Question on model/years?

I would recommend Model 3 either Rear Drive or AWD.. 2024 onwards for the latest tech and HW4 capabilities... What's your budget?

I would say around like 45k.

MY Performance AWD 2025 will save you money and has autopilot still. This model gives you room for everything, great looks and speed, and AWD performance will be there for snow, hills, travel and the unexpected. Gl

Do certain years not have autopilot?

Are you in the UK? Premium rear drive model 3 demo car will put you back 39K with a demo car with less then 500 miles on the clock with 4 years warranty 60 k miles and. 8 years 100k battery and motor Warranty with 3 months super charging free and then use a refer available on request to get £500 off or 650 miles supercharging on top .. I would recommend the AWD but that would put you closer to 48 K

Starting few weeks ago

For 45k you can buy two 2023 RWD model 3s coming from the lease. Can find below 20k miles. Or go for a model Y, something after 2023, also plenty are coming from the lease, and below 30k miles are possible to find on Tesla used inventory.

Do you wanna go fast or don't really care? I'm a Motorhead and performance is always my priority. Then the next thing important to me is efficiency and before my dog died I needed room for him. I love the plaid S because it does it all. Insane acceleration. Super efficient even when beating on it. Handles amazing for a big car. The fact it can pull 1.08gs on the skid pad is unreal. Finally had plenty of room for my dog with the seats down. It's my favorite car I have ever owned! I have had many cars and even built 1000hp forced induction cars. I will take my plaid over anything else for everything it can do. For your budget or a little more you could find a used plaid. The greatest rush ever and they are amazingly reliable. Mine has about 55k miles of nonstop abuse. I've only replaced the tires and the axles were replaced under warranty. Any other cars with that kind of power and abuse would have broken all kinds of shxx. I even regularly put it in drift mode just to do donuts. It gets all forms of abuse lol. The yoke steering wheel sucks for drifting but other than that I prefer it for visibility.

I’d like to go fast lol, but I feel like the plaid is definitely out of my price range 😅

I just finished a three month intensive search for my Tesla (finally purchased it last Monday). My budget was more restrictive than yours, but given your budget here is what I would search for since you're looking for "something fun". 2024-2025 Model Y or Model 3 AWD Performance. Less than 30k miles. FSD **included** <- that's your "unicorn". That means full self-driving is yours to enjoy for the life of the car with no additional subscription fees. One of the issues is that most non-Tesla dealers have no clue what FSD is or the different levels of FSD. When you see a Tesla you like come on the market, call or message the dealership, tell them you are **ready to buy** but first need to see a photo of the Software screen. If the screen says "Full Self Driving Capability: Included Package" that means it includes FSD for the life of the vehicle. It must say those exact words. https://preview.redd.it/hjhbouxbx4kg1.png?width=215&format=png&auto=webp&s=2d5a1ba39cbeceb44735b16e118d97f851f47775 Now if FSD doesn't thrill you, then just shop around as normal. But FSD is amazing, and doesn't necessarily cost more on the secondary market.

I’ll keep that in mind! Definitely a feature I want

I saw that your budget was 45k. I did a quick search and you could definitely find a 2021 S-Plaid for around that price. For me the depreciation hurts like a bitxx!!! But still worth it 😂 For you I feel like the depreciation will be very slow from now on. Because it is just so much performance for cheap money. The same thing happened with my I8 which the value flat lined at around $50k. A 2021 plaid will still have drive units and battery warranty.

They all have autopilot but different hardware versions. My 2021 plaid has hw3. Early 2023 hw4 started being installed which has higher resolution cameras, more commuting power etc. I am perfectly happy with hw3 and I use it all the time. Hw4 will experience less errors when in use. They all aren't perfect but I keep being amazed at the progression of how it gets better with each update. HW5 is expected to come out later this year.

First decide, 3 or Y. 3 is a sports sedan with great handling and efficiency. Y is easier to get into/out of and is better for car camping or kids with strollers. We got both. If you want full self driving, then go for something with HW4. Model Y began having it mid-2023. We found our unicorn with HW4 in a November 2023 build which came with Enhanced Autopilot. That gave us a choice of FSD paid for $2000 (no longer an option) or a $49/month subscription. If you don't care about FSD, then find one with AMD, mostly in 2022 and later. The newer the better the suspension. Though you can upgrade them all to latest version for about $1000 for parts as DIY. For Model Y we found late 2023 was best bang for the buck. For Model 3, you need 2024 or later to get HW4.

[ConclusionFlat1843](https://www.reddit.com/user/ConclusionFlat1843/) is exactly right. Non-tesla dealers have no clue. Leverage that to your advantage. My son found his 2020 Model 3 with FSD included. I found my Y with EAP - both dealers had no clue of their value and neither posted photos or text showing those features. Find dealers with newly listed cars with no photos, sometimes you just got to get your butt in the seat and look yourself.

So the only way to tell is if it’s on the software screen?

2019 or earlier may not have it and 2026 just built.

How do you tell if it has HW4?

I’ll cut to the chase, if you’re planning on having kids within the next year or so, go for the Model Y Juniper. It looks 😮‍💨 and checks all the boxes. Definitely take it for a test drive. I got mine at the end of Dec 2025 and have zero regrets. Scroll through my profile I have a couple pics posted for my Diamond black Juniper

Having owned both a Model S and Model Y, as well as taken a 3 on a long road trip, I recommend the S. It's a much better ride and easily within your budget. The 3/Y are fine vehicles which most recommend because that's what they're familiar with. The MS is in a whole other class. The only reason not to get one IMHO is if you have a tiny garage or have to park on the street. It's a bigger car, not huge but needs space to park.

What years would you reccomend?

HW4 was added in March 2023 to the MS. They're going for around $45k now. Plaid costs more, but not worth the premium unless you're a track guy. The regular ones are crazy fast already. This thread is a year old so ignore the prices. There's good info on determining HW4. FSD would be a bonus if you can get it. https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaModelS/comments/1gvsisi/finding_bargain_on_nonplaid_s_with_hw4ai4/

Two ways - if cameras have red tint but more precisely on the software menu it will say HW4 or HW3. See [https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/2173/how-to-check-if-your-tesla-has-hardware-4-ai4-or-hardware-3](https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/2173/how-to-check-if-your-tesla-has-hardware-4-ai4-or-hardware-3)

Are you looking at NEW or USED? Are you looking into getting FSD at some point? I would shoot for HW4 if you can, which is the newest version!

This\^ Any 2024 Model 3 or any 2024 Model Y with HW4 HW4 is an must much higher quality cams than HW3

I’m open to both and i definitely want FSD!

HW4 it has the red tint in the camera and also on the screen software is says Full-Self-Driving Computer 4 is an must! If you need a big car more room I recommend the Model Y 2024 or newer if not Model 3 Highland 2024 or Newer sedan if you guys don't need as much room.

What would you consider to be a good price for a car that meets those requirement?

I didn't research 2024-2025, so I don't know. I researched 2022-2023. $28k was the "sweet spot" within 150 miles of me (upper midwest). I finally got everything I wanted for $28,290.

As far as I know that's the only way. https://preview.redd.it/ufup2mo549kg1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7838d19eedfc2aa9d30fecc809f28dded95fa802

How big of a deal is hardware 3 vs hardware 4?

I'd get HW4 if it's in your budget. That means mid-2023 (Model Y) or late-2023 (Model 3) or later model year. I have HW3 and it works great for me.