New member considerations for used P90D?

[2101Guy]

I'm a committed petrol head - decades of V8 only for me including Ferrari., corvette camaro. Paid a small fortune many times for good sounding exhausts etc. I've had a P90D now for 4.5 years - the best car I've ever had - just in respect to performance versus cost. While the MS is a bit heavy in corners - it exceeds in everything else including flogging motorcycles from the lights. You will not miss ICE.

Recommend you check battery range (mines V1battery and still 470klms Rated range). Go for free supercharging if you can.

I came from a long-ish line of AMG benzes and //M BMW's. Fast, powerful, vehicles.

Do I sometimes miss the exhaust note/engine revs of a supercharged V8? Yes.

Would I go back to one?

NEVER. ICE is old/past. EV is still in it's infancy and getting faster, cheaper, longer range every few months it seems. Less complex, but all the advantages over ICE.

Never going back. Faster, smoother, quieter, no drama, no transmission shifts, no hesitation waiting on gears to shift, no waiting for torque to build.

Just..fast.

I predict within 3 years...4 elec motors on next model S. one smaller, lighter, more powerful elec motor for each wheel.

 

[Huachipato]

Don't get stuck on the free supercharging. Power in Texas is really cheap. I drive about 1K miles a month and I am calculating it is costing me about $50 in cheap power at home ($0.082 per KWh for me). I have used the supercharger once in 7 months.

Just make sure you have a Nema 14-50 plug initially - and work on getting a plug installed shortly there after (or before if you are really committed). You will want the 240V plug for sure though. The 120V normal plugs charge at about 3miles added range per hour vs. 240V doing 28MPH.

One last note - the power (torque) really is there to kill just about anything else on the street as long as the speeds are lower than 70MPH. On highways - I feel my old Cobra had more punch at the higher speeds. However, most of the legal driving is done in the Tesla's sweet spot - so most driving can be fun. Also Tesla cars are heavy! While I was getting a feel for the car, I tried to toss it around a turn like I used to do with my Cobra all the time, and what was well within the limits of the Cobra ended up being a Full ABS braking job and squealing tires turn for the Tesla (I will concede my Tesla has cheap tires on it though). I got used to the new limits rather quickly. Just for reference, my Cobra was riding on 275 square set up, versus the Tesla 245 Square setup - Cobra about ~4000 Lbs vs Tesla ~5000 Lbs.

I'd dare to say most of the cars having brake issues are those who figured out the one pedal driving. To do that it's not quite granny driving -but pretty close. You strike me as a person who will probably use the brakes more than that. And either way - brakes are nothing exotic so you can work/maintain them regardless.

 

[wallicimo]

Thanks Guy. Which websites allow direct sales between Tesla owners/buyers? I'm with you on the reluctance...trust me.

 

[wallicimo]

I'm looking at a 2016 pre-refresh model and I can't help but think the newer models look much better...am I incorrect in thinking that the differences are significant enough to present an obvious visual distinction (less the obvious black front bumper)?

Also, the one I am looking at doesn't have air suspension so I can't adjust the ride height at all? Is this something that would be a deal breaker for your all? I know the looks are subjective, but the air suspension has me wondering what you all think?

Shadius mentioned not wanting to get stuck on AP2, but if I go with a post refresh 16' won't it have AP2 anyway? Help!!!

 

[beatle]

You are always "allowed" to buy a car directly from an individual on any website. It's just a car.

The look between the facelifted and old cars is distinct. Some people have retrofitted the facelifted bumper and modified the headlights to look more like the newer cars. The newer cars' headlights are almost universally panned from a usability standpoint. I don't think they are unusable, but they are worse than the outgoing HID projectors, and certainly worse than a lot of other luxury brands.

Coil based suspensions are not adjustable. I thought having air suspension would be a novelty, but it has been very useful in certain situations such as climbing a very steep or rutted driveway. I say there are no drawbacks now, but they do fail from time to time and are not inexpensive to fix. Still, I think it's a great feature. Some people think it the standard air suspension is a little wallowy. I drove a 2019 early last fall (pre-raven, I believe) and I thought it was fine though.

 

[SoCal Buzz]

I'm looking at a 2016 pre-refresh model and I can't help but think the newer models look much better...am I incorrect in thinking that the differences are significant enough to present an obvious visual distinction (less the obvious black front bumper)?

Also, the one I am looking at doesn't have air suspension so I can't adjust the ride height at all? Is this something that would be a deal breaker for your all? I know the looks are subjective, but the air suspension has me wondering what you all think?

Shadius mentioned not wanting to get stuck on AP2, but if I go with a post refresh 16' won't it have AP2 anyway? Help!!!

The front fascia is the only substantial difference between pre-refresh vs. not. So I would decide based on that look and your own preference. I've owned and liked both. The new fascia is a bit sleeker looking. But I still prefer the rear diffuser on pre-refresh. Anyway, you can always upgrade the front fascia in the future with 3rd party option.

With regard to suspension, I've also had both. I enjoyed the coils and ride quality; plus they are more reliable long-term. Air suspension is nice primarily to auto-raise in specific locations with high curbs or whatever. But coils are a great ride and certainly not a deal breaker for me.

 

[BUSMAN]

Thanks Guy. Which websites allow direct sales between Tesla owners/buyers? I'm with you on the reluctance...trust me.

Did you ever say your not interested in purchasing a car from Tesla.com?

 

[Vegas]

I have the 'classic'? pre-refresh. At first I couldn't warm to the new front, but now I really like it and may change it out at some stage. The rear on the 'classic' I think is more aggressive looking - I prefer that look, so I hope to combine both with an upgraded fascia.

The openness of the yacht floor in the older models I think looks much better, more minimalist, and cleaner lines than the current interior. The downfall with it is a lack or storage and only 2 cup holders. Just sharing thoughts, prob not help your decision making.

 

[2101Guy]

Thanks Guy. Which websites allow direct sales between Tesla owners/buyers? I'm with you on the reluctance...trust me.

There is a market place type area somewhere on this very forum

Also, there is this



Tesla Info: new and used cars for sale

and this

https://ev-cpo.com/hunter/

 

[EV-CPO]

For buying a used car from Tesla directly -- EV-CPO.com

For buying used Tesla from other owners: Only Used Tesla | A Place Exclusively Dedicated To Buying And Selling Used Teslas

Good luck!

 

[2101Guy]

question: buying directly from another Tesla owner...the car retains FSD, Supercharging if the seller has those items intact. Correct?

 

[Huachipato]

Supercharging is questionable - but FSD should stay intact. In most cases a private sale has retained the FUSC - but the wording on site has changed to be clear as mud. It seems to be the cases where the car passes through Tesla's hands (traded in and sold or auctioned off by Tesla) that have lost the features.

 

[mambro]

Some of the 85 and 90 cars have had sub-par batteries. Some 85 cars have had their voltage capped which brings down range and performance, and some of the earlier 90 cars have had higher than average degradation to the point that they are no better than an 85, and are in some cases, worse. As others have said, checking the rated miles at a known percentage will give you an idea of how the battery is doing.

Here is a thread that goes over that topic, and I did snip this pic from it that shows how to figure out what your battery capacity is.

Sudden Loss Of Range With 2019.16.x Software