A Tesla buyers guide is important because when you buy a Tesla, you’re buying a whole new kind of car experience, and a Tesla buyers guide should be your first stop.
The different model Teslas, mentioned below, have different features. The features the three models have in common outnumber the differences. Here are the three Tesla Models:
- Tesla Model S
- Tesla Model 3
- Tesla Model X
The model s and X have been on the road for a number of years while the Model 3 delivery of the first 30 cars on July 28. On July 1, 2018 to showrooms in 2019. With the introduction of the Model 3, there’s a staggering difference in price between the models.
Factors to Think about When Buying a Tesla
You should consider how warm you feel about each performance feature. Just looking at the three models, which one attracts you the most? This is about synergy or chemistry with the sleek lines of the Tesla Model S, or does the SUV profile of the Tesla Model X grab you as it crouches on the road.
The Model 3 might be the affordable model, but is there a really big difference in appearance between the three? There’s no right or wrong answer. Teslas are fairly photogenic cars. Consider these factors:
- Driving Range
- Performance
- Price
These are the big questions to get answers, and then you can start looking at the details.
Driving Range
With an electric car, there are certain bugaboos because the charging infrastructure in our society is really without leadership. The electric car equivalent of the corner gas station hasn’t appeared yet. That’s not to say there are no charging stations, they’re all over the place, but it’s still in development.
That brings up the question of the car’s range. Do you care about how far the car goes before you need to charge it again? The Tesla car is a battery-only system. Look at the mileage figures of the three Teslas and consider that factor when buying:
- Model X: 237-289 miles
- Model S: 249-315 miles
- Model 3: 310 miles
Performance of Tesla’s
The performance angle must be considered. When you think about cars, are you a speedster? Do you like quick starts? Does the fact that your car is so fast that switching lanes on a freeway at 70 mph is no problem and when you accelerate past everybody else on the road, does the car feel the strain?
If you’re aware of these issues, then you’re the type of driver that pays attention to performance. If you want performance from a Tesla, you can certainly get it, so don’t hesitate to consider these performance issues with a Tesla:
- Model S: 2.9 seconds to travel from zero to 60 mph
- Model X: 2.9 seconds to travel from zero to 60 mph
- Model 3: 3.5 seconds projected to travel from zero to 60mph
The 2.9 second time of the first two models are world-class. The 3.5 seconds of the Model 3 projected is awfully fast. It’s hard to believe any of the Tesla models will leave you wanting in performance.
In other respects, the Tesla’s performance is less impressive. If you believe you can take the Model X out for rock-crawling because it’s an SUV, you should reconsider. It has cool things going for it including an inflatable suspension system that raises the vehicle’s clearance. But getting the clearance up to 8-inches isn’t impressive to a rock-climber.
Most Tesla motorists are not looking for a rock-climber when they purchase the SUV model, and it’s not a big drawback about the Model X. Would somebody really take an $84,000 car out rock-climbing?
The Price of a Tesla
Do you want to spend a large amount of money on transportation? Tesla promised consumers it would deliver an electric car with range. Tesla insisted on the luxury angle.
As a result, Tesla is an expensive car. The model 3 promises to be reasonably priced at around $35,000. People spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Tesla cars because it was about a revolution in car making.
With the model 3, the future has arrived at Tesla. Now, consumers can choose between an inexpensive car and high priced luxury cars. Do you want to spend $160,000 on transportation? That’s a lot of money to spend on a car, but Tesla offers such a car.
- Model S: Base sticker price is $78,000.
- Model X: Base sticker price is $84,000.
- Model 3: Base sticker price is supposed to be $35,000.
If the price is your concern, then the Model 3 is the car for you. The X and S are both high priced cars in the same price range, and after all the extras are considered, it’s really a question of other factors than price.
The Model 3 could attract Toyota buyers to Audi buyers with a cost of ownership that will impress Toyota buyers and performance that impresses Audi owners.
In addition, the Tesla Model 3 has hidden advantage car buyers are not likely to see, but it’s there. If you want to keep driving your Tesla after the three year depreciation period, you may find that it’s much less expensive to drive when most internal combustion engine vehicles start to nickel and dime their owners.
After the odometer rolls over 100,000 miles, ICE cars start experiencing minor problems like water pump failure, turbo issues, starter failures, the timing belt is shot and the spark plugs need replacing. These are naturally ICE problems. Electric cars have none of these issues because the electric motor doesn’t use any of the stuff mentioned.
Related: Tesla Depreciation: Everything you could possibly want to know
These three factors are important to consider when buying a Tesla. The luxury features of the X and the S are very similar. They are indisputably great luxury cars. We must jump in and experience the Tesla to really understand what the car has to offer. The buying choice might be made in studying the details.
