Hi everyone
My daughter has decided that when the lease on her 2020 Acura MDX ends in June shes going to buy a used Tesla Model X. Are there any model years to avoid? I’ll be performing a PPI on whatever she finds.
Any other options? Those rear doors are a complete show stopper for me.
Agreed.
I’m interested in an electric (or hybrid) car…but Tesla gives me pause. I don’t like the stories about their build quality, and the lack of dedicated repair shops also concerns me.
If I were going to go get an electric car tomorrow, I’d be inclined to buy one from Toyota or maybe GM/Ford.
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The gull wing doors are a big draw for her.
A used Tesla just does not sound like a good way to spend money .
I just saw an article that Goofball Musk had laid off all of the rapid charger staff . Who knows what else he might do to make Tesla ownership unpleasant.
In our addition one family has 2 Tesla vehicles and it seems that the repair truck is there a lot.
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First things first: Join the https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/forums/-/list and then check out the Model X forum. She should get good information from current owners. I’ve seen useful information for my Model 3 that helped me decide to use home 120V charging. It’s slow but works for me.
The only comment I have on build quality is that mine is excellent. I think that build quality is better for more recent model years and I would avoid early MYs.
Here’s one discussion on the Falcon Wing Doors: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/2022-falcon-wing-door-problems.297121/. If I were buying a Tesla SUV, I’d consider a new Model Y. That would take advantage of up to date build quality practices and even offer the full federal tax credit. It doesn’t appear that money is an issue for her though. Note that the Model X shares a platform with the larger Model S while the Models 3 and Y share the smaller platform.
The long range version is probably the sweet spot for the MY. It has AWD, sub-5 second 0-60, and the longest range (292-310 miles). I’m sold on home charging and IMO it best done indoors unless she lives in a mild climate.
One more thing: where will she get a PPI? I guess the dealer might be the best bet to check out the drive train and really everything else. My experience with traditional shops is that they don’t want EVs even on their parking lot.
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What @jtsanders said. Read lots about what actual owners say, nobody here has one that I know of.
Also look at NHTSA.gov for complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications. Previous electrical problems and forward collision warning complaints were way down in 2019.
Thanks JT!
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My son in law is a big Elon Musk fanboy so any other electric car is out of the question.
I think you have to separate feelings for Elon, the public figure, vs the car that Elon makes.
Elon has done some big things. He got GM’s attention, for sure. But he’s also turning out to be a messy human being. He desperately needs a handler-type who can talk some sense into him.
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My son in law works in Big Tech and is of the opinion that Musk is a visionary genius.
More on used Teslas:
EVs From A Decade Ago Are Dying An Early Death, But They Don’t Have To (jalopnik.com)
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also known as “Teslastan”
Maybe so
But he also has an extremely abrasive personality
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Musk doesn’t build cars, he hires automotive professionals to do it.
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My Elon Musk story: I talked to him for a few minutes when I was on a walk-about & accidentally saw him standing by his parked Tesla roadster in a parking lot. I didn’t find him offensive at all, but he wasn’t exactly warm and friendly either. For example while he was willing to talk in technical terms about his car’s hardware, he wouldn’t pop the hood when I asked him to show me what’s inside, saying there was nothing to see but batteries … which in hindsight is probably true.
People think about stuff in different ways. Take two students looking for an apartment nearby to the university for example. The first asks the owner how much the rent is? Thinking they’ll pay the rent each month and have a place to stay to concentrate on their studies. The second asks how much to buy the entire building? The second student is thinking they can probably pay for the loan, taxes, and insurance from the rent of all the other tenants, and live in their own apartment for free, and as an upside, pocket any increase in the building’s value over the years they live there. Most of us are the first type. Elon Musk is the second type.
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I am also the second type.
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In fact, you have no choice but Toyota.
Really, the Toyota/Subaru Solterra combo???
Several other vehicles are much better rated than Toyota’s–Kia, Hyundai for example.
I go with reliability and owner satisfaction over “acceleration speed.”
Does it really matter that I reach 60 mph in under 5 seconds?
I guess if I am racing, which I don’t.