@ag21 I just made this jump yesterday and I may jump back if I can get the same deal. Here’s what happened:
I ordered a new inventory model y with 11 miles on it (gray ‘24 white seats) and was 100% sold on it for a lot of reasons. Tax credit, referral credit, good down payment, free super charging for 2 years.
I got there, saw it. Felt excited, then before I took delivery I had this feeling to try model 3 highland RWD. I test drove both an MYLR and M3RWD highland and drove home with the highland but now I feel some regret about it and am thinking of swapping them again. I got lucky in that the local Tesla place had a highland that was another persons car that they couldn’t take delivery on.
The M3 Highland is a better driving car by a long shot. The RWD was so good I thought I was in the LR. The handling, road feel, newer tech, it was all great. I instantly felt I liked that car much better.
When I drove the Y I felt older, heavier, regen braking not as on point, more noise and road feel that bothered me. Plus I noticed an echo in the interior that would add to highway noise and when talking with my GF while we were test driving.
I couldn’t get over how much better the new M3 felt. I was excepting an “eh it’s ok but not THAT much better” feeling with the M3. The new M3 is THAT much better and when those refinements come to the Y it will be a wonderful vehicle.
Those of you into good audio WILL notice and will car about the difference in sound between LR and RWD. The sound system in my old ‘18 M3LR sounds much better to me than the RWD M3 highland.
This was a hard choice (and I was lucky they let me swap them and had a RWD right there) and I’m still unsettled (after sleeping on it) because I had plans to use the Y maybe for about 20% of my time with it as an SUV to take onto light forest roads and camp sites for overnight car camping and to use that free super charging for 2 years. Free FSD to mess with for 3 months just because. Plus, now that I slept on it realized with $8500 off the price of the MYLR I ordered I could have traded it or sold it without risk of loosing much, if any money, for the updated Y.
So, I traded that SUV experience and all those perks for a much better driving machine.
Here’s the biggest surprise: I drove 3.5 hours home from Tesla yesterday 75-85 mph from Liberty Lake, Wa to Montana over mountains.
I got home with 7% battery left. This car is efficient, like seriously.
I understand the MY is a larger and heavier vehicle. But once it gets the efficiency gains driving upgrades of the highland platform I think it’ll be better than the 3 overall unless someone really really prefers the driving dynamics and looks of the smaller sedan.
If I keep the 3 and try to trade up in 25/26, I will most def lose a good chuck of money and another reason I bought the Y with all those perks was to save money and put myself in a better position.
Now, if I do keep the 3 it’ll be my long term car because it is a very nice driving machine and is way more efficient and a nicer drive than I was expecting.
I feel like I traded a good set of perks and some new life experiences (car camping) and a better upgrade position for the current “new hotness” because it was right there and I emotionally reacted to how much better it drove and felt than the current MYLR.
Personal PS: I’m a little annoyed/disappointed with myself about this whole thing because I’m trying to train myself to think long term and stick to a long term plan as part of my treatment plan for ADHD that I’m struggling with at the moment - “my people” often have that issue and we need to learn that skill amoung others as adults as part of treatment with meds and such.
I was willing to drive a ratty 2012 Prius for a couple of years, I think I would have been fine with the MYLR and kept those perks and life experiences
