Performance vs LR AWD still worth it?

[G6JOJ]

Hi all,

I ordered Performance Model 3 yesterday but then realised afterwards that the monthly PCP was more than the many times I’ve looked at it.

I’ve since discovered that this is because the government have done away with the £3000 EV grant for cars over £50k which makes the cost difference between LR AWD to Performance to £7k.

At £4k it felt worth the upgrade - now I’m not so sure. What does everyone think?

 

[KennethS]

It is such a personal decision that I can't really help make the decision for you. If I were buying today I think I would still opt for the M3P.

 

[94jdh]

Hi all,

I ordered Performance Model 3 yesterday but then realised afterwards that the monthly PCP was more than the many times I’ve looked at it.

I’ve since discovered that this is because the government have done away with the £3000 EV grant for cars over £50k which makes the cost difference between LR AWD to Performance to £7k.

At £4k it felt worth the upgrade - now I’m not so sure. What does everyone think?

It depends on whether you want the alloys, brakes etc - if not you could always opt for the £1500 upgrade afterwards and have some improved performance between the two?

 

[piotroek]

I had similar dilemma even before grant was taken away and decided for long range. For me this is still the fastest car I have ever owned. In terms of what made it obvious for me was
- more range in LR
- brakes I rarely use now so not that much of a selling point.
- of course larger and lower tyres are lowering your comfort... At least from my experience.
- and saving money by not paying extra.

 

[WannabeOwner]

As @KennethS said its a personal thing, but in my case I had an MS-P and replaced it with cooking-version MS. After initial bragging right demos to mates I rarely used P, and it was sufficiently brutal to be annoying to passengers unless they are expecting it (e.g. you jump out onto a roundabout "because you can")

The price difference MS / MS-P is fairly significant (£15K I think) and used to include stuff like premium audio / heated steering wheel winter pack, but now all that is standard on the basic MS. So I didn't see any point when I replaced the car. Personally I wouldn't want the harsh-ride aspects, but that depends how much boring-motorway you do compared to cornering-on-two-wheels

M3LR is 4.4s 0-60 - have you owned cars with that sort of spec? There isn't much on the road to touch it, and in terms of passing-speed its very swift. Not sure what the upgrade is, but I think 0.5s faster, so 3.9s

M3P is 3.2s

For comparison MS is 3.7s, and MS-P is 2.4s ... (my original MS-P was low-3s)

If you are looking for Man maths justification for the M3P and sucking your teeth over the £3,500 price increase from the loss of PIG then this perhaps?

-£3,500 PIG
+£1,750 - 50% recouped on sale
+£1,500 no Luxury car tax (compared to "before")
= -£250 after 5 years assuming you then flog it

 

[Dilly]

Speaking as a recently joined member of the pensioner club who had a race tuned Triumph Bonneville in the seventies with the big hand trying to pull you off the saddle, all three models would beat it off the line today.
I went for the LR. That’s quick enough off the line and shows tail lights to my neighbour’s Aston Martin. With a 144mph top speed that leaves 70mph going to waste.
I’d save the extra cash and buy aftermarket wheels and spoiler if I wanted the look.
Personally, I like having a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

 

[seadog]

I ordered a P but if I was ordering now I would probably order a LR, get a nice set of 19 or 20 inch alloys and tyres and keep the standard wheels for winters and order a carbon spoiler. Car will still be plenty fast enough for normal use. The 2 car specs are so similar I dont see the value in an extra £7K now. After getting the alloys and spoiler you should be around £5K better off. If you're buying it as a company car and writing off against tax then maybe justifiable but I dont think its worth it for private purchase. I think the budget will make the P quite a rare model now.

 

[Rooster6655]

Hi all,

I ordered Performance Model 3 yesterday but then realised afterwards that the monthly PCP was more than the many times I’ve looked at it.

I’ve since discovered that this is because the government have done away with the £3000 EV grant for cars over £50k which makes the cost difference between LR AWD to Performance to £7k.

At £4k it felt worth the upgrade - now I’m not so sure. What does everyone think?

£56,490 Performance
£47980 LR
Difference is £8510

Here are my thoughts on the Performance for me:

• 20” Performance Wheels - Not practical or useful for me
• Performance Brakes - Rarely used
• Carbon fibre spoiler - Aesthetics only under 120mph
• Lowered suspension - Limited benefit
• Aluminium alloy pedals - Aesthetics only
• Increased top speed from 145mph to 162mph - Never used
• Track Mode - Never used outside the track

The only thing I like is the increased acceleration but I would be happy to have a slower acceleration of 1.2s for £8.5k

 

[Gatsojon]

I’m a very happy P owner and don’t regret the decision one bit.

However, head over heart, the LR must be the sweet spot of the range. It’s nearly as fast as the P and faster than pretty much anything else out there in the real world on a cold wet road away from the lights. My previous M4 was quick for sure but I’d never have taken on a model 3 LR unless on the drag strip with perfect road surface conditions.

I couldn’t have not got the P tho...

 

[Durzel]

I couldn’t have not got the P tho...

This is where I’m at with it. I would’ve always bought the P, wasn’t interested in anything else, but I’ve only ever had performance cars. If I’d got the LR I’d always be thinking “how much faster is the P than this?”

That being said I don’t think it’s worth the £8,510 extra premium though.

 

[Strategium]

£56,490 Performance
£47980 LR
Difference is £8510

Here are my thoughts on the Performance for me:

• 20” Performance Wheels - Not practical or useful for me
• Performance Brakes - Rarely used
• Carbon fibre spoiler - Aesthetics only under 120mph
• Lowered suspension - Limited benefit
• Aluminium alloy pedals - Aesthetics only
• Increased top speed from 145mph to 162mph - Never used
• Track Mode - Never used outside the track

The only thing I like is the increased acceleration but I would be happy to have a slower acceleration of 1.2s for £8.5k

I would go along with all the thoughts above. I bought the acceleration boost for my LR AWD so price difference is now £7K, but gives me sub 4sec 0-60 which is plenty fast enough for me. I definitely prefer not having the lowered suspension given the state of many of the roads I drive on and the other cosmetic differences don’t particularly rock my boat. That’s purely a personal choice of course but I think for me the extra range is more appealing for a car that is already really, really fast. I was also able to get a front PPF wrap and full ceramic coating with change left over by not buying the performance model, but it all comes down to your budget and personal preference.

 

[DaddyCool]

My cold online purchase I was a Sensible Sam and ordered the LR, why would I want anything else right? Wrong, went into the shop to retro add a referral code and saw the 20" wheels and red clippers. Sold.
I find its better to regret something you've done, than something you've not. So far no regrets.

 

[UrbanSplash]

My cold online purchase I was a Sensible Sam and ordered the LR, why would I want anything else right? Wrong, went into the shop to retro add a referral code and saw the 20" wheels and red clippers. Sold.
I find its better to regret something you've done, than something you've not. So far no regrets.

but would of made the same decision if there was a £8.5k difference?

 

[Vadervonham]

Just picked up my M3P, it’s ridiculously quick, great looking (dark grey wheels and red callipers etc) and full of amazing tech. With the £3500 grant it was an absolute bargain vs anything else out there (BMW, Mercedes and Audi I’m looking at you!!).

Without the grant it might be hard to justify the extra from the LR. It’s quite a chunk of money for the extras that are not essential to enjoy it. Unless Tesla do something about the pricing (which I don’t think they will for the M3P) then the LR is the pick of the range.

I would probably have got the LR but forever regretted and lusted after the M3P.

 

[EV_Hopeful]

Hi all,

I ordered Performance Model 3 yesterday but then realised afterwards that the monthly PCP was more than the many times I’ve looked at it.

I’ve since discovered that this is because the government have done away with the £3000 EV grant for cars over £50k which makes the cost difference between LR AWD to Performance to £7k.

At £4k it felt worth the upgrade - now I’m not so sure. What does everyone think?

I had thought that the £50k threshold was for the price before application of the grant, so I think that means that the grant will be gone for the AWD LR as well as the P.

 

[SamBGB]

I had thought that the £50k threshold was for the price before application of the grant, so I think that means that the grant will be gone for the AWD LR as well as the P.

Tesla reduced the base price of the LR to take it under the 50k threshold.

 

[DaddyCool]

but would of made the same decision if there was a £8.5k difference?

I was going to pay for the software update to make the LR faster and then it was just another £3.5K more to go for the P (think I have the numbers right) so for the wheels and upgraded brakes I thought that was OK.
Yeah the new price is a bigger pill to swallow.

 

[WannabeOwner]

I couldn’t have not got the P tho...

Yeah, when my Man Maths doesn't pan out I move straight to "Couldn't afford not to have it"

 

[Gatsojon]

This is where I’m at with it. I would’ve always bought the P, wasn’t interested in anything else, but I’ve only ever had performance cars. If I’d got the LR I’d always be thinking “how much faster is the P than this?”

That being said I don’t think it’s worth the £8,510 extra premium though.

It’s not worth that extra. It wasn’t really worth the 5k extra I paid...

 

[meavydev]

I got my 3P when it was only a £3000 ish upgrade over the LR (I've conveniently forgotten how much as I justified
it) at just over £50K delivered. I added FSD, so would have to pay more without FSD now... makes the depreciation on mine much better!
I must admit, apart from the odd demo, I really don't need the performance and actually a bit more winter range would be useful. Oh for a heat pump like the Y
So while I like the P, I'd get a LR now...