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Yeah it is somewhat misleading, though they do clearly show the true purchase price vs the "Savings price" on the final page after you configure the car. The fi
by mdeeks 8y ago
Yeah it is somewhat misleading, though they do clearly show the true purchase price vs the "Savings price" on the final page after you configure the car. The first few pages sort of bait you in to thinking it's cheaper though.
In the end, I thought their pricing and buying process was a breath of fresh air compared to my experience with my Audi. By the time I walked out of the Audi dealership I had spent about $6k more than the original quoted price they gave me on the floor. I had about 3 pages of papers that look like excel sheets "explaining" it all. Tesla gave us a half page sheet with maybe 6 line items that clearly explains the costs.
The gas savings really do add up though. One of my previous comments I did a rough TCO between the Model 3 and my Audi A4 and found we saved about $1500 a year in fuel costs. After 5 years the car ended up being about $10k cheaper than my Audi despite it having a higher sticker price
- semi-extrinsic 8y ago> After 5 years the car ended up being about $10k cheaper than my Audi despite it having a higher sticker price. This would imply a really huge running cost on the Audi over the Tesla in addition to gas - what's that cost? Assuming it's a new car, I assume repairs etc are covered under warranty?
- mdeeks 8y agoMuch of the savings was from rebate/tax credit programs. I didn't factor in maintenance at all since they are unknowns. My original comment with more details is here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18773680 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18773680 Also my Audi doesn't have any Autopilot equivalent so I probably should have left that additional $5k out of the cost of the Model 3.
- semi-extrinsic 8y agoAh, so if you had compared the Model 3 to a similar-segment petrol car such as the Mazda 3 (4-door), it would be the other way around and the petrol car would come out $10k cheaper in TCO. The Audi A4 is only that expensive because it's a premium segment sedan, the Model 3 is (by design!) not a premium segment sedan. To clarify, I think you're not comparing "electric car" with "petrol car", you're comparing it with "petrol car for which I happened to pay a $20k premium because it's a status symbol".
- Fins 8y agoLast time I got A4 as a loaner, it had ACC and lane assist, which does pretty much everything "autopilot" does, but without trying to kill you. Changing oil in an Audi, past a free service period, adds up, though.
- Fins 8y agoAssuming what gas price and what electric rate? Must've been very loaded A4, too.
- mdeeks 8y agoDetails here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18773680 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18773680 I wouldn't say it was "very loaded". I got the Premium Plus with Black Optics package.
- Fins 8y agoI've priced out 2019 A4 Premium Plus w/o optics but with sport, cold weather, vented seats packages and it comes out to under $47K, and that's for a car that has more meaningful luxury than Model S. Gas is SF is very expensive, though, but then so is electricity.