New Member Question on Purchasing Used Through Tesla

[jpfive]

Hello All,

New member here. I visited the San Diego store this summer while visiting my son and his family. I drove the M3 Dual Motor Performance. It sold me on Tesla. I will likely place my deposit on a MY before the end of this year, as it is the best fit for my wife and I. However, I can't get the Model S out of my mind. I would really like to own one, and a used one would be doable for me, especially at or near the price for a MY dual motor long range. I've been looking for a good article, or recent forum threads, concerning this process. I have lot of questions. Would anybody care to share advice or experiences or point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

jpfive
Pensacola, FL

 

[isracing]

Rule number one of Tesla club expect nothing but the shittiest service and bad information from anybody you speak with who wears a Tesla badge. Other than that Owning one of these cars as I just picked up my long range S last month from the factory it is absolutely without a doubt the most pleasurable car to drive on the planet and I am so happy that I have fun and will never go back to gas for my daily driver. And I don’t commute I bought it strictly for pleasure

 

[Tam]

...advice...

I assume you wonder should you go for Model S now or Model Y later.

Model Y pros:

Cheaper
Smaller (fits in smaller places better)
Newer tech (you can program yourself for phone, card, fob and can be shared with multiple cars)

Model Y cons:

Longer wait
Smaller (less cargo space)
Worse User Interface: 1 screen for both instrument panel and apps instead of 2. 1 window for apps instead of 2 windows.
The center screen is too reflective (maybe dure to angle and higher position)

Model S pros:

Already in production, and proven. No long wait.
Bigger (roomier)
Better User Interface: 2 screens: 1 separate one for the instrument panel (with left and right configurable windows) and1 separate one for 2 apps in the center.
The center screen is much less distractive reflection (maybe dure to more angling down position)

Model S cons:

More expensive
Bigger (harder to fit in tight places)
Older tech (Service Center can program a fob for a single car and not shared among multiple cars)

 

[jpfive]

Rule number one of Tesla club expect nothing but the shittiest service and bad information from anybody you speak with who wears a Tesla badge. Other than that Owning one of these cars as I just picked up my long range S last month from the factory it is absolutely without a doubt the most pleasurable car to drive on the planet and I am so happy that I have fun and will never go back to gas for my daily driver. And I don’t commute I bought it strictly for pleasure

Tesla is in the unique, and likely temporary position of delivering a superb and unrivaled product to customers who will not settle for less. This is what makes the direct distribution model work. For thirty years I was a partner in a GM dealership and worked in our store in just about every capacity. I can tell you that what is top-of-mind when dealing with local people and neighbors is to have them come back - and to speak well of their experience. The person on the Tesla end of your phone or computer can not feel that connection. When Teslas become just another EV offering they may have to push marketing closer to people and communities. We shall see.

 

[jpfive]

I assume you wonder should you go for Model S now or Model Y later...

Thank you for your reply. Your analysis is pretty well spot on. My list of pros and cons tracks closely with yours. There is also an emotional 'pro' for the S. It is a beautiful car. When I was 14 I walked past the first '62 Jaguar E-type in our neighborhood. I was stunned. I still am enamored of that car. When I was 16 I saw my first Avanti in the Washington DC auto show. The same. I don't put the 'S' quite in that league, but I do consider it to be a clean and timeless design. It will never look dated in your driveway.

 

[Tam]

clean and timeless design

Exactly!

I drove my 2012 Model S for 6 years and have experienced lots of people loving its look. Some were even stalking me on the road by passing me on the left, then right, then front, then back then giving a thumb up....It's very obvious! Others were taking their time walking by but suddenly stopped and visibly admired its look!

The X and Y are nice too but they might bulge up a bit similar to an oversized iconic Volkswagen bug.

Among S, X, 3, Y, I think the S is the sexiest!

 

[Alysashley79]

I’ve had both new S purchased and used a purchase both direct from Tesla. Both my experiences were fantastic!
Here’s the major differences between new and used. With new you get an estimated delivery and usually is delivered within a few days if that. With used it can take up to 30 days for your car to arrive. For me from deposit on used to driving away was 15 days. Once I put the deposit down and I got an email from my deliverer associate I emailed him daily asking for an update on my cars location. The first week it was sitting in Dallas on the Mannheim lot. After that I received gps coordinates daily until it arrived at my local service center. I picked up the car two days later. This all took place in May of this year.
I LOVE the look of the S. I actually prefer the nose come to the refreshed look but that’s just personal opinion. I’m in the same boat as you. Would like a new Y but couldn’t wait 2 years for the 7 seater. So decided to go with another S and will pick up a y ones all the kinks are worked out in a couple years.

 

[jpfive]

I think losing the grille was better for other than aesthetic reasons, but I still appreciate the original front end. I'm curious how far back autopilot and FSD features are backward compatible? I know there are several generations of autopilot based on year of manufacture: 1.0 2.0 2.5 3.0 but not sure whether older models can be brought up to date on their hardware at service centers. Full Self Driving is not important to me yet, but I would like the most current autopilot setup. So, with that in mind, how many model years should I look for a pre-owned MS? There are some very clean, low mileage examples of earlier MS's out there.

Thanks

 

[Loco_Nomad]

Go for Used Model S (again, which one you want, classic one? pre ap?ap1, ap2? netflix? with all the cool stuff?) if you like it, it gives you a feeling you driving a big cruise ship Also air suspension, auto trunk, opening sun roof and huge frunk those were my main criterias, I had a chance to get RWD M3 but decided to go with pre ap RWD MS and since April 2019 I'm happy with my choice!

My used car purchase through Tesla was just amazing, 1 week wait and they delivered my car to me just like I expected, all the work they done after was under warranty and never had any issues with service centers or warranty work, I don't know, maybe I'm just lucky but everything about my CPO (used) tesla purchase is 100% positive
Also, about nosecone or no noscone, I kinda like the classic one, but if I want to I can always facelift my tesla for $2000 and my HIDs are better than new LEDs lol
p.s. I don't care about netflix or auto pilot