Thinking of buying a Tesla Model S. Someone talk me out of it!

[Ready]

Hmm, I didn't realize they opened up a new Tesla dealer/service center within 2 hours of me. Before it was more like 3. My concern has been that it's too far and I'm under the impression that no other service center can service it. 1:45 is still a long drive, but it seems like regular service is less frequent than other cars. This starts to put it in my mind that it might make a good replacement for my Miata whenever I part with it.

It would gall me a bit that I couldn't use such a pricey car on a long road trip for the way I do them--very brief stops every ~3 hours--but those are pretty rare these days.

It's at least on my radar now.

Long road trips would not stop me from buying a Tesla as long as I’m not doing them every month. The stops are 20-25 minutes at most.

But being two hours from the nearest Tesla service center would probably dissuade me from buying one. If the car breaks down at your house you would have to tow it for two hours to the service center. That seems crazy. I’d probably hold off until a more convenient location opens up.

 

[mh]

Long road trips would not stop me from buying a Tesla as long as I’m not doing them every month. The stops are 20-25 minutes at most.



But being two hours from the nearest Tesla service center would probably dissuade me from buying one. If the car breaks down at your house you would have to tow it for two hours to the service center. That seems crazy. I’d probably hold off until a more convenient location opens up.

They have service trucklets that do at least some house call repair/service I’ve seen them in my neighborhood

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

They have service trucklets that do at least some house call repair/service I’ve seen them in my neighborhood

They are called "Rangers". If a problem can be solved by a ranger they come to your house and fix the problem. I have never needed it for my two Tesla's. But you won't get this perk with Ford, GM, etc.

 

[smoghat]

I just ordered a used 2017 Model S. We need a new(er) car as my wife’s 2006 BMW just coughed up a $4,000 repair. We may still do it, but it’s time to part ways with either her car or my 2011 BMW 330xi which still has a lot of residual value left. The first has always been a good family car, the latter has been disappointing even though, with a BMW performance package, a stick, and a Dinan Stage 2, it was a real drivers car. The Model S just seems more fun to drive-just as much power with a less kidney-jarring suspension (and BMW steering has been garbage for over a decade now), the autopilot coupled with the reduced road noise and no engine vibration suggests it will be less fatiguing for long road trips. I do care about the environment and being an ICE just seems wrong now.

 

[Extra Medium]

I just ordered a used 2017 Model S. We need a new(er) car as my wife’s 2006 BMW just coughed up a $4,000 repair. We may still do it, but it’s time to part ways with either her car or my 2011 BMW 330xi which still has a lot of residual value left. The first has always been a good family car, the latter has been disappointing even though, with a BMW performance package, a stick, and a Dinan Stage 2, it was a real drivers car. The Model S just seems more fun to drive-just as much power with a less kidney-jarring suspension (and BMW steering has been garbage for over a decade now), the autopilot coupled with the reduced road noise and no engine vibration suggests it will be less fatiguing for long road trips. I do care about the environment and being an ICE just seems wrong now.

If you’re comfortable with the size of the BMW 3-Series, you may want to consider the Model 3, rather than the S. It’s much less expensive, and slightly roomier both for passengers and cargo, and still performs really well. We love ours, now a year into driving it.

 

[ERD50]

They are called "Rangers". If a problem can be solved by a ranger they come to your house and fix the problem. I have never needed it for my two Tesla's. But you won't get this perk with Ford, GM, etc.

Most people probably live within 10 miles of a Ford, GM, etc service center, and for non-warranty work can take it to just about any independent service shop. You probably don't get that with a Tesla.

Just trying to keep it balanced.

-ERD50

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

Most people probably live within 10 miles of a Ford, GM, etc service center, and for non-warranty work can take it to just about any independent service shop. You probably don't get that with a Tesla.

Just trying to keep it balanced.

-ERD50

Correct. The difference is, Tesla comes to you to fix the vehicle. Pretty convenient.

The other car makers you have to bring the vehicle in. Bummer.

 

[TromboneAl]

I admit I'm fully obsessed with our car. These were taken today driving home from our power-outage-induced mini-trip.

We didn't have to stop and supercharge, but it's free for us right now, and we wanted to stop for lunch anyway. Charging started at a rate of 471 miles/hour.

So, we plugged in and had a relaxing lunch at one of our favorite restaurants (SeaQuake—only Lena drank):

The car did a lot of the driving, and we told it what music to play. I said, "Play the Goldberg Variations," and first it thought I said, "Play the goldfish variations," then it corrected itself.

Yes, there are minor downsides to charging to 100%, but I wanted to try it.

Shameless plug: If you buy a car through this link, we both get 1,000 miles of free supercharging: https://ts.la/alan87890

 

[ERD50]

Originally Posted by ERD50 View Post
Most people probably live within 10 miles of a Ford, GM, etc service center, and for non-warranty work can take it to just about any independent service shop. You probably don't get that with a Tesla.

Just trying to keep it balanced.

-ERD50

Correct. The difference is, Tesla comes to you to fix the vehicle. Pretty convenient.

The other car makers you have to bring the vehicle in. Bummer.

And that was fully understood (well, while it's under warranty, then what?). As I said, just trying to keep it balanced. Did you not understand that?

I admit I'm fully obsessed with our car. These were taken today driving home from our power-outage-induced mini-trip. ...

The car did a lot of the driving, and we told it what music to play. I said, "Play the Goldberg Variations," and first it thought I said, "Play the goldfish variations," then it corrected itself.

A part of me wants to see Tesla succeed, because I do feel they are pushing the envelope in some important ways, and competition is good. But I think you need some perspective here - some of these features are in $30~$40K vehicles today (not sure what you paid), they aren't unique, and some aren't required in an ICE (I really don't have much use for telling where and how long I'll need to refill the tank).

IIRC you're level of comparison is with older vehicles that cost much less. IOW, I think you'd be amazed at any new car in the $40K range, not just Tesla (though I do agree they are ahead of the curve in some ways).

My car will also respond to voice commands for tune selections. And get it wrong! And I have a full size spare!

-ERD50

 

[mh]

I admit I'm fully obsessed with our car. These were taken today driving home from our power-outage-induced mini-trip.

We didn't have to stop and supercharge, but it's free for us right now, and we wanted to stop for lunch anyway. Charging started at a rate of 471 miles/hour.

So, we plugged in and had a relaxing lunch at one of our favorite restaurants (SeaQuake—only Lena drank):

The car did a lot of the driving, and we told it what music to play. I said, "Play the Goldberg Variations," and first it thought I said, "Play the goldfish variations," then it corrected itself.



Yes, there are minor downsides to charging to 100%, but I wanted to try it.



Shameless plug: If you buy a car through this link, we both get 1,000 miles of free supercharging: https://ts.la/alan87890

Seaquake! I love that place. Stayed in that town on my way to the doing the rogue river trail hike at a great little motel right on the beach

 

[TromboneAl]

Seaquake! I love that place. Stayed in that town on my way to the doing the rogue river trail hike at a great little motel right on the beach

Yes, the Crescent Beach Motel.

 

[Koolau]

Correct. The difference is, Tesla comes to you to fix the vehicle. Pretty convenient.

The other car makers you have to bring the vehicle in. Bummer.

Heh, heh. I'm sure that at-home service is "free", right? Well... maybe there's a "little" bit built into the original price? I'm sure YMMV.

 

[Ready]

I took a trip from Orange County to San Francisco last weekend in our Model 3 and had a chance to stop at the Tesla Supercharger in Kettleman City, about the halfway point between the trip. They have V3 chargers there which can charge at almost 1,000 miles per hour when the battery is at a low state of charge. 15 minutes was more than enough time to charge up the battery enough to finish the trip.

The problem is I can’t eat my lunch that quickly. They have a lounge for Tesla owners there with a barista to make coffee drinks, wifi, restrooms, and lots of sofas and lounge chairs to relax in. It’s a very nice way to take a break from the drive and get a bite to eat. They sell Tesla accessories there, and have an air pump as well. It made for a very relaxing drive up the state.

 

[mh]

Yes, the Crescent Beach Motel.

yeah that's the name!

 

[Chuckanut]

Here's an interesting video of what a Tesla sees while using AutoPilot.

 

[Slow But Steady]

Question for Tesla owners:

How much does your energy consumption increase if you hot-rod around compared to moderate acceleration?

I ask because my history with turbocharged ICE cars has been that I my fuel consumption is higher than many other folks who drive the same car.

 

[Ready]

Question for Tesla owners:

How much does your energy consumption increase if you hot-rod around compared to moderate acceleration?

I ask because my history with turbocharged ICE cars has been that I my fuel consumption is higher than many other folks who drive the same car.

I routinely push my Model 3 as hard as I can. I’ve looked at the numbers when I drive like a maniac versus a very calm drive. So on a 12 mile trip if I push the car as hard as I can it cost me around 48 cents. If I drive like a little old lady it is more like 40 cents. Percentage wise it’s somewhat significant. But we are still talking about pennies.

 

[aaronc879]

I routinely push my Model 3 as hard as I can. I’ve looked at the numbers when I drive like a maniac versus a very calm drive. So on a 12 mile trip if I push the car as hard as I can it cost me around 48 cents. If I drive like a little old lady it is more like 40 cents. Percentage wise it’s somewhat significant. But we are still talking about pennies.

Depends what little old lady you are talking about. The one across the street from me floors her civic and always has a foot on the brake pedal.

 

[davebarnes]

Here's an interesting video of what a Tesla sees while using AutoPilot

Correct link

 

[cbo111]

Rumor is the Model S may soon offer a 500-mile range thanks to a 120-kWh battery pack coming this summer. That is sweet.
When my 2016 Outback gets a little older I will be saying bye-bye to the internal combustion engine for the rest of my driving life. And I can't wait!

 

[aaronc879]

Rumor is the Model S may soon offer a 500-mile range thanks to a 120-kWh battery pack coming this summer. That is sweet.
When my 2016 Outback gets a little older I will be saying bye-bye to the internal combustion engine for the rest of my driving life. And I can't wait!

They will have to build one that can safely drive thru 6 inches of snow at a cost lower than the current models before I join you.

 

[Slow But Steady]

I routinely push my Model 3 as hard as I can. I’ve looked at the numbers when I drive like a maniac versus a very calm drive. So on a 12 mile trip if I push the car as hard as I can it cost me around 48 cents. If I drive like a little old lady it is more like 40 cents. Percentage wise it’s somewhat significant. But we are still talking about pennies.

That's cool. Right now, I'm driving a Ford Focus ST, which is the turbocharged version. Because I chose that model, I can never get 40 MPG. So a car like the Model 3 would have quicker acceleration but still do much better than the ST in easy driving.

BTW, 12 miles in my car with brisk but not stupid acceleration would cost me over a dollar with gasoline at $2.

 

[Chuckanut]

Rumor is the Model S may soon offer a 500-mile range thanks to a 120-kWh battery pack coming this summer. That is sweet.
When my 2016 Outback gets a little older I will be saying bye-bye to the internal combustion engine for the rest of my driving life. And I can't wait!

I had heard about the 400 mile barrier being broken. 500 would come close to matching my hybrid's driving range. Very nice.

 

[Ready]

That's cool. Right now, I'm driving a Ford Focus ST, which is the turbocharged version. Because I chose that model, I can never get 40 MPG. So a car like the Model 3 would have quicker acceleration but still do much better than the ST in easy driving.

BTW, 12 miles in my car with brisk but not stupid acceleration would cost me over a dollar with gasoline at $2.

We have not seen gas prices anywhere close to $2 in California for a very long time. Maybe that’s why EVs are so popular here.

My long term average cost per mile for electricity is .04. I drive 10,000 miles per year so my electricity runs $400/year. When I had my Lexus I was paying $1,800 per year for gas.

 

[Chuckanut]

The cheapest regular in my area is about $2.65 a gallon. About 10% of the houses gave at least one pure EV car.