2019/2020 Model3 Long Range - Buying advice please

2019/2020 Model3 Long Range - Buying advice please

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mwahahaha1234

Original Poster:

22 posts

156 months

Wednesday 1st March 2023
quotequote all
Hi Everyone!

We’re currently looking at Model3 Long Range models - 2019 or 2020 registered examples that have seen some price movement following the recent Tesla price drops. Looking on A/T, you can pick up a M3 LR with 30-50k miles on it for sub £30k, which to me seems on paper like pretty good value for the package you get.

We’re stepping out of a diesel so the hope was for savings on RFL, fuel and not having to skirt around clear air zones which are seemingly popping up in more and more cities. We are fortunate to have a driveway at home, so would have a home charger installed (assume the Tesla one for £500+ sparky fees is the way to go?), to limit public charging at higher kWh rates.

I’d really value your knowledge and expertise on the cars, especially from those who have owned similar aged M3’s - I’m aware that this age of car doesn’t have the heat pump, so looking at recent press articles to get an idea on real world range isn’t accurate as newer cars will be more efficient. I’d like to cap spending at £30k for the car, so wouldn’t be able to stretch to a 2021 China built heat pump M3 with the current market.

From current or previous owners, what range should we expect from a 2019/20 M3 LR? - appreciate it’ll be less when cold or lots of motorways. I’ve read about some issues with leaking passenger footwells (sounds like being back in a Landy!!),so check under the mats for signs of water ingress, also check underneath for damage to the fabric style undertray, any other gotcha’s or potential issues people can think I should check for?

Any advice and guidance would be really appreciated, I know they are far from perfect cars (what is), but my hopes were it could give us a viable day/day runaround that reduces costs, especially over short runs where the diesel is getting painful (averages 30 mpg on short + long runs) with the occasional weekend run to see friends, that doesn’t cost 170p/litre to fill up and mean you have to pay clear air charge tolls all over the shop.

Thank you in advance!


Zcd1

444 posts

54 months

Wednesday 1st March 2023
quotequote all
mwahahaha1234 said:
Hi Everyone!

We’re currently looking at Model3 Long Range models - 2019 or 2020 registered examples that have seen some price movement following the recent Tesla price drops. Looking on A/T, you can pick up a M3 LR with 30-50k miles on it for sub £30k, which to me seems on paper like pretty good value for the package you get.

We’re stepping out of a diesel so the hope was for savings on RFL, fuel and not having to skirt around clear air zones which are seemingly popping up in more and more cities. We are fortunate to have a driveway at home, so would have a home charger installed (assume the Tesla one for £500+ sparky fees is the way to go?), to limit public charging at higher kWh rates.

I’d really value your knowledge and expertise on the cars, especially from those who have owned similar aged M3’s - I’m aware that this age of car doesn’t have the heat pump, so looking at recent press articles to get an idea on real world range isn’t accurate as newer cars will be more efficient. I’d like to cap spending at £30k for the car, so wouldn’t be able to stretch to a 2021 China built heat pump M3 with the current market.

From current or previous owners, what range should we expect from a 2019/20 M3 LR? - appreciate it’ll be less when cold or lots of motorways. I’ve read about some issues with leaking passenger footwells (sounds like being back in a Landy!!),so check under the mats for signs of water ingress, also check underneath for damage to the fabric style undertray, any other gotcha’s or potential issues people can think I should check for?

Any advice and guidance would be really appreciated, I know they are far from perfect cars (what is), but my hopes were it could give us a viable day/day runaround that reduces costs, especially over short runs where the diesel is getting painful (averages 30 mpg on short + long runs) with the occasional weekend run to see friends, that doesn’t cost 170p/litre to fill up and mean you have to pay clear air charge tolls all over the shop.

Thank you in advance!
Short runs in colder weather are just as brutal on overall EV efficiency as it is on any ICEV. Cabin heat and keeping the battery warm consume lots of energy. I'd expect to average maybe 200 miles of range in cold weather.

I haven't heard about any cold-air leakage issues, and neither my 2018 nor my 2022 Model 3 have had this or any other issue.

mwahahaha1234

Original Poster:

22 posts

156 months

Wednesday 1st March 2023
quotequote all
I can live with 200 - that extra range in sub optimal conditions was the main driver behind the LR vs the Standard Plus, interesting about the battery heat - I had Kk idea that was the reason why! Have you found your new car with the heat pump has had a big increase in range? Or more or the point, how do you find the overall car vs your 2018 example / leagues ahead or more an incremental improvement?

Thanks!

Zcd1

444 posts

54 months

Wednesday 1st March 2023
quotequote all
mwahahaha1234 said:
I can live with 200 - that extra range in sub optimal conditions was the main driver behind the LR vs the Standard Plus, interesting about the battery heat - I had Kk idea that was the reason why! Have you found your new car with the heat pump has had a big increase in range? Or more or the point, how do you find the overall car vs your 2018 example / leagues ahead or more an incremental improvement?

Thanks!
The 2022 has more range, likely due to both the heat pump and a slightly larger battery. It also appears to be slightly more efficient (maybe 3%) based on lifetime WH/Mile.

I'd call the improvements "incremental but noticeable":

- it's definitely quieter (double-glazed glass plus apparently more sound-deadening material)
- Center console much nicer, both in design and in materials
- The now-standard Inductive phone charger in the console is great (though I'd added an aftermarket one to the 2018)
- USB-C ports are nice
- much better location for the data port for the (now included) flash drive for storing dash-cam and Sentry clips. It's now located in the glovebox rather than buried deep and all but invisible in the front of the center console.

Maybe more importantly, the OTA updates add so many features and improvements that it's impossible to list them all, and EVERY Model 3 receives those updates, so even buying something second hand doesn't mean you miss out on the latest features.

It's a great car, full stop.

Hope this helps - good luck with your search.

mwahahaha1234

Original Poster:

22 posts

156 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
Zcd1 said:
The 2022 has more range, likely due to both the heat pump and a slightly larger battery. It also appears to be slightly more efficient (maybe 3%) based on lifetime WH/Mile.

I'd call the improvements "incremental but noticeable":

- it's definitely quieter (double-glazed glass plus apparently more sound-deadening material)
- Center console much nicer, both in design and in materials
- The now-standard Inductive phone charger in the console is great (though I'd added an aftermarket one to the 2018)
- USB-C ports are nice
- much better location for the data port for the (now included) flash drive for storing dash-cam and Sentry clips. It's now located in the glovebox rather than buried deep and all but invisible in the front of the center console.

Maybe more importantly, the OTA updates add so many features and improvements that it's impossible to list them all, and EVERY Model 3 receives those updates, so even buying something second hand doesn't mean you miss out on the latest features.

It's a great car, full stop.

Hope this helps - good luck with your search.
Really appreciate your help and input, thank you!

LHRFlightman

1,931 posts

169 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
mwahahaha1234 said:
I can live with 200 - that extra range in sub optimal conditions was the main driver behind the LR vs the Standard Plus, interesting about the battery heat - I had Kk idea that was the reason why! Have you found your new car with the heat pump has had a big increase in range? Or more or the point, how do you find the overall car vs your 2018 example / leagues ahead or more an incremental improvement?

Thanks!
I'm 2 weeks into a 2021 Model 3 SR+. I'm getting 220 miles of range in mixed driving. Cabin seat to auto at 20C. Heated seat in auto, heated steering wheel on auto.





mwahahaha1234

Original Poster:

22 posts

156 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
LHRFlightman said:
I'm 2 weeks into a 2021 Model 3 SR+. I'm getting 220 miles of range in mixed driving. Cabin seat to auto at 20C. Heated seat in auto, heated steering wheel on auto.
Thank you! I’ve read a few articles and posts about the new RWD model - it looks like extremely good value and for many, I doubt worth the upgrade to the current LR. Sadly out of my budget being so new I imagine and I’d rather own than lease as it keep my monthly outgoings down.

NDA

21,493 posts

224 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
I have an early '21 LR and use it for a regular 160 mile (all motorway) quick driving commute with no charging at my destination.

In cold temperatures I get to London from an 80% charge at home down to 48/50%, I've not really noted the warm weather results, but they will obviously be higher. I can obviously get home with no issues and in cold weather it's down to around 20% when I return.


mwahahaha1234

Original Poster:

22 posts

156 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
NDA said:
I have an early '21 LR and use it for a regular 160 mile (all motorway) quick driving commute with no charging at my destination.

In cold temperatures I get to London from an 80% charge at home down to 48/50%, I've not really noted the warm weather results, but they will obviously be higher. I can obviously get home with no issues and in cold weather it's down to around 20% when I return.
Thank you NDA! Does your M3 have the heat pump? Also have you ever charged to 100% for a longer journey and if so do you have an idea on what the ‘max range’ would be? (Such as with a few % left, not coasting into the supercharger as she runs out!!).

Friends have a Q4 etron that I think get around 230-250 miles on a warm day/full battery, sub 200 when not ideal conditions which has been problematic for them a few times when not near public chargers and the awful state of the non-Tesla charge network. For me I see the ability to do say a 200 ish mile round trip without charging en-route as the goal - say a run to the coast and, like a petrol or diesel on a full tank, know I don’t have to re-route to a supercharger or queue at one if it’s a peak time like a bank holiday. Just like a manufacturer MPG figure, I don’t pay too much attention to manufacturer quoted range numbers, so thank you for your experience with real-world range, appreciate it.

LHRFlightman

1,931 posts

169 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
mwahahaha1234 said:
Thank you! I’ve read a few articles and posts about the new RWD model - it looks like extremely good value and for many, I doubt worth the upgrade to the current LR. Sadly out of my budget being so new I imagine and I’d rather own than lease as it keep my monthly outgoings down.
My car is 2nd hand. £10k less than new, 5k miles. They are out there.

mwahahaha1234

Original Poster:

22 posts

156 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
LHRFlightman said:
My car is 2nd hand. £10k less than new, 5k miles. They are out there.
I’m sure, for this one though, I’d like to stick to £30k otherwise I end up in a place where the cost to change out weights the ROI over time - you watch though, I’ll get into some proper man maths soon and convince myself if I don’t buy a brand new performance edition I’ll actually be losing money - that thought process usually happens!!

LHRFlightman

1,931 posts

169 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
mwahahaha1234 said:
I’m sure, for this one though, I’d like to stick to £30k otherwise I end up in a place where the cost to change out weights the ROI over time - you watch though, I’ll get into some proper man maths soon and convince myself if I don’t buy a brand new performance edition I’ll actually be losing money - that thought process usually happens!!
Good luck with the man maths. beer

NDA

21,493 posts

224 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
mwahahaha1234 said:
Thank you NDA! Does your M3 have the heat pump? Also have you ever charged to 100% for a longer journey and if so do you have an idea on what the ‘max range’ would be? (Such as with a few % left, not coasting into the supercharger as she runs out!!).

Friends have a Q4 etron that I think get around 230-250 miles on a warm day/full battery, sub 200 when not ideal conditions which has been problematic for them a few times when not near public chargers and the awful state of the non-Tesla charge network. For me I see the ability to do say a 200 ish mile round trip without charging en-route as the goal - say a run to the coast and, like a petrol or diesel on a full tank, know I don’t have to re-route to a supercharger or queue at one if it’s a peak time like a bank holiday. Just like a manufacturer MPG figure, I don’t pay too much attention to manufacturer quoted range numbers, so thank you for your experience with real-world range, appreciate it.
Mine has the heat pump. I have never charged it to 100%, I think 90% is the furthest I've gone. There's no real need for a full charge, even on a long journey.... it's always at 80% every morning and on a long journey there'll be a supercharger en route somewhere. You tend to take short charges on a trip to be honest - 20 - 60% maybe, to get you to where you're going or to the next charger. EV's don't really like rapid charging and this model year doesn't like being at 100%.

It's a very different regime to a petrol car - which you drive to empty and then fill to 100%. You don't do that with an EV - it's always full every morning, and that covers 99% of all driving you'd normally do. Superchargers when it doesn't.

You probably would want a moments planning if you were going to, for example, Cornwall on a Bank Holiday - particularly if there was no charging at your destination. But it is the work of minutes and a supercharger is rarely off the main routes.

I think a full charge is maybe 320 miles ish - not totally sure.

Feel free to PM me if you have a load of questions that you think might sound daft! I'm more than happy to answer.

mwahahaha1234

Original Poster:

22 posts

156 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
NDA said:
Mine has the heat pump. I have never charged it to 100%, I think 90% is the furthest I've gone. There's no real need for a full charge, even on a long journey.... it's always at 80% every morning and on a long journey there'll be a supercharger en route somewhere. You tend to take short charges on a trip to be honest - 20 - 60% maybe, to get you to where you're going or to the next charger. EV's don't really like rapid charging and this model year doesn't like being at 100%.

It's a very different regime to a petrol car - which you drive to empty and then fill to 100%. You don't do that with an EV - it's always full every morning, and that covers 99% of all driving you'd normally do. Superchargers when it doesn't.

You probably would want a moments planning if you were going to, for example, Cornwall on a Bank Holiday - particularly if there was no charging at your destination. But it is the work of minutes and a supercharger is rarely off the main routes.

I think a full charge is maybe 320 miles ish - not totally sure.

Feel free to PM me if you have a load of questions that you think might sound daft! I'm more than happy to answer.
Thank you! I’m sure I’ll think of lots of daft questions so really appreciate your help. As always when looking at cars, you always wish you had a few more £ to put in, I’d much prefer to be able to go for a facelift car with the heat pump (have to say the heated steering wheel sounds great too, but that’s a first world problem), but I just can’t with the current residuals. Hopefully the LR non-heat pump version doesn’t take too much of a pounding when it’s cold.

giveitfish

4,030 posts

213 months

Thursday 2nd March 2023
quotequote all
I have a 2020 non-heat pump M3 LR, 44k miles - so exactly the same as you're looking for. Mine is a company car, I was given it 2 years ago when it already had done 17k miles in 6 months.

It's a great car to use daily. We regularly go between Leeds and Winchester (225 miles) and have even taken it up to the Isle of Lewis on holiday.

Pros:
Spacious inside, lots of boot space including the front
Properly quick
Handles well for a family car
Comfortable seats (well I find it comfortable)
All the electric advantages - smooth quiet drivetrain, instant torque, one-pedal driving, pre-heating in winter, excellent app
Superchargers (although they're getting busy now)

Cons:
Bit more motorway tyre noise than you'd hope for
Cheap feeling seat material and poor panel fit
Some updates are buggy, has had to be fully rebooted (not just a soft reset) a couple of times to get nav and cruise working again
The disk brakes are not up to hard fast driving, but the car is great at if you back off a bit and use one-pedal driving instead which uses regen to brake.
The lack of physical buttons can be a pain sometimes
Phone pairing can be hit and miss
Occasional water leaks into the boot, I've had to take out the liner and dry it a couple of times

I usually charge to 80%, but will go to 100% for a long trip. I don't make any allowances for it being electric, don't turn off heating etc and just drive it normally. I'm happy to do 200+ mile motorway trips in one shot starting at 100% charge, but to do that you need to keep cruise to 70 or a little less. It'll go further on A-roads or city driving.

I've never done the 225 miles to Winchester without a quick charge on the way, but that's because we like a coffee stop and grabbing a few kw while you're parked makes sense. I think it would do it one shot it I really wanted to.

lizardbrain

1,940 posts

36 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
quotequote all
. I’d listen out for any rattles from speakers, steering squeeks. Bearing noises’ Check all the glass for chips. ( there is lots). Check for warnings whilst driving eg regen, sos, blocked cameras.

Obviously if you can get a car with a small warranty period remaining you can likely get Tesla to examine and issues.

I agree with all the negative mentioned especially motorway noise. But I’m keeping mine past warranty as it still feels very fresh still. Can’t say the same for old model s I’ve tried which did feel more aged.

mwahahaha1234

Original Poster:

22 posts

156 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
quotequote all
giveitfish said:
I have a 2020 non-heat pump M3 LR, 44k miles - so exactly the same as you're looking for. Mine is a company car, I was given it 2 years ago when it already had done 17k miles in 6 months.

It's a great car to use daily. We regularly go between Leeds and Winchester (225 miles) and have even taken it up to the Isle of Lewis on holiday.

Pros:
Spacious inside, lots of boot space including the front
Properly quick
Handles well for a family car
Comfortable seats (well I find it comfortable)
All the electric advantages - smooth quiet drivetrain, instant torque, one-pedal driving, pre-heating in winter, excellent app
Superchargers (although they're getting busy now)

Cons:
Bit more motorway tyre noise than you'd hope for
Cheap feeling seat material and poor panel fit
Some updates are buggy, has had to be fully rebooted (not just a soft reset) a couple of times to get nav and cruise working again
The disk brakes are not up to hard fast driving, but the car is great at if you back off a bit and use one-pedal driving instead which uses regen to brake.
The lack of physical buttons can be a pain sometimes
Phone pairing can be hit and miss
Occasional water leaks into the boot, I've had to take out the liner and dry it a couple of times

I usually charge to 80%, but will go to 100% for a long trip. I don't make any allowances for it being electric, don't turn off heating etc and just drive it normally. I'm happy to do 200+ mile motorway trips in one shot starting at 100% charge, but to do that you need to keep cruise to 70 or a little less. It'll go further on A-roads or city driving.

I've never done the 225 miles to Winchester without a quick charge on the way, but that's because we like a coffee stop and grabbing a few kw while you're parked makes sense. I think it would do it one shot it I really wanted to.
Thank you so much! That’s really useful with you having a non heat pump car, I was looking last night and I might be able to stretch to a standard range (LFP battery) 2021 car, but not the Long Range, they seem to be at circa £40k and I can’t find 33% more than I was wanting to spend that easily and don’t have much appetite for risk in this financial climate.

What’s your sense for the max range on an average British day (10 degrees and rain lol), normal driving, heating on (I’m like you, I’d just treat it like any other car), 100% charge as a one-off, appreciate you can’t do that every day without knackering the battery. Normal driving style using re-gen as much as practical - I’ve gotten out of the habit of ‘enthusiastic’ driving these days as it makes my current MPG plummet!!

Thanks,
Dan

mwahahaha1234

Original Poster:

22 posts

156 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
quotequote all
lizardbrain said:
. I’d listen out for any rattles from speakers, steering squeeks. Bearing noises’ Check all the glass for chips. ( there is lots). Check for warnings whilst driving eg regen, sos, blocked cameras.

Obviously if you can get a car with a small warranty period remaining you can likely get Tesla to examine and issues.

I agree with all the negative mentioned especially motorway noise. But I’m keeping mine past warranty as it still feels very fresh still. Can’t say the same for old model s I’ve tried which did feel more aged.
Thank you that’s really useful! A friend had a 2017 Model S and it was definitely looking a little tired, still drove very well mind you. Do you know if there’s any way of seeing some idea of battery health? Aka to see if a car has lived on superchargers and so might have higher battery deg, or has been continually charged to 100% and run right down?

CharlieAlphaMike

1,128 posts

104 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
quotequote all
mwahahaha1234 said:
Thank you so much! That’s really useful with you having a non heat pump car, I was looking last night and I might be able to stretch to a standard range (LFP battery) 2021 car, but not the Long Range, they seem to be at circa £40k and I can’t find 33% more than I was wanting to spend that easily and don’t have much appetite for risk in this financial climate.

What’s your sense for the max range on an average British day (10 degrees and rain lol), normal driving, heating on (I’m like you, I’d just treat it like any other car), 100% charge as a one-off, appreciate you can’t do that every day without knackering the battery. Normal driving style using re-gen as much as practical - I’ve gotten out of the habit of ‘enthusiastic’ driving these days as it makes my current MPG plummet!!

Thanks,
Dan
Don't dismiss a standard LFP Model 3. If you can stretch your budget, you should at least try one. As for range, the way you drive and the roads you drive on obviously have an impact but all of this has been said already. I'm not in the UK and my usage is relatively short journeys, with very occasional motorway use. Shorter journeys are good for charging with regenerative braking too of course.

I rarely check my range but I'm getting at the worst, 258 miles from a full (100%) charge with an average I suppose of 270 miles. Pre-heating the car before you drive helps with extending the range. Tesla told me you use much more of the battery during the colder months if you drive the car from cold and then heat it whilst on the move.

I'm sure you know that Tesla recommend charging LFP battery equipped cars to 100% which obviously helps with more range.

lizardbrain

1,940 posts

36 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
quotequote all
mwahahaha1234 said:
Thank you that’s really useful! A friend had a 2017 Model S and it was definitely looking a little tired, still drove very well mind you. Do you know if there’s any way of seeing some idea of battery health? Aka to see if a car has lived on superchargers and so might have higher battery deg, or has been continually charged to 100% and run right down?
I think there might be apps for that but I've no idea tbh.

If the owner has a home charger, then I would guess that mostly rules out the poor charging methods you mention. The car will generally tell you if you are charging in a problematic way eg to 100%. And supercharging is expensive.

One very crude thing you can do is divide the estimated range by the charge percentage to get what the estimated range on a full tank would be.

I can't vouch for the accuracy. But mine suggests range is down about 5% down from purchase. I would personally double that figure and feel reasonably confident of that number.

Then knock another 20% off in practice for winter and buffer etc.


Edited by lizardbrain on Friday 3rd March 11:27