What are your deal-breakers when buying any car?

[Captain Semtex]

A car purchase is often a very personal thing as the car can be an extension of your personality. Consequently a simple problem can be a deal-breaker.

With 2 years to go, I thought it would be useful for Tesla to have a thread of all the things that are deal-breakers when buying any car, not just the Model 3.

The base assumption is that you are in the market for a $35,000 sedan. What missing features/capabilities would cause you to cross a car off your list?

I'll start of with my family's list of deal breakers... the three things we check when buying any car. Fail these and the car is off the list.

1) Is there a vanity mirror on the driver's sun visor? (The lack of a vanity mirror suggests the designers assume drivers are male... or were cutting costs!)
2) The McDonalds test... are there 4 cup holders... 2 in the front and 2 in the back? (The lack of rear cup holders indicates the designers have given little regard to back seat passengers).
3) Is there back seat storage for kid's tablets, headphones, coloring books etc? (Kids spend most of their pre-teen years in the back seat. A lack of storage options suggests the designers did not consider the most important passengers in a car).

True story: Two years ago I excitedly brought my wife and pre-teen kids to my local Tesla dealership as we were exploring getting a Model S. My kids climbed into the rear seats and one said, "Where do I put my stuff? There are no storage pockets behind the front seats". My wife looked at me and in that instant all dreams of a Model S vaporized. No kidding... all advantages were negated by one missing feature... and from the videos it looks like the Model 3 also doesn't have any back seat storage options either :-(

So what are your deal-breakers when buying a car?

 

[ChadS]

An exhaust pipe.

 

[MitchMitch]

Having some experience in minor customization ( jury rigging ? ) of my vehicles to suit my unique situation, I feel you've missed an opportunity to add a personal touch to your transportation. Perhaps you or your wife could devise your own over-the-front-seat pockets that could be removed and transferred to any new vehicle you purchase. It doesn't have to be all "ugly bungee cords and duct tape", but perhaps a fabric apron that could do double duty protecting the seat.

My deal breakers:
1) Electric propulsion mandatory.
2) Not having a local dealer trying to add 10% to the sticker price of a newly available, ground breaking model (Volt) because they sensed a passionate customer. (Yes I walked away, and thankfully led me to Tesla)

 

[jerry33]

Deal breakers are:

1. An ICE.
2. Poor range for a primary car (commuter or secondary car poor range is okay).
3. I know if I purchase from a dealer I will get the shaft. I do so only under protest.

 

[pikachu]

Putting the green aspect of electric cars aside, not having the below things in any car is an instant deal breaker for me.

1. Decent performance - when I switch from my Infiniti G35 to my husband's Mazda CX-5, the difference is night and day. Where the Infiniti accelerates smoothly, the Mazda protests and protests and waits as long as possible to switch gears leaving you with the sound of a groaning engine in the meanwhile. I know they are different engines, different cars, different markets. I don't need ludicrous or even P model stats. But need the car to be fast and responsive. I drive at least 60 miles round trip to work everyday and value my driving experience. This, while also being..

2. Fuel efficient and good looking - The Mazda is definitely better than the Infiniti in terms of fuel efficiency. But not by enough to warrant the uninspiring performance. Wanting both performance and fuel efficiency in a good looking car puts me out of the price range that I'm comfortable with. And even if I were willing to spend more, it's a value of diminishing returns. ICE cars are not going to get much more efficient.

And I would never buy a BOLT as I can't get by its looks, all other aspects aside. We will always be a two car household. My daily driver being a midsize car and the husband's being a CUV to haul all his guitars and amps and also for our road trips with the dog. I don't care for my mid-size car to look like an econobox.

 

[Chopr147]

1. Uncomforatable seats (bad back)
2. Slow,ugly car
3. No Bluetooth/ mobile connections
4. Bad stereo sound
I'll be going from a GMC Yukon XL to the Model 3. Big change

 

[favo]

... and from the videos it looks like the Model 3 also doesn't have any back seat storage options either :-(

IIRC, in one of the test ride videos someone said there were pockets on the backs of the front seats.

 

[Tam]

Must have foldable seats for rear cargo space.

 

[neroden]

A car purchase is often a very personal thing as the car can be an extension of your personality. Consequently a simple problem can be a deal-breaker.

With 2 years to go, I thought it would be useful for Tesla to have a thread of all the things that are deal-breakers when buying any car, not just the Model 3.

Absolute requirements:
* Ability to get service at reasonable prices within a reasonable amount of time. This means within a 2-hour driving distance, unless "free unlimited ranger service" comes back.
* Comfortable seats. Everyone has different tastes; mine are for a fairly stiff, upright seat. If I sit in the driver's seat and I can't adjust it so I like it -- for instance if it's too much of a "cocoon" -- the car is right out.
* I own the car. I can do what I like with it within the constraints of the law. No restrictive covenants in the contract.
* 100% electric.
* Fits in my garage.
* Seating for four.
* Functional heating, AC, window defroster, wipers.
* Not a convertible.
* Fog lights. We get fog.
* Ground clearance. We have places where some cars bottom out.
* Snow tires. We get snow.
* Ability to change tires locally. Access to spare tire.
* Range sufficient to do all typical trips.
* Fast charging sufficient to do all trips I would consider.

 

[djplong]

Don't make me buy a package I *don't* want to get a package I *do* want.

To take a specific example from a legacy manufacturer - don't make me buy the $2000 leather seats to get the $1500 tech package.

 

[NoPetrolDream]

Deal breakers and how Model 3 might fare:

a) Tall driver test. Must have legroom, and that includes both feet resting comfortably, not one elevated over the other due to an intruding wheel well. Model 3: tall passengers on reveal night reported good legroom and Elon tweeted tall drivers should do fine in car.
b) Seat comfort. Road trips and complaining posterior are not a good combination. Model S seats are comfy; hope same carries over to Model 3.
c) Hum drum styling. Model 3: no problem here! Styling both in and out is excellent; even spartan dashboard growing on me.
d) Elevated road noise. Race cars can be noisy. Passenger cars should be quiet. Model 3: quiet ride is expected apart from and in addition to electric propulsion. Even my Sonata hybrid rides quietly; smooth as silk in EV mode.
e) Harsh ride on some or most road surfaces. Model 3: reveal night riders reported car rode nicely. Limited test range, obviously, but expectation for smooth ride is high for this car.

 

[Skotty]

Deal breakers potentially applicable to Tesla (I'll leave out things like an exhaust pipe, though I did find those humorous):

1) Inability to easily make trips back and forth across Missouri on I-70. (Tesla eliminated this one when they finished the Supercharger in Columbia, MO).
2) Not having a back seat for my 2 kids. I don't need pockets or cup holders (tough luck little buggers!).
3) Being incredibly ugly or incredibly slow. (I'm looking at you, Toyota Mirai)
4) Not having a reasonably local service center (within maybe 100 miles).
5) Executives having a negative opinion of their own product (read Fiat)

 

[Pando]

Diesel

 

[Az_Rael]

Dealbreakers for me:

- I am 5'2" - not being able to raise the seat height to see over the dash would be a deal breaker. I also like adjustable seat belt shoulder height sliders, but I am currently living without that on my Volt. I understand the Model S doesn't have those either, so I guess I can't list that as a potential dealbreaker, sigh.

- Spaceship "steering control system". If this goes too far off the rails (sidestick, etc) I might be out. I am keeping an open mind right now, so we will see. I don't want to have to relearn how to drive a Model 3.

- Built in NAV, bluetooth phone connections, etc. It should at least have all the functionality my Chevy does as far as playing songs from my phone, handsfree calling, navigation, XM, easy voice control etc. I don't want to downgrade there. I am not a huge fan of Chevy's My Link system, but it is functional. Their voice control implementation is the best I have used, though. No stupid confirmation questions, just tell it what you want, it reads it back and does it - LOVE that. My Lexus used to play 20 questions with me when I tried to use voice control in it - terrible system.

 

[S'toon]

Not having a service centre nearer to me than they are now.

Not having Superchargers nearer to me than they are now.

 

[Chopr147]

Az_Rael: I'm with ya there. My 2008 Yukon voice control is terrible! Bought new and I quickly gave up on that option. Created more frustration than it was worth. Service center is not a problem for me on Long Island NY. One has been opened in Syosset---10 miles away. I plan on buying not leasing so this car better be quality but that's what I expect from Tesla

 

[HanSolo]

Don't make me buy a package I *don't* want to get a package I *do* want.

To take a specific example from a legacy manufacturer - don't make me buy the $2000 leather seats to get the $1500 tech package.

Same with me. I hate these option packages that force me to buy things I have no desire for just to get something I do want. I need good lighting since I do a lot of night driving, but I don't want to buy a whole lot of other stuff as adaptive lighting upgrades are almost always a package.

 

[rv1458]

In my opinion Tesla has partially conquered one of the largest hurdles to mass adoption: range. The largest remaining hurdle for Tesla to overcome is reliability. Reliability is important to new buyers who don't want to be left stranded by a car that's doors won't open and for resale value 5, 10, and 15 years down the road. I think Tesla's figured out the basics of making a car (cupholders!) well enough. I hope the 3 is greatly improved in reliability vs the S and X. If they don't, they may still survive as niche purveyor of high end luxury cars, but bigger, more experienced, deeper pocketed, established manufacturers will be able to figure out how to make a reliable electric vehicle for masses pretty soon. In short, IMO, Tesla's make or break moment is the Model 3 - specifically as it relates to successfully figuring out large scale production and reliability.

 

[Dan Detweiler]

Interesting topic and it got me thinking. Of all the cars I have had in my adulthood there is only one thing that almost made me walk away from the deal. Wasn't the car in any way. These days, with the internet, there is more information about any car at your fingertips than you could possibly use.

The thing that almost ended it for me was the dealer experience at closing. Spent 3 1/2 hours closing a deal that should have taken no more than about 30 minutes. Had to sit through pitch after pitch for this add on and that extended warrantee. Never ending line of hard sales crap. Finally had to threaten to leave to get it to come to an end.

With no dealership to deal with, I don't foresee that being a problem.

Dan

 

[Dan Detweiler]

Interesting topic and it got me thinking. Of all the cars I have had in my adulthood there is only one thing that almost made me walk away from the deal. Wasn't the car in any way. These days, with the internet, there is more information about any car at your fingertips than you could possibly use.

The thing that almost ended it for me was the dealer experience at closing. Spent 3 1/2 hours closing a deal that should have taken no more than about 30 minutes. Had to sit through pitch after pitch for this add on and that extended warrantee. Never ending line of hard sales crap. Finally had to threaten to leave to get it to come to an end.

With no dealership to deal with, I don't foresee that being a problem.

Dan