I walked into a tragedy at work this morning.

I was going to reply to some of you individually but right now I can’t.

But I am showing the wife these replies she has some of the same concerns y’all but about spending money.

If you don’t like the Tesla idea feel free to give me other options.

This work stuff has my heart hurtin’ at the moment. I’ll get back to you guys a little later today.

$172k after taxes.

Let me guess...you a M.D.?

Don't forget it might possibly fly to Mars and back on the weekends.

$110k car built like a $15k Hyundai? No thanks.

How close are you to the supercharger network?  Is there a Tesla dealer nearby?  Are you going to install a charging station at home?

Which of the Teslas did you drive, or were driven in boss?

I was in Hawaii spring 2017 being shuttled around Waikiki in nothing but different Teslas. None of them had a build quality or feel of an even $30k Hyundai.

@mbentz

On a 30 mile wide island it doesn’t matter. I drove all over hell and back on Oahu and other than 4wheeling or camping there is no place on the island a Nissan Leaf won’t get you to and back, let alone a Tesla.

ETA: the highest speed limit on the island is 60mph, and traffic is the worst in the US, there is no place on the island that a performance car makes sense to own, other than for bragging rights.

@ml2150

Admittedly I’ve only driven three Tesla’s, all of which were the Model S. Additionally, a coworker of mine worked for Tesla previously on the QC side of things. I wouldn’t buy a Tesla with your money.

Got a Model 3 AWD in December and put 8500 miles on it as of last Sunday. 20 miles into a 700 mile road trip a semi in front of me blew the driveshaft and the ujoint impacted the battery pack.

Immediately pulled to the side of the road. Vehicle informed me of the battery damage and reduced power.

Loaded on a flat bed and sent to the nearest Service Center.

Picked up a rental and went on the rest of my trip.

A new battery pack is in transit and will be installed this week. Total turn around will be less than 14 days.

Tesla service was very responsive and has been excellent to work with. Insurance is pursuing the truck's insurance for the claim.

No body damage. No drive unit damage. No steering damage. The battery did exactly what it was supposed to in the event of an impact like this. It immediately isolated the damaged cells. No fire.

Driving an ICE the rest of the trip sucked ass. I immediately knew I would have another Tesla after the accident. If they had totalled the vehicle I was going to upgrade to a performance model, the only regret I have had.

The supercharger network is dense. I have no problem getting in the vehicle and going anywhere I want. The autopilot driving experience over long distances is so much better than driving an ICE.

I want to get a Model X for the wife but will wait a few years to see what happens with the Maxwell acquisition. Solar is also on the horizon to install at the house. My electric bill has increased a marginal amount. The fuel charges I have tracked over the last 8 months are about 1/3rd what I was putting into my Audi A4 previously.

We have started taking the Model 3 on longer trips that had been reserved for the family minivan. Space isn't an issue.

Look at a Model S or Model 3 and be happy.

Tesla depreciation is about $.50 a mile.

Really neat cars
Expensive to repair
Bet insurance is costly
They don’t make financial sense

Really neat cars

Dealer is less than 15miles away. Currently offering free supercharging.

The plan would be to install a charging station at home, which has solar. When we get back stateside that plan would continue.

This is true, however we’re are only going to be here 3-6years max.

Just about every awd model 3 owner has said the same thing to me.

That exact discussion has been had this weekend.

@DK-Prof Made an appointment at the Porsche dealership for Thursday barring anymore BS this week.

It’s a terrible idea, for many reasons.   Good luck with the work issues.

- Ignoring the Tesla controversy for a moment, it really is a bad idea for you to spend that much on a car.

You’re renting, and expecting to move soon.  An expenditure like that is frivolous at best, at the most critical point in your life, when you are trying to get your future established.  I understand that you feel an obligation to spend more on your wife’s car, but don’t let the fact that her earning are higher, cloud your judgement.

A hundred thousand dollar car is far outside your means, unless you have millions from an inheritance sitting in the bank; and even then, it would be bad judgement.    I’m not being condescending.  It’s the same shit I tell myself, being roughly in the same place earning wise.    It’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking “I’m rich bioch!” When, the reality is very different.    Your wife might earn more, but she depends on you to be the voice of reason and accountability.

-People here are over-eager to spend Your money, because it justifies their own choices, and doesn’t cost them anything; And, they won’t be there to offer anything but condolences or when you run into financial or personal problems later.

Suzie Orman would say no fucking way.

Check and see how well repairs go. I’ve heard some people have had their’s in the shop for months due to shortage of parts.

The model 3 performance will be a bit slower but will drive better, so that would be my choice. A panamera would be something else that would be worth looking at.

I think you’re a little crazy to be spending 100k+ at that income but that’s your business

I'm actually a little shocked I just looked it up and Hawaii sales tax on cars is under 5% and there are no annual value based taxes for renewal. I'm a bit shocked actually, I expected there to be and for more sales tax. So you got that going for you, in some areas a car like that would be an extra grand a year in renewal fees.

I think buying a $100,000 car while you have student loan debt and don't own a house doesn't make a whole lot sense. You're relying on a lot of assumptions about your and wife's ability to continue to earn the money you're earning now. I say get yourself into a position where you don't have to rely on assumptions before you spend more than $50,000 on a car.

They are awesome but you should pay off your debt first.

Gr8, that was one of the things I was going with. If you have a dealer with free supercharging it makes it a win/win.

Do it, if you are 100% it won't put a strain on your finances and lifestyle. I just got a range rover sport $1,100 a month lease, yes I could have paid cash for it (and have a business that I could have taken the 179 deduction saving about $15k in taxes this year) however I do not like keeping vehicles longer then 3 years, and I think it will depreciate fast in the next 3 years, combined with loss of value in an accident and reliability issues. In the end it does not make financial sense getting the range rover, or the tesla (I could just get a cheap suv) but sometimes you have to just enjoy things in life, which cost money.

4% excise tax and the renewal is based on weight and mileage there are also state benefits for have an electric car. Also we don’t pay “taxes” on the registration because of military non-resident. So it’s a flat $25 for tags every year.

Bruh, I’m a little combative today so I typed this big long thing and decided to delete it. I appreciate your concern however, you are having to assume a lot because the limited info I’m giving you. There is a lot in the background that you can’t see because I’m not showing it to you.

I agree 100%

I should have said in the OP that the student loans are going to be paid before the car is purchased. I didn’t give a timeline for the purchasing of the car cause I wanted a discussion and left things kinda open.

I’ll give you a good run down when it happens. I can already tell you that Daddy wants a 911 Turbo S.

I second that
I’m on my second model S
Only reason I sold the first one was I knew without a doubt my next car was going to be another Tesla and did it before the tax credit phased down.
They are amazing.
My experience so far has been they are more reliable than any other vehicle I have had with the exception of an old Toyota 4 cylinder I had years and years ago.

Message me if you have questions

Joined the club today. If it sucks I blame you

Poor guy Porsche though

New Macan. I’ll post pics when we get it. Found a steal on a new 2018

YOU DON'T BUY A 100,000 DOLLAR CAR IF YOU HAVE ANY DEBT, INCLUDING A MORTGAGE. YOU SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING PAID OFF AND YOUR RETIREMENT FULLY FUNDED, OTHERWISE NO, NO WAY.

This one exactly except with black door handles.

Attached File

I’ve had my model S for four years.  I have about 40000 mikes on it, the experience has been phenomenal.

I’ve read most of the posts in this thread.  Much like most threads here, (GD) people know a guy who knows a guy who’s car sucks.

In my experience, Tesla’s service is amazing.  My car had issues with the door seals and they came to me via their mobile service.  The technician calls when they are next to your car, you remotely unlock it, they service it, and tell you when they are done.  Service is awesome, in my experience.

The whole range thing is real, but I think its overblown.  If you routinely drive for more than 300 miles in one stretch, then its not a good car for you.  Don’t let Tesla owners tell you differently, range is an issue.  It does require you to think about your travel plans.  I drove from Phoenix to Vegas, and I had to charge twice.  That added an hour to my travel time.  Thats a significant amount of time, but I don’t make trips like that often.  It’s not just stopping at a gas station and being back on the road in 10 minutes.

I have not had any significant issues with my car, so I don’t know about parts availability (or lack of).  The model S has been out for years, I would assume parts would be available for it.

Your electric bill will go up.  If you have time of use billing, the car can be programmed to charge during the cheapest rates.

We went on a road trip last month, and the trip called for 2000 miles of driving.  I rented an SUV.  Range was a concern, plus we wanted something bigger for the trip.  I’m absolutely certain the car would have been fine, but I didn’t want to wait all that time charging it.  Thats a lot of down time on such a long trip.

Autopilot really nice.

Having the user interface update over night is great.  They add functionality, they make refinements, they tweak settings to extend battery life.  You get to decide when you want to do the update.  What’s not to like?

Very obvious points.
1.  Can you afford the car?
2.  Will the car function for you?  Range, size, interior space and such.
3.  Do you actually like the car?  Buy it because you actually like the car, not because its a Tesla.

If I was fabulously wealthy, I’d have a driver.

Why not just buy a used one and plan to sell it when you leave the island?

e.g. : https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/5YJSA1E16GF126565

Thank you for the input good sir!

That’s on the table

Tesla’s days are numbered.

Oh my.

Tesla MCU SSDs peter out in 4 years on average and Tesla won't replace the plug-in SSD. They make you replace the entire MCU for a fee of $2,200 to $5,000.

These are SSDs from 2014 or 2015 or so.

A 4-year write cycle and then they fry.

People here have said they last much longer. Oops!

I don't submit to the Cult of Elon.

So, now Tesla is offering auto insurance because the major carriers are refusing to insure Teslas or charging high rates because they can't recoup losses on the secondary market because there is no secondary market (of Tesla's doing?)

What a clusterfuck.

The only interior I’ve seen that potentially beats Panamera is a loaded big Range Rover. The kind with recliners in back.

It's all about the weight.

The worst thing about the S is for a so-called sports model, it's pathetic on the track. One or two laps and it overheats and cuts power. The model 3 is a better lap car.

My financial guy wrecked his Tesla and waited months to get it back.  This story talks about that problem:

Link to story

When Teslas Crash, They Come Here For Auction
by Tyler Durden
Mon, 08/05/2019 - 14:50

SCA is one of the top insurance auto auction houses in the country, with 170 locations nationwide. SCA works with insurance companies, dealerships, rental car companies, independent sellers, and leasing companies to auction automobiles that have been in an accident.

The latest trend on SCA has been an increasing number of crashed Teslas, now reaching 284 listed at current auction. Most of the cars are Model S (127) and Model 3 (113), with about 42 Model X SUVs.

2018 TESLA MODEL 3 for Sale in PALMETTO, FL - 5YJ3E1EA6JF154401 - https://t.co/1r15iV9lM0 pic.twitter.com/7vbEtbTOkR

— SCA (@SupportSca) July 28, 2019

After reviewing Teslas listed at current auction, a bulk of them have minor fender benders, some have electrical issues, but most have been in fender benders that if it were a standard petrol engine automobile, would be easily fixable by a local dealership.

It seems that insurance companies are slapping salvage titles on crashed Teslas because it's "near impossible to repair them, the authorities and Tesla will prevent them being put back on the roads," said one Twitter user who was commenting on an SCA Twitter post of a newly listed crashed Tesla for auction.

The market for these junkers has collapsed.

It is near impossible to repair them, the authorities and Tesla will prevent them being put back on the roads.

The market for trashed spare parts has also dwindled.

Scrap value? of mingled and toxic parts?

It will cost money to dump 'em

— Keef Wivaneff ingwombat (@KeefWivanef1) July 28, 2019

The user added: "The market for trashed spare parts has also dwindled. Scrap value? of mingled and toxic parts? It will cost money to dump 'em."

The #TSLAQ community on Twitter has recently reported that SCA has seen increased volumes of crashed Teslas listed for auction. Some have even noted that these electric cars are going no bid on the auction site.

Another user said, it's possible to part out these cars, but if someone wants to put one of these cars back on the road, it's virtually impossible to find parts.

OMG.... I'm looking for a decent wrecked Tesla, that one doesn't qualify. Maybe parting it out gets some money back, but no way that fixes- no parts available.

— cazin678 (@cazin678) August 2, 2019

We've reported that long wait times for parts and a lack of reputable Tesla-approved repair centers has been a glaring problem for many owners.

Across the internet, Tesla forums are filled with angry owners who regret even buying the electric car because a basic repair could take months. Some owners have reported 4 to 5 weeks, while others said six to nine months for repairs.

For owners who need parts, it's not yet known, or at least we haven't seen on any forum, if any owners are crowdsourcing funds to buy crashed Teslas from SCA to part out.

As shown below, some Model 3s listed on SCA are bidding from $25 to $16,300 (as of 11 am Sunday morning).

The increased volume of crashed Teslas on SCA is occurring at a time when the electric car company's Autopilot is under growing scrutiny, following a former NHTSA head calling for a recall after several fatal accidents associated with Autopilot.

As far as what we understand, and obviously we don't have the insurance documentation on each Tesla listed on SCA, there was no concrete evidence that any of the cars crashed because of Autopilot.

However, in a new report by Consumer Reports, they determined that Tesla's Autopilot was "far less competent than a human driver," and by examining the type of crashes at SCA, it seems that some of the accidents could have been Autopilot-related.