Test drive Tesla CPO?

[asus389]

Are there any Telsa stores that have inventory of CPO cars? I'd ideally like to be able to drive the car I am considering buying before I commit to it. Especially with used cars, this is something I always do.

In addition, I have some allergies that include cleaners sometimes used in car detailing so I'd be weary of buying a car sight unseen for fear of having a reaction to it.

Is this possible at this time? Tesla has communicated that they have no inventory cars (presumably new or loaner fleet) at this time. But surely they have CPO cars somewhere...?

 

[Olds442]

I was the same way about test drives.

I have heard of some people asking to drive theirs at time of delivery before signing for the final purchase. I haven't heard of a way to test drive an actual CPO though. I test drove a used MS at a local non-Tesla lot before buying blind from Tesla directly through the CPO program. Being my first EV, I felt it was safe to buy direct. After speaking with my CPO OA the first time, I knew everything was going to be fine. And it is.

Good luck!

 

[P85Dave]

Are there any Telsa stores that have inventory of CPO cars? I'd ideally like to be able to drive the car I am considering buying before I commit to it. Especially with used cars, this is something I always do.

In addition, I have some allergies that include cleaners sometimes used in car detailing so I'd be weary of buying a car sight unseen for fear of having a reaction to it.

Is this possible at this time? Tesla has communicated that they have no inventory cars (presumably new or loaner fleet) at this time. But surely they have CPO cars somewhere...?

It's always best to do your own due diligence when buying a used car -- CPO or not.

I'd find where the car you want is located and request to be able to go there and see the car. I'd be surprised if they outright refuse your very reasonable request to see the car you want to buy. We bought our car new but even with that we asked to see the car so we can inspect it before the scheduled time to do the paperwork.

I know some are fine with it but personally, I can't imagine buying a used car without looking at it. Also note that if the car is far away, you can have a professional car appraiser go and look at the car for you for a Pre Purchase Inspection. They are very thorough and know what to look for as sometimes cars can be repainted and damage fixed "offline" without going through insurance/CarFax report.

Basically you are on the right track in wanting to see the car before committing to buy a used car. The current system works great for Tesla but not so much if you end up with a car that is less than what you were expecting.

 

[Markk993]

Dave... oddly what you said is not true... a few months back a friend was interested in a CPO that was listed as being in Las Vegas.... Living in LV i offered to go and check out the car.. he looked into it and was turned down... CPO cars are typically not at the showroom and at a building/lot that is not open to the public and therefore they would not accommodate the request... I also think it is because they usually don't start the reconditioning process until after they have a buyer which is why there is the 30 day delivery time... they certainly would not want to show you the car before they had a chance to clean it up.

best bet is to order, it and drive and inspect every inch of it before signing on the bottom line... if it is not to your satisfaction them make them make it right...

If it is a question of seeing how that particular model drives... your showroom may have a loaner car that is the same as what you might be looking for OR the new cars can be computer adjusted (during a test drive) to simulate the performance of any current model.

When I bought mine (Used) i told them that I wanted a P85 or P85+ and they took me out in a test drive in a 90D being that it was the closest to handling and performance they had... In short they will work with you to show you a car that might be similar but not "THE" car you are looking to purchase. also bear in mind that most often these cars are located hundreds or even thousands of miles from where you might be.

this should not be a deterrent. They will make the car right for you or you can move on and look for another...

 

[asus389]

In my case it isn’t because I want to see what the car drives like en general. I have test driven new ones and a friend has one. I already know I like the car. It’s to see the condition of the specific car I’m buying and also due to my allergies to give it a “sniff test” to make sure someone hasn’t gone to town with a detailing product, air freshener, or something that would make me sick. Unfortunately these things are hard to clean up, so I try to steer clear of cars that have them.

 

[P85Dave]

Dave... oddly what you said is not true... a few months back a friend was interested in a CPO that was listed as being in Las Vegas.... Living in LV i offered to go and check out the car.. he looked into it and was turned down... CPO cars are typically not at the showroom and at a building/lot that is not open to the public and therefore they would not accommodate the request... I also think it is because they usually don't start the reconditioning process until after they have a buyer which is why there is the 30 day delivery time... they certainly would not want to show you the car before they had a chance to clean it up.

best bet is to order, it and drive and inspect every inch of it before signing on the bottom line... if it is not to your satisfaction them make them make it right...

If it is a question of seeing how that particular model drives... your showroom may have a loaner car that is the same as what you might be looking for OR the new cars can be computer adjusted (during a test drive) to simulate the performance of any current model.

When I bought mine (Used) i told them that I wanted a P85 or P85+ and they took me out in a test drive in a 90D being that it was the closest to handling and performance they had... In short they will work with you to show you a car that might be similar but not "THE" car you are looking to purchase. also bear in mind that most often these cars are located hundreds or even thousands of miles from where you might be.

this should not be a deterrent. They will make the car right for you or you can move on and look for another...

But you do realize that car dealers, the segment universally despised for underhanded tactics, will NEVER turn down a request by a customer to actually see the the used car they have up for sale and someone wants to buy.

Something is not right when a car dealer is more transparent about a car they are selling. You call any car dealer selling a used or CPO car and they will gladly invite you to come and look at the car without hiding it or not representing the current state of the car. When a customers pays a premium to buy a CPO car they deserve to see the state the car is in.

I stand by what I said in that if we were to ever buy a CPO car, I would ask to see the car and I would not take no for an answer. I'd make the biggest stink about it possible until they show me the car they have up for sale because guess what, I DO want to see the car in the condition it is in. If it looks like the car has been abused and treated harshly, I would opt to buy a car better taken care of with my money. While some may not care about this, the OP deserves to see the condition the car is in before deciding to buy it.

 

[P85Dave]

In my case it isn’t because I want to see what the car drives like en general. I have test driven new ones and a friend has one. I already know I like the car. It’s to see the condition of the specific car I’m buying and also due to my allergies to give it a “sniff test” to make sure someone hasn’t gone to town with a detailing product, air freshener, or something that would make me sick. Unfortunately these things are hard to clean up, so I try to steer clear of cars that have them.

Your request is absolutely reasonable and I would explain it to them and ask to see the car and keep escalating it if they refuse to show you the car they have up for sale.

I'm astounded we are even talking about this. We bought our car new so there was much less of a risk than you buying a CPO car and we still asked to be able to see and inspect the car BEFORE we show up to sign the paperwork. They were hesitant but they acquiesced when I told them that I need to see an inspect the car in advance so there are no surprises when we show up to pick up the car.

When you pay a premium to buy a used car for the manufacturer as a CPO, asking to see what it looks like and how well it has been taken care of is not unreasonable. In fact I'd think it's super important to see what condition the car is in because it is indicative of the life the car has had and how well it has been taken care of.

 

[Markk993]

other than paint and body work there is really nothing to be concerned about the reconditioning process is incredibly thorough and the car mechanically is like new with a 4 year warranty to boot... Also as most people know, Tesla wholesales out used cars that are not of CPO quality to companies like Zoom / Texas Auto direct... I did not buy a CPO but from what I have seen on here although some people have had to send it back for minor fixes their experiences are overwhelmingly positive.

I think their inability or "refusal" to show a CPO car is more often than not logistics... the cars are miles and miles away in warehouse with limited staffing / resources and a already taxed service department it isn't reasonable to keep the cars there or bring it there whenever someone may want to see it...

I am not defending their position, just understanding it... but again the CPO selection process and the reconditioning process is so extensive i would not hesitate to buy one...even though it is a departure from "normal" dealerships....

I saw a model 3 in the Century City showroom yesterday and people with reservations ( who's numbers were called and ready to place orders) were told they could not test drive the car before they sat down to order theirs... that in my mind is far more difficult to justify

 

[Olds442]

But you do realize that car dealers, the segment universally despised for underhanded tactics, will NEVER turn down a request by a customer to actually see the the used car they have up for sale and someone wants to buy.

Something is not right when a car dealer is more transparent about a car they are selling.

Tesla isn't a car dealer. They're a manufacturer that sells directly to the public. They make the rules as it's their product. I know that's hard for some to wrap their heads around because they do sell cars.

They don't let you see your car until it's ready for delivery after the 200+ point reconditioning. They seem pretty proud of the CPO process and return the cars to nearly new condition. My OA did send me pics of the car sitting dirty in a garage which is common.

So the trade off is no, you don't get to test drive your exact car. But what you get in return is a completely reconditioned vehicle. How many "car dealers" regularly replace rims, tires, brakes, repaint any exterior blemishes, replace interior pieces etc on a regular basis? Not too many. I know of zero.

But yeah, if you absolutely have to drive the car you are buying, well, that's just not commonplace with Tesla CPO cars. I'm yet to hear of a case where they didn't eventually make something right that was askew at delivery. I had issues at delivery and they fixed everything and returned it with a smile. They even found and fixed other things (door handle) that I wasn't aware were broken.

With the reputation that car dealers have, I can fully understand anyone wanting to test drive a used vehicle. But I took the leap of faith after hearing how many others had and were happy with the experience. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I was in the market. But only you can make that decision for yourself, everyone's "mileage" may vary.

 

[P85Dave]

other than paint and body work there is really nothing to be concerned about the reconditioning process is incredibly thorough and the car mechanically is like new with a 4 year warranty to boot... Also as most people know, Tesla wholesales out used cars that are not of CPO quality to companies like Zoom / Texas Auto direct... I did not buy a CPO but from what I have seen on here although some people have had to send it back for minor fixes their experiences are overwhelmingly positive.

I just searched the forum and found a bunch of CPO cars sold to customers with issues that would have been discovered if the buyer took the time to do a proper Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) before buying the car.

Incredibly through CPO process? Tell that to these people who bought CPO cars...

• My CPO (and disappointments) Experience
• My Painted CPO

Search the forum for "CPO" and "Paint" and you will see many other storiedsabout what happens when you don't do the due diligence when buying a used car. And this is not just a Tesla thing. When buying ANY used car -- CPO or not -- you should always do you due diligence with a proper PPI.

I think their inability or "refusal" to show a CPO car is more often than not logistics... the cars are miles and miles away in warehouse with limited staffing / resources and a already taxed service department it isn't reasonable to keep the cars there or bring it there whenever someone may want to see it...

Wait, are you actually trying to make a case for how difficult it is to show a used car up for sale to someone looking to buy a used car? There are millions of used cars up for sale and sellers somehow manage to be transparent about what they are selling by offering anyone interested in looking at the car to see the car before buying it.

Like I said, I am astounded we are even talking about this. If you call a car dealer and they refuse to show you a used car up for sale, would you not consider that extremely strange? As much as I love Tesla, I can't understand why it is reasonable for them to not show a used car up for sale to a customer who wants to look at it before deciding to buy. It should not be okay to say "Gosh darn it sir, I know you like to buy this used car, but you know we are so very busy we can't really show it to you until you show up with a check to buy the car but you know what? You can always trust us to sell you a great used in the bestest condition car. Why waste all that time looking at the used car you want to buy when you can just show up with a check to give to us so we can show you the car."

I am not defending their position, just understanding it... but again the CPO selection process and the reconditioning process is so extensive i would not hesitate to buy one...even though it is a departure from "normal" dealerships....

That's good for you. But personally for me, I would want to see the actual used car I am buying if I were to ever buy a CPO car. If someone else insists the same, I'd consider that an absurdly reasonable request.

If you call up an Audi dealer selling a CPO A8 and they tell you some BS story about how they are understaffed and can't be bothered to show you the car because it is in some "warehouse" would that be acceptable? Of course not. It should not be acceptable for Tesla to refuse to show a CPO car up for sale either.

 

[JonG]

I’ve not come across anyone test driving a used car before purchase, Tesla simply don’t. The cars supposed location is also typically a fabrication of the truth, Tesla told me this when I went to a dealer to see a car and told it was simply an allocation not a location, all the cars were in a secure compound elsewhere in the country.

What’s worse, it can take 3-4 weeks (at least here in the UK) from order to actually taking delivery and that’s assuming no work needs doing. I gave up and purchased from an independent garage, I tried the car, bought it, drove it away 4 days later, it didn’t have a fresh warranty but as it was less than a year old and low mileage that was hardly a problem to me.

Tesla could make a more money managing this side of their operations better.