I thought they were 90k cars used and 100k cars new but I’m seeing these things sell for as low as 48k in extremely good condition and only 2-3 years old. What happened???
90 to 100k new. Used cars lose value. A lot of value. Especially Teslas and models that will be discontinued.
Shouldn’t Tesla’s depreciation be better than ICE cars? Why do teslas depreciate quicker in particular?
Most of them are Hardware 3.
High repair costs, random price spikes that don’t really align with the market.. Elon.. Edit: Just because you haven’t gotten repairs on your cars doesn’t mean the market ignores the other cars that are being repaired. Battery, collision repair costs which contribute to the high likelihood of write off instead of repair, etc. Yes you have low maintenance but if something happens and it needs to get repaired like mine for a collision it’s super expensive.
Actually they got as high as $140k brand new, IIRC
HW 3 cars are worthless to a lot of people that want FSD
They're much worse
They’ve actually been that cheap on the used market for a year or two now and that’s kind of where they’ve sat. A car with 1,000+hp and a 2 second 0-60 ought to have a floor price and $48k-65k is already a steal for that.
$2K upgrade to get to HDW4?
Since they're discontinuing the manufacturing, that means less spare parts, maintenance and repair will get more expensive.
My HW3 2021 M3P does FSD no problem. We have a 2025 MYRWD which also works well on FSD.
Congrats but that’s the reason HW3 values are off. FSD 14 isn’t compatible and there is a big difference between them. Not really debating your FSD experience but that’s the reason.
You can’t upgrade to HW4 yet.
If you look at its main competitors like Taycan and Etron GT they’re all about halved after 3-4 years
I sold my HW3 Model 3 today to a dealership for a cash offer. I don't think the used market has quite caught up with HW3 vs. AI4 price differences, yet. Meaning, I got a very fair price, knowing that HW3 in a couple of years will still be mediocre and require supervision whereas AI4 will be autonomous.
Yep. Just got a 2023 E-tron GT with 12k miles fully loaded for 44k. It was 130k new. Added the MapEV tune and it’s a 730HP beast!
Mostly because the technology is advancing so quick
Repair costs? Huh. Insurance covers most accidents and I've had one since 2021 haven't had a dime worth of repairs
My friend with a landrover for a 7000 bill to fix a broken gear shifter ..repair costs out of warranty on modern area are outrageous across the board
> knowing that.. in a couple of years.. AI4 will be autonomous lmfao. Don't hold your breath.
Elon
Same reasons laptops depreciate quickly. The electronics quickly become dated and better versions are available.
Lucky you. No one bought model S refresh cars in the Netherlands and even the normal LR versions after the facelift are still starting at $82,5k.
🤣
Also correct me if im wrong the OG 21 and 22 refresh S/X had lots of QC problems but 23+ the quality is rock solid especially the 26 refresh variants
AI4 is already autonomous today. What chip do you think is in those Model Y Robotaxis in Austin, without a driver? EDIT - for those downvoting... AI4 already drove itself from factory to customer delivery: [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/28/tesla-first-driverless-delivery-new-car-to-customer.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/28/tesla-first-driverless-delivery-new-car-to-customer.html)
Model S repairs aren’t expensive, relative to other 100k cars, I’ve had minor repairs for $100-200 that would be 10 times that on a European luxury car
What repairs lol? Outside of Tires we haven’t paid a single maintenance expense in 5 years for two Teslas
Tesla has always been cheaply made regardless of the models. The ev sales has been slop for 2 straight years, Elon keep dropping sale prices, depreciation drops like a rock, more competitors, ppl don’t want to spend a lot on hype ev anymore
Toyota cars resale value have been rlly good n consistent though
why would Tesla's depreciation be better than ICE cars?
You don't use wiper fluid or change your cabin filter???
Are we talking about $40? If that’s expensive maintenance perhaps the local public transportation may be a better option.
Was was being sarcastic - tongue in cheek. Cabin filters cost about $30 every two years, and fluid is like $3/gallon twice a year. Wipers about $60 if you get OEM every few years depending on climate. Tires is the big one but it seems no more than a gas SUV if driven similarly.
Debatable. My 2014 MS P85D had to have battery and Rear Drive Unit replaced right before end of drive train warranty at eight years and parts were no problem. And that model battery and that model RDU had also been discontinued long ago. So effectively, Tesla has already discontinued models in the past and kept making parts. But in the past, they replaced the model with a newer version with different parts. This time, they're just not replacing with a new model.
Battery. Model s battery is $15k and can fail with zero warning. Once you're out of warranty, it's a huge liability. As you approach warranty end, the values drop more and more.
Because $12,000+ batteries tend to not work longer than 10 years. I’m sure I’ll be downvoted, but I’ve had a battery replacement on my 2021 MYLR and my buddies 2015MS 85D just died 2 months ago. So a 5 year old car, with old hardware is a tough sell.
Never liked FSD on my 22 M3
You can get a two year old rs etron gt for under 60k with like 15k miles. Original retail was like 140+.
Massive savings from an ICE vehicle it’s crazy. I saw an article at one point that owning a Model 3 was the least expensive option after a 10 year period when factoring in maintenance for any vehicle in America. Wild.
It’s way worse than half. I almost snagged a 2023 RS ETRON GT with 15k miles and most of the available packages for 58k. Sticker was almost 160. 64% depreciation in 2 years.
Right. Toyota. But we're talking about Teslas.
Battery capacity denigration. Gas tanks don't get smaller in ICE cars after 10 years.
Been like that for awhile
Sure let’s talk about teshitla, do u see other car ceos publicly make a fool of her/himself, lower the price left n right when sales slop. Personal exp with teshitla CS, its good when everything is good, its the worst when theres problem. Bad depreciation with teshitla is what every owners must accept be4 buying it, we r buying just 4 the ev exp
This post hurt my head in multiple ways.
You’re def not an S driver. You’d for sure have replaced a door handle or 4
Big difference how? I've seen several side by side comparisons and they're basically the same
2 Y’s 😂
How much to they degrade by over say 100k miles?
Depends. Usually will have 70-85% of their original range
HW4
How many miles do you get out of a modern economic 4cyl engine/transmission?
About 13% degradation at 100k mi is fleet average according to Tessie
I don’t know what videos you’re watching, but having owned FSD on both a HW3 and HW4 car… it’s a lot better on our HW4 cars. Smoother in every way, far more capable, much more consistent and a lot brighter future for updates that are coming.
I wouldn’t say 23+ is golden, used to work at Tesla and plenty of build quality concerns to this day on brand new MS and MX. Better for sure starting in the later batches of 24s but 25 would be the year I’d be looking for (or newer). Tesla just gave up on really improving those cars the way they should have, which is why so many people refused to buy them. The build quality got marginally better while pricing went back near 100k, and 100k is too much for a Model S with its build quality.
Yeah, and I would never own one because after the warranty is up the repairs are UNREAL.
Have you driven a refreshed MY or M3? Both very well built cars.
I think it's mostly tech advancing so quick, nobody wants an old car that can't do FSD and such. There really is a big tech difference over just a few years. But also tax credits, in many markets people got $10k in tax credits. So while MSRP was $90k, nobody actually paid $90k, it's a $80k vehicle, and you should be calculating depreciation off of the post tax credit number.
They def should but people are afraid of things they dont understand . I can tell u hear in Socal with $5 gal gas prices Teslas and other EVs are everywhere . So much so that the politcians are crying about reduced gas sales taxes and have said the EVs have had a great impact on cleaner air
Probably too late now, but you might want to go to the doctor and get that stroke you're having looked at.
Here’s a tissue for that tesdies jizz on the corner of ur mouth, I’ll throw in a pair of knee pads for ya
Yeah. I didn’t do it Hahha.
Why even come around this sub just to waste your breath
Just about every serious reviewer echos a similar sentiment. Hw4 cars are more confidence inspiring on fsd compared to hw3 cars
This is why I make fun of people posting their plaids thinking they are hot shit. Nobody cares about your $45k electric car. It makes no sound and takes zero skill to drive.
I get it but at least in my use case it’s not an issue. Mostly interstate driving and rural highways for both cars. Interchangeable.
Most want to use it everywhere so it hits the HW3 hard. Also little chance of unsupervised on HW3 so it knocks the value.
Since the tech on Teslas is always improving it is hard to justify spending over a hundred thousand for an S or X when you can get a similar 3 or Y for 40 - 55 thousand. So they depreciate a lot. They can all self drive just a bigger size and a little more comfort. It is a lot like having an iPhone and then realizing it it about worthless if you try to sell it when it is several versions behind. It is a little bit slower and still plays the same apps but Noone wants it when they can just get a new phone. I have a 2018 MX with FSD and was going to transfer FSD to a new Y performance and Tesla was only going to give me $8,500 for a trade in. That is insane. The range isnt great and it has hardware three but still better than any thing else I could get for that price.
Fuel efficiency does get worse in ICE cars over the years though.
The best thing is that because there are so few moving parts, that even if the Plaids were driven hard, there isn't likely to be any major issues. Unlike a hard driven Gas car that'd probably have engine and transmission issues
It's because it's expensive to repair.
I agree I was kinda exaggerating but those 2021 models were badddd
True that. I did several Demo FSD on 2023 MYLR and never thought it worth buying. But the FSD trial on 2025 Model 3 makes me almost buy it *(didn't because I don't commute and it isn't value for money just for school drops and groceries)*
Yes but their gas mileage does decrease in all cars as the car ages. So it’s all the same in the end.
Please post your link to batteries not lasting more than 10 years
Nothing new there
Unless the car is some low production luxury car The odds of any car dropping in value are 99% happening. They are not investments... What happens when a 100k car gets old needs repairs? 10k repair What happens when a $30k car gets old & needs repaired? 10k repair?? Naaah to the junk yard
Depreciation is one thing but a 1100 hp car only a few years old going for 40-50k is absurd
Yup and I can't wait to upgrade to one from my MY - just hoping the used prices don't go up since they are discontinued.
Bcuz I’m a Tesla owner as well, unlike others I don’t like to get jizz by Elon. I see Tesla cars as luxury and I rlly want Tesla to have good cs go with that brand, make Tesla a proud car to own
It mostly has to do with the fact that Tesla has had over 30 price cuts in the past 3 years. Also Tesla only has like 5 different models, and 2 of those model consist of 97% of their sales. Compared to other brands who have 20+ models the competition in the used market is alot more spread out, where tesla is concentrated to 2 models.
Because folks know when batteries fade and have to be replaced, it won’t be cheap.
My EV mantra is proven yet again: never buy EV, only lease
EDS Alert!!!
I’m diving both (hW3 and 4) and I have observed marked improvement in HW3 M3 performance in the past 6 weeks.
Where are you finding them that cheap?
I wouldn’t be too sure about your supposition. At a minimum they’re running V15+ and perhaps on enhanced hardware to one extent or another.
¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ Same goes for any upper class brand like bmw benz
AI:actually (human) individuals
Before it needs maintenance? I think that depends.
I agree - I have both and the FSD is almost as good in the ‘20 M3P.
Gas tanks don’t get smaller but ICE engines have lost moving parts that wear anytime they are in motion or sometimes, for that matter, just sitting. When is the last time you looked at a performance sedan and saw an engine rebuild, turbo replacement, engine swap…? These things are ridiculously expensive. Im a ICE car guy. I still have AMG’s but let’s be real. If all I have to do is maybe stick a $6k-$10k battery in my plaid one day, I think I’m making out pretty good when it comes to comparing maintenance costs. Again, still love my AMG’s and love my Tesla’s for their personalities they both have. They both bring different things to the table.
That seems about right. The more expensive they are the more they depreciate. Fact of life since forever. Tesla is not immune. Really people are still kind of afraid of how the batteries will do especially on a super performance model that was maybe run hard etc.
So what if it's v14 or v15? They can push the same firmware to customer cars, just like the time they had a Model Y self-drive to a customer delivery, then reset the software to a public version. [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/28/tesla-first-driverless-delivery-new-car-to-customer.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/28/tesla-first-driverless-delivery-new-car-to-customer.html)
\#discontinued
Teslas in general depreciate like crazy as tech advances people prefer newer models
Bingo
I’ve had my 21 MSP for over a year and while it’s not perfect it’s not bad at all. I’ve had worse build quality issues from Big 3 brands and own a few German luxury brands so I have plenty to compare to. Just my experience of course. The whole experience of owning this car has been unexpectedly positive compared to what I constantly read on the internet.
People that can afford to buy a $100k car dont buy used ones.
Does the car have a lot of problems ? I am interested in finding out
People seem to forget about this when it comes to ai spending 😂
Where have you been EV depreciation is worse than luxury car depreciation. Plus Tesla keeps chopping down the MSRP and the used market follows.
Those that are 2-3 years old are COVID vehicles. Back when prices were stupid inflated so they took a huge hit. Sucks for those suckers who bought one during COVID.
The plaids are bad ass used cars. The warranty is sick too. 150k or 8 years for battery and motors
The incentives, promotions and overall price cuts ruin the value of the cars. My model 3 lost 24 THOUSAND! In one year because Tesla decided to lower prices resulting in every used car plummeting in value.
Dang so dude paid $7/mile to drive it for 2 years😭
Why would it? You're basically buying battery and no one wants used battery and basically a poorly put together car that's really only worth it for the software.
To me they are 100% worth the money. Other brands don’t give you free charging for life or in ice cars free gas for life. Many People are scared of change from what they know.
Most of cheaps ones are hw3 or below. Hw4 vehicles are still in 80k range
the 2024 still 70k.. for under $50k tbat a 2021 maybe 2022 and its gonna have over 50k miles, so no warranty other than battery.
Have a 21 MYLR hardware 3 and a 23 MYP hardware 4 … huge difference
Finally the important point! TY
The last two years have been a bad time to own a used Model S and a great time to buy one 🤷🏼♂️
I bet your 2025 HW4 FSD MYRWD works superbly better than your HW3 FSD M3P. It is day and night difference. HW4 FSD actually lets you sit back and just observe and eat snacks!
All cars depreciate. Electric cars tend to depreciate more due to how fast technology evolves. Not to mention the batteries that lose capacity as time goes by since they are expensive they also contribute to the car's value depreciation.
EV Depreciation
Ive owned 22 model S for a while and have had zero problems. Ive heard about 21 in particular though.
So is Tesla HW4, but they do not know it yet. Don't take this to seriously, but I believe HW4 will get the same treatment once HW5 comes out, and when HW6 and so on.
No, EVs fall like a brick.
Not my experience at all. FSD is a wonderful tool for driving long distances and works equally well in both of my cars with one exception I must mention. Curvature assist in my M3P almost always slows the car down significantly which doesn’t happen in the MYRWD.
You forgot all about Covid I see
S Plaid might buck that trend in a few years. We’ll see. Unless something else pops up on the market that’s competitive with what it offers…which I don’t foresee happening anytime soon for under 150-200k. (Porsche maybe). Pretty good chance the specificity of what the S Plaid offers could bring the used price ceiling up a bit higher with them being done producing them.
true that…. thank god we have combustible engines that last forever and never ever need replaced
Taycan with a different badge? Those are incredibly expensive to maintain. Wouldn't dare owning one.
Surprised I had to scroll this far to see this. He didn’t help one bit.
Lucid, Porsche, Audi, BMW all compete and are even better in many aspects. Self driving is probably the only feature Tesla leads in now.
Shhhh , I’m trying to save up.
Apples to oranges, Toyota EVs haven’t had good resale value. Rapid depreciation is an EV thing, not a Tesla thing. Mercedes CEO never publicly acted crazy but the EQS that used to be 100k is now 30k.
Its discontinued
You ever tried a Lucid. lol. Those things are one giant software bug. 20% of buyers don't even have a functional key for the vehicle. Frequently locked out of the car. They aren't close at the moment. Audi, BMW, Porsche don't offer anything even remotely competitive to the Plaid in regard to performance, distance, price, and ease of use. I've driven them all.
That really is a great deal. It might be time to upgrade from my M3P.
I have HW3 and it works great. I use FSD all of the time in my 2022 MY. do I wish I had HW4? Sure, but don’t dismiss HW3 as unusable , because that’s simply not the case.
Bought my 21 for 40k. Steal of a super car!!
Tesla as a car company is in decline. They killed the Model S so you are going to continue to see a destruction in value on these cars. It’s really a shame
The question in the post was about value of older teslas. It may work okay but it’s not up to the current standard. That’s why the value collapse. Most that want FSD will only buy a HW4 car.
What is ease of use? The newest Taycan and Etron greatly improved range. And the driving experiences are far better than any Tesla. Haven't had a Lucid to check out but I imagine the software complaints are loud on reddit
Someone’s else pain, your gain (if you’re able to buy one in good condition!)
IMO, you aren’t buying a MSP for FSD. It’s nice sometimes but it’s a car you want to drive. I only really use FSD on the interstate or work trips. Otherwise I’m driving my car cause it’s fun.
Then you should probably buy a HW3 car and take the discount.
I wish canada had those kind of deals
I have one. But thanks for the advice!
Don’t be butt hurt. The original question is why are the older ones so cheap. Tesla is a tech product. Most people want the latest.
It has been like that for years.. it’s called depreciation
Taycan is literally a sh** can had one for a year and 9 months was in the shop problem after problem literal piece of junk ….. and that’s coming from an avid Porsche guy I love my 911 but stick to Tesla when electric!!!
The Taycan has had something like 75 recalls in 5 years Teslas have had quite a few as well but the Taycan is kinda notorious And “what is ease of use?” I feel like that pretty self explanatory. Eg going to a supercharger and plugging in without an adapter is easy, software that is reliable and responsive is easy, scheduling service through the app where you point and tap on the issue is easy, talking to grok for directions is easy And the new Taycan does have improved range but it’s also super expensive and Porsche has done nothing (like extending warranty for OG Taycans, some customer goodwill) to improve the situation/perception— like Tesla did with early drive units which had issues on model s and some model x (2012-2015, 8 year unlimited mile on drive units, then there were control arm issues that they extended warranty on and the emmc issue got extra warranty). I’ve had my fair share of issues with Tesla service and I confess I’ve had to push harder than I should have to for basic fixes but with the right service center it’s a good experience.
No one drives a Model S and then a Taycan and thinks they're in the same league in driving dynamics. No argument on the software but assuming that improves on 2nd gens. Charging at home is easy. If you are charging a lot on the road, I understand the supercharger was way better but having to use an adapter 5 times a year.... who gives a shit?
The Model S Plaid is the king of EVs. Everything is is “comparable” to that vehicle for a reason. When you think about a Taycan….first question you ask is how it compares to a Model S. Why? Because it’s the pinnacle of US EV tech. And again, I’ll say this, it’s not close. Everything else is riddled with issues, tech, app, charging problems. As a Model S Plaid owner, it’s the easiest vehicle to own in the American market. By far.
It’s called . “Retrofit” and Tesla be full of it lol
Why would you pay top dollar for one is the answer. I can pick up a brand new Y for something like 45k. Or a robo doors X for 80ish
It’s always the people who’ve never driven one making comments
The level of delusion in this thread. lmao. cars depreciate 🤣
Yeah, 28 is almost 75,,,,,,,, 🤣
Teslas lose their value pretty quickly and with how fast their tech improves I don’t expect this to end.
None of these brands offer a 1k hp 4 door sedan for 110k new, gotta over 2x to get into a GT or a sapphire
While I don't disagree, hw3 was never good enough. I bet a lot of people, especially those who still want to drive, will find hw4 to be good enough.
And Tesla canceled theirs.
I paid 90k MORE for my 21 plaid new. It still hurts
Tell that to all the HW3 people that there is NO noticeable difference!
Don't forget, 0 to 60 times, convince features, mobile care, warranties, free towing, free supercharging, charging network( only bc its more expensive for non teslas now since it's available to everyone) and crash safety numbers have been historically and verifiably better per accident.
Just my experience. YMMV
Teslas loose A LOT of resale value, I picked up my 2023 Model 3 Performance for $30k, it had 27k miles when I got it
I’ve had my 2021 Model 3 Performance HW3 car for almost 2 years and it is anything but “worthless.” Is HW4 FSD better? Sure. But I’m using FSD all the time and it’s pretty great. A hell of a lot better than any adaptive cruise control + lane assist features other cars have (and I say that as someone who likes what VW offers).
Your response is irrelevant and completely misses the point
It's relevant. If the model S was dominating the competition it wouldn't have been canceled. Elon is banking on self driving electric Civics and Rav 4 competitors. Which is fine, unless you like driving nice cars.
It’s a luxury sedan and it’s an EV. That’s a narrow market (the reason, sadly, they're being discontinued). I also think the typical Tesla buyer tends to want the latest and greatest. It’s a tech-forward crowd. A lot of people drawn to Tesla probably prefer new over used, especially at the Plaid level where people who can afford a $90k car don't buy used. So once the initial wave of demand passed, prices were bound to correct. This is good for me as I constantly struggle with whether or not to upgrade (downgrade range) my 20 Model S LR.
Guess your smoking crack and ignoring the new 2025 plus Porsche taycan GT and Audi RS E-Tron Performance. They go as quickly or quicker then the plaid, handle better, and are plainly just more luxurious. Have you ever tried an Air yourself or just pulling stuff off the internet out your ass? Seems like you need to break your bubble and get on with 2026 and after.
Just like any car in existence they depreciate at the same rate but that makes it a steal nonetheless. Unfortunately mainstream public don’t realize Teslas are the most advanced cars in the world with the rich software functionality and top tier design and cost efficient pricing
They are like 200k crack head ass. lol
Guess you're losing your vocabulary too. [Clown2011](https://www.reddit.com/user/Cloujus2011/) says : "Audi, BMW, Porsche don't offer anything even remotely competitive to the Plaid in regard to performance, distance, price, and ease of use. I've driven them all." I bet the clown hasn't been in any of those cars recently or looked at the new price tags.
Its the same depreciation one sees with any electric vehicle, plus the depreciation of a luxury vehicle. Some Porsche models will drop 50% from MSRP after a few years. Can get a $250k Taycan Turbo S for $75k today.
Depending on where you look, prices advertised aren't always the out the door price and in my area are often Lemoned cars. Under 50k for a 21 plaid with decent milea is normal, but you really wanna know who you're buying from and ownership history.
so for the past however many years now EV’s have depreciated around 30-40% (sometimes 50%) 2-3 years after release. A bigger turning point I noticed was 4 years ago when Hertz dumped fleets of Teslas (as rental places do with all cars every few years) into the market essentially crashing the used EV market. You could get a 3 year old standard model 3 with 80k miles for <$15k
I bought my ‘21 MSP, 35k miles, for $53k early 2025 direct from Tesla with the extra warranty! Even had the white seats I was looking for. Over a year later it’s still maybe the best thing, car or otherwise, that I have ever purchased.
This is true for ANY car in that price range.
Yeah. But I bet you every time you sit in that thing and go for a drive… suddenly it all feels ok.
Sorry that HW4 wasn’t impressive enough for you to discern any noticeable differences. For the vast majority of folks, it is amazingly good compared to HW3.
I own a Plaid lol. I drove all of them before buying ha. Sorry dawg.
They were being facetious. If you value resale then go get a Toyota Corolla.
Model S didn’t qualify for tax credits
They did in 2022, sure it's over 3 years ago, but that's still under 5 years old, that's the kind of vehicle still on the used market, and it's also affecting prices of similar used vehicles. A 3 year old off lease vehicle is typically what people like to look at for used vehicles, but what about a 4 year old purchased one? That might have the same miles as the off lease vehicle, but it's MSRP was effectively $10k less, that affects the market because a 3 and 4 year old vehicle are very comparable.
There are plenty of BMW M3s in circulation and you don’t find a decently spec for under 85k if that and it’s about 95k-100k msrp…
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