Automobile Thread

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Both good news and bad news about my upcoming Tesla Model 3. Good news is that I keep moving up the list, and may have mine by November (was April, then December). This is just based on someone's tool they created, not Tesla saying it, so it could easily be wrong.

 

Bad news is that because they are hellbent on streamlining production initially, there are almost no options for the car. Not meaning no upgrades over the base, but for the first 70-80,000 cars, they will be very very similar. Elon said in the most recent shareholder meeting that when the configuration opens in July, the options will essentially be wheel size and color.

 

 

So this means anyone getting a Model 3 in 2017 will be forced in to a 75kW option (50kW version available in 2018), RWD (AWD Dual motor in 2018), Coil suspension (Smart air in 2018), standard audio, no winter package, no performance model. They haven't said yet if their 2017 owners will have to get the metal roof or the glass roof, and haven't said what the interior color will be (likely black).

 

I will definitely be going 18" wheels, not 19, so my only real decision will apparently be exterior color, in which case I am leaning silver, unless Signature Red is offered for Day 1 reservation holders, in which case I might take that even though I've never been in to red cars, the novelty of it might sway me.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I guess I should mention I could ask for a delay, and to be pushed back in line, but I want to get the car prior to the end of 2017 so I can immediately take the tax credit, and move somewhere across the country, using that $7500 tax credit as a down payment for a house.

[StrangeSox]

I would think that it'd be better to wait to buy a place until you're more familiar with an area and know exactly where you'd want to live. That would change if it's a city you're familiar with and you've already got friends and family and know the different neighborhoods around there. Using the tax credit to pay down your car loan would also leave you in a better place financially sooner.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I would think that it'd be better to wait to buy a place until you're more familiar with an area and know exactly where you'd want to live. That would change if it's a city you're familiar with and you've already got friends and family and know the different neighborhoods around there. Using the tax credit to pay down your car loan would also leave you in a better place financially sooner.

 

I'm possibly thinking Nashville, as one of my best friends is a country music singer and if his career takes off by the end of this year, like a certain event at the end of this year may cause it to, then I might decide to move down there and get more involved in his career for a few years.

[Chicago White Sox]

I guess I should mention I could ask for a delay, and to be pushed back in line, but I want to get the car prior to the end of 2017 so I can immediately take the tax credit, and move somewhere across the country, using that $7500 tax credit as a down payment for a house.

Joe, what do you do for a living? You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself if you can afford to buy both a Telsa & house in the same year.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Joe, what do you do for a living? You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself if you can afford to buy both a Telsa & house in the same year.

 

The Model 3 starts at only $35K, and has a $7500 tax credit available. Not cheap by any means, but I've been saving for about 15 months now to build a down payment.

[Panerista]

The Model 3 starts at only $35K, and has a $7500 tax credit available. Not cheap by any means, but I've been saving for about 15 months now to build a down payment.

If you're one of the lucky ones, you get the $7500 tax credit. That is set to expire soon. Sucks about the lack of options, but hey, the Model 3 looks pretty awesome (even if it doesn't have an instrument cluster). Either way, I'm sure you can make that work.

 

My advice? Think long and hard about drivetrain and how much you want to spend on tires. Teslas are both heavy and high torque. Big tires could get pricy and wear fast. The Model S is particularly bad for this .

Edited June 11, 2017 by Sox-35th

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

If you're one of the lucky ones, you get the $7500 tax credit. That is set to expire soon. Sucks about the lack of options, but hey, the Model 3 looks pretty awesome (even if it doesn't have an instrument cluster). Either way, I'm sure you can make that work.

 

My advice? Think long and hard about drivetrain and how much you want to spend on tires. Teslas are both heavy and high torque. Big tires could get pricy and wear fast. The Model S is particularly bad for this .

 

The tax credit only begins to expire once 200,000 vehicles have been delivered in the US, and only 2 full fiscal quarters after the quarter in which 200,000th is delivered. They haven't hit 200,000 yet, so any car delivered in 2017 is guaranteed to have the full credit available, and likely any car delivered through the first 2 quarters of 2018 as well. And at that point it drops to $3750 for 6 months, and then $1875 for 6 months after that.

 

As for tires, if the options are truly 18" or 19", I am 100% taking the 18".

[Panerista]

The tax credit only begins to expire once 200,000 vehicles have been delivered in the US, and only 2 full fiscal quarters after the quarter in which 200,000th is delivered. They haven't hit 200,000 yet, so any car delivered in 2017 is guaranteed to have the full credit available, and likely any car delivered through the first 2 quarters of 2018 as well. And at that point it drops to $3750 for 6 months, and then $1875 for 6 months after that.

 

As for tires, if the options are truly 18" or 19", I am 100% taking the 18".

I have a friend who manages a discount tire nearby. He has a customer with a Model S who goes through $2000+ worth of tires per year.

 

Looking forward to your review whenever you get your vehicle!

Edited June 11, 2017 by Sox-35th

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I have a friend who manages a discount tire nearby. He has a customer with a Model S who goes through $2000+ worth of tires per year.

 

Looking forward to your review whenever you get your vehicle!

 

$2000 a year?!? JESSSSUUSSS. I wonder how many miles and sized tires that is.

 

Also, I think I heard that a bunch of tire companies are making tires for Tesla's now that the M3 will dump a half a million cars on to the market in the next 12+ months.

[iamshack]

$2000 a year?!? JESSSSUUSSS. I wonder how many miles and sized tires that is.

 

Also, I think I heard that a bunch of tire companies are making tires for Tesla's now that the M3 will dump a half a million cars on to the market in the next 12+ months.

Wait, a half a million?

 

You sure that's accurate?

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Wait, a half a million?

 

You sure that's accurate?

 

The number was over 300,000 in the first week, and over 400,000 as of May of 2016.

 

Tesla has been hardcore anti-selling the Model 3 lately, but I am assuming during their July final reveal of the car they will announce the pre-order number to date. They have said for a while they don't want to announce the updated figures because of how it could be spun negatively, whether the number is higher or lower than people think.

 

Who knows how many of those actually convert, but it's still going to be a huge number regardless.

Edited June 12, 2017 by ChiliIrishHammock24

[iamshack]

The number was over 300,000 in the first week, and over 400,000 as of May of 2016.

 

Tesla has been hardcore anti-selling the Model 3 lately, but I am assuming during their July final reveal of the car they will announce the pre-order number to date. They have said for a while they don't want to announce the updated figures because of how it could be spun negatively, whether the number is higher or lower than people think.

 

Who knows how many of those actually convert, but it's still going to be a huge number regardless.

That doesn't mean they will be able to produce them in the next 12 months, either.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

That doesn't mean they will be able to produce them in the next 12 months, either.

 

Right. Their plan is do to 5,000 a week when they start production next month, and do 10,000 a week starting in 2018. So by the end of 2018 they could have around 600,000 cars produced.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I have a friend who manages a discount tire nearby. He has a customer with a Model S who goes through $2000+ worth of tires per year.

 

Looking forward to your review whenever you get your vehicle!

 

So on the weekly Tesla podcast I listen to, someone called in and voiced concerns about how fast the tires wear. According to the host Ryan McCaffrey, the 22" wheels on the Model X apparently only last around 15,000 miles. But his cousin's Model S on 19" wheels last about 30,000 miles. And not only will my M3 be only 18", but also weighs less than the Model S. So maybe you're talking 40,000 at that point. With how few miles I drive a year, that could last me 4-5 years. So I'm not worried about it for my circumstances.

[iamshack]

So on the weekly Tesla podcast I listen to, someone called in and voiced concerns about how fast the tires wear. According to the host Ryan McCaffrey, the 22" wheels on the Model X apparently only last around 15,000 miles. But his cousin's Model S on 19" wheels last about 30,000 miles. And not only will my M3 be only 18", but also weighs less than the Model S. So maybe you're talking 40,000 at that point. With how few miles I drive a year, that could last me 4-5 years. So I'm not worried about it for my circumstances.

I'm assuming they aren't going to look to sell a $40k vehicle that requires an outlay of $2k a year or whatever in tire expenses.

Edited June 14, 2017 by iamshack

[Iwritecode]

We got some golf ball sized hail about a month ago and my car got pretty beat up. Had the insurance adjuster look at it and his estimate was that there was around $5800 worth of damage. We were worried that they would total it but he said we were only at 50-something% of the value of the car. I thought that was pretty good so I took his word for it. We literally just paid this car off in March so we were REALLY hoping they wouldn't total it.

 

Fast forward to last week when we finally get it into the repair shop. They look it over and say the estimate is about $2000 too low. Talk to the insurance company and they decide to total it. They tell me the total value of the car is about $5800. So I'm trying to figure out how the value of the car is almost the exact same amount as the repairs they were originally willing to make. The claims specialist I'm talking to doesn't really have a good explanation.

 

So I take trip to the repair shop and they let me know that the original estimate had the wrong mileage on it. They guy wrote down 51,000 instead of 151,000. Yea, that extra "1" knocks the value of the car waay down. We found this out on Friday afternoon. They tell us we have until Wednesday before they'll stop paying for the storage fees at the repair shop.

 

So we went out that night and found a 2012 Ford Fusion with about 56,000 miles on it. Luckily that's the make/model we had researched when we bought our other car 5 years ago. Took a loan out on it for now but figure we'll pay it off pretty early between the money we get from the insurance company and simply paying more than the minimum amount each month.

 

We decided to buy our other car back even with the hail damage. Youngest daughter is taking a driver's ed course now. Figure it'll be a good car for her to learn in. Just need to get the windshield replaced.

[iamshack]

When I turn my car off my windshield wipers keep going. I figured I had a bad fuse. I popped it out and put it back in and everything was fine. That was two weeks ago. Happens again today. I go to autozone and replace the fuse. It's still happening. Mind bottling. Someone tell me something good.

Should you ever decide to attend a drive-in during a storm, you will be able to see the movie without having to burn gas!

Edited June 20, 2017 by iamshack

[Dick Allen]

When I turn my car off my windshield wipers keep going. I figured I had a bad fuse. I popped it out and put it back in and everything was fine. That was two weeks ago. Happens again today. I go to autozone and replace the fuse. It's still happening. Mind bottling. Someone tell me something good.

You probably need a new park switch in the wiper motor. It happened to me several years ago. Cost about $75 back then.

[iamshack]

Joe:

 

July 28.

 

Stock is jumping

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Joe:

 

July 28.

 

Stock is jumping

 

I love how they keep beating their highly aggressive production goals. Elon said the first car will roll off the line this Friday, 2 weeks ahead of schedule.

 

However, he did seem to announce a MUCH less aggressive upscaling. At some point he threw out figures that added up to 80,000 vehicles by the end of this year. Now, it seems the number is somewhere around 30,000, which may push my delivery in to 2018, in which case I'd rather just wait until next spring/summer and get all of the options that I want, instead of getting whatever they give me by January/February. I'm more concerned with getting the car in the 2017 tax year, not necessarily getting it ASAP.

[Panerista]

Have a loaner Audi Q3 while my A4 is having some work done. I honestly like the little thing. The headlights are sweet. Audi is just firing on all cylinders

[bigruss]

I really liked it when I test drove it, but didn't seem quite as spunky as other Audis (probably shouldn't be).

 

I've had huge issues with my used Q5, fortunately it's all covered with my Carmax warranty but it's been a pain. LOVE the car when I have it. Right now the entire engine is getting replaced, so thankful I got that warranty lol.

[iamshack]

I really liked it when I test drove it, but didn't seem quite as spunky as other Audis (probably shouldn't be).

 

I've had huge issues with my used Q5, fortunately it's all covered with my Carmax warranty but it's been a pain. LOVE the car when I have it. Right now the entire engine is getting replaced, so thankful I got that warranty lol.

WTF happened?

 

I do not like Carmax.

[bigruss]

WTF happened?

 

I do not like Carmax.

It was burning oil very quickly, brought it in a few times (one time they made things worse but loosening some piece that made my whole car shake). They pretty much couldn't find the issue so decided to do a full replace of the engine. Just hoping they don't screw it up and cause more issues. Their customer service has been good, but their techs aren't great from what I can tell.