Anyone getting a Model 3?

[sze5003]

I'm thinking about the Tesla model 3. It seems pretty simplistic. My brother's friend who is pretty well off has a model s and I really like it. Kid is a freshman in college and my brother and him ride around in it all day. The model 3 seems much more affordable and my only concern is living in an apartment.

I'm pretty close to the Tesla dealership but I have no idea if they even have models to test drive. There are also a few charging stations where I live. They actually have one in the mall here since it's the second largest mall in US.

It gets about 220 miles on a full charge and I figure if I get one I can drive to work, gym, home, visit family all week and still have some power left. Annoying part would be going every week to charge it since I'm not planning to buy a house yet in this area.

I've had my 2016 Mazda 6 touring edition 6 speed manual for almost 2 years now since I bought it in 2015 and I don't have much left to pay it off. Does anyone what tax incentive you get? The model 3 is $35k before any incentives. My Mazda cost me close to 30k so I feel it's similar price for a "cooler" car that will probably cost me a lot less than gas. I love my Mazda and manual transmission so I don't know how I'll like not hearing the engine and not shifting.

Does anyone who have a Tesla know how much maintenance runs?

 

[bigi]

I probably will get one when I pay off my 2 current cars.

Now, if you had not signed for it, the current wait is ~2 years.

 

[sze5003]

I probably will get one when I pay off my 2 current cars.

Now, if you had not signed for it, the current wait is ~2 years.

Yea I can still reserve one now. But since I live in an apartment I'm considering if it would be practical. There are 2 Tesla dealers within 10-15 minutes from me but they don't have any superchargers in this area yet. There are a lot of level 2 chargers but they will take longer to charge.

2 years gives me enough time to save more money and finish paying off my current car. It's just a matter of if the infrastructure here will expand in terms of chargers. I also don't like their options for customization. The standard has heated seats but no power seats not even just the driver seat.

The long range battery adds 9k to the price and 1k for another color option. Creeping into mid 40-50k if you add anything else. I could get a nice used Lexus or audi for much less or even new if I wanted for those prices but it's still not as cool.

 

[bigi]

I still have 18 months to get something new. Now, I will not reserve now as I think in 18-24 months there will be many more options available. Not only in terms of better availability of Tesla Model 3 but also other manufacturer EVs.

Hyundai Ioniq EV is also a strong contender for me but they will have to up the range a bit.

 

[K1052]

Had a reservation but gave it up as we don't drive much anymore so a 50K plus vehicle is not required. When my i3 lease is up later next year will probably hunt around for a used 94Ah version in the mid 20Ks. I've become to addicted to it's ability to park in even the smallest of available spaces.

 

[PricklyPete]

Obviously you didn’t ask for this, but save your money. I’m as big a fan of Tesla’s as any, but you have a nearly new car that you haven’t even paid off yet. No judgement on your financial situation, but there will be plenty of electric car options down the road when your current car actually needs to be replaced. You will have also saved enough money from holding off for 5+ years to significantly expand what options you will have. Just my 2 cents. I definitely understand the appeal.

 

[sze5003]

Obviously you didn’t ask for this, but save your money. I’m as big a fan of Tesla’s as any, but you have a nearly new car that you haven’t even paid off yet. No judgement on your financial situation, but there will be plenty of electric car options down the road when your current car actually needs to be replaced. You will have also saved enough money from holding off for 5+ years to significantly expand what options you will have. Just my 2 cents. I definitely understand the appeal.

These are good points. It's that I just see so many of them around where I live and it is appealing. But at the same time it's not even guaranteed to get one in the east coast here by 2019 or 2020 and by then my Mazda will be paid off.

My main concern was would it be practical if you don't live in a house? Who knows when they will add more super chargers as they are a bit behind schedule. They are supposed to install a few 10 minutes from me at the mall in 2018.

There will definitely be other options too by that time. I'm just thinking ahead.

 

[WackyDan]

I cancelled my Tesla Model 3 reservation... Here are the reasons why....

1. I was in the range of 100k-125k reservations. Before they announced production issues (go figure), I would be expected to config my Model 3 sometime in March or April time frame. They are only making the 75Kw battery pack models first which bumps the price up to $44k. So I either had to suck it up and take the $44k model with the 310 mile range (bonus) or move down the line in reservation number. If I did that I'd be probably losing the Federal incentive(rebate) in buying one or it would end up being less. I wasn't counting on the full $7500, but either the full $7500 or $5000 to drop base price from $35k to $30k or $27.5K. Tesla decided to make the more expensive model first and that fucked up my plans. I can indeed afford a $44k car, but I don't need a $44k car for the wife.

2. An EV fits our needs nicely given our driving habits and the fact that I have three other ICE vehicles to get around longer distances with. That said, the 310 mile battery also made me think that the range would make much longer trips far more feasible and it also made me think... "Shit, if it had 400 miles+ of range then I could be a full on ICE replacement for us. Given that there are indeed 400 Mile range EV's out there now ($$$$) and that GM and Ford, etc are all announcing plans to have EV's and better plug in hybrids, I think it makes sense to wait a few more year as costs go down and range goes up.

3. As much as I hate GM due to our current GM sedan....We will likely wait for the 2016 Volts to get cheaper. Owners love them and they seem to be a well engineered and built car by GM. I can buy a two year old volt that sold for $38k two years ago for $18k today with low miles. That would be Gen 1 with 37 miles of EV range. 2016 models are the Gen 2 with 58 miles of range. Everything I'm reading up on is telling me that a plug in hybrid is probably the better option for most people and especially myself. I don't usually buy used for our primary vehicles, but the 2nd gen Volt looks like a perfect fit for us. I wouldn't even need a dedicated 220v charger for it and just use a 110/20 amp I have at the house. New house will be built with a charger in mind, but this one we'll be selling in two-three years.

As for you... It is doubtful if you reserved a Model 3 now that you'd still get a federal rebate on your purchase. Tesla will likely surpass the counts not only for the $7500 rebate but also the reduced rebate $$$$ by time you would order yours. You might still get something, but I predict it most certainly would not be substantial. As others have said, your current ride is still essentially new. You could save some coin by driving it a couple more years and then make a move when prices are competitive on something better suited for your needs. Perhaps by then you will be living somewhere with access to your own charger... That indeed is probably the more important aspect of owning a fully EV vehicle. Don't over look the plug in hybrids though.

 

[Kaido]

I'm thinking about the Tesla model 3. It seems pretty simplistic. My brother's friend who is pretty well off has a model s and I really like it. Kid is a freshman in college and my brother and him ride around in it all day. The model 3 seems much more affordable and my only concern is living in an apartment.

I'm pretty close to the Tesla dealership but I have no idea if they even have models to test drive. There are also a few charging stations where I live. They actually have one in the mall here since it's the second largest mall in US.

It gets about 220 miles on a full charge and I figure if I get one I can drive to work, gym, home, visit family all week and still have some power left. Annoying part would be going every week to charge it since I'm not planning to buy a house yet in this area.

I've had my 2016 Mazda 6 touring edition 6 speed manual for almost 2 years now since I bought it in 2015 and I don't have much left to pay it off. Does anyone what tax incentive you get? The model 3 is $35k before any incentives. My Mazda cost me close to 30k so I feel it's similar price for a "cooler" car that will probably cost me a lot less than gas. I love my Mazda and manual transmission so I don't know how I'll like not hearing the engine and not shifting.

Does anyone who have a Tesla know how much maintenance runs?

My thoughts:

1. I am definitely interested in a Model 3. I like the concept. I think it looks cool. Autopilot is amazing. EV's are awesome (I've test-driven a Model X, Model S, Honda Fit EV, etc.).

2. I would not buy one today (as in, if they were available right now) for a couple reasons: first, it's a first-gen product & there are going to be bugs. Tesla has a very internal high cycle rate, so it's really more like every 6 months (or less) is a new "generation" within the vehicle model, which is faster than other manufacturers, but as you've probably read, they are already behind schedule because they are having to hand-craft parts right now. By the time they become available for purchase (rather than just fulfilling pre-orders), they will have hundreds of thousands of Model 3's on the road & will have most of the kinks worked out and have more automation to make the product better. I've already gone through the beta-tester ordeal on my first-year Jeep Renegade & have no desire to ever do that again, lol. Also, Tesla has not released FSD (full self-driving) yet. iirc they said they were aiming for the end of 2017, but even if that's the case, I don't really want to beta-test city-street self-driving either...I'll wait until they get a few more billion miles of data into their systems, thank you very much.

3. You can optionally get a larger battery pack (for more money), so if range is an issue for you, can you bump it up to 310 miles of range, which is pretty awesome since most of the cars on the market now have like 80-mile-ish battery packs.

4. Maintenance is pretty low. The brakes are regenerative & don't need serviced as often as normal brakes. There's no sparkplugs or gas or other engine-related stuff. You'll still need to rotate the tires, change the air filter, replace the windshield wipers, and fill up the windshield wiper fluid reservoir, but that's all pretty basic stuff. They've also simplified the interior to be extremely minimalistic, so some basic cleaning tools like a Swiffer is probably all you really need. Plus you get the trunk AND frunk (front trunk) for storage, which is pretty cool.

I can definitely see a Model 3 in my future (AWD + long-range battery), although probably not until 2019 or so. I've toyed with the idea of putting in the reservation, but by the time they get into mass production, have the bugs worked out, have more features available (ex. they've said a performance version of the 3 is coming out within the next year or two), and have Autopilot figured out, it will be ready to just order straight off their website, and that's more or less the time that I would be interested in getting one because it will be a nice, solid machine with plenty of options available.

 

[sze5003]

My main concern is availability to charge. It's just not all there yet. They are expanding their supercharger network and at the same time I hear that in 2018 they will install urban fast chargers by the mall here. It may be a good idea later as I don't even know if I'll still be in this apartment by the time they are out and ready to be sold.

Once the infrastructure is more solid for EV's it will become a safer purchase. Sure I want less maintenance but I don't want to have to play musical cars when it comes down to using public chargers. The level 2 chargers they have here take a long time to charge which would mean planning out my activities differently.

No point for me to put in a reservation..I will wait and try to save my money until 2019 or so. I won't have money left to owe on my Mazda and hopefully by then there will be more public fast chargers. I'm just surprised they have 2 Tesla dealers within 15 minutes of me and no superchargers in this area. The chargers they do have are for the dealership cars for test drives.

I prefer the standard model but the long range for 44k is doable..with a higher down payment ,just no power seats or leather/glass roof which is pretty cool to see in person on a model S. That's a compromise you need to make if you want the longer battery. My initial purchase decision was premium upgrade package and default color of black.

The EV credits will expire by then. Congress is still undecided what to do with the tax credits too. I wasn't counting on getting them anyway but it would be a plus. I have about close to 10k saved away for a new car and by waiting I'll just try and add to it. Hopefully in the next few years I see more charging solutions as I'm not planning on getting a house yet until I'm closer to getting married. By that time we should be able to get one on the website and ready for delivery within 7-10 days.

I even emailed the property manager that owns my company's buildings and asked if they had plans on installing chargers but I never heard anything back.

 

[bigi]

No need to reserve NOW if you get it in 2-4 years. It will only improve with time. By the time Model 3 is readily available there will be many options to chose from as well as other manufacturers EVs (hopefully)

 

[sze5003]

Yea if you drive a lot it's not very practical. Even if you get the long range model. I'll still get one just not until 2019 or 2020. Hopefully by then I'll have more money saved up so I can set it up like I want it. I'd be fine with a premium package and standard battery if there is a supercharger near me.

They are building one that should be done by 2018 in the mall garage here. With how I drive per week I think the long range battery would be more practical. But then I have to go back to cloth seats and lose power seats too. Feels like a down grade. You add all that stuff and it shoots close to $50k. More than I want to pay for sure.

 

[WackyDan]

I have a very close friend that considered one until he realized just how many four and five hour trips he takes. Around town and your city, the Model 3 is great. If you drive from state to state, not practical.

Then he should look at the Volt Gen 2.

 

[NutBucket]

Yep, or the Clarity PHEV.

 

[dawheat]

I cancelled my reservation when the delivery timeline was moved from summer to end of year. Without the credit, I'll wait until the rush dies down and the kinks get worked out.