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Wife, kids and dogs in a M3?

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The Model 3s lack of a hatch back is a real killer for dog owners, especially if you throw into the mix an excitable dog AND kids. We have a single seat hammock for the dog and a car seat for our two year old. This is fine in the summer when it's dry, but I don't want the dog in the car in the wetter months, but that's what "the dogs car" is for (an old Ibiza). If I can afford a Y when they become available I'll switch.
 
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Once a month I go to head office which is 300 miles away. Sometimes I need to head to Aberdeen from Cardiff. Mostly (pre-covid) it's 200 miles to an airport then my work is overseas.
The rational part of my brain says that I should get a sensible/practical EV that I can use with the family without compromise. The immature part of my brain says I need a sporty car with flashy brand.
I think I probably just need to up and ditch Tesla for the next 4 years and get a model Y for my next lease.
honestly that sounds like quite a lot of rapid charging to me ( who has supercharged 5 times in 18 months) Its getting a lot better very rapidly but at the moment a non Tesla will be a PITTA for some of those journeys. your 600 mile round trip to the office is in reality at least 2 charging stops even with destination charging since You can't rely on a consistent 300 mile range even in an M3 LR in all conditions
You might want to check out A Better Route Planner (A Better Routeplanner) and compare your common journeys in an Tesla vs something else. if any of the stops are at chargers with only 1 or 2 chargers assume they will be in use or broken some of the time. Sorry if I sound like a fan boi. just trying to give you a realistic picture.
 
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The Model 3s lack of a hatch back is a real killer for dog owners, especially if you throw into the mix an excitable dog AND kids. We have a single seat hammock for the dog and a car seat for our two year old. This is fine in the summer when it's dry, but I don't want the dog in the car in the wetter months, but that's what "the dogs car" is for (an old Ibiza). If I can afford a Y when they become available I'll switch.
yes but its a £6000 tax saving over an Ice car. More if you sell the dogs/children (delete as applicable)
 
A nice reconditioned morris 1000 traveller. None of this newly mined polluting aluminium and steel, rare earth magnets and gold-plated connector nonsense. No electrickery microprocessor worries and it comes with a jack and spare tyre. Add a nylon stocking and some duct tape, and you can fix almost anything in it. Put the buckets of money you save to some solar panels.😈
 
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Yes I'm keeping the CRV. It seems counter intuitive to take trips out in a CRV when there is a Tesla parked on the drive but I understand your point. That is the exact reason i haven't ruled out the M3 completely.
I'm thinking that there is enough room in the boot of a Mach E/Polestar for short trips i.e. 30 minutes to the beach but not comfortable enough for longer trips i.e. 4 hours to the inlaws.
At the moment i drive a RAV4 Mild hybrid so I'm trying to figure out how much inconvenience i will accept to ditch the 28% BiK tax.
The reality is, I could get a Kia E-Niro or Hyundai Kona with sufficient boot space but the kid in me is stamping his feet for a Tesla!
Only 5% and short journeys. Use the CRV for those, get a Tesla M3 and enjoy the majority of your driving!
 
As others have said Supercharging is a huge benefit to Tesla Owners it's astonishing how quickly and easily you can recharge the Car, something which should be a pain becomes a joy. The fake leather in the Tesla Interior also wipes clean surprisingly easily but Fox Poo might be a first !
 
We have two dogs no kids. we’ve had dogs for years. They usually travel in a cage in my wife’s car. Only two occasions have they travelled in any of my cars without a cage. Oldest dog took a lump out of the headlining of my LR Discovery. Some years later, younger dog ate through the rear seatbelt in my Subaru Outback. Both we’re using a hammock style protector and harness. Never again and definitely not in my Tesla.
dogs only go in the Outlander in a cage Now. Much safer for them, us and the car!
Kids and dogs in the back of a Tesla M3 is sadly never going to work well, even if the dogs will sit on the floor. You have to think through worst case scenarios and in the event of an accident, the dogs could easily do serious harm to the kids.
Sadly, a hatchback with a cage will always be the safest option.
 
We’ve done five adults and our whippet (on the laps of the folks in the back), but another dog would be pushing it.

Any excuse to show off our Tesla driving whippet.
 

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Thanks for all the replies guys. Lots of food for thought. I'm leaning towards the Polestar at the moment but I'm test driving a M3 on Friday so that might change.
This is a company car so it's through the lease company. Used models are not an option unfortunately
Is there a way you could get all parties involved along for the test drive? That would be a sure way to see.
In my case I took everyone and a surfboard it all worked. The boot is massive, and surprised me how much space it had.
 
Just curious - would people consider really consider locking their pets in the closed boot?

I've seen a product that is basically a cell with a cushion base where you lock your dog inside the Model 3 boot - its the stuff of nightmares. Maybe dogs don't suffer from claustrophobia? I wouldn't put my worst enemy in there unless heavily sedated...
 
You could consider putting the single rear seat down. The middle rear seat is spacious, so both the kids should be happy. With the seat down there is a large area for the dogs and it will feel much bigger as the space would open into the cavernous boot.
 
That's definitely under consideration. My concern at the moment is that it could be wet, sandy dogs, muddy dogs or god forbid, dogs that have rolled in fox poo!
Can you tell I have a tendency to overthink?
I really Don't think that you are over thinking it.

Dogs love to roll and on occasion sheep/cow/fox crap, fish guts are all possible.

Many's a time our Cairn Terrier came home in the boot of our Primera saloon!

This is one of the issues I have with a Model 3, of course the main issue is that I can't afford one so that sort of solves the first issue.
 
You could consider putting the single rear seat down. The middle rear seat is spacious, so both the kids should be happy. With the seat down there is a large area for the dogs and it will feel much bigger as the space would open into the cavernous boot.
Ive thought of that but not sure its big enough, one kid is in a booster seat so it makes them wider.

I had convinced myself to go with the Mach E but delivery dates are horrendous so I'm back on to the M3. I may just put up with the inconvenience and use the CRV more than we currently do.