Tesla Model 3 revealed

[Guvernator]

I've stated before that I've sat in a Model 3 and it doesn't feel like a £40k car, let alone a £60k one. Add in the crappy finance\lease deals which mean you are paying £500 a month plus and any decent mid spec luxury car for that kind of monthly outlay would run rings around it in terms of fit, finish and feel.

You are paying a premium for the battery tech which to me at the moment isn't a big enough incentive to switch to a cheaper feeling car. I could buy a better BMW or Audi for less and just spend the money I've saved on fuel.

I just don't think the numbers add up quite yet, even taking the fuel savings into account.

Edited by Guvernator on Thursday 2nd May 12:59

[Ryder35]

bodhi said:

The monthlies I've seen quoted mean it would be cheaper to run a 340i overall, which would also be quicker in the real world based on every Model S I've ever seen out on the road. They're also ugly, badly built, and there is no guarantee the company making them will be around in 2 years time.

Not a fan then?

[anonymous-user]

Guvernator said:

I've stated before that I've sat in a Model 3 and it doesn't feel like a £40k car, let alone a £60k one. Add in the crappy finance\lease deals which mean you are paying £500 a month plus and ny decent mid spec luxury car for that kind of monthly outlay would run rings around it in terms of fit, finish and feel.

You are paying a premium for the battery tech which to me at the moment isn't a big enough incentive to switch to a cheaper feeling car. I could buy a better BMW or Audi for less and just spend the money I've saved on fuel.

I just don't think the numbers add up quite yet, even taking the fuel savings into account.

I think you have to open your mind to the idea that some people just don't care about fit finish and feel. Fuel type, performance and software are more important to some people. If not to you.

[Zoon]

Guvernator said:

I've stated before that I've sat in a Model 3 and it doesn't feel like a £40k car, let alone a £60k one. Add in the crappy finance\lease deals which mean you are paying £500 a month plus and ny decent mid spec luxury car for that kind of monthly outlay would run rings around it in terms of fit, finish and feel.

You are paying a premium for the battery tech which to me at the moment isn't a big enough incentive to switch to a cheaper feeling car. I could buy a better BMW or Audi for less and just spend the money I've saved on fuel.

I just don't think the numbers add up quite yet, even taking the fuel savings into account.

Seconded.

[anonymous-user]

sambucket said:

Guvernator said:

I've stated before that I've sat in a Model 3 and it doesn't feel like a £40k car, let alone a £60k one. Add in the crappy finance\lease deals which mean you are paying £500 a month plus and ny decent mid spec luxury car for that kind of monthly outlay would run rings around it in terms of fit, finish and feel.

You are paying a premium for the battery tech which to me at the moment isn't a big enough incentive to switch to a cheaper feeling car. I could buy a better BMW or Audi for less and just spend the money I've saved on fuel.

I just don't think the numbers add up quite yet, even taking the fuel savings into account.

I think you have to open your mind to the idea that some people just don't care about fit finish and feel. Fuel type, performance and software are more important to some people. If not to you.

Of course. But some need to similarly open their minds to the idea that many do care about quality and fit and finish.

Until someone gets everything right, numbers will be restricted.

[anonymous-user]

Okay noted. Cars without expensive batteries can spend more cash on finish.

I’d finish is your top priority then you will need to compromise and buy an ICE.

Can we move on?

[Munter]

kambites said:

Munter said:

I don't think he is. This is for a Focus STline with the 1.5 engine in it:

The Tesla is not, and was never going to be, a competitor for a mid-spec Ford Focus.

Then it shouldn't have been presented as the "affordable" Tesla.

I agree with you. But that's how the model was presented.

To meet that "affordable" tag, it needs to compete with the sort of finance you can get on a mid range ford focus. E.g. £1000 deposit, and £350 a month for 3 years. (Then a final crippling payment or whatever).

What the website is telling people is that there is a chasm between the cost of a brand new Focus, compared to a Model 3. That would be a stumbling block if the Model 3 was supposed to be for the masses, not as the luxury car it's actually trying to be.

[Durzel]

sambucket said:

Guvernator said:

I've stated before that I've sat in a Model 3 and it doesn't feel like a £40k car, let alone a £60k one. Add in the crappy finance\lease deals which mean you are paying £500 a month plus and ny decent mid spec luxury car for that kind of monthly outlay would run rings around it in terms of fit, finish and feel.

You are paying a premium for the battery tech which to me at the moment isn't a big enough incentive to switch to a cheaper feeling car. I could buy a better BMW or Audi for less and just spend the money I've saved on fuel.

I just don't think the numbers add up quite yet, even taking the fuel savings into account.

I think you have to open your mind to the idea that some people just don't care about fit finish and feel. Fuel type, performance and software are more important to some people. If not to you.

People expect a certain level of refinement when spending that sort of money though. If cars 2/3 of the price or less feel like a nicer place to be, that can be tough to ignore. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a £40k car - which is not a small amount of money - to be appointed commensurately.

Not taking anything away from what you're saying about batteries being the lion share of the cost. But it doesn't alter how one might feel about it.

EDIT: To give a more practical comparison... when I had a Porsche Cayman it pretty much HAD to have nav (which was crap). It was the first question I was asked when I enquired about selling it to a main dealer. People expect nav on a car like that, and on any car costing >£Xk, like they expect fit and finish commensurate with spending £X

Edited by Durzel on Thursday 2nd May 13:10

[Guvernator]

I'm not saying they are perfect but for all their faults, German cars are popular for a reason and that's because they get that feel good factor of fit and finish spot on in most cases. Add in the fact they'll let you buy\rent one for a very reasonable outlay a month and it's no wonder they are everywhere. You get a premium looking and feeling product with the "right badge" for £300 a month.

Can't get that with an EV at the moment, you are selling an inferior product for a premium price, all the clever tech and gadgets help lift it a bit but not enough for me, the fit and finish still feels like a car selling for half the price.

If they offered decent finance deals I think they'd win half the battle tbh. but £10k deposit and £500 a month aren't competitive figures at all.

[anonymous-user]

Finish is like 5% of the total experience of a car.

“It’s just polisihingn a turd anyway”, which is something a fanboy would probably say

If you add up everything a Tesla is about the same as a higher spec focus.

[anonymous-user]

sambucket said:

If you add up everything a Tesla is about the same as a focus.

Add up everything? Like what?

[anonymous-user]

Ok my phone right now but I’ll post a copy of my spreadsheet later

[speedking31]

Heres Johnny said:

... petrol prices may go up exponentially. ... If petrol prices went up you could sell the ICE.

If petrol prices went up exponentially then your ICE would be unsellable / suffer massive depreciation.

[BigBen]

Munter said:

Then it shouldn't have been presented as the "affordable" Tesla.

Exactly how it should have been presented, it is the most affordable Tesla.

[T-195]

MaxSo said:

There lies the beauty of a Tesla - reliable, fast, available chargers.

And stupidly expensive.

I can't think of anything I'd like to own less than an S or X in that price bracket.

And unlike some of you wusses I've certainly driven more than 400 miles in a day.

[jjwilde]

So the news on the 'secret' base model3 is that it 'might' be available in the UK according to the service centre. That would put it under the lux tax and come in at about £35k. Just waiting to see what the process is.

That's more reasonable.

[otolith]

Munter said:

otolith said:

The Voice said:

I thought the Model 3 was supposed to be the affordable one?

As far as I can see, for the most basic spec available with no options selected, it’s £10,000 deposit followed by £543 per month? Is that correct? If so, how on earth is that affordable? With a real world range of less than 200 miles?

I think they’ll struggle to be honest.

Wake me up when we have an ev, with a 250 mile real world range, available for £350 per month.

I think you might be a bit out of touch with how much some people spend running really rather mediocre cars.

I don't think he is. This is for a Focus STline with the 1.5 engine in it:

To be the affordable one, that's what it's competing with.

But it's not. It's a luxury car with a premium on it.

Look out of the window. There are an awful lot of "premium" cars out there. The Model 3 is not a cheap car for poor people, but there are an awful lot of ordinary middle class folk spending that kind of money on mid size cars with German badges.

[kambites]

Munter said:

Then it shouldn't have been presented as the "affordable" Tesla.

I suppose that depends on your definition of "affordable". The 3-series is one of the best selling cars in the UK market and has a comparable total cost of ownership. I don't think anyone ever claimed the Tesla could be afforded by everyone, that would be ridiculous. If nothing else plenty of people can't afford to buy any new car.

The model-3 was meant to be a mass-market car but not a budget one. Personally I think it's too expensive, but I don't think it was mismarketed as such.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 2nd May 13:32

[kambites]

T-195 said:

And unlike some of you wusses I've certainly driven more than 400 miles in a day.

I'm too much of a "wuss" to have intentionally broken my own legs with a sledge hammer too, which sounds about as appealing as driving 400 miles without a break.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 2nd May 13:40

[MaxSo]

T-195 said:

MaxSo said:

There lies the beauty of a Tesla - reliable, fast, available chargers.

And stupidly expensive.

I can't think of anything I'd like to own less than an S or X in that price bracket.

And unlike some of you wusses I've certainly driven more than 400 miles in a day.

About 27p/kWh actually - so quite reasonable.

You do realise they can be driven more than 400 miles in a day?

This is a with Standard Range Model 3....

Edited by MaxSo on Thursday 2nd May 13:48

Edited by MaxSo on Thursday 2nd May 13:51