2012 Tesla Model S: Still Worth It in 2023? (Shocking Truth!)**

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OSR Garage tried out an old Tesla. The 2012 Tesla Model S 85 was just a base model with 265 miles of range in a beautiful package.
Tesla was lightyears ahead of the Legacy brands and this OLD Model S was an inspiration to many. Build quality has been an issue for Tesla lately, especially with the Model Y and Model 3, but this 10yr old Model S still looks and drives excellent.
A 10 year old Tesla Model S can be had for a price that's much more reasonable than a brand new, 2023 Model S. But are the old, first generation Model S cars still worth it, or are they completely obsolete?
The tech in Teslas has changed significantly over the years, but at their core, the original cars are still remarkable in their own way.

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[anthonysalvo]

2015 85D here. Bought for less than $29, 000. Over 100, 000 miles but drives great. New MCU2 makes it feel new. New brakes and rotors. Free supercharging. Way less than a brand new Nissan leaf plus. More range. AWD. Superior everything.

[mr.steve]

Unpopular opinion, The front end looks better on the 2012

[RobloxianX]

The first true Tesla. Still looks straight from the future even today.

[cryptojedii]

Great video!! I've been looking for more recent videos of the older model Telsa and this one sure foots the build. Thank you much for the walk-around. I think I shall save the money I was going to spend on a 3/Y and get an 'older' S - especially if one looks this clean. Thanks again!

[angelofonseca]

Hello,
Handle is simple to fix( if ur handy)by buying inner cable and headliner can be cleaned with tuff stuff foam cleaner. Have a 2014 MS w/103k & love it. Good luck

[slyguyaction]

The car seems to be holding up really, really well and $30k is a great deal. Thanks for making this video...

[lkrnpk]

I remember when they came out naysayers said they will last 5-6 years and then they will go to scrapyard... The narrative has not changed much with new EVs coming out, but I think as time goes by we will see that they are surprisingly resilient.

[tominglis]

Glad it works for you. I bought a 2013 Mod S P85 for my granddaughter for $8k. 127K miles. Car was beautiful, no scratches, nothing. After 3 months and 1000 miles, I have an $8K brick. No main battery, Teslar repair center want $15, 650 for a rebuilt that only has a 30 day warranty(22k for new battery but no warranty on anything else going out). So in my mind, NO Tesla anywhere is a viable used car. It's only worth what it's existing warranty is left. Maybe they could be an expensive lawn ornament, or people can set their tv's up on them or weld the doors and make them into small hot tubs? I never lost that much money on a car before without getting any real use out of it.

[utbunny]

Really cool that they keep updating the software for you. It doesn't look much different than the new ones. Plus FREE fuel. I don't think I'd pay 30K for it either though.

[beegxxc]

It holds up much better than I expected. Positively surprised.
But I gotta say panel gaps on my old 2007 bimmer still looked almost perfect a year ago even though it had some bodywork done in the front back in 2009.

[Bmanw]

8:57 yea it does, hit the right or left scroll wheel and that activates voice commands for say, "Navigate to Steak & Shake" It should Navigate. Hope this helps

[adonisgonzalez]

Great video, thank you. it’s a perfect video for me right now since I’m pretty sure I’m buying a 2012 model S this weekend. As good as this Car in the video looks, believe it or not, the one I’m looking at looks even better with only 51K miles. The one thing I would replace on these is the MCU1 to the new MCU2 immediately. That will get you all the updated new features. A lot of people with 2017s and older are doing this actually. About 2k but worth it. Everything on that screen will work fast and smooth

[angryblackops]

Dude what a good video this made me consider the S as a car option in the 30 to 35k for range

[slartybartfarst]

In UK a run a P85 bought from new back in 2014 now 138, 000 miles. It had new drive unit at 35, 000 (bearing noise, a lot of cars had this) and new battery at 75, 000 (coolant leak) both under warranty both took 2 days, pretty faultless machine never stranded me. Theres a world of difference in performance from the S to the P (due to much bigger inverter) really worth the money and the red calipers and carbon spoiler really pop on white or black cars. Most work needed I do as spares are cheap and they are easy to work on, brilliant cars and the classics with free super charging sought after now

[TellyPower]

2015 MS P85 Still well under 100, 000km and in pretty mint condition. Love it! Free charging everywhere, and the battery is in really good condition for its age. Really surprised me! Love this car

[aussietaipan]

Thanks for the video. I'm in the market for a used model S here in AU, 2016 or above to have some battery and motor warranty. With yours, the MCU may only be 8Kb and this buffer causes screens to not open apps and or completely freezes. Tesla will upgrade this MCU to 64Kb for free so its worth considering to do so. The door handle can be rectified with a Tesla repair kit.

[chagodegruytere]

You need the standard pack to navigate and it is free the first 8 years (counting from day of the delivery of the car), for more features you need the premium pack and that is free the first 30 days (counting from day of the delivery of the car) if you want the packs longer you need a monthly subscription

[TraderJono]

Get the MCU2 upgrade it'll gain sat nav and transform the user interface experience!! I have a 2015 P90DL and I love it. Paid less than a third of the price it was new

[wgqpokx]

out of warranty issues (if any) on these older vehicles may eat into the deal...Believe me, you don't want to own Tesla without a warranty...My 2021 M3 had faulty HV battery (more common than you think) after 42K miles, ,,replaced under warranty for free, , , out of warranty, the HV main battery replacement cost (part & labor) will be around $16K. For 30K, I would prefer to have a newer Tesla under warranty - especially now that new Tesla vehicle prices are coming down.

[brunocordeiro]

I have a 2014 model s 85 and it's very good