Tesla
 

For you Tesla boys and girls out there, what model do you have and how are you liking your car a few months later?

I have the 3. It's awesome. I've had it for a yr and enjoy driving it .

Have you looked at the newer Leafs?

They are much improved over the original both in styling and range but for the price they really can't compete against the Model 3.

I have both an X and S. I started with two volts over 6 years and looked at the leaf but with its air cooled battery it would not fare well in a Dallas summer.

I went with the Tesla model S and couldn't have been happier. I am on my second S and when we started a family picked up the X. The wife was skeptical at first now she belongs to a couple Tesla forums and brags how she could smoke a porsche in her P90 with insane mode.

Is there a certain miles/yr where a Tesla is worth it over an ICE car?

I simply did the math based on our expected miles/year and a few calculations using different gas prices. Our other car considerations were all performance-oriented European SUVs, so I used premium fuel in my math. Consistent with my Model S neighbor’s view, I haven’t noticed a blip on my power bill with charging (we have a cheap night rate in my area that allows us to charge for pennies 12a-6a). With all of that said, I figure I save $225/mo on fuel. The only real cost was the upfront ~$1000 to install the 240V wall charger.

The other point to consider is the lack of maintenance; the other vehicles in consideration (Cayenne Turbo, X5 M, etc) cost thousands a year just in routine maintenance. With the Tesla I’m in for tires. Insurance is slightly more than the other cars in my area, probably due to the increased cost to fix it (and the likelihood it’s totaled in a more minor wreck). Shop around; we swapped and saved hundreds from our old coverage.

For us (family of four), the Model X has exceeded our expectations. The ergonomics and abundance of storage is mind-blowing. The accessibility is amazing. The iPhone-like ease of use for everything on the car is such a breath of fresh air from clunky tech packages in other cars. The performance never fails to amaze (P90DL). Both the wife and I prefer a stiff handling/stiff ride, so the big wheels aren’t an issue for us (I don’t find them at all noisy either). We bought used (2 years old) and plan to buy an aftermarket warranty when the factory one expires next summer. Won’t be our last Model X.

Any idea what it's reliable max range is (vice theoretical max on new smooth level pavement on a standard day @ 55 mph)?

Allegedly you can circumvent the safety system by using an orange in autopilot LOL


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYZrehVQouc

I've been interested in a 3 for a little while now. For those driving it, what kind of range is realistic? I have a 325 mile round trip commute that is all interstate with a super charging station at the half way point. Also, I assume the battery will drain a little while it sits in the employee parking lot... if so, how much?

Spend a little time on YouTube educating yourself on lithium ion batteries and how they relate to these cars. Lots of good videos out there, especially lectures by a subject matter expert by the name of Jeff Dahn. Once you spend some time geeking out on it you can have a much better idea on how much range you can expect; so much goes into the answer to the question “how far does it go after I unplug it?”.

For us, range isn’t an issue as local daily drivers. We only charge to 70-80% daily for reasons you’ll figure out when you research the topic. For road trips the superchargers are obviously paramount; the charge rate is incredible but also related to what SOC (state of charge) you desire...again, something you’ll learn with research. FWIW, our P90DL MX is “rated” at 250 mile range; we feasibly get 180-200 miles on road trips. I also don’t go slow (parasitic wind drag is the killer), run the a/c hard and have a 200 mile bladder anyway. We really only do one road trip destination (family beachhouse) and only do it a few times a year. The MX is HEAVY and we have relatively old battery technology; the M3s of today have much greater range.