Need buying Advice/Help

[Mr X]

I’m not sure. Can you shed some light! The Model S hands down is the best Tesla. Price wise if I can’t find a good deal I won’t get it. Model 3 looks very basic and doesn’t seem it has anything but a big giant 15 inch screen and a steering wheel. I’m torn between them..thoughts?

The interior is the simplistic greatness of the Model 3. And it has door pockets


After numerous Model 3 test drives and driving my Dad's Model S, I have to say that the Model 3 is the better vehicle simply due to it's smaller size, and amongst other things. Model S feels like you are commanding a large boat. I prefer the feel of a smaller vehicle any day.


SR+ would be your best choice price wise


I was considering a used S for less than a new 3 with free supercharging but warranties will be ending soon and if a problem ensues that's $$$$ out your pocket. And used S's are older build quality. Still good but not like the 3.


Warranty with the 3 for pretty much the duration you will have it. Latest and greatest Tesla tech. If you haven't been in it it has a totally different feel than the S. It feels less cluttered, better quality and just amazing. Especially the white interior. Googoo gahhh gahhh

 

[Gr8Teen]

You are right about the warranty on the model S. That they are ending.

Does the Tesla have any maintenance fees? Issues? The only great thing about the model S is the free super charger that would be amazing. As for the model 3 I’d have to pay per charge. By chance how much does it cost for the charging on Mosel 3 usually?

I’d definitely get the white interior! So sexy!

Also regarding autopilot which should I opt in getting the full one for $6000? Someone said that’s Tesla trying to get money. The one that comes with it is perfect. But if I’m going to keep the car for 4-5 yrs do I want that?

And should I lease Model 3 or Buy?

 

[jjrandorin]

I’m not sure. Can you shed some light! The Model S hands down is the best Tesla. Price wise if I can’t find a good deal I won’t get it. Model 3 looks very basic and doesn’t seem it has anything but a big giant 15 inch screen and a steering wheel. I’m torn between them..thoughts?

This depends on your needs for the car. The model S is the best LOOKING tesla, on that I would agree. Whether its the "best" is completely debatable. This is like saying "The BMW 5 Series is the Best BMW, hands down".

The model 3 DRIVES a LOT different (and most think better) than the model s.

Anyway, one thing I would recommend, based on one of the very first things you said in this thread:
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"Gr8Teen, post: 3742388, member: 106634"]Hello fellow Tesla members,

I'm dying to get a Tesla so badly. Been wanting one for a long time! I was first thinking about leasing the Model 3 but the price is ridiculously high. Now i'm thinking about buying since I know I'll keep it for at least 3-4 years......


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You are making it sound like keeping a car "3-4 years" is a long time. That tells me a couple of things. One, its likely that you are either very young (so 3-4 years in your lifetime seems like a relatively long time), and / or you have never purchased a new car before.

Why is that relevant? Because if you sell your new car (as in newly purchased) in only "3-4 years" you will lose a lot of money. You will have essentially paid for the depreciation for someone else and will be selling the car right when it basically starts making sense to hold onto it from a money perspective.

If you are planning on selling the car in 3-4 years, you absolutely should be looking at some USED car, where someone else has already paid for some of the depreciation that all cars experience for you. Model S or 3 doesnt matter if you are planning on selling a car in only 3-4 years from acquiring it. Used Vs new is a much more impactful decision, and in general, you are going to need to keep a new car much longer than 3-4 years to keep from losing a bunch of money.

Some people dont care about the money loss and just want to flip the car because they are bored but the fact that you said " The price is extremely high" for a model 3, means that the money is definitely a concern for you. Plan on keeping any "new off the lot" car a minimum of 5-6 years if you dont want to eat a ton of depreciation selling it... but you would be better served buying a used car, regardless of model.

Quite a bit of that 14k is going to be eaten up by taxes and such when you buy the car, but you likely know that. If you buy the 35k (roughly) model 3. The actual cost is something like 41-42k including destination fees, taxes etc (and thats the base one with no autopilot). 42k is not a "basic" car purchase for most people.. and since you are putting "14k" down, you will be looking at a loan, and likely a 5-6 year loan at that.

There would be a chance that, with that relatively small amount down, in 3-4 years you might still be upside down (car loan = more than car is worth), and that is not a good place to be (but a place that many people who buy their first cars are very familiar with).

Think very hard about new vs used.

 

[Zaxxon]

Does the Tesla have any maintenance fees? Issues?

Car Maintenance

The only great thing about the model S is the free super charger that would be amazing. As for the model 3 I’d have to pay per charge. By chance how much does it cost for the charging on Mosel 3 usually?

Yes, free supercharging is nice. But it's not as big as it may seem unless you plan to road trip several thousand miles/year.

At home, charging costs will depend on your electricity rates. Figure about 4 miles/kWh for the 3, and 3.5 miles/kWh for the S.

Also regarding autopilot which should I opt in getting the full one for $6000? Someone said that’s Tesla trying to get money. The one that comes with it is perfect. But if I’m going to keep the car for 4-5 yrs do I want that?

That's a judgment call. I have it on my 3 (I got FSD for a discount), and I do not have FSD on my X--just the base 'included' Autopilot there. Currently, the difference is that without FSD, you lose Navigate on Autopilot (automated lane changes/exits on highways), manual lane change on AP (base will only stay in its lane, and if you change lanes you disengage AP, change lanes, then re-engage it), Summon (moving the car while you're not in it), and Autopark. You'll obviously also not get any future self-driving features.

For me, I would pay for those features, but $6k was a steep ask on top of the price of the X. So I passed. I may add it in the future, and if it drops on 'sale' again I'll likely grab it.

And should I lease Model 3 or Buy?

We can't tell you that as that's specific to your financial situation. I bought both of my Teslas, as I plan to keep them for well over 3-4 years.

Other thoughts on S vs 3:
-The S is quicker, but the 3 is very quick, as well.
-The S is larger, and has a hatch in back so is more practical for loading large things.
-The 3 is 'right-sized' for behaving like a race car. It is extremely responsive.
-The S has air suspension, the 3 has coils. So the S is a smoother ride.
-The 3 charges faster--significantly faster. Non-brand-new S vehicles top out at 150 kW charging, while the 3 can do 250 kW on v3 Superchargers (of which there currently are very few, but that will change over time). More importantly, because the 3 needs less energy to go the same distance, your average charge time will be significantly lower on road trips. Note that this is not to say that the S is a bad road trip vehicle--far from it. Just that you'll save several minutes per stop with a 3 and you should be aware of the difference in case that's important to you.
-The 3 currently has the slicker in-cabin tech. To pick one example, in the 3 even the HVAC is completely electronic--your vent settings get tied to your driver profile, so you never have to adjust them when someone else has driven your car. They just magically go back to your settings when you change back to your profile.

Summary: both cars are awesome but have enough differences that you should probably test drive them both before deciding.

I bought the 3 over the S, and I like it better. Were my choice 'new 3 or used S,' I'd go new 3 all day long and twice on Tuesday. But the S has several advantages, as well.

Good luck!

 

[jjrandorin]

One more thing, OP. You mentioned leasing vs buying. Tesla's lease is pretty horrific from a cost perspective. I would advise you absolutely NOT consider leasing a tesla model 3, unless you have a business to write the expenses off.

I say this as a fan in general of leasing, and with a leased BMW in my garage (my wifes X3) and I dont have a business to write the expenses off for. Tesla's model 3 leasing is not very compelling, and couple that with the fact that, there is no lease end purchase option, means that you will have rented the car with no chance to buy it if you wanted to, which is a strange place to be.

Tesla's model 3 leasing pricing ends up being close to the purchase price on a monthly payment basis, once you calculate the down payment / cap cost reduction in.

 

[Gr8Teen]

Thank you guys so much! From gathering it seems i'm better off with getting a brand NEW Model 3. The monthly price is steep. Do you think if I go through Tesla dealer I may be able to get a better price? Or everything is pretty much set with Tesla? I'd definitely would get the FSD. I'm probably gonna end up getting White and White Interior + FSD which ends up being about 48K. Maybe I put 20K Down. and pay off the rest end the year.

@Zaxxon how did you get FSD for a discount?

Also for the Tax Credit that ends of the month, what income do you have to be at to be eligible. Not everyone seems to be eligible for it?

 

[Zaxxon]

Thank you guys so much! From gathering it seems i'm better off with getting a brand NEW Model 3. The monthly price is steep. Do you think if I go through Tesla dealer I may be able to get a better price? Or everything is pretty much set with Tesla? I'd definitely would get the FSD. I'm probably gonna end up getting White and White Interior + FSD which ends up being about 48K.

Things are largely set, but near the end of the quarter there are sometimes discounts for inventory vehicles, vehicles where they can't match your config in time (eg you wanted 18" wheels but all they have is 19s, they may give you the 19s gratis). Your best bet is to speak to the local gallery/store to get a contact there.

@Zaxxon how did you get FSD for a discount?

They had a special short-term 'sale' for EAP owners awhile back.

Also for the Tax Credit that ends of the month, what income do you have to be at to be eligible. Not everyone seems to be eligible for it?

Your total annual federal tax liability is what matters--if you owe the government $3750 or more, you'll get the full credit. If you owe less, your liability gets zeroed out. Note this is your total liability, not what's owed/refunded at the end of the year.

Side note: if you do purchase, make sure to make the actual purchase via the website, and to use someone's referral code. It'll get you 1,000 free supercharger miles, and another 1,000 for the referrer. Most of us here have codes we're happy to share; just pick someone so you get your miles. Tesla recently changed policy so that if you don't order via the referral link, they can not add the referral on later--you're out of luck.

 

[Gr8Teen]

I really appreciate that! @Zaxxon! Thank you for letting me know. If I do buy it online I will definitely ask for someone's referral link. Everyone should add their referral link at the end their signature!

Another question I had, with the Model 3 does it come with glass roof? Doesn't seem to be an option to choose any features on the car like heated seats, panoramic glass etc.. is this normal?

 

[Zaxxon]

I really appreciate that! @Zaxxon! Thank you for letting me know. If I do buy it online I will definitely ask for someone's referral link. Everyone should add their referral link at the end their signature!

You can open people's profile here and on the Information section there is a referral link.

Another question I had, with the Model 3 does it come with glass roof? Doesn't seem to be an option to choose any features on the car like heated seats, panoramic glass etc.. is this normal?

Yes, they all come with the glass roof, and all SR+ and above have heated seats front seats. Fully premium interior has all 5 seats heated.

 

[Gr8Teen]

Thank you. So Tesla is charing a 4.25% interest if I finance the car. Is it possible to get a Loan from else where and go through that?

 

[Zaxxon]

Thank you. So Tesla is charing a 4.25% interest if I finance the car. Is it possible to get a Loan from else where and go through that?

Yes. For example, I used Unify FCU (1.74% for 2-year loans). You just select third-party financing on the post-purchase tasks list and enter your lender's details.

 

[Gr8Teen]

WOW! you got a really good deal @Zaxxon seems I can get 2.99-3% kinda sucks. But better than Tesla's I guess.

 

[Zaxxon]

WOW! you got a really good deal @Zaxxon seems I can get 2.99-3% kinda sucks. But better than Tesla's I guess.

It's all about the term. The super-low rate is only for 24 months, I believe. But I only needed a short term so it works out.

 

[jyalpert]

WOW! you got a really good deal @Zaxxon seems I can get 2.99-3% kinda sucks. But better than Tesla's I guess.

If you're on a budget, my advice is to try to think about what you want, and separate that from what you actually need. IMO it's possible to do this relatively cheaply and still be happy.

My model 3 mostly commutes to work and gets groceries and goes around town. My commute passes through different types of roads where AP doesn't work. I charge it at home once a week or so. 215 mi range at 80% charge is plenty for me. No need for AWD or longer range.

So we got the "one step up from the base model" standard range RWD with partial premium interior, in black (other colors cost more). No other options. It's a good car. Nice inside, very fast, handles great. We did not get AP or FSD as it does not make sense for our use case. $38k total.

 

[Zaxxon]

If you're on a budget, my advice is to try to think about what you want, and separate that from what you actually need. IMO it's possible to do this relatively cheaply and still be happy.

My model 3 mostly commutes to work and gets groceries and goes around town. My commute passes through different types of roads where AP doesn't work. I charge it at home once a week or so. 215 mi range at 80% charge is plenty for me. No need for AWD or longer range.

So we got the "one step up from the base model" standard range RWD with partial premium interior, in black (other colors cost more). No other options. It's a good car. Nice inside, very fast, handles great. We did not get AP or FSD as it does not make sense for our use case. $38k total.

Agree with this. I have the LR RWD, but mainly because I road trip a few times a year. 95% of the time, my car sits between 60% and 90% charged. I love my car, but frankly I think the SR+ without FSD is a steal of a car. With the white exterior and interior and base AP, that's $42,400. Subtract fed and CA rebates and it's just over $36k.

You're not going to find a better car for $36k.

If you want the full premium interior but don't want to pay for LR AWD, I believe you can still have your order upgraded to LR RWD by calling in after ordering the SR+ on the website. I have the LR RWD and it handles well even here in Colorado winters (though I did buy a set of winter tires that I run half the year).

 

[Gr8Teen]

I been dreaming of getting a Tesla ever since I was 18. If I’m gonna get a Tesla, I’m going all out. There is no point getting a Tesla without FSD. Tesla = Autopilot!

As for the interest rate goes. The plan is for me to put 20K down and maybe pay off the rest end of the year. I really wanna get a 84 month loan just in case. You never know what life throws at you and gotta have a back up plan.

I went on Tesla’s site and saw their inventory and they had long rang for 53K! But I think I’m gonna try going to Tesla store and see if I can find any other special deals they can give me. I’m just torn on my interest rate 4.49 for 84 months is a lot. I was reading somewhere you can possibly find a 0% interest for Tesla. But no luck yet...I was wondering if I can get a loan from a different state lol. Luckly I got a 840 credit!

 

[Zaxxon]

I've never seen 0% for Teslas, but can't say it hasn't happened.