301–310 of 741 posts
It's so shady that their advertised price includes some hypothetical "potential gas savings", and the actual price is behind a tiny "learn more" link.
* Not sure if the low range model 3 is software limited.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Once you drive it, you are not going to want to return it, so all this is moot for most people.
I drove a Model S. None of my cars is a Model S. I remember the “salesperson” talking about how quiet it was as wind noise whistled through the cabin like we were in a Corolla. The A4 I was driving at the time was immensely quieter at highway speeds but I nodded and played along. I’m convinced the aspirational status of Teslas means people who haven’t experienced actual luxury vechicles are buying into the hype that…
One slightly weird thing is that because there is no engine noise (other than a slight whine on heavy acceleration) all those other road noises become more noticeable and it seems noisier.
I agree with the luxury vehicle thing, especially on the S. Mine had the seal between the window and the front door literally fall off at one point early into ownership.
I got mine for two main reasons: the acceleration is great fun in the "performance" models and I don't have to deal with buying gasoline. It's also a pretty damn safe car, which is nice when I take the kids somewhere.
There are some nice tech features (like being able to summon the car from a tight parking spot) that feel luxurious too, but I agree that they badly need to work on fit and finish for a $150K price point car.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's not the full story though. When delivering to dealerships they are often delivered in a more efficient manner, so the per unit cost of delivery is lower. Even if that wasn't the case when you go to a dealership that delivery cost is part of the price. Claiming the car is $35,000 when it's literally impossible to buy it for that is a bit misleading.
With a $3,750 federal tax credit and possible state credits to offset the delivery cost, the headline price of $35,000 is misleadingly high .
"To achieve these prices while remaining financially sustainable, Tesla is shifting sales worldwide to online only. You can now buy a Tesla in North America via your phone in about 1 minute, and that capability will soon be extended worldwide. We are also making it much easier to try out and return a Tesla, so that a test drive prior to purchase isn’t needed. You can now return a car within 7 days or 1,000 miles for…
I would never buy something without a test drive. No level of return policy will be good enough.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Absolutely - I made a comment a few years ago around the Model S pricing when they compared it to a E or S class Mercedes. The base price of a given vehicle is $35k, and then I'd spend either $1500/yr on fuel and maintenance o, or $500/yr on fuel and maintenance if it's - for example - electric, on top the of the base price. Spending $1000 less per year does not magically mean the car is now $34k. If anything, the pr…
buying a $35,000 Tesla has the equivalent cost of ownership of buying a $26,950 ICE car. It's not a massive amount of mental gymnastics. I definitely don't agree with Teslas practices of framing it that way, I'd rather they just show cost of ownership comparisons across a variety of cars. Especially since they can't even meet the demand they currently have, why resort to shady practices?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does it matter to the victim who is at fault? ...also, there's a $1,200 delivery fee. Is this the new "restock fee"? it is conveniently left out of the marketing materials.
Cars have always had delivery fees. Delivering something that weighs several tons is not cheap.
>and then return it for free.
which implies that there's no financial loss on your end.
They should at least have phrased it in terms of "and you're only out the initial delivery fee".
Edit: I don't know what the actual status is. One commenter mentioned a delivery fee that's separate from the headline price; I was just going off the earlier discussion.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
“Courageous” If anyone has ever had to cancel a car sale you’ll realize how much of a hassle it truely is to “return a car” Your credit report will show a loan even after it’s been cancelled for weeks. I once cancelled financing for a car due to it not being as described. Started looking for a new car and found it. Got denied for a loan because my score showed a 60k loan with 0 payments made. It took almost 2 months…
Were you denied a loan from the same institution that issued the first one? I can't imagine a credit union turning down the same customer they just approved because 'computer says no.' I'm not sure that Tesla is saying you can't test drive it. There are other ways to evangelize the car and let people test drive it, ones that don't involve massive rents in premium retail spaces. Toyota brings the Mirai to my local Far…
I even tried going with a different finance company to secure the exact car I wanted (it was an excellent offer I had driven the dealer to) and they came back with a flat no.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is very good advice to keep in mind, but it's not Tesla's fault if the credit reporting agencies are terrible.
I think they both deserve credit, in reality returning a 30 thousand dollar object is never going to be smooth. The finance has already written you a check, they’ve already done all this leg work. You’ve already driven it, if you’re purchasing it in earnest you might have already invested in charging infrastructure for your home, a whole laundry list of friction. Then there’s what happens to the car you returned. I w…
Oh boo hoo. Finance does a little more work.
I feel for the people doing the refurbishing, sure. They're probably squeezed to death non-union wage labor.
But the Pinstripes in finance? The likelihood the work they do for your loan involves "legs" at all is nil.