Talk me out of removing 7 seat from my March order

[voip-ninja]

I selected and ordered 7 seater MY in mid-March but I'm starting to waffle, and am considering deleting seven seat option.

7 seat option pros:

• Provide some occasional utility when transporting our young children in the 3rd row and an extra adult in the 2nd row. This is something that we might use half a dozen times a year when family visit or some other situation comes up. We have another vehicle that is a dedicated 3-row SUV we can also use on these occasions.
• Possibly better resale due to scarcity of 7 seaters.

7 seat option cons:

• $3,000
• Delayed build. Currently my EDD is Late Nov to Mid Dec but from looking at other 7 seat orders there is a very high chance this gets pushed back.
• Not all accessories such as trunk mats, etc., will fit the 7 seat version.
• Possible additional maintenance issues after the bumper to bumper warranty ends.
• No possibility of an Austin build, as all 7 seaters are built in Fremont, which subjectively has worse QC/paint/etc. compared to the new factory.
• Less chance of getting Matrix lights and/or cargo cover.
• Every week my delivery is delayed the resale value of my 4 year old Model 3 is suffering.
• Harder to trade/sell my Model 3 in the dead of winter in Colorado when used car sales taper off.

Based on current order dates, I believe if I switch my 7 seater to a 5 seater I should be taking delivery of the car within a few weeks.

My order is 7 seater, MSM, 20" wheels, tow package, white interior.

 

[arbitrage000]

I'll add one pro to keeping 7 seat order....you will get a 2023 car. Now you may still get a 2023 with 5 seats but also a good chance of getting one of the last 2022 cars (something I'm worried about with my March order and Oct EDD). M3 has switched to 2023 as of Oct 4th but MY hasn't switched. Of course MY could switch this week for all we know. Having a 2023 would likely help with resale even though there will be no difference from a late 2022 (unless you get Matrix lights in October and they switch back in Nov as rumored).

 

[Stirfry]

Tough call.....you could go either way on this.

We've got a 7 seater that took 366 days to deliver. It's nice to have but I'm betting we use it once or twice in it's lifetime lol. We are a family of 5 and our youngest is 13. The third row is barely usable, only meant for a short trip if we had an unexpected friend tag along. Plus we rarely drive as a family anywhere, but if we did we would probably use our minivan.

Regarding the Austin vs Fremont: we have two from Fremont (Sept 2022 vehicles) and I had no complaints with either.

Sorry, not that helpful in making a decision though.

Good luck.

 

[Watts_Up]

One additional interesting feature for the 7-seat is that the second row is mounted on rails.
- so you can slide the seat to get more or less leg rooms to get additional trunk space.
- but more important, you can adjust the inclination of the vertical part of the second row for additional comfort.

 

[voip-ninja]

One additional interesting feature for the 7-seat is that the second row is mounted on rails.
- so you can slide the seat to get more or less leg rooms to get additional trunk space.
- but more important, you can adjust the inclination of the vertical part of the second row for additional comfort.

Ah, I was not aware of those advantages, thanks!

 

[Watts_Up]

Do you plan to trade-in your Model 3 or to sell it yourself to a third party?
If you plan to sell it yourself, I would start to try to sell it, as it takes time to sell a car.

Also, waiting next year add another year to the car, and increase depreciation.
Since you mentioned that you have an extra SUV, this could be helpful.

Note: In some states you only paid tax on the cost after trade-in, so this could be something to consider.

 

[voip-ninja]

I only get tax credit if I trade the car to Tesla, and considering how Tesla has been low balling people it's unlikely the tax would make up the difference in trade value.

There's no way I'm getting rid of my car until I have a VIN in hand. Tesla has a habit of promising a delivery window then pushing it out 3-4 times, especially with 7 seat cars.

If that means I get less in trade value that's just the way it is. My Model 3 has already hit the five year mark from a model year perspective since Tesla started producing the 2023 cars.

I've lost about $8K in trade in value on my car from the peak values seen around May-June of this year.

 

[slvervper99]

I selected and ordered 7 seater MY in mid-March but I'm starting to waffle, and am considering deleting seven seat option.

7 seat option pros:

• Provide some occasional utility when transporting our young children in the 3rd row and an extra adult in the 2nd row. This is something that we might use half a dozen times a year when family visit or some other situation comes up. We have another vehicle that is a dedicated 3-row SUV we can also use on these occasions.
• Possibly better resale due to scarcity of 7 seaters.

This is why I have a Honda Pilot as my family/xtra family hauler. As far resale goes....I'm not so sure it will have a better resale as not many people order the 7 seat option.

 

[voip-ninja]

This is why I have a Honda Pilot as my family/xtra family hauler. As far resale goes....I'm not so sure it will have a better resale as not many people order the 7 seat option.

I'm not sure the 7 seater will have better resale either, especially as it's$3K more. Only a small segment of people getting the car "need" that third row, which is only useful for children that are old enough not to need a car seat but small enough to not be uncomfortable when being jammed back there.

 

[Tha_Ape]

• Rear USB-C ports (more options for plugging things in)
• Storage under 2nd row (VERY limited, but its not 0)
• Can get effectively more cargo volume and maintain the ability to haul 5ppl by sliding the rear seats forward
• Taller people can move 2nd row forward and lean the seats back without hitting their head on crossbar

 

[randmness]

Do you really need two three-seat vehicles when the third seat only sees passengers a handful times of the year?

 

[ucmndd]

The third row is a total joke. Not worth it, by any definition of worth.

 

[voip-ninja]

Do you really need two three-seat vehicles when the third seat only sees passengers a handful times of the year?

The answer is probably not, it would mainly allow us to take the smaller electric car in a few situations where it would be more convenient than loading up the mid size SUV.

 

[voip-ninja]

Car is edited and change is in place.

The deciding factor was 5 seater configuration cars ordered in March are getting pushed back which means 7 seaters getting pushed into next year is highly likely slash inevitable.

If at all possible I'd like to receive the new car in November, while I can still get something out of my 2018 Model 3.

 

[Stirfry]

If at all possible I'd like to receive the new car in November, while I can still get something out of my 2018 Model 3.

Any interest in going to an MYP? You would likely get that very quickly.

 

[randmness]

If you have multiple cars, it may be worth selling the Model 3 now. The used car market seems to be on the verge of collapsing.