There doesn't seem to be too many options currently on the market for Premium/Luxury EV Sedans.
If you could pick between either of the Model S plaid (~$200k) or the EQE53 AMG (~$230k), which one would you get and why? Noting that one is $30k more and the Model S plaid is not yet available in Australia.
Update: Added poll options for BMW and Porche just for fun.
Made in China mate 😭
I'd expect more from $200k 🤣
Problem with China manufacturing is they don’t have proper QC. All manufacturing has defects, it’s just whether they pick them up before it gets shipped out. China unfortunately as a whole don’t seem to care that much about QC. There are some exceptions like Apple which put in place more stringent QC checks for their China factories but other companies willing to skip that step to save some $$
The Mercedes. I have all Mercedes at home and have never had a problem with reliability or build quality.
What do you drive? :)
A "not very green" AMG C63s but I will look at an EV for my next car for sure
Excellent! What year? Those ones kick hard. Test drove one awhile back, you can just feel the power!
Not comparable to EVs obviously.
The 350 is quick enough and can be driven calmly on eco mode but the C63 just wants to jump out of its skin all the time.
I take the 350 to client meetings. The 63 is a bit too much.
I was considering a corolla hybrid but yeah sure lol
Would not go near an EV @ present.Maybe in 5 years or so.Hybrid is the sweet spot atm.
OK, let's rephrase. Which EV would go near the ones listed in 5 years' time?
No idea.An awful lot can happen/change in 5years.
Thanks for your unhelpful input into this discussion lol
You should probably stick to asking actual EV owners what their opinions are on this topic. People that have no experience with EV’s are completely unreliable sources.
The Mercedes EQ is U G L Y
Taycan if i had the money.
A Tesla is not a premium / luxury brand. The only reason they are expensive is due to it being an EV and the cost of batteries. A mate purchased one at work. He's had a lot of problems which Tesla haven't been able to resolve.
What’s the definition/criteria to be a premium/luxury brand?
Well I would say the materials used, the fit and finish. The service you get when you take your vehicle in for a service etc. Even the Kia EV6 is approaching a price tag of $100k. All EVs are more expensive when compared to ICE equivalent vehicles. Should we now classify all EVs as premium/ luxury cars due to the higher price tag? The new Lucid Air is meant to be a more premium brand that tries to differentiateitselffrom Tesla. But I would classify a Porche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Lexus etc. as more premium/luxury brands.
All subjectives measures. What you think is good quality materials and finishing I might think is bad. So what one person considers crap is another persons luxury.
@illusion99: I don't agree. When you get into a premium expensive vehicle it becomes pretty evident. Comparing a Toyota with a Lexus for example. Sit in a S Class mercedes then get into a brand that you consider good. The leather seats, the overall quality in material is huge. Have you seen comparison between a Taycan and Tesla. Porche quality and performance consistency is in a different league. The service my friend gets at Tesla is like a joke compared to premium brands. You don't realise until you experience it.
@illusion99: So a Tesla is more premium than a Toyota Corolla. A Mercedes S class is more premium than a Tesla. A Porsche Taycan is more premium than a Mercedes. So does that mean the only premium luxury product is the one right at the top of the pyramid?
@illusion99: All I'm saying is that EVs are expensive due to cost of batteries. That doesn't make them all premium luxury vehicles. There are numerous premium / luxury brands with tiers. Also, I don't think that Tesla is trying to be a brand like a Mercedes or porche etc.
@Basesub: While the Taycan is undoubtedly a true luxury EV that is a better built, higher quality product with better service, the prospective buyer has to work out whether those qualities are worth an extra $150k, notwithstanding the Taycan having significantly less performance than the Plaid.
I think many of the people buying these cars still view $150k as a decent sum, which makes the decision less clear than it appears at first.
Have you seen comparison between a Taycan and Tesla. Porche quality and performance consistency is in a different league.
Completely different price tiers though. Tesla competes more with Kia, Hyundai…etc. EVs than they do with Porsche, Mercedes…etc. - the Model S Plaid is an enigma and a toy for their engineers and Elon Musk.
The Tesla will be the better product, the Mercedes may have a very slight edge higher quality. 10 years ago Mercedes would have had a head and shoulders lead in quality, but Tesla have closed the gap significantly, especially on the S, the 3/7/X are newer and haven't had as much time to be refined (in my opinion).
But I'd go for the Kia GT6 actually, and I'd be shopping that against a Model 3 and S both long range.
All the Teslas have more range over the Porche Taycan. How does the Kia compare?
Kia is not the best for range but it's alright, they rate themselves at 320km so, about half.
I own a BMW i4 and very happy with it so far. I have test driven Porsche Taycan, beautiful car but just little over my budget. Ultimate luxury would be Mercedes EQS (it was available late last year, not sure if it is available now or not) or BMW i8 (coming this year). I ordered (but yet to cancel though) Tesla S before buying my bmw. Personally, I would prefer Porsche/bmw/mercedes over tesla.
I thought the i4s were not available yet? I wanted to test drive one. How would you say it compares against an EQS? (Assuming you've test driven one). Also, how much for the i8 (deposit and final price)?
Cheers.
I had been following i4 since late 2021. I was lucky to get one from Melbourne in September 2022. You can definitely test drive i4s at BMW dealers, but I think there is a waiting period of 12-24 months for buying one. i4 is not in the same league with EQS (but with EQE). I think EQS and i8 are similar. Price of EQS/i8 would be plus/minus $400k.
200k on a car? hmm I’d rather put that money into some investment property. That’s my problem, I admit it.
If I had disposable income of say $500 million, then $200k is nothing. Basically throwaway money. All depends on how much you earn/have
I wouldn't spend more than 20% of my annual take home income on a vehicle. My current car was 6%.
We all have different views on how we spend money, whether or not we have $10k or $100k in the bank 😊
The people buying these things already have their finances in order to the point where more money won’t improve their quality or enjoyment of life, whereas a ‘dream car’ will.
Very well said! 👏
Like I said, if you won't spend money to enjoy your life, what will you do with it before death? You can't take money with you to your grave.
That's right mate, I've spent 20 years going hard on study, career progression, frugality and investment - I'm sure you're in roughly the same boat. My second highest priority is now life enjoyment, not accumulation of yet more capital.
First priority has always been and remains family of course!
P.S - the Plaid gets my vote (and will soon get my money) :)
Buy one of each. All the day traders here earning 1 million a year can afford it.
Which one has a boot large enough to fit an average sized bank manager?
It's funny how so many people here are so concerned about affordability, lol. The is very simple. Just pick which EV you would buy if you had the chance (if you had the money)? 😂
I've dreamt about owning an AMG my whole life, so I suppose for me this is trying to accomplish my dream. I want to live a life knowing yes I've wasted money, but at least it gave me the fulfilment I was wanting.
I apologise if my request for just a simple vote or opinion offends you. If you are against EVs or premium cars in general, it's OK, but let's please keep the negativity low. We have plenty of knowledgeable people here and I love reading the input from fellow bargainers.
MB EVs are trash. Want a AMG get a real one, AMG GTR or ONE (if you have the money)? 😄
The topic of discussion is EV. Let's keep it there :)
No matter how salty you feel against the Mercedes-Benz brand. It won't deter people from buying it whether it be AMG or not :)
Yeah it’s strange hey, almost like a bargain forum isn’t really the target audience for this sort of question.
Hang on. Are you telling me bargain forum users are all cheap and low income earners who have no right discussing expensive cars? That's pretty narrow-minded of you hmm.
I posted this in an automative discussion, for thoughts based on multiple choice options. Is it my fault that "some" people are not capable of providing constructive comments and recommendations? I didn't know who gets to participate in this forum depends on how big their pockets are?
That’s an interesting take I guess.
I mean, it’s not at all what I actually said, but you do you.
No. The majority of people here are focused on value and plenty are loaded. The cars you mentioned are poor value (and not elite), hence the noise you’re getting. Not sure why you’re surprised.
If these cars make you feel better, buy the one you like most. Else, go ask a car forum.
@pulpfiction: Define poor value. Please elaborate and tell me more. I'm keen to know. Just because it is out of some peoples budget, it doesn’t mean poor value IMO.
Asking for peoples thoughts on a topic that does not hurt their lives by simply either clicking on an option or simply scrolling on isn’t that much of a challenge, is it? Yes, everyone is entitled to their views and can say whatever, but what is the point of judging or making dumb comments? I'm not even trying to trigger anyone or defend myself. I'm merely stating the facts based on some of the comments I've seen. Surely there are enough mature and respectful people here.
I completely disagree with you and anyone else who has mentioned that this discussion doesn't belong here. Show me what rules I have broken and where it says that I cannot have these types of general discussions. Happy for my post to be removed if that's the case.
@thousandsuns: Their budget is irrelevant. You seem to think people here don't have the cash for this. Loads do. Even more could muster it up if they wanted. These are not wealth distinction points like a $1M supercar is. It's a common car at the higher end of the price curve.
Anyhow, you can Google "Economic Value" if you need a definition. Folks here are typically looking at value as function at a good price (so in this case reliable, safe and low depreciation). You're looking for something else - which is fine - but it ain't value as most people take it here.
I didn't say it doesn't belong here, but you're moaning about people talking about better-value options.
Again, what were you expecting asking a community like this? Just roll with it rather than having a dig at them. If you don't like it, go to a car forum. It's really not that hard.
@pulpfiction: Wait, so it's OK for people to judge me and my preferences, but I can't do the same? What kind of earth do we live in? Lol
It also seems that you are saying that people here are not capable of choosing between option A or option B. Rather they feel the need to add an option C or none which does not exist in this set scenario? My gosh, I suppose you're right. Some of these folks may find it hard to comprehend a simple discussion and provide a meaningful response 🤷♂️
Anyone is also welcome to not respond. Isn't that also not plausible? My discussion has nothing to do with value.
Yes, the theme of the site is bargains. However, I didn't think that many people would feel triggered by a simple discussion about an EV choice 🤦♂️
@thousandsuns: You’re not getting it. The best I can do is give you the analog. Try asking in a fitness forum which is the tastiest KFC meal. You might get some good responses, but most will be telling you it’s shit food. You’d be silly to complain about those comments - pick your audience.
Oh, never said people here can’t choose. In fact, check the poll, they are. Good luck on finding the right car. Time to chill on the comments though.
@pulpfiction: Correct, I love this community nonetheless. I hope you're having a good weekend, mate. Wish you a happy and fulfilling bargain hunting. No hard feelings.
$220k is how much I'll be buying my home for, and even that's going to be a stretch as far as getting a loan. It's taken me years to save up even 10% deposit, and I still need more for all the other costs that come with buying a place.
I have a hard time imagining spending so much on just a car.
All the best, mate! Hope things go well for you in the future 🙏
Thanks. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in a bad situation at all. I may not earn a lot compared to others on here, but I earn enough to be comfortable and save. A new car of even $20k would be out of my budget, so $200k plus just seems insane to me.
I'm incredibly lucky in my particular circumstances as I'm buying the unit from my mother, who bought it originally for me to rent from her.
If not for her, I'd most likely have had to move multiple times in the past 5 years and/or had my rent increased to the point that I wouldn't be capable of saving anything at all. And that's assuming I'd been able to find a new place to rent each time. Not guaranteed at all considering how many people apply for each rental place and how high the prices have gotten.
I've paid Mum rent for the past 5 years, and will buy the unit for about the same as she paid instead of her making a profit by selling to someone else at market value. Just need to try get enough saved up before she's ready to retire.
Parents are no.1 priority! I'm close to my mum, too. She's always been with me, so I know where you're coming from.
In a lot of European countries they have a hard time imagining spending $220k on just a house. They are happy to rent for rest of their lives. Buying a house is an obsession for Australians but not necessarily every single culture/country on the planet.
Don't a lot of European countries have really tenant-friendly laws? Spending all your life renting in Australia has a lot of issues. Rent increases yearly (or more often) regardless of whether you can afford it or not. Can be forced to move often, which is expensive. You're dependant on having a "good" landlord or REA who actively fixes issues quickly.
That is true. Leases in Europe can be 10-15 years rather than 1 year here. My point was that some people think spending $220k on a house is insane the same way you cant imagine someone spending that money on a car. Everybody is different
I would wait for the macan ev
I doubt the house I live in is worth more than 230k.
Even with inflation?
It's falling apart, it's probably worth a little less each week. By all rights it should have been knocked down 20 years ago. The land itself is worth a lot more.
sigh at least there are options for the premium market - MPV/PeopleMovers are non-existent in the AU market (in the UK there a handful) - the NV200 is a joke from a safety and wltp perspective. Will likely get a diesel and offset carbon until MPV EV come onto the market and are affordable.
Looks like something out of Star Wars and they're taking preorders?😂
I love it! I'll be ordering the cheapest one as soon as I can!
I like the new Kia EV, it's like 100k and 0-100 in 3.5 seconds.
I'd buy that, and then buy a used Audi R8 V10 or something 😂
As someone who has the BYD Atto 3… I really want the Polestar 3
Tesla has its own supercharger network and it is very reliable. There are usually six to eight charging stations at Tesla supercharger locations. Third-party charging networks are not yet reliable. They usually go offline. We went on a road trip from Melbourne > Sydney > Brisbane > Canberra > Melbourne on my Tesla MY earlier this month and we never had a problem with tesla chargers. However, we observed how other EV owners struggle with 3rd party charging locations which are often smaller in size and frequently unavailable.
None, they sound weak.
Even the top end Mercedes has button blanks so no thanks
A car needs to do 3 things. Drive from A to B, keep a comfortable temperature, and play your music.So obviously anyone paying 200k for a car doesn't belong on this site.
Are you the Oz Bargain police? 😢
Judge away. Life must suck if you've never dreamt of owning something cool/expensive in your whole life. I pity you.
Buy Tesla that way you don't have to deal with any sleazy salesmen.
i already have my model 3, but if i had the variety now, back when i was deciding, i would have picked up an ioniq 6. it has the lines of a typical porche sans the price tag. and come to think of it, i cant justify paying more than 160k for any of the choices
but if money werent an object, i would probably still be a model s plaid. tesla has the most extensive charging network in australia. no other car company or even 3rd party charger can compete.
If I had the money, i'd get the Genesis GV60, its a luxury counterpart to the Kia EV6 or Hyundai Ioniq 5.
What other luxury brand picks up and drops off your car for servicing from your home or workplace? With the Genesis you wont have to ever visit the service center or waste time looking after the servicing.
I'm interested/considering the Cupra Born this year, but I'd like to find something more luxurious with decent autonomy and not so unjustifiably expensive.
I find Tesla boring… Hate the IPad style dashboard/console.
i have an order in for a cupra born. local distributor is not filling me with confidence about their attention to detail. order confirmation includes a link to “ Customise your new CUPRA Born with our range of quality Genuine Accessories that add to your personality.” they don’t sell any for the Born. pity, i could do with a personality.
For electric cars, the tech like the infotainment/UI etc is as important as the car itself. Merc are still 10 years behind the game.
Honestly I'd just get a model 3 Performance, then a Taycan if you want to go further from there.
If you have the space for two cars then an EV like a model 3 LR/perf or polrstar2 dual motor and a used Porsche Cayman or Boxster.
After a few months of ev ownership there's no doubt EVs are the way to go for daily/city cars but I still enjoy flinging my hot hatch around on the open road more
Yeah for me on the smaller end I'm probably going to get a standard model 3 and keep my 350z for weekends.
I'm waiting on Subaru to release their EVs
None. I’d go hybrid if I had to have a car, but I’d buy an e-bike so I could use the car as infrequently as possible.
Never heard of any of the 4 listed, only know the budget Atto3, is tesla a Chinese brand?
Nice joke 😂
I think this says it all