Live data from Hacker News

Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

detroitnews.com

81–90 of 153 posts

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#81
post #66

I was surprised by some of the cost benefits of EV. I did a rough total cost of ownership for my wife's Model 3 vs my Audi A4. Over five years (@17k miles per year) it came out to the Model 3 being ~$10k cheaper than the A4 despite the Model 3 having a higher sticker price. Because I know it will come up, I know these prices are not reasonable for most people and certainly far from the promised $35k. This is just a c…

I don't think you can really compare the interior/build quality of the Model 3 to the A4, though. The 3 squeaks and cracks when you push on the dash, has cheaper and cheaper-looking materials, as compared to the A4 (I've driven a 2015 and 2017 A4, and an Model 3).

I tried to keep these out of the calculation and discussion since it is highly subjective. For example, I'm the exact opposite of you. I can't stand my Audi interior now that I've ridden in a Model 3. I find the seats far more comfortable and the minimalist aesthetic far preferable than the million buttons, dials, and pointless displays in my A4. <- This probably triggered a lot of people (Sorry!) which is why I wanted to leave it out of the dollar cost.

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#82
post #66

I was surprised by some of the cost benefits of EV. I did a rough total cost of ownership for my wife's Model 3 vs my Audi A4. Over five years (@17k miles per year) it came out to the Model 3 being ~$10k cheaper than the A4 despite the Model 3 having a higher sticker price. Because I know it will come up, I know these prices are not reasonable for most people and certainly far from the promised $35k. This is just a c…

6k insurance over 5 years is $100 per month. That's lower that'd I've expected for a Tesla and Audi. What insurance are you using if you don't mind sharing?

I'm using Geico. They are configured with the exact same plan and deductible:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvcNZP5UwAA76pc.jpg:large

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#83
post #11
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had my credit union's car purchasing department handle my car purchase. Did everything over email - I told them what I wanted and in what color, they did the legwork to find a dealer that had what I wanted. Emailed me a quote, then the dealer delivered it to my door. No haggling, no visiting dealers, just email and signing some papers.

If you're willing to pay the dealer's quote, then car salesmen will love you and you'll have a great time at a dealership anyway. The entire bullshit process begins when you try to get a price that doesn't have thousands of extra dollars in for the dealership.

Isn't this the same for Tesla? You have to accept tesla's quote with no negotiation?

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#84

I like the idea of a Tesla, but I can't justify the cost. I hope they sell a ton of them and the cars go through the usual depreciation cycle. Maybe then.

If the idea is an EV with good range at a better price, then there's the Hyundai Kona:

https://insideevs.com/hyundai-kona-electric-gets-shockingly-...

The Kona's quite efficient. It recently finished second in an EV efficiency race:

https://electrek.co/2018/12/23/tesla-roadster-24-hour-electr...

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#85
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had my credit union's car purchasing department handle my car purchase. Did everything over email - I told them what I wanted and in what color, they did the legwork to find a dealer that had what I wanted. Emailed me a quote, then the dealer delivered it to my door. No haggling, no visiting dealers, just email and signing some papers.

How did you get a decent price? My employer offers a similar service as part of the benefits program. You print out a piece of paper, take it to the dealer, and get a prenegotiated price. Sounds amazing in theory until you do more research and realize you’re still paying $1000s more.

Go to the internet sales manager at the dealer. Last time I did it it was no-nonsense. They ask for my requirements, quote a price. I compare prices among a few dealers and went with the best. I go there and a car is ready for me to test drive. I had pre-negotiated a loan with my credit union so 30 minutes of paperwork and I'm out.

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#86

I like the idea of a Tesla, but I can't justify the cost. I hope they sell a ton of them and the cars go through the usual depreciation cycle. Maybe then.

If the idea is an EV with good range at a better price, then there's the Hyundai Kona: https://insideevs.com/hyundai-kona-electric-gets-shockingly-... The Kona's quite efficient. It recently finished second in an EV efficiency race: https://electrek.co/2018/12/23/tesla-roadster-24-hour-electr...

I recently saw a Kona in Palo Alto and immediately called my wife to have her google it. I didn't even know it was an EV — I just didn't recognize it and thought it was a great-looking vehicle.

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#87
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate on your horrible experience? I bought a new car for the first time this year. I went to the Toyota dealer with my wife, we drove three cars, and decided the Corolla iM would be enough for 95% of our needs. We came back the next day and filled out all the paper work. Of course, they did try to get us to buy a bunch of pointles s addons and insurances, so it was annoying to have to say "No" over and o…

I knew what car I wanted and had looked around online to figure out what was a great price vs an acceptable one price. I called three dealerships in my area and confirmed if they still had the vehicles I’d seen in their inventory on their website. They did and wanted me to come down immediately. I gave my email address and asked if we could continue over email. I made clear I wanted to settle in the final out the doo…

The key thing to avoid with dealers is the "come on in". I don't "come on in" until we have a car agreed upon, a price agreed upon, and they've confirmed they're okay with me using my own financing/cash. If they won't do this, they're not worth your time.

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#88
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're willing to pay the dealer's quote, then car salesmen will love you and you'll have a great time at a dealership anyway. The entire bullshit process begins when you try to get a price that doesn't have thousands of extra dollars in for the dealership.

While I fully agree on hating the process, I've found the easiest working reply to these tactics by accident: Simply visit the dealer, get through exactly the model you want, be reasonably interested (but not too much in love), ask for a quote, leave some contact details and leave. Never answer and come back in about a month with a cheque when they've bidded themselves 20% down without you even saying a word.

This only works if your vehicle isn't niche or if demand is more than supply.

I guess you could just multiply by X dealers and use the same "time is on my side" approach.

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#89
post #72

The cheapest Tesla will be $46k once the tax credit expires at the end of the year. While that is a lot cheaper than before, it's still out of reach of the vast majority of Americans. I'm rooting for Tesla but that is a huge gap to close.

The top selling automobile in America (Ford F150), has a base price of 43k. The Second best selling automobile ( Chevy Silverado ) is at 42k. In total the Average sale price of an automobile in America is 34k Tesla is still above that, but not by much. I think people discount how much all those trucks and SUV's they see rolling around cost.

~42K for a base domestic pickup might be MSRP.

The actual transaction price is much, much less.

Re: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is a Tesla

#90
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did you get a decent price? My employer offers a similar service as part of the benefits program. You print out a piece of paper, take it to the dealer, and get a prenegotiated price. Sounds amazing in theory until you do more research and realize you’re still paying $1000s more.

Go to the internet sales manager at the dealer. Last time I did it it was no-nonsense. They ask for my requirements, quote a price. I compare prices among a few dealers and went with the best. I go there and a car is ready for me to test drive. I had pre-negotiated a loan with my credit union so 30 minutes of paperwork and I'm out.

You can play the different sales managers off each other too. You have room to negotiate if you want to spend the time.
Post reply on HN