Trading in Roadster for M3P - Pros and Cons

[Bobfitz1]

I'm considering the pros and cons of trading in my 2010 Roadster Sport to finance an M3 Performance, and would like to hear thoughts from those on the forum who either have bought an M3 and kept their Roadster, or those who have had a Roadster, sold it and purchased an M3P.

Last week I test drove an MP3 and loved it's handling, acceleration, braking, etc. Ideally, I'd would get the M3 and keep the Roadster. Primarily because I love driving it with the top down. As terrific as driving an MP3 will be, the one thing it can't provide is the open air driving experience of the Roadster.

That said, I'd like to hear the opinions of any forum members who have given up a Roadster for the M3, and from any Roadster owners who kept it and added an M3.
If there are any who have done this, my question would be, when you want to drive just for fun, which of the two do you usually wind up picking for non long distance fun drives? Thanks.

 

[Tex EV]

I listed my 1.5 a few months ago after putting in an order for a M3P. As delivery day got closer, I reconsidered and decided to keep it. I picked up my M3P at the end of September and have driven the Roadster to work twice since then. With temperatures getting into the 30s this week, I expect that it will continue to live in the garage for a while. I don't miss the open air driving as much as I thought I would. The M3P accelerates harder, feels almost as nimble (more with Track Mode?), and is much more practical for everyday driving. There have been days where I woke up and thought "I'm driving the Roadster today", only to change my mind on the way out the door after remembering how much nicer the 3 is in bumper to bumper traffic with Autopilot and a modern sound system. Lots of mixed feelings about the Roadster. For now, it's too special to let go.

To answer your question:
Spirited drive to the grocery store - M3P
Date night - M3P
Car show/meet - Roadster
Community parade - Roadster

 

[AEdennis]

I'm considering the pros and cons of trading in my 2010 Roadster Sport to finance an M3 Performance, and would like to hear thoughts from those on the forum who either have bought an M3 and kept their Roadster, or those who have had a Roadster, sold it and purchased an M3P.

Last week I test drove an MP3 and loved it's handling, acceleration, braking, etc. Ideally, I'd would get the M3 and keep the Roadster. Primarily because I love driving it with the top down. As terrific as driving an MP3 will be, the one thing it can't provide is the open air driving experience of the Roadster.

That said, I'd like to hear the opinions of any forum members who have given up a Roadster for the M3, and from any Roadster owners who kept it and added an M3.
If there are any who have done this, my question would be, when you want to drive just for fun, which of the two do you usually wind up picking for non long distance fun drives? Thanks.

We have a standard 3 and a 1.5 Roadster.

We love both cars...

@ViviV and her husband have a 2.5 AND a Performance 3...

And it looks like they love both cars.

if you have the room to do both, keep them both.

My wife's Roadster has moved from daily driver to weekend as a result of the addition of our 3.

 

[Bobfitz1]

I listed my 1.5 a few months ago after putting in an order for a M3P. As delivery day got closer, I reconsidered and decided to keep it. I picked up my M3P at the end of September and have driven the Roadster to work twice since then. With temperatures getting into the 30s this week, I expect that it will continue to live in the garage for a while. I don't miss the open air driving as much as I thought I would. The M3P accelerates harder, feels almost as nimble (more with Track Mode?), and is much more practical for everyday driving. There have been days where I woke up and thought "I'm driving the Roadster today", only to change my mind on the way out the door after remembering how much nicer the 3 is in bumper to bumper traffic with Autopilot and a modern sound system. Lots of mixed feelings about the Roadster. For now, it's too special to let go.

To answer your question:
Spirited drive to the grocery store - M3P
Date night - M3P
Car show/meet - Roadster
Community parade - Roadster

View attachment 352347

Thank you @Tex EV and @AEdennis That was exactly the type of feedback I was hoping for.
It's a pity Tesla has no announced plans for a convertible M3P down the line. That would be killer.
I understand the engineering design and production automation might make such a variant impractical.
Doesn't hurt to dream!

Another pro for giving up the Roadster is shortage of parts and a greater chance of something really expensive
going bad (like battery or PEM needing replacement or refurbishment) each additional year I keep the car.
Hopefully coming SP gains will shift balance from head to heart. I love my 2.0 Roadster a lot.

 

[tomas]

Thank you @Tex EV and @AEdennis That was exactly the type of feedback I was hoping for.
It's a pity Tesla has no announced plans for a convertible M3P down the line. That would be killer.
I understand the engineering design and production automation might make such a variant impractical.
Doesn't hurt to dream!

Another pro for giving up the Roadster is shortage of parts and a greater chance of something really expensive
going bad (like battery or PEM needing replacement or refurbishment) each additional year I keep the car.
Hopefully coming SP gains will shift balance from head to heart. I love my 2.0 Roadster a lot.

Chainsaw?

 

[ViperDoc]

My Roadster will be getting a break from being my 4-season daily driver this winter, as the Model 3 AWD is a nice car—but I wouldn't give up the Roadster. I will still do that on nice days!

 

[jbadger]

I got my Model 3 in January and love it more than I thought I would. Unfortunately, I only have space for one vehicle so I think I'm in the camp of selling the Roadster in favor of the Model 3.

 

[supersnoop]

I don’t think the “trade in” part of your question has been addressed. My understanding of recent trade-in quotes from Tesla is that they’re 30%-60% below market value.

 

[X.l.r.8]

Also MIA is @daniel who since he retired has decided to sell his 2.5 roadster. Again he finds the convienince of the model 3 (despite his initial feelings) superseeds the desire to keep his roadster. Although I'm secretly hoping he keeps it and takes it to Hawaii with him so one day ot will be mine. I dont think he will mond me mentioning it for him as its well doccumented.
I feel evey electric car is a test bed for future generation models and I think the lessons learned from each model will make the next quicker, more reliable, cheaper to maintain and while I dont think the model 3 has pushed many boundarys, as a car to change the publics minds its doing a fine job.

 

[ggr]

I'm another one in the camp of keeping both. "I love all three of my children equally, but they are not the same."

In our case it's the Model S that will go into storage, my wife and I still occasionally fight over the Roadster.

 

[DRM]

I'm in the same position as you are, but have already made my decision. Last year I brought in my roadster for annual service and they accidentally damaged one of the PEM boards. Took 2 months to get a replacement (they didn't charge me). The scarcity of parts is making it a very difficult car to keep. I plan on trading mine for a M3P sometime this year .... but can't quite pull the trigger.

 

[glight2000]

I have both and fully echo the statements of Tex Ev and others. If you’d like to talk, send me a PM and we can connect.

 

[Bobfitz1]

I don’t think the “trade in” part of your question has been addressed. My understanding of recent trade-in quotes from Tesla is that they’re 30%-60% below market value.

Thank you for that info @supersnoop. I've been trying to connect with the sales associate in Mt. Kisco who accompanied me on the test drive last week, to inquire as to what they might offer were I to trade in my Roadster toward an M3P. Despite several messages asking for a call back, I've yet to hear from him.

 

[Bobfitz1]

I'm in the same position as you are, but have already made my decision. Last year I brought in my roadster for annual service and they accidentally damaged one of the PEM boards. Took 2 months to get a replacement (they didn't charge me). The scarcity of parts is making it a very difficult car to keep. I plan on trading mine for a M3P sometime this year .... but can't quite pull the trigger.

Boy, can I identify. So hard to let such a fun car go! I worry about my PEM giving out in next few years. Have any Roadster owners on TMC had their PEM refurbished by Gruber Power Systems?

My battery pack has aged well. After 8 years and 45K miles, it still charges to 167 miles range in Standard Mode. While I hope this gradual and graceful decline continues over many more years, if it went bad, my options would be few and likely a high percentage of what the car is worth today.

 

[gregd]

I think the base question is whether you want a car that you get into, or one that you put on. The Roadster has something that no other car has, and if that's important to you, keep both if you can.

The issue with the parts is more than just the parts. It's that we, the owners, are often more knowledgeable about the cars than the folks we are paying to work on them. This needs to change. Given the low volume of visits with the service centers, it is difficult for the techs to maintain the expertise and experience working on the cars, but both Tesla and we owners need to keep the cars running. I am hoping that the new Right to Repair laws will help Tesla form more of a partnership with the owners, so that together we can keep these important symbols of the EV revolution (if not our daily drivers) running and visibly on the road.

 

[Bobfitz1]

I think the base question is whether you want a car that you get into, or one that you put on. The Roadster has something that no other car has, and if that's important to you, keep both if you can.

The issue with the parts is more than just the parts. It's that we, the owners, are often more knowledgeable about the cars than the folks we are paying to work on them. This needs to change. Given the low volume of visits with the service centers, it is difficult for the techs to maintain the expertise and experience working on the cars, but both Tesla and we owners need to keep the cars running. I am hoping that the new Right to Repair laws will help Tesla form more of a partnership with the owners, so that together we can keep these important symbols of the EV revolution (if not our daily drivers) running and visibly on the road.

Thanks for your suggestion and views. With all the forward looking products and ramping on Tesla's plate, how do you think Roadster owners might gain enough attention from Tesla to convince them to partner with us to keep Roadsters running?
We all need to take our cars in once a year or more for maintenance. Maybe if enough of us talk to the service center managers about our concerns and ask them to forward those up the chain of command, we can eventually find someone in a position of influence to listen.

 

[gregd]

Thanks for your suggestion and views. With all the forward looking products and ramping on Tesla's plate, how do you think Roadster owners might gain enough attention from Tesla to convince them to partner with us to keep Roadsters running?
We all need to take our cars in once a year or more for maintenance. Maybe if enough of us talk to the service center managers about our concerns and ask them to forward those up the chain of command, we can eventually find someone in a position of influence to listen.

That's the best suggestion that I can think of. Keep our voices heard, without being annoying, through any channel that seems appropriate. Emphasize the value of keeping the Roadster fleet running, and that the decade of learning that the owners now have is a valuable resource in achieving that end. Some of us have been driving our cars longer than the mechanics who work on them have been mechanics.

 

[dhrivnak]

I'm considering the pros and cons of trading in my 2010 Roadster Sport to finance an M3 Performance, and would like to hear thoughts from those on the forum who either have bought an M3 and kept their Roadster, or those who have had a Roadster, sold it and purchased an M3P.

Last week I test drove an MP3 and loved it's handling, acceleration, braking, etc. Ideally, I'd would get the M3 and keep the Roadster. Primarily because I love driving it with the top down. As terrific as driving an MP3 will be, the one thing it can't provide is the open air driving experience of the Roadster.

That said, I'd like to hear the opinions of any forum members who have given up a Roadster for the M3, and from any Roadster owners who kept it and added an M3.
If there are any who have done this, my question would be, when you want to drive just for fun, which of the two do you usually wind up picking for non long distance fun drives? Thanks.

I have both a Roadster and an M3. While the M3 is far more practical, you are right the Roadster is much more fun. At some point I will likely sell the Roadster but at the moment I have room and so having a "fun" car can work for us.

And yes if the weather is sunny and above 60 you will normally see me in the Roadster. And finally I have had no issues with getting parts or service, as rare as that might be.

 

[smorgasbord]

Another long-time Roadster owner here. We also have a Model 3, took delivery in 2017. In CA the weather is typically quite nice, so I prefer driving the Roadster. It's simply more fun. And I have to say that the mesh top is now almost always on the car whenever's it's not raining, which has been (unfortunately for the fires) all the time recently. Model 3 doesn't even have a sunroof, what a party pooper!

Now, Model 3 is a more refined ride. It's an easier and less tiring car to drive, especially for long distances, but also for errands - not just for carrying stuff but for getting in and out. But, I probably will not sell my Roadster until I'm no longer able to painlessly get in and out of it.

It's kind of ironic for me. When I bought my Roadster new in 2011, I felt like I was driving the future, and that was a great feeling. Over 7 years later I feel today like I'm driving a classic, and that's a great, if different, feeling, too.

 

[strider]

Our current stable is a SP85, 2.5 Roadster, and Diesel Grand Cherokee (tow vehicle). We recently decided to purchase an S100D as the tax credit is expiring, we hate the leaked Model S interior refresh pics, and we like the Pano roof. We debated for a few days as to whether we trade in the Roadster or the SP85. In the end we decided to trade in the SP85 even though the P85 is more practical. The Roadster is our 'date car' and also whenever one of us needs to run an errand without the kids. The Roadster has been reliable. Heck it's been WAY more reliable than our S.

All that to say, I don't have an answer for you, just sharing our thoughts.