Gonna get a used model S

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Mar 28, 2017
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If all goes to plan I should have a new job lined up for myself in the next few months... With that my aging honda accord from 2010 needs replaced...

I'm starting to see model S's 60 and 85 starting to dip into the low $30k number. A mid range 3 would set me back about 40 so not really my kinda price point but I could do $30k. I'm hoping to buy about a year from now... Maybe long range 3's will be that low of a price on the used market?
 
Since you're poor a used Tesla is probably the last thing you should buy. Or at least wait til you have enough money to afford one of the fast ones.
 
Uh not really... Waiting to buy a car till it's major years of depreciation have passed is a heck of a lot better than rolling off the lot with a brand new car and especially putting 10 miles on the car and having it depreciate $2000 in about 10 minutes...

Plus I wouldn't generalize either. I wouldn't consider myself "poor" when I'm living in one of the most expensive cities in the United state and spend 45% of my income on rent..just being able to afford a car in our area is kind of a luxury... With this new job I'll probably put like 100 miles a month on the car with commuting...lol
 
Buying a Tesla out of warranty isn't to be recommended, there are so many faults with the early cars and unless you really know what you are doing working on these cars is a pain because Tesla arent keen selling parts to the public although they do it now, see Richrebuilds videos on youtube if you want to see whats involved, I would only buy a Tesla with warranty, else stick with a gas car and if you really must go electric and you have a short commute look at cheaper alternatives.
 
Philaphlous said:
I'm starting to see model S's 60 and 85 starting to dip into the low $30k number. A mid range 3 would set me back about 40 so not really my kinda price point but I could do $30k. I'm hoping to buy about a year from now... Maybe long range 3's will be that low of a price on the used market?
Yes,..a year from now those M3’s will become available used.
....a much more secure way to throw $30k at a used EV than a 4 year old “S”
 
It might sound like a particularly bad idea.... It's just 2 things. 1. I will eventually need a new car since I'm rolling around in my 2010 accord and 2. I freaking hate gasoline at this point having to drive out of the city to get gas since its $3.75+/gal in the city...

Conceptually the electric car sounds like a good idea, practically I'm not so sure... I can barely fit my vehicle in our parking pad as it is and the S would be like 6 inches wider and 9 inches longer, I'd have to do some major modifications to the back landscape and fence to fit the car... 2. Only way to charge it would be 120v since we don't own the home... A lot of streets are freaking narrow 2 way or 1 way streets, I see S's drive in the city but it might be a pain...

I think if my next move up in my career affords the luxury AND my commute requires me to drive, I'll look for an S... maybe a Model 3 used but I'm leaning more toward the S.
 
Philaphlous said:
I think if my next move up in my career affords the luxury AND my commute requires me to drive, I'll look for an S... maybe a Model 3 used but I'm leaning more toward the S.

So are you asking or telling ? Generally, would you buy a 4 year old super fancy smartphone instead of getting a way newer, perhaps not as fancy, but plenty loaded modern device ?
 
Honda Accords are notoriously cheap to maintain, efficient, reliable, and enduring. 9 years is nothing for a Honda Accord, I regularly see people running them from the 90s still. You've got 20 years on those guys.

I want a Tesla Model S too, but I know it is a luxury car and as such, I won't be buying one soon. I already have a 2009 car that runs and will continue to do so for another 10 years.

If you want a Model S, then you want one. But I don't think 'aging' Accord is a really good reason to explain any type of need. It's a bit of a reach.

Want to save money? Find a state that does not charge sales tax on the full amount of the vehicle purchase and 'move' there.
 
Philaphlous said:
I wouldn't consider myself "poor" when I'm living in one of the most expensive cities in the United state and spend 45% of my income on rent

So you're objectively poor. Goddamn lol.

Anyway phrase it however you want but the Tesla is not affordable for you.
 
I would never ever touch a Tesla because i know how hard the company makes it to repair your own car or even obtain parts.

They're excellent cars in a lot of ways, but from a financial perspective, you're up there with luxury cars in terms of rapid depreciation and repair costs. There's a reason why that $100k car is worth $40k in such a stunningly short period of time.

I'd rather have a second generation Hyundai Ioniq Electric, or something like it.
 
There's no getting around it: cars are for chumps. They are one of the principal tools by which ordinary people are deprived of their ability to build financial equity or personal freedom.

And then they use this tool that was already being used to beat them down, to beat other people down with. It's weaponizing idiots.
 
Thanks Chalo for the useful input to the convo...

I would test drive an S and 3 before making the jump. They both have their advantages. It sounds like your living situation would be negative towards the S due to its size. What about a Volt? It's smaller, cheaper, still uses battery only if the commute is short enough, reliable, less charging requirements.
 
Depending on your local climate, a used 2014-2015 Leaf might work well for you, at a fraction of the cost. I've written a used Leaf buying guide, and will post it here if anyone is interested.
 
neptronix said:
I would never ever touch a Tesla because i know how hard the company makes it to repair your own car or even obtain parts.

They're excellent cars in a lot of ways, but from a financial perspective, you're up there with luxury cars in terms of rapid depreciation and repair costs. There's a reason why that $100k car is worth $40k in such a stunningly short period of time.
Which is very good news if you are buying used, as this guy is.
 
neptronix said:
There's a reason why that $100k car is worth $40k in such a stunningly short period of time.

:lol: What are you referring to ? Currently new Long Range (370mi) S is at $85,000 out of pocket. Closest, cheapest equivalent is previously repaired 2017 Long Range (335mi) listed at $70,400. Next threshold is 2016 90D (294mi) at $51,500.
 
Chalo said:
There's no getting around it: cars are for chumps. They are one of the principal tools by which ordinary people are deprived of their ability to build financial equity or personal freedom.

And then they use this tool that was already being used to beat them down, to beat other people down with. It's weaponizing idiots.

We have your quality dope here in Portland too. Keep it weird!
 
cricketo said:
Chalo said:
There's no getting around it: cars are for chumps. They are one of the principal tools by which ordinary people are deprived of their ability to build financial equity or personal freedom.

And then they use this tool that was already being used to beat them down, to beat other people down with. It's weaponizing idiots.

We have your quality dope here in Portland too. Keep it weird!

Chumps isn't the correct word, but the points have some validity, but I believe there are better reasons for the world to convert to more sustainable transportation. Eliminating the use of cars as weapons against cyclists is pretty far down the list.
 
I'm 3+ years and 80,000kms in an 70S

I can't see much that you would have issues with, other than end of battery life being closer.

The suspension and driveline on the S is quite robust. Brake slife is very long due to regen, I hardly touch my brakes at all. Lets see, no rotten exhaust, no engine rattles or gearbox crunching to look out for ;) ...

You might look for coolant leaks though, although I've never heard of it being an issue.

I think they are better made than the myths floating around, maybe not quite Japanese standards, but i have no shakes or rattles, nothings fallen off, etc.

Look up that some 60S actualy had 75 KWh worth of batteries fitted and can be upgraded via software.
 
I've got friends who bought older Model S and drive them everywhere with no issues. I think you want to to be newer than 2014-2015 for best reliability, but I'm not a model S expert.

Used Model 3 is another awesome car. We put 70,000miles on ours and its only needed 1 set of tires and a 1 cabin air filter. Nothing is showing any signs of wearing or working worse than it did when new in 2018.
 
Philaphlous said:
Maybe long range 3's will be that low of a price on the used market?
What is your goal? To have a Tesla? In that case it's a good plan.

Is it to have an EV? In that case a used Leaf is probably going to be a better option.

Is it to use less gas? In that case a used Prius Prime or Chevy Volt is a great option. They are cheaper and if you charge daily you'll use 90% less gas.
 
liveforphysics said:
I've got friends who bought older Model S and drive them everywhere with no issues. I think you want to to be newer than 2014-2015 for best reliability, but I'm not a model S expert.

Used Model 3 is another awesome car. We put 70,000miles on ours and its only needed 1 set of tires and a 1 cabin air filter. Nothing is showing any signs of wearing or working worse than it did when new in 2018.

I actually just did the same thing. Stars aligned and I was able to get a used Performance 3 for ~$38K and it's a ripper. I was originally gonna buy a Model S that was a ~2014 model with some 220,000+ miles on it for like, 6 grand cheaper but the 3 wasn't a full road trip away.

There are, from my own research, 3 things a prospective S buyer needs to make sure of before going ahead with any purchase; Was the motor replaced? What's the battery health? And is it prior to 2016? The S's major issues basically track to poor bearings they used in the motors (they allow electricity to "leak" through the coolant, through the bearing and ground to the aluminum case- it won't hurt you, but it'll steadily destroy the bearings) and some random packs that had poor lifespans due to early S's being a step up from a really good kit car in the first few years. 2016 saw a massive refresh and general quality improvement across the board, and serial numbers on the motors can be tracked for proper "Performance" and updated parts, so it really only takes some searching.

The final bit I would say, is never buy a Tesla from Carvanna/Carmax unless you know what to look for, and if you buy something as old as a 60S be sure to check if you can supercharge it. You could totally have a life where you don't need to (like mine :p ), but still something to note.

As for deeper repairs- Many states are adopting Right to Repair rules, so I think it's only a matter of time for Tesla's attitude especially when Rockauto is stocking parts now. They're also not difficult to service or troubleshoot as Rich Rebuilds shows- and since Model S's use Linux Redhat as an operating system, I think their hacking is only a matter of time.
 
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