Owners with No AP - Thoughts/Plans/Speculation on What Happens Next

[MagnusMako]

With automatic lane change moved into FSD, AP doesn't do a whole lot to me to be worth $3,000. I'd pay 1k at most for it in it's current offering and would order other functionality ala carte if I could. FSD at 7k is also way too much since it's not really feature complete. If it was feature complete and level 4 or 5, I'd take the plunge.

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

I was juggling with the idea of adding AP on my LR AWD that is to be delivered in a couple of weeks, but I think I will pass. There is to much uncertainty as far as price goes and frankly right now in my account page it makes my car more expensive than if I was to order one now. Makes no sense whatsoever. LOL

If you haven't taken delivery yet, then quietly do a price comparison. You should be able to add AP for $2K.
Then call online orders (or if close enough, go to a store) and have them amend your order.

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

It's not "free" with the cars being sold today. Did they not raise the price of all vehicles or am I missing something here?

Yes, everyone want free.
But its now bundled for $2K

 

[GuyFromGPT]

Being that I never wanted AP in the first place, I'm glad I bought when I did. If they decide to make it free for existing owners, then I'll take it. But I have no desire to spend the money right now.

I'm enjoying the free 60 days, and see why it is so compelling a purchase. If, some years down the road, FSD becomes ridiculously affordable (by today's standard), I'll give it a second look. But I don't see that, unless it becomes an unlikely necessity, needed for some presently unforeseen fleet-wide consistency.

 

[MKandyman]

I have 2 conflicting thoughts on this situation.

1. I logically understand car prices and options change constantly. For ICE cars, end of year clearance sales happen every year, and never once have I been concerned about this for my previous cars.

On the other hand....

2. As an early adopter (have mine almost a year) I can’t help but feel ripped off. Right now for $500 less than I paid for my car (LR RWD, no AP) I can have an LR AWD with AP.


So point 1 is the part of me that enjoys the car and all that comes with it, while point 2 makes me feel betrayed as an early adopter. Why should someone who didn’t stand in line and plunk down $1000 on a car sight unseen reap more benefit than me? It just feels wrong.

Anyways, dont’t take my comments as whiny. I’m thrilled with the car and will be buying another when I but my next car. Tesla strikes me as a great engineering and tech company that doesn’t know anything about managing customer satisfaction (in other words a typical Silicon Valley company). I’ve made my peace with it.

Thanks for listening!

 

[Leafdriver333]

I have 2 conflicting thoughts on this situation.

1. I logically understand car prices and options change constantly. For ICE cars, end of year clearance sales happen every year, and never once have I been concerned about this for my previous cars.

On the other hand....

2. As an early adopter (have mine almost a year) I can’t help but feel ripped off. Right now for $500 less than I paid for my car (LR RWD, no AP) I can have an LR AWD with AP.


So point 1 is the part of me that enjoys the car and all that comes with it, while point 2 makes me feel betrayed as an early adopter. Why should someone who didn’t stand in line and plunk down $1000 on a car sight unseen reap more benefit than me? It just feels wrong.

Anyways, dont’t take my comments as whiny. I’m thrilled with the car and will be buying another when I but my next car. Tesla strikes me as a great engineering and tech company that doesn’t know anything about managing customer satisfaction (in other words a typical Silicon Valley company). I’ve made my peace with it.

Thanks for listening!

I can imagine how I would be feeling if I were in your shoes.
I would have a sour taste in my mouth for a very long time.

BTW, how does your 0-60 time compare with LR AWD? Is it 4.9 sec vs 4.5 sec? I would be upset...

 

[Leafdriver333]

When I ordered my car in October, I think EAP was $5000 - didn't seem worth the price but really liked it during the trial. I contemplated the $2,000 AP offer last month but ultimately passed. Now AP is "free" for all new cars (and the post-purchase add-on is now $3k instead of $4k) - I can't help but wonder if they will incentivize owners without AP in some other way to take the plunge (perhaps to standardize future software, etc.).

I'm not expecting it to be free - nothing is - but maybe $1000 when they need a surge of extra revenue? They can say it's part of their commitment to standardizing safety. Probably not in the next 60 days, but it's been such a wild pricing/configuration ride since January, who knows?

Obviously, this is all pure speculation (wishful thinking?) - but curious to hear your takes on it!

I am on 60 day trial and I can purchase AP for $2500 right now.
But it is less attractive than when it was $3500.
1. I have not been convinced I would use it often - no traffic jam or long drives in my usual daily drive.
2. When I use it, I will always have to expect Phantom Braking to happen.
3. It doesn't feel refined enough. It leaves too much distance than my normal driving even at distance setting at 1. And in stop and go traffic, after stopping completely, the car does not start soon enough after the car in front moves forward. People behind me get impatient and I am vulnerable to getting cut off.
4. THE autopilot PRICE CAME DOWN. IT HAS BECOME VERY LIKELY THAT IT WILL GET EVEN CHEAPER IN THE FUTURE.

In conclusion, I am not going to buy AP for $2500 at this point.
I probably won't buy it at $2000, $1500, or $1000. I am just not convinced I will benefit from it that much.
At $500? hmmm....
For $300? OK, wth.

 

[ProphetM]

I am on 60 day trial and I can purchase AP for $2500 right now.
But it is less attractive than when it was $3500.
1. I have not been convinced I would use it often - no traffic jam or long drives in my usual daily drive.
2. When I use it, I will always have to expect Phantom Braking to happen.
3. It doesn't feel refined enough. It leaves too much distance than my normal driving even at distance setting at 1. And in stop and go traffic, after stopping completely, the car does not start soon enough after the car in front moves forward. People behind me get impatient and I am vulnerable to getting cut off.
4. THE autopilot PRICE CAME DOWN. IT HAS BECOME VERY LIKELY THAT IT WILL GET EVEN CHEAPER IN THE FUTURE.

In conclusion, I am not going to buy AP for $2500 at this point.
I probably won't buy it at $2000, $1500, or $1000. I am just not convinced I will benefit from it that much.
At $500? hmmm....
For $300? OK, wth.

This lines up with my feelings, pretty much. I've been driving my car without AP since last September (aside from a two-week trial). Even during that short trial I experienced phantom braking. I don't trust AP as much as I trust myself, and I don't think that is going to change any time soon. I am ok with standard cruise control, and until AP gets significantly better and significantly cheaper, I have no plans to buy it.

 

[lolder]

Listen, I ordered my car March 9th, watched the crazy complaining about the price, got my car delivered March 28th, watched the complaining about price (LR RWD with Blue paint and Autopilot).

Guess what? I thought the price was fair then. So they changed the price. No big deal. The only thing I still wonder about is "Should I have bought the AWD?" I came close then, I kicked around getting the black paint (saving the $1500) and going AWN. Now with the combined cost being $1000+1500 cheaper, I wonder if I would have decided the other way? Who knows. It is what it is. I won't stress

You bought the best bargain. It has the maximum range of any Tesla other than perhaps the S 100 but the 3 has a better battery. Range degradation with age will hardly ever be a bother. The AWD range is at least 14% less and the extra performance borders on being unsafe. The LR RWD is reported to drive very well. More important than AWD is a winter tire set. The FSD is coming very soon. Autonomous after regulatory approval. The car does everything now except stop lights and signs and that is next.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

My prediction is it will stick around $2500 for quite awhile.

I don't think it's a big enough pool of people for Tesla to really bother much with.

Plus Tesla is going to be laser focused on FSD. So I could see some discounting of it for people without AP just to bring the cost down to something doable. But, not by a huge amount.

 

[blwong78]

On 3/17, the base performance ($58,000)+ AP/FSD ($8,000) was $66,000.
On 4/9, the base performance ($59,500) + AP/FSD ($8,000) was $67,500.
On 4/12, the base performance ($59,500) including AP + FSD ($5,000) is $64,500.

This is frustrating to the buyer who wants to feel like they got the best deal.

 

[MXWing]

This is frustrating to the buyer who wants to feel like they got the best deal.

The person getting the best deal is your neighbor. This will always be the case.

 

[MKandyman]

I can imagine how I would be feeling if I were in your shoes.
I would have a sour taste in my mouth for a very long time.

BTW, how does your 0-60 time compare with LR AWD? Is it 4.9 sec vs 4.5 sec? I would be upset...

As far as 0-60, haven’t measured, but turth is my cars current power is enough for my purposes.

 

[Scott7]

I am on 60 day trial and I can purchase AP for $2500 right now

My prediction is it will stick around $2500 for quite awhile.

Heh. The AP price in my account has already changed to $3000. The $2500 price lasted a whole day!

I’m currently on my AP trial and my prediction is it will still be $3k after the trial ends, but who knows!

 

[Knightshade]

BTW, how does your 0-60 time compare with LR AWD? Is it 4.9 sec vs 4.5 sec? I would be upset...

Tesla sandbags the AWD 0-60 on the website to protect P sales (in addition to dishonestly using 1 foot rollout for the P times but not the other models).

Actual real-world testing by members shows the AWD with the power bump running ~4.0 with 1 foot rollout (compared to ~3.2 on the P or ~4.8 on the RWD) all times give or take a tenth or two between various testers/conditions.

 

[caskater47]

AP has always been a tough sell for me. When I bought my car last July it was billed as a partial FSD option. Something that clearly didn't exist then and still doesn't exist now.

However it also include basic TACC. A feature which comes standard on virtually any car that costs 40k or more. By charging 5k for what essentially is TACC+ its a really poor value proposition. I personally opted out of it because I didn't see the point in paying 5k more such a basic feature.

If Tesla is truly focused on safety they should give everyone TACC for free. Roll the rest of the useless AP features into FSD and continue to charge customers 3k for the vaporware. Everyone wins!

 

[Knightshade]

AP has always been a tough sell for me. When I bought my car last July it was billed as a partial FSD option. Something that clearly didn't exist then and still doesn't exist now.

Billed by whom? Because Tesla is pretty clear in all their documentation that it's not FSD in any way.

However it also include basic TACC. A feature which comes standard on virtually any car that costs 40k or more.

People keep claiming that- then when you ask for examples they can mostly just cite cars where it's a paid option.
(and FWIW Teslas version works a ton better than those I've personally tried on Infiniti, Toyota, Lexus, and other brands)

If Tesla is truly focused on safety they should give everyone TACC for free.

I have good news for you....

 

[MXWing]

However it also include basic TACC. A feature which comes standard on virtually any car that costs 40k or more.

Comeon man - we know people don’t buy the cow if they get the milk for free.

I’m sure lots of people wonder why the car that’s like 90K our the door (3P+ and all checkboxes) doesn’t have a power lift gate?

Tesla doesn’t have the best BMS on the planet but can’t figure out a power lift gate?

That’s called the “Model S” package.

 

[solodogg]

On the other hand....

2. As an early adopter (have mine almost a year) I can’t help but feel ripped off. Right now for $500 less than I paid for my car (LR RWD, no AP) I can have an LR AWD with AP.

As an early adopter, you also qualified for a $7500 tax credit, while anyone purchasing now only gets $3750. So you're $250 ahead by my calculations...

 

[Arizona Willie]

Folks, ICE car dealers change the price of their cars DAILY. You don't have the option there to get rebates retroactively. Tesla honors the price commitment of firm orders and even has made some adjustments. All this complaining is ridiculous and hurting the company.

What's hurting the company is all the price changes.

It shows basic instability and lack of leadership.

I have never seen any other car company put out a new model / drop the price / raise the price / drop the price / give free accessories / etc / etc the way Tesla has.