What’s the real truth when it comes to looking back on that Tesla Model 3 purchase?
YouTuber Andy Slye took the plunge about a year ago and purchased a Tesla Model 3 for some $50,000. Tesla has made a whole lot of changes since then. Reportedly, quality is now much better than it was early on. The Long Range Model 3 can now be had for $44,500 prior to rebates, and a $35,000 Model 3 is available as well.
In addition, Tesla has pushed a plethora of over-the-air software updates. This means that (unlike cars from other automakers) Andy’s one-year-old Model 3 is just as up-to-date as those that people are purchasing today.
We realize that some of you don’t have the time or ability to watch videos, or are just not interested in them at all. Fortunately, while Andy covers a ton of information, he keeps his extensive video reasonably short. Additionally, he provides most of his information and observations in text form, which we’ve included in its entirety below.
Do you own a Model 3? How many miles have you driven? How does your experience compare with Andy’s? Please let us know in the comment section below.
Video Description via Andy Slye on YouTube:
Tesla Model 3 Review: The TRUTH After 26,000 Miles
Tesla Model 3 Review after 1 year & 26,000 miles! Still the best car or was it a mistake?
Almost a year ago I took delivery of my Tesla Model 3 and since then I’ve driven it over 26,000 miles. Is it still the best car I’ve ever driven or was it a $50,000 mistake? Let’s find out.
In my original Tesla Model 3 review I mainly went over the features of the car but in this video I’m going to go over my experience of owning a #TeslaModel3 and focus on the 3 most important factors:
Reliability:
When I first got my Model 3 I was skeptical on how reliable it would be since it was a first generation of its kind, and there were a few horror stories online from early adopters who were experiencing software & hardware issues.
I can honestly say my Model 3 has been 100% reliable for me so far, and yes even though that should be expected for a brand new car, it’s still a nice surprise how reliable it has been since Tesla is still relatively so young & since Model 3 is a very unique car. Range anxiety does exist, but the Model 3’s energy graph is extremely accurate in predicting the estimated range left when driving so as long as you pay attention to that and plan ahead you’ll be fine and shouldn’t ever have to worry about running out of battery.
For how heavily it’s integrated with software I’m actually surprised my Model 3 has worked this well, and I’ve been extremely satisfied with it over my first 26,000 miles.
Cost:
Out of all those things during the first 25,000 miles in a Model 3 you only need to do tire rotations and I know this isn’t the norm but luckily for me there’s a local tire shop that gives free tire rotations to Tesla owners, just one of the many perks of going all-electric I guess.
The only thing that has cost me money to drive my Model 3 this far is electricity from either at home or a Tesla Supercharger. My city is one of the best locations to put the Model 3 range efficiency to the test and with an average of 248 Wh/mile through all the seasons means the LR Model 3 is one of, if not the most efficient electric car out right now.
It took 6,457 kWh to drive just over 26,000 miles, and since the Model 3 gets about 80% efficiency it actually took about 8,071 kWh and at my current electricity rate of 6.8 cents per kWh that comes to $549 that I’ve spent on electricity to drive my Model 3 over 26,000 miles. I’ve also charged for free at hotels, parking garages, and family members houses so my total cost to drive over 26,000 miles in my Model 3 is less than $600. My monthly electricity costs have only increased by an average of $36. To put it in perspective, a car that gets 30 mpg at $2.75/gallon would cost $2,383 to drive 26,000 miles and if you add a $50 oil change every 4,000 miles that would be an additional $325. This shows how much a person can save in fuel & oil by going all-electric, especially a Model 3.
Enjoyment:
It’s no surprise that the Tesla Model 3 is a joy to drive but I’ll quickly go over a few things that I don’t like because nothing is perfect. The windshield and windows fog up more than any other car I’ve ever driven. Fortunately I got some fog reducer that helps. I wish the frunk had a better closing mechanism or was able to close automatically because I hate leaving hand prints on the hood from closing it. I also wish the driver profiles would save the lumbar setting. Luckily that can be fixed with a software update which is one of my favorite things about the Model 3.
Now moving along to the other things that I enjoy most about my Model 3: How a car can be this simple & minimalist yet pack so much power and torque is something I’ll always be impressed with.
Yes there are times when it phantom brakes but if you’re using it as it’s designed you will always have a hand on the wheel ready to take over and I love knowing each time I use it, it’s getting better through the neural network.
It charges overnight while I sleep, it stops charging when it reaches whatever limit I have set, and I wake up to an 80% charge every day or 100% charge if I’m about to take a road trip – no more stopping at gas stations. I can tell it to drive somewhere and it gives me real-time step-by-step directions on the beautiful responsive 15” touch screen which is the best screen in any vehicle out right now in my opinion.
Now after a free software update and even after any battery degradation from driving 26,000 miles, my Model 3 now gets 320 rated miles on a full charge.
Source: Read Full Article