Question for car guys/gals, why did you dump your ICE vehicle for a Tesla?

[hitparader]

If Russia is willing to put militarize such an inhospitable place for its mineral rights, it would be wise of a nation to reduce it dependence
by investing in future technologies such as Tesla. I couldn't afford a new one, but feel I'm pitching in to the cause now with my cpo order.
Aside from politics, we could really be a leading country in innovation of these technologies. I hope to see 3's everywhere!

 

[iMrMark]

Yeah, I considered that, but the S has had quite a few years to bake. I think they've likely gotten it pretty well ironed out at this point, though certainly it's an evolving business with their manufacturing.

As for having similar problems, haha well, one involved trash being sucked into the intercooler (around the air filter) and another involves mechanical exhaust flaps. Possibly the only similar problem I would have the potential to face would be that of rocks getting constantly stuck between the rotors and heat shield. Well and service center staff might be awful, but I think that's possible to happen with any car brand.

I get what you mean though - not expecting to find a perfect car anywhere, but I should feel like I'm at least getting my money's worth (worth being relative ofc).

 

[Merrill]

Was in the car business running operations for Volvo, Mercedes and Nissan. Grew up sweeping floors in my dads repair shop and just was around cars from a child. Always loved working on cars and never thought I would own an electric car until Tesla came along. Owned Jaguar sports cars since 1970 and had a Mercedes SUV and Volvo's, once I read about the Model S I was intrigued. And of course once I drove one I was hooked, put money down on the S and X before I ever saw one in person. Many reasons for switching, the look of the S, the environment, never having to buy gas and the technology. Driving on the sun, but mostly the car itself.

 

[Hugh Mannity]

Why did I dump my ICE for a Tesla? Simple; because it was an ICE.

 

[tpham07]

i switched to Tesla for novelty and autopilot. The idea of never buying gasoline again factored heavily too, i dont think i would've bought this car if it were ICE. It would be too difficult for me to justify the cost if it was just another regular ol ICE car.

 

[Kanting]

Keeping our ICE in case of solar flare!

 

[rocketdallas]

I originally planned to buy another MB or something similar before purchasing my Tesla, but my wife dragged me into our local Tesla showroom and encouraged me to look at it (a client had given her a tour of his car some weeks earlier and she was blown away).

Honestly, I stood in front of the skateboard platform in the showroom thinking if automakers had to start with a clean sheet design to make their best possible car, this was the way to do it. Suddenly, all of my planned new car choices seemed antiquated, like buying the best of old technology. After the test drive, I was done. Ordered an inventory car a week later and had it shipped to Dallas.

And this was before AP1, all wheel drive, and all of the other great stuff since! Still love my car, and have kept it longer than any other car I've purchased (3 years and nearly 70k miles since).

 

[365gtb4]

I still have my ZR1

I gave my ZR-1 to my son, kept the S and X

 

[MDR SEA]

In a past life I turned wrenched for British Leyland, VW, BMW, MB, Datsun, Volvo, Toyota, Subaru, etc.
I have always been into alternatives to petrol. I ran a Volvo 122S on hydrogen (proof of concept) way back in 1975, VW bug on alcohol and acetylene.
Dabbled in "craft" EVs in the 1980s but found that the componentry, batteries and re-purposed chassis were a noble exercise but lacking.

I longed for the day when.....

In 2013 we leased a Leaf and dumped our Prius.
2015 bought a Model S and dumped the minivan.
I've driven and wrenched some serious ICE tin in my time but they all have way too many moving parts and systems that are wearing away every time you turn the key (or press the start button).

Not the case with my Model S -
1. Easily 50% fewer parts moving parts
2. Will run like a scalded ape at 10K miles and 200K miles

Also I'm soo impressed that such a young company made such a fantastic vehicle.
Musk & Co showed the nay saying world what was possible.
Now everyone is playing catch up and none too soon.
Bob Lutz is a blow hard.

My only complaint is the ground clearance on my Model S.

I still own my 1990 Miata - fun, reliable open top that beat the Brits at their game.
Still burning petrol in my boat at astounding rate.
Can't wait for the Tesla Model B - oat?

Cheers
MDR

 

[AmpedRealtor]

There WILL be quality issues with Model 3, that is a given. Tesla is not known for its quality manufacturing and QC has been an ongoing problem for the last 4+ years since Model S went into production. Today's Model S rolling off the line has more squeaks, rattles, and fit and finish issues than my 2013 pre-Autopilot Model S. I believe this is due to Tesla's upper management, aka Elon Musk, pushing for higher deliveries, therefore pushing QC issues to owners and service downstream.

While I have a Model 3 on pre-order, I am not looking forward to the first generation issues that vehicle is going to have. Furthermore, has anyone heard of Tesla testing the Model 3 anywhere but California? This is cause for concern, in my opinion, as California does not represent all of the weather climates where Model 3 will be sold. Other vehicle manufacturers thoroughly test their cars in all kinds of climates - subzero, desert, humid, etc. Yet Tesla seems to think its adequate to test Model 3 in and around Palo Alto. I believe this may come back to bite early owners in the ass, especially when it comes to issues in extremely cold, snowy, and damp climates.

If you think Tesla vehicles have a better build quality than BMW, I'm here to tell you that's not the case. Service, on the other hand, is first rate and they have always taken care of me. But in terms of initial quality, Tesla sucks. Model 3 will have an entirely new drive train design. Ask early Model S owners how that's worked out for them. I have gone through four drive train replacements in the four years I've owned the car.

For those who are adding themselves to the wait list now, I think the next two years while you wait for your car will allow for a lot of issues and bugs to be worked out. Tesla will likely also update the vehicle significantly within the first year to higher performance variants that will likely include improved technology.

Based on Tesla's track record, I would say expect quality problems, expect a lot of time in service, and expect plenty of communication issues...

ON THE OTHER HAND!

After having said the above, am I canceling my Model 3 reservation? NO.
Would I buy another Tesla again based on my experience? YES.

The cars are so much fun to drive that the negatives fade into the background noise after a little while.

 

[Merrill]

In a past life I turned wrenched for British Leyland, VW, BMW, MB, Datsun, Volvo, Toyota, Subaru, etc.
I have always been into alternatives to petrol. I ran a Volvo 122S on hydrogen (proof of concept) way back in 1975, VW bug on alcohol and acetylene.
Dabbled in "craft" EVs in the 1980s but found that the componentry, batteries and re-purposed chassis were a noble exercise but lacking.

I longed for the day when.....

In 2013 we leased a Leaf and dumped our Prius.
2015 bought a Model S and dumped the minivan.
I've driven and wrenched some serious ICE tin in my time but they all have way too many moving parts and systems that are wearing away every time you turn the key (or press the start button).

Not the case with my Model S -
1. Easily 50% fewer parts moving parts
2. Will run like a scalded ape at 10K miles and 200K miles

Also I'm soo impressed that such a young company made such a fantastic vehicle.
Musk & Co showed the nay saying world what was possible.
Now everyone is playing catch up and none too soon.
Bob Lutz is a blow hard.

My only complaint is the ground clearance on my Model S.

I still own my 1990 Miata - fun, reliable open top that beat the Brits at their game.
Still burning petrol in my boat at astounding rate.
Can't wait for the Tesla Model B - oat?

Cheers
MDR

Did you ever work on a MGB or XKE back in the good old days (not so good) but I loved them. Drive for an hour and work on them for 2 hours. Do not miss changing the oil or anything else about an ICE.

 

[jvnoledawg]

Although I'm not a car enthusiast, this discussion had got me thinking about keeping my reservation for an AWD M3.

Tesla Model 3 vs. BMW 3-Series | Tesla


The video on the Hyundai Ioniq Electric that goes from 0-60 in 9.4 seconds is also making me doubt that other BEVs will be as enjoyable to drive (I don't care about the very simplistic/basic interior of the M3 but I want a smaller EV and it's going to be significantly cheaper brand new)

For those who came from sporty or performance cars and like to drive, why did you decide on your Model S and why did you OR why did you NOT dump your ICE vehicle?

I drove a hybrid Civic for 10 years, waiting for a really nice looking electric vehicle. In other words, I wanted to dump ICE but didn't want a crappy looking car (hello Insight). I put in for a Model 3, but after 60 seconds test driving an MS, I was convinced and went with the 60, which I just upped to 75.

I've been working and saving long enough to treat myself!

 

[DrivingRockies]

Autopilot. Technology sold me.

 

[wcolyer]

I didn't. I dumped my Nissan Leaf for a Tesla. Why, range. Why did I get the Leaf, carpool lane. Why do I keep an EV, I now hate driving ICE cars. They are slow to start. They require more maintenance. They make you stop at gas stations. I just plug in at home and never have an issue except on long trips and now there are Super Chargers everywhere.

Why a Tesla, range, cool, fast....

I can not say I will always have a Tesla, though if I am a betting man I will keep making Tesla as the choice. I am super happy to have more and more EV choice. I do love my Tesla, though it is so old it has no sensors, no autopilot, no auto headlights, no....

 

[CraZ8]

Left my Mercedes E class estate but wanted some carrying capacity and AWD since I live pretty high up on a steep road. The S fit the bill plus it was fast. I did not completely de ice though as the wife has her Evoque and I play with a BMW Z8,a 74BMW 3.0 CSI, a 59 BMW isetta 600 and 31 model A Ford coupe

 

[JHuberman]

I drove a 2013 Prius and my wife drives a 2013 Volt. The electric part of the Volt was really fun to drive and it was such a letdown when the gas cut in after 30 miles. I ordered a M3, and then began to get impatient so we got an MS-60 last December. We haven't sold any other cars yet - we were waiting to see how superchargers worked on long trips. So far it has been fun.

I really like leaving everyone behind at stop lights without making a sound. I also like being able to "hop" through a yellow light. The updates are really fun to look forward to, and the autopilot really keeps me attentive and entertained at the wheel - more so than driving myself. It took me about two weeks to settle down to safe driving, and I did it before getting any tickets.

I still have our M3 reservation, and if my wife likes the seats we will probably get the M3 and sell the other cars because we don't have any reservations about taking long trips anymore.

 

[boonedocks]

Came from a 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7Li. After putting 135,000+ miles on it as my daily commuter I bought my first HW1 S85D. Kept the BMW as I have never had a car as comfortable and easy to drive takes trips amenities comfort technology....etc etc etc as that car. On my 2nd Tesla 100D and still have the trusty BMW and my wife uses it now and still prefers it over every car we have ever had and even my Tesla :-/.

 

[ChrgdTeCHick]

I haven't received my MS just yet, but my decision started with gas. Aside the environmental issues, I hate the monopoly of gas.

Although gas cost wasn't my biggest reasons, it certainly helped offset the cost upgrade. $250+ a month in gas in my 18mpg vehicle, plus my time filling up was getting costly and annoying. Worrying about gas being 20 cents less today 40 cents more tomorrow, the fact that gas on the side of town I live at is always 30 cents more than 8 miles away where I work, so always trying to time fill up before/after work so I don't pay the higher ones near my house, which never timed right.

I looked from day of announcement at the Ionic electric as a back up, but the release kept getting delayed and then the release being in Cali first then everywhere else, got tired of waiting. CPO MS was better in many ways anyway

 

[Naeblis]

1) Diesel gate Jetta
2) diesel gate golf
3) Mexican jam packed
I sold the excursion to get the vette and we needed a car where we all fit

 

[kmtl]

Reasons we decided to get the Tesla:

Completely new and unmatched driving experience and performance...
Instant sling-shot acceleration + one-pedal driving + low CG/no roll + low noise + safety + tech = an immensely satisfying vehicle. Where else could I get that?​

Things that I didn't expect would matter but are real benefits:

Full-tank every morning/never stopping for gas, serene environment for longer drives, not firing up a gas engine for short trips, autopilot​

Things that were not a significant factor in our decision:

global warming, efficiency​

Things we could do without:

Strangers asking about range and nothing else, Musk and Tesla being targets for haters/short sellers, flashiness of the car and company and the assumptions that exposes us to.​