After months of anticipation and getting hyped by Youtube videos, I made the move to purchase Tesla Model 3 before Christmas. Being a ‘go big or go home’ guy and specifically seeking self driving the MSRP came to 59000 for my Metallic Blue, 19″ Sport Wheels , AWD and Self Driving Tesla Model. I recently took a second job to support myself financially so that I could afford it.
I fell in love with the car but I knew it cannot replace my trusty VW toureg TDI yet, so my initial idea was to have two cars. As with its 250 mile range (70-80% charge) I cannot be comfortable taking it around Olympic Peninsula or Vancouver Island.. It being a sedan with lot ground clearance, I wont be able to take on forest service roads to access my favorite trail heads nor I will be able to carry my tool and ladders
Self Driving: I really loved the self driving capabilities making a 30 min traffic commute feeling like a breeze, but I felt that it is not there yet. It has enough capabailities to let you relax while driving but at the same time expect you to pay attention by a constant remainder every 10 seconds to hold steering wheel.
sometimes when you are navigating using autopilot it will say “Auto pilot ends in 400 yards” when it comes to exists that are not compatible.. I wish it did a better job as if you are not paying attention to the chime there is a likely hood of an accident which I found to be very dangerous.. if you try to force auto driving in an exit it will take off at 60 mph (speed limit on the freeway) even if there is a sharp curve requiring to go at 25 mph. I felt the extra $7000 is not worth this if I constantly have to pay attention, I might as well drive by myself
Finances: I made a miscalculation when I purchased.. I didn’t realize the financial impact it will have on me. I was focusing solely on my monthly payments assuming that I can pay from my second job. I paid 16000 down payment which would have required to pay $750 for 6 years on top of that having two cars bumped my insurance to $2100 for 6 months from $900. There were additional costs such as $2000 wall connector (the connector cost $518 + installation).. and on top of that I am still paying $150 to VW credit until June 2020.
Even with taking into account my expected bonus, tax returns, pay rise in early 2020 I realized it is a huge burden for me. As a result it caused me a lot of stress which in turn forced me to take more risks with HT. After reading about Tesla return policy I was able to return it on Day 7 with full refund expected in 6-8 weeks and sighed with relief. I also started the process to return my wall connector.
What Next:
After having first hand experience that the EV infrastructure and Self Driving technology is not there yet, I am going to take a wait and see approach. I am closely looking at Ford Mustang Mach E (270 miles for AWD $$55k) or Rivian R1S (starting at $72K not including $7.5K Federal Credit).. perhaps if I save enough. Right now I am just going to take it easy, ignore all car videos recommended by YT and plan more traveling this year
Pros:
Style- I really loved the style and look of the car with bright shining metallic blue with a sporty, trendy look
Performance – While i never actually owned a sports car the model 3 with its low center of gravity powered by 450 HP (252 rear and 198 rear) is the closest I been to owning a sports car. 0-40 in 4.2 seconds with option 2.8K upgrade to bring it down to 3.9 seconds this is the fastest car I ever drove or owned.
Interior – Minimalist and comfortable
Entertainment – I enjoyed the giant screen. You can watch movies, listen to spotify, offers crystal clear surround sound, etc etc..Apparently support for Youtube is in plan too.It also has some nice Easter eggs
Comfort – I felt the seating to be very comfortable with a leather like material, lot of leg room (I am 5’8).
Cargo Space – Has a huge trunk with option of folding back row seats, additional space in the front trunk which can washed if needed
Cons:
Touch screen – It is susceptible to hand prints even after minimal use.
Buttons or lack there of- Have to go through series of steps to open glove box, adjust mirrors etc
Poor visibility – unless you see the 3D real time rendering of traffic on screen.. the visibility seemed to be very less on the back mirron and side mirrors..No matter how I positioned I couldn’t get a comfortable view of traffic surrounding me
Charging – You cant just go to gas station accessible at every nuke and corned and fill in gas in 10 mins. You have to lookup super charging stations and plan for additional wait time. It took me 25 mins to get 130 miles at the Tesla Super Charging Station in Fred Meyer
