Buy a Tesla Model 3?
Dulce BeltranPro Member
Real Estate Agent · San Diego, CA · Member since 2017 · 99 posts · 52 votesBuy a Tesla Model 3?
Most Popular Reply
Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votesNo way on this site will any one agree with buying anything but a used beater LOL.
I have two teslas that I bought brand new an X and An S both going on 3 years old both never been in the shop.
they are the best cars I have ever owned and I would no way go back to a ITC engine..
my out of pocket for energy to drive the cars is less than 20 a month each.. and I get free super charging so when I am on the road I pay nothing for gas.. no oil no maintenance there is Nothing to maintain.. software updates come in over the internet.. so your car is always evolving and your getting the latest and greatest features all for free. you plug it in at home at night when rates go down .. you can time when it starts charging. So depending on battery you choose in the model 3 unless you routinely drive more than 200 to 250 miles PER DAY you simply plug it in when you come home each evening just like you would a golf cart after a round of golf. If you cant set up your own charging at your home then it can be an issue.. it cost about 150 to have a electrician run a 240 from your breaker box.. its like setting up for a dishwasher .
My daughter bought a 3 6 months ago and just loves it.. and I know numerous other folks that have them that love them.
just like many talk about doom and gloom in the economy.. I think Tesla has paved the way to change how auto manufacturers are going to look in the future.. like in Scandinavian countries they out law gas cars after 2022 I think all cars have to be electric. Not to mention crash worthy wise they are the safest car on the road.. and you don't need that until you really need it.. I would never drive some little light weight thing that would get crunched in a wreck.
With Telsas incredible supercharging network they are miles ahead of everyone else.. I get free super charging for life for my cars..
But then again it depends on where your at in your life and career..
and is a US company creating US jobs..
Let me also add for California drivers FREE use of the HOV lane with only one person in the car.. RIGHT there that's worth the price of the car.. Time is money.
PSS also with the new model 3 you will be able to get a full charge at the super charger in 15 minutes .. no slower than stopping and pumping gas and getting all dirty doing that.. now I Oregon its illegal to pump your own gas generally so many people in this state don't know how to pump gas or work a gas pump.. :) truth. !!
213 Replies
- Real Estate Broker · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 655 posts · 293 votes7y
Originally posted by @Pradeep Byram:
Please use facts not assumption when advocating good or bad.
Whose facts? Yours or mine? Seems like you're really into electric cars. Maybe they are here to stay, maybe something else will take the lead. We don't know
- Real Estate Broker · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 655 posts · 293 votes7y
A Tesla might be the car for you, but it sounds like it's not in your goal structure at the moment. Buy it when you have enough property to pay for it, something to think about
- Real Estate Agent · Merritt Island, FL · Member since 2017 · 974 posts · 1k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @Dulce Beltran:
I am in the position to go green aka electric thanks to solar, the numbers all make sense to move in this direction. My net out of pocket expense is roughly $14K, finance it with a low payment, and rapidly pay it off. Of course this is inferring I receive the Fed Credit, CA state rebate, and cash for selling my current vehicle.
Here's my dilemma, I know vehicles are depreciating liabilities, Tesla does not guarantee their batteries (many do not w/the exception of Hundyai) and it adds to my personal DTI which of course effects the ability to purchase additional RE. After learning of RE potential wealth growth, I no longer value a vehicle as a consumer, I see it as a liability. With that said, in RE we learn to pay ourselves first, this would be a way to pay myself first. Lastly, any vehicle I have purchased is a vehicle I intend to keep for 20 years before purchasing another.
What would you do?
Get that Tesla stat!
I've never bought brand new and don't intend to, with the exception of the Tesla. It is my hope that I'm getting one within the next 12-18 months. It's efficient....doesn't use gasoline, has less parts thus less maintenance. It's fun to drive (I drove an S90, though I'd be buying the 3). Yes, it depreciates but every car does. If you make a side-by-side chart with the option other than a Tesla 3, you'll probably see similar numbers. So why not go for it?
And the recharge concern is BS unless you're traveling. During your normal work day, how often do you drive over 200 miles? Charge before leaving home and you're good.
- 7yJay HinrichsBusiness MemberReal Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
Originally posted by @Tchaka Owen:
Originally posted by @Dulce Beltran:
I am in the position to go green aka electric thanks to solar, the numbers all make sense to move in this direction. My net out of pocket expense is roughly $14K, finance it with a low payment, and rapidly pay it off. Of course this is inferring I receive the Fed Credit, CA state rebate, and cash for selling my current vehicle.
Here's my dilemma, I know vehicles are depreciating liabilities, Tesla does not guarantee their batteries (many do not w/the exception of Hundyai) and it adds to my personal DTI which of course effects the ability to purchase additional RE. After learning of RE potential wealth growth, I no longer value a vehicle as a consumer, I see it as a liability. With that said, in RE we learn to pay ourselves first, this would be a way to pay myself first. Lastly, any vehicle I have purchased is a vehicle I intend to keep for 20 years before purchasing another.
What would you do?
Get that Tesla stat!
I've never bought brand new and don't intend to, with the exception of the Tesla. It is my hope that I'm getting one within the next 12-18 months. It's efficient....doesn't use gasoline, has less parts thus less maintenance. It's fun to drive (I drove an S90, though I'd be buying the 3). Yes, it depreciates but every car does. If you make a side-by-side chart with the option other than a Tesla 3, you'll probably see similar numbers. So why not go for it?
And the recharge concern is BS unless you're traveling. During your normal work day, how often do you drive over 200 miles? Charge before leaving home and you're good.
you will find tesla holds its value better than any car that is not a collector car.. sure it has the drive off lot depreciation but nothing compared to many other cars.
is just amazing to me how well they have done with NO marketing budget and no dealer net work.. our show room is in the Mall.. just like apple.
Plus and I don't think for me this can be minimized.. the dealer experience is just so draining and disappointing.. no one gets the same deal. so your forced to sit there and dicker for hours.. then they hand you over to the manger to close you then they hand you off to the finance manager to up sell you even if you pay cash they are trying to sell you things you don't need.. think of the move Fargo..
I don't need that stinkin true coat.. LOL. its a disruptor and I don't know if this is true or not but I believe they are out selling BMW sedans in the luxury segment.. I could be wrong.. and I want BMW to keep going they are in south Carolina were we invest..
and if you do have a little service issue like we had a brake caliper recall.. guess what they e mail you and the mobile service guy comes to your home and services your car on the spot..
Wall st.. shorted the heck out of them that cost a bunch of stock value but its bouncing back.. Once the Y comes out to compete with the 40 to 50k cross over that's going to kill it so will the pick up truck and lets not forget about the semi.. I think that will be distruptor.
- Member since 2018 · 10 posts · 7 votes7y
I'd love to get one as well but I've seen quite a bit of issues with the quality of build lately.
- Real Estate Appraiser · Isabella lake, CA · Member since 2018 · 628 posts · 491 votes7y
I'm no car guy and wouldn't spend $30k or more on a car. The Teslas do look cool, I would not refuse a gift of one.
I bought a 3 year old 2014 Kia Soul a while back. Rented one last year and the funky styling grew on me. So when I was ready to change cars I bought one for a little under $12k with tax. It is much roomier inside that you would think, looking at the outside, and a bunch of nice features. Mine is the 2 liter dinosaur burner but they have an electric version too.
For fun I have a 2014 Ducati Monster bought used that cost almost as much as the car. I am a bike guy. I like the method of letting someone else eat the big depreciation hit of a new vehicle.
Anyway, back to Tesla. They have some kind of facility here on Woodley near Sherman Way and The Van Nuys airport. Kind of looks like a car dealer, or maybe just a pickup point for your new car. I wonder if they do test drives for looky loos, lol.
- Attorney · Roanoke, TX · Member since 2010 · 29 posts · 13 votes7y
@Dulce Beltran buy assets not liabilities
- Waikoloa, HI · Member since 2017 · 19 posts · 4 votes7y
@Dulce Beltran If you really want a Tesla I say go for it. Like a few others have said you can share it through Turo or other car sharing sites so that other people can pay for your Tesla. Unlike what most people say, cars don’t have to be a liability! I’ve bought and sold several vehicles without losing any money and currently have a couple vehicles that have consistently made me over $1,000 a month each after expenses and depreciation.
Like @Jim Biggs said, get a good CPA and you’ll find there are a lot of tax deductions if you’re using it for business or car sharing.
You only live once, enjoy your Tesla!
- All Over, USA · Member since 2017 · 689 posts · 756 votes7y
@Jay Hinrichs
Wait till @Steve Vaughan gets wind of this thread...LOLZ! He’a gonna deliver the butthurt.
- Investor · Berkeley, CA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 713 votes7y
Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:
No way on this site will any one agree with buying anything but a used beater LOL.
I have two teslas that I bought brand new an X and An S both going on 3 years old both never been in the shop.
they are the best cars I have ever owned and I would no way go back to a ITC engine..
my out of pocket for energy to drive the cars is less than 20 a month each.. and I get free super charging so when I am on the road I pay nothing for gas.. no oil no maintenance there is Nothing to maintain.. software updates come in over the internet.. so your car is always evolving and your getting the latest and greatest features all for free. you plug it in at home at night when rates go down .. you can time when it starts charging. So depending on battery you choose in the model 3 unless you routinely drive more than 200 to 250 miles PER DAY you simply plug it in when you come home each evening just like you would a golf cart after a round of golf. If you cant set up your own charging at your home then it can be an issue.. it cost about 150 to have a electrician run a 240 from your breaker box.. its like setting up for a dishwasher .
My daughter bought a 3 6 months ago and just loves it.. and I know numerous other folks that have them that love them.
just like many talk about doom and gloom in the economy.. I think Tesla has paved the way to change how auto manufacturers are going to look in the future.. like in Scandinavian countries they out law gas cars after 2022 I think all cars have to be electric. Not to mention crash worthy wise they are the safest car on the road.. and you don't need that until you really need it.. I would never drive some little light weight thing that would get crunched in a wreck.
With Telsas incredible supercharging network they are miles ahead of everyone else.. I get free super charging for life for my cars..
But then again it depends on where your at in your life and career..
and is a US company creating US jobs..
Let me also add for California drivers FREE use of the HOV lane with only one person in the car.. RIGHT there that's worth the price of the car.. Time is money.
PSS also with the new model 3 you will be able to get a full charge at the super charger in 15 minutes .. no slower than stopping and pumping gas and getting all dirty doing that.. now I Oregon its illegal to pump your own gas generally so many people in this state don't know how to pump gas or work a gas pump.. :) truth. !!
Jay,
While i could be wrong, I don't believe she's investing on your level nor at your age. In my opinion, that makes a significant difference when deciding whether or not to spend money on a trophy asset/cash out-flow that will depreciate significantly over time.
That said, she is an agent / sales role. As others mentioned, I would seek to obtain a vehicle that is flashy and reliable, but at a severe discount. Likely something about 5 years old, but something reliable... Lexus, Toyota or similar...
- 7yChase Alison MatthewsPro MemberInvestor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 19 posts · 28 votes
Be careful not to take advice from people that have never owned an electric car. I find in these comments as I do in most conversations about electric cars and solar that those who have never had them have NO IDEA what they are talking about. @FrankWong you don't wait to charge a Tesla... ever... unless you are on a road trip cross country. In that case the car charges to 80% in 20-30 minutes. Which is about the time it takes to get gas in Southern California by the time you wait in line for an available pump, wait in line to pay and wait to fuel. When you own an electric car, you never think about refueling at all. Ive never waited for my car to charge. You charge the car when you are home or at work. It takes about 5 seconds to plug the car in. You never have to go to a dirty gas station again and get hit up by countless homeless people for money. You never have to get an oil change again. If you have solar, like me and like you said you have... its a no-brainer. You have free fuel for life. Only an idiot would invest in solar and then buy a Lexus. Electric cars are huge time SAVERS! You can also use the carpool lane saving more time while driving. Another fact that many have left out while touting Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) cars is that the three largest automakers in the world have announced they will not make a single ICE car after 2025. So no major US automakers will even make cars that take gas within 5 years. Pretending we have a choice going forward does not make it so. All cars in the US will be electric faster than you can imagine. They have cheaper fuel (33% cheaper than gasoline on average) or free fuel if you have solar. They need almost NO maintenance... no oil changes. They don't use oil. They are also much safer, MUCH faster than ICE engines and more fun to drive. The Tesla Model 3 is the cheapest all electric car by range. I would like to say that you can buy a used Chevy Bolt that is all electric for $25k that has a huge range (238 miles). If you chose that car instead sounds like you wouldn't have a payment at all.
- 7yChase Alison MatthewsPro MemberInvestor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 19 posts · 28 votes
@George W. if you don't know what you are talking about, why comment? Teslas aren't VIABLE?! what does that even mean? They don't have Superchargers everywhere?! Of course not, they are never needed by Tesla owners unless they are driving cross country. The range isn't anything crazy? They travel every bit as far as your old gas guzzling truck or your cheap used sedan on a tank of gas... probably farther.
"How green are they really? You're still using electricity that most likely is being made at a plant that burns natural gas or fossil fuel." First of all she said she has solar, so if she spends ten cents on gas, that would be ten cents more than she has to spend because she can charge for free using her solar. Its also zero emissions. Do you have free fuel for your old truck or sedan? NO! you pay handsomely for that fuel for the rest of your life. Also, not to get too much in the weeds here, but its pure ignorance when you say your electricity comes from a power plant so its dirty fuel. Dirty fuel compared to WHAT? An electric car running off of electricity from a power plant is still infinitey cleaner than a gas guzzling car for many reasons, but lets start with the obvious. Electricity by any method in the US (coal, Natural gas...take your pick) is cleaner than burning gasoline. Power plants have many scrubbers and devices to recapture both the energy and the pollution to clean it further before emitting it. These devices are not possible on a mobile car because the weight would be too much to make it an actual benefit on the car.
- Rental Property Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2018 · 42 posts · 22 votes7y
@Dulce Beltran I am not in the market for new cars for now as I just can’t justify dumping and replacing my 2009 camry that I bought new and it simply never gives up. I also have one 2016 Sienna XLE, again bought new, that my wife mostly drive and a great car for long family trips. Once you have tasted a new car and that too with luxury stuff, you just can’t buy a used one or downgrade to a mid version; my only experience of buying a used certified one ended up with a lot of pain. Once I decide to buy a new one, it will definitely will be an EV and nothing beats Tesla in terms of range and luxury. Also living in Bay Area, just saving the time and money for using HOV lanes is good enough incentive for me to go for any EV. In addition, most of the office buildings and shopping centers have electric charging plugins available for free. I do have solar panels (from Solar city now Tesla) at my home that covers more than 95% of electricity cost per year and I remember when I got them installed, the technician mentioned that if I ever decided to get an EV in future, PG&E has a great plan for people in similar situation, and will pay minimal amount for charging over night through grid. BTW all the people casting doom and gloom for companies like Tesla, should get a life as the brilliant guys like Elan Musk, who have founded multiple successful companies just don’t fade away in oblivion and will keep on innovating and rebuilding the world. I may be a bit biased over here as being an Electrical Engineer (semi-conductor to be precise) and involved in multiple patents and innovations myself, I just can’t stand people running away and casting. doom scenarios at the first sign of distress.
- San Jose, CA · Member since 2017 · 41 posts · 9 votes7y@Dulce Beltran Definitely a depreciating asset but only you know if it is the right decision to make. Everyone has their own things that they splurge on - travel, casinos, designer wear,etc. I have heard quite a few people who achieved FI early wished they slowed down and enjoyed a little. It might take a few extra years but atleast you enjoy life while achieving your long term goals. To me a Tesla is totally worth it and I may sound biased as I am an ev car lover. If you charge at home and have solar, you dont need to worry about the charge times as you wont be using the supercharger network unless you drive a lot everyday.
- Member since 2019 · 1 post · 3 votes7y
@Dulce Beltran there are Tesla’s hitting 400k miles with less than 10% battery degradation. I own a Model 3 and it’s an absolute pleasure. This car very well could last 20 years.
- Ann Arbor, MI · Member since 2017 · 109 posts · 52 votes7y
@Dulce Beltran I have had my long range model 3 for 7 months and love it. It cost less than my BMW & is more fun to drive. It took getting used to the minimalist interior, but now I love that too. I set it to charge at 2am and it’s done by 7. The increase in my electric bill is negligible and I only stop at gas stations to grab a snack now.
If you’ve worked your numbers and it is comparable to another car you would/could buy I highly suggest you test drive one or stop by a supercharger and talk to an owner. They are very willing to talk to people.
The purchase & delivery process was super easy except I had to drive 3 hours to pick it up since Tesla sales are banned in my state. I haven’t had any maintenance or repair issues, but there is a mobile ranger that will come to my work or home to fix the car. Maintenance is minimal since there are so few parts. The app is awesome - I can schedule maintenance, turn on climate control, check it’s location/speed (if my son is driving it), etc. It takes less than 5 minutes to warm or cool the car to whatever temp you want.
- Hardin County, KY · Member since 2018 · 129 posts · 145 votes7y
ummmmm...... Tesla plans to turn on their version of lift/uber and you can turn your car into a taxi while you are doing your own thing. You put in a time you want it to come back to pick you up and it comes back. Tesla takes 25% of profits but sounds like its going to be a asset pretty soon.
- Rental Property Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2018 · 42 posts · 22 votes7y
@Ali Ahmed good to know that, let’s plan to meet again sometime soon
- Investor · NJ · Member since 2018 · 869 posts · 921 votes7y
Originally posted by @Chase Alison Matthews:
@George W. if you don't know what you are talking about, why comment? Teslas aren't VIABLE?! what does that even mean? They don't have Superchargers everywhere?! Of course not, they are never needed by Tesla owners unless they are driving cross country. The range isn't anything crazy? They travel every bit as far as your old gas guzzling truck or your cheap used sedan on a tank of gas... probably farther.
"How green are they really? You're still using electricity that most likely is being made at a plant that burns natural gas or fossil fuel." First of all she said she has solar, so if she spends ten cents on gas, that would be ten cents more than she has to spend because she can charge for free using her solar. Its also zero emissions. Do you have free fuel for your old truck or sedan? NO! you pay handsomely for that fuel for the rest of your life. Also, not to get too much in the weeds here, but its pure ignorance when you say your electricity comes from a power plant so its dirty fuel. Dirty fuel compared to WHAT? An electric car running off of electricity from a power plant is still infinitey cleaner than a gas guzzling car for many reasons, but lets start with the obvious. Electricity by any method in the US (coal, Natural gas...take your pick) is cleaner than burning gasoline. Power plants have many scrubbers and devices to recapture both the energy and the pollution to clean it further before emitting it. These devices are not possible on a mobile car because the weight would be too much to make it an actual benefit on the car.
Wow I'm so glad you took the time to tell me about my situation. I drive thousands of miles a month often to remote areas. Where I wouldn't count on a super charger being available and haul literally tons of weight in my truck.
Solar isn't free you pay handsomely for the panels. The companies that give you free solar are actually financing them to you through the money they feed back to the grid for x years. If you went out and acutally bought solar panels they're very expensive then you got to pay someone to install them.
Cars do have emissions controls devices, look under the hood of a car from the 50s. Nothing under there but a engine block. Look at new car now, no room under the hood that's because those components they added are all the control efficiency. Sure it's not to the scale of a power plant but it's better than it's been and has been improving yearly.
Elecrtic cars still have what's a called a global warming potential. Matter can't be created or destroyed it only transfers states. If where you get your energy from isn't clean it isn't helping much. Also when they are mining for kobalt to make your precious battery that according to you is infinity more efficient (which it's not because of laws of physics), they realase 8xs as much co2 as gas burning car does. Co2 is actually the #1 cause of global warming. If you look at GWP they acutally use co2 as baseline it has a global warming potential of 1.
Thanks for your input but I'm sticking with my pickup that I paid $5k for used and have owned for years.
I'm saying that a Tesla is not a answer for everybody. A new car isn't a investment and your silly if you think it is.
- Developer · North America · Member since 2012 · 6 posts · 1 vote7y
My first “das auto” were 68,69,72, Chevelle SS’s acquired in the early 80’s and divested in the 90’s...currently own 3 honda accords all purchased used, the oldest is my reliable ol’ beater airport car with over 400,000 miles on her and still running “nominal”, my daily driver is a 2012 which was 2 years old w 30,000 miles on it when purchased for 50% of it’s original sticker $...My W2 income comes from being a “airborne truck driver” 😉 and additional income is from passive investments...In hindsight should have kept the muscle cars for a longer time frame then sell 2 and keep one for fun and pass it on to a family member after I’m dead and bloated...will keep the hondas for many years to come, and then when the technology is there will pull the trigger on a ev self driver and let “jorge” do most of the driving...advice—-> “Keep your day job, mind your business” and if having a “nice” car is deemed beneficial to such...well then, I think a Tesla would be a good fit. Wishing you much success !
- 7yJay HinrichsBusiness MemberReal Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
Originally posted by @Jason Watkins:
@Dulce Beltran there are Tesla’s hitting 400k miles with less than 10% battery degradation. I own a Model 3 and it’s an absolute pleasure. This car very well could last 20 years.
probably one of the issues Tesla is going to face is the longevity of their cars and selling new ones to existing customers.. I was going to buy a 3 and turn in my S that I leased.. I leased it because I did not know if I would like it.. and wanted a walk away lease like I have done through out my sales career.. well lease comes up love the car.. so I bought out the lease and kept it.. when normally I would have traded it in for a new one..
we do have to keep this in context though you buy a new basic model 3 and what its 40k with rebates ? something like that.
you buy used for 25 to 30k a semi luxury ICE car.. so whats the delta here we are talking about 10 k 15k.. now we cant compete dollar wise with those that drive 10 to 15 year old cars that are worth 1 to 5k.. and that's OK for them.
But as some have said above you cant take it with U and there is value in life experiences. Like spending money on travel and other things that are discretionary.. All we have is time.. so for those that live in CA with traffic being a big part of their day I cant see how anyone would not want a EV car just to get in the HOV lanes.. time is money..
The other thing folks don't realize is only a fraction of people use the super chargers they are along the highways generally but now just coming into the urban areas at least here in PDX.. they are not meant for daily use.. Like I said above you charge at home at night so EVERY day you have a full tank of energy.. you never spend a minute at a gas station not one minute.. unless you run in to buy a soda or something.
Now granted one can spend over 120k for a new top of the line Tesla but that's not what we are talking about..
EV as stated above is here and is going to take over.. gone will be big repair shops transmission shops.. jiffy lube all of those types of services will phase out over the next 20 to 30 years.. as ICE cars die off.. just like Amazon did to brick and mortar.
And to me to think that this company has done this with not ONE dime of advertising.. and no real dealer network.. its amazing.
Now to be fair.. in super cold climates your range is stunted.. So when your 20 below in Fargo in the winter your not going to get the full range.
One last point for those that have never driven in or driven a tesla.. if you live in a major metro area and do a bumper to bumper commute each way to work.. the auto pilot is just sheer genius.. you pop that on.. and sit back and relax.. car does the rest.. you do have a nag light so you do have to touch the steering wheel every little bit to make sure your still awake.. and you should stay vigilant like all auto pilots they can do a wonky thing now and again.. but to be able to pop that on.. the car comes to a complete stop if traffic does will sit there then start to move with traffic.. talk about a stress reliever.. and far safer than driving yourself.
When I go from Vegas to Portland we set autopilot at 78 to 82.. speed limit out in Idaho is 75 to 80.. and its just drives U there.. :)
well one more last point.. the superchargers are not gas stations.. when U stop there are normally other Teslas there you chat with fellow owners.. give tips on how to do things you don't realize your car would do.. its kind of like having a BP meet up at each charging station.. its unique.
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