year old, and 1.5 year old), and driving a 2005 Honda Pilot with wife having a 2013 Subaru Outback.

My friend just took delivery of his Y, (AS WELL AS A NEWBORN), took me for a ride recently and it was LIFECHANGING.

My main roadblock now is my wife. Currently, we have 138K on the Pilot and realistically is serviceable for the next 3-5 years.


What are some "practical" pointers I can ponder on as I strategize the next 3-6 months so that my wife is more amendable to the idea?

Current State:

• I just turned 40; this could be indicative of a mid-life crisis. I can continue my Wannabe status forever.
• Two serviceable cars at home (2005 Pilot - 138K - Mine) with no daily commute for the foresee able future.
• Wife will not go on a test drive.
• Current financial situation, we are able to afford, but have not had a 100K car in the past before.

What i've tried with wife to no avail:

• Reviewed past 2 years of maintenance (oil, brake jobs, gas) and miscellaneous costs for the Pilot.
• Reviewed and compared to KwH we pay at home (padding with potential charging).
• Reviewed NTSB safety ratings of the X.
• Discussed the potential improvements and life changing benefits of Autopilot and FSD the next 3-5 years.

Any other suggestions? (practical ones, vs. get divorced, etc.)

Thanks for reading my sob story. I will continue to live vicariously through you X owners for foreseeable future.

Take her for a test ride. I bought an X with my wife's approval. She drove it all of the time. I had to buy another so I could drive one.

 

[MXLRplus]

The "Christmas Dance" Easter Egg seems to impress people.
If that doesn't work, try: "The Model X is jewelry you can drive, yet is good for the environment and the future. Many celebrities own Model X's. The kids will love it too!"

Personally I own one for pragmatic purposes. It's the closest thing to a truck that I can buy right now that runs off my surplus solar power. I love not having to go to gas stations.

 

[Mr. Jim]

Hi Folks. Great forum, and lots of good info. I've searched, and read through a lot of similar threads to my subject.

Currently have family (~4 year old, and 1.5 year old), and driving a 2005 Honda Pilot with wife having a 2013 Subaru Outback.

My friend just took delivery of his Y, (AS WELL AS A NEWBORN), took me for a ride recently and it was LIFECHANGING.

My main roadblock now is my wife. Currently, we have 138K on the Pilot and realistically is serviceable for the next 3-5 years.

What are some "practical" pointers I can ponder on as I strategize the next 3-6 months so that my wife is more amendable to the idea?

Current State:

• I just turned 40; this could be indicative of a mid-life crisis. I can continue my Wannabe status forever.
• Two serviceable cars at home (2005 Pilot - 138K - Mine) with no daily commute for the foresee able future.
• Wife will not go on a test drive.
• Current financial situation, we are able to afford, but have not had a 100K car in the past before.

What i've tried with wife to no avail:

• Reviewed past 2 years of maintenance (oil, brake jobs, gas) and miscellaneous costs for the Pilot.
• Reviewed and compared to KwH we pay at home (padding with potential charging).
• Reviewed NTSB safety ratings of the X.
• Discussed the potential improvements and life changing benefits of Autopilot and FSD the next 3-5 years.

Any other suggestions? (practical ones, vs. get divorced, etc.)

Thanks for reading my sob story. I will continue to live vicariously through you X owners for foreseeable future.

a couple of things that might have been mentioned before

you have children. Wouldn’t you like to keep them in one of the safest cars on the road?

look how easy it is to install child seats and put them in it

Are your parents still at it. My wife’s 93 year old uncle loves how easy it is to get in and out.

my wife also has a Subaru but she takes my car whenever she can - a cryptic lead foot

we have solar so we have no gas or electric bills and my wife hates to go to a gas station these days

Good luck. Hope to hear you have one, keep us X’rs posted!

 

[Soey22]

I upgraded from a 2003 Honda Pilot 195k miles and still going strong. For last two years I’ve been towing daily with the Pilot and that thing drinks gas to the ring of $750 a month, plus maintenance is insane on high mileage. The MX basically pays for itself with those gas savings and no monthly oil changes. The reason I chose Tesla was for autopilot as I work midnights and had issues with sleepy eyes at the danger hours around 5am...I call it life insurance. Can’t really say much that you already don’t know. Id say North America road trips, Tesla camper towing at RV parks would be the next best thing. Wait for the new million mile batteries / plaid powertrain and interior refresh...your so close!!