[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

I got the sense that he's involved with that Xenix(?) computer in the trunk. The total rebuild might be so he can use it as a marketing tool. I also noted that he had an electric scooter and electric motorcycle in the garage. A true believer.

Electric scooters are banned on public roads and pavements here yet some risk it mixing it with traffic, there have been deaths.

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I was going to make a sarcastic remark about the full state of charge brings just 70 miles of range, but then got to thinking an early 1970s TR6 probably got less than 70 miles between failures of the Lucas electronic components.

A few Lucas Jokes to lighten the day.
Lucas, the Prince of Darkness
Lucas--inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
The three-position Lucas switch--DIM, FLICKER and OFF.
The other three switch settings--SMOKE, SMOLDER and IGNITE.
The original anti-theft devices--Lucas Electric products.
If Lucas made guns, wars would not start either.
The Lucas motto: “Get home before dark.”
Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices.

And the best for last.

[NickyC]

Tesla is absolutely killing it pricing wise. Though it’s awful for folks who have purchased them in the past couple years, new buyers are in for one helluva deal.

Have to be honest. Unless BMW stops churning out horribly ugly vehicles, I might find myself on a Tesla lot next go around. Keep the CS for fun and road trips, and everything else close is a Model S or something. A combination of attractive pricing and terrible looking BMWs is forcing me to rethink things.

[gonzo]

^
You'd look mighty spiffy in a green and gold XM with one of these on top.
Pure style.

[AmuroRay]

Originally Posted by NickyC

Tesla is absolutely killing it pricing wise. Though it’s awful for folks who have purchased them in the past couple years, new buyers are in for one helluva deal.

Have to be honest. Unless BMW stops churning out horribly ugly vehicles, I might find myself on a Tesla lot next go around. Keep the CS for fun and road trips, and everything else close is a Model S or something. A combination of attractive pricing and terrible looking BMWs is forcing me to rethink things.

Yawn.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by NickyC

Tesla is absolutely killing it pricing wise. Though it’s awful for folks who have purchased them in the past couple years, new buyers are in for one helluva deal.

Have to be honest. Unless BMW stops churning out horribly ugly vehicles, I might find myself on a Tesla lot next go around. Keep the CS for fun and road trips, and everything else close is a Model S or something. A combination of attractive pricing and terrible looking BMWs is forcing me to rethink things.

The blank faceless front of a Tesla is nothing to write home about.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

I was just about to post the same thing. But here's the longer version.

Lol. So this whole incident was a precursor to the Burning Man Festival event in Navada. These activists were blocking traffic heading to the festival. Counter Culture clashes with... Counter Culture.

[ASAP]

I am not a fan of Tesla crappy build quality but you can get a Model 3 Performance right now for $48K and then have the 7.5K tax credit on top of that... net price of $41k... i mean even if the car sucks, that's hard to beat... this doesn't even get you a 330i these days and is way faster.

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

The blank faceless front of a Tesla is nothing to write home about.

Do people still write home?

My dearest Emily,

Times are tough here on the front lines. The days are long and the ever present cloud of gunpowder and death lingers in the air. Give my best to Earline. It warms my heart to think of better times with you.

Please remember to charge my Model 3 despite its formless anterior.

Sincerely,

Claude

[M5Rick]

I'd always want to sit on soft extended leather seats that massage, a large sunroof (not a fan of carbon roofs) is a must, no leather in a Tes except for an option on just the steer wheel? hallelujah.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by gblansten

Do people still write home?

My dearest Emily,

Times are tough here on the front lines. The days are long and the ever present cloud of gunpowder and death lingers in the air. Give my best to Earline. It warms my heart to think of better times with you.

Please remember to charge my Model 3 despite its formless anterior.

Sincerely,

Claude

It's a saying over the pond

[kyriian]

Originally Posted by ASAP

I am not a fan of Tesla crappy build quality but you can get a Model 3 Performance right now for $48K and then have the 7.5K tax credit on top of that... net price of $41k... i mean even if the car sucks, that's hard to beat... this doesn't even get you a 330i these days and is way faster.

No doubt it is an enticing deal now, even as a skeptic and someone who couldn't stomach the thought of giving any money to that man, it makes it almost tempting.

Just a few counterpoint though
If you want to charge at home, that's a cost that any ICE/Hybrid won't have, to begin with you'd also need a private parking space to put that charger as well unless you plan to charge using public chargers and walk home, or charge only at work

And its still 8k premium over say.. an Accord Hybrid Sport which will be built properly and likely better finished, it even has a gauge cluster so you can tell how fast you are going! Imagine that!

8k can also buy you an awful lot of fuel, and maintenance for a vehicle that does 48MPG

I am not saying TM3 isn't a great deal now, I am saying, it still has the same issues as any EV, it has to fit your particular lifestyle, if it does, great, go buy one, I ain't stopping you.

Of course on the other side, you'd never know if you are the sucker who brought it and then Tesla drops prices again.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by kyriian

No doubt it is an enticing deal now, even as a skeptic and someone who couldn't stomach the thought of giving any money to that man, it makes it almost tempting.

Just a few counterpoint though
If you want to charge at home, that's a cost that any ICE/Hybrid won't have, to begin with you'd also need a private parking space to put that charger as well unless you plan to charge using public chargers and walk home, or charge only at work

And its still 8k premium over say.. an Accord Hybrid Sport which will be built properly and likely better finished, it even has a gauge cluster so you can tell how fast you are going! Imagine that!

8k can also buy you an awful lot of fuel, and maintenance for a vehicle that does 48MPG

I am not saying TM3 isn't a great deal now, I am saying, it still has the same issues as any EV, it has to fit your particular lifestyle, if it does, great, go buy one, I ain't stopping you.

Of course on the other side, you'd never know if you are the sucker who brought it and then Tesla drops prices again.

Yea I agree with you... I will say tho, this will be a performance car compared to the Accord Hybrid... in fact it won't even be close so you won't get remotely the driving experience in an Accord (in fact the new Accord is actually slower than the old as the 2.0T is no longer offered). You also get AWD in the Tesla and the home level 2 charger is at most $1k... i have a friend that looked into it... Again, not for everyone... but the cheaper it gets, the more sense it makes and I think that's how Elon can win... once they start moving these cars into the 30s, it slowly becomes a no brainer.

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Yea I agree with you... I will say tho, this will be a performance car compared to the Accord Hybrid... in fact it won't even be close so you won't get remotely the driving experience in an Accord (in fact the new Accord is actually slower than the old as the 2.0T is no longer offered). You also get AWD in the Tesla and the home level 2 charger is at most $1k... i have a friend that looked into it... Again, not for everyone... but the cheaper it gets, the more sense it makes and I think that's how Elon can win... once they start moving these cars into the 30s, it slowly becomes a no brainer.

Honest question, which will have the higher trade in/resale value? I'm guessing the Honda. We are talking about keeping costs down in this particular exchange, correct?

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

Honest question, which will have the higher trade in/resale value? I'm guessing the Honda. We are talking about keeping costs down in this particular exchange, correct?

As the price gets lower and lower, does it really matter?

Sure, the Honda... but again, the comparo is not apples to apples because one car does 0-60 in 3.8 seconds, the other one does it in almost 7, so we aren't even in the same league of cars anymore. That alone provides an experience, the Honda never could.

I think again... these cars are getting real cheap for what you get... and the cheaper it gets, the less people fuss about build quality.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by ASAP

As the price gets lower and lower, does it really matter?

Sure, the Honda... but again, the comparo is not apples to apples because one car does 0-60 in 3.8 seconds, the other one does it in almost 7, so we aren't even in the same league of cars anymore. That alone provides an experience, the Honda never could.

I think again... these cars are getting real cheap for what you get... and the cheaper it gets, the less people fuss about build quality.

You're correct that the two cars are not an apples to apples comparison. When you look at a typical buyer of a Honda Accord or similar class vehicle, they don't give a crap about how fast it goes from 0 to 60. They're more interested in reliability, build quality, and cost to operate.

And I would also say that many Tesla buyers don't give a crap about 0 to 60 times. In the DC metro area, you can't go far without running into a Tesla. Most of these drivers move about as slow as molasses. Almost reminiscent of hyper-milers. Many got into a Tesla because of FOMO or virtue signaling.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

You're correct that the two cars are not an apples to apples comparison. When you look at a typical buyer of a Honda Accord or similar class vehicle, they don't give a crap about how fast it goes from 0 to 60. They're more interested in reliability, build quality, and cost to operate.

And I would also say that many Tesla buyers don't give a crap about 0 to 60 times. In the DC metro area, you can't go far without running into a Tesla. Most of these drivers move about as slow as molasses. Almost reminiscent of hyper-milers. Many got into a Tesla because of FOMO or virtue signaling.

So the problem there is that the cheapest RWD model 3 is even cheaper lol... i was pointing out the Performance model above. That car after savings is like $33k lol... again still does 0-60 in 5.8... its becoming hard to argue and I am not even a Tesla fan.

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by ASAP

As the price gets lower and lower, does it really matter?

Sure, the Honda... but again, the comparo is not apples to apples because one car does 0-60 in 3.8 seconds, the other one does it in almost 7, so we aren't even in the same league of cars anymore. That alone provides an experience, the Honda never could.

I think again... these cars are getting real cheap for what you get... and the cheaper it gets, the less people fuss about build quality.

I wouldn't call $40K+ USD cheap. Not everyone is able to spend that kind of money for a car. Used car prices are what the majority look at and therefore if you are at the bottom end of Tesla pricing I suspect you have to also think about trade in/resale value. I'm willing to bet the Honda will be worth much more when it comes time to trade it in. And I suspect that the majority of people who buy cars are only looking at them as reliable transportation and want to save money, they don't care about 0-60times.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

I wouldn't call $40K+ USD cheap. Not everyone is able to spend that kind of money for a car. Used car prices are what the majority look at and therefore if you are at the bottom end of Tesla pricing I suspect you have to also think about trade in/resale value. I'm willing to bet the Honda will be worth much more when it comes time to trade it in. And I suspect that the majority of people who buy cars are only looking at them as reliable transportation and want to save money, they don't care about 0-60times.

its 33k not 40k for the cheapest... Almost in line with the Accord. Again, I don't think the Accord buyer is a Tesla Model 3 buyer for many reasons.

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

The lowest price Model 3 does not pull 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds, it's 5.8 seconds.

Correct... my example was the Performance model... the base model is 5.8 which is still vastly superior in terms of performance and handling to any Accord.

Again - not for everyone!! Especially if you do longer distance driving but an all around fun town car... i would go for it if thats all i wanted.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by ASAP

So the problem there is that the cheapest RWD model 3 is even cheaper lol... i was pointing out the Performance model above. That car after savings is like $33k lol... again still does 0-60 in 5.8... its becoming hard to argue and I am not even a Tesla fan.

You're still not understanding. It doesn't matter how fast a Model 3 is over a Honda Accord. The buyer for this type of car doesn't give a crap about 0 to 60 times as an important buying criteria. As I said, it's about reliability, quality and cost to operate. If what you say were true, more buyers would be buying cheaper alternatives from domestic makes for example. They don't. In fact, people will pay a bit extra to get their hands on a Honda or a Toyota due to the quality/reliability reputation. And if they can't afford to buy new, they'll buy a used Honda or Toyota. Resell values of these makes bear this out.

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by ASAP

I am not a fan of Tesla crappy build quality but you can get a Model 3 Performance right now for $48K and then have the 7.5K tax credit on top of that... net price of $41k... i mean even if the car sucks, that's hard to beat... this doesn't even get you a 330i these days and is way faster.

Sounds like a good deal. Now all you have to do is justify the environmental damage the construction of your good deal took.

Me, I'll take a good lightly used M3 or M4 and know that my choice is better for me and the environment.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

You're still not understanding. It doesn't matter how fast a Model 3 is over a Honda Accord. The buyer for this type of car doesn't give a crap about 0 to 60 times as an important buying criteria. As I said, it's about reliability, quality and cost to operate. If what you say were true, more buyers would be buying cheaper alternatives from domestic makes for example. They don't. In fact, people will pay a bit extra to get their hands on a Honda or a Toyota due to the quality/reliability reputation. And if they can't afford to buy new, they'll buy a used Honda or Toyota. Resell values of these makes bear this out.

I don't think you are understanding... the point I made above is these are not cross shop buyers. The Tesla offers something the Honda Accord doesn't and vice versa.

I don't think anyone buying a Model 3 has in their minds, I will keep this car forever or drive it until the wheels fall off... it's considered a "cool car" that attracts a certain crowd. It has certain advantages that make it a very good city car. The Accord buyer is far more conservative and intends on keeping their car long term and probably values resale.

The thing is, as price gets closer and closer, more folks will move into the Tesla bracket just to try something different. At the mid 30k price point this decision becomes easier.