Don’t Buy A Tesla Until You Read This
Updated: Oct 21, 2022
Tesla made waves by challenging the auto industry by producing an all-electric car. It was observed that a lot of premium car brand buyers were selling their BMWs, Mercedes, and Audi’s to buy a Tesla. Let’s find out why people are switching to Tesla and identify its drawbacks to become a well-informed buyer.
Advantages of Tesla
Design – Tesla cars are beautiful and minimalistic. Elon Musk would refer to it as computers on a wheel. All Tesla vehicle comes with a remarkable glass roof.
No Dealership – Tesla sells their cars to consumers directly online. You can submit all the necessary paperwork online. They would then deliver or ship your car to your preferred location within weeks.
Fuel Cost Savings – Tesla cars are efficient. If you recharge your Tesla at your home, you could save more because of lower electricity costs. So, though you may pay a little more initially for your Tesla purchase, you can save thousands afterward.
Supercharger Stations – Tesla has strategically placed thousands of fast-charging stations throughout the world. Other charging networks are also available, for example, Electrify America. And if you buy a Model S or Model X, Tesla will you unlimited free supercharging credit which alone will save you more that $10,000 over the vehicle’s lifetime.
Tesla cars depreciate slowly – It is a known fact that once you drive off your vehicle from a dealer parking lot, it instantly loses 20% of its value. Over time, your car will depreciate more. Tesla’s are notorious for holding its value. A wrecked Tesla isn’t even sold cheap. You will get a good resale value if you ever want to sell your Tesla.
Superior Performance – Owners say that even a test drive in a Tesla would ruin gas cars for you for life. Gas cars would seem boring as it doesn’t have instant acceleration and performance like that of Tesla.
Charge at home – Tesla can be charged at your home overnight which would save you time and money.
Referral Program – When someone buys a Tesla using your referral code, Tesla will give you and the new owner 1,000 miles free supercharging credit. You can read more about the Tesla referral program here – https://www.tesla.com/support/referral-program
Range – No other Electric vehicle on the market has the range and efficiency similar to a Tesla.
Tesla App – Tesla has a mobile app that allows its owners to control their Tesla vehicles. Some of the features of the Tesla app are, Keyless driving, Range status, Climate control, GPS location, Valet mode, Schedule service, Review Sentry footage, Initiate OTA update from your phone, Honk horn, Open and close windows, Open funk and trunk, and many more
Sentry Mode – Every Tesla has a Sentry Mode which adds a unique layer of protection to Tesla vehicles by continuously monitoring the environment around your car when left unattended.
OTA Software update – The Over The Air (OTA) software update is revolutionary for cars. This way, Tesla can continuously add new software features to its vehicle.
Self-driving technology – Every vehicle that Tesla sells has all the required hardware necessary for a fully self-driving car.
One of the Safest vehicles on earth – Every Tesla vehicle has achieved an NHTSA 5-star safety rating in every category and subcategory with its energy absorbent crash structure, rigid passenger compartment, excellent side impact protection. Moreover, Tesla’s are also one of the lowest rollover risk cars on the road.
PIN to drive – If you enable this feature, no one can drive your Tesla unless the PIN is entered before the vehicle is put into the drive mode.
Most advanced Infotainment system – Every Tesla has a giant screen in the middle of the console. It has all types of software like bult-in Google Maps, Caraoke, web browser, AM and FM Radio, Spotify, YouTube, Disney+, Netflix, Hulu and others. It also has built-in arcade games.
360-degree dashcam – Tesla has 8 cameras all around the vehicle which works as a dashcam and records continuously.
Auto wipers – Every Tesla gas an auto wiper feature. If you set your control to Auto wiper”, your vehicle wiper will operate automatically.
7-day return policy – Tesla has a 7-day return policy, where you can return your newly purchased Tesla vehicle for a full refund. You can read more about the return policy here – https://www.tesla.com/support/tesla-return-policy
Disadvantages of Tesla Cars
Expensive – Price is the primary cons of a Tesla car. The price range for a Tesla car is from $38,000 to $200,000.
Tesla body repair is costly – If you get into an accident with your Tesla, the repair cost would be substantial. A simple dent would cost around $7,000.
Insurance is expensive – Because of Tesla’s high price and high repair cost, insurance for Tesla cars is significantly higher.
Tesla body damage repair time is insane – The time to repair a Tesla is insanely long. Sometimes it would take up to 6 months to repair. It is because Tesla only allows specific body shops to work on their car and only Tesla sells body parts for their vehicle.
Tesla Service Center frustration – Tesla does not allow its owners to repair or work on their vehicles. Except for adding washer fluid, you have to take your car into a Tesla Service center for all types of repair or maintenance. The problem arises here. First, there is a limited number of Service Centers in each state. Second, you have to make an appointment to fix your vehicle. Sometimes, these appointments could be after months.
Phantom battery drain – If you park your Tesla overnight, it will slowly discharge its battery. Tesla owners call it the Phantom battery drain. According to the Tesla owner’s manual, every Tesla battery discharges at a 1% rate per day. So, if you intend to park your vehicle at an airport, you need to keep this in mind. For example, if you leave your car for 2 months, the battery will discharge 60%.
Less range on highway driving – On a typical gasoline vehicle, highway driving has better mileage than city driving. For example, in a Toyota Camry, you can go up to 500 miles on the highway on a full tank. However, in the city, you can drive a maximum of 300 miles. On Tesla, the opposite is true. Tesla cars have better city mileage than on the highway. So, on a road trip, your Tesla would not go it’s rated range.
Can’t Tow a Tesla – Theoretically, you can tow with your Tesla. However, Towing would decimate the range of your vehicle. According to owners — though it depends on how much you are pulling — towing could decrease your Tesla’s range up to 50%. So, a 400 miles Tesla would become 200 miles Tesla. It is frustrating. Because on a long road trip, it means you need to recharge your vehicle too often, increasing your travel time significantly.
Lackluster interior – The interior is not as luxurious as other cars such as BMW or Mercedes. The interior is plain and simple.
Tire wear out fast – Tesla tires wear out fast as Tesla vehicles are heavy and has a very high torque.
OTA update could bring new bugs – It is an excellent feature but at the same time OTA updates introduces new bugs which takes longer to fix. It’s also tough to report these bugs
Cold weather range degradation – Tesla will lose range in cold months.
Not suitable for those who live in an apartment – If you live in an apartment, it could be challenging to recharge.
Battery degradation – Tesla’s battery degrades over time. This degradation could be worse in colder climates.
Poor build quality – Tesla is famous for its technology but not for its build quality. Panel gaps, rattles, and paint issues are a common problem. For example, a Tesla owner found a home depot-grade fake wood in their car. Here’s the article – https://www.thedrive.com/tech/36274/tesla-model-y-owners-find-cooling-system-cobbled-together-with-home-depot-grade-fake-wood.
Should you buy a Tesla? It depends on your driving needs, personality, lifestyle, ability to charge conveniently, and access to service centers. It is best that you talk to people you know who owns a Tesla before making a buying decision.
Resources:
https://provscons.com/pros-and-cons-of-tesla/