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Tesla Model 3 vs. Honda Accord Hybrid

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Go with the Tesla, either the LR or SR+. I drive an early build 2018 Model 3 LR RWD. My issues with the car were due to early manufacturing shortfalls or are regional/climate related. The build quality, though not perfect, is now much improved. Plus, your location seems to be optimum for Tesla ownership. Honda builds great cars, but it isn't a Tesla. And when the time comes, my next car will be either a Tesla or an EV offered by a traditional manufacturer.
 
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Mine loses about 10 miles on average sitting in the parking lot. if it is really hot that day, more. sentry mode doesn't seem to use enough energy to make a difference. it will lose the same whether it is on or off. same with cabin overheat. ac or fan only loses about the same. I haven't tried turning it off, though.

pretty much any time I walk by the car it is making some type of fan sound. other people have even commented to me about it.

it is sleeping. I have no idea what is going on. mobile service said that was about right. I wish tesla would give you info to see where all the energy is going. I guess I should add that to my wish list (another thread).
 
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In addition to all the great advice already given, since this is your first EV, you should be aware of some facts around range. Speed, climate, HVAC (AC or Heat), elevation changes all affect the range. So just because a car is stated to have a 230 mile range doesn't mean you're going to have 80 miles left over after your 150 mile commute. You also do not want to charge the car to 100% every day. So you further reduce your range each day during your commute. In socal here, where most people go 80+ on the freeway, you will see a much larger consumption than 150 miles driven.

I think what would be best is to rent from Turo as one member stated, and do the drive so you really understand what to expect. There's nothing worse than a first time EV buyer getting the car and being completely disappointed because of having wrong expectations and now stuck with something that doesn't work for them.
 
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In regards to cost of level 2 charger install. That can vary greatly. Where is your electrical panel in relation to where you will put the outlet to charge the car? If it can be right next to the panel, then cost will be minimum. The further away you have to place it will drive costs up, as well as whether your current panel can even support any additional load/space.
 
Since home charging is going to be a must for you, I'd definitely have a few electricians come out and give you an estimate before buying.

You can shave a few bucks off of the installation by having the electrician not put a receptacle on your wall. Just leave the wires poking out of the wall (safely, of course) so that you can wire the Tesla Wall Connector up directly. If you're in possession of the Wall Connector at the time the electrician runs the wire and breaker, you can just have him wire up your WC for you.

Lots of good advice here... let us know what you decide!
 
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I don't know how that Tesla rep got the $300 figure from to install a level 2 charger, sounds quite low if it is.

You have couple of ways to achieve level 2 charging:
- Install the Tesla wall charger
- Install a 3rd party level 2 charger that has a J1772 plug (I believe there's also tax credits with them)
- Install a 240V outlet (such as 14-50), and get the appropriate adapter for the mobile charger included in your car (I did this option)
 
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My Model 3 is the first non-Honda new car I've owned. Really is apples v oranges, depending on what you want. I sold my 2012 Accord to purchase my Tesla. My Accord was the best, most reliable car I have ever owned. I went into the Tesla purchase knowing it may not match that standard. I am having the most fun driving my Tesla! It's been in service 2x in the first 6 mos (nothing major). My cost per mile is 1/3 of even a Honda. Do you want driving fun with no emissions and never have to stop at a gas station and have the safest car on the road? Do you want a nearly bulletproof, reliable car? Only you can answer the questions for yourself. Enjoy your research. Make sure you test drive both cars. Looking forward to hearing what you decide.
 
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This is a Tesla forum, we have our reason why we picked Tesla, so very biased opinion. If you like Honda, consider Clarity plug-in hybrid. In longer run, EV will be more reliable, less parts.

I have both a Model 3 SR+ and a Clarity Plug-In Hybrid (which basically uses the same powertrain as an Accord Hybrid, but with a bigger battery, and EV only driving for 47ish+ miles). I don't think the Clarity is the ideal car for a 150 mile commute even though it can make it with ease in hybrid mode, it can't do a straight EV 150mlle round trip. But if that doesn't bother you, you'd at least wouldn't have to worry about charging on a day where the real world range of a SR+ isn't cutting it.

But it's not like the SR+ wouldn't work for your commute, but you're going to HAVE to charge to at least 90% to make that trip. Which means that you need a supercharger on your route if you even need to go anywhere beyond your regular commute. You will probably have range anxiety with a SR+, so I don't recommended it even though you probably would have 'enough' range. So wait to make the LR happen or look at used.

This a Tesla forum, so I don't expect everyone to agree with this, but the Clarity has some real advantages over the Model 3 (mostly interior). It's larger, the seats are more comfortable, has CarPlay/Android Auto if you're into that, better soundproofing, and the ride quality is just more refined. But using the Clarity for EV driving with a commute like that will always be a compromise. And it's slow compared to the SR+. And Honda Sensing, while nice from a traditional auto manufacturer, is outdated and isn't even in the same ballpark as Autopilot/FSD. Most of this applies to the Accord Hybrid. Still, the Clarity at least allows the option of EV only driving, which the Accord Hybrid does not.
 
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Thank you for this amazing information, love it! How expensive are Tesla repairs? I’ve heard that Tesla parts cost a lot. Just something that I’d want to keep in mind in the case of an accident or small dents.
If it's covered under warranty, it's free. Like for example if you find issues at delivery (like dents and scratches). Note you have the options rejecting a car at delivery (if you have not taken delivery in the app) and waiting for another one. If it's like collision damage, it really depends on how much damage, but on average I think most people say Tesla's are more expensive to repair (due to limited parts availability and less locations that can repair them). However, most people owning a Tesla also have comprehensive and collision insurance that covers their own car (not just third party) so few people are paying out of pocket.
 
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Mine loses about 10 miles on average sitting in the parking lot. if it is really hot that day, more. sentry mode doesn't seem to use enough energy to make a difference. it will lose the same whether it is on or off. same with cabin overheat. ac or fan only loses about the same. I haven't tried turning it off, though.
That is a lot, my SR+ only loses 1-2 miles per 24 hours. I have all the features off though (Sentry mode, Summon standby etc). Also I heard that if your car is sitting in an area with low LTE reception it can drain the battery very quickly (because like a cell phone it keeps looking for a signal).
 
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Did you buy from the Tesla website? I’m checking right now and the difference in price isn’t too significant for a 2018 LR. Also my Tesla sales rep told me that buying a used Tesla is a hit or miss, sometimes they come with paint chips and other issues and you just have to accept it as is or end up losing $500. What do you guys think about this?
I bought it from Carvana. There are a couple of very minor chips, which they detailed in advance on their listing, with close-up photos. Carvana has a pretty good system, offering you 7-day trials with up to three cars without losing your deposit.

I looked at a used M3 on the Tesla site. They didn't have a comparable one with EAP, as this one has, but without it, Tesla's price was about $5k higher. My guess is that Tesla has not adjusted yet to the fact that early M3s are starting to come off lease, making them more numerous on the used market. I've been watching for a while and the prices at Carvana and a couple of other online dealers has been dropping in recent months.

In general, I'm happy with the car and the deal I got. It's a lot of car for the money.
 
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Currently I don’t have a level 2 charger at my house but my Tesla rep told me that I can get it installed for about $300? Is that what you guys also did?
$300 is way too low to get a whole level 2 charger installed. Is the rep perhaps talking about installing a 14-50 socket and using the included charger (with appropriate adapter)? As others point out, it really would depend on your location's situation (like if you have space in your panel and how far a run it has to be). Some people have a panel in the garage and they can just install a 14-50 outlet right there, so it'll be cheap, but that's not necessarily your case.
 
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How many miles of range does it lose just sitting? Are you using sentry mode?

Mine loses about 10 miles on average sitting in the parking lot. if it is really hot that day, more.

I've had my Model 3 for nearly 3 years. As long as you disable all standby features such as cabin overheat protection, sentry mode, and summon standby, idle losses should be less than 1 mile a day. There are times when the car will remain awake to perform specific tasks. After you leave the car, it'll sometimes run the fan for about 1/2 hr to dry out the cabin air filter and evaporator. If the car is connected to WiFi, it'll sometimes stay awake to upload (presumably) AP and driving related data.

Definitely install charging at home. I don't recommend buying an EV without access to charging at home.

Be careful not to overspend on a car. You mentioned that you're eligible for CVAP. Unless you're retired with minimal income and a few million sitting in the bank, the $9k difference between SR+ and LR probably isn't pocket change to you. I generally recommend always getting the bigger battery, but not at the cost of taking on extra debt. SR+ in SoCal is enough for a 150 mile commute.
 
I would follow all of the advice given so far to rent a 3 from Turo (oldest SR+ you can find, for the worst case example). I would further suggest that before you do your test run, charge or drain the battery to 90% and select your destination using the in-car navigation. At the bottom of the route listing will be an estimate of the battery's capacity if you plan to make a round trip. That will tell you right away if the car thinks it can make the trip. Keep the heat on for the duration of the drive, say 76-78 degrees and drive as fast / aggressively as you normally do; in other words, don't take any steps to "hypermile" or lessen the amount of energy used. When you get to your destination, I'm assuming your workplace, subtract about 15 miles from the battery's range in order to estimate your worst case phantom drain during the day that your car sits at work (8 to 10 hours). This should be the worst case if you keep Sentry Mode on or have to pre-condition the cabin (heat or cool) before driving. If you are making this trip on a weekend and don't plan to spend the actual time at "work", then drive around the vicinity to burn off those 15 miles before going back home. Before your return trip home, again use the in-car navigation and it will tell you if you need to hit a Supercharger (and where it is).

Doing this should tell you how much of a mileage / range buffer you can expect during "normal" usage. That should tell you if you need to spend the extra money for the LR model. Note that weather conditions during the year will affect your range; cold and headwinds are worse but so can extreme heat (more A/C usage). Elevation increases will sap the battery faster but a portion of it can be "recovered" when you reverse course and head back downhill. So will hauling extra weight so if you can convince one or two people to accompany you on your test drive, that will be even more of a worst case example.
 
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