What should I do in the mean time?

[Infoe]

Hope you will allow me to ask this question...bit different, but seeing as we have time till Thursday to just make assumptions of our Model ≡ I figure I can use some help.

I sold my 2011 bmw 528i last week. I was original owner only had 32,800 miles on it. I sold it as is was not paid off yet and wanted to get out whatever equity I still had in the car before the model changed.

I'm wanting to get as much car as possible in the $200-$300 a month lease range...thinking of 24 month lease

what I have in mind so far is maybe the acura ilx or the chevy volt? I had considered purchasing used for the time being then selling it when model 3 came out, but after going through the sale of a used car (maybe because it was a bit higher ticket) I realized it can be quite difficult to try and get top dollar for a used vehicle.

any thoughts or recommendations?

 

[Az_Rael]

I don't know if you have test driven a Volt yet, but they often run really good lease deals on them it seems like. Takes a bit of work, and usually involves getting a $1000 private offer from Chevy as well as any other rebates you can manage, but people do get the lease payments under $200 sometimes. The folks over at the Volt forum are very helpful in this regard.

Let you tell me about this lease
$1000 Private Offer - No Myth - scored a deal with that on Feb24

The Volt would get you into an EV with "training wheels" so to speak while you wait for your 3. I am biased (obviously), but the Volt lets you get used to plugging your car in, fully experience range reductions due to wind/rain/temperature, figure out your home charging options, etc, all with an ICE backup in case you forget or estimate wrong.

You get the bonus of insta-torque off the line, a quiet EV ride, and that smooth 1 gear acceleration. You also get to experience regen on the gas pedal driving (in "L" mode on the Volt) that will mimic what driving a Tesla will be like. Some people love it, others not so much. It is very different.

 

[Infoe]

I should probably ask this in the volt thread but if I want the volt as a 100% electric option, is that going to be possible? is the gas in the backup engine going to go back if its there for 6months-1year?

 

[Bokonon]

I should probably ask this in the volt thread but if I want the volt as a 100% electric option, is that going to be possible? is the gas in the backup engine going to go back if its there for 6months-1year?

As a former Volt driver who drove 97% of all miles on electricity, I can tell you that there are two (maybe three) cases where the Volt will not be 100% electric, as much as you may try:

1. The Volt tracks the average age of the fuel in the tank. When that age approaches about 12 months, the Volt will enter something called "Fuel Maintenance Mode" in which the ICE will turn on and burn gas until the tank is empty or the driver adds enough fuel to reduce the average age to an acceptable level.

2. In addition to that, the Volt also has something called "Engine Maintenance Mode" which will kick in every 30 days or so that you drive without using the ICE. In this mode, the Volt will turn on the ICE at very low RPMs for about 5-10 minutes, just to circulate the oil and "clear out the cobwebs" so to speak. This process burns a negligible amount of gas.

3. Finally, if your state uses your car's on-board diagnostics (OBD) computer data for emissions testing, your car may actually fail the inspection (!!!) if it has not racked up enough gas miles within the last few weeks. (I know, what a cruel irony...) In practice, this means that you will need to run the ICE exclusively for 50+ miles in order for the OBD computer to have enough data to pass the test. At least that's what I had to do here in Massachusetts, anyway...

With those three caveats aside, I had no problem driving my Volt on electricity nearly 100% for my daily commute and various local errands. That said, there were a couple of times when I stopped at an L2 charger solely so that I could make it home on electrons alone... I wanted to avoid using the ICE that badly. Ultimately, when it was time to turn the Volt back in, I came to terms with my addiction to electricity and went with a fully-electric car (an e-Golf) for my next lease.

 

[CyberKnife]

I would be in a similar boat by March 2017 when I have to return my leased 13 Nissan Leaf. I will either switch to public transportation with biking or seeing if I could 'borrow' relatives car or buy a cheap used ice car until my delivery of Model 3. Not sure if DMV has regulations on how often you can borrow relatives car?

I hope I don't need to look at the used ice car route. Public transportation here in Portland is quite alright except I live out in the suburbs and if I work in downtown by then it would take 45mins on light rail.

If you do plan on leasing I would recommend leasing something cheap because at the end you have to return the car so I would keep your money to spend on the addons on the Model 3 instead of the leased car. If you are going with EV, may the 30kwh Leaf?

 

[franklandfield]

Hope you will allow me to ask this question...bit different, but seeing as we have time till Thursday to just make assumptions of our Model ≡ I figure I can use some help.

I sold my 2011 bmw 528i last week. I was original owner only had 32,800 miles on it. I sold it as is was not paid off yet and wanted to get out whatever equity I still had in the car before the model changed.

I'm wanting to get as much car as possible in the $200-$300 a month lease range...thinking of 24 month lease

what I have in mind so far is maybe the acura ilx or the chevy volt? I had considered purchasing used for the time being then selling it when model 3 came out, but after going through the sale of a used car (maybe because it was a bit higher ticket) I realized it can be quite difficult to try and get top dollar for a used vehicle.

any thoughts or recommendations?

Just a matter of minutes now until model three

 

[Dan Zorrilla]

I got a Tesla certified pre-owned Model S when my lease was up. It is literally like brand new. It was completely reconditioned by Tesla and does not have a rattle in the whole car. It is a lot more than $200-300/mo though...

 

[Infoe]

I got a Tesla certified pre-owned Model S when my lease was up. It is literally like brand new. It was completely reconditioned by Tesla and does not have a rattle in the whole car. It is a lot more than $200-300/mo though...

This is what I REALLY want to do but just cant afford to at the moment. I know my business eill be successful but for now I must stay more frugal and resist the temptation.

 

[eloder]

I just went full EV with a Leaf lease. I love it, can't wait for a M3 though.

 

[S3XY]

In your price range ($258) I leased a 3 year old CPO 328i. Although I had to put down around $2,500 to get that price.

 

[RedModel3]

I'm happy to say that I am now the new owner of a used 2012 Chevy Volt. I got it for $11000 before taxes. The lease on my Lexus CT was up in a few months, and I just couldn't see extending it or buying that car, which was nothing but a rolling blind spot with a rubber band transmission. I looked also at a Honda Insight, Civic and Civic hybrid. With mileage and price being just about equal, what tipped the scales to the Volt was the purely electric range. We just went through a panic-induced gas shortage here in Nashville, and I just wanted to option to have all electric. We've been hit hard before here, and it' funny how people just don't seem to have memories about gas shortages. As soon as the problem is over, they go back to their Hummers and Escalades, as if it's their God-given right to burn as much dino juice as possible.

Prior to purchasing, I had the Tesla electrician come out to see what my options were for charging both cars. While it's not possible to charge both from the same setup, it is possible to do most of the work now, with just a bit of tweaking when I get my Tesla.

I didn't go with a lease because I didn't want to be left out in the cold with either too much or too little time left on the lease. Who knows when I'll get my Tesla? This way, I don't have to worry about it.

 

[Weezer Fan]

As a former Volt driver who drove 97% of all miles on electricity, I can tell you that there are two (maybe three) cases where the Volt will not be 100% electric, as much as you may try:

1. The Volt tracks the average age of the fuel in the tank. When that age approaches about 12 months, the Volt will enter something called "Fuel Maintenance Mode" in which the ICE will turn on and burn gas until the tank is empty or the driver adds enough fuel to reduce the average age to an acceptable level.

2. In addition to that, the Volt also has something called "Engine Maintenance Mode" which will kick in every 30 days or so that you drive without using the ICE. In this mode, the Volt will turn on the ICE at very low RPMs for about 5-10 minutes, just to circulate the oil and "clear out the cobwebs" so to speak. This process burns a negligible amount of gas.

3. Finally, if your state uses your car's on-board diagnostics (OBD) computer data for emissions testing, your car may actually fail the inspection (!!!) if it has not racked up enough gas miles within the last few weeks. (I know, what a cruel irony...) In practice, this means that you will need to run the ICE exclusively for 50+ miles in order for the OBD computer to have enough data to pass the test. At least that's what I had to do here in Massachusetts, anyway...

With those three caveats aside, I had no problem driving my Volt on electricity nearly 100% for my daily commute and various local errands. That said, there were a couple of times when I stopped at an L2 charger solely so that I could make it home on electrons alone... I wanted to avoid using the ICE that badly. Ultimately, when it was time to turn the Volt back in, I came to terms with my addiction to electricity and went with a fully-electric car (an e-Golf) for my next lease.

I have always wondered about aging gas in the Volt. Thanks for the info!