WTB: Model S (Red / Blue) 2018+

[Knownow]

Hi,

I am a tesla newbie. Never owned it, and looking for some advice on how to go about buying a red (or blue) Model S LR. Here are some questions that I would appreciate if experienced members can answer:

* Should I buy used or new? If used, I was thinking preferably low miles, and 2018+. I do end up keeping my cars for a long time.
* Where to buy from? There is tesla.com/used, private party, or other third party car site. Any recommendations for which car site (other than tesla) would be good to check for availability.
* When is a good time to buy? Now, or wait for few months. I was expecting inventory to go up but haven't seen the surge at tesla.com
* What would be a reasonable price to pay for the car? Preferably red.
* Tesla sells demo vehicles at lower prices. How can I get to buy one of those?
* Any other considerations especially when buying from a third party?
* Based in california.

Thanks.

 

[MXLRplus]

If the HOV access sticker is important to you, you might want to go new or at least a 'purple sticker' car. Orange is the current sticker good to 2024.

The Raven (2019.5+) cars have better efficiency, range, and performance.

But any Tesla Model S is a pretty good car. As far as safety goes, the year really doesn't matter.

Tesla.com (or use ev-cpo.com to find mfr used stock) will have a 4 year warranty on many of their used late model Teslas, and you have the right to refusal.

The used market continues to crash and sales are weak. I believe by the end of summer prices will bottom out, unless Hertz puts their cars on the auction block which will disrupt the entire US auto industry.

Your BEST bet is to get the car 'wrapped' in the color you really like. The paint is not as good as many other makes, and the poly film will protect the appearance.

Call a Tesla Showroom / Service Center in your area and ask what demos are available. They don't always show up on the Tesla.com site or even EV-CPO.COM.

Private party is probably going to be the least money but it can be riskier.

California has more Teslas per sq mile than any other area of the world. But it appears better deals can be had in the midwest and east coast, because CA also has the greatest demand.

Good luck.

 

[roblab]

Well, I bought what I wanted. The Raven is an awesome car, and after putting 300,000 miles on Teslas, I have to say that RANGE usually turns out to be the most important thing in these cars. I sold a 2015 Model S for about $40K to my brother, but unless you have a Tesla owning brother, you might pay more. Whatever you pay, it's worth it. These are the Best Cars In The World.

 

[Knownow]

I don't need HOV access.

What does it mean to get the car wrapped. Are you talking about an after-market paint protective coating?

2019.5 - does the .5 refer to the month (so may?)

Surprisingly, I am not able to decide whether I should be paying a premium for long range. Most of my trips are short in the city. My commute is small. And I mostly fly for vacations.

How does one look for deals in midwest and east coast? Do these come out to be cheaper even after paying the destination fee?

 

[MXLRplus]

I don't need HOV access.

What does it mean to get the car wrapped. Are you talking about an after-market paint protective coating?

2019.5 - does the .5 refer to the month (so may?)

Surprisingly, I am not able to decide whether I should be paying a premium for long range. Most of my trips are short in the city. My commute is small. And I mostly fly for vacations.

How does one look for deals in midwest and east coast? Do these come out to be cheaper even after paying the destination fee?

Yes, poly film.

The 'Raven' nickname is for Model S/X cars that have a DC front motor and an AC rear motor. IIRC, April 2019 was their release, but Tesla is a bit goofy on release configs. So check.

For MOST people, a 200 mile real world range is plenty in an EV, especially a Tesla since you can fast charge it at Supercharger sites. The car will take you to the sites if you ask.

How important is acceleration, and what are you used to driving on the highway?

Your Tesla Center 'advisor', can search the whole country for a Demo car for you. You can ask them to call you when what you want pops up. It's between $1000-$2000 to have the car shipped to your Tesla Service Center in your area.

You really need to go to a Tesla Service Center, test drive the Model S (no pressure), and talk with the Advisor.