-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Sold my Tesla yesterday - No Sellers Remorse Yet
- Thread starter lencap
- Start date
- Status
I am amazed to see how many people are getting ticked off by a perfect stranger decision.
I'm a little late to this party.... but I also have a (Feb) 2018 LR RWD. Back then, it was common for many cars to have out-of-spec stiff suspensions. @lencap were you aware of this? Service centers were fixing this issue free of charge. I didn't have this issue with mine (or maybe I have more tolerance for stiff suspensions because I don't know better).
As for the wind/road noise, that seems to be universal (though I haven't sat in anything newer than 2020 Model 3). I've noticed that my winter tires (also from Tesla) is actually quieter than the all-seasons. The tire life of the all seasons is definitely below average, partly because the tread depth starts below average when new. A different tire might solve the noise and tire life issue.
As for the wind/road noise, that seems to be universal (though I haven't sat in anything newer than 2020 Model 3). I've noticed that my winter tires (also from Tesla) is actually quieter than the all-seasons. The tire life of the all seasons is definitely below average, partly because the tread depth starts below average when new. A different tire might solve the noise and tire life issue.
I've never bought a car that I regretted owning. Do the research and the likelihood of making that mistake will be virtually nil. Also, the model 3 is not a luxury car. If luxury is what people are after, then the S or X should be the first considerations.
I've seen someone post about going from Model 3 to a Taycan. Well sure. The most expensive Model 3 starts at under 60K and the cheapest Taycan starts at 80K.
As for the ride, the Model 3 is tame. Take a ride in a sports car with a really stiff suspension, and you'll know what rough is.
I've seen someone post about going from Model 3 to a Taycan. Well sure. The most expensive Model 3 starts at under 60K and the cheapest Taycan starts at 80K.
As for the ride, the Model 3 is tame. Take a ride in a sports car with a really stiff suspension, and you'll know what rough is.
El joe
Active Member
Funny, the only time that happened to me is when I bought a Bolt cause I really wanted a Tesla but didn’t think I could afford it. Fast-forward a year and I paid a lot more to get out of the money I owed on the Bolt and into a Model 3.
I havent looked, but even if MSRP is, actual selling prices likely reflect decent discounts, not to mention the federal tax credit.
Greetings again to everyone. I appreciate the comments and update about any regrets. It’s too soon to tell, I’ve not yet had to visit a gas station 
I do appreciate the thoughts about environmental concerns, and did consider that as well. The suspension of my car, according to the local Tesla Center team is that it was setup correctly. My tires were 19”, likely a part of the noise level along with the mileage. Despite that the 2021 M3 I tested before making any decisions wasn’t significantly quieter than my car.
Noise levels affect people in different ways. For me the tire drone especially on concrete roads sets up an annoying sound which is particularly hard to ignore. The wind noise is also bothersome. The combination of both wore on me - it may not be annoying to others.
I also agree that a plug in hybrid makes little sense in the long run, but the 330e benefits from the instant torque provided and it smooths out the response of the turbo 4 cylinder, largely eliminating lag. Is it better than the Telsa’s instant response - no, clearly not, but it’s far better, to me, than the stock ICE turbo. The car also has a federal tax rebate credit over $5k making the plug in less expensive than the gas equivalent while elimating turbo lag. It also has the ability to run solely on EV power. So far my wife has 1500 miles on the car, and averaged over 56 MPG combined, a big improvement over the gas only version. For short trips only she’s averaging nearly 80 MPG clearly benefiting from the EV setup. So, to me, the plug in version was a no brainer. Will she have problems in the future - likely so, but in 4 years the CT will be out as will updated current models.
There will also be lots of new cars - the MB EQS for one is interesting. My decision was particular to me, and likely very different for you. For me, I swapped into a car that meets my current needs - quiet, comfortable and with the DCT still an enjoyable, if different, experience to the M3. The trade in price offered combined with the discount on the used car I bought put money in my pocket on the swap. More importantly, for me, I now have a car that better matches my current priorities. If I’m unhappy I can always swap again.
I still think highly of Tesla and would not hesitate to buy another in the future. Hopefully Tesla addresses NVH concerns, improves service issues and becomes even more dominant. I welcome all of that.
I do appreciate the thoughts about environmental concerns, and did consider that as well. The suspension of my car, according to the local Tesla Center team is that it was setup correctly. My tires were 19”, likely a part of the noise level along with the mileage. Despite that the 2021 M3 I tested before making any decisions wasn’t significantly quieter than my car.
Noise levels affect people in different ways. For me the tire drone especially on concrete roads sets up an annoying sound which is particularly hard to ignore. The wind noise is also bothersome. The combination of both wore on me - it may not be annoying to others.
I also agree that a plug in hybrid makes little sense in the long run, but the 330e benefits from the instant torque provided and it smooths out the response of the turbo 4 cylinder, largely eliminating lag. Is it better than the Telsa’s instant response - no, clearly not, but it’s far better, to me, than the stock ICE turbo. The car also has a federal tax rebate credit over $5k making the plug in less expensive than the gas equivalent while elimating turbo lag. It also has the ability to run solely on EV power. So far my wife has 1500 miles on the car, and averaged over 56 MPG combined, a big improvement over the gas only version. For short trips only she’s averaging nearly 80 MPG clearly benefiting from the EV setup. So, to me, the plug in version was a no brainer. Will she have problems in the future - likely so, but in 4 years the CT will be out as will updated current models.
There will also be lots of new cars - the MB EQS for one is interesting. My decision was particular to me, and likely very different for you. For me, I swapped into a car that meets my current needs - quiet, comfortable and with the DCT still an enjoyable, if different, experience to the M3. The trade in price offered combined with the discount on the used car I bought put money in my pocket on the swap. More importantly, for me, I now have a car that better matches my current priorities. If I’m unhappy I can always swap again.
I still think highly of Tesla and would not hesitate to buy another in the future. Hopefully Tesla addresses NVH concerns, improves service issues and becomes even more dominant. I welcome all of that.
Last edited:
Everybody's experience is different. And one size does not fit all. We've had 2 different performance model 3s manufactured in mid 2018 after they got through production hell and both were pretty well assembled with some minor quality control issues. Both have been flawlessly reliable. In terms of road noise we've quieted that down through some fairly easy modifications including door seals and a little bit of constructive Dynamatting. We've also put significant money into the cars in terms of the MPP coilover kits and aftermarket wheels. Both cars are simply more fun to drive and cheaper to own and operate than anything we've ever owned, and we just plug them into the solar panels and when we're on the road the supercharging is on Tesla. We could never go back.
However long you last in the familiar territory of ICE you'll be back to full EV soon. And you should expect that its value will crater in about five years max because that's as long as anyone envisions any kind of demand for internal combustion engines.
Last edited:
El joe
Active Member
The Bolt is actually a decent car and has a place in the market, but the Model 3 blows it away. That said, I have a dual motor long range, so the base would probably be a better comparison.
When I got my Bolt, I had paid around $24k used before they got recalled and my Model 3 was around $43k, so it was quite a bit more. It amazes me that, when they’re able to sell them again, a good used Bolt can be purchased for under $14k, which is an amazing deal.
Fancy seeing you over here @mswlogo I'm currently mapping out my countermeasure install over on RDF for my Model 3 which is showing up Wed. I'm coming from a 14 year old 3 series on Bilstein Pro-Kit suspension (Eibach springs) so hopefully the Model 3's ride quality doesn't bug me too much. Wind noise gets to me, but I also have a roof rack on my car right now too so my tolerance is probably a lot higher than the average luxury car driver. Guess we'll see soon enough...
TexasTezla
Member
The one big reason I wouldn't go back to ICE is that I love to sit in my car on a baking Texas hot summer day and eat an ice cream in comfort without having to leave an engine running. Or leave my car while I go shopping and return with it at exactly the right temperature! I couldn't give those up now! While I quite like Audi as a brand I could never help support VW after their ripping everyone off with their pollution scams.
I'd be curious as well, but of course, what dealerships list as a used car price has little indication of the price it eventually sells at. Certainly buying two used BMW's (one of them CPO) at our local BMW dealership in the past, they were always listed at retail blue book, but we were able to negotiate down to closer to private-party value. Same with other used car brands and dealerships.
Of course that was in more stable, normal times; in the past year, used cars could command more or less premium, maybe right now with the chip shortages for new cars, probably more than less....
Nicely said OP. To be fair, Tesla needs to hear and see these types of customers leaving. They haven't abandoned the Tesla brand, just asking for a higher bar for certain standards they need met. To be a successful consumer discretionary company, branding and loyalty is required but so is customer service and product UX. Tesla is ramping strongly towards the magical 18% tipping point in the consumer adoption cycle, but there are enough testimonies out there now regarding specific areas that need to be addressed by the company for a successful majority/mature market adoption.
sdrevik
Member
To each his own, certainly.
But you'll have to pry my Tesla from my cold dead fingers. I can't imagine going back to ICE.
But you'll have to pry my Tesla from my cold dead fingers. I can't imagine going back to ICE.
If the X / S wasn’t available I would have kept the Model 3. If you are used to stiff suspension the ride should be fine. Some love it. Wind didn’t bother me much. It was tire noise. And it depended on the quality of the roads. On smooth roads it was fine. On worn course roads (which is most of them) it was pretty loud. There have been improvement since I had mine. How much it helps I’m not sure. Even the X could be better for the price bracket it’s in. And the refresh is supposed to have improvements as well.
- Status
Similar threads
