New Here. Have ?'s

[MrG_NY]

I have always been interested in Tesla vehicles. One of the issues of not looking into them further was range. Now that you can get 300+- miles from a charge is a game changer for me.

Recently my wife and I had gotten an invite from the electric company to check out EV's and Hybrids. We got to talking with owners of these vehicles and were just amazed at how passionate they were about there vehicles. During the event you got to drive the vehicles. We drove an Audi hybrid eTron and didn't like it. Why go thru the hassle of charging for 20 miles? We drove a Mercedes EV that was supposedly developed with Tesla and that was nice but they didn't sell many from what the owner told us. This vehicle drove nice, was peppy and would make for a nice everyday vehicle. Then I drove a Model S, well that just changed my mind about EV's. We are going for a test drive of a Model 3 AWD on Saturday.

My questions are: What brought you to the Tesla? Would you do it again? Ownership experience, good, bad, indifferent? What were you driving before? Regrets?

Current vehicle is a 2017 Genesis G80 Premium that I love, but will be coming off lease in a few months. It has it quirks but over all has been a good car. It is the first model year of the Genesis brand so Genesis as company had some hiccups but they did alright by me.

 

[dmurphy]

I just bought my Model 3 last month. Prior, I drove a Cadillac XT5 Platinum, which I sold a few months before lease end. Took about a $1500 “loss” on the Cadillac, but it was a net gain since I’ll collect the $3750 tax incentive (which goes down to $1875 on July 1.) and the $0 sales tax incentive here in NJ.

What do I love most about it? I love that it continually evolves. Ive had it a month and already had 3 software updates, each adding new safety and security features.

I love the way it drives, the way it handles, the way it just glides down the road.

I love that it’s all electric - every morning I start with a full battery.

I love that I never have to stop for gas anymore.

I love the driver assist features. I did a 30 mile drive to the airport this morning, and it was fully on Navigate on Autopilot. In traffic. In the rain. It was stress-free.

I love how little maintenance it needs.

I love how much FUN it is to drive!

Would I do it over again? ABSOLUTELY. In a heartbeat.

My wife’s driving a year old Buick Enclave. Hopefully we get a long life out of it, but when its time is up, her replacement will be electric. Hopefully a Model X, but we’ll play it by ear and see what the Y looks like by then.

I’m all in. 100% sold.

 

[Sandiegodoug]

My experience is all positive. 2 years with an x , 1and 1/2 with a 3. Both fantastic cars. Absolutely no money spent on maintenance.
With a large solar system, very little money spent on electricity. Both cars bring a smile to my face every time I drive them. Cars actually gain features as time moves on, all magically over the internet. Recommend Tesla’s to everyone.

 

[SSonnentag]

The only downside to Teslas is the scarcity of service centers and parts. You can't be in a hurry to get any repairs done. Other than that the Tesla experience is GREAT!

It's a 2-hour each way drive to my nearest service center. For instance, I have an appointment for next Friday to get my headlight(s) replaced. There is a really good chance I'll end up driving 2 hours to the service center, waiting for 30 minutes for someone to look at the car, and then I'll be told that they'll call me when the parts are in and I can schedule another appointment to have the actual repairs done. This adds up to 8 hours of driving over 2 days, meaning it pretty much wipes out most of a day, twice, for a simple repair. Tesla like to use their Rangers (mobile service vans and techs) to do many of these simple repairs, but I don't live within the service area of any Rangers. So owning a Tesla requires patience.

 

[dmurphy]

The only downside to Teslas is the scarcity of service centers and parts. You can't be in a hurry to get any repairs done. Other than that the Tesla experience is GREAT!

I’m sure others have had a lesser experience. But I’ve had great ones with both Paramus NJ (delivery) and Springfield NJ (service). I don’t know if I’m just lucky but both of those sites seem to have their stuff together. Like everything else, it’s all about the people — can recommend both highly.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

Don't look at me... I just ordered my 5th Tesla... so... yeah. Go Tesla. lol.

 

[Burrito]

i might be able to shed some light since i came off the same exact car. had a 2016 hyundai genesis (final year as hyundai) with all packages. i took ownership of the LR awd 3 earlier this month.

the genesis is much nicer overall, its more comfortable, more "solid", and an exceptional value, that said, i love my model 3. i think it drives nicer to me, i like the minimalist interior and the glass roof is nice. the genesis roof was very big glass too though.

the instant torque is addicting and 1 foot driving makes driving new to me again as this is my first ev.

also, autopilot is great, not perfect but great. i dont have fsd though, maybe if it goes on sale or whatever

 

[SSonnentag]

I’m sure others have had a lesser experience. But I’ve had great ones with both Paramus NJ (delivery) and Springfield NJ (service). I don’t know if I’m just lucky but both of those sites seem to have their stuff together. Like everything else, it’s all about the people — can recommend both highly.

True. I suspect that the west coast service centers are clogged up a lot more than the mid-country and eastern ones. So if you're east of Arizona and live near a city you'll likely have a better service center and ranger experience.

 

[astrowunder]

The driving characteristics of the Model 3. To quote another forum user, it's less like driving and more like teleporting. Fantastic car.

 

[Twincam23]

Im a happy owner here with free charging at work and solar panels at home.
Number one question you want to ask yourself is where am I going to charge this thing and how many miles will I be driving daily.
You’re not going to live off 110v charging nightly if you plan on driving more than 30 miles per day. See link below.

Can Tesla charge on a regular 110v wall outlet? Technically, yes. BUT...

 

[MrG_NY]

I’m sure others have had a lesser experience. But I’ve had great ones with both Paramus NJ (delivery) and Springfield NJ (service). I don’t know if I’m just lucky but both of those sites seem to have their stuff together. Like everything else, it’s all about the people — can recommend both highly.

So your experience with Paramus was good. I am doing the Model 3 test drive on Saturday. We were in the dealer (store) last Saturday and they were helpful. They called me this morning to confirm and said they had some incentives going on, so we will see.

So you had an XT5, my buddy couldn't wait to get out of his. The transmission thinking to much in city traffic drove him nuts. I told him to put it in sport.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I have always been interested in Tesla vehicles. One of the issues of not looking into them further was range. Now that you can get 300+- miles from a charge is a game changer for me.

Tesla has offered cars with 300+ mile ranges for over 2 years!

Glad to see you've finally seen the light. Hopefully you can find a Tesla or other electric car that fits your needs.

 

[MrG_NY]

i might be able to shed some light since i came off the same exact car. had a 2016 hyundai genesis (final year as hyundai) with all packages. i took ownership of the LR awd 3 earlier this month.

the genesis is much nicer overall, its more comfortable, more "solid", and an exceptional value, that said, i love my model 3. i think it drives nicer to me, i like the minimalist interior and the glass roof is nice. the genesis roof was very big glass too though.

the instant torque is addicting and 1 foot driving makes driving new to me again as this is my first ev.

also, autopilot is great, not perfect but great. i dont have fsd though, maybe if it goes on sale or whatever

Thank you for the feedback. The Genesis dealer reached out to do a move a head on my lease and now I am debating which way to go. Guess I will see where the numbers take me.

 

[MrG_NY]

Im a happy owner here with free charging at work and solar panels at home.
Number one question you want to ask yourself is where am I going to charge this thing and how many miles will I be driving daily.
You’re not going to live off 110v charging nightly if you plan on driving more than 30 miles per day. See link below.

Can Tesla charge on a regular 110v wall outlet? Technically, yes. BUT...

I am fortunate to work from home, so my car is driven on weekends and when we do date night, The main concern was distance to drive down to see my parents thats 140 miles one way. My other weekend driving range would be fine. Just EV' s for the most part get lousey range, Tesla changed that with the Model 3 and Supercharging. My plan is to install a charger or a 220v outlet. I do have a couple chargers near the house. Visiting my parents or going other places that we go Tesla has superchargers. Two off the top of my head are Paramus which I pass going to my parents and they installed my guess 30 of them at the Palisades Center in Nanuet NY.

 

[MrG_NY]

Tesla has offered cars with 300+ mile ranges for over 2 years!

Glad to see you've finally seen the light. Hopefully you can find a Tesla or other electric car that fits your needs.

I know they have. After driving the Model S and seeing the numbers on the Model 3 and my lease being up soon things are falling into place. I love tech and I love cars. The minimilist interior of the 3 is cool. The luxury feel of the S is nice to. I am thinking the 3 will be the one if we like the numbers.

 

[Rails85]

I’ve had mine 3 days. I do love the drive but I would say it’s a bit noisier than expected (I do have the 19in wheels) and I’ve had some minor problems. What worries me the most is the long term reliability. Just not enough information on it yet. And with fit and finish problems, it a big question mark still.

 

[MrG_NY]

The only downside to Teslas is the scarcity of service centers and parts. You can't be in a hurry to get any repairs done. Other than that the Tesla experience is GREAT!

It's a 2-hour each way drive to my nearest service center. For instance, I have an appointment for next Friday to get my headlight(s) replaced. There is a really good chance I'll end up driving 2 hours to the service center, waiting for 30 minutes for someone to look at the car, and then I'll be told that they'll call me when the parts are in and I can schedule another appointment to have the actual repairs done. This adds up to 8 hours of driving over 2 days, meaning it pretty much wipes out most of a day, twice, for a simple repair. Tesla like to use their Rangers (mobile service vans and techs) to do many of these simple repairs, but I don't live within the service area of any Rangers. So owning a Tesla requires patience.

Question, is it just a bulb that went out or do you need a whole new assembly? If it's a bulb I would hope they have it in inventory. The vehicle LED lights or HID?

 

[MrG_NY]

I’ve had mine 3 days. I do love the drive but I would say it’s a bit noisier than expected (I do have the 19in wheels) and I’ve had some minor problems. What worries me the most is the long term reliability. Just not enough information on it yet. And with fit and finish problems, it a big question mark still.

The noise that you hear, is it road noise? The cabin just noiser than your previouse vehicle minus engine noise?
My car is quiet at 64db you get a little wind noise but nothing like my wifes Elantra which is like being in a tin can on wheels.

 

[phigment]

In the past I've owned a VW Golf, Jetta GLI and Toyota Matrix. We sold the matrix to get the Model 3 LR RWD. My family has always leaned towards German cars, and I've had experience driving in a few BMW M series cars including the M3 coupe.

My main reason for following Tesla was the ethics behind the company (check out their Master Plan). After trying the Model 3, I'll never go back to a gas car if I can help it. I love the way this car drives. My wife who's not a car person once said, it feels like the car can read your mind. The acceleration and control just goes where you want, when you want.

 

[Burrito]

i would say the genesis under normal throttle was quieter than the 3. the road and wind noise makes it somewhat loud, its quieter than my old 2012 honda fit