Performance or LR Dual Motor for commute?

[bshap73]

Hey all, first post, looking for input. I'll be purchasing my first Tesla in the next month or two. I've previously owned a Nissan Leaf and currently Chevy Bolt. I'm hoping that those with more experience driving the model 3 in commute traffic can weigh in. I've test driven a 3 long rage dual motor and loved it. 2 main reasons I want the Tesla are the HOV sticker and the enhanced auto pilot.

I currently commute form East Bay through Silicon Valley to Saratoga. Aprox 50-60 miles each way for a time of 2-3 hours daily. I've found my bolt to be pretty zippy, though it's obvious it's tires and handling is like driving on ice skates. My last fun car was a twin turbo rx7 tricked out with aftermarket parts pulling 500hp. My thinking is that sometimes I like to drive my commute mad max style weaving in and out, or taking the back roads (windy 1 lane Calaveras rd) Other times when I'm tired or stressed I just want to sit back and zone out. This is why I want the Tesla with auto pilot, so I can let the car do the driving.

I've narrowed my choice down to either the Dual Motor Long Rage or Performance model. I had settled on the LR version, finding it hard to spend the extra $10k on the performance upgrade, however I've just found a used performance with the exact color I want for $56k and I may even be able to negotiate down. I've also found a LR Dual for $51k. One is at a dealer, the other is private party.

Am I crazy for thinking about using a performance model for commuting? Is commuting 120 miles daily in a performance model a bad idea? Are the tries going to rattle on every little dip? Is the noise from larger tires going to be really bad? I'm sure it will be stiffer and louder than the 18" but is this a terrible idea? Ive read about others bending rims hitting holes in the road. Is the performance really designed for the track only?

Also, My wife is going to keep the bolt till lease end, so we will be ditching our ICE Buick. The Tesla will be used occasionally for road trips to Redding and Disneyland. Is doing this trip with 2 younger kids in the performance model going to be brutal? Is the ride difference going to be way nicer in the non-performance?

Both cars have around 2,000ish miles on them, is there a big warranty difference to buying used vs buying new from Tesla for the model 3?

The kid in me wants the performance model, but the practical adult in me understands if this is a really bad idea and I'm going to regret commuting in it, if it drives like a lowered civic with 1" sidewalls.

 

[DDotJ]

I commute in a P3D, and I love it. If the 20" tires really bother you, you can swap them out for something like TSportline 18" wheels.
I have a RWD LR and a P3D. When I first got my P3D, I was surprised how comfortable the Performance Model 3 was. It was definitely sportier, but not uncomfortable. Because I had been driving the RWD, I was worried that the P3D would be very harsh but it was totally fine.

I did switch to the 18" rims because I bent my rims on potholes on multiple occasions but I have a lot of potholes near my work. Tesla wanted $700/rim and I figured it would keep happening so I switched them for peace of mind. In terms of road noise I didn't perceive a huge difference between the 20"s and the 18"s. The 18" wheels are slightly more cushioned but I don't think most people (or passengers) would notice the difference. Also 18" wheels are also more efficient as well, if you are concerned about that.

The P3D is a lot of fun, and I don't take it on the track or anything. I'm sure most P3D owners don't track their cars.

I road trip in mine with relative frequency and it is perfect. If you're not flooring it, its a quiet and comfortable ride. You can also put it in Chill Mode if you find it difficult to prevent yourself from having too much fun. 4 People in Model 3 is perfect. It is tight for 5 full size adults but 2 younger kids in the back is not a problem at all.

TLDR: I wouldn't avoid a P3D due to ride comfort. If it really bothers you, you can just swap the wheels.

 

[CAAD]

To be honest, after driving my P3D+ from Bay Area to Las Vegas and compared my latest road trip to Oregon in my SUV, I felt that this is really a city car. With that, a performance model will do. On long trips, even with the short supercharging, you still have to stop, which is a drag on the family (but not me). I sat in the back of all models and yes the 20" is louder but couldn't stand the noise on any model for long trips.

People ditching ICE cars probably don't have the need to haul a family, luggage and all belongings. The same amount in my P3D+ I'd be lucky to make it to Kettleman City to charge. I averaged 325w going slow below 70mph which is a pain. In my SUV 80mph all the way.

Long road trips - ICE is king.
City commutes to short trips - EV is king.

 

[SammichLover]

Long road trips - ICE is king.

BZZZZZZT, wrong. Flat out wrong. The P in stock configuration has issues with it but otherwise, unless you need a lot more cargo space than the Model 3 provides, for something specific you're bringing, I'd drive my Model 3, LR D, before anything else w/up to me and 3 family members.

 

[dhrivnak]

To me the biggest negative of the performance is expensive low profile tires that are terrible on pot holes. The AWD I’d already MUCH MUCH faster than your Leaf. A LOT faster

 

[dhrivnak]

To be honest, after driving my P3D+ from Bay Area to Las Vegas and compared my latest road trip to Oregon in my SUV, I felt that this is really a city car. With that, a performance model will do. On long trips, even with the short supercharging, you still have to stop, which is a drag on the family (but not me). I sat in the back of all models and yes the 20" is louder but couldn't stand the noise on any model for long trips.

People ditching ICE cars probably don't have the need to haul a family, luggage and all belongings. The same amount in my P3D+ I'd be lucky to make it to Kettleman City to charge. I averaged 325w going slow below 70mph which is a pain. In my SUV 80mph all the way.

Long road trips - ICE is king.
City commutes to short trips - EV is king.

As we are finishing a 2000 mile road trip in our 3 I can say it is MUCH better than an ICE. And much cheaper for fuel. We have driven as much as 650 miles in a day with no issue.

 

[turtlesz]

Skip the used one and buy it new. Wait till the end of the quarter and score huge discounts. I got $7700 off on a Blue P3D with white interior and autopilot with 7 miles on it. Was new and non demo and came out to $57,300 and will qualify for all rebates and incentives ($3750 fed tax + $2500 CA state + $1000 Edison). Autopilot is now standard so new prices are even lower, pair that with end of quarter discounts and you might even get it cheaper compared to mine.

 

[DDotJ]

BZZZZZZT, wrong. Flat out wrong.

Honestly, I prefer road trips in my Tesla too. I have other ICE cars but end up taking the Tesla.

• Autopilot is awesome for long road trips. I would take my Tesla for this reason alone. I arrive much less tired it reduces stress (especially in heavy traffic)
• I stop every 2.5-3 hours anyway to go to the bathroom and eat. It allows for a more relaxing road trip experience. I timed an ICE road trip and my Tesla road trip from Orange County to SF and found the ICE was only about 30 minutes faster.
• With free (or even paid) Supercharging, it's much cheaper

I do understand that some people like to do cannonball run-style road trips where you minimize time and do gas-and-go stops. Personally I don't like that but if you are constantly going very long distances and are in a time crunch, I can see why some people take ICE vehicles on road trips.

 

[Vines]

I commune daily in my P3D for similar reasons as you are choosing. Its an awesome car and really the best of both worlds.

Its awesome on the track, on a back road or just for a few off-ramps, tossing it around on lunch to blow off some steam. Thrilling to say the least, and faster than anything I have owned.

Its a perfect driving appliance as well, and just does allow me to de-stress on my commute home. I do Mountain View over the hill each day, which used to be about 90 minutes each way.

This car has literally changed my life, its transformed my commute.

 

[Vines]

Honestly, I prefer road trips in my Tesla too. I have other ICE cars but end up taking the Tesla.

• Autopilot is awesome for long road trips. I would take my Tesla for this reason alone. I arrive much less tired it reduces stress (especially in heavy traffic)
• I stop every 2.5-3 hours anyway to go to the bathroom and eat. It allows for a more relaxing road trip experience. I timed an ICE road trip and my Tesla road trip from Orange County to SF and found the ICE was only about 30 minutes faster.
• With free (or even paid) Supercharging, it's much cheaper

I do understand that some people like to do cannonball run-style road trips where you minimize time and do gas-and-go stops. Personally I don't like that but if you are constantly going very long distances and are in a time crunch, I can see why some people take ICE vehicles on road trips.

This is a great perspective and matches my experience with long road trips perfectly. While some people are fine arriving at the destination with urine filled Gatorade bottles and stiff joints, I much prefer stretching my legs, my dog likes it too.
When the trip itself is no longer this horrible thing you try to minimize then your whole perspective changes. I'd rather have a bit of sanity, relaxed atmosphere, and autopilot doing 99% of the driving load, and sacrifice pure speed. What I gain is so much more valuable than a 10-20% sooner arrival time and every meal eaten on the road and bought at a drive through.

 

[afadeev]

My last fun car was a twin turbo rx7 tricked out with aftermarket parts pulling 500hp. My thinking is that sometimes I like to drive my commute mad max style weaving in and out, or taking the back roads (windy 1 lane Calaveras rd) Other times when I'm tired or stressed I just want to sit back and zone out. This is why I want the Tesla with auto pilot, so I can let the car do the driving.
[...]
Am I crazy for thinking about using a performance model for commuting? Is commuting 120 miles daily in a performance model a bad idea? Are the tries going to rattle on every little dip? Is the noise from larger tires going to be really bad? I'm sure it will be stiffer and louder than the 18" but is this a terrible idea? Ive read about others bending rims hitting holes in the road. Is the performance really designed for the track only?

If you are a car guy, TM3-Performance is the only way to go!
I am driving TM3P as a daily over Beirut-style potholed roads of NY/NJ. You can definitely have fun with it in Nor-Cal.

TM3P's Pilot 4S grip WAAAYYYY better than all-season condoms wrappers on regular 18/19 wheels, but they will wear off faster and be a touch noisier. Nothing that increasing audio levels can't overcome, but if cost per mile starts bothering you, consider getting cheapo 18-inchers for commuting duty (save 20s for track/autoX duty; get R-tires once 4S wear off).

we will be ditching our ICE Buick. The Tesla will be used occasionally for road trips to Redding and Disneyland. Is doing this trip with 2 younger kids in the performance model going to be brutal? Is the ride difference going to be way nicer in the non-performance?

People ditching ICE cars probably don't have the need to haul a family, luggage and all belongings. [...]
Long road trips - ICE is king.
City commutes to short trips - EV is king.

East Bay to Redding is ~210 miles, doable without recharging mid-way in any LR TM3.
East Bay to Disney is ~400 miles, will require one mid-trip recharge. Doable, and your kids wont tolerate sitting in the car without bathroom that long brakes anyway.

However, I have to agree with CAAD - for longer family trips, we always take an ICE car.

It's not because the trips can't be done with EVs - they can be, and I have done many 300-500 one way business trips in EVs. But with the family and kids, things tend to get very unpredictable and spontaneous very fast. Worrying about recharging needs in the middle of the kids-infused chaos is unnecessary and something that I enjoy avoiding.

If you can afford to keep a long-haul ICE car around in your fleet - seriously consider doing just that.
If parking space/cost are an issue, you can still make do with LR TM3, but it will require more planning and rout/hotel research.

Good luck either way!

a

 

[ngogas]

Save money and get dual motor. Unless you plan on racing at ever stop lights. I got a dual instead of the P. Save some money.

 

[bshap73]

Skip the used one and buy it new. Wait till the end of the quarter and score huge discounts. I got $7700 off on a Blue P3D with white interior and autopilot with 7 miles on it. Was new and non demo and came out to $57,300 and will qualify for all rebates and incentives ($3750 fed tax + $2500 CA state + $1000 Edison). Autopilot is now standard so new prices are even lower, pair that with end of quarter discounts and you might even get it cheaper compared to mine.

I can only get the $3750 if I get it by June and then $2500. There is also a slim chance we won't qualify for the $2500 due to income, but won't know. Wife started new consulting side job, so no idea how lucrative it will be, but could potentially put us over. If I'm comparing the new to used LR3D, new is $64222 (This includes EAP+FSD) Or $57972 if I get all rebates. The used LR3D has same options I'd get new, white interior, EAP+FSD with only 2400 miles on it, to me, that is practically new and is listed as $51500 and already has the HOV stickers on it for 2023 and has the Tesla wall charger. That is a savings of $6472 + the cost of the wall charger.

 

[bshap73]

I commute in a P3D, and I love it. If the 20" tires really bother you, you can swap them out for something like TSportline 18" wheels.
I have a RWD LR and a P3D. When I first got my P3D, I was surprised how comfortable the Performance Model 3 was. It was definitely sportier, but not uncomfortable. Because I had been driving the RWD, I was worried that the P3D would be very harsh but it was totally fine.

I did switch to the 18" rims because I bent my rims on potholes on multiple occasions but I have a lot of potholes near my work. Tesla wanted $700/rim and I figured it would keep happening so I switched them for peace of mind. In terms of road noise I didn't perceive a huge difference between the 20"s and the 18"s. The 18" wheels are slightly more cushioned but I don't think most people (or passengers) would notice the difference. Also 18" wheels are also more efficient as well, if you are concerned about that.

The P3D is a lot of fun, and I don't take it on the track or anything. I'm sure most P3D owners don't track their cars.

I road trip in mine with relative frequency and it is perfect. If you're not flooring it, its a quiet and comfortable ride. You can also put it in Chill Mode if you find it difficult to prevent yourself from having too much fun. 4 People in Model 3 is perfect. It is tight for 5 full size adults but 2 younger kids in the back is not a problem at all.

TLDR: I wouldn't avoid a P3D due to ride comfort. If it really bothers you, you can just swap the wheels.

Awesome feedback, thanks so much! My commute is mostly freeway and no big potholes, more the occasional dip or road work type stuff.

 

[bshap73]

To be honest, after driving my P3D+ from Bay Area to Las Vegas and compared my latest road trip to Oregon in my SUV, I felt that this is really a city car. With that, a performance model will do. On long trips, even with the short supercharging, you still have to stop, which is a drag on the family (but not me). I sat in the back of all models and yes the 20" is louder but couldn't stand the noise on any model for long trips.

People ditching ICE cars probably don't have the need to haul a family, luggage and all belongings. The same amount in my P3D+ I'd be lucky to make it to Kettleman City to charge. I averaged 325w going slow below 70mph which is a pain. In my SUV 80mph all the way.

Long road trips - ICE is king.
City commutes to short trips - EV is king.

I don't see us doing any big road trips, just the 240 or so miles form home to Redding to visit family and possible from home to Disneyland. 1 30 minute stop is no big deal. We will likely also get a Tesla X in 2 years away.

 

[bshap73]

I commune daily in my P3D for similar reasons as you are choosing. Its an awesome car and really the best of both worlds.

Its awesome on the track, on a back road or just for a few off-ramps, tossing it around on lunch to blow off some steam. Thrilling to say the least, and faster than anything I have owned.

Its a perfect driving appliance as well, and just does allow me to de-stress on my commute home. I do Mountain View over the hill each day, which used to be about 90 minutes each way.

This car has literally changed my life, its transformed my commute.

Awesome, yeah I'm Tri-Valley to Saratoga, so similar, just different direction. I know I'll be happy with either, but this sounds like excellent input for the case of the P3D.

 

[bshap73]

If you are a car guy, TM3-Performance is the only way to go!
I am driving TM3P as a daily over Beirut-style potholed roads of NY/NJ. You can definitely have fun with it in Nor-Cal.

TM3P's Pilot 4S grip WAAAYYYY better than all-season condoms wrappers on regular 18/19 wheels, but they will wear off faster and be a touch noisier. Nothing that increasing audio levels can't overcome, but if cost per mile starts bothering you, consider getting cheapo 18-inchers for commuting duty (save 20s for track/autoX duty; get R-tires once 4S wear off).




East Bay to Redding is ~210 miles, doable without recharging mid-way in any LR TM3.
East Bay to Disney is ~400 miles, will require one mid-trip recharge. Doable, and your kids wont tolerate sitting in the car without bathroom that long brakes anyway.

However, I have to agree with CAAD - for longer family trips, we always take an ICE car.

It's not because the trips can't be done with EVs - they can be, and I have done many 300-500 one way business trips in EVs. But with the family and kids, things tend to get very unpredictable and spontaneous very fast. Worrying about recharging needs in the middle of the kids-infused chaos is unnecessary and something that I enjoy avoiding.

If you can afford to keep a long-haul ICE car around in your fleet - seriously consider doing just that.
If parking space/cost are an issue, you can still make do with LR TM3, but it will require more planning and rout/hotel research.

Good luck either way!

a

This is awesome feedback! This is actually exactly what I wanted to hear, haha, but wasn't sure, so I really appreciate it. Redding trips are to visit family, so those are 3-6 times a year. Disneyland is 1 or 2 times and honestly, we usually fly, have so many southwest points we all go for free. So really this was just a maybe we would use the Tesla for that trip. But its also highly likely the wife will get an X in a year or two so would use that for trips.

 

[Vines]

I mean the speed difference between the 2 cars there may be obvious but the P3D is really supercar territory.
The regular AWD is about as fast to 60 as a Porsche 911 Carerra
The P3D is about as fast to 60 as a Porsche 911 GT3 (little slower)
Neither is needed for commuting, but if you like your cake and eating it too. I've handled many 4 doors and none so far have been as grippy, fast, and just downright fun to drive as the P3D. The traction control is neither to aggressive or hands off, and allows just a tiny bit of tail out.

 

[turtlesz]

I can only get the $3750 if I get it by June and then $2500. There is also a slim chance we won't qualify for the $2500 due to income, but won't know. Wife started new consulting side job, so no idea how lucrative it will be, but could potentially put us over. If I'm comparing the new to used LR3D, new is $64222 (This includes EAP+FSD) Or $57972 if I get all rebates. The used LR3D has same options I'd get new, white interior, EAP+FSD with only 2400 miles on it, to me, that is practically new and is listed as $51500 and already has the HOV stickers on it for 2023 and has the Tesla wall charger. That is a savings of $6472 + the cost of the wall charger.

Even if your income is over 300k there is a chance it will still go through. And it will be based on this past years income. I'd still strongly urge you to contact a local sales advisor and wait till final week of quarter. Being a new 1st time owner still has value over being a 2nd owner. Again I got $7700 off MSRP + $3750 + $2500 +$1000 for a new non demo car. Another person got a demo one with a few 1000 miles for $11000 off a P3D. Inventory AWD also had 2-8k discounts. And to top it off my dad also got a P100D with EAP and white interior for $77k. The used deal you had was good but you may be able to buy new for even a better deal if you are patient till June and get the performance instead of AWD.

 

[ChadS]

You've gotten some great feedback already, but here's my short take:

1. Absolutely nobody needs the Performance model. The dual motor is a fantastic vehicle, plenty quick, cheaper to buy and the tires are less to maintain, and it's slightly quieter and more efficient.
2. But...if you think you want the Performance, and it's not a financial burden...just get it. It is so much fun! I upgraded my daily driver from an LR RWD to a P3D and I sure don't regret it. Yeah, the ride is a tiny bit louder and rougher than my old 3. But not very darn much, and its other qualities more than make up for it.

 

[Lhshockey24]

. My thinking is that sometimes I like to drive my commute mad max style weaving in and out, or taking the back roads (windy 1 lane Calaveras rd)

I took Calaveras back to Livermore from San Jose in my Performance last week and that experience alone tells me you need the P3D! :-D