used 75D or 90D?

[zedpol]

Hi Folks, I've been reading entirely too much and have spent entirely too much time thinking about this. I was hoping to get the advice of some knowledgable folks like yourselves.

My family of 4 is in the market for a used model s. Looking to spend in the low 50's.This will be our primary road trip car hence the models s over a model 3.

So a few questions since I don't have real-life experience with these cars.

1) is the extra 35 mile range of the 90D going to make any sort of difference? Part of me doesn't think so, but the other part of me figures that once the battery degrades that having the extra padding of the 90D would be nice.

2) I'm wary of being a first adopter of autopilot. I'm almost 100% sure the sensor suite on AP1 is going to be insufficient for self driving and I doubt AP2 will be able to do it either. At this point I don't see any reason to spend more for ap2. Am I missing something?

3) Besides the ability to have the HEPA airfilter is there any reason to buy a 75 2016.5 and above?

and finally..4) what would you all choose? am I not thinking about something important?

Really appreciate the advice!

best,
EThan

 

[ahkahn]

Always go for the bigger battery. I have a 90D and it's great. Caveat - the earlier 90D batteries can have issues. If it's anything older than an early 2017, be very weary (which an AP1 would have). AP1 is solid, but limited to what it can do. Will never be upgradable or have new features. AP2 *may* be upgradable. The 2016.5+ also has AP2... so that's a strong consideration.

I would go for a later model 90D (2017) or a late-2016 90D making sure it has a ver.3 battery.

 

[golfpilot]

If you are planning to road trip often with it, get the biggest battery you can. The bigger battery will get you more miles faster at the supercharger. Unless you have older kids, I would give the Model 3 a second look. It is actually pretty roomy back there and is a great car for 3 adults or 4 children. Unless you are bringing the house there is plenty of trunk/frunk space too.

 

[golfpilot]

If you are planning to road trip often with it, get the biggest battery you can. The bigger battery will get you more miles faster at the supercharger. Unless you have older kids, I would give the Model 3 a second look. It is actually pretty roomy back there and is a great car for 3 adults or 4 children. Unless you are bringing the house there is plenty of trunk/frunk space too.

The model 3 charges miles faster and gets you to your destination faster than an S does on road trips. And with 250kw charging starting to be released (only for Model 3 at this point) that speed gap will increase. Big premium for bigger car.

 

[zedpol]

Always go for the bigger battery. I have a 90D and it's great. Caveat - the earlier 90D batteries can have issues. If it's anything older than an early 2017, be very weary (which an AP1 would have). AP1 is solid, but limited to what it can do. Will never be upgradable or have new features. AP2 *may* be upgradable. The 2016.5+ also has AP2... so that's a strong consideration.

I would go for a later model 90D (2017) or a late-2016 90D making sure it has a ver.3 battery.

I can't seem to find anything on ver.3 battery, any guidance? I haven't found any 2017 90d's but what are considered late 2016? Would that have the new fascia?

thanks,
Ethan

 

[P85_DA]

If your going to road trip the 3 is better (more efficient ) IMO ..if for looks get the 75 and pass the 90 batt again my opinion

 

[ahkahn]

I can't seem to find anything on ver.3 battery, any guidance? I haven't found any 2017 90d's but what are considered late 2016? Would that have the new fascia?

thanks,
Ethan

It's going to be tough to know which version of the 90 battery a vehicle has unless you physically inspect the car. Most late-2016 and (pretty sure) all 2017 90 batteries are the latest version, but I would verify before purchasing. The latest version of the 90 battery accepts faster charging, has longer staying power, and better degradation.

The battery sticker is visible by looking on the passenger side behind the front wheel well. You can see it by kneeling down and looking underneath.

 

[Cheburashka]

Personally I'd save the money and get a 75D. For me the range is good enough for 99% of the driving I do.

 

[Ketchups]

get the 85, when that battery fails (within tesla warranty) you get upgraded to a 90 battery for free.

 

[b team]

If you are thinking about buying a pre-2016-refresh 90D, know that the build quality on the refresh cars is a lot better and the interior is much better quality. Previously, I had an 85 with AP1. I bought a 75D a few months ago after deciding that the premium for a 90D was not worth it to occasionally save a few minutes charging. Since Tesla has improved charging speed at Superchargers, the math is even stronger against paying for a 90D or 100D over a 75D. Instead, I used a fraction of the money I would have spent on a larger battery to get a fully loaded vehicle.

 

[dannycamps]

When I was looking initially, I was debating going for an 85D or a 90D. I ultimately went with the 85D because it had more options I wanted but also I figured that the more stable 85D battery wouldn't be too far off from the early 90D pack.

The 85D I had was originally rated for 270 miles and I got 265-267 at 100% so pretty good. From what I have read here, the early 90D batteries are rated for 288 but people seem to be getting in the area of 275 at 100%.

If you are looking at a 75D or a 90D, I'd probably go for the 90D as even with some reduced range, it will still have more than the 75D.

 

[Bobasaurus]

Get one with the options you want and the mileage you want. They are all awesome.

I bought a non-AP 2014 P85 with the only 8000 miles on it in 3 years, sunroof, big stereo, carbon fiber interior, spoiler, red calipers, giant frunk,

Several long 500+ mile trips in it have been great.

I have put 44,000 miles on it in two years.

A couple of door handles, a 12v battery, and a drive unit. All under warrantee.

Get one and drive.

Bobby

 

[No2DinosaurFuel]

Get long range model 3 for road trip. If you need space, get the X. If you want to compromise between range and capacity get the S. If you want best trade off between range and cargo capacity, wait for the Y.

Now to your orginial questions:
1) depends on the age and mileage. An old 90D actually supercharged slower and has worst range compared to the new 75D. But if they are both used, the 90D will have slightly better range.

2) AP1 is more consistent and you know its behavior. AP2 is erratic and sometime unpredictable. Hopefully in the future it is better. But if you want all new features AP2 is the way to go. I.e. sentry mode, dashcam mode, etc.

3) hepa is nice, but keep in mind you have to turn bio mode on to get the full benefit which is loud and few people actually use it. It is great in fire stricken CA during fire seasons.

 

[Benjanos]

Hey zedpol. I was more or less in the same boat, 4 person family and the car had to do everything. Chose Model S over Model 3 because its bigger and has a hatchback which for me is more practical. Model X was not an option because of the doors, the price and no roof racks.

A bigger battery on a road trip is nice, it just gives you more options. If you have the family in the back, you're trying to get somewhere, plans have changed because of road closure, bad weather, flat tire, dog puking up, partner has a headache and when you get there the father in law's first dumb question of the weekend is going to be "how many times did you have to stop to charge her up son?"..... then somewhere deep down you may thank yourself for those extra 35 miles. But yeah they come at a cost.

No comment on AP as I don't use mine, only the adaptive cruise control.

Meantime happy shopping, pretty sure you are going to love your new car whatever you get!

 

[powaking]

Personally I'd save the money and get a 75D. For me the range is good enough for 99% of the driving I do.

I agree. The range in your bladder is about on par, if not less than, the range in the 75 pack. So even if you do stop for those rest breaks you can at least top off the battery. If possible make sure to get as new as possible, not just for the warranty life of the batter/drive train but also future improvements (AP2/2.5).

 

[OBX John]

That extra range really does matter on road trips. But if you're not going to be traveling a lot, I'd get the newer car with HEPA and AP2. At least you'll continue to get updates - and maybe a new computer if it has FSD.

 

[zedpol]

thanks for everyone's input. Decided to put off the purchase for a little bit. Probably will wait for the Y unless our 2006 prius gives up the ghost and then we would buy a used model S, either a refreshed 90D or 75D.

 

[ucmndd]

That extra range really does matter on road trips.

Meh, I tend to disagree. Unless you're talking about an edge case where the 90 can handle a long leg of a journey that the 75 just can't, the difference in range isn't enough that you could realistically skip any stops.

I've got 83,000 miles on my 75 battery and there are less than a handful of times where I can really say the bigger battery would have made a fundamental difference.

Yes, the 75 supercharges a bit slower. Yes, in very rare cases you might find yourself needing to make a stop that you wouldn't otherwise. How many thousands of dollars those few minutes are worth can really only be answered by you.

 

[ahkahn]

Meh, I tend to disagree. Unless you're talking about an edge case where the 90 can handle a long leg of a journey that the 75 just can't, the difference in range isn't enough that you could realistically skip any stops.

I've got 83,000 miles on my 75 battery and there are less than a handful of times where I can really say the bigger battery would have made a fundamental difference.

Yes, the 75 supercharges a bit slower. Yes, in very rare cases you might find yourself needing to make a stop that you wouldn't otherwise. How many thousands of dollars those few minutes are worth can really only be answered by you.

I can't tell you how many times during the winter I've cruised into a Supercharger running on fumes with my 90D... a 75D would never have made it. Granted, this is winter time, and summer is a different animal.

 

[ucmndd]

I can't tell you how many times during the winter I've cruised into a Supercharger running on fumes with my 90D... a 75D would never have made it. Granted, this is winter time, and summer is a different animal.

Great point. California vs Midwest weather tilts the scales dramatically.