Trying to buy my first Tesla, need advice.

[Fragger]

Dear Friends,

First off, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there!

You probably get a thread like this every week, or maybe not. But I'm a long time lurker, learner, but first time poster.

I'm based out of Texas and the scratch to buy a Model S is now reaching ultimate levels!

There are things I do know I want, but then there are things that I don't know I want or what the best way to go about getting them. I also am not uber wealthy, not I'm only looking for pre-owned Model Ss with a finite budget. So I will try to articulate myself, hope you guys can impart some knowledge and guidance on me?


Things that I do want for sure:

1. At least a P85D with AP1. I would've considered a P85+ or the unicorn P85D+ with AP1, but I know those are unicorns and are not happening.

2. I would like to have unlimited Supercharging. My workplace is like 5 minutes from the Tesla store and my house is like 30. In theory, I don't even need a charger at my home (in theory).

3. Free premium connectivity would be nice.

4. I really don't want to push beyond ~50K for the purchase.

5. Warranty coverage, one way or another. Like Tesla CPO or Extended Warranty (after market)


Things that I don't want:

1. No 75 or 60s. I'm looking for at a 3 second or sub 3s 0 - 60.

2. Don't really want to own a car with no warranty.

3. No prior accidents (I think not)

4. I don't know what I don't know...



Things that I need advice on:

1. Any general thoughts you guys have on my criteria?

2. Is my best course to buy a car for that much (range) to buy from a third party dealer where free Supercharging and connectivity is still turned on?

3. If I go with this # 2, and don't qualify for Tesla warranty, do you guys recommend a third party warranty?

4. If I get a P90D... Can I pay to turn on Ludicrous mode on it? If so, anyone know the criteria and cost for it?

5. Any features/packages you guys recommend that you all have deemed MUST HAVE?

6. If I'm buying from a third party seller who don't have the list of the original packages on the car, WHAT is the best way to find out? Can I call Tesla somehow?

7. Which car would you have bought?

A. 2014 P85D - 85K Miles - $39K - CPO 2 years/100k - rear bumper damage but no accidents - no Supercharging - by Tesla

B. 2015 P85D - 86K Miles - $42K (out the door) - taxes and shipping - 2 years/100k - minor accident reported, but clean - free unlimited Supercharging and Premium connectivity - Private Seller

C. Same as C except 70K miles, Grey, instead of Red. Both have 21 inch wheels and Insane+ mode. - Private Seller

D. 2016 P90D - 60K Miles - 52K w/out taxes and fees - most likely no warranty, but trying to confirm from Tesla the feature list. My guess is that it does have Supercharging and Connectivity still on. Red, 21 inch wheels. - Dealership (not Tesla)



I know that is A LOT questions and info. Maybe some brave soul will help me get started. I would really appreciate getting some guidance now. Thank you in advance and stay safe and healthy again, folks!

 

[sickfox]

Have you checked Tesla website for used Model S? There are so many of them and if the moon and the stars are aligned, you may get an awesome deal with a P90D with free supercharging and in your price range. Good luck!

Dear Friends,

Things that I need advice on:

1. Any general thoughts you guys have on my criteria?
- You'll love it and you're gonna blame yourself for not pulling the trigger a long time ago.

2. Is my best course to buy a car for that much (range) to buy from a third party dealer where free Supercharging and connectivity is still turned on?
- I would go with Tesla CPO just to be on the safe side.

3. If I go with this # 2, and don't qualify for Tesla warranty, do you guys recommend a third party warranty?

4. If I get a P90D... Can I pay to turn on Ludicrous mode on it? If so, anyone know the criteria and cost for it?
- I believe this is still an option. I'm not too sure. If Ludicrous mode is your "Must Have", I would give Tesla a call first before pulling the trigger.

5. Any features/packages you guys recommend that you all have deemed MUST HAVE?
-Ludicrous Mode.

6. If I'm buying from a third party seller who don't have the list of the original packages on the car, WHAT is the best way to find out? Can I call Tesla somehow?

7. Which car would you have bought?
B. 2015 P85D - 86K Miles - $42K (out the door) - taxes and shipping - 2 years/100k - minor accident reported, but clean - free unlimited Supercharging and Premium connectivity - Private Seller

 

[dannycamps]

1. Any general thoughts you guys have on my criteria?

2. Is my best course to buy a car for that much (range) to buy from a third party dealer where free Supercharging and connectivity is still turned on?

3. If I go with this # 2, and don't qualify for Tesla warranty, do you guys recommend a third party warranty?

4. If I get a P90D... Can I pay to turn on Ludicrous mode on it? If so, anyone know the criteria and cost for it?

5. Any features/packages you guys recommend that you all have deemed MUST HAVE?

6. If I'm buying from a third party seller who don't have the list of the original packages on the car, WHAT is the best way to find out? Can I call Tesla somehow?

7. Which car would you have bought?

1. Be sure to check insurance rates - call around and ask if needed. The insurance on the performance models is higher. You will definitely want a home charger. Using a supercharger often is not great for the battery and Tesla may even flag you for using it too much if you have free supercharging and start throttling your charge rates.

2 and 3. If you can find the features you want for the money then absolutely. I would definitely recommend a warranty so either Tesla used w/warranty or third-party extended warranty. Finding a car from Tesla with under 50k miles should qualify for the 4yr/50,000 warranty.

4. Not sure but I believe you can. Better to find a car that already has ludicrous enabled.

5. Next gen seats, subzero if it gets cold in the winters by you.

6. Pictures can tell a thousand words. If you can see/get pics of the MCU screen, you can determine a lot of features the car has.

7. I'd always go for the most car for the money which to me means the lowest mileage and free supercharging/connectivity.

 

[Fragger]

Have you checked Tesla website for used Model S? There are so many of them and if the moon and the stars are aligned, you may get an awesome deal with a P90D with free supercharging and in your price range. Good luck!

Thank you for your response! Check it every day. Most cars that are non 100Ds they've ripped Supercharging and Premium Connectivity from.

A few days ago, the moons and the stars aligned, you like said. P90DL, 2015, 16K miles only, for sale for $51,300!!! It was in the middle of the night, I couldn't consult with my wife and didn't know what the "Buy Now" button meant... Like... Could I walk away from it. In the morning and since then, the car is $60,600! I don't know if it was a glitch? But even that unicorn did not have Supercharging...

BTW - Can anyone suggest the best way to confirm features, packages included on a Tesla, especially if it's a 3rd party sale? Can I call Tesla with a VIN? If so, what's the number? What to ask?

Thank you all!

 

[Fragger]

1. Be sure to check insurance rates - call around and ask if needed. The insurance on the performance models is higher. You will definitely want a home charger. Using a supercharger often is not great for the battery and Tesla may even flag you for using it too much if you have free supercharging and start throttling your charge rates.

2 and 3. If you can find the features you want for the money then absolutely. I would definitely recommend a warranty so either Tesla used w/warranty or third-party extended warranty. Finding a car from Tesla with under 50k miles should qualify for the 4yr/50,000 warranty.

4. Not sure but I believe you can. Better to find a car that already has ludicrous enabled.

5. Next gen seats, subzero if it gets cold in the winters by you.

6. Pictures can tell a thousand words. If you can see/get pics of the MCU screen, you can determine a lot of features the car has.

7. I'd always go for the most car for the money which to me means the lowest mileage and free supercharging/connectivity.

Thank you so much for your response!

1. Do you recommend a 3rd party warranty that's been known to work?

2. Are you sure I would get flagged even though I have unlimited Supercharging?

3. What do you mean too much Supercharging is bad for the car? Regular too?

4. Sounds like you're leaning towards Free Supercharging and Connectivity like me... Sadly, very rare to find this now via the Tesla CPOs and inventories.

5. Is there a way to find out from the MCU if Unlimited Supercharging is available for free and/or other features? Can you tell me what to look for?

6. Is there a number I can call to get the active packages and features enabled by Tesla?

Appreciate your help again!

 

[Akikiki]

Yes, there's a thread like this every week. Please go look through the other threads and read those. Do your research reading and people won't have to explain why (again) when they steer you between a or b and left or right.

You want to be sure you get FUSC and Free connectivity. Go find a currently owned S in the TMC For Sale section. Else it might be removed buying used from Tesla.

 

[Fragger]

Yes, there's a thread like this every week. Please go look through the other threads and read those. Do your research reading and people won't have to explain why (again) when they steer you between a or b and left or right.

You want to be sure you get FUSC and Free connectivity. Go find a currently owned S in the TMC For Sale section. Else it might be removed buying used from Tesla.

Thank you, I will take your advice. If I go find the car from a 3rd party, what is the best way you'd recommend to confirm features and packages on it? These dealers seem to know little about the Teslas... Appreciate your advice...

 

[Akikiki]

Ask the owner. No better way. Tesla is not going to answer questions until you own the car. We think its for security reasons, but they don't even tell us that.

When you find one you are serious about... ask the owner to look under their Tesla Account > Manage > View Details and let you see it shows Free Supercharging and Premium Connectivity.

 

[SMAlset]

I’m not sure but I think if it’s a private individual owner sale (not through a used car dealership but not sure) you will get things like free supercharging and premium connectivity passed through to you. Hopefully someone who’s recently bought used can confirm that. An owner sold car will also be in a better position to know features and service history.

 

[smalltownguy]

You want a home charger. Unless you can charge at work. Time is money and you won't want to be spending 20-30 minutes at the supercharger all the time. Trust me, gets old fast. Plug in at your house, wake up in the morning full charge. Super nice.

 

[boshk]

Dear Friends,

Things that I do want for sure:

1. At least a P85D with AP1. I would've considered a P85+ or the unicorn P85D+ with AP1, but I know those are unicorns and are not happening.

2. I would like to have unlimited Supercharging. My workplace is like 5 minutes from the Tesla store and my house is like 30. In theory, I don't even need a charger at my home (in theory).

3. Free premium connectivity would be nice.

4. I really don't want to push beyond ~50K for the purchase.

5. Warranty coverage, one way or another. Like Tesla CPO or Extended Warranty (after market)


Things that I don't want:

2. Don't really want to own a car with no warranty.

3. No prior accidents (I think not)

I know that is A LOT questions and info. Maybe some brave soul will help me get started. I would really appreciate getting some guidance now. Thank you in advance and stay safe and healthy again, folks!

How long are you planning on keeping car for? 2, 4yrs or way more than that?

Tesla Used or Private, pro and cons of both, I would say more Pros to Tesla Used.
You should weigh up the potential cost of repairs vs supercharger.

I'm still waiting on my Tesla Used MS, but from what I've read, I think there are posts with repair cost too.....major failures are:
Door handle
Sunroof leak
Seat belts
MCU failure
Front lights
Rear light condensation
12V battery

Tesla Used:
4 yrs warranty.....just look for a 2016+ car with under I think 50,000 miles....
No Supercharging
No Free Connectivity ($10 a month)
They will/should fix any problems before handing the car to you
'No prior accidents' is states on your US Tesla website
Car will be cleaned, fixed (hopefully), polished etc

PRIVATE:
What ever warranty is left from the 4yr he got when purchased new.
Free supercharging
Free spotify
Cheaper price
err...that is all I can think of

The Supercharger near your work and home thing.....that will get old very very quickly.
Unless you are the boss and can 'just drive out and charge for 30-60mins'.....it won't happen.
'I will charge before going home' won't happen either, long day at work, you just want to get home to see you whoever/kids, now you have to go queue, sit in car, wait, charge, drive home.....repeat x times a week for 52 weeks

Cool things to consider
-21 wheels......looks cool, that is it......lots of cons
-Smart Air suspension, looks cool, feels cool, great if you have lots of high speed bumps and driveways, cons-bloody expensive to fix out of warranty
-HEPA filter....better air
-PPF and/or Ceramic coat your car
-How important is tech to you and Full Self Drive? Consider AP2 version MS or even FSD enabled MS, its a free HW3.0 upgrade when you pay $2500 for MCU 1 upgrade. Also get Sentry mode AND Dashcam IF you do the above upgrade.
(or save the money, get AP1 and a nice dashcam installed by professional, Thinkware or Blackvue)

 

[BigNick]

There is no "CPO" anymore, cars are just sold used.
ev-cpo.com (it was created back before the CPO program was discontinued) is a great resource to find what you're looking for, you can search by color, options, battery size, P or non-P, RWD, AWD, warranty level, previously reported damaged, etc.

 

[SO16]

You want a home charger. Unless you can charge at work. Time is money and you won't want to be spending 20-30 minutes at the supercharger all the time. Trust me, gets old fast. Plug in at your house, wake up in the morning full charge. Super nice.

EXACTLY! The convenience of charging at home with an EV cannot be understated. Get a NEMA 1450 hookup or if you have an electric dryer hookup, use that. That’s what I did and get 18 miles/hr charge at home. Definitely sufficient for my needs.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Welcome to the club! See my comments below.

1. At least a P85D with AP1. I would've considered a P85+ or the unicorn P85D+ with AP1, but I know those are unicorns and are not happening.

Just so you know, the P85D+ is *not* a 'unicorn'. Tesla made thousands of these cars between December, 2014 and April, 2015. They are actually pretty easy to find. What is much harder to find is a P85D+ that had the Ludicrous upgrade done. They're out there, but very rare.

Basically any P85D made on or before April 30, 2015 has the Performance+ suspension. To confirm you need to locate the build date, which should be on the door jam manufacturers plate. If you have access to the car, you can turn the wheels all the way to the left or right, and look at the air shocks and look for the "FDSS" part number. More details here: Performance Plus (+) Upgrade

2. I would like to have unlimited Supercharging. My workplace is like 5 minutes from the Tesla store and my house is like 30. In theory, I don't even need a charger at my home (in theory).

You need to look into this. Not many Tesla "Stores" (or galleries) have Superchargers. They probably have L2 HPWC that can charge your car, but not nearly as fast as a Supercharger. But as the others have said, this really is a non-starter for reasons already stated. I live a few miles away from three different superchargers, and really never use them.

A. 2014 P85D - 85K Miles - $39K - CPO 2 years/100k - rear bumper damage but no accidents - no Supercharging - by Tesla

This car is a P85D+.

B. 2015 P85D - 86K Miles - $42K (out the door) - taxes and shipping - 2 years/100k - minor accident reported, but clean - free unlimited Supercharging and Premium connectivity - Private Seller
C. Same as C except 70K miles, Grey, instead of Red. Both have 21 inch wheels and Insane+ mode. - Private Seller

These both may be P85D+ depending on build date.

If you can get the VIN for any car, and it was previously listed for sale on Tesla's website (New/Inventory or Used), you can try plugging the VIN into the EV-CPO.com Option Code lookup tool (see link in my sig below) to see all options for the car. This doesn't work for every VIN, only cars that have been listed or sold on Tesla's website.

Finally, if you're into performance and sport sedan handling (like a BMW M5 or MB/AMG) then definitely find an early P85D+. That was the last Tesla made with that suspension, and some of us think it was the best Tesla made, especially now for price/performance. Sure, the new Ravens have the new adaptive suspension and much higher range, but I'm sure they're out of your budget.

Good luck!

 

[2101Guy]

The car should come with a Mobile Charger. I have a 2017 90D and that gets me around 18 miles per hour of charge when I use my 240 volt adapter/240v wall outlet. I have the mobile charger mounted on my wall and it can easily slide out if I go on a road trip to have for backup in case all of the numerous Superchargers here on the East coast are all out during a road trip.

My daily commute is a total of 20 miles. 28 if I do errands.

Technically, I didnt even need to get the 240 adapter/outlet. The 4 miles of charge per hour with the standard 110v connector would keep me fully charged if I used it nightly (Tesla recommends plugging in each night)

So for me, zero need to spend $500 on their wall charger

 

[2101Guy]

Also, like you, $50k was my initial top limit for a car purchase this time. (Dec 2019). Period. End of story.

Then I found out that I wanted all of the cameras that are installed on the 2016.5's and up for future FSD compatability. A Must
and I had to have all wheel drive. A must as well. And at least 90kw battery. A must.

Extremely low miles (1200 total) was a unicorn bonus that a sales advisor found for me.

So at that point, going into the low $60k range was in my future and glad I did.


(Admittedly, would have loved a P model, but not for an additional 10k or so. Not worth it to me

 

[Uncle Paul]

Op is like most of us. Want all the good stuff, but at a bargain price.

Only option will be to shop from private owners. That way the Supercharging may transfer. If you buy from either Tesla direct or from a licensed dealership, the Free Supercharging will be deleted when new ownership is discovered.

While many have found good deals, and tend to brag about them on forums, many also determine that with the new, lower, pricing on the Model S, and the boat load of improvements with the RAVEN package, buying new becomes a compelling option.

 

[Fragger]

Everyone thank you for the very warm welcome here and the responses are great!

Quick hitters, follow ups:

1. If the car came with free Supercharging and Connectivity, and I buy from a dealer, if I lose those features? If this is true... I guess this changes a lot!

2. Good pointer on the Tesla store/gallery may not be a Supercharging location... Will investigate.

3. Sounds like most here lean towards Tesla warranty > Supercharging and Free connectivity. Makes sense, but have any of you tried balancing with an aftermarket market from Xcelerate or something like that? They were on Yahoo news and other other reputable sites as well.

4. For the longest time, I thought nothing less than AP2, 2.5 was worth it. But seeing how FSD is really the big draw there and God only knows how far we are from there... I feel AP1 + the PD models is a great, balanced Tesla experience, where you're not out 70K on a car. Thoughts?

5. I see some love given here for the P85D+ here... Are they worth their age and issues?

6. Is Ludicrous mode worth it on top of the P85D or P90D?

7. Is a P90D still eligible for a Ludicrous upgrade? How much?

8. Finding the owner will be real tough with the dealers... But I will try...


Thank you again guys... So so so much to learn!

 

[Fragger]

Also:

9. I had a 220 outlet installed in my new home. Is it true I don't need anything installed, just the charger that comes with the car can hold me over until I decide to buy a wall charger? Any other connections I'd need? Thanks.

 

[Akikiki]

You want a home charger. Unless you can charge at work. Time is money and you won't want to be spending 20-30 minutes at the supercharger all the time. Trust me, gets old fast. Plug in at your house, wake up in the morning full charge. Super nice.

And you never know how work is going to change. Charging at work might work great, then what happens if you unexpectedly changed jobs? Not only are you adjusting but looking for a new place to charge.

smalltownguy said it best. ...wake up in the morning full charge. Its like leaving the house with a full tank of gas and never stopping at a gas station.