If you own a Tesla Model 3, tell us about your experience.
Any regrets? How's depreciation? Bought new/secondhand? Any issues?
Also.. just wondering for the general ozBargainer.. is a Tesla Model 3 something you'd ever consider, not over a Camry of course, but do you think it's worth it?
I'm going through my half yearly phase where I really want a new car and going down the rabbit hole, this time its for the Model 3. Just want to know what everyone's thought on it is.
ye go to whirlpool, everyone is on 200k plus there, I bet they all have teslas
Yeah don't let the fact that a Tesla is terrible value get in the way of a poor decision.
i don't think value was on top of tesla buyer's priorities, but if you were on the look out for a ~50k car it's actually not a bad value proposition at the moment even if you stretch it out to 59k after rebates. with the supply chain shortages and the absurdly inflated used car market the M3 can be had now for sub 59k without much of a wait on delivery. the maintenance and depreciation would compare favourably to any non-japanese.
my friend bought a RAV4 hybrid about a year ago and it's 20% more expensive now used than what he bought new
Explain. What other premium sports sedan can you get for $60k these days? What other 400km range EV can you get for $60k these days? What car that does 0-100kmh in 5 seconds can you get for $60k these days?
Oh, so you are using a few selective features to justify a poor purchase.
@[Deactivated]: I have no idea of the answers to those questions as I don't give a rat's ass about those features.
I could put out 20 features where Tesla sucks.
The fact is that they represent poor value compared to alternative vehicles which best them in many areas and fall behind in a few.
They offer poor value as the initial cost is too high to offset fuel savings.
@mdavant: I specifically asked for examples of alternative vehicles that you keep talking about. You can't answer. I haven't mentioned features at all. You can't answer basic questions, and it sounds like you're speaking from pure jealousy. It's sad.
@[Deactivated]: Stop strawmanning. I never once mentioned those features. You did.
I am not jealous of a car! I drive a 15ish year old car because I understand that cars are a massive money sink ( hoping to get to 20 years)
But thanks for your concerns about my financial position, I do ok for myself thanks very much.
@mdavant: You do understand that you are the one using a straw man, right? I asked you some basic questions, so you could support your hypothesis. I didn't mention any features, I asked about the competition for a Tesla. You haven't been able to name the competition that is better value (being that value is a relative proposition). You instead just try and change the topic, then make vague statements like 'I could put out 20 features where Tesla suck' without naming one feature. You claim they are 'poor value compared to alternative vehicles' despite being asked to provide an example of alternative vehicles, which you haven't done.
It seems that you're just speaking utter bullshit without even attempting to back it up, out of pure jealousy, because you drive a 15 year old piece of shit. It's pretty telling that you talk about me mentioning 'concerns' about your 'financial position', when no one mentioned your financial position at all.
It's funny how people project and highlight their insecurities without being prompted to do so. I hope things get better for you buddy.
@[Deactivated]: I am sorry.
I never replied to you, I replied to ratbargain.
Reread the posts.
Stop strawmanning.
As for the financial position, that is in response to your jealousy quip. I am not jealous that you choose to waste money on something with a better alternative. I could easily purchase a new car tomorrow, so why would I be jealous if your poor purchase choice?
Sorry for you insecurities.
@[Deactivated]: Nah, more like logical and realistic.
I can't help it t if you made a strawman argument and doubled down on it.
@[Deactivated]: You changed a value proposition to a performance proposition. You changed a ev Vs ice into an ev Vs ev.
And you did do this because you defined this instead of seeking to clarify my position.
Oh, so you want to actually engage in something like an adult instead of peacocking about how much more wealthy you are than me (which is probably not true either)
@mdavant: I asked you to name specific cars that represent better value in the same class, you couldn't do it. All I did was ask you to clarify your position.
And no one mentioned wealth, that's all you projecting your inadequacy.
@[Deactivated]: Oh, so you assumed I think that other cars in the same "class" are good value.
I do not.
What do you think I am jealous of?
I'm looking at the Hyundai i30N for 54k driveaway, thoughts on this one? Comes with amazing stock exhaust sounds, 5.3sec dct 0-100 and also able to be modified to give turbo flutter sounds and other aftermarket support. Also was very interested in a Tesla but only the LR can compare to this car going 0-100 faster and also lacking some of the things that make a car fun to enthusiasts. If the Tesla LR was 60k I would choose that instantly over any other car.
@daniesaurs: The LR is a lot faster than the i30N. The SR+ does a listed 0-100kmh in 5.6, but it will do under 5 seconds in the real world. The base Tesla is absolutely faster than the i30N in the real world off the line, and way faster in passing acceleration. It is also rear wheel drive, handles better and comes with Michelin PS4 as standard. The SR+ is discontinued, but every few days 2021 unicorns pop up on Tesla inventory website to pick up. (The 2021 unicorns have the performance rear motor and the big battery). The 2022 Models have the big battery, but a smaller motor.
@[Deactivated]: Ya that's what I thought with the LFP it has a slower time but higher mileage. Are there videos of 5 seconds 0-100kmh with the unicorn models? I'm interested in this if they are cheaper than the 60k. Worth looking at for me since I genuinely really wanted the LR+ for the speed.
@daniesaurs: Literally says 5 seconds on the website. This is the first one I found on youtube, 5.47sec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51wlB0JAzWE.
It's not going to be under $60k unless you live in NSW and get the Govt kickback.
@[Deactivated]: The Model 3 SR+ LFP which is what they have selling, on the site says 6.1 seconds can't find any saying sub 5 seconds, . They don't have existing inventory for Vic, NSW and from what I've seen used ones especially unicorn ones will be more expensive than the brand new ones sadly.
@daniesaurs: No, the SR+ is the 2021 Model (as previously stated), the 2022 Model is just called the Model 3. It has a smaller rear motor (as stated) and is slower. No one has a 2022 model yet, but 2021 Models are popping up in inventory daily, and they cost the same as the 2022 Model. The 2021 SR+ is the one to get. The inventory cars only last at most a couple of hours on the site before someone buys one, there was a grey one in Vic there today. I've said all this already, I'm not sure why I'm needing to repeat myself.
NO.
Not going to pay a premium price for ev + other possible ongoing road tax shit. Also I don’t like the do everything through a touch screen concept when it comes to a motor vehicle.
Tesla unfortunately started the trend of having a tablet centre console instead of physical controls. Its just as bad as piano gloss blacks everywhere.
I am a tesla model 3 SR+ owner.
here are my answers to your question.
Any regrets? nope.
How's depreciation? hard to say as you need to find a owner who willing to depart with one for right price. Bought new/secondhand? new if you can wait else pay same for it to get now lol Any issues? what issues???? MIC is usually quite good.
Also.. just wondering for the general ozBargainer.. is a Tesla Model 3 something you'd ever consider, not over a Camry of course, but do you think it's worth it?
Sadly mistake here. if you do the numbers between model 3 and toyota camry they come really close and if you do more km the gap closes out and wins.
100% worth it. I came from Honda Civic 2017 and been a owner since tesla owner since 2020. You should join Telsa model 3 and Y owners club on facebook or Rent one from Evee and the owners can tell their experience. At 61k drive away if you do the numbers, it will blow your mind. Definitely dont listen to FUD, don't know what FUD is…..find out.
I'm going through my half yearly phase where I really want a new car and going down the rabbit hole, this time its for the Model 3. Just want to know what everyone's thought on it is. = go for it and you won't regret it.
Education on EV is key and not FUD.
helpful links for you to do some light reading:
https://thedriven.io/2021/07/12/tesla-model-3-now-costs-less…
https://thedriven.io/2021/11/29/tesla-model-3-costs-14000-le…
https://insideevs.com/features/498553/tesla-model-3-vs-camry…
Wait till after the election.
If SloMo gets back in then nothing will change, but if Labor get in there's a real chance EV pricing will come down in AU due to federal government initiatives aimed at you know… increasing EV take up so its on par with the rest of the developed world.
We are the world's dumping ground for crap tech these days. A decade with no direction on policy does that. SloMo&Co can wish all they like, but fossil fuel vehicles are already dead in the water overseas. In short order it WILL happen here too.
I just ordered a base Model 3 and sold my VW Scirocco. Test drove a bunch of cars before putting in the order. Here was my thinking:
Personal opinion: Once the sticker price on an EV falls into the lower price ranges of cars like the Camry, It will be a no brainer to go EV. The only ICE cars that will sell in the future will be in the high end performance/classic category and in limited volume.
EV and petrol cars are completely different underneath the shell, Tesla has been developing EV tech for years and traditional OEMs have just decided to go that route recently, I imagine their EV platforms are years behind Tesla at the moment.
Hope it helps!
Which config did you go with and what was the total drive away price for you after all discounts and rebate? Also, whats the ETA?
edit: congrats btw! hope you enjoy it
Standard everything - base model in white with black interior. ~$58k driveaway.
Thanks!
Waiting for model y
test drove a Model 3 last year, amazing car.
plan on upgrading in a year or two
I have the Model 3 SR+, which I've had since March. I love it and wouldn't be without it. I like that it is very safe, has lots of bonkers features and it's as cheap as chips to run, (after the initial big outlay). The only downside so far is that there's a real problem getting parts - I have crash damage from July and I'm still waiting on a new bumper. It seems Tesla are keen on selling new cars but not looking after existing owners.
I plan to buy one as I think Elon is a good guy and he needs our financial support.
I have a m3 lr and my only regret is getting the black model, it's an utter shit to clean and marks so easily.
Had it since march 2020. 60,000 km's on it. Absolutely love it.
No bad panels, the only thing that ever went wrong is the stereo died once and service centre replaced it in a 1hr visit.
I really struggle to see why people get the urge to hate on them. Is it Australian tall poppy syndrome?
All the talk about "no charging" when there are superchargers all the way along the coast, and every morning I wake up to the car having a full charge (i.e. 450-500km range).
I've owned about 20 cars and this one is by far the best.
I'm not against petrol as such, I still want to get something petrol and exotic as a weekender, but as a every day car my desire to switch from a Tesla to something normal is zero
Did you get it new?? Less than 2 years and you've already got 60k on it, thats nuts!
What colour would you have gone with instead?
Yes new. I drive a lot for work.
I should have gone white or blue.
With that amount of driving, you must be saving a fortune on fuel.
I have had mine for about the same amount of time and have just shy of 60,000KM. Makes the commute from Gold Coast to Brisbane an absolute dream. Best car i've ever owned. Don't get the argument people make about charging. I've never had range anxiety and I've only ever had to supercharge once. Had to supercharge at Toowoomba when I drove there for the day from the GC. 25min sitting at the golf club having breakfast and the car was charged, doesn't get any better than that!
I own one, best car i have ever owned and almost negative depreciation.
if youve got a roof you can put solar on you can save ~$5000 per year that youd otherwise be spending on fuel and maintenance.
ive noticed a lot of negative views of tesla on ozbargain, these people need to do more research and stop with the confirmation bias.
Just don't buy a white one because they're already everywhere.
Had it for 2 years, a great EV, and best car (in general) that I drove or owned.
My car experience is mostly "premium" german brands (MB, BMW, Audi).
If you buy new, the panel/fit/finish problems are long gone due to improvements on assembly lines.
If you can afford it, the car will spoil you in lack of maintenance, responsiveness, power, in-cabin multimedia.
If you like fast, the $85k drive-away (NSW) performance model is quicker than 99% cars on the road. Not only on paper with acceleration, but responsiveness and torque from 0 rpm.
If you like safe, it's the safest car money can buy.
If you like cheap and you're one of 50% of household that has solar on your roof, you can charge from the sun and drive for free.
What helped me decide is renting one for weekend. You can try directly with Tesla or via Evee (https://evee.com.au/)
The Performance is more like $95k driveaway, not $85k.
Still worth it for what you get. You'll have to pay triple to get a faster car and that's probably just a weekender
Absolutely.
I ordered an M3 last week, after reading this thread - both positive and negatives, I feel like my order has been validated. It was actually great to see views from the haters and the lovers.
My only regret and I don't even own the car: I should have purchased a few week's earlier when the "unicorn M3s" were being discretly sold (but no one could have predicted this). I had a chat with a Tesla sales rep who confirmed, M3 SR+ that were ordered between 01/10/2021 and 01/11/2021 will have the increased 490km ranged and the 5.6 second 0-100 sprint time.
Whats the wait time for yours?
I thought that they got rid of 'SR+' and the base model is just now 'Model 3' and other two models are Long Range and Performance.
Whats was your cost all up and what colour?
Congrats btw!
SR+ is now "standard model"
yea SR+ refers to the older battery set up.
*8-12 weeks, online chat said could be earlier, but I doubt it
*white, no optional extras (yeah i'm basic as)
* $64,662 - $1375 (no delivery fee under corporate plan) = $63,287 drive away. Then rebates of $2175 (nsw stamp duty) and $3000 (nsw ev rebate), grand total should be $58,112
Three years service plan is also included under the corporate plan, ~$1200 in savings I think.
I'd be making money if someone bought it 2nd hand haha.
Haha, probably the same one I'd be buying if I were to get one.
Just wondering, how are you getting rebates for stamp duty? Is that a NSW specific rebate for EVs? I'm in Victoria, wondering if theres something similar.
@buckethat: There's an ozb deal about the nsw the EV incentives here.
The New South Wales government will waive stamp duty on electric vehicle purchases and provide subsidies for 25,000 new purchases as part of a $490m strategy to drive uptake of EVs.
Under the plan announced on Sunday, people buying battery and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles priced under $78,000 from 1 September will pay no stamp duty, and $3,000 rebates will be available on the same day for the first 25,000 private purchases of electric vehicles priced under $68,750.
At least you’ve got the bigger battery.
I took delivery of an SR+ in late August this year.
Great car but the TACC is a bit rubbish and I’ve got more than a few unnecessary scares from the emergency braking coming on.
If Tesla can’t get that right, I have no faith that they can get FSD working.
Despite its shortcomings, I think it’s still the best $60k car on the market.
Yes.
Having had a M3P since 2019, then sold at the top of the market beginning of the year I would suggest that you wait til the Y drops, or at least pre-orders start. Used M3s will start flooding the market.
I'm holding out for my plaid which will be lovely.
I think this may happen. If they come out with a model 2, a 4x4 and a medium suv then people will ditch sedans.
On my third Model S Performance among others. Have they been reliable? NO. Do I love them? YES. Would I pick a different manufacturer if there was another EV with comparable performance and charging infrastructures? YES!
What are some of these reliability issues?
No
The charging situation is so dependent on personal circumstances and location. I wish fanbois would get that through their heads instead of imposing it as a "non-issue".
It's a no brainer and a huge benefit for someone with a garage who can charge their EV overnight. But a big pain if you park your car on the road, live in an apartment complex where there is either no EV charging stations or no available chargers (i.e they are routinely used up), or live in the Wild West.
Public charging? Aside from the Superchargers (which are great - albeit there only being 1 in Perth), they are all low wattage (<22kW). This means they are going to take hours for you to charge your EV, and you have to do it in obscure locations. A handful are "free". This is reasonable, but a large majority are also only for customers/patrons only. If you rely on these public chargers and don't have a supercharger near you, then its a very large inconvenience compared to a standard ICE vehicle.
That all being said, these are really for trickle charging whilst you go about your day e.g shopping, going to the library etc.
BUT as more and more EVs and Model 3's are showing up on the roads, the public charging situation is getting worse and worse. Or rather, the "perk" of being able to snag an EV charging bay right in front of the shops and have your car charge whilst you shop, is slowly disappearing.
The fact of the matter is, the infrastructure is still in its early stages, and the basic notion of charging one's vehicle will remain an issue for a lot of people.
I'm a car guy. The idea of Tesla's power and speed is nice. I can definitely see them taking over standard cars once the network is fully in place.
I wouldn't have an issue driving one if its no longer sustainable to drive daily.
But if the ICE running costs only doubles or triples. I will still find a reason to justify owning them.
I will still own a MX5 or Cayman/Boxster. Or if I have kids. I will buy an Off Roader or a Sports Sedan/Wagon.
Maybe if they can make a manual trans, 2 seat, reliable, lightweight, convertible sports car EV with a good range. Thats also satisfying to drive through the corners without loosing your license.
Then maybe I will get rid of all my ICE vehicles.
The network has been 'fully in place' for years. The EV fast charging infrastructure is really good, between Tesla and 3rd parties.
What exactly are you looking for out of an EV with a manual transmission? My guess is that you'll be waiting forever.
If I transition to EVs and dump the ICE enthusiast cars. I want something more engaging to drive I guess. Nothing is more fun then changing gears, working the motor and hearing the exhaust on a track or on your favourite back roads.
Yes I get what you're saying and I will always miss that engagement from my old MX5 but I think that era has pretty much gone. You can still keep an old 2 seater convertible for that sort of fun but for everyday practicality the Tesla Model 3 ticks quite a few boxes.
Plus the smile I get from steering it around the bends and planting the accelerator reminds me of my MX5!
"But if the ICE running costs only doubles or triples. I will still find a reason to justify owning them."
The bell curve is real……
Just waiting for a semi decent Ute EV.. Probably another 2-3 years away?
Rivian's been getting pretty good reviews, but I'd probably wait for a second or third generation too.
Yeah, but it’s US full sized which are too big for the majority of aussies. I want to see a hilux/ranger/Navara sized version, not F150/Ram sized.
Rivians are not US full sized. They are between a mid sized ute like the Ranger and an F150.
Wow, there is a lot of FUD on this thread. I have a 3 and I'd never buy a non-electric car again now. Running costs are very cheap. There are half a dozen free (as in free) chargers around Brisbane and it's all solar at home. Costs me zero most of the time. I've driven 15,000km on it so far and no complaints. It costs about $10 to get to Rockhampton from Brisbane with the QESH chargers. Rego is on the cheapest band in most states. It was half the cost to register my new Tesla than the 10 year old commodore I traded for it. Insurance can be a lot because it is a luxury car of sorts but there are a few vendors that will do full comprehensive for under 1k unless you are a bad driver.
Driving wise they are very powerful cars. Handling is great because the weight is so low. It is very easy to drive without even using the brakes and relying entirely on the car's capacitive brakes. Heaps of power for hills, overtaking etc. Adaptive cruise control is great and autopilot makes long drives very easy.
The cost could be lower, especially if the other party wins the next election so it may be worth waiting. Teslas have been selling more used than new lately which is insane but it is a reflection on demand and the fact you will be waiting 3+ months if you buy one new. I know someone who sold a 4 year old Tesla for more than he paid to buy it but that is very abnormal market behaviour so I wouldn't bank on it.
Overall, it's a matter of taste but having near zero running costs is a definite bonus. I was spending 3 times more keeping my old petrol car on the road and the Tesla is 1000x better to drive.
Costs me zero most of the time
No idea how most electric car drivers think this. All I want to know is how to get FREE roof top solar installed and connected.
Easy, if you do research. Dependant on the state but there are many incentives. Getting solar if you own a suitable property is a no brainer. It pays for itself, usually within 5 years. For example ACT has $15,000 interest free loan at the moment - same if you are buying electric car.
Easy, if you do research
That is the problem. I can never find free panels.
It pays for itself, usually within 5 years
I eat food so I can go to work but I never call it free food.
For example ACT has $15,000 interest free loan at the moment
It really is just a cash flow matter
If you were intending to buy a $60k+ ICE and get a Tesla and fill it up with solar then it might be free. But if you were going to buy a Corolla but ended up spending another $30k on a Tesla and expect it to pay off driving the average 13k/kms a year then might be a long wait.
@netjock: So forget what car you own. Let's just concentrate on the solar panels. I will break it down like this. Take $10,000 loan (up to $15,000 depending on your use case), interest free for 5 years. Use it to purchase solar panels, that should be plenty to get a decent system installed and connected. Each year you will save ~$2,000 in electricity, could be more depending on your usage. In 5 years the system is repaid, therefore it is free.
Now if you happen to have electric car at the same time, bonus free charging as well.
@randysal: Not sure what you are up to.
I have 2Kw solar on my roof (3BR house). I export 6-8kwh a day and buy like 4kwh from the grid, that is if I turn on the aircon in the living area for 6 hours a day (on low). There is no way will I save $2,000 a year on electricity. I have no idea what most people are up to but it ain't normal.
$10k is probably 10kw solar installation, that is a lot of electricity (I've got one on a farm shed) and at 10c feed in it is producing about $1,500 a year after supply charge etc but you'd have to be home all day charging your Tesla to make it worthwhile. Just on feed in, it won't pay itself off until 6 years. You can check websites like solar quotes etc which all point to 5 - 6 years+ it might pay off sooner if you are charging a car using it all up but it is the idea that we're all working from home.
I am wondering whether all you Tesla drivers are at home from sunrise to sunset to charge it, then take the car out at night to flog a few hundred kilometres on the ODO and then get into bed at midnight.
@netjock: I usually ride a bike to work and don't drive all that much.
The Tesla is being charged at work for free - it is my partners car and she drives it (actually free, free parking and free to charge and comes from 100% solar). But forget Tesla, who cares, you asked about free solar panels.
The electricity I save at home is around $2,000 per annum and yes depending on the current deal and circumstance you would pay it off in 5 years if you shop around and use the electricity when the sun shines (it is really easy with timers and slight rearranging of routines).
The Tesla is being charged at work for free
In theory but I'd rather get a pay rise and pay for the panels I get to keep. Might seem like a perk but if you speak to your facilities manager they'd probably tell you it isn't free but a perk that is factored into cost of doing business. It is like super going up by 0.5% a lot of people funded it out of their total package.
I usually ride a bike to work and don't drive all that much
So you bought a $60k car to not drive all that much rather than a $20k or $30k car that doesn't go out that much.
@netjock: I actually bought 3 electric cars from 2018 to present. We currently are keeping 2 of them. Tesla is my partner's car and I have the other one.
The thing is I haven't lost any money on them yet. The one we sold has been bought in 2018 and sold for the same money just a couple of months ago. Yes, chip shortage, and all that, however we recently sold my partner's petrol car and it has depreciated quite badly (Toyota Yaris, low k's good nick).
The sad reality is you have to have a car, even if you drive it just occasionally. Possibly not so much if you live in Sydney or Melbourne.
The thing is I haven't lost any money on them yet. The one we sold has been bought in 2018 and sold for the same money just a couple of months ago. Yes, chip shortage, and all that, however we recently sold my partner's petrol car and it has depreciated quite badly (Toyota Yaris, low k's good nick).
The last pandemic was 100 years ago. You think it is the new normal?
@netjock: My general feeling (not a confirmed fact) is that petrol cars will continue depreciating, especially in the next year or two. The electric cars are in demand more so then petrol, so they keep their value better until the new better tech comes along. So I am good with my current choice for the next two years at least. It will not work for everyone, cause everyone has different needs/abilities.
But yeah, I get it, we could have kept the Yaris for next 10+ years and kept filling it up with petrol and polluting the air and changing oil every 6 months and so on and so forth.
But purely from the financial perspective, in our case selling Yaris and getting electric car makes sense (not Tesla, just any electric car, even a really cheap one)
Not to mention a lot of people still get paid a solar feed in tariff. In my case, the feed in tariff is 8.5c/kWh. So any electricity I generate and consume is not free, it's costing me 8.5c/kWh to consume it.
Obviously there is also the cost of the solar system and some level of longer term maintenance you need to factor in like you are alluding to.
So yes, it's not free in any sense.
Already cash positive on solar after 3 years. 12kW system no batteries. I've had cash return bills ever since installing (we don't use much power and now run everything in the day too). Upfront was a lot but lower ongoing costs are better over time. You can get zero percent loans for solar and batteries in multiple jurisdictions but if your mortgage is under 2% that's effectively zero with inflation anyway (so you could extend your mortgage for the cash).
I had a service with Tesla yesterday to fix an issue with the boot. Total cost, $0. Tesla also vacuumed and washed the car.
I'll note I also mentioned there are lots of free chargers all over Brisbane. I am not only charging for free at home. We were spending around a hundred per fortnight on petrol before (fairly inefficient car) so over a year that's 2500ish in petrol plus higher rego, repairs and insurance (so round that out to 4k per year in savings).
None of this is financial advice and I am not your financial adviser. Just saying that it is possible to reduce ongoing costs to almost zero.
Edit: I'm also not saying the car itself is a saving. It's a stupidly expensive extravagance. Cars are not an investment. All I'm saying is that it costs my family less than 1.6k per year in total running costs. YMMV.
All I'm saying is that it costs my family less than 1.6k per year in total running costs
The same with my Corolla Hybrid Sedan. $60 a tank and goes 1,100 kms. The Australian average is 11k/kms year so $600 and servicing is only $200 per year (15,000 intervals) fixed for first 5 years.
@netjock: Hybrids are in the same rego and insurance buckets in many states so it checks out. A high efficiency hybrid is probably a better choice at the moment. Especially if we didn't have an utterly stupid federal government and could buy more of the plug-in hybrids available in overseas markets.
Speaking about insurance, I recently bought the new Model 3 and will be picking up sometime early next year. Currently trying to scout out cheaper insurance companies and best I can get is just over $2k with budget direct. Any ones you recommend to hit a lower price point? Suncorp recently went up in price prior to it being around $1,900 for me which is a bummer
Must depend on age/location/history. Just insured a M3 LR for $780 with NRMA. We also have them for CTP, so that helps a bit.
I'm with Suncorp. It was $900 for my 3. Their 3 policy 30% off made the deal heaps better than that though because my home insurance is huge.
Interesting thread. I have been wondering if was worth to spend $60k on a car, just cant justify the cost where I can get an ICE at half the price. Another problem I have had is that I live in an apartment and don't own a house yet. I was wondering if anyone has experiences where they own an EV in an apartment where they cannot charge due to undercover parking. How is the range anxiety? What does it cost to charge? I know many of the malls have EV but not sure if they are paid or free of charge. I know there are a few that offer free for sure. How long do cars take to charge at these chargers? One of the biggest reasons I'm unable to pull the trigger is due to the lack of charging infra in an apartment.
It is only worth it if you are going to spend $60k+ on a sedan and consider it as an option. For someone who works a minimum wage job and can only afford a $20k Kia Piccanto I don't think $60k would come into the frame regardless how cheap the maintenance might be.
Best thing I've ever owner, best money I've ever spent.
Traded our 2016 Santa Fe for a Tesla 3 Long Range. Put a deposit in late July, received in September. Pretty happy with the changeover. Went with the Long Range for the dual motor, which will be a bit more stable up the snow, and of course for the extra performance and range. We were getting screwed for repayments on the Santa Fe: almost 900 bucks a month or something @8% through chattel mortgage. A combination of buying through the wife's company, selling the Santa Fe for a reasonable price (The used car market is hot right now), throwing in some savings of our own, and Tesla's crazy good interest rate, the repayments are around 525 a month.
We don't pay for fuel, which saves a lot more than I first realized. We charge off solar or for free at the shops/office. At home, a wall wart charges at 11km/h, a fast charger at the shops is around 75km/h.
Haven't needed a service yet, since the only major consumables are brake pads and tyres. We've only done 4000 k's, and the regenerative braking means you don't really rely on brakes as much as you'd think.
Insurance is a bit high, at around $1600 a year fully comp but no higher than our other car.
The wife and I aren't rich by any means, but we ARE professionals and don't plan to have kids, so there's a little more disposable income available, especially since we both worked from home for almost 2 years instead of driving a 100km round trip to the office each day.
No dramas about range anxiety… the furthest I'd go is Jindabyne, and there's a ton of chargers on the way there and back. It'd be like worrying whether a petrol station has enough fuel for you before you arrive. Only places really cut off to me are WA and Alice Springs.
2 warranty issues since September:
- The wall wart charger has failed, leaving us without a way to charge at home. Went down to Doncaster Westfield, and charged for free. They replaced 2 days after filing through the app.
- Second issue is the rear light has a crack, which lets in moisture, causing the light to fog. Replaced in 7 days.
We got a Chinese made T3, and the panel gaps and QC seems to be a bit better than a neighbours' early model T3. The hood panel is garbage though, flexes like it's at Venice Beach. Some design choices are absolutely idiotic, like the windshield wipers and accessing the glovebox, or changing the vent direction. Wasn't a fan of the single ipad screen, but it DOES open up the view a little more in front of you, and you get used to it quickly. I miss a HUD, and the overhead camera view of other cars.
Personally I can't wait until dedicated car companies focuses on making EVs. I love the Tesla, but I don't love their sales team, or user interface. I tend to think that they're changing the direction of the conversation, but once people catch up, they will be left in the dust.
Just about everyone have had similar complaints about the wipers, surprised they haven't been rectified yet.
Sorry to hi-jack the thread but is anyone looking at the upcoming Kia EV6?
It looks really nice and fits the niche of Midsize SUV will be interesting too see what the uptake is.
Waiting for the cyber truck. It is ugly and rough. Perfect for shopping centre car parks where people want to smash the doors of their old banger into your doors.
Not until the Federal Government fully support everyone to go EV.
Not getting one until under 30k, ten years wait sure thing
Have a M3 and absolutely love it. So does my partner. The driving experience is fun which translates to me & my partner doing more things together outside of our immediate area. I feel that electric cars have now reached a level of maturity where it makes sense for many to switch over. I certainly would never consider an ICE again.
M3 is an ICE? Inline 6 turbo?
Search your feelings. Tell me the median Ozbargainer didn’t have a smartphone in primary school. Or expect their parents to spend $27,500 on their first car. Or thinks $75k after a 3 year undergrad course is an insult to their soul