Any one here ordered a Tesla Model 3?

[kggkgg]

Ditto ,
I rented a Tesla S (as couldn't get hold of a model 3) and i3 and then bought an i3. We also own a BMW and a Porsche and guess which car my wife and i fight over using? ....i3 in fact we now compare diaries to see who gets to drive the i3 on which days.

Keith

 

[jadnashuanh]

There haven't been too many reviews of the Model 3, but most of them do like the car. Most do not like the build quality. It's a very different car than the i3 meant to serve different purposes, at least the way I see it. Tesla's supercharger network is an edge up IF your travels are along the paths they are located. The majority probably won't find their locations a problem, but if you like the road less traveled, and have to rely on an EVSE to recharge, the bigger the battery, the longer you'll have to wait (which is true for any of them). It's just that your expectations of a300-mile battery pack have you wanting a fast charge, and say you've got a 30A EVSE available, it will take MANY hours to recharge your car. The size of the i3 is both a benefit and a detriment, again, depending on your expectations. One or two people in the i3, running around town, the size and maneuverability of the i3 wins IMHO. Need to carry more than 4-people, there's no choice, the Tesla would win (but the fifth may not be happy about it!).

At some point, Tesla will have to start making money or the whole thing will crash down. It's been a number of years, and they're still bleeding the stuff...I expect the warranty claims on the Model 3 and the 'production hell' certainly aren't helping things. FWIW, Tesla has the highest unit warranty costs in the industry...their adoring advocates won't be as plentiful once more and more people experience the Model 3 unless things improve radically. That will make it harder and harder to obtain more money to keep the operations running.

 

[sipabit]

Ordered one last week after being able to see one up, close and personal as well as seating on it.
Waiting to drive both an I3S and a Model 3 before i make my final decision.

The two aren't comparable in any way. If you don't know for sure you want an i3, then it's not for you. The i3 is just one of those cars. You love it or hate it. It's either for you or it isn't. There's not really a middle ground. The i3 isn't a second choice car. Owners love it.

The Tesla is a performance vehicle at a cost. The unique situation with the i3 is the value as a second hand car. Not sure why you'd consider buying one new, but if you did, then the Tesla wins bar none. That's not a very likely scenario though, so not really relevant.

 

[jadnashuanh]

If one is to believe the financial news, if Tesla doesn't procure some new capital in the next quarter, they may go bankrupt. They need their Model 3 line to be cranking out cars at an unlikely pace to bring in enough capital, and that's not likely to happen in that timeframe. No corporation can live forever losing money like they have. Investors are becoming a little disturbed.

BMW is not likely to go bankrupt, and their balance sheet has been in the green for a very long time.

 

[EVBob]

...Not sure why you'd consider buying one new, but if you did, then the Tesla wins bar none. That's not a very likely scenario though, so not really relevant....

Unless you happen to be in one of those states that offer $10,000 manufacturer incentive, on top of state incentives and the 7.5K tax credit- folks could get a Brand New i3 right now (no line waiting) for 25K...

For those not in those states and are shopping second hand - I would suggest shopping on BMW CPO inventory page, set distance for all, pick the options you want and then sort by price. Most of the really attractively priced ones also happen to be at those locations where the 10K incentive for new i3s is going on...it may be worth your while to buy it out of state and have it shipped home.

 

[sipabit]

I'm not understanding the math. $25k + $7,500 + $10k = $42,500. The REX which majority of people buy bare bones is $48,300 MSRP which you have to compare to b/c the $10k will not be off anything but. So aren't we looking more like $48,300 - $7,500 - $10k = $30,800? Still good I suppose.

The way I'd build mine would be $54,145 though. $36,675. Not worth it over anything in consideration in the $20k range which are the best values right now. But that's just me.

 

[Anonymous]

If one is to believe the financial news, if Tesla doesn't procure some new capital in the next quarter, they may go bankrupt.

Yeah, closing a lot of their showrooms, and relying on-line sales is not a good sign. Industry analysts point to much softer EU and Chinese sales than predicted. And with a lot of other luxury brands already out, or about to come out with their SUV electrics, ahead of Tesla's Model Y, and all with fully supported Dealership networks, competiton will be another hurdle for Tesla. And Musk certainly didn't spend any more time or money on the Model Y design - it's just a stretched model 3 with that really odd Studebaker Avanti 'bug-rammer' front end.

But the car won't go away. Worst-case Tesla will be bought out by an established car manufacturer, and the cars, or at least the technology, will be rolled into their product line.

 

[alohart]

Yeah, closing a lot of their showrooms, and relying on-line sales is not a good sign.

That's old news. Tesla reversed that plan shortly after revealing it which, in itself, is a sign of confusion and disarray within Tesla. Tesla is definitely suffering another rough patch. However, this isn't the first rough patch, and Tesla seems really resilient. Reportedly, if Tesla gets into a really tough financial bind, Musk could infuse Tesla with SpaceX stock that he owns, so Tesla definitely has a pathway to continued success.

 

[Anonymous]

That's old news.

Yeah, just saw that. First announced shutting most of them, to use the cost savings to lower car prices by 6% to be more competitive, then reverse course, to only close 10% of them, and announce a price increase of 3% instead to be able to keep them open. Wow!

I think it's called 'pin-ball' style management :?

As long as he doesn't get tired of it, like he has on his other less-than-profitable ventures that don't live up to expectations - Solar City, and his solar roof-tile/power-wall comes to mind. Buy's out Solar City, then cancels their deal offering them through Home Depot stores (I remember seeing the PowerWall on display, and the Solar City guy in his Home Depot kiosk, talking to customers), to try to sell them out of Tesla Car showrooms... "Hey now that you have test-driven that Model 3, how's about some nice solar panels on your house to go with it? Or how about signing up for our solar roof tiles - it's only $50K to do an average house, and so far we've installed twelve roofs in two years." Whaaaaaaat?????

Tesla reported a $702 million dollar loss in the first quarter of this year. Ouch!

And moving equity from Space-X to shore up Tesla Motors would be like using one credit-card to make the payment due on another credit-card - though Musk has already used the 'Space-X credit card' to pay for his Boring Co.'s first test tunnel - which raised some Space-investor eyebrows when they found out, as it was done without any board OK. Space-X hasn't been profitable since late 2017, has $250 million in outstanding loans, is laying off 10% of its workforce, and is looking hard for another $500 million in funding in Jan of this year. That said, they have already raised $1.2 billion for Starlink - their 'Internet from Space' project. Get that off the ground, and generating revenue, and the whole game changes..

I like Musk. He's a visionary, and we need more of them. But he needs to hire industry-experienced leaders to run and manage the day-to-day operations of his ventures, and stick to dreaming up his future-forward ideas, like selling bricks made out of the dirt discarded when his 'Boring" company digs tunnels - genius!

 

[bwilson4web]

On March 26, we took delivery of our Standard Range Plus Model 3 (SR+M3) and traded in our 2017 Prius Prime. Our 2014 BMW i3-REx, 40k miles, is the backup. We have 6.5k miles on the SR+M3.

We did +700 mile trips between Huntsville AL and Coffeyville KS and Richardson (aka., Dallas) TX taking ~18 hours each way. Using $2.50/gal as the gasoline price, the SR+M3 costs ~64 MPG using Tesla SuperChargers.

We bought basic AutoPilot and use it constantly. AutoPilot has dynamic cruise control and auto-steer to keep the car in the lane. Setting the turn signal, the car handles lane changes with 360 degree monitoring of traffic. Auto steering uses a 'split the difference' algorithm which can lead to some exciting steering events. Regardless, as we learn the strengths and weaknesses, AutoPilot has become a valuable co-pilot.

On the drive home from Coffeyville, my sleep system and patterns had been disturbed. Within 100 miles of home, it caught up with me. I had five, micro-sleep events ... on AutoPilot ... and the car stayed in its lane and controlled its speed. In any other car, we'd have gone off the road or into oncoming traffic. I don't recommend driving when that tired but throughly recommend basic AutoPilot as a valuable safety system.

Bob Wilson

 

[spinball]

I have a AWD Model 3 and a 2017 i3. I prefer the Model 3 by leaps and bounds. The two aren't even in the same ballpark.

If you are a "software person" like me, it's obvious that Tesla runs circles around BMW in all aspects of software: UI design, reliability, updates (or complete lack thereof!), map data, voice control, etc. Even the phone-as-key has worked flawlessly with my iPhone X.

Somehow the Tesla has double the power and range, AWD, is heavier, has normal size tires (that are stocked locally just about everywhere!), yet comes in at about the same EPA efficiency ratings. Tesla's powertrain is absolutely world class. BMW is a bit behind here in electric motors and the efficiency of their powertrain electronics. The CFRP is really cool, but if it's not more efficient, what's the point? The skinny tires are just a pain all around and don't seem to be better in any way at all.

My Tesla came in at $46k with a bunch of options on it--Somehow less than the sticker on my i3!

A few things I like better about the i3:
* Dent-resistant and rust-proof plastic panels. But I would miss that even if I went to another BMW model. I wish all cars had plastic body panels!
* Service experience. Tesla still has teething issues with service times and part availability. Thankfully it's not an ICE, so I expect my service appointments to be very few and far between.
* Build quality consistency. You have to be more careful looking for issues when taking delivery of a Telsa than a BMW.