4 ms·

Please write back when Tesla learns how to correctly apply paint to a car or fit body panels, or well, pretty much everything else that makes an actual car a ca

Please write back when Tesla learns how to correctly apply paint to a car or fit body panels, or well, pretty much everything else that makes an actual car a car instead of a disposable gadget.

greenonions 5y ago
Ah yes, the most important function of a car, the paint...
- skhr0680 5y ago
  If you want a car to last more than five minutes, then yes, paint is very important
- altcognito 5y ago
  Rust is a thing.
  - jve 5y ago
    Don't know if any Tesla car is aluminum, but Tesla Model P surely is. Edit: Alright, maybe declining trend: https://electrek.co/2017/08/22/tesla-model-3-body-alloy-mix/ https://electrek.co/2017/08/22/tesla-model-3-body-alloy-mix/
    - rightbyte 5y ago
      I wonder if old alu cars will suffer from metal fatigue.
- orwin 5y ago
  The tone of GP is poor, but yes, the paint is really important if you want your car to last more than 5 years, especially if you live near the sea. And if you only take your car out on weekend and summers and can not put your car in a garage, a poor paint job will cost you even more.
colordrops 5y ago
The concerns you express aren't noticable or bothersome except to a small percentage of enthusiasts. Teslas are mechanically far more reliable and require less maintenance that other cars.
- altcognito 5y ago
  Most people would consider the ability to put together the stuff you do see as a pretty good indicator of your ability to put together the stuff you can’t see.
- lotsofpulp 5y ago
  They have not even been out long enough to make that claim. Especially when comparing to Toyota.
  - throwaway0a5e 5y ago
    >Especially when comparing to Toyota. Toyota been saying "don't worry guys, we fixed the rust issues, the new ones won't be rusting out" every year since 1985 and running a more or less rolling recall since the 00s. Or was that not the implication of your comparison? Teslas will last a long time because the most important indicator of vehicle reliability is one that they share more or less 1:1 with Toyota, customers who who put very easy miles on vehicles and dutifully maintain them. That said, I fully agree that we have nowhere near the length of data set we need to know how Teslas will fare in terms of reliability and longevity (not the same thing) after adjusting for how they are used.
    - lotsofpulp 5y ago
      > Or was that not the implication of your comparison? The implication of my post is Toyota operates on a different scale than Tesla, and due to insufficient time having passed since the advent of Tesla, a claim cannot yet be made. I referenced Toyota because of its objectively highly ranked reliability based on resale price and famously low maintenance costs.
    - itsoktocry 5y ago
kristofferR 5y ago
Tesla does not equal electric cars. Most well known brands have great electric cars now, not to mention all the new brands like Nio and Polestar.
- hownottowrite 5y ago
  If I read your exuberance incorrectly, I apologize. Toyota has a lot invested in the hybrid architecture. I doubt they’ll go full electric for some time and frankly it won’t make sense to do so for another 10 years. Still, there are a lot of great options out there right now. For example, the Bolt from GM is a great little car. I inspected one up close two weeks ago side by side with a new Model 3. While not a great comparison in terms of function, the build quality in the GM model was just vastly superior by nearly every measure.

Please write back when Tesla learns how to correctly apply paint to a car or fit body panels, or well, pretty much everything else that makes an actual car a car instead of a disposable gadget.

greenonions 5y ago

Ah yes, the most important function of a car, the paint...

skhr0680 5y ago
If you want a car to last more than five minutes, then yes, paint is very important
altcognito 5y ago
Rust is a thing.
- jve 5y ago
  Don't know if any Tesla car is aluminum, but Tesla Model P surely is. Edit: Alright, maybe declining trend: https://electrek.co/2017/08/22/tesla-model-3-body-alloy-mix/ https://electrek.co/2017/08/22/tesla-model-3-body-alloy-mix/
  - rightbyte 5y ago
    I wonder if old alu cars will suffer from metal fatigue.
orwin 5y ago
The tone of GP is poor, but yes, the paint is really important if you want your car to last more than 5 years, especially if you live near the sea. And if you only take your car out on weekend and summers and can not put your car in a garage, a poor paint job will cost you even more.

colordrops 5y ago

The concerns you express aren't noticable or bothersome except to a small percentage of enthusiasts. Teslas are mechanically far more reliable and require less maintenance that other cars.

altcognito 5y ago
Most people would consider the ability to put together the stuff you do see as a pretty good indicator of your ability to put together the stuff you can’t see.
lotsofpulp 5y ago
They have not even been out long enough to make that claim. Especially when comparing to Toyota.
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  >Especially when comparing to Toyota. Toyota been saying "don't worry guys, we fixed the rust issues, the new ones won't be rusting out" every year since 1985 and running a more or less rolling recall since the 00s. Or was that not the implication of your comparison? Teslas will last a long time because the most important indicator of vehicle reliability is one that they share more or less 1:1 with Toyota, customers who who put very easy miles on vehicles and dutifully maintain them. That said, I fully agree that we have nowhere near the length of data set we need to know how Teslas will fare in terms of reliability and longevity (not the same thing) after adjusting for how they are used.
  - lotsofpulp 5y ago
    > Or was that not the implication of your comparison? The implication of my post is Toyota operates on a different scale than Tesla, and due to insufficient time having passed since the advent of Tesla, a claim cannot yet be made. I referenced Toyota because of its objectively highly ranked reliability based on resale price and famously low maintenance costs.
  - itsoktocry 5y ago

kristofferR 5y ago

Tesla does not equal electric cars. Most well known brands have great electric cars now, not to mention all the new brands like Nio and Polestar.

hownottowrite 5y ago
If I read your exuberance incorrectly, I apologize. Toyota has a lot invested in the hybrid architecture. I doubt they’ll go full electric for some time and frankly it won’t make sense to do so for another 10 years. Still, there are a lot of great options out there right now. For example, the Bolt from GM is a great little car. I inspected one up close two weeks ago side by side with a new Model 3. While not a great comparison in terms of function, the build quality in the GM model was just vastly superior by nearly every measure.