To cancel or continue... WWYD?

[UNC2K3]

Yesterday I decided to put down the deposit on a 2019 SR Model S. I am now starting to have second thoughts about moving forward. Here are the options and my thoughts.

• White Exterior & 891 Miles are a big plus
• Auto Pilot is a plus, but FSD not enabled. I assumed it was per the listing on EV-CPO but found out after I made the deposit that it isn't included. Major suprise bummer.
• 21" Carbon Turbines are a big plus
• Black Interior is ok, but I would prefer white.
• Figured Ash Wood Decor, I absolutely dislike
• MSRP $71,720 ends up running me just over $77k after taxes, fees, etc. Maybe overpriced, idk.

After spending the entire day today reading about battery degradation and actual range, I'm starting to have serious concerns with the actual range I'll be getting. Furthermore, I'm also reading that I wont be able to 3M wrap the interior trim due to the texture of the Figured Ash Wood. If I cant find a suitable relatively cheap alternative, this is absolutely a deal breaker.

Regarding range, I don't do a ton of driving (I work from home) but I would expect to put about 15-20k miles a year as my wife and I do travel a few times a year and usually long distances.

Regarding financing, I've read that a few buyers were able to obtain financing through Tesla's lenders that covered the cost of the sales tax and fees. This obviously was not the case as I started filling out my account info. I would rather not come off of $4600 and would prefer have that added into the cost of the loan. At this point, I'm trying to figure out which way to proceed with financing. While I could go with my credit union, I had an issue with them on a prior loan where they screwed me over and I'd prefer to not deal with them for financing ever again. If anyone has financed through Tesla and has been able to include these costs in their loan, please let me know.

Last but not least, I live in SW Florida but I arranged to pick up the car in Cincinnati, OH to avoid the $2k transportation fee. The vehicle was listed as being in Columbus, OH and I figured that since I have family up there, I could make a trip out of it. I'm also having concerns with this now as I'm reading horror story after horror story of Tesla actually having the car ready for pickup when they say they will. Last thing I want to do is catch a flight and be told that there is a delay. Again, I work from home and I cant be away from the office for too long.

Anyway, I'm definitely considering eating the $100 loss and starting a new search for a different car...Tesla or otherwise. All feedback and input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read my book

 

[carnutfan]

Classic overprocessing. If you can afford 75k, you can afford a little more for a new car with no issues and a lot more range. You ditched a WAY overpriced 100D (sorry 100D owners, Tesla cut prices drastically and orphaned your cars) and then ordered an SR with even LESS range. If wood trim is a deal breaker (you could easily change it) then there is something else at play here.

 

[MichaelP90DL]

I agree with carnutfan.

 

[UNC2K3]

Classic overprocessing. If you can afford 75k, you can afford a little more for a new car with no issues and a lot more range. You ditched a WAY overpriced 100D (sorry 100D owners, Tesla cut prices drastically and orphaned your cars) and then ordered an SR with even LESS range. If wood trim is a deal breaker (you could easily change it) then there is something else at play here.

There's actually a lot more at play here than what I can personally afford. Specifically:

• I am trying to keep the total (with taxes out the door) within $78k or less as this purchase is being factored into an SBA loan I am working on for my business, and I'm at a SBA payment range (with the car added in) that I can't go beyond. I can't, however, wait the 3 months it will take to get funded to buy the car(see more on that below). I am actually categorizing the purchase of the car into the SBA as another expense. I dont want the SBA to have a lien on the car.
• I am getting ready to buy some property for a second home build and I'm trying to keep the inquiries & debt to a minimum on my personal credit. I plan to use the SBA funding to cover the cost of the loan so I can pay it off before trying to purchase the land for the new build.
• I dont want to use Tesla financing if other buyers have not been able to secure the entire financing amount with taxes and fees. I also dont want to use my credit union (as I mentioned before). If Tesla financing is a no go, then I'd love to hear suggestions on what banks other buyers have used to secure financing.
• I have another leased vehicle barely a year old (through a fleet company my business uses for all of our vehicles) that has had some mechanical issues. They are willing to take the car back and cancel the lease without penalty but I only have so long to schedule a pickup with them for them before it gets severely complicated.

So long story short, yes, I can personally afford more but the SBA is a serious factor and I dont have the time to wait 6-8 weeks on a brand new build. Would I buy new if I could right now? Absolutely! I put the deposit down on this car because it is essentially new and appears to be available for pickup soon. And perhaps I should edit my deal breaker in that I could always swap the trim out. But as far as the overall price, 100% financing the sales taxes & fees, and timing + location of when and where I pickup the car, it really does matter....hence the reason I am posting here asking for input. And it sounds like you wouldn't purchase the SR due to the range...Thoughts?

 

[glide]

You thought FSD was included but it is not?

In that case you just overpaid by $7K

 

[UNC2K3]

You thought FSD was included but it is not?

In that case you just overpaid by $7K

That's a great observation. And actually, I've only spent a $100 so far....Now about everything else I have stated?

 

[carnutfan]

Give yourself some breathing room and buy a 75D. It’s rare to need more range than 250 miles in one day.

 

[mbhforum]

@UNC2K3. I was the one who just replaced the Figured Ash Trim with Carbon Fiber and I can relate to your situation. I purchased an IDENTICAL model a few weeks ago at an identical price. There were a couple of things I hated about the car:

• Interior Trim - All in all, I paid $1300 for real CF Trim and will sell my Figured Ash Trim for around $450-500, so overall, it cost me $800 to change out. In the grand scheme of things, this is minor compared to the overall cost of the car.
• 21" Turbines with Summer Times - I loved the way they looked, but hated how they drove. I live in NY, so I needed all season anyway. I curbed them my first night! I also was concerned about tire wear and future bent rims from pot holes. I spent $2,400 on new 19" tires, sold my 21" for $1,700. So it cost me $700 to get the wheels/tires I wanted.

Range WAS NOT that important to me. I'd rather have 10k in my pocket than 80 miles more rated range. Some people take a lot of long drives, I do not. This will vary based on the individual. I had an 85D the past 3 years and never had range issues or anxiety.

I ended up paying for FSD later on because I really missed using summon in and out of my garage and lane changing on highways. It's a total rip off, I know. I am not defending it. I wanted to have the latest tech.

My car was available at a store only 90 mins away from me. I wasn't considering flying to another state and making a long trip back myself. While my car pickup wasn't delayed, I had to stay 3 hours for them to fix a wheel, clean the car up, make a second copy of a key fob (one was lost), etc. The delivery was terrible as others have experienced. Tesla Customer Service has taken a huge nosedive.

Ultimately, you have to decide if the range and trip to get the car is worth saving 10k for you. Don't get hung up on the interior trim or the minor details.

Overall, I am very pleased with my new 2019 Raven SR! A lot of improvements over the '15 85D I as driving, especially on the interior seating, MCU2 and nice looking facelift exterior! I have no regrets not going for the LR. When I purchased my '85D CPO back in 2017, I had almost immediate regret not getting a new at the time 60D as I missed out on the front facelift and AP2, and only saved a few grand. This was a much more significant savings for me (10k) and only one thing I am really missing (more range).

 

[glide]

That's a great observation. And actually, I've only spent a $100 so far....Now about everything else I have stated?

If you’re thinking about anything beyond that you’re looking to justify the purchase. So if you want it, buy it.

I would maybe wait for one with FSD at the price point you were comfortable with to start.

 

[mbhforum]

One more thing, check the wear on the tires. Despite the fact my inventory car only had 1k miles, the tires were half worn! I didn’t realize this until I got home. I am not sure if this from people just flooring it on demo drives of the SC put used tires lying around. I emailed the delivery center and filled out the survey about how upset I was and crickets.