Used Model S or Wait for Model 3?

[devilmountain]

I reserved my Model 3 (nonowner) on March 31 around 8 pm. I am very patient and don't mind waiting a bit longer for the Model 3. However, I was just looking at Tesla's used fleet and noticed they have used Model S 60s for sale for under 50k. Cheaper than what the Model 3 is going cost me (before tax rebate).

My question to Model 3 and Model S owners which vehicle would you get? Over 90 percent of my driving is 30 miles a day. I do one to two trips a year to Los Angeles. I also drive to Roseville quite a bit which is about a 170 mile round trip for me.

My driving style tends to be on the faster side. I tend to take off at red lights a bit faster than most and typically drive 75 on the highway. I really don't want to visit a supercharger going to Roseville if I don't have too. However, would I have to visit the charger with the model 3 long range anyways since I tend to be a lead foot?

Thanks for any feedback. I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of the different models. I like the styling of both cars. I don't mind driving a bigger car than the Model 3.

 

[Az_Rael]

The extra range on my LR 3 has been amazing vs my P85. Daily charge on the P85 was only 220 miles at 90% so consider that was a larger battery than the S60s you are looking at.

The other day I drove my 3 with just the 90% charge to my work and back (80 miles) then drove down to Burbank to run some errands then back home to Palmdale. In my P85 that journey would have required a stop at the Burbank SC before heading home with a 90% starting charge. In the 3 I made it home with a comfortable margin.

There are other factors like the ride quality and seats, which the S probably has an advantage, but that will require you to see both in person, I think.

Edit: just did the math, and my total mileage that day was 197 miles. I drove 75 on the 14 and didn't worry about efficiency and it involved a hill climb up to 4000 feet through Acton. I am pretty sure you could do the Roseville trip without supercharging in an LR 3.

 

[run-the-joules]

Based on my experience, the 3 is just a generally better car, at least for me. An S60 would be absolutely out of the question, as would an S75 or S75D. A 100D would be an interesting alternative but I still prefer the 3.

 

[Need]

Based on my experience, the 3 is just a generally better car, at least for me. An S60 would be absolutely out of the question, as would an S75 or S75D. A 100D would be an interesting alternative but I still prefer the 3.

I saw a few people said that here. I am driving a 2014 MS 85 loaner right now and it is a really good car and AP1 works great. Like OP, I am also considering between used MS and new M3 LR since they are about the same price. The MS got a 260 miles range which is not that much less than the M3 with LR. So what makes the M3 better? I think handling is probably one of them, but I never drove the M3 before. I know the new Gen 2 seat is much more comfortable in the M3 (I sat in one) than the 2014 MS seat. So what else makes the M3 stands out above the MS?

 

[donguanella]

What kind of car do you drive now? And what do you value in a car more - the ride or the fits and finishes - or size?

The Model S drives like a magic carpet ride and the interior is way more luxe and encompassing. It’s a large car that takes some getting used to if you’re coming from a mid-sized car. The back seat and trunk are huge - I’m cramming stuff in my MS that’s in SUV territory. The screen UX feels slow and dated.

The Model 3 is nimble, and you feel way more of the road. The interior may have some newer and more refined finishes, but it’s oh-so-minimalist. I would not call it luxurious. The back seat and trunk are capable, but not nearly as grand as the Model S. The screen UX is snappy and fresh.

Do you want the newest, most coveted car - at the expense of some range, luxury, and scale?

Or do you want the car that’s been the archetype of tech car luxury for half a decade - at the expense of not having the new and shiny, ride quality, and that big-boy luxury feel of an interior?

Last point: Everyone knows a Model 3 is the cheap Tesla, around $35-55K. The net for a Model S is much wider - $70-125K. Most people assume that my entry level S is a $100K+ car.

 

[Cheburashka]

Same dilemma here.

The biggest downside of getting a used MS over a comparably-priced M3 is the fact that it will have ~50miles less range.

 

[Sandiegodoug]

Get the 3. It’s a kick to drive, smooth, and stereo is fantastic. Very nimble, and great visibility. It also seems to charge faster at home, 38mph vs 29 for my wife’s x. (50amp circuit)

 

[Stu Redman]

Everyone assumes either car is highly desirable. Not so for me. The reviews of the M3 lead me to believe it is a car I will very much enjoy. A test drive would be great tho. I did take a test drive in a MS and have riden in several. I didn't care for it. Besides the obvious price, my impression was that it is too big, has many interior deficiencies such as storage, arm rests, mirror lighting, seat wear, cup holders, etc. The deal breaker, however, was the feeling of being enclosed, like in a cave looking out through a small opening. Adding to that feeling is that when you look in the rear veiw mirror about all you see are headrests. All personal opinions of course. I'm sure the 3 will have things I won't like, but so far it is either that one or none. I'm not getting a car just because it's a Tesla.

 

[ℬête Noire]

It also seems to charge faster at home, 38mph vs 29 for my wife’s x. (50amp circuit)

That difference is probably because of better watts/mile? Also only on Model 3 LR, as the SR will (to my understanding) only has a 7.7kW (32A) AC->DC inverter internal rather than the 9.6kW (40A) in the M3 LR.

 

[vdiv]

Try both cars before making a decision. I prefer the Model S even just as a commuter car.

 

[run-the-joules]

So what makes the M3 better?

In no particularly order: handling, interior amenities (adequate storage, namely, but also things like coat hooks), smaller overall (still a big car, but not as ridiculous as the S), better range (at least for LR vs anything less than a 100D), prefer the looks, the seats fold completely flat, no silly unreliable gimmicks like the S exterior door handles. There are also lots of little nuances that are hard to explain properly unless you've driven both cars a lot. For example, I hate the interior door pulls on the S. *HATE* them.

In my opinion, the only things the S offers that I see as positive that the 3 doesn't have are: All wheel drive (coming anyway), heated steering wheel (pretty minor), and power liftgate (also pretty minor).

 

[devilmountain]

Thank you, I appreciate the input for the pros and cons. I am really torn. I like both cars styling but haven't driven either one yet. I reached out to Tesla yesterday to see about a test drive and to discuss pros and cons.

 

[gunners123]

Another thing to consider is rear facing seats. If you find a used one and have a need for extra kid seats it can be extremely beneficial... I had a few friends who chose a CPO model S instead of model 3 just for this very reason....

 

[Cheburashka]

The other thing to keep in mind is that, if you are in California, the carpool stickers expire 3 years from date of issue or Jan 1, 2019. So if you get a 2015 model now, you only get a year of carpool lane privileges.

 

[Esme Es Mejor]

The interesting thing is: if you buy a CPO Model S, your Model 3 reservation would get owner priority, and you’d be able to configure your 3 immediately. In fact, you’d probably end up taking delivery of the Model 3 before the CPO Model S.

That said, you probably don’t need 2 Teslas. But if you did, you could probably have both within 6 weeks.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Seems to be a minority view here but I prefer the S over the 3 in almost every respect. The problem I have with my S60 is that it is much slower Supercharging than the larger battery cars and the majority of my miles are road trips. Since your road trips will be limited, that likely won't be much of a problem. If you want or need AP you will find that most S60s don't have it, which is something to consider.

My personal list of pros and cons for the Model 3 versus the S60:

Pro, for the 3:

• More efficient, uses less energy per mile, by a lot.
• Faster Supercharging, especially for the LR version.
• Greater range; can make longer trip legs without charging.
• Smaller wheels likely mean less expensive tires.
• More simple construction might mean reduced warranty issues, for example: door handles.
• Mostly steel construction likely means less expensive collision repairs, although that's just a guess.
• The 12 V battery is more accessible.
• Somewhat more nimble handling, from user reports (but my S60 handles steep mountain hairpins with aplomb, so this seems like a trivial difference to me).
• Easier to park in tight spaces or drive on narrow or crowded streets.
• Better interior storage compartments and the 3 has coat hangers.
• Better visibility from the front seats, due to the lower dash height.


Con, for the 3:

• No key fob. The phone key thing is way more trouble than it is worth (for me) and the key card alternative is a big step backward.
• No instrument cluster, as the S has; I use and value mine a lot.
• Reduced size of the screen and the horizontal orientation reduces utility; I like to have two windows open at the same time, such as nav and the energy projection plot, and I vastly prefer the S screen size and orientation.
• No free Supercharging; that's big for me but less so for most people who rarely take road trips.
• Less useful, easy to follow, turn-by-turn nav instructions; the S has them on the left side of the screen AND on the instrument cluster.
• No liftback design that allows easier access to the trunk, especially for large or awkward cargo, such as a bicycle.
• Reduced cargo space, smaller frunk.
• More controls operated from the screen versus stalks on the steering column, for example: cruise control
• Poorer reverse camera resolution, even after the latest firmware update, according to user pictures. I rely on my reverse camera a lot.
• Glass roof if one gets the PUP; I prefer the "body color" roof for better thermal and sound insulation. The metal roof on the non PUP version of the 3 figures to be very small and have few benefits for sound and thermal insulation.
• Mostly steel construction might mean more problems with corrosion.
• Somewhat more noisy, from user reports.
• Somewhat harsher ride, from user reports.
• No AM radio (although that is of no concern to me).


Things that are pretty much a wash:

• Acceleration: both are pretty quick unless you like drag racing or something like that.
• Warranty: The CPO S60 basic warranty is much the same as the 3 but the drive train warranty will be reduced in years or about the same in miles depending on the mileage of the car purchased.


For me, the cons are of much greater importance than the pros, but others differ on that.


One caveat is that buying a CPO means that you have to hope that Tesla does a good job prepping the car and that you get a chance to check it out before you accept delivery. I lucked out with a pretty solid car, not everyone does. One advantage of buying a used car, however, is that you might not be so worried about the first ding or rock chip you get, although I suppose that depends on the person.

 

[WileyTheMan]

The interesting thing is: if you buy a CPO Model S, your Model 3 reservation would get owner priority, and you’d be able to configure your 3 immediately...

Interesting thought in practice. Has this actually happened to someone around here?

 

[Esme Es Mejor]

I reserved in March 2017, and I can configure. OP reserved 10 months after me, but I don’t think that’s a lot of owners. Many people have reported their delivery estimate jumping forward after purchasing an S or X.

 

[brkaus]

If you like a larger car, the S is the way to go. Love the storage of the hatch and fold down seats. I don't drive the truck anymore.

However, the 3 will be more efficient and have longer range. Hopefully easier to park. Also I think a better warranty as it is new.

 

[C141medic]

I’ve pondered this question as well but after getting to actually see the M3 in the NY store I’m definitely waiting for my M3. The LR version has awesome range and fits my needs really well.