Prospective buyers- still SR+ or LR AWD?

[CdnElec]

Hi everyone,

I have been on the sidelines waiting to jump into this Tesla madness. I had my mind set on the basic colour (whatever it was at the time) for SR+ in order to get the federal $5000 rebate. However, the LR AWD has now come down by $3000 as well (and pearl white paint is now free, which I prefer).

The base model SR+ is roughly $50k after rebate and the LR AWD is $66k with no rebate (I am in Ontario). Does that 16k justify AWD, faster acceleration and premium interior/maps? I value that additions at about $8k personally (no right or wrong, just how I feel). At this point, I feel the price difference is still to great to justify the added features. Wondering what the rest of you think? Is there anything still available off the menu for added range and premium interior (LR RWD recently discontinued)?

I am in Toronto, and while I have always had AWD cars in the past, research has told me that RWD with winter tires is sufficient for our weather- curious to know what someone with real world experience thinks. Thanks!

 

[CdnElec]

I forgot to mention that after the recent price decreases in the US, it seems we are still overpaying on exchange rate of $1-2k depending on the configuration. This even assumes a 1.35 exchange rate, which is higher than the going rate. Is this someone we should just accept or could this come down?

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

Hi everyone,

I have been on the sidelines waiting to jump into this Tesla madness. I had my mind set on the basic colour (whatever it was at the time) for SR+ in order to get the federal $5000 rebate. However, the LR AWD has now come down by $3000 as well (and pearl white paint is now free, which I prefer).

The base model SR+ is roughly $50k after rebate and the LR AWD is $66k with no rebate (I am in Ontario). Does that 16k justify AWD, faster acceleration and premium interior/maps? I value that additions at about $8k personally (no right or wrong, just how I feel). At this point, I feel the price difference is still to great to justify the added features. Wondering what the rest of you think? Is there anything still available off the menu for added range and premium interior (LR RWD recently discontinued)?

I am in Toronto, and while I have always had AWD cars in the past, research has told me that RWD with winter tires is sufficient for our weather- curious to know what someone with real world experience thinks. Thanks!

I heard of US orders that modified their AWD order (from website) and removed their front motor for the classic first production 3LR. Call your local SC and ask if that's possible before placing your order (I don't see why not).

It may have a longer delivery time as they'll likely batch X # of orders together or maybe their RFID systems has gotten good enough to do JIT deliveries during assembly.

 

[ChamClowder]

I am the owner of an SR+ and have zero regrets. I live in Ottawa.

Ultimately depends on your situation...only vehicle? Type of driving? Etc. You're the best person the make your own decision.

 

[CdnElec]

Thanks, that is great to know. We still have an ICE SUV for longer trips when needed. I am in sales, so I can do a lot of driving time wise, but not necessarily distance-wise in the GTA. I have some range anxiety for the winter months, but I do not think I have exceeded 250km in a day in recent memory.

How about not having streaming/traffic on the maps? I am concerned I may end up still using my phone/Waze to guide me and from what I have read, the bluetooth pairing means we need to use our phone to control the audio- could result in a cellphone use ticket?

I am the owner of an SR+ and have zero regrets. I live in Ottawa.

Ultimately depends on your situation...only vehicle? Type of driving? Etc. You're the best person the make your own decision.

 

[Doctor X]

You should definitely question the exchange rate and Tesla has in the past made adjustment to pricing in accordance with exchange rate, faster than other car manufacturers. You are also forgetting that the LR AWD also comes with a bigger battery and therefore better range (525 km vs 386 km). Which is a huge bonus in the winter when the cold weather can steal 30% or more of your range. The LR battery upgrade from standard was nearly 12k more a year ago. So if you value or need range, then it’s not such a bad deal after all.

 

[CdnElec]

I heard of US orders that modified their AWD order (from website) and removed their front motor for the classic first production 3LR. Call your local SC and ask if that's possible before placing your order (I don't see why not).

It may have a longer delivery time as they'll likely batch X # of orders together or maybe their RFID systems has gotten good enough to do JIT deliveries during assembly.

Thanks for the idea- glad to hear it may still be possible. I will check with the SC. I think I prefer the LR RWD if possible. If not available- have to decide between SR+ and LR AWD (leaning to SR+).

 

[pcons]

Hi everyone,

I have been on the sidelines waiting to jump into this Tesla madness. I had my mind set on the basic colour (whatever it was at the time) for SR+ in order to get the federal $5000 rebate. However, the LR AWD has now come down by $3000 as well (and pearl white paint is now free, which I prefer).

The base model SR+ is roughly $50k after rebate and the LR AWD is $66k with no rebate (I am in Ontario). Does that 16k justify AWD, faster acceleration and premium interior/maps? I value that additions at about $8k personally (no right or wrong, just how I feel). At this point, I feel the price difference is still to great to justify the added features. Wondering what the rest of you think? Is there anything still available off the menu for added range and premium interior (LR RWD recently discontinued)?

I am in Toronto, and while I have always had AWD cars in the past, research has told me that RWD with winter tires is sufficient for our weather- curious to know what someone with real world experience thinks. Thanks!

Be careful chasing the father acceleration thought....you'll end up going for performance in that end

On a more serious note, if the extra cash is in your price comfort level the extra range, better performance and more premium trim is worth it IMO.

You don't 'need' AWD as your research suggests. But if you amortize the extra 16k over how long you expect to keep the car does the extra range and performance seem justified?

 

[Doctor X]

I find the trafic maps invaluable. The music streaming is also very nice to have. I never have to touch my phone and and have no buyers regret at all. And... I paid more than that a year ago. I’ve totally enjoyed every minute!

 

[pcons]

Thanks, that is great to know. We still have an ICE SUV for longer trips when needed. I am in sales, so I can do a lot of driving time wise, but not necessarily distance-wise in the GTA. I have some range anxiety for the winter months, but I do not think I have exceeded 250km in a day in recent memory.

How about not having streaming/traffic on the maps? I am concerned I may end up still using my phone/Waze to guide me and from what I have read, the bluetooth pairing means we need to use our phone to control the audio- could result in a cellphone use ticket?

Based off this I think you want the bigger battery. Don't forget that you typically want to keep the battery above 10% and below 90%. So the 386km rating is actually more like 310km for everyday use. Then assume a 40% hit in winter and you are down to 190km of typical use in winter months. Just my opinion, but from what you describe I think that's the way to go.

Now, if on your day and sales stops you can opportunity charge a bit, that changes the equation....

 

[CdnElec]

Thanks everyone- all good points. I think the underlying message is that most people are happy with their Model 3, regardless of the model. I will have to just think about what makes the most sense for my family and our driving habits.

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

Thanks for the idea- glad to hear it may still be possible. I will check with the SC. I think I prefer the LR RWD if possible. If not available- have to decide between SR+ and LR AWD (leaning to SR+).

There was one time that I used all 450kms (90%) of battery in a day (got home with 29km left).

It was that first big storm in January 2019 that took four hours (5pm left work, picked up a colleague, snaked around up and down to find a way pass the Humber Valley, got home half past 9pm). Cars w/o snow tires was clogging up the hills (meeting of the summer tire club).

We did blast the heat to 22°C and used both seat warmers, so a bit of conservation it wouldn't even of mattered.

SR+ should be fine at 90% (~340km). Take 50% off for above usage case and you still have 170kms of comfortable commute kms. EVs are great for daily commuting. Worse case scenario, you hit up an SC and play some BBR2 ​

 

[phigment]

I have a first production LR RWD and would have loved the AWD, but it wasn't in the cards for when I bought.

There are a few other benefits to the AWD. Here are a few other considerations:
-even tire wear for AWD. It's not just the acceleration that causes the wear. In the RWD variant regen is also on the rear tires, so you have wear from both acceleration and slowing down.
-Higher range than the SR+
-Way better performance with the AWD

But I too would find it hard to justify the $16K difference.

 

[Bob_00]

We purchased both the LR-AWD and SR+ back in May so having both I have a few notes from my perspective.

As far as range goes, that's a personal usage consideration, but I've gone Ottawa to Toronto in the SR+ without issue, just a 30-35 minute pit stop in Belleville at the super charger which was fine. I may have been able to make the full way in the AWD, but likely would have had to stop in Pickering or Port Hope instead. For my around town usage, I haven't had any issues or struggles. That being said, I haven't gone through the winter yet, so more range may be more precious in the deep cold. Likewise, I cant speak to winter handling, but I did a lot of reading/research prior to our purchase and it seems the RWD is perfectly fine in the winter.

The SR+ is fast and responsive, and the AWD is that much more, which we really don't need or take advantage of in comparison. Sure its fun, but I am not an overly aggressive driver so the SR+ is more than enough power for me.

The SR+ stereo is awesome (by my standards), a lot better than any of our previous vehicles, but the AWD is a lot better than the SR+. I'm by no means an audiophile, but if you can definitely notice the difference. The AWD is definitely fuller, but if I didn't have the AWD, I would be quite happy with the SR+.

The other features that set the AWD apart don't really appeal to me. I got all weather mats for both, so I didn't care about the lack of floor mats. I prefer the vector maps to the satellite maps. The real time traffic data is nice, but not a deal breaker. We both use apple music and slacker is pretty blah, so the streaming isn't ever really used. I don't care about the web browser, sure its a novelty, but I am more apt to use my phone instead. And we don't park in our garage so home link isn't used.

All that said, I love both cars. If money was no issue, I would certainly go AWD without question. Luckily for us, our situation allowed us to get one of each, and I am quite content with the SR+. In hindsight, I think we would have been happy with 2 SR+s, but I don't regret the upgrade either. There is some comfort in the back of my mind about the extra range and prospect of better winter handling.

Reading this back, I don't know if I offered anything, but the TL : DR is SR+ is awesome and I am perfectly happy with it, but the AWD is better. It's ultimately up to you if its 16k better.

Also, may be worth noting, that the 16K difference becomes 18K when you tack on the HST.

 

[ccudmore]

For the enhanced communications features (traffic data, streaming music, satellite maps) Tesla has said in past that this would eventually be opened up to SR+ owners for a monthly fee.

From https://www.tesla.com/en_CA/support/frequently-asked-questions-connectivity

How much do Standard Connectivity and Premium Connectivity cost?
There is no fee for Standard Connectivity. Pricing for Premium Connectivity will be announced soon, which we expect to be approximately $100 (USD) per year.

 

[TwoBuoys]

Hi everyone,

I have been on the sidelines waiting to jump into this Tesla madness. I had my mind set on the basic colour (whatever it was at the time) for SR+ in order to get the federal $5000 rebate. However, the LR AWD has now come down by $3000 as well (and pearl white paint is now free, which I prefer).

The base model SR+ is roughly $50k after rebate and the LR AWD is $66k with no rebate (I am in Ontario). Does that 16k justify AWD, faster acceleration and premium interior/maps? I value that additions at about $8k personally (no right or wrong, just how I feel). At this point, I feel the price difference is still to great to justify the added features. Wondering what the rest of you think? Is there anything still available off the menu for added range and premium interior (LR RWD recently discontinued)?

I am in Toronto, and while I have always had AWD cars in the past, research has told me that RWD with winter tires is sufficient for our weather- curious to know what someone with real world experience thinks. Thanks!

I'm new to posting. How do I send you a private message?

 

[Oveeus]

When I was ordering mine, although the incentive did play some part, it really came down to utility.

I got it to replace my DD which at most would do 150KM R/T. Considering we still have a second ICE car in case of anything,

To pay that much extra for nicer GPS and some functions here and there, it didn't make sense.

So, just really narrow your utilities with the Model 3 at least 90% of the time and based your decision on rhR.

 

[03DSG]

I'm new to posting. How do I send you a private message?

Click on his username in bold under the Avitar. Then click on ‘Start a Conversation’ which is this forums version of a PM.
P.S. If you can’t access it yet it’s because you have a low post count. Just up your post count and you will get access.

 

[TwoBuoys]

Click on his username in bold under the Avitar. Then click on ‘Start a Conversation’ which is this forums version of a PM.
P.S. If you can’t access it yet it’s because you have a low post count. Just up your post count and you will get access.

Thanks!

 

[bwalter]

Admittedly I only skimmed the posts but I didn't notice this mentioned. The larger pack of the LR will supercharge faster meaning not only do you have less stops because of the longer range, but they will also be shorter stops because of the faster charging speed.