Should You Buy Teslas Used or New?

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1:21 Commentary

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[alexandercotman]

Just bought a used 2021 M3SR+ last Friday. It was a rental with 40K miles and is immaculate. Literally no issues, with not even a scratch inside nor outside. The car was practically factory fresh. The best part was I snagged it for 29.5 likely due to the high miles to car age ratio. Absolutely adore the thing - midnight silver and named her Stormbreaker.

[franklong]

Great video, entertaining. I bought a used 2022 RWD Model 3 about six months ago with 77, 342 miles on it and here is a summary of my experience:

1. The curb weight of my Model 3 is almost exactly the same as a Toyota Camry with an ICE engine.
2. I got $4, 000 off of the purchase price ($22, 900) because of the federal rebate. So I paid $18, 900 for the car, plus tax and license. The federal rebate on used EVs IS a point-of-sale rebate for vehicles under $25, 000 and at least two years old. I think also that you have to make less than $150k for the year you buy it in, but check on that.
3. The car's interior and exterior are immaculate, nearly perfect. So are the panel gaps. The roof glass is raised up about a little over 1/16" at one corner, but it's not very noticeable.
4. My car has the new Ryzen processor which enables FSD. The car did not come with FSD, but Tesla did give me a free 30-day trial. The touchscreen is very fast and very responsive, and the resolution appears to be approximately 2K, which is excellent. The 2024 Model 3 has higher-resolution cameras and a touchscreen.
5. During the summer, my range dropped from about 225 miles to about 150 miles, which is significant. I did some research and discovered that the car has not one but two radiators under the frunk. There is a plastic shoot (an air duct) that directs air from near road level directly onto the radiators. This is a design flaw in both the Model Y and Model 3 cars because this air duct causes all sorts of debris, including leaves, dead bugs, rocks, twigs, smashed aluminum cans, and dirt, to blow directly on the radiators. The only solution is to take the front bumper off and clean the radiators. I cleaned the radiators, and it made a huge difference in my range. I went from getting about 4 miles per kW to almost 5 miles per kW in temperate weather. I live in Arizona, and in weather over 110 plus degrees, it doesn't matter what you do; the car is going to get around 150 miles of range because the heat pump expends a significant amount of energy to cool the battery pack. Since this is my first EV and my first Tesla, I cannot compare it to other EVs, but I suspect in this extreme heat, all EVs lose a lot of their range. This actually is a good thing because if the battery overheats it will destroy the batteries. So Tesla's heat pump prioritizes cooling the battery pack over the range in order to ensure the longevity of the battery pack. This is a very smart decision by Tesla. The maximum operating temperature of the Model 3 is 122 degrees F. I drove the car in 118 degree weather and it cooled the cabin and the battery pack. However, as mentioned, it took a significant amount of energy to cool everything in these extreme conditions.
6. Following Point #5, I strongly suggest that if you buy a used Model 3 that you clean the two radiators. If you are not mechanically inclined, Tesla will replace the two radiators for around $550.00, which is a spectacular deal. I also strongly suggest that you get a screen filter for your Model 3 or Model Y to filter out all of the road dirt, debris and trash before they get to the radiators. Amazon sells a number of different versions of the filter for about $30.00 - $40.00. It is MUCH easier to clean the screen filter than the radiators. You have to take off the front bumper to clean the radiators and pressure wash them.
7. Everything works in my car. I have not had any problems with any of its mechanical, electrical or software functions.
8. My car has the LFP battery and 19" wheels. So its original range when new was 263 miles. With 18" wheels, the range would have been 272 miles. It now charges to 256 miles, which is about 97% of the car's original range. Tesla recommends charging the LFP batteries to 100% when home charging and to 80% when using a Tesla supercharger on trips. Evidently, the Tesla Superchargers put more strain on the batteries. The car notifies you on trips to charge to 80%. However, you can still charge to 100% on trips and you have to every once in a while for the BMS system to calibrate the battery level.
8. My car came with the matrix headlight upgrade.
9. The car comes with 7 speakers or 9 speakers (I am not sure which is true) and it has really good sound. Hansshow sells a cable that lets you activate three more speakers. However, the sound is really good as is.
10. The car is very fast. It is far faster than most cars on the road.
11. I have one small, nearly inaudible rattle.
12. On rough roads, there is a lot of cabin noise, but the same is true for ICE cars. On smoother roads, the car is very quiet. The ride can be rough on rutted roads or going over repeated road gaps. The new Highland 2024 Model 3 fixes this problem and the cabin noise and ride are significantly better.
13. The 2022 suspension is tuned for "sport" driving and is very firm. However, it makes the car handle like a BMW.
14. If you drive close to the speed limit in the city you should be able to get over 250 miles (I have never driven it in the city for that distance). It may get more than that in temperate weather, under 85 degrees in the city. On the highway, you can get 250 miles of range if you drive at 65 mph or less.
15. Charges in about 15 minutes on Telsa superchargers on trips to around 80% and it takes around 20 minutes to get to 90%. Most of the time you won't be charging to 100%
17. Tesla Model 3 are the number one rated most reliable cars in China. They are easily going 200, 000 - 300, 000 miles and maintaining close to 90% of their battery capacity. They are becoming the new Toyota Tacoma for being reliable, trouble free and lasting a very long time.

Overall, it is by far the best car I have ever owned or driven. It is light years ahead of any other car manufacturer.

[teslasnek]

Sure, when we got my wife's 2019 Tesla Model 3, we had to take it into the shop a couple times to get some tiny fit and finish things fixed, but now it has almost 100, 000 miles on it and we haven't had to take it in for anything since. If it were a gas car, we would have had to take it in for 20 oil changes by now, multiple smog checks, change the brake pads, change the timing belt, transmission work, etc.

[robfisher]

My parents and my close friend just bought new Model Y's a couple months ago. One from Fremont and one from Austin. Both were absolutely perfect.

[apterachallenge]

It sounds like a Tesla which has been owned for a few years might be a better option - the first owner will have had all the defects fixed by Tesla, so you don't have to worry about it.

[BryceLovesTech]

In 2020 I bought a 2013 P85+ for $29k, best decision ever, the car has been flawless

[LPerezDancer]

it's not so much the weight of the car that wears the tires as the acceleration that tears them up fast

[kylekiniry]

Great information here. I’m highly considering buying used for the price savings but had multiple questions that this video has answered. Keep up the good work 👍🏽

[ALRinaldi]

In my book, there are two reasons to really go with a used Tesla... One is to get FSD at a reasonable price, two is to get transferrable free supercharging... Good luck trying to find both! They're out there, but they're tough to hunt down...

[Streeknine]

I just picked up a used 2021 Black Model 3 LR AWD from Carmax with 22k mileage. The only issue I found was a leaky tail light. But they promised to fix that.
I love it, I took it on a 300 mile trip, used a super charger for the first time, spent 8 minutes and then back on the road. 0 issues on the inside either.
The only thing I found afterwards was no CCS charging, but I plan on trying to upgrade that in the future.

[kyleb]

Tesla's currently my dream car, but emphasis on "dream". I couldn't reasonably afford one until it hits about $30k. Currently, that *could* mean the standard M3 ($38.5k or so with the discount), except that my state's rebate ($7, 500) is currently temporarily ended due to lack of funding (and I can't take advantage of tax incentives). There's some that are getting close to $30k and have things like FSD, but honestly, I don't want to compromise. I'm just going to keep searching for a '21 AWD with FSD and hopefully 18" wheels (for the efficiency) that is hopefully near me. I'd fly out and do a road trip home, though, to avoid the transport fee.

I also just have so many questions about whether things are deal breakers. Mainly I wonder if AWD is really needed for cold weather where there's hills, rain, and snow or if it's fine since Teslas are heavy and the weight is mostly in the back. I also wonder if road noise is really an issue before '21. Sounds like maybe not unless you hit 70 MPH+? I haven't gotten straight answers on these yet. The best I got was a dealer saying I probably should opt for AWD, which I take with a huge grain of salt because they're a salesman at the end of the day.

[PhillProbst]

This question will need to be revisited once the project highland cars start rolling out in a few months.

[harry]

It’s not that bad. My Model3 didn’t have a single issue. Guess I got lucky.

[ConservatEV]

I leased a 2023 Model 3 standard range. My plan is to buy a used same gen Model 3 when this lease expires (can’t buy the lease out of course.) I’ll have accessories that fit it, already have the Wall Charger installed, already have the mobile connector, etc. I’ll know by then what I should be looking for as far as range, hopefully it has a Recurrent Auto report on the battery, etc. White seats are big on my want list. Sat in the black seat on a sunny day… quickly learned that letting your skin touch the black seat is a BAD IDEA on a hot sunny day! Seems the white paint holds up better too. But then again a Model Y with a tow hitch would be nice… I’ll have bought ten different configurations in my mind before then, lol! Best cult I’ve ever been in! 😂

[bensontek]

If you are getting the IRA rebate, why not get new? Especially with some states knocking off more of the cost. This is a golden age to buy imho.

[jacobBH]

I bought a used M3P with just 16k miles for $25k less than the msrp. And I basically got FSD free because I negotiated 6k off the price which was the current cost of FSD

[matthewherren]

FYI, the deduction can be taken off at the point of sale. You’ll need a dealer who understands this.

[lachoneu]

New only. Simply because they used prices are so high.

[trayvonlittle]

I’m torn between a 2021 refresh MS LR (for the newer MCU, heat pump, and the new 170 MPH speed unlock (unfortunately I can’t afford a 2022 with 16gb ram)) and 2022 MYP (mainly for the chrome delete heat pump and lower price tag). I was originally looking to stay under $45k but I found a $54k model s refresh and I’m really considering splurging. I’m also considering a 2021 model 3 SR and 2021 Mach-e GT because they’re cheaper and in all actuality I WFH and don’t drive much.

[Luma_]

We bought a used 2016 Model X last year. It’s a legacy model but it wasn’t as big of a deal as you might think