Luckily, when we were renters I got a temporary taste of commuting from Tacoma to my job in Seattle while my wife was finishing up college in Tacoma. It was about a 39 mile commute that should've taken 45 to maybe 50 minutes each way, but was usually 1.5+ hours each way in rush hour traffic. After she graduated, I said NEVER AGAIN and we promptly moved back to Seattle where we have been living happily every since. Since then, traffic in the Seattle area has only gotten worse, mainly due to our tech boom.
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Whenever I see posts about the S or X barely fitting in the garage, I can't help but wonder why most people in that situation are buying such an expensive car. I'd upsize my housing first. Of course, as a former Santa Barbara resident, I realize there are a few places like San Francisco and Santa Barbara where a Civic-sized garage is attached to a $50,000 house sitting on a $3 mil postage stamp-sized lot.
I have a 1909 garage built for a Model T that's part of a fabulous craftsman house. I don't really feel like living in a suburban McMansion. I'll deal with the tight fit of my Model S.
Unfortunately not a practical option for most people. Not to mention how housing prices are ballooning beyond the reach of the average person (California).
Your living arrangement sounds great. And there are lots of great cars that fit into small, single garages. My favorite car of recent years was a 911(993) Porsche that I drove for 14 years -- and it would have fit fine in a small garage. But an S or X? It wouldn't make sense to me, but I guess that's what Summon is for.
I wish an S would fit into our garage, but even if the restrictive driveway situation wasn't a factor, the car is still too long and narrow. Otherwise, I would strongly consider canceling our 3 reservation and focus on tracking down a decent used/priced S.
The Model 3 is long and wide too. I have a tiny garage for my beach apartment that a classic VW bus fits fine into, but the Model 3 has a much larger footprint. My Chevy Bolt fits nicely so I will probably cancel another one of my reservations.
Sudre
Active Member
I canceled my Model 3 order today. My Feb 2013 Model S just keeps having too many failures. My wife and I will wait a few years for them to work out the bugs on the Model 3 and get one then. I am still a big Tesla fan and I will keep all my stock I just don't want to beta test another car. I would not recommend the first year run to anyone who is not a Tesla fan and willing to trade up after a few years.
Missing from the poll is reliability concerns. My final straw was the MCU failing a few weeks ago. If that happens in a Model 3 the car is dead in the water. It only has one screen. I got absolutely no resolution or confidence that my new MCU will not do the same thing in 4-5 years and they will only warranty it for a year. They don't even sell warranties for it like vendors do tablets and cell phones. There are just too many things that go wrong with the MCUs... at least the older ones. They also only replace the entire unit ($3000 cost). They refuse to fix only what is broke.
It is truly my hope that the only thing my cancellation effects is someone who really wants one gets one sooner.
Missing from the poll is reliability concerns. My final straw was the MCU failing a few weeks ago. If that happens in a Model 3 the car is dead in the water. It only has one screen. I got absolutely no resolution or confidence that my new MCU will not do the same thing in 4-5 years and they will only warranty it for a year. They don't even sell warranties for it like vendors do tablets and cell phones. There are just too many things that go wrong with the MCUs... at least the older ones. They also only replace the entire unit ($3000 cost). They refuse to fix only what is broke.
It is truly my hope that the only thing my cancellation effects is someone who really wants one gets one sooner.
Did you get the ESA or did you just stick with the four-year warranty?
Yeah, reliability is my main concern and was thinking the ESA would take care of that for the first eight years.
Now my wife is also leaning towards a Tesla but the potential repair costs down the road is my concern, coming from Honda's and Toyota's.
Sudre
Active Member
I did not get the extended warranty. I have been doing far to good on investing so the cost for the repairs is not the issue. With the Model 3 having only the one main control unit I do not wish to risk my wife being stranded. The Model S still runs without it and you can get all the important info from the speedometer. In a year or so I'm thinking there will be at least one failure of a Model 3 MCU and I will see how that plays out. My wife's Toyota will easily last another few years.
dreamwave6
Member
ElecFan
Member
I love Toyota: best quality, beautiful hybrid technology, wonderful to drive.
True. Our 16 RAV4H has had no issues for the past year and a half. It may not drive like a sports car but at least it is a fuel miser.
If those solid state batteries get their prime time, other BEV makers will have to step their game up.
Understand. I had two reservations, then cancelled one for similar concerns, in my case magnified by the fact that the nearest SC is almost a 400 mile round trip. My remaining reservation likely has less than a 50% chance of converting into an order, but just in case, it still "feels" logical to hold the queue.
Also a huge Toyota fan... Would buy a Toyota EV in a heartbeat..... If they would just make one available.
ElecFan
Member
Toyota is on it right now, as I understand. It always baffled me that they gambled on the Mirai while having such good working (plug in) Hybrids. I'm glad they're working on an EV and hope to see a Toyota-quality car with comparable range as model 3 LR and technology. I would have a hard time choosing between it and the model 3.Also a huge Toyota fan... Would buy a Toyota EV in a heartbeat..... If they would just make one available.
From what I can tell it, unfortunately, looks like Toyota is 6-8 years behind on their technology. The i-Road and iQ's both look more like concept experiments than vehicles. Truth be told, I don't require Tesla-like tech - (reliability and service is far more important to me than cowbell). If Toyota was to put out a 200 mile range all electric Prius - my remaining Model 3 deposit would evaporate. But I do not see such an option in the next 3 years.
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ElecFan
Member
I agree that Toyota is behind. However 6-8 years....? They teamed up with Mazda, so we might see a competitor for the M3 sooner than that. EV News: Toyota, Mazda Team Up to Make Electric Vehicles | InvestorPlaceFrom what I can tell it, unfortunately, looks like Toyota is 6-8 years behind on their technology. The i-Road and iQ's both look more like concept experiments than vehicles. Truth be told, I don't require Tesla-like tech - (reliability and service is far more important to me than cowbell). If Toyota was to put out a 200 mile range all electric Prius - my remaining Model 3 deposit would evaporate. But I do not see such an option in the next 3 years.
Toyota is not behind, they choose to procrastinate because li-on batteries are pretty expensive and margins will be very slim. They are working on better batteries - solid state by 2022 and maybe li-on before then. They can do PHEVs and Hybrids and all they have to do is remove the gasoline engine and put in the larger battery pack.
I think with the Prius Prime plugged at every opportunity at night and in the office, we are looking at around the same cost as a Model 3 but of course the latter will be a better drive, unless its to the service center for some work.
I think with the Prius Prime plugged at every opportunity at night and in the office, we are looking at around the same cost as a Model 3 but of course the latter will be a better drive, unless its to the service center for some work.
from a consumer standpoint, it seems nuts that a car behemoth like toyota wouldn't jump on the EV bandwagen. But after talking to Chief Environmental Officer Kevin Butt (yes his real name) at a conference last year, I kinda get why they would target hydrogen instead.
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