Just picked up my Model S
- Thread starter Mdeer
- Start date
Sweet. I was hoping my Mazda RX8 with 220k miles would last me until the Tesla Model 3 came out, but the clutch assembly died this past weekend, and the dealer wants to bone me for the repair cost ($2400? AYFS?). Even if a local shop could do it for half that price, I don't want to keep throwing money at it at this point, so now I'm looking at a used car to last me a year or two and trying to figure out how the hell to get rid of my old car which is sitting at the Mazda dealer.
Sorry- just needed to rant.
Sorry- just needed to rant.
It might be worth getting the clutch repair done at some local shop that you trust - not the dealer. Now you have something to drive while you're looking, so you aren't in a rush. Plus, the added trade-in value to the car is probably in the neighborhood of what the clutch repair will cost anyway. Right now the trade-in on that RX8 is essentially zero.
I don't know if you ever pulled the trigger on it, but I seem to recall you had a past fling with a Range Rover. While the Model X is certainly comparable to most of the RR line from a basic cost standpoint, they are fairly different vehicles. Regardless, congrats to you on buying arguably the most unique vehicle currently on the road.
Speaking only for myself, I can count on one hand the number of Model X's I've personally seen on the road thus far; so you're fairly assured of a lot of looks while you drive down the street. And I suspect operating the falcon-wings will stop people right in their tracks. I do hope you have favorable luck with those doors, as I get the impression they remain a work in progress to some extent. OTOH, most everything I've read says Tesla pays fairly serious attention to problems, particularly those with regard to their newer/unique technologies.
Finally, I'm curious if you splurged for Ludicrous......and also how long (even though it's none of my business) it took from the time you made your down payment to delivery day.
Speaking only for myself, I can count on one hand the number of Model X's I've personally seen on the road thus far; so you're fairly assured of a lot of looks while you drive down the street. And I suspect operating the falcon-wings will stop people right in their tracks. I do hope you have favorable luck with those doors, as I get the impression they remain a work in progress to some extent. OTOH, most everything I've read says Tesla pays fairly serious attention to problems, particularly those with regard to their newer/unique technologies.
Finally, I'm curious if you splurged for Ludicrous......and also how long (even though it's none of my business) it took from the time you made your down payment to delivery day.
They've been very good to me in the past as far as repairs go- just on the expensive side. As an example one time I needed a sensor replaced in my radiator that was causing the dash light to go on. The tech screwed up and broke the entire radiator. They ended up giving me a loaner and replacing the entire radiator at their cost. I've no doubt they could have come up with some story about how they discovered upon closer inspection that the whole thing needed to be replaced and just had me pay for it.
Having said that, the price they quoted for the clutch job is pretty ridiculous. KBB estimates my car would be worth about $1300 in tradein to a dealer, and I'm pretty skeptical I could even get that sans clutch problems. I got a quote from some online salvage place that'll pick it up and pay me $535 for it, so I'll probably end up going for that after I call some local places. The first engine on the car lasted about 125k miles, and it's not uncommon for them to die at that time frame, so I figure it's just time to cut my losses and move on.
If I can get a decent used econobox of sorts in the $7500 range that'll last me a year or two without problems, then resell it for half that amount, then I'll be happy. My wife has a dependable car I can use, and my rental I'm taking to work isn't outrageously expensive, so if it takes me two weeks or so, no biggie.
I got the 90 D model S
I held off on ludicrous but got every other option . Big dark grey wheels and pearl white color paint
It's an amazing vehicle
Nah, I drive too many miles to lease really- 21k last year, so I assume I'd pay out the *** for going over mileage limits. I actually looked into doing a 2 year lease on a Model S, but it's just too much.
Tesla's made pretty good progress filling out major routes on interstates with Superchargers lately, so hopefully they get to it in the next year. If you go to this site and click the changes tab, you can see their progress.
I'll caveat the new car thing. Some models - Toyota especially - had their value very well. You can get a 2-year old Tacoma at a $1000 discount on a new one. It's not worth it. The same was true of the Subaru my wife and I bought. The local dealer is the top volume dealer in the country, mostly due to how they price the new cars. The cost of newer used models was a gnat's breath lower than a brand new one.
Zero is essentially lwhat it is worth. May need to pay someone to get it off the property.
When looking for ways to get rid of it, I actually found a site called peddle.com. I put in my car's information, and they offered $535 for it. Forgot about it for a day or two, and got an email that said they'd give me $575 for it instead. Finished filling everything out, and at open of business the next day someone from the website called me. They connected me to a local company on Thursday, and we made arrangements for pickup. They met me at the Mazda dealer to tow it away this morning. Tow truck driver handed me a check for $575, and I handed him the title. Pretty easy.
I remembered this thread from several weeks back and some news out got me to thinking about it.
Anyway, our pals at Consumer Reports.....an organization (and publication) I myself have never cared for very much......has come out with their latest vehicle Reliability ratings, and Tesla is rated 25th of 29 domestically-sold brands. It appears much of this ratings hit is focused around the Model X and it's falcon-wing doors (which Elon Musk himself admitted weren't ready for prime time upon platform release).
Interestingly, Buick has cracked (at #3) their Top 3; the first time for a domestic in 3+ decades (with Lexus and Toyota remaining in their customary 1/2 slots). With electronics being a huge factor in consumer dissatisfaction.....go ask Ford about that if you don't believe it.....Buick is credited with rolling out electronics advances domestically in a gradual manner; mostly because the far-larger (for them) China market tends to see these feature improvements before NA platforms.
Hence, GM/Buick is said to have more time to work out the bugs before such technologies hit our shores.
Anyway, our pals at Consumer Reports.....an organization (and publication) I myself have never cared for very much......has come out with their latest vehicle Reliability ratings, and Tesla is rated 25th of 29 domestically-sold brands. It appears much of this ratings hit is focused around the Model X and it's falcon-wing doors (which Elon Musk himself admitted weren't ready for prime time upon platform release).
Interestingly, Buick has cracked (at #3) their Top 3; the first time for a domestic in 3+ decades (with Lexus and Toyota remaining in their customary 1/2 slots). With electronics being a huge factor in consumer dissatisfaction.....go ask Ford about that if you don't believe it.....Buick is credited with rolling out electronics advances domestically in a gradual manner; mostly because the far-larger (for them) China market tends to see these feature improvements before NA platforms.
Hence, GM/Buick is said to have more time to work out the bugs before such technologies hit our shores.
I was car shopping this summer and ended up with a Buick Lacrosse. Never in a million years would have considered getting a Buick. But fell in love with it the moment I test drove it. Price vs. Performance/Options/Features. Like Apple CarPlay. Love it.
I'm a fan of the LaCrosse; I assume you bought a 2016 (I know GM has been running nice deals on 16's with the new platform now hitting showrooms). But I like the styling of even the old model, and the interior. And assuming you got the 3.6, it should have plenty of power.
I bet it's nothing short of FABULOUS on a trip......
Yes to both. Part of the reason that put it over the top was the comfort. Drives quiet, I can be in it for hours and not get uncomfortable.
I read something on a Tesla forum a few days ago (so take this with a grain of salt) that the 2012 version of the Model S did have a slew of initial build quality issues, though the amount Tesla was spending on warranty repairs was cut exponentially in future years. Consumer Reports upgrading the reliability ratings probably reflects improvement to an extent. In theory the simpler drivetrain should result in fewer issues, but there's going to be a learning curve with a new manufacturer.
It's kind of interesting that Tesla doesn't roll out traditional model years with their vehicles, instead just gradually iterating over time. I wonder if that complicates warranty/repair matters.
On another note, the falcon wing doors on the Model X have been a headache from the start. They're the biggest reason for the vehicle being delayed- Tesla had to change suppliers midway through development when the original couldn't deliver doors that met their requirements. Naturally, there was a lawsuit over the whole ordeal. Makes you wonder if they'd choose to have the doors if they designed it from scratch again. Obviously they're an attention grabbing feature, but they've caused a lot of issues.
They're supposed to release their 3rd quarter financial results later today, and they are expected to show a profit for I think the second time ever, which should help when they have to secure more funding to expand their factories for Model 3 production. Of course they had to game the quarter's deliveries a bit to do that (rushing a ton at the end) which seems silly to me, but I never claimed to understand Wall Street.