Teslas are cheaper than ever

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{{ The average price of a used Tesla Model 3 is down 48.2% from two years ago, to $26,785; the price of a used Model S is down by 55.7%, to $32,582; the price of a used Model X is down by 48.9%, to $45,414; and the price of a used Model Y is down by 48.8%, to $34,969, CoPilot data provided to MarketWatch show.

Tesla will report earnings April 23. “I would wait another few weeks, maybe into the timeframe around early May, because there’s a reasonable chance Tesla’s going to have to lower prices further if their sales fortunes don’t turn around,” Ryan said. “That can be a really nice opportunity for people to get in.” }}

Teslas are cheaper than ever. Here are four tips to consider before buying one. (msn.com)

I’ve found that it makes sense to let people who are bad at arithmetic pay the first few years of depreciation on a new vehicle and then buy used.

I saw a used Model S P90 with 2.9 sec 0-60 acceleration advertised for $28,000. If that gets below $25,000 and is eligible for the $4,000 tax credit, it might be interesting.

https://www.armstrongvw.com/exotic-used/Tesla/2016-Tesla-Model+S-d4139c350a0e0a9477941b50c4e31e5d.htm

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This is a 2016 model S, while it is a Tesla, and it is a very nice EV, it’s missing a bunch of features that make modern Tesla’s awesome. For example, it has old hardware so it can’t do FSD, it has no dashcam, no sentry mode, etc. On the other hand, it is low mileage and appears to have been well cared for.

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What, that can’t be added with an OTA? :wink:

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Well, you can upgrade HW2 to HW3 and then FSD will run. At least to some extent. But you can’t add the dashcam feature. And I think the cameras may have lower resolution than newer models have. And there are probably many other differences that I am not aware of.

I always joke around that you can’t download more processing power, and you can’t download more memory, via OTA.

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Thank you for that – it’s valuable input.

I’m thinking it’s better for me to get a used one since my annual mileage is way down since I started walking everywhere I go within a 3 mile radius of my home for the exercise. I want to be the purchaser of a low mileage used car, not the owner who suffered the years of depreciation in creating it.

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The Tesla model 3 LR is the most efficient of the lot. If you can find a 2019/20/21 with low mileage just under $25k to capture the $4k tax credit, that would be the sweet spot for you. The only caveat I might add is if you still have a large dog that you travel with, you might want a model Y instead. I have a 2021 model 3 LR and over 29,000 miles of driving, I’ve averaged 263 Wh/mi. At my 15 cents a kWh, that’s just under 4 cents a mile (not including the free charging that I do at 0 cents/kWh, and not including the supercharging that I do at 35 cents/kWh). The ICE car (also a nice 4-door sedan) that is replaced was costing me about 24 cents a mile (at $3.89/gal).

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Yeah. I happened to park next to a Model 3 yesterday and it looks a lot shorter than my Nissan Altima. Model S is a lot bigger vehicle. Model Y is about 7 inches taller than Model 3.

I haven’t seen any Model Ys below the $25,000 price point, but I agree Model Y is the best of the three.

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Exactly. The S is a large luxury very comfortable sedan and is quite spacious. The model 3 is a medium sized sport sedan. The model Y is a small SUV hatchback. But because of advances in design and technology, I think a model 3 is a far better value than the model S at this point. But you definitely get less in a model 3, for example, no adjustable air suspension.