Which Tesla model would be right for me?

How long is your commute? That's crucial. Also, you don't necessarily need a garage, but are you in a townhouse or something where you could charge from a receptacle on an outside wall?

Did you check insurance rates? 18yo with a tesla is gonna be high

The most important do you live in a house or apartment bc if you have to charge your car in a public charger is a little more hard

30 minutes to work about 20 miles. i do have outlets on the outside of my house, it’s not a townhouse.

i haven’t checked insurance rates yet. I assumed they would be high, but also heard others saying tesla insurance rates weren’t bad, i’ll look into that more. Thanks!

I would stick with the 2021 KIA K5, it's a great car and low mileage, it would work well for many many years. Paying $20 or $40 for gas once or twice a week costs much less than buying another car and taking a hit on selling your current and paying a new sales tax. Besides, Teslas are notoriously expensive to insure for younger age drivers, and can easily be like $300 a month, if not more.

i live in a regular house, and i do have outlets on the outside of my house. Would charging a tesla raise my electric payment a lot?

I would just keep the Kia. Save your money

thank you for the straight up answer! Only thing is, with my insurance on my K5, it’s around 300 already unfortunately, so i reckon that would mean my Tesla insurance would be even more?

thanks!

I am gonna get hate for sure but if I could go back to 18 years old I would have bought something super reliable, with very minimal maintenance like a Tacoma and driven it into the ground. In all honesty I would probably still have it with 500k miles lol. I would have used all my extra money to max out my ROTH annually and invested the rest elsewhwre, and only used a credit card for gas and food and paid it off every month.  Insurance on Teslas is expensive, I cannot even imagine what the rate would be for an 18 year old. If your car is paid off and reliable, just keep saving and investing your money.  A few smart lifestyle choices at 18 = Early Retirement. Don't fall into the material rat race.

Get a random VIN online, maybe the Tesla inventory website for the model you want then get a quote from your insurance company. Should give you an idea. If you’re in CA, I won’t be surprised if it’s at least $700/mo

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As someone who worked for Tesla and sold Teslas and has owned (5) of them. Save your money and keep your less than 1 year old car. Kia’s have 10 year, 100,000 warranty’s. You’ll be so much better off financially saving and investing in a home.  Also not saying you shouldn’t get one ever, just now. I used to be honest with people and tell them if it’s the car for you. :)  Also insurance will more than likely be insanely expensive.  If you have any questions lmk I sold them for 3 years. Used and New.

thank you for your input! I’ll take that to heart, a lot of others who’ve responded share the same thoughts as you do; much love.

I know you don’t want to hear this, and you will not listen to me. Maybe at 18 try something with a little less horsepower. I was a very responsible driver at that age. However, if I had a Tesla, at that age, I’d probably be dead

If you have home or work charging then you will save a ton on gas. If not it’ll still be cheaper but not a huge difference depending on gas prices. In the bay area for me supercharging is $0.50/kw and non premium gas is 4.3 dollars a gallon at costco. If I were to drive 1000 miles a month, and my car gave let’s say 25mpg i would need 40 gallons or 172 dollars. Whereas my model 3 gets roughly 200wh/mi so 1000 miles which would be 200 kw of energy used so it would cost me 100 dollars. So it’s a big difference here and work charging is even cheaper it’s only around 25 cents per kw so 50 dollars. The difference is mainly cause gas is so expensive so you would have to do the same calculation but for ur area. I think you can easily find used model 3 or y in your price range. I would recommend the Y tho the 3 personally is very hard to get in and out of for me, cause i’m taller. But overall the Y is more practical. In my area you can find 2023 model Ys with around 30k miles for 33k dollars so that’s definitely an option for you. Also 5 days in 30 degree weather is no problem

i’m in SC, but i’ll definitely do that when i get home. Very appreciative for the help!

thank you so much! Have a great day!

thank you so much! Starting to think saving will probably be the best option, i’ll lyk if i have any questions!

I’m always open to listen. I personally am not a very fast driver, at least i wasn’t with my charger or my current k5, but with something that fast; i reckon that could change, i’ll keep that in mind. Thanks!

Sounds awesome! Congrats on the job though! 18 and making good money is exciting. My biggest encouragement is take some time to travel and go on modest trips, you can do it!  And I LOVE my car lol but I would have deferred a car payment to go on more trips while younger.  Cheers!

For sure

i appreciate you taking the time to help! Thanks so much!!

You really should start with this. After you get a rates I am sure you will NOT buy Tesla (assuming you were concerned about gas cost).

Insurance cost will be very high and goes up every year so I wouldn’t recommend it for your age.

Haha, yeah i just checked the rates. My Lord, it is very high,

Thank you!

As someone .mentioned, don' t be surprised if it's $700 per month, $8400 per year.

What was it?

yeah, a bit too much for me haha

High insurance. High cost of repair. Service centers... Kia for life

Keep the KIA kid! Finish paying it off and drive til the wheels fall off. Once you are done paying it off, keep making that exact payment into a savings account and buy your next car cash.

well when i looked up the average price, it said 570, but when i checked quote rates with my insurance company it says 340, which is about what my insurance is right now with my kia

It is because most of us all went through the same thing. Plenty of young people making way more money than me so it is all relative. Stuff changes so fast, going from living at home with no expenses to rent, food, utilities, major life events, etc. If you're maxing out your ROTH IRA, and have a good set of diversified investments on top of that and still have money for a car to burn then YOLO lol, but I have never looked at my accounts and said that is way too much money haha.

thanks!

thanks!

Those are both fast cars, and you’re probably responsible, but it’s the instant torque that concerns me

i appreciate you’re concern. I have a lot of respect who look out for others safety regardless of their wants. Much love!

Charging on regular outlet will be about 3-4 miles per hour at best. Otherwise you’re looking to spend $20 for probably same-or little less range and wait 20-25 minutes to charge on a supercharger. Oh less range during cold climate. I would stick to your K5. While reading your post it came to my senses that I think you need a lot more information about the realistic situation when owning these cars.

Tbh save up cash and buy one on your 25th birthday, no financing, lifestyle inflation is real and you’ll never be satisfied. This would be your 3rd car and you’re only 18😳

4th car haha 😂. Bought a dodge dakota at 25, sold it, then bought a charger, didn’t like the gas mileage, so sold it, then got my kia. As you can tell, i do seem to NEVER be satisfied haha. But all jokes aside, i appreciate your input and will take it to heart. Thanks!!

my advice as a 25 year old who has two teslas: i joined the military at 17, bought a house with my spouse two years ago who also has a full time career in the military. we didn’t get these cars until we ensured we had a stable career, not just a job and until we established a permanent household. those two things are more important for anybody than the desire of wanting a tesla. and this is coming from someone who’s been a tesla fan boy for 8 years. i’d say at age 18 it’s important to save your money and find yourself a career path that you know will ensure financial stability for 20+ years and has opportunities for promotion so that your pay increases throughout the years. save your money, build your credit, buy a house or rent one and once you’re fully settled into your career path and have a good housing situation then you go ahead and buy that tesla. i will say that supercharging as your main way of charging the car ends up being the same if not more expensive than gassing up a regular car because electric cars don’t have as much range as a gas car and the entire tesla is powered by the battery so anything can effect the range you get. so i would advise you to ensure you can charge from home even if it’s with the slow charger to offset those supercharging trips. mostly all energy providers have electricity plans made specifically for EV owners to allow charging their car at home to be as cheap as possible during off peak hours so look into that. this of course is just my advice and it’s your life at the end of the day brother. but to answer your actual question, in your situation and circumstances the best tesla for you is the model 3. it’s the smallest and cheapest tesla available in the used market and they are very reliable cars and simple, smooth and very fun to drive. you don’t have a family so you don’t need the extra space the model Y offers and the model S and X are too expensive new or used especially for someone that just started working. i have tesla insurance and can agree that they offer good rates, we pay $350 a month for both the teslas together. so if you still want to do it, get an insurance quote from tesla first for a used model 3 and then if you can sell the kia without having negative equity left over and can afford the monthly payments if you choose to finance the model 3 than that’s the route you should take. but in all honesty, tesla is going to be around for a long time and the used cars will get cheaper as time goes on. give yourself another 2 or 3 years before making that decision. future you will thank you. sometimes instant gratification isn’t the best thing financially.

i appreciate you taking the time to type this and help! I’m definitely going to be waiting a while before buying one to wait until it’s a more affordable option for me. Thanks so much!

One of my professors once told me he couldn’t wait to start making money after school, he got that bmw he always dreamt of, and guess what, he doesn’t have it anymore. Don’t let emotions persuade you to buying a new car. Yours is perfectly fine. If you wait and save enough to buy it in cash later in life it’s gonna feel soooo much more rewarding

Just remember if you're using 110 it will be brutally slow especially when it is colder temps out. You will probably want to install a Tesla 220/48 amp charger outside. Probably the only draw back of not having a garage is at different temperatures the charging is not as efficient.

Not a terrible amount but the rate will be slow using just a regular outlet. It’s probably 1.4kW per hour or so and I’m not sure the efficiency but expect let’s say 5 miles an hour of charge at home. If you’re home for 12 hours charging, that’s about 60 miles let’s say. It could be more, but I’m just saying. Is that ok with your general life and driving? Or do you need faster charging because you generally drive far-ish? If you had a home charger it’s not really a concern. Just something to consider.

thank you so much!!

makes sense, thank you!’

Buy a newer used 3 with hardware 4, save for a mobile charger and maybe an electrician to wire an outlet wherever you park...Good luck!

I would not recommend getting Tesla (or any other EV) if you can't chare it at home. The hassle of going to public charger and wait there 40 minutes to 1 hour every time you need to charge would grow old very soon. And you won't save much compared to gas as public chargers can get pretty expensive. Also, make sure to check how much you would have to pay for insurance. At 18 years old + Tesla you might pay a fortune just to insure your car. If I were you, I would continue driving an older car that is more affordable unless you make $100K+ and money have no meaning to you.

i’d need to invest in a home charger most likely.

thanks!!

thanks!!!

My two cents, it sounds like you’re doing well in life. Your car is still pretty new, so I’d keep driving it unless there’s a real reason to upgrade. like the car is getting too old or your family is outgrowing it. Cars are depreciating assets. You’re better off investing that money or putting it into your 401k. The car will always be there when it’s actually time to upgrade.

The personalfinance Reddit was already getting their pitchforks out 😃 Driving a used car for as long as it’s economically feasible is one of the most important financial decisions one can make at a young age.

Rent a few different models, drive it until it becomes like any other car. Then drive your kia until you settle and have a socket for everyday charge. Once that's done get an EV you like.

Did you find out how much it would be?

Here’s some info for you. I’m male, 27 years old (context for insurance) I bought a 2024 model 3 long range AWD 4 months ago with 30k miles on it and paid $31k for it. My insurance is State Farm, I pay 215 /mo for it. This is a lot, and I imagine it will be more for you unless you do teslas insurance. My state doesn’t allow Tesla insurance. Teslas come with 50k miles “bumper to bumper” warranty and I believe 150k miles battery warranty. Whoever you buy your car from is going to try and sell you all kinds of warranties and “protection” it’s honestly a massive scam so do your research before you accept any kind of protection or warranty from a dealership selling used cars. The 2024 model 3 that has the latest hardware in it is basically the same thing as the 2025+ models, just cheaper. My experience so far has been fantastic. I love not having to stop at gas stations ever and it’s definitely a thrill to drive if you are into that. The sound system is really good in my car too so if you’re into music, 👌🏼 for me the screen is a game changer because I hate navigating, so I lay the 10 dollars a month for the satellite maps/internet and the directions are super clear. I would be a little concerned about not having a garage honestly, just for charging reasons. I just use a normal charger and let it charge up overnight. I suppose if you have somewhere you can plug in, it’ll be fine. I don’t know if you can’t get rain on the car while the charger is open though? So far this is the best car I’ve owned, and by far the best “thing” I have purchased. I’m happier with it than ever thought I would be. And your family will come around lol.. my dad was super skeptical at first, but after he drove it a few times he fell in love with it and always wants to drive it now 😄 Good luck to you!

Plus you can get HW5 then

thanks!!!

thank you so much!

You should check out Costco insurance. I increased my coverage and my rates went down from progressive. Fuckin progressive wanted me to list every person in my house on my policy, it was ridiculous. Right now I pay 1150 every 6 months for my model y premium AWD 2026 through them. I'm 29 years old with no accidents. My previous car was a 2012 Honda Civic for 800 every 6 months. I was surprised I thought the Tesla would cost me at least double.

345 a month, my kia is like 300

that’s a good idea, thank you so much!

The right Tesla for you right now? No Tesla. You're already driving a practically brand new car. 50,000 miles? That's nothing.

thanks so much! this is so informative & helpful! Have a great day!

i might look into that, because it’s a lot for me as well. Thanks!!

thanks!

Bro, to be serious with you. Just buy a used 2023 or 24 Model 3 for $23k or so, pay around $300 a month and call it a day. As the other people say, you should definitely get a random vin and see what insurance rates will be.

When you do buy one don't worry about reliability. My 2018 M3 still feels brand new to me.

That’s what i was thinking. Current insurance rate is 345 a month, but i’ve heard i could get lower rates with some other insurance carriers.

Good advice for this kid! Smart to find an already available VIN.

Use one of those car insurance finder websites to shop rates across different companies.

That is not bad at all for an 18 year old.

my credit is decent & i have a CDL A which i believe helps with insurance if im not mistaken.

i think the real question is does it fit my lifestyle? i see that you have no garage but do you have anyway to charge it at home? that is if not one of the biggest benefits to own a telsa. Teslas are also more expensive to insure so if you havent already shop around for a couple of quotes. If i were in your shoes i would keep the kia until it dies before getting into another car tesla or not. 50k miles isnt really that much and if im guessing that car its probably almost paid off having no car payment is a godsend, i drove my first car for 13 years before i got my tesla and while the car was good just having extra cash every month with lower insurance is one of the best advices i can give you.

3 or y is a good choice. Garage not needed.

Check insurance before anything, my insurance was crazy on my previous model3. 35 no accidents licence since I was 16. Also it dropped 83 dollars a month when I traded it in for a new Mach e.

thanks!

appreciate it!

the insurance quota was 345 a month, my kia is around that payment currently as well.

I would recommend first, you need to consider a Tesla, like any other car is not an investment. It’s a depreciating asset. Especially used ones. You need to prioritize saving money for the future, retirement, and saving for potential disasters or emergencies. And a car is not only the monthly payment, but it includes interest (pay close attention to used car interest rates and don’t just enter contracts blindly), insurance, registration (also expensive in CA), and charging infrastructure. And colder climates as well as extremely hot climates affect batteries heavier than normal climates. Look into charging options at work or school. If they have any charging stations available, even if you have to pay for it, it’s better than public charging. While dc fast charging is plenty fast, it costs just as much as gas and you shouldn’t be supercharging a Tesla too often. If you really want a Tesla, look into getting a used one. They’re really cheap. Avoid ‘21s because they have battery issues and ‘22s because a lot are used as Hertz rentals.

Im 18 with a '26 MYP. Perfect record, ohio driver, pay a little over $110 for insurance with state farms drive safe program. Albeit depends on the driver and loco, but it might not be as high as you'd think 🤷🏽‍♂️

Tesla insurance was $80 when I first started. If you drive using only FSD and are willing to drive like a grandma when not on fsd, its definitely worth it as you should be able to keep the rate below $100. I switched after the 1st month when my bill went up to 350 from hard braking and hard cornering.

if a 22 has low mileage, would it be a good choice still? And thank you for all that, it’s very helpful!

oh my, okay, thanks!

You're 18 a used model 3 that you can pay cash for, Any year will do way more than 99% of other vehicles on the road, and be one of the safest.

thanks!

Agreed! Once kids enter the picture you'll be looking at all your assets and realizing you're missing out on a big one: time.

I appreciate your responding to all of the top responses, so I'll just add another vote to the "keep your car" route. It's still new and presumably good for at least another few years. EVs are going to keep getting better, and you'll have a lot more options as new models now will be coming off of leases in the coming years. Stick the money into something like Vanguard's VTSAX, and future-you will thank now-you later.

thank you so much!! Very appreciative, i’m thinking i may do that!

Possibly

20, M3P $780/mo

can confirm in CA 😿

IMO having a 240v outlet charger is basically required for making the electric car proposition worth it. It’s possible to drive one without but going to public chargers all the time the gas savings you’re hoping far are going to disappear. If you’re family truly hates electric vehicle don’t know how willing they will be to let you run power to the outside of their home. Plus you have to make sure your panel has the capacity to add the breaker and the amperage to run it on top of everything else that may be running at any given time. If you would have to update the service from 100 amp to 200 amp then run power and install a home charger that could end up being pricey quickly.

i thought about, assuming my home can spare the electricity for the car, offering to pay for the extra cost on the electricity bill

Actually, you can do just fine with a regular household outlet, resorting to a supercharger in an unusual case where you need lots of power. If you drive, say, 45 miles a day, you can recharge on ordinary household current. Let's say you plug in at 7 p.m. and unplug for work at 7 a.m. -- that's 12 hours of charging. That's roughly 12 kilowatt hours, translating to around 45 or 50 miles, depending on season, driving habits, etc. You would have to work it out. But don't assume that you need the expense of installing a 240v charger. I've driven electric cars for over a year and used ordinary household current always. Of course, it's important what kind of neighborhood you live in. If your charger cord is going from the side of the house down a driveway to your car, will it be safe from vandals?

Will you be able to charge at home regularly over the time period you plan to own the vehicle? If not, a hybrid will be a lot more convenient. Also, check how much insurance will cost.

I vouch for this answer 100%. You will not regret following this advice when you are 40.   I know, I know, that sounds like it is very very far in the future.  Buy Roth and put it in an S&P 500bfund and forget it.

Wow.

Even with your good job, why spend so much on a car at 18? Save your money and be a millionaire at 50. Then spend on a nice car.

Is that per month?! Or every 6m (usual pricing)

21 M3P $760/MO

thank you! I should be able to charge at home regularly. Insurance is abt the same as my kia, just slightly higher.

this may sound silly, but i don’t want a nice car at 50, i want one while im still young & don’t have wrinkles lol. But i may just wait as most people think i should.

per month, my kia is like 300 a month

Thats wild. I would go off FB marketplace and get a used y. I think i saw one in SC for like 11k. 2021 with not too many miles. Go with an affordable car and invest the rest lf ur money in roth IRA. (Up to 7k a year). This will be HUGE long term. Watch some youtube vids on it

i appreciate it!!

It’s pretty much always high at a younger age, no matter what the car is. Only after like 25yo it starts coming down

Omg. Wtf. I had no idea anyone ever paid 700 a month for car insurance.

That's so insane to me.

CA being CA where if you’re under 27, not in a family insurance, owning a car means you pay tons of insurance. I have a friend who’s 22F that drives a beat up Sonata (year 2000s) and she pays $300/mo for liability only. Clean driving record. I had her check a quote for my 2018 M3 if she gets one and the cost was like $900/mo. Lol

I’ll be getting my 16 y/o a model 3. I would think that would be a great car for you so long as you can maintain the payments and insurance without stressing. I would definitely make sure u can charge at home, however I don’t think a garage is necessary.

the charging part of it is my biggest problem. I’d have to have the charger installed by an electrician, because my outlet would only get me like 3-5 miles per hour from what i’ve read online.

Yeah, if u could install a charger with no financial stress (doesn’t have to be Tesla, I have an off brand) then I say go for it. But I’m also not the wisest with my finances so take it with a grain of salt. I think if ur not having issues with ur current car, I would keep it. But if ur having issues, then m3.

what off brand did you get? And i’m not having issues with my car, i’m just a tesla fan boy who wants to go fast, but also wants to save a little bit on gas and i get carsick easily. Tesla is the only car i’ve ever driven or ridden in that didn’t make me carsick at all. I just love the smoothness.

I have a BMW charger since our first EV is an i7. I just use the Tesla attachment.

oh okay, it had to be connected to a 240v tho doesn’t it?

Yes

thanks for all your help! Have an amazing day!

That is entirely dependent on where you live and your demographic. There are places where you will never see rates that low