First Tesla

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Get a plaid it go zoom zoom fast. Realistically unless you launch every stoplight which isn’t a good idea, you won’t notice a difference.

i would go with an Model 3 highland performance over an old P90d. The technology is far more advanced in the new model 3 compared to the old Model S. FSD can be a game ganger im from europe so i dont have the feature yet, but what i see on youtube, for most people its an awesome feature, some even mention that they would never buy a car without it again. But thats up for yourself

FSD is a promise that these days it looks like will never be delivered on. With any product, don't purchase it based on what it might do in the future, purchase it for what it can do now. As you're looking second hand, the other thing to remember is that the hardware in older cars won't support the current iteration of "FSD", let alone any future working version. The good thing is that if FSD ever does get delivered as promised, you can always have it enabled later. For me, the most important thing is range. Once I have worked out if the car is capable of meeting my range needs, then I start looking if I want to shell out the extra money for dual motor or "FSD". Again, you're buying second hand, so the range almost certainly won't be what it was when new. You also don't know how the previous owner has treated the battery. If they only ever charged using superchargers, and always to 100%, then that battery will be shot. So find someone who will do an independent inspection of the car that includes a battery health check. The final thing, that it's really sad has to be brought up, is politics. Elon is not the most popular person in the world right now (some would say for good reason) and those that disagree with him are taking it out on Tesla as a brand. Is that politics something that you are happy to be associated with? Are you comfortable with the fact that your car may get vandalized or destroyed based on people's beliefs about you because of the car you drive?

Test drive the car, they offer me 4 hrs, see if you like new model 3.

Have a Model 3 (HW4) and I use FSD everyday and I’m one of those people. I think I’ll never have a car without it. It’s that good.

99 percent of time the standard range has enough power and range. Most people don't need more it is just a piece of mind to have the little bit longer range.

That last bit has been over for months and was never really real when it happened. Those vandals were paid, and thats why they disappeared into the night.

FSD I can do without for now, but I would never buy another car that doesn't have Autopilot for highway driving.

If you're in the US, Carmax does 3 day test drives.

I had a loaded 2015 P90D Ludicrous for 3 years and while it was fun, the newer 75D I replaced it with is still faster than most cars on the road. The standard range of around 210 miles is only a hindrance when I make long 800-900 mile trips up the east coast of the US. For everyday life it’s still more than enough.

Pretty much every new car has autopilot like capabilities available these days, at least as an option. Autopilot is just lane keep and adaptive cruise.

If you have any interest in FSD, you want a HW4 vehicle. Your best bet for cheaper used performance and hw4 is a late 23 MYP up through the refresh. Those will be hw4 and have 3.5 second 0-60. True it's not as fast or as nimble as the 24+ M3P, but it's likely going to be harder to find a good used deal on a 24 M3P. I personally own both a late 23 MYP and a 24 M3P.

> Are you comfortable with the fact that your car may get vandalized or destroyed based on people's beliefs about you because of the car you drive? Stop fear mongering. There are millions of Teslas on the road and it is newsworthy when one gets vandalized, that's how uncommon it is. You're more likely to have your car vandalized for parking like an asshole or something than for having a Tesla.

If you looking for reliability, you are much better off getting a newer Model 3 over a Model S, especially an older used one.

Well, I don't know if that's true, but yeah it happened twice in a row and people thought it was a pattern even though it wasn't. I'm sure if other cars had sentry mode, you could create similar fear of people keying other cars

> FSD is a promise that these days it looks like will never be delivered on. With any product, don't purchase it based on what it might do in the future, purchase it for what it can do now. lol. There are literally robotaxis on the road right now. They are the same as the cars you can buy today.

I'd test drive a model 3 performance. FSD is definitely a game changer, so if you buy used you should make sure it is HW4. I'd just buy new, the reliability will be better. I have heard though that used Teslas are pretty reliable as long as the battery is good

I'd go with a newer Model 3, and I'd pay extra for FSD vs. Performance (though both would be nice). FSD is good now, but getting better. I view it as an investment. The reason I'd go with the 3 vs. a Model S is just about drivability; while the Model S is wonderful, I feel the Model 3 has better visibility and just feels a bit more agile and nimble. I'd also check your eventual insurance cost; I believe the Model 3 (especially non-Performance) is likely to be lower.

I enjoy driving and being control of my vehicle, but have come to rely on FSD to where I use it over 80% of the time. As far as handling and performance, as I’m getting older my driving style has become much more measured. But yesterday I was feeling spunky and zipping around in my model Y with acceleration boost and can’t tell you how fun it was with the great sports car level handling for what’s considered a small SUV. And the acceleration is only going to be bested by very few cars on the road.

As a 2 Tesla family... One S, and one 3. Buy used. Just remember who you're buying a new car from. He salutes you. We are looking elsewhere for our next cars.

I have a M3 performance edition. It has all speed you need. What sucks is the range, which for me is a minus against evs in general right now. It's not perfect, yet. If you really have to, get the latest M3 performance. If you want to be smart, the regular long range is just fine. All these cars dip out super fast with the best tech.

S and X have been pretty much abandoned at this point. Go for a Model 3 Highland or a used Model Y from 2022 onwards, if you need more trunk space and better accessibility.

Def get one with the newer computer (HW4)

What about a HW3 with full self driving so I can upgrade to HW4 for free and save money 😂

Wouldn't count on that. Prob gonna be a whiiile, and maybe they will pull some shit like if you bought it used you aren't eligible. The newer comp will feel more responsive too and load shit faster

FAXS but also a lot more expensive 😂 I may just go check out some 2023s on FB and see if I can find one that's hw4 and qualifies for the tax credit back

Yeah, if money’s the biggest factor, I would say just look for the cheapest HW4 car.

I might end up doing that, It just won't qualify for the tax break 😭 Or a FSD upgraded newest year I can find

Same. It’s truly revolutionary. Never getting another car without it. I have a 2024 long range model 3

get newer model 3 performance. lots of them on the market and the price is usually pretty good. especially if you live in a souther state where EV adoption is slower. lots of dealers price them below MSRP to move them because they dont sell well in a lot of those regions. look around and be willing to travel a little and you might just score one with FSD on it. and you can still get most if not all the benefit of a new car. like i just bought a 22 model 3 performance. the car is still under its bumper to bumper warranty and WELL within its battery and motors warranty so i have some peace of mind. AND it came with fsd. cost me 30k at carmax which is notorious for being expensive. so you can find them for 27 to 28k all day with reasonable mileage. the new highland models are starting to hit the used market but id wait a a year until they actually start becoming affordable. as it sits they are still hovering around 40-45k used. also make sure you test drive one. lot of people dont like the no turn signal stalks or the no physical shifter. its not a huge deal to me and ill gladly upgrade to it in a couple years but i know lots of really dont like that. but if it isnt a huge deal for you it does come with a bunch of goodies over the prehighland refresh models. HW4 (important if you get one with fsd) adaptive suspension, slightly better sound system, interior lighting, ventilated seats, and a rear screen if you regularly take passangers in the back for trips. its also a little faster. now these are all upgrades you can make to a prehighland model through the aftermarket fairly easily with maybe the exception of adaptive suspension and HW4 for a lot less than the 15k+ difference in purchase price. but again some people just prefer to already have everything come on the car from the start. but either way. do not buy an older p90d. those cars are absolutely getting a little long in the tooth and you will start having reliability problems. mostly just because parts are aging now. also insurance is like 2 to 3 times the cost of the model 3. which makes a big difference. good luck! welcome to the club

I ended up purchasing a 2021 Model S performance. The last performance before the refresh and they switched to Plaids. 0-60 2.3 seconds basically a mini Plaid. I bought it used from Tesla it still has 100k left on the original warranty and a full year from Tesla as well.

thats awesome dude! hell yeah. hope you enjoy the hell out of that thing

I love it so far I've had cool gasser cars like mk5 Supras, Built 2jz S14s, 350z, s2000s, wrxs and a little bit of everything but this thing is a beast. It's so much more powerful then anything I've owned and I pray in the long run alot more reliable. Also the AC Is cold as hell and I can remote start it before I even get to my car 😂

I get what you mean. Its really ruined both ICE cars and motorcycles for me. Atleast when it comes to the sheer sense of speed. I was on the fence over whether I should buy this one or a 24 mustang gt with the 10 speed auto. Which is objectively a pretty fast car. I made the mistake of driving the model 3 performance first and hopping into the gt it genuinely felt dog slow. Even though that is a crazy fast transmission. At 40mph I swear to god when I put my foot down that by the time the transmission downshifted and it began to rev i was already doing 70 in the tesla. AND it was almost double the price of the model 3! As far as wanting a fast reliable daily I just cant go back to gas. Ive yet to sit behind a proper performance model s or a plaid but im working my way up there. Maybe if plaids start dropping below 45k near me without a ton of miles ill pick one up.

The plaid would of been a dream but near me there selling for mid 50s and I got my car strait from Tesla for a about 30. My goals to just drive this car for 3-6 years pay it off and trade it in on a plaid when my business is a lot more busy! I'm happy with my mini plaid 2.3 seconds vs the plaids 2.0 is miniscule for the price difference in my opinion. The 5.0s are nice as hell my friend's dad has one, but pretty much any performance tesla would walk it 😭