I went Raven. SO happy I did. I've had several Tesla since 2013. Never really noticed much of a difference in overall feel from one to the next. Expected this one would be much the same. Was pleasantly surprised at how big a difference the Raven upgrade really is. This combined with Tesla's improved build quality and today's Tesla is far superior to even a 2017 and still significantly superior to a 2018. For me, I really notice the suspension difference. Car is much quieter inside. The efficiency is incredible. Same battery size, but the Raven uses about 50 less wh/mi than the prior version, at least in my case.
Range isn't necessarily that big of a deal for most. Anything over 300 miles is generally enough, but the efficiency difference was a pleasant surprise. Thus, you'll spend less in electricity per mile.
I too looked for inventory cars and didn't find anything that suited my preferences. Certainly didn't find anything at a $22,000 discount. I guess the question is, is the $22,000 "discount" based on what you would spend for the Raven or is $22,000 off the original MSRP? There's a big difference as the price of the Tesla has been drastically reduced in recent months. If the pre-raven car is $22,000 cheaper than what it would cost you to buy a Raven today, then that's absolutely worth considering seriously as that's a hell of a price reduction. If it's only $22,000 off the original MSRP, then it's probably more like a $7K-$8K discount from the Raven. At that, the Raven is a no brainer.
So, if the extra range isn't important to you and you're satisfied with the old suspension, which is absolutely a harsher ride than the new adaptive suspension and it's really $22K cheaper than the cost of a Raven, then the pre-Raven is a no brainer. Answer those questions for your personal preference and you should have your answer.
