$35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now • Hacker News Board

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#331

Post by BoorishBears » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:06 AM UTC

dmode wrote: post #317

BoorishBears wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was a Model S we were in And even so, the comparison of Teslas to other cars just highlight the absurdity of their MSRPs relative to the luxury they deliver. I’m assuming you mean Model 3 is the size of a Civic or similar so it competes with them. I mean technically sure, but the pricing doesn’t reflect that! Until today it cost as much as an A4 at A3 levels of room, and honestly maybe not even A3 levels of luxury…

I have a Model S and I used to own several BMWs. Honestly, what luxury does an entry level BMW or Audi even provide ? BMW 3 series is a joke with it 4 cylinder engine, soft handling, and a tiny screen where you have to visit the dealer to get a map update. Teslas are way more luxurious in the sense that they provide a 21st century car.

To the average base model buyer a 4 cyl means nothing when it’s paired with a silky smooth transmission, soft handling is a plus, the “tiny” (very crisp and responsive) screen is modern, and I’ll take wireless CarPlay over Tesla's Bluetooth integration any day.

And for the rest of us there’s the 340i which is still only as expensive as what was the only Model 3 you could buy before 2pm today...

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#332

Post by FireBeyond » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:06 AM UTC

artursapek wrote: post #299

tedivm wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So now we have to pay for test drives?

It's more than a 20 minute test drive. You get to keep the car for a while, park it, load/unload it, try out car seats in it, etc. It is very informative compared to a dealership test drive.

Hmm. Not this time, but in 2015 when I bought an Audi, they let me have the vehicle (once I showed I was serious about buying/considering the vehicle, but without money or signature anywhere) from Friday evening til Sunday afternoon. Only thing they said was "Don't drive it to California and back, please" (from Seattle).

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#333

Post by twoodfin » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:06 AM UTC

gamblor956 wrote: post #275

CydeWeys wrote: post #9

Interesting to point out that the $35k is the full price, which goes down when additional discounts are applied. If you get the short range model with no options, it starts out at $35k, then goes down all the way to $24,950 after including the $3,750 Federal tax credit, $2,000 New York EV rebate (clearly it's geolocating by IP address here), and "$4,300 estimated 6 year gas savings". OK, so that last bit is BS, and i…

Including the credits in the price used to be pretty shady, since you had to have a sufficient pre-credit tax liability to actually get the full benefit of the credit. (The EV credit is non-refundable, meaning that if you don't have a tax liability, you don't get anything from the credit.) But the Trump Tax Bill lowered everyone's refunds (largely because the IRS lowered withholding during the year), so more people h…

Eligibility for tax credits is unaffected by witholding rates or how large your end-of-year refund or liability is. And anyone who can afford a Tesla is sure to be paying enough income tax to get the full value of the EV credit.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#334

Post by takeda » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:07 AM UTC

BoorishBears wrote: post #251

natch wrote: post #191

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…

That's the noise of outside + wind. The materials used for insulating external noise add non negligible weight to the car. You can make it quieter, but at the cost of reducing MPG (or MPAh?) :(

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#335

Post by wil421 » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:08 AM UTC

FireBeyond wrote: post #327

BoorishBears wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first loaner confirmed they couldn’t even process a new loan while the old one was in limbo. They even put my case in for special review and apparently part of the wait was ensuring the check wasn’t being used. 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.

Huh, interesting. My Credit Union was willing to finance a loan for a new vehicle while waiting for any documentation that the existing auto loan was totalled. They just said "Make sure that you have the settlement check to us within 60 days, please", and that I paid off the remaining $1,200 "in a timely manner".

I can confirm the same. Had 16k loan that was being paid by Liberty Mutual due to their driver totalling my car. Check was in flight and my Credit Union processed close to a $30k loan for a new car.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#336

Post by woolvalley » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:08 AM UTC

DeonPenny wrote: post #329

plg wrote: post #180

In Canada, after tax, the most basic model with no options is almost $60,000 CAD. With all wheel drive, sport wheels, and no other options (no autopilot options at all) it is basically $78,000 CAD after tax. I can get a LOT of car for that price elsewhere. Yikes.

Just have someone buy it across the boarder for that

Unfortunately, tesla does not provide the paperwork to import the car, so you can't import a us tesla into canada.

Probably to protect that margin your seeing.

If I'm wrong, a friend of mine would be interested :D

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#337

Post by kylec » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:11 AM UTC

artursapek wrote: post #213

cududa wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really if I have no idea what I’m buying?

Rent it for a couple days on Turo. I did that recently with a Model 3 just to try it out.

You're being downvoted, but honestly this is great advice. I recommend this to anyone that can do this when buying any car - it's so much better to live with the car you're thinking of buying for a day or two to see what it's actually like. Are the seats comfortable on a long drive? How good is the visibility really? How well does it fit in your parking spot/garage? What's it like to drive on your favorite road? You can't really answer any of these questions with a 10 minute test drive with the salesman right next to you.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#338

Post by Spooky23 » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:11 AM UTC

gamblor956 wrote: post #260

city41 wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cars have always had delivery fees. Delivering something that weighs several tons is not cheap.

I have never once paid a delivery fee for a new car. I do not know anyone who has bought a non-luxury car that has paid a delivery fee for a car. OTOH, I do know many people who paid delivery fees for customized luxury cars. The $35k Model 3, however, is not a luxury car and is barely customizable, even to the extent of available add-on packages.

Any car has a delivery fee, around $500 in my state.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#339

Post by greglindahl » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:11 AM UTC

dwighttk wrote: post #145

outworlder wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that it is unnecessary and borderline misleading. They will display the amount you actually have to pay, though. On the flip side: you don't have to deal with dealerships, which are _much worse_ You just configure the car, give your credit card information, and done. This is unlike most other manufacturers which, even if they do give you a quote, will then hand you off to shady salespeople.

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills now, who is paying for their car using a credit card? I must just be out of touch.

You give a deposit at order time, it’s reasonable to do that with a credit card.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#340

Post by BoorishBears » Fri, Mar 01, 2019, 1:12 AM UTC

FireBeyond wrote: post #327

BoorishBears wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first loaner confirmed they couldn’t even process a new loan while the old one was in limbo. They even put my case in for special review and apparently part of the wait was ensuring the check wasn’t being used. 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.

Huh, interesting. My Credit Union was willing to finance a loan for a new vehicle while waiting for any documentation that the existing auto loan was totalled. They just said "Make sure that you have the settlement check to us within 60 days, please", and that I paid off the remaining $1,200 "in a timely manner".

I’m guessing it’s different in the case where the check has already been cashed and the loan has been secured (ie. they have a title)

In my case they hadn’t secured the loan yet. I doubt they’d be so flexible even if the car had been totaled as I drove it off the lot without the loan being secured.