Need help pulling the trigger on my first tesla

[Bamashrink]

Hey there from birmingham, alabama
just about to make the call and choose between three 1.5 roadsters. All are about the same price. All have been serviced regularly by tesla.

The first is located about 4 hours away by the original owner....dark blue, 10000 miles, under warranty until june, comes with wall charger and regular. Upgraded stereo by tesla not too long after delivery. Owner says the car charges to 188 miles in range mode

the second is on the west coast. 1200 miles, gray. Out of warranty but according to webb farrar, who is selling it for the owner,is pristine in every way, also with wall charger and regular. Just serviced by tesla in july. I guess would have it serviced prior to delivery at my expense but if there was any problem the original owner would pay for that or no deal. Says i'll get the 240 miles on a full charge

the third is a glacier blue with 16000 miles on the west coast..in warranty for a few more months. Really like the color. Salesman says it shows 190 miles on full charge. Also comes with the wall charger

Am leaning toward the 1200 mile one but am worried about being out of warranty, at least with the other two i'd have some warranty time remaining. I called tesla and they don't know if extended warranties will be offered to roadster owners that didnt purchase from tesla. They couldnt exactly explain why.

all are priced in the mid 60's and i'd have to shell out about 1500 to ship the 2 in california.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,

marc

 

[dsm363]

I'd also consider looking at a 2.0 Roadster as well since the upgraded PEM would handle the Alabama heat better. Are you specifically set on getting a sports car? The Model S is pretty amazing and would come with a warranty of course but it's not a Roadster.

The local one might be nice as you could save on shipping. Check the tires too since the rear tires only last about 7,000 miles so might need to be replaced right away for extra expense.

 

[bonnie]

Have you looked at any of the used Roadsters being sold by Tesla under the 'certified used' program? I believe those are coming with warranty.

ditto on everything dsm says, above.

 

[ggr]

The first ... Owner says the car charges to 188 miles in range mode

the second ... Says i'll get the 240 miles on a full charge

the third ... Salesman says it shows 190 miles on full charge.

Hmmm... there are some oranges and apples in this basket. Now, #2 must be a range mode charge, you'd never get that much in standard mode. So that 240 compares to the 188 on #1, which he explicitly says is range mode. (Of course maybe there's some misunderstanding.) But 188 in range mode is terrible; that battery is on its way out. Lots of $$s to replace the battery, unless he pre-purchased a replacement.

Then you have to figure out whether #3's "full" charge is standard mode or range mode? 190 is high for a standard charge... I don't think I ever saw that when my roadster was new! Again, if that is "full range mode" it's not really very good. Data point: our Green Machine is 2.0, 25k miles, 179 miles standard charge, about 220 miles range mode.

So I'd suggest getting clarification from #1 and #3 as to standard charge versus range mode charge. Then buy #2

Oops; just finished and reread the part I quoted... and I see "salesman says... 240 miles." Ahem. You need to clarify all three.

 

[pgwoosley]

Amen on getting clarification of the indications of fully charged mileage in standard and range mode. My 3.5 year old with 10k miles often shows 191 in standard mode. 188 in Range mode would be horrible.

If the car does not already have fan shrouds, get them. They really help in warm climates. Depending upon where the seller lives, it may be easier to get them added before shipment. I believe that Tesla will install free if in warranty. I do not know how it works if out of warranty.

Ask specifically about how much tread the tires have. My rear performance tires had to be replaced at 3800 miles. I believe the performance fronts lasted 6,000 to 7,000 miles.

Read the posts on this board about sound systems. What you learn may affect your choice.

Your idea of paying for a yearly service before a car leaves CA is a good one. The cost is about $600 and arranging service away from a Tesla location can be a hassle and involve extra cost.

 

[wiztecy]

Amen on getting clarification of the indications of fully charged mileage in standard and range mode. My 3.5 year old with 10k miles often shows 191 in standard mode. 188 in standard mode would be horrible.

I think you ment 188 in "Range mode" mode would be horrible.

 

[pgwoosley]

I think you meant 188 in "Range mode" mode would be horrible.

Yes, original message now corrected.

 

[PRJIM]

I would wait a few months for more of these cars to hit the used market and pick up late 2010+ model. I would not be surprised if you could pick up a 2.0 for 70 k in a few months. There was a green 2.5 Roadster that sold in March for 88k! Prices are coming down.

 

[Bamashrink]

thanks for the help everyone, after much soul searching i just put down a deposit on a model S.......if anyone's ever driving through birmingham in a roadster, stop by and take me for a spin. Maybe I can get the manhattan store to get me a roadster test drive when i'm there for christmas. Now counting the days until the summer!
marc

 

[ipdamages]

If you test drive a Roadster, there is a good chance you will want one, assuming you are ok with the oddities (ingress/egress, wind noise, 2-seater...). The Model S is amazing, but nothing like a Roadster. A Roadster is a pocket rocket. Small, nimble, and a real sports car. A Model S is a gran turismo. It is about the same size as a Panamera. Or 7-series. A car that causes one to rethink what is possible in a large sedan. But a very different ownership and driving experience.

I strongly suggest experiencing each in person.

 

[dsm363]

thanks for the help everyone, after much soul searching i just put down a deposit on a model S.......if anyone's ever driving through birmingham in a roadster, stop by and take me for a spin. Maybe I can get the manhattan store to get me a roadster test drive when i'm there for christmas. Now counting the days until the summer!
marc

Congrats! A performance Model S will get you most of the way towards a Roadster in terms of performance but it is a different driving experience as was said. But if you are looking for one car to be your performance/fun car and a practical daily driver then the Model S wins hands down. The Roadster can also easily be a daily driver (I used it for that for almost 2 years) but the Model S is more comfortable.

 

[wiztecy]

I wanted to get the model-S but just couldn't wait, plus I wanted to get off the $4 to $5 gallon gas prices as fast as I could. Its a pure pleasure not going to the pump! I've even expanded and bought a used Zero electric motorcycle which I love! Gets 455 MPG epa rating which you can't beat. I think ICE motorcycles have the worse pollution and inefficiency in terms of weight to MPG ratio. The EV solution really knocks it out of the park in terms of efficiency and practicality. I use the cycle for all my around town errands. Plus in California I can split between the cars. I don't do that while moving but its great when stopped at a red light! Pole position every time! And then I picked up a MetroBoard electric skateboard for my going to the beach cruises, hitting the food market, and taking the dogs out for a run around my neighborhood. Great product. Goes 18 MPH, has a 15 mile range, has regenitive braking, and uses a LiFePO4 battery pack.

I guess what I'm getting at is that once you drive an electric vehicle you'll want to get one and expand on it, they're so much fun, very inexpensive to operate, practical, and I feel now is the ideal time to have one! When I test drove my Roadster I had to find anyway to get that car out in my driveway.... which I did

 

[Sparrow]

As an owner of a 1.5 model in Atlanta, I would look for a 2.0 or greater too. I sweat very easily so for me it would be for the slightly better air conditioning in the 2.0s and higher, that would be the deciding factor. I'm also partial to the hard top so I look for cars with hard tops too. Of course I haven't been in a 2.0 or higher so I am going on what I believe is the case with better AC.

 

[Doug_G]

As an owner of a 1.5 model in Atlanta, I would look for a 2.0 or greater too. I sweat very easily so for me it would be for the slightly better air conditioning in the 2.0s and higher, that would be the deciding factor. I'm also partial to the hard top so I look for cars with hard tops too. Of course I haven't been in a 2.0 or higher so I am going on what I believe is the case with better AC.

Whether 2.0 or 2.5, make sure you have the fan shroud for the front radiator assembly. It makes a huge difference in cooling power. Also make sure they've charged the system properly - it seems a lot of Roadsters were shipped with incorrect charge in the A/C. Mine was.

You can tell if the A/C is not charged correctly because the car routinely throws HVAC Overtemp faults in the log while charging. Oddly Tesla seems to think these faults aren't a problem. I asked them about it and they didn't do anything; yet when the system was properly recharged (on the second attempt) following my fan shroud installation the overtemp messages went away. It seems there's a component in the car that tends to freeze up during the recharge process.