what's the "best" model 3 to get right now - what should I do with my post write off insurance check?

[angelman]

So in another thread I detailed my experience of crashing my Tesla (2018 RWD LR), first accident of any kind in 30 years so I guess my time had come. Now I have $37k in hand and want another model3.
My 2018 had 81,000 miles and most importantly free super charging for life. I spent about $900 on electricity for those 81,000 miles!
I will never get that again but I am thinking that maybe it's better to go second hand for an older model as they have taken away a bunch of the older perks.
I don't care too much about dual motor, acceleration was fine in RWD, I do want the 300 mile range I had (It was about 290 after 5 years). I also want EAP but not FSD and premium audio.
Is there a specific year that's the sweet spot perhaps. A year that includes the lifetime premium connectivity, the EAP, fixes some of the early teething issues etc.?
I am thinking a model with the heatpump heater might be better than the 2018 like mine and the newer v3 computer.
I am also thinking a car that still has some warranty left would be prudent at this stage. For a car without warranty, anything to check? Some of those ball joints maybe ?
Are the changes made to the latest model3 really that great that losing things like free internet etc. are worth it?

Any thoughts on where to buy a car? I mean they are reliable for the most part, so even craigslist may be fine I am thinking. Carvana? Tesla used seems a bit of a ripoff/lottery at least.

 

[UncertainTimes]

Post refresh with heat pump but before they deleted radar, passenger lumbar support, 1 speaker, and ultrasonic sensors. A VIN with “420” or “69” would increase resale value for sure.

 

[angelman]

Post refresh with heat pump but before they deleted radar, passenger lumbar support, 1 speaker, and ultrasonic sensors. A VIN with “420” or “69” would increase resale value for sure.

do you know what year that might be? 2019?

 

[angelman]

oh I see free premium connectivity was really only in the early 2018 cars like mine. Maybe it's not worth it if I just use the phone as a hot spot instead.

 

[UncertainTimes]

do you know what year that might be? 2019?

Early 2021

 

[UCIBtheG]

I'm curious as to how you got free unlimited supercharging on a RWD? I thought that the only Model 3's that ever got that were the Performance that didn't later opt to ditch it for the $5000 refund.

 

[derekmw]

I would wait until next year to see if and which models will be able to get the $7500 rebate. It would be a shame if you buy something now rashly only to find out you could have gotten some better deal on a new one with that rebate.

 

[jjrandorin]

oh I see free premium connectivity was really only in the early 2018 cars like mine. Maybe it's not worth it if I just use the phone as a hot spot instead.

Note that my model 3P is Dec 2018, and does NOT have free premium connectivity, so the only way you would get that would be to buy a 2018 model 3 that was made and delivered before the end of the third quarter of 2018.

I would definitely buy new if it were me, since you dont care about the acceleration, you should be looking at a LFP RWD model 3, at least in my opinion. The stuff you would be "losing" is not that big a deal, and you still are not saving a ton of money used over new, at least not yet.

 

[rotarypower101]

Post refresh with heat pump but before they deleted radar, passenger lumbar support, 1 speaker, and ultrasonic sensors. A VIN with “420” or “69” would increase resale value for sure.

Is there a "easy" way a perspective buyer could Confidently tell if a heat pump was present on a used 2021 M3 without removing parts or disassembly of a car for sale? Are there any tagged 2021 model 3s that did not have a heat pump?

 

[betaflame]

I have an oct 2018 with free premium connectivity, but that's literally the least of the issues with feature removal in the newer cars. If you're using the nav, just tether to your phone, which is free.

 

[angelman]

I'm curious as to how you got free unlimited supercharging on a RWD? I thought that the only Model 3's that ever got that were the Performance that didn't later opt to ditch it for the $5000 refund.

It was a special unicorn car.. back in the day when Tesla gave out Model S loaners like candy and would ship your car for free from coast to coast when it was being repaired, someone silently added this perk to my car without telling me. It was only when I went to charge and it stubbornly refused to charge me more than $0.00 every time I decided I should stay quiet on the matter. The car was in the shop for about 5 months and they pretty much rebuilt it from scratch before discovering a single loose connector deep in the middle of the wiring harness. Never had a single problem at all since then.

 

[angelman]

I would wait until next year to see if and which models will be able to get the $7500 rebate. It would be a shame if you buy something now rashly only to find out you could have gotten some better deal on a new one with that rebate.

Hmm this is a good point. I was able to take advantage of the first rebate. That said, I am not sure if I will be able to afford a new Tesla at that time.

 

[UncertainTimes]

Is there a "easy" way a perspective buyer could Confidently tell if a heat pump was present on a used 2021 M3 without removing parts or disassembly of a car for sale? Are there any tagged 2021 model 3s that did not have a heat pump?

Superficially, the 2021 refresh cars have the matte black trim, newer wheel designs, double paned windows, power trunk, and the newer center console.

 

[rotarypower101]

Superficially, the 2021 refresh cars have the matte black trim, newer wheel designs, double paned windows, power trunk, and the newer center console.

If anyone knows, would the only definitive method be to remove the frunk liner to visually see the heat pump was physically present if I am interpreting correctly? (were those the cars coming with Home Depot wood corner molding and banding on heat exchangers)

No combination of vin and mfg location could be used to cross reference a build that would include the heat pump hardware, or some more strait forward detail by cursory visual inspection?

Possible anyone would know if a small wireless USB boroscope could be used from some convenient entry point to validate hardware on a vehicle if it were in question?

Thats been a question I have been wondering about for a quite awhile, other than the superficial aesthetic changes mentioned, is if there was a way to confirm heat pump hardware if looking at a used car.

 

[dmurphy]

oh I see free premium connectivity was really only in the early 2018 cars like mine. Maybe it's not worth it if I just use the phone as a hot spot instead.

Premium connectivity is the best $100/yr you’ll spend.

I just rented a Model Y for a work trip and it didn’t have premium connectivity enabled. Wow did I miss it!

No satellite overhead maps. No traffic maps. No audio streaming. No Netflix/Hulu/etc.

I can admit to being spoiled but it really did take something away from the whole experience. The Sat maps in particular was a huge deal!

So I wouldn’t worry too much about it. We’re talking a $40k+/- car. $100/year to keep it connected seems like a no brainer.

 

[dmurphy]

Is there a "easy" way a perspective buyer could Confidently tell if a heat pump was present on a used 2021 M3 without removing parts or disassembly of a car for sale? Are there any tagged 2021 model 3s that did not have a heat pump?

Sure, it’s in Settings - Software - Additional Info on the display. Will tell you either resistive heater or heat pump. I’ll try to get a photo shortly.

 

[dmurphy]

No combination of vin and mfg location could be used to cross reference a build that would include the heat pump hardware, or some more strait forward detail by cursory visual inspection?

Possible anyone would know if a small wireless USB boroscope could be used from some convenient entry point to validate hardware on a vehicle if it were in question?

Thats been a question I have been wondering about for a quite awhile, other than the superficial aesthetic changes mentioned, is if there was a way to confirm heat pump hardware if looking at a used car.

So much easier than all of that … just look at “Cabin Heater:” line in the Software - Additional Vehicle Info menu.

 

[father_of_6]

Premium connectivity is the best $100/yr you’ll spend.

This is funny - I feel the total opposite

When my year of free premium connectivity expired, I didn't even notice.

Okay, that's not true - I *did* notice... but I didn't use or value any of the premium features enough at all to pay for them.

• Prefer vector tiles to satellite imagery
• Used streaming music, but Bluetooth is just as good
• Browser... meh
• Traffic markings, don't even look at them
• Netflix/Hulu... nah

 

[father_of_6]

Superficially, the 2021 refresh cars have the matte black trim, newer wheel designs, double paned windows, power trunk, and the newer center console.

I believe these are a definitive sign of having a heat pump. It was all part of a refresh.

 

[ay221]

I think the 2022 models that have the Ryzen chip, right before the sensors were removed.