New Lexus RC or Model 3?

[Bimbels]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of buying a kid a brand new sporty Lexus. My first car was a 1986 chevette and I was grateful for that POS. Now I see where the entitlement attitude comes from the newbies at my job...

 

[Chasedrgc1223]

Chase, what abouta Vauxhall Corsa? You know... for character building. xD

No seriously, what about a second hand 3 series? Drives great, not that expensive and doesnt look like *sugar*.

Haha! Seriously though, I really haven't considered a pre-owned vehicle. I'm also looking at reliability too, as I had multiple 7-Series up until '08 and they were a pain in the ass in terms of reliability of components. Maybe a pre-owned Lexus CT or something?

 

[S'toon]

I really don't want to have to get him that Lexus AND the Tesla, as that would be a little too generous.

The whole personal responsibility aspect would be solved by leasing the Corolla, as I do want to get him a cheap car before he gets the Tesla, mostly to ensure his skill sets and build that responsibility. He does need the range, so the Leaf is out of the question, and I'm almost certain he will not want the Smart.

OK. If it's the range that's the problem, if you can wait 6 months I'd say lease the Bolt. If you can't, lease a Volt.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of buying a kid a brand new sporty Lexus. My first car was a 1986 chevette and I was grateful for that POS. Now I see where the entitlement attitude comes from the newbies at my job...

My first vehicle was a broken down '81 Ford panel van I bought off a neighbour for $500. My second one was an '81 Toyota Land Cruiser. I'm now on my third vehicle.

My parents never gave me any car. Heck, once I turned 18 my mother had me pay rent until I finished high school, and left home.

 

[SMSMD]

Haha! Seriously though, I really haven't considered a pre-owned vehicle. I'm also looking at reliability too, as I had multiple 7-Series up until '08 and they were a pain in the ass in terms of reliability of components. Maybe a pre-owned Lexus CT or something?

A pre- owned TESLA Model S
Tesla: Model S 60

2013 Model S 60 Pearl White - Affordable!

 

[Bimbels]

My first vehicle was a broken down '81 Ford panel van I bought off a neighbour for $500. My second one was an '81 Toyota Land Cruiser. I'm now on my third vehicle.

My parents never gave me any car. Heck, once I turned 18 my mother had me pay rent until I finished high school, and left home.

I hear you. Since we lived in the boonies I think they bought it more out of convenience for them so they wouldn't have to share - and that POS went to my brother when I graduated a year later and left for college. (Where I rode a second hand bike.)

But it was character building.

 

[Darryl]

Cars are very personable objects and to ask strangers who don't know you if a car is right for you it is hard.

First, what are your requirements? In one case you are looking at a coupe and in the other a sedan. One is electric and one is gas? How many people will you normally have in the car? What is the max number of people? How about room for luggage? How about pets? How far will you normally be driving it each day? Will you be using it for long trips? Are there charging stations where you work? Do you live in a condo, townhouse or apartment, if so where will you charge your car? Many of these type of dwellings don't have the provisions to charge cars and they may not have the capacity to add chargers. The Supercharging Network is intended for mid to long distant trips. There is no guarantee the Model 3 will even have access to the Superchargers. This is an unknown. If they do, there may be an upfront fee ($2,000) or a per use fee and the wait time can be extensive. Tesla invisions the majority of owners will charge overnight at their home. If you only drive a short distance each day you may be able to charge via a standard 120v outlet. Does your home have the capacity to add a 240 volt 50 amp or 100 amp dedicated circuit. Many older homes don't have the capacity to add this kind of load. The cost to add a dedicated circuit depends on many factors such as distance to your main panel, is the space above/below accessible? Does your main panel have the capacity? I would say to add a high power charger under normal circumstances is around $1,500 but the charge could be double that amount plus the cost of the Tesla charger which is $750.

With any purchase you have to set reasonable expectations. With a base Tesla Model 3 you are purchasing a $35k sedan (according to EV magazines most likely a hatchback). It will probably be one of the nicest $35,000 sedans made and add to that it will be an all electric car with a 200 miles range. But to be fair to Tesla rate it compared to other $35k sedans not to other $45k or $50k sedans (base price) or not to the Model X or S which are 2 to 4 times the cost or you will be setting yourself up for disappointment.

There is no question it will have a unique look. Where the Model X has the signature falcon wing doors and panoramic roof and the Model S it's own signature look, the Model 3 will have a unique look different from either of these. What we saw from the initial prototype debut of the Model X to the final version last fall were a big change. Therefore what we will see on March 31st to what we will see in 20 months or more will have changed, maybe minimally maybe a lot. This is the way it is with prototypes. As an early adopter of a Model 3 are you willing to order one without seeing the final version? Are you willing to order a Model 3 without a test drive. Almost all who purchased a Model X have yet to see one in person and have not driven one.

If you need a car now then go with what you like now. We kept putting off purchasing a car as we had made a deposit on a Model X and it was getting to the point where Tesla was several years behind schedule and if it had been any longer we would have had to purchase a temporary car.

Tesla's timeline is currently late 2017 to early 2018. With no additional delays and depending where you are on the list (with employees and current Tesla owners going first) it would be at least 2+ years. Will your current car last you two years. What if it takes more than two years do you have a contingency. If you are leasing when does the lease expire?

I trust Tesla to come out with a beautiful car and I will be purchasing my wife a fully optioned car. Let say something which would sell for $75k to $85k. Therefore I would compare the Model 3 I would be purchasing for my wife to other fully loaded $75k-$85k cars.

 

[Mad Hungarian]

Since you state your son can be entrusted with MS levels of performance (and kudos to you for raising a responsible kid if that's the case) I'd reserve an M3 and go with a 2 - 3 year old CPO IS250 or IS350 for now. Good performance, enough warranty to (hopefully) get to through to M3 delivery and still good reliability if the M3 winds up being late. Soul-less? I don't know about that. I'm a diehard German sedan driver - had five Audis in the last 20 years - and I have to say I was really surprised with how much fun I had beating a new IS200t tester we had around the shop recently. Good torque for a small turbocharged mill, nimble chassis and had actual steering feel.
Based on how he handles the IS you can then decide how much performance to configure into his M3.

 

[ElectricTundra]

I'm kind of in the same boat, except for me it's a Mk7 VW GTI.

It surprises me anytime I hear someone say that they're thinking about buying a VW. Even aside the moral or ethical issue of buying from someone who would do what they did there's the element of purchasing from someone who so blatantly lied to their customers for so long. How can you trust them?