Tesla - Post Tax Credit

[relisimo]

I'm very happy overall with my Tesla, but I can't help but feel taken advantage of.

I took delivery of a mid-range model 3 with premium package in late 2018. At that time it was about 47k + Tax, and I took advantage of the 7.5k tax credit.

Nowadays, the standard model 3 is pretty much the same thing. The premium package seems like its standard now. The range is about the same. At 39k without a tax credit, we end up at the same final cost to the consumer.

(Not to mention this now includes auto-pilot! Thankfully I didnt pay 4-5k at the time for that, I would be furious).

So to me it seems like Tesla just had a plan to take your tax credit for themselves. It just seems dishonest. I'm actually at a disadvantage as I do not have autopilot. Does anyone disagree?

 

[Knightshade]

I'm very happy overall with my Tesla, but I can't help but feel taken advantage of.

I took delivery of a mid-range model 3 with premium package in late 2018. At that time it was about 47k + Tax, and I took advantage of the 7.5k tax credit.

Nowadays, the standard model 3 is pretty much the same thing

Nope, it's not.

. The premium package seems like its standard now.

Also no.

The range is about the same

Not quite the same...neither is the 0-60.

So to me it seems like Tesla just had a plan to take your tax credit for themselves. It just seems dishonest. I'm actually at a disadvantage as I do not have autopilot. Does anyone disagree?

I obviously do.

Your car has a bunch of things the SR+ does not.... you might not care about them but they exist and can't be added to the SR+ during purchase.

You also got a 14-50 adapter they no longer include, homelink they no longer include, phone cables they no longer include....so that's another $350 in stuff you got that an SR+ buyer would have to pay for out of pocket.

Plus you've been driving, enjoying, and saving $ not buying gas, for roughly a year now compared to waiting.

 

[SD_Engnr]

You're late to the party, but welcome to the forum. This is covered ad nauseam each time there's a price cut.

 

[z06tim]

You feel taken advantage of even though you got to enjoy the car an extra year and be an early adopter and still paid the same as someone today? Seems weird.

 

[jjrandorin]

I'm very happy overall with my Tesla, but I can't help but feel taken advantage of.

I took delivery of a mid-range model 3 with premium package in late 2018. At that time it was about 47k + Tax, and I took advantage of the 7.5k tax credit.

Nowadays, the standard model 3 is pretty much the same thing. The premium package seems like its standard now. The range is about the same. At 39k without a tax credit, we end up at the same final cost to the consumer.

(Not to mention this now includes auto-pilot! Thankfully I didnt pay 4-5k at the time for that, I would be furious).

So to me it seems like Tesla just had a plan to take your tax credit for themselves. It just seems dishonest. I'm actually at a disadvantage as I do not have autopilot. Does anyone disagree?

The premium package does not come with the SR or SR+ model 3, there are things missing. You have a longer range battery than anyone with a SR or SR+, you have fog lights, and full connectivity, they dont.

My specific model 3 is actually cheaper now than it was then even including the tax credit, and I dont give a #$Q#$@$Q . This is the same argument that has been happening all this year, every quarter when the tax credit got reduced, and the price of the car was reduced. Plenty of threads on that topic, with plenty of people who feel like you do. I am sure this thread will turn into another bellyache about the same things that were brought up before.

If you are happy with the car, why does what someone else paid for a similar car matter in the QW#$%QW$%Q slightest? This is the part I dont get. Why does anyone care what someone else paid? People bring up "but the depreciation!!!!?!?!?!?!?!" Sure, but that only effects you when you SELL your car. If you are not planning on selling it, it wont effect you until you do, and the longer you hold your car the less it will matter as they will all depreciate the same.

If someone just bought the car, and is planning on selling it, they were going to take a bath on that anyway. I get super tired of the "depreciation" angle when talking about why its important what someone else paid for the car you chose to buy.

TL ; DR your car is not the same as theirs, you have additional features and a different battery than they do, and it doesnt matter in the slightest what someone else paid for their car. When you paid money for your car, you agreed that you were comfortable with the value for the money you spent. Once that transaction is done, it doesnt matter what someone else pays as it relates to you.

 

[avalpert]

You knew what you were getting and what it cost and felt that it was worthwhile for you - you have not been taken advantage of.

 

[relisimo]

You feel taken advantage of even though you got to enjoy the car an extra year and be an early adopter and still paid the same as someone today? Seems weird.

Yes, I'm paying the same as someone today, that's kind of the problem. I was sold on the fact that I was getting the car while a credit form the government was still in effect, giving me a 7.5k discount on the car. Now they have just dropped the price of the car 7.5k to compensate, less than a year later, I don't find that to be honest.

I do get the early adopter argument, but the price was too steep. On top of all of that, I'm without the autopilot feature that at the time was sold at 4-5k (dont remember the exact number).

 

[Tigerkc]

Did you really think that the whole pricing scheme/changes were all planned out ahead of time? No, Teals was simply reacting to the demand side, lower price to simulate demand.

 

[jjrandorin]

Yes, I'm paying the same as someone today, that's kind of the problem. I was sold on the fact that I was getting the car while a credit form the government was still in effect, giving me a 7.5k discount on the car. Now they have just dropped the price of the car 7.5k to compensate, less than a year later, I don't find that to be honest.

I do get the early adopter argument, but the price was too steep. On top of all of that, I'm without the autopilot feature that at the time was sold at 4-5k (dont remember the exact number).

Actually, no, SR people have "autopilot" included. Had you purchased the feature when you bought your car, it would have been "enhanced autopilot" which is the exact same features that are being sold NOW as "Full self driving". That "5k" then would be the same "5k" now that people are paying to get those features, so you are mistaken on what is included.

 

[Jedi2155]

Yes, I'm paying the same as someone today, that's kind of the problem. I was sold on the fact that I was getting the car while a credit form the government was still in effect, giving me a 7.5k discount on the car. Now they have just dropped the price of the car 7.5k to compensate, less than a year later, I don't find that to be honest.

I do get the early adopter argument, but the price was too steep. On top of all of that, I'm without the autopilot feature that at the time was sold at 4-5k (dont remember the exact number).

That autopilot feature included today is not the same as the enhanced autopilot you use to be able to purchase for $5k (which included summon, NOA, smart summon, auto park, auto lane change etc.).The SR+ does not have immersive sound (14 vs 9 speakers), subwoofer, streaming audio, satellite navigation, live traffic updates etc.

 

[Knightshade]

Yes, I'm paying the same as someone today, that's kind of the problem.

Except that isn't true at all. Your inability to accept that appears to be the problem.

Your car has more range, a larger battery, quicker acceleration, more premium interior features, premium connectivity, and came with several accessories for free that Tesla now charges for.

I was sold on the fact that I was getting the car while a credit form the government was still in effect, giving me a 7.5k discount on the car.

Which is exactly what you got.

Now they have just dropped the price of the car

Nope. They don't even sell that version of the car anymore.

The same-price version is missing stuff you car came with.

I do get the early adopter argument, but the price was too steep. On top of all of that, I'm without the autopilot feature that at the time was sold at 4-5k (dont remember the exact number).

If you bought in 2018 it would've been EAP (not the much less capable basic AP that a new SR+ comes with)- EAP was $5000.

And EAP includes everything that is currently in FSD. Which costs $6000 now (going up to $7000 in a couple of days) and doesn't come free with new cars.

 

[relisimo]

That autopilot feature included today is not the same as the enhanced autopilot you use to be able to purchase for $5k (which included summon, NOA, smart summon, auto park, auto lane change etc.).The SR+ does not have immersive sound (14 vs 9 speakers), subwoofer, streaming audio, satellite navigation, live traffic updates etc.

Thanks for this info.

 

[mreynolds767]

I'm very happy overall with my Tesla, but I can't help but feel taken advantage of.

I took delivery of a mid-range model 3 with premium package in late 2018. At that time it was about 47k + Tax, and I took advantage of the 7.5k tax credit.

Nowadays, the standard model 3 is pretty much the same thing. The premium package seems like its standard now. The range is about the same. At 39k without a tax credit, we end up at the same final cost to the consumer.

(Not to mention this now includes auto-pilot! Thankfully I didnt pay 4-5k at the time for that, I would be furious).

So to me it seems like Tesla just had a plan to take your tax credit for themselves. It just seems dishonest. I'm actually at a disadvantage as I do not have autopilot. Does anyone disagree?

You have a Mid Range which comes with premium interior and is no longer offered.

Standard Range + has a smaller battery than you have, is slower than the car you have and comes Partial Premium Interior which is not the same. You would need to buy the more expensive than you paid AWD version now to get Premium Interior.

The AP that comes for free now is not the same version as you were offered for 4-5K at the time of purchase, it contains less features.

Looking back would you have been better off cost wise if you waited, maybe.... but that is true with all technology products and you would not have enjoyed the new car for all of those months.

 

[jjrandorin]

OP...(original poster, since you just joined today I am not sure you know the normal abreviations).

The reason you are getting so many "ready made" answers from people here, is this discussion has happened here CONSTANTLY for the past year. Every -- single -- time the price goes down, people with your specific viewpoint of somehow being "cheated" because they think "others are getting something they didnt get" come out of the woodwork.

The basic argument is" Why do people who purchase later than I do pay less than I do?!?!?!?!?!?" Typing it out, it sounds like a tantrum being thrown. "Why do THEY get something "I" dont?!?!?!?!" It reads like a 5 year old at a party complaining that someone else got a bigger piece of cake than they did.

We are not children, we are adults. When we buy things, we exchange money for goods and or services. When we decide to exchange that money for the good or service, we are agreeing that we think its "worth it". If you were buying an ICE car, your neighbor could buy the same car you bought ON THE SAME DAY, from the SAME DEALERSHIP, and the SAME SALESPERSON and pay a wildly different price.

This angst over "they are getting something I didnt get" is silly, especially when, as in your case, you are mistaken about so many things that are included vs not included.

The people with a better leg to stand on, are those like myself who purchased a model 3P that cost me, with taxes and "out the door" 78k WITHOUT FSD (but with enhanced autopilot) in december of last year. I added FSD for 2k during the "firesale" that happened briefly after, so my all in before rebates cost is 80k. I got 11k in rebates, and someone purchasing my same car now, with same features would be paying less than I paid. So? Thats the way the car business works. Someone with the MR model which was the best sweetspot, with full premium interior and features (and stereo), who is complaining about "same cost as a SR+ now that has less features", simply sounds like sour grapes about nothing to me.

 

[jjrandorin]

Thanks for clarifying some points (some of you are too f*^&* aggressive, chill out)

Thats because you joined here today, made a post about saying " i am feeling cheated, does anyone disagree", without taking any time to search to see if, perhaphs, discussions about pricing had happened here before. Its a tired refrain here. Couple that with the fact that you dont even have your basic facts straight about the complaint, and yeah you see people get frustrated.

 

[Jedi2155]

Tesla's $35,000 Model 3 Standard Range has better interior than originally planned - Teslike.com

 

[Nocturnal]

I disagree because that isn't how pricing/sales work. A tax credit works the same as a tax, just in reverse. If you add a tax subsidy to a product then that money will be shared by the seller and buyer. The ratio depends on how much people want that product (price elasticity of demand). We were all desperate to buy a model 3, so Tesla wound up being able to price in most of the tax credit.

You say you end up at about the same final cost, but have the mid-range vs SR+. It sounds like you made out very well then and have been enjoying a great car for all this time, along with gas savings etc. Nobody was taken advantage of. This was a voluntary transaction.

 

[toolman335]

Don't buy a TV and visit Best Buy ever again or you'll be angry.
Don't join the gym in the summer and be mad about the discounts for New Year's resolution people.

Elon is making this up as he goes along. He's constantly tweaking pricing and features(and driving Tesla salesman crazy in the process too).
You didn't get screwed over.

 

[brkaus]

I do think prices will continue down for a while. They keep improving manufacturing costs and processes. At some point they will flatten out and trend upward with inflation, but I’m not quite sure when that will happen. Right now they are more like consumer electronics- lots of manufacturing efficiency to be gained.

And yes, it feels wrong about tax credits. But that’s what they are intended to do - make a new product affordable in the early days of development. Let’s manufacture and consumer meet on a price that works for both.

finally, my friend purchased a M3 for almost $7k less than I did about 4 weeks later. Basically same features. I was happy with the price I negotiated at the time. He got lucky that BMW sent the local dealer an extra M3 that they wanted to unload quickly. This was back in 1995. Price difference happens daily in automotive sales.

 

[KenC]

I'm very happy overall with my Tesla, but I can't help but feel taken advantage of.

I took delivery of a mid-range model 3 with premium package in late 2018. At that time it was about 47k + Tax, and I took advantage of the 7.5k tax credit.

Nowadays, the standard model 3 is pretty much the same thing. The premium package seems like its standard now. The range is about the same. At 39k without a tax credit, we end up at the same final cost to the consumer.

(Not to mention this now includes auto-pilot! Thankfully I didnt pay 4-5k at the time for that, I would be furious).

So to me it seems like Tesla just had a plan to take your tax credit for themselves. It just seems dishonest. I'm actually at a disadvantage as I do not have autopilot. Does anyone disagree?

There may be a class-action lawsuit you can join. Did that ever get off the ground?

Anyhow, your MR still has a bigger battery than the SR+, and you paid about $40k, post-tax. The SR+ is just a hair under $40k post-tax.

You're looking at the half-full cup from one side. I'll look at it from the other. Tesla, adjusted the price to mitigate the effect of the tax credit dropping. If they hadn't, they would have been cash-flow positive onward, from a year ago; but the tax credit changes have basically eaten all of their positive cash-flow. They dropped the price to keep the post-tax price about the same, in order to keep sales volumes as steady as possible. It's basic microeconomic theory.