Prepping for a Model 3 purchase - Would like your perspective

[Spiderbird2018]

Hi all!

I've been lurking for a while on the sidelines while viewing articles from the blog and posts from the forums. I'm doing my homework on a Model 3 purchase, but would like to ask for some perspective to help guide a purchase.

For reference, I have done a lot of reading in the forums and have taken time to explore some of these questions. If you have direct URL's where I can learn more or find answers to what I'm asking, feel free to post them in response.

Okay! Here goes:

1. Buying brand new versus buying last year's model: Two things here. First, I *believe* the hardware is more or less the same except for the MCU. Second, there are more Model S's in inventory at the dealership here for purchase, but no Model 3's. Does anyone have a buying experience getting a 2018 model that they could share?
   
   
2. Going for the basics vs going nearly the kitchen sink: If I were to select the options I'd like for the car (red paint, upgraded rims, interior upgrade, twin battery instead of single), I'm looking at about $53k versus 40k. What guided your decision to go one way or another (basic versus lots of options)
   
   
3. After market options - I was shocked to learn that there was no tinting on the windshield, given I'm out here in Texas and it bakes in the summer . Between that an getting rims that don't impact the performance of the car, what have you opted for and why?
   
   
4. Home Plug Installation - I have two friends who have hired an electrician to put in their own plug rather than the Tesla model, citing a cheaper cost and not caring about aesthetics. I'm more on the practical side, but what have y'all opted for and why?
   
   
5. Car Insurance Considerations - How did the purchase of a Tesla change your bi-yearly rate quotes? I'm with State Farm and have been with them for two decades. Would love to hear if purchasing a Tesla adversely impacted your insurance premiums.
   
   
6. Hidden Costs - The website makes it seem like there's a fixed fee involved with getting a car, but several forum posts seem to indicate there are other considerations beyond taxes and delivery fees. Have you had other costs you didn't consider when purchasing your Tesla that aren't stated enough?
   
   
7. Alternative payment methods - I've read on these forums and elsewhere that Tesla allows for the down payment to be put on a credit card but not any of the bulk purchase. I'm wondering what other optional sources of income Tesla allows for. For reference, I'm purchasing the car outright and not looking for a bank loan. (but may be looking for a referral link for the supercharger bonus if that's still valid).
   

That's it! Let me know when you have a moment. Any and all commentary is welcome and very much appreciated.

 

[TexasEV]

1. Tesla doesn't have model years and doesn't have dealerships. It's a different lingo in buying a Tesla than other cars. Hardware changes whenever Tesla decides to change it, nothing to do with years. (Year built is the "model year" for registration and insurance purposes but is otherwise meaningless).
3. The windshield is heavily treated protecting against UV and IR. I've had two Teslas in Texas since 2013 (Model S and Model 3). It's just not an issue. But I do recommend having heat rejection film installed on the side and rear windows. Make sure it's ceramic, not any of the cheap stuff.
4. It's an outlet, not a plug (unless you're British). The NEMA 14-50 outlet on a 240V 50A circuit is all you need. No reason for the expense of the Wall Connector except for unusual use cases, frequently coming home with a low battery and heading out on a long trip later that day.
Your options are discussed here:
Home Charging Installation
Be sure to follow the links for the installation instructions if you chose to have an 240V outlet installed.
6. There's a standard delivery/doc fee that's fixed for everywhere in the country, and of course Texas sales tax. No other fees.
7. If you're paying cash it's an ACH bank transfer.

 

[SalisburySam]

I agree with TexasEv, that is good advice. My additions:

1. My 2018 (06/18) is essentially the same as a vehicle made today.
2. Get the car you want, assuming you can find and afford it. Why would you do otherwise?
3. I’ve decided to NOT get a PPF or ceramic treatment (it’s a car right?), but that’s me. I did find that replacing the door puddle lights, glovebox light, and trunk lights to be a big help in visibility. I went with a 7-light kit from Abstract Ocean.
4. Lots of ways of doing this cheaper. I already had a charging device from my Nissan LEAF which works well with my Tesla. Had I not had that, I’d get the Tesla wall charger for $500, have it professionally installed, and be done with it.
5. My insurance costs stayed about the same with the Tesla. USAA, and a 50-year member. Yeah, I’m old.
6. No hidden costs beyond destination and local taxes/fees. Varies from State to State, although designation fee is constant.
7. I paid cash; it was an incredibly quick and simply ACH transfer coordinated by your Inside Sales Agent (ISA, or whatever they are calling them today).

If you order and do use a referral code, you’ll get 1000 miles of free Supercharging, IIRC, as will the person whose code you are using...a win-win. Those who already have free Supercharging obviously don’t need this but the rest of us do. If you’re feeling generous, please PM me and I’ll immediately share my code.

Best with your decision!

 

[Spiderbird2018]

1. Tesla doesn't have model years and doesn't have dealerships. It's a different lingo in buying a Tesla than other cars. Hardware changes whenever Tesla decides to change it, nothing to do with years. (Year built is the "model year" for registration and insurance purposes but is otherwise meaningless).

Whoops! I meant to say "Tesla Authorized Showroom". . And by years, I meant the year it was manufactured. The 90D, 100D, P85 designations are what I was originally thinking about when comparing older models (beyond their features).

3. The windshield is heavily treated protecting against UV and IR. I've had two Teslas in Texas since 2013 (Model S and Model 3). It's just not an issue. But I do recommend having heat rejection film installed on the side and rear windows. Make sure it's ceramic, not any of the cheap stuff.

Got it. Do you have any recommendations on ceramic treatments? LLumar and 3M are the ones that keep popping up for me in terms of mentions. What do you have installed?

4. It's an outlet, not a plug (unless you're British). The NEMA 14-50 outlet on a 240V 50A circuit is all you need. No reason for the expense of the Wall Connector except for unusual use cases, frequently coming home with a low battery and heading out on a long trip later that day.
Your options are discussed here:
Home Charging Installation
Be sure to follow the links for the installation instructions if you chose to have an 240V outlet installed.

You're awesome. Thank you so much for that. I'll look into it.

6. There's a standard delivery/doc fee that's fixed for everywhere in the country, and of course Texas sales tax. No other fees.
7. If you're paying cash it's an ACH bank transfer.

Perfect. Thank you for your responses TexasEV.

 

[MoHazee4]

Just a heads up on a few things ....

• We love the car...it's our 2nd EV
• Our service experiences have been awesome. Down right impressive. (I have heard others encountered issues).
• Customer Service via Tesla's phone # -- is terrible. No joke, no exaggeration. Terrible. (I have heard numerous others having the same experience).
• Take advantage of that "bumper to bumper" warranty -- and make Tesla fix any slight issues. From door seals...to gaps...to things just not seeming right...that warranty will expire, so - before it does - be a little anal about the slightest issue.
• Enjoy that vehicle!

 

[Spiderbird2018]

1. My 2018 (06/18) is essentially the same as a vehicle made today.
2. Get the car you want, assuming you can find and afford it. Why would you do otherwise?

Great! Thanks for sharing that, and yeah... I know the car I want, but it's slightly outside my budget range. I'll have to figure out how to make it work.

3. I’ve decided to NOT get a PPF or ceramic treatment (it’s a car right?), but that’s me. I did find that replacing the door puddle lights, glovebox light, and trunk lights to be a big help in visibility. I went with a 7-light kit from Abstract Ocean.

Do you have a link for that? And the ceramic treatment might go a long way to preserving the interior from excessive heat. My Subaru had this as a standard and it made all the difference.

4. Lots of ways of doing this cheaper. I already had a charging device from my Nissan LEAF which works well with my Tesla. Had I not had that, I’d get the Tesla wall charger for $500, have it professionally installed, and be done with it.

You can get it done cheaper, but it's tricky. From what I read, you have to make sure you're working with the right gauge wire, amp thorough-put, wiring arrangements, etc. I'm on the fence about it, but it's starting to sound like tolerating the hassle versus paying for the pain free option.

5. My insurance costs stayed about the same with the Tesla. USAA, and a 50-year member. Yeah, I’m old.

Nothing wrong with old.

6. No hidden costs beyond destination and local taxes/fees. Varies from State to State, although designation fee is constant.
7. I paid cash; it was an incredibly quick and simply ACH transfer coordinated by your Inside Sales Agent (ISA, or whatever they are calling them today).

Thanks for sharing that.

If you order and do use a referral code, you’ll get 1000 miles of free Supercharging, IIRC, as will the person whose code you are using...a win-win. Those who already have free Supercharging obviously don’t need this but the rest of us do. If you’re feeling generous, please PM me and I’ll immediately share my code.

I'll reach out to you later via PM then. Thanks for the help!

 

[Spiderbird2018]

Just a heads up on a few things ....

• We love the car...it's our 2nd EV
• Our service experiences have been awesome. Down right impressive. (I have heard others encountered issues).
• Customer Service via Tesla's phone # -- is terrible. No joke, no exaggeration. Terrible. (I have heard numerous others having the same experience).
• Take advantage of that "bumper to bumper" warranty -- and make Tesla fix any slight issues. From door seals...to gaps...to things just not seeming right...that warranty will expire, so - before it does - be a little anal about the slightest issue.
• Enjoy that vehicle!

Thank you very much MoHazee4, and I'll certainly scrutinize everything I can. Already had a suggestion to be hawkish and take my time during delivery inspection before driving off.