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We're long time Model S owners, and looking to get a Model 3 as a second car and for our teenage son to drive. Would normally get a used car for this purpose, but it's not clear that makes sense giving used pricing right now, the MA $2500 rebate, and I'm assuming the increased resale value we'll get from buying new. But, the price for AWD in a new car right now is too high, so if getting new would have to get RWD instead, and also many used cars have EAD or FSD software already, that would be extra if buying new...

Key question: What were the most significant hardware changes between 2018-19 (years of most used M3s) and 2022, that will effect the performance, safety and resale value of the car??

And with these factors in mind, any suggestions/recommendations for which to get:
*If buying used, we can get a 2018 with only 23K miles, and AWD and EAP for $50K or a bit less
*For new, getting the basic RWD version with no EAP would be ~$46K after the MA rebate
*We'd like to get it ASAP, but are willing to wait until the Oct-Dec timeframe for new if that is the better long term choice!
*The AWD option is a safety issue for us, but are thinking if we get good tires, we should be OK?
*For EAP, if we get new, we likely will pay for this at some point in the future. Do folks believe the upgrade option will always be available?

Thanks much for any advice, pointers or recommendations!
Dave.
 
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*The AWD option is a safety issue for us, but are thinking if we get good tires, we should be OK?
I think winter tires are more critical than AWD with All-Season tires.
*For EAP, if we get new, we likely will pay for this at some point in the future. Do folks believe the upgrade option will always be available?
Tesla keeps on changing, so it's unpredictable.

Fixing a Tesla can be expensive so I would go for the new car warranty.
 
The basic warranty (4 years) is up for the used 2018 LR M3 this year.

Also - compare the range (for your use case) between the two.

Assuming that the 2018 has 10% battery/range degradation, which I think is good (conservative) estimate, the range for the 2018 used LR will be at 280 miles, 250sh miles at 90% SoC.

The LFP battery for the new RWD M3 is at 272 miles, which is ok to be charged to 100% for daily use.

Plus there might be some tax credit advantage for the RWD when delivered starting 2023 vs none for the $50K used AWD.
 
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The federal tax credit wouldn't help us as we need the car before 2023, but great point about the warranty! And I agree about winter tires vs. AWD...

Anyone know if there were any meaningful hardware updates between 2018 and 2022? That would make a difference as well...
 
The federal tax credit wouldn't help us as we need the car before 2023, but great point about the warranty! And I agree about winter tires vs. AWD...

Anyone know if there were any meaningful hardware updates between 2018 and 2022? That would make a difference as well...

I would point you to this thread:


And this specific post from @voltswagen ,which is the most comprehensive list I have seen put together by someone here.

I just switched from an early 2019 Model 3 to a 2022.

Here is the list of differences I compiled while deciding if the change would be worthwhile:
  • upgraded to MCU3
  • upgraded to HW3 (after April 2019)
  • basic autopilot included (after April 2019)
  • maximum EPA estimated range improved from 310 to 358 miles
  • matrix LED projector (a.k.a Global) headlights
  • black exterior trim (chrome delete)
  • improved side marker cameras (no light leak to blind camera at night)
  • new center console design
  • heated steering wheel
  • heated wipers
  • heated charge port
  • external speaker (pedestrian sound generator)
  • heat pump
  • climate control passenger detection (closes passenger-side dash vents when seat is unoccupied)
  • redesigned wheels
  • redesigned aero wheel covers
  • power trunk lid
  • trunk seal redesigned
  • metal scrollers on steering wheel
  • wireless phone charging
  • usb-c ports front and rear
  • usb in glovebox for sentry mode/Tesla cam
  • 128GB usb drive included
  • matte interior trim (no piano black)
  • new door latch button icons
  • dashboard trim wraps onto front doors
  • laminated side glass (front only)
  • Li-Ion battery replaces less reliable 12v lead-acid version
  • rear door speaker grills now circular
  • center dash speaker deleted
  • smaller frunk
  • frunk mat no longer included
  • rear deck center grill opening removed (reduces road noise, but also reduces subwoofer volume in cabin)
  • passenger seat lumbar adjustment deleted
  • radar deleted
  • homelink no longer included (separate online purchase ($350 USD) and service appointment required for installation)
  • michelin primacy mxm4 tires revised from T0 to T1 (if equipped - there are some hankook kinergy GTs in the mix)
I should also mention anecdotally that my new Model 3 seems quieter inside - less road and wind noise, and body panel fitment is more precise.
 
I would point you to this thread:


And this specific post from @voltswagen ,which is the most comprehensive list I have seen put together by someone here.
Thanks!! - That's exactly what I was looking for and couldn't find on my own..
 
In all seriousness, I know of a few kids who were given their first cars (some of them cousins). Without fail, they all trashed those cars. On the flip side, the kids I know that saved up for their first cars took very good care of them.

Additionally, if he's in the high-risk age of 18-24, I'd never put him in any Tesla. He's already at a higher risk of vehicle fatality. The acceleration probably just increases it.
 
Additionally, if he's in the high-risk age of 18-24, I'd never put him in any Tesla. He's already at a higher risk of vehicle fatality. The acceleration probably just increases it.

Agreed. If he were taking flying lessons, would you buy him a used Cessna or an F-16? My 17 year old has my old 2010 Mazda CX7. There is no fricking way I'd let him drive a model 3 until he has much more experience behind the wheel.
 
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Thanks for all the advice! To be clear, this is to be my car, for him to drive when he needs to get to his jobs or to school. And he learned to drive on our Model S 100D (my wife's car), so is very used to driving Teslas, and he is an extremely conservative driver (and very risk adverse in general), and set up his driver profile to alert him if he ever goes above the posted speed limit, which he does not. Honestly, the one thing he needs to learn in driving is that sometimes he needs to be bit more aggressive...

The car we're replacing is a 2004 Prius, but my wife refuses to let him drive it since it doesn't have all the modern safety features, so probably the most important reason we are choosing the Model 3 is because of the Model 3's safety! And of course to go all EV and for us never have to go to a gas station again....
 
And, BTW, if anyone has other suggestions for our second car to be any other all-electric car that is a top safety pick + (or equivalent), I'm all ears. But we do like being able to use our home Tesla charger for it, and also like the Supercharger network...
 
And, BTW, if anyone has other suggestions for our second car to be any other all-electric car that is a top safety pick + (or equivalent), I'm all ears. But we do like being able to use our home Tesla charger for it, and also like the Supercharger network...
There are adapters to use Tesla home (or other AC) chargers (but not Superchargers) with other EVs. Fast charging for cars with CCS1 is available, but may not be as easy to use as Tesla Superchargers.

But what may be available to consider depends on what other criteria you have:
  • Range for daily driving?
  • Road trip fast charging?
  • Price?
 
There are adapters to use Tesla home (or other AC) chargers (but not Superchargers) with other EVs. Fast charging for cars with CCS1 is available, but may not be as easy to use as Tesla Superchargers.

But what may be available to consider depends on what other criteria you have:
  • Range for daily driving?
  • Road trip fast charging?
  • Price?

Re: Superchargers, it's more about their availability/ubiquity than ease of use. And, of course, fast charging is nice!

We don't need a ton of range for daily driving, but good if we don't have to worry about charging every day in the middle of the winter, so nice to have some cushion. And good to have the option of doing a longer trip. And of course a lower price is better given satisfaction of all other constraints such as top safety pick +, etc...
 
Re: Superchargers, it's more about their availability/ubiquity than ease of use. And, of course, fast charging is nice!

We don't need a ton of range for daily driving, but good if we don't have to worry about charging every day in the middle of the winter, so nice to have some cushion.
By this, do you mean 200+ miles (e.g. Bolt, Leaf Plus, Kona, Niro), or more like 125-150 miles (e.g. Ioniq (not Ioniq 5), last few years of i3 BEV and e-Golf)? Or something like 50-80 miles (e.g. all of the early short range EVs that are probably quite cheap as used cars now)?

Also, could you get by with only the Model S being road-trip-convenient, or must the second car also be road-trip-convenient?

However, constraints like current IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus do restrict the choice to newer vehicles, which tend to be more expensive (especially since most vehicle companies are now favoring the high end of the market to offer EVs in). Some of the 200+ mile less expensive EVs (e.g. Bolt, Leaf Plus) do not have fast charging that is that fast, so they may be less convenient for road trips. The relatively new Ioniq 5 and EV6 may be attractively priced, but hard to find, and prone to additional dealer markup.
 
[Sorry if this is a repeat message as I already posted something similar to this message - but it appears to be missing]

In any case, we just ordered the M3, and hoping it comes in the early part of the Oct-Dec range! We had considered all the other cars listed above (and test drove some of them), but M3 won out. One reason, is looking at the cost of ownership, if resale value stays anywhere close to where it's been then the amount we'll eventually be able to sell it for will be close enough to the purchase price to make it very economical!
 
As I wrote in another thread somewhere... $7500 will buy a ton of uber rides, if you can hold on until Jan 1. Note that the delivery date for AWD is already into 2023, and a RWD is estimated at "oct-nov 2022" which probably really means Nov-Dec 2022. Lets assume Nov 15, that means you'd be dealing with six weeks of uber for $7500, and a couple of those weeks are school vacation weeks.

I'll also second the thought that a model 3, even a RWD 3, for a first car is sheer lunacy. It almost makes it WORSE if your teenager only gets to use it occasionally, because then he's got to play when he can(not when he sees an empty road before him). I'm old enough to have two young adult kids, and I >still< have trouble restraining my right foot, and I've had the car four years now.