What's it really like to own a Tesla in New England?

[greginfinity]

Long time lurker here, I have been waiting/saving for a Tesla since 2012 and have watched the evolution of the cars and the company. The initial lust I had for these cars has faded over the past year. Reading about terrible service, refusing to honor warranty issues (yellow screens, broken MCU 1, etc), poor reliability of things that should be simple (door handles, non-framed window issues, doors on the X), poor range in winter, have all led me to believe I should wait to spend my hard earned money on a more refined product.

Am I over blowing these issues? Does ownership require patience (or perhaps a Tesla is best as a third vehicle)? Being in Maine, I can't imagine having to drive to Watertown or Dedham for issues (let alone dealing with their timelines). I know the ranger service exists but can only do so much.

I want a luxobarge (S) or family hauler (X) to make my long commutes on 95/495 more bearable, but I am currently leaning towards another Audi A8 and wait another 5-10 years for the EV race to mature...

 

[Driver Dave]

> Am I over blowing these issues?

Yep, totally.

> Does ownership require patience

Not at all. You wake up with full charge. You get in and drive where you want to go.

> Being in Maine, I can't imagine having to drive to Watertown or Dedham for issues

This might be a factor, as yes, that is a long drive. But for the most part, if the car is working, it is working, you don't need much service at all.

> I know the ranger service exists but can only do so much.

I've seen it do a bunch lately, so that would help.

> I want a luxobarge (S) or family hauler (X) to make my long commutes on 95/495 more bearable,

For long commutes, you can't beat it. Turn on autopilot (still pay attention) but wow, it is mentally easier.

> but I am currently leaning towards another Audi A8 and wait another 5-10 years for the EV race to mature...

Nah, it is ready now. I can't imagine having a gas car at this point, they totally suck compared to having a Tesla.

I was holding off on recommending to friends 2 years ago, but now, I say:

"If you can get it, do get it. It is so much nicer than a gas car. And totally a fun life experience participating in the switch from gas to EV"

 

[EdA]

We have an S (2018) and a 3 (2019), before last year we had two S's (2012 and 2014).
Probably approaching 200,000 miles of driving in that time. Yes, you're over blowing the issues.

 

[DrDabbles]

poor range in winter

I drove my P3D+ from NH to VA in a blizzard last winter and only needed to stop to charge 4 times rather than 3. That's not exactly poor range.

Am I over blowing these issues?

Somewhat, yes. Most of the refusals to repair the yellowing screens was due to a permanent fix being imminent, and owners not being patient. That's something you'll find often when you dig into complaints- People thinking they're the most important thing in the universe, stamping their feet, and screaming But I want it NOOOOOOOW. It's ridiculous to see some of the complaints people have.

Door handle problems were common on Model S for a couple revisions, and thankfully Tesla seems to have resolved the wire degrading problem a couple years ago. Basically, if you buy a new Model S now, it's a non issue. The Model X gull wing doors are foolish, and I wouldn't want them on my own vehicle. All that weight on such a small pivot point is begging for disaster.

Does ownership require patience

I'm as impatient a person as you can imagine. My Model 3 has been fantastic. The only thing I'm impatient about is the autopilot behavior, which varies between making long drives alone a real pleasure to enraging me to the point I disable it completely and drive without any assistance at all.

The car itself is great.

Being in Maine, I can't imagine having to drive to Watertown or Dedham for issues

They come to you, as you mentioned. As for when you may need to go to a service center, they can come get your car for you.

I know the ranger service exists but can only do so much.

They're doing more and more, so it's really only major body work, and pack or drive system replacement they can't do in your driveway. I'm betting they'll be able to do those soon enough as well.

I want a luxobarge (S) or family hauler (X) to make my long commutes on 95/495 more bearable

Long commute and giant vehicle (ICE or EV) doesn't make the most sense. A nice luxury car with a plush ride is great. A giant box is just inefficient.

 

[glide]

New England is a big place. If you live in MA or Southern NH and can get to a service center it isn't bad.

Be prepared for the following in winter months:

Estimated range cut almost in half
Doors won’t open
Windows won’t open
Door handles won’t present (if model S)

They drive great in the snow though.

Edit: I don’t know what other posters are talking about. Frameless windows are a nightmare in the winter.

 

[DrDabbles]

Edit: I don’t know what other posters are talking about. Frameless windows are a nightmare in the winter.

My Subaru had frameless windows. They worked fine. My Tesla has frameless windows and also work fine. Then again, I scrape my windows because I like to be able to see and not get a ticket for driving with an obstructed view.

 

[anthony]

I've had my s since 2013 in NH, would do it all over again.

I don't even have dual motors, and with snow tires it is one of the best cars I have driven in the snow, in addition to being the best car I have ever driven.

 

[ewoodrick]

Long time lurker here, I have been waiting/saving for a Tesla since 2012 and have watched the evolution of the cars and the company. The initial lust I had for these cars has faded over the past year. Reading about terrible service, refusing to honor warranty issues (yellow screens, broken MCU 1, etc), poor reliability of things that should be simple (door handles, non-framed window issues, doors on the X), poor range in winter, have all led me to believe I should wait to spend my hard earned money on a more refined product.

Am I over blowing these issues? Does ownership require patience (or perhaps a Tesla is best as a third vehicle)? Being in Maine, I can't imagine having to drive to Watertown or Dedham for issues (let alone dealing with their timelines). I know the ranger service exists but can only do so much.

I want a luxobarge (S) or family hauler (X) to make my long commutes on 95/495 more bearable, but I am currently leaning towards another Audi A8 and wait another 5-10 years for the EV race to mature...

Word of advice. If you lurk around on just about any product's forums, you will tend to find that everything is a piece of trash. Lots of car forums show how terrible every car is.
A forum is the place where most people come to air their problems. In most situations, you can assume for every post, there's probably 1,000 or more that are completely opposite.

The vast majority of Tesla owners are extremely happy with their vehicles. They didn't have problems with their car, they probably have never visited service, the ones that did had great service and there was no quality issues with the cat that bothered them.

 

[RDoc]

We really love our S, particularly for long highway drives.
Depending on where you are in Maine, Watertown and Dedham are pretty far IMHO. Our experience has been that the Tesla requires much more service than any other car we've owned. It's a lot more like owning an exotic, think Alfa, than a normal car, both good and bad.
At least for us, Winter isn't a big issue, although below zero, wind, and especially sleet really limit range. The car has done very well in bad weather when it comes to comfort and traction.
Dealing with Watertown and Dedham overall has been quite good, although they're not as solicitous as our Acura dealer. We've never been offered Ranger service so I don't know how realistic that is. Recently they've not had loaners, just Uber rides. I don't know how that would work for Maine.
There is some moderately serious mutterings about a new Service Center in Peabody, MA that would be great for you and us.
Personally, we decided to wait a year or two to replace our S to see how Tesla, the company, makes out. The car is really great, but the company seems in turmoil at the moment.

 

[JWardell]

Long time lurker here, I have been waiting/saving for a Tesla since 2012 and have watched the evolution of the cars and the company. The initial lust I had for these cars has faded over the past year. Reading about terrible service, refusing to honor warranty issues (yellow screens, broken MCU 1, etc), poor reliability of things that should be simple (door handles, non-framed window issues, doors on the X), poor range in winter, have all led me to believe I should wait to spend my hard earned money on a more refined product.

Am I over blowing these issues? Does ownership require patience (or perhaps a Tesla is best as a third vehicle)? Being in Maine, I can't imagine having to drive to Watertown or Dedham for issues (let alone dealing with their timelines). I know the ranger service exists but can only do so much.

I want a luxobarge (S) or family hauler (X) to make my long commutes on 95/495 more bearable, but I am currently leaning towards another Audi A8 and wait another 5-10 years for the EV race to mature...

Welcome! Remember that humans are a million times more likely to complain, especially on the internet, especially if they are enthusiasts...than are they to say anything if there have been no problems.

I've had my 3 for 13 months now and not a single problem, not a single cent spent on maintenance, no interaction with service whatsoever. Overall these cars are just orders of magnitude simpler machines that require much less service than gas cars.

It is a spectacular winter car. Just get snow tires. No problems bombing around in the snow even in my RWD. Electric heat does sap a lot of extra power, so I would suggest going for the long range batteries, but you would probably already want that if you are doing a lot of long driving. You can survive just fine without it, but it is well worth the convenience.

There are a few issues with older model S cars, but they have been addressed in the newer versions. You should have nothing to worry about with an autopilot 2 car, and especially with the new Raven models.

Maine is getting a bunch of new supercharger locations as we speak, weeks from opening. As it is I just went camping up in Baxter last week and driving up from Boston and staying there off the grid was no issue at all. I wouldn't want to make that trip in any other car.

These are seriously, by far, the most enjoyable, least stressful, best cars for long highway drives, long commutes, as well as bumper to bumper traffic. You will have more energy each day and more happiness in your life because of it.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Long time lurker here, I have been waiting/saving for a Tesla since 2012 and have watched the evolution of the cars and the company. The initial lust I had for these cars has faded over the past year. Reading about terrible service, refusing to honor warranty issues (yellow screens, broken MCU 1, etc), poor reliability of things that should be simple (door handles, non-framed window issues, doors on the X), poor range in winter, have all led me to believe I should wait to spend my hard earned money on a more refined product.

Am I over blowing these issues? Does ownership require patience (or perhaps a Tesla is best as a third vehicle)? Being in Maine, I can't imagine having to drive to Watertown or Dedham for issues (let alone dealing with their timelines). I know the ranger service exists but can only do so much.

I want a luxobarge (S) or family hauler (X) to make my long commutes on 95/495 more bearable, but I am currently leaning towards another Audi A8 and wait another 5-10 years for the EV race to mature...

We have a cabin in Norway, Maine and make a similar drive every Thursday evening and Sunday evening.

I absolutely loath when we have to haul things up there in the wife's pickup, because then I don't get Autopilot and the better sound system.

We're solving that (eventually), with her getting the Tesla pickup.

As for a daily, long commute, don't fall for the German propaganda about their "more refined" interiors. There are way too many buttons and dials. The screen controls are a cleaner look.

Also, a newer S or X will have seats that are more than adequate. Even in my 3.....my pregnant wife had 0 complaints on a 9 hour trek to the Virginia Eastern Shore.

Autopilot, the sound system (podcasts on demand!), the seats, and if you really want...just the quiet....perfect commuting car.


As for cold weather range, set up your charging at night so that you are leaving the house just as it completes, and you'll have a full, warm battery. Not sure where into MA you're commuting, but you'll have at least the Seabrook Supercharger along the way.


I've put 25,000 miles on my car in one year. I did a tire rotation at about 15,000 miles. Did a seasonal swap (personal preference, it wasn't NEEDED), and 2 bottles of windshield washer fluid. That's it for maintenance.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

National Drive Electric Week is in September.
There are 4 events listed for Maine. At least for the South Portland event (moving this year to Portland) Tesla owners have turned up in good numbers to talk about how great their cars are, and give people rides (or even drives).

See National Drive Electric Week 2019 - Event List

(The South Portland, ME event will be moving to Portland, ME this year, in the Back Bay parking lot across from Hannaford. I hope the Portland, ME Supercharger will be open by then).

So, you can attend one or more of those events, ask people directly, and, if you haven't already, get some time in a Tesla.

 

[Warbird]

Long time lurker here...

No whining! Its a beta product. Every "issue" is another opportunity to experience the most fun you can have holding a steering wheel. If you expect all the old familiar fossil things you get driving an ICE car, like pumping gas and hating your dealer, get the stinky A8. Your almost there, life is short. But if you continue to delay, don't say we didn't tell you how bitchin these rides are. BTW, the Model S is not a "luxobarge", she is more like sweet badass indulgence, every single day.

 

[Driver Dave]

Could look at this way...

I have been waiting/saving for an Audi since 2012 and have watched the evolution of the cars and the company. Luckily these cars haven't changed over time. The 2019 Audi is basically exactly the 2012 Audi which is the same as the 2002 Audi. All the knobs, out dated technology... it's like the 80s! And I know the Audi is just a VW Passat with some facade. Anyway...

The initial lust I had for these gas cars has faded over the past year. Knowing that the dealer will mark up the car 15k, and then give me a "2k discount" and do everything he possibly can do to squeeze more money out of the deal, well that always kind of stinks. And, seeing that these gas engines are super complicated, need all these liquids to make them work, and require all this service just to keep them running (that the dealer then again marks up and squeezes as much money as he can from you), I'm just wondering... is it worth it? Also in the winter time, if you leave them outside, sometimes they don't even want to start. Plus, don't ever leave them on, I've read how easy it is to do that now-a-days, since these cars don't even realize when the key fob is out of range, it can fill up your garage and house with deadly gases that will kill you! Seriously, how does the government let them sell these things?

Am I over blowing these issues? Does ownership require patience of dealing with the dealer, dealing with all the service, dealing with all the fluids these cars need? Dealing with all those knobs and outdated tech? Also, dealing with not having it have a full tank every morning and having to drive somewhere to fill it with more expensive smelly toxic fluid? Should wait to spend my hard earned money on a more refined product???

I want an Audi A8, but I am currently leaning towards a Tesla S or X and wait another 5-10 years for these crazy gas engine cars to mature...


(Just a bit a fun, I wish you luck making the best decision for your situation and needs - Cheers!)

 

[JPoldo]

My ms is 2 yrs old and has never required service. As others mention, most forums are used for complaints against a vendor and satisfied people rarely post. Can you imagine someone posting, "my Tesla hasn't needed service in 3 years"? I estimate for every forum complaint there are 25+ owners without problems.
I love Tesla's instant acceleration for passing vehicles on the highway. Never stopping at a gas station is wonderful. You will appreciate the clean dashboard, void of buttons & switches. Voice navigation in my ms is much better than wife's new E400 series benz. To avoid range anxiety, be sure to get a wall connector or NEMA 14-50 receptacle in your garage.

 

[glide]

My Tesla has been in to service over 12 times in one year. YMMV.

Hope you get one that works. It’s a real crap-shoot.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

My Tesla has been in to service over 12 times in one year. YMMV.

Hope you get one that works. It’s a real crap-shoot.

You think that over half of the cars are bad?

 

[Gwgan]

Been driving my Model X in Maine since early spring 2016. It was an early build and it did have a lot of the problems that are discussed in these forums. In the first year as revised parts replaced original parts I drove to Watertown/Dedham, we met halfway, they picked the car up at my house, and eventually Ranger service improved and I have had repairs done in my workplace parking lot and in my garage. A trip is only needed when a lift is required. The early parts like door handles were from b-list manufacturers but revised designs and a-list or in-house production has meant much better quality so by the time we got our 3 last year neither car needs much of anything. Also we now have The Electrified Garage, with a lift, near the Seabrook Supercharger for any non-warranty issues (and maybe also for warranty soon). New builds with the updated suspension have none of these issues (unless you get the rare lemon); even my build finally has a fix for the dreaded acceleration shudder.
Winter: pack capacity is used to heat the cabin but the benefits of preheat/premelt make that so worth it. The brakes stuck once because they barely get used: once a month or so turn down regen and brake hard from speed to avoid problems. Best traction control because of electronic speeds, just be sure to use proper tires. Safest car—so much more stable in weather than my Tundra (only still around because off the plow).
Rust: only the clip holding the rear hatch strut and they probably have a new one of those by now.
Once you have a Tesla you will only regret every day you did not get it sooner.

 

[Gwgan]

Just saw this on Twitter thanks to Now You Know
@jewhittingham: Here's a short video of me starting an electric car on a -40° morning in Regina, Canada. #yqr #skpoli #cdnpoli #NissanLEAF #EVs James Whittingham on Twitter

 

[glide]

You think that over half of the cars are bad?

Nope. Not even a third.

Doesn’t make it an irrelevant data point.