[mobike008]

Tesla Model 3 Performance- Booking Experience

Background

I have been keeping an eye out in the market to add a second car to our garage ever since I returned the Mazda CX-9 which served us very well. Due to the Pandemic it's mostly WFH, we don’t really need a second car but, for some
reason there was a strong urge since last few months to add an EV to the garage to complete an ICE + EV Garage Portfolio.

I love to drive and do long distances at the drop of a hat. As an example, I have been averaging roughly about 2000 miles per month over the last 5 years (Including my rental car driving that constitutes about 20% of my total driving due to work related travel). During my stint in the east coast, I used to travel almost twice in a month and would always rent a car when the distances were 800 miles or less.

When the thought came to add a second car, multiple “type” of cars cycled through my mind starting from muscle cars (Challenger being my most favorite, Mustang, Camaro etc), rally bred cars (WRX STI, GTI, Focus RS etc) to trucks (fell in love with them when I drove a Dodge Ram).

After driving a BMW, it’s hard to enjoy the above type of cars except maybe the rally bred cars as you are used to a certain luxury, brand and smooth power delivery. I like to look forward in life and not backwards as some of the cars listed above would have been great choices maybe half a decade ago but, not in this age.

With that said, I decided to look forward which meant it has to be a fully electric vehicle and initially, it was a no brainer to get a TESLA. But, I was not too happy with its monopoly and absolute craze and fan following of Tesla owners worldwide.

I was hell-bent to find a competitor who are at least on par and if not similar driving experience as choosing what's popular or a herd mentality is not my style. I will commit to only something that blows my mind.

Thus, started my journey and I was clear that it has to be a performance oriented EV and keep a strict budget of $60,000 landing price. With that in mind, I shortlisted the following and decided to test drive them in order.

Polestar 2
Kia EV6
Tesla Model Y Performance
Tesla Model 3 Performance

Over the last few months, I test drove all of the above starting with Polestar 2 and Kia EV 6. While both cars are pretty good and there is hard to find fault in them but, they just didn’t feel special or gave a “wow feeling when driven hard despite being powerful cars with 400HP and 325 HP versions.

Besides that, they just didn’t feel worth the $60,000-$70,000 landing price. Well, I briefly considered test driving a BMW i4 M50 but, it starts at $75,000 and knowing BMW by the time I build the car that I like, it will be north of $90K which is simply out of my budget.

Polestar 2- Brief Test Drive Report

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/elect...ml#post5309676 (Polestar 2: Volvo teases Tesla Model 3 rival)

Kia EV6 GT Line-Brief Test Drive Report

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/elect...ml#post5317218 (Kia launches EV faster than Porsche’s Taycan 4S)

Well, I reluctantly decided to reconsider TESLA.

It was a simple shortlist of choosing a Y or 3. As S and X models are over a hundred grand and is a dream for now. After the model shortlist, next came the variant shortlist.

My single track mind focuses only on performance which unfortunately is the highest end variant costing a bomb.

The EV rebate is discontinued a couple of years ago after Tesla crossed 200,000 units. Either-ways, it is not applicable to their models that cost > $50,000.

I almost decided to cancel the whole plan of buying an EV after getting to know the final landing price as it was ridiculously high.

a) Tesla Model Y which was my initial shortlist costs a whopping $85,000 with all taxes and fees included in WA.

b) Tesla Model 3 Performance costs an equally eye-popping $75,000 with all taxes and fees included in WA.

I was now in a quandary to move forward or completely pause. I decided to take it step-by-step as I was not in a rush to buy anything and decided to do some exhaustive test drive both models.

I started with their most popular (in the current market scenario) Model Y.

Here is the link to my test drive report of a YP that I kept overnight.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/elect...ml#post5361760 (Test Drive : A day with the 2022 Tesla Model Y Performance)

I was completely blown by the Tesla Model Y. During this process, I reached out to BHPian Carthick1000 and we had one super long chat and kept in touch via. Text and he was very helpful and patiently answered all my questions that gave me confidence to look at Tesla seriously.

I also spoke to BHPian LexusES350 briefly and being a new owner, he was floored with Tesla Model Y ownership experience and had nothing but positive things to say about his ownership.

Patience is not one of my virtues (lol !!) so within 2-3 of Test Drive of Model YP and speaking to Carthik1000, I went ahead and placed an order for Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Order was placed without even driving the performance model knowing confidently 2 things for sure :

1. Being a sedan, It will drive better than a Model Y
2. I will save some dough as it will cost me $10,000 less and we already have an SUV so sedan is an appropriate choice







Here is a quick process of “How to Order” a Tesla online.

This is probably the simplest & best experience of buying a car as there are no middle men and there is no haggling (If you ever bought auto in US, you would know the car salesmen are the most notorious for fooling customers in paying a higher price)

With Tesla, no such hassle. What you see is what you get !!!

Visit www.tesla.com and choose the model and place an order by paying a order fee of $250.

It used to be bit complicated until 2022 with respect to the models on offer. Now they made it simple and Tesla Model 3 is offered in 3 different variants.





Here is a give break-down of the Tesla Model 3 variants on offer :

Tesla Model 3 (Rear Wheel Drive and Single Motor) which is the base model of Tesla and pumps out a healthy 275 horsepower which is claimed as Tesla does not quote horsepower figures. This is delivered through it’s 50KWH battery pack and does 0-60mph in quick 5.6 seconds and has a decent claimed range of 267 miles (420kms)

This starts at $41,000 USD and is cheapest Tesla one can buy.

2. Tesla Model 3 (AWD and Dual Motor) is 2nd variant of Tesla Model 3 and probably the most popular as this is their “Long Range Model” and has a claimed range of an astonishing 334 miles (550kms) and does a 0-60 in a blistering 4.2 seconds has a 350 HP from its 75KWH battery pack . The is the highest selling model of Tesla Model 3 from these 3 variants.

This variant starts at $52,000 USD

There is an interesting “Acceleration Boost” on offer by Tesla for a mere $2000 which can shave off the long range’s acceleration by 0.5 seconds to 3.7 seconds.

3. Tesla Model 3 Performance (AWD and Dual Motor) which is popularly known as M3P is their performance version and has a decent claimed range of 315 miles (500kms)

M3P 0-60mph is in supercar level at an eye-popping and brain squishing 3.1 seconds.

M3P differentiates itself from its siblings in the following manner

- ~ 500 HP
- Lowered Suspension tuned for performance
- 21” Ubertine Wheels
Powerful Brembo Brakes with Red Calipers
Carbon Fiber Spoiler

M3P starts at $57,000 USD

For an additional 5 grand you get a slightly lower range but, all the above performance goodies so it was a no-brainer for me to choose the M3P.

Next is to choose the exterior color. White and Black are standard option colors while the Metallic grey costs $1000 extra and Red costs an additional $2,000.



I’m particular about colors. Certain colors are associated with a certain brand. BMW for me is always Blue, Ferrari has to be Red, Lamborghini started it’s journey with Yellow and similarly, for me Tesla has to be Red (Despite, its steep $2000 add-on price just for the color). Other OEM’s charge typically $500 for a color choice. Well, It’s a Tesla and they call the shots.



At the next step, you choose the interior color. Black is standard, White comes at $1,000 premium. I saw both colors and have never been a fan of black interiors as it gives me a gloomy feeling. Wish Tesla had more color choices but, I settled for white which looks gorgeous and goes so well with red exteriors.

Once the above is completed, next is to choose the autonomous packages which has been steadily increasing from $8000 to $12,000. However, majority of folks who order a Tesla do not order the Full Self Driving (FSD) as it can be also bought as a monthly subscription of $200/month which can be ordered and cancelled at anytime. It would be useful to get it during long highway trips and then cancel it within the month.

Final screen prompts to choose from 3 different options of purchasing the Tesla

Cash
Finance
Lease

I would have chosen lease if there was an option to buy it back at end of lease as that is best way to buy a vehicle in US as residual value (Negotiable) at the end of 3-years is already locked on Day 1.

However, Tesla does not allow “Buy-Back” options of their cars at the end of a Lease period which is a strategic move by them as Tesla's are known to hold their value much higher than ICE vehicles. Many folks didn't know this and opted for lease falling for the lower monthly payments. It was a rude shock for them at the end of lease period when they decided to keep the car.

Thankfully, I got to know about this as there is nowhere it explicitly mentions this and if you aren't careful then will end up with an expensive mistake. Hence, I chose to finance the car.

Next step, make a “non-refundable” payment of $250 ($1,050 if you add the mobile charger and adapter to the order).

Voila!! Your Tesla order is placed. They keep sending you messages and we can check the Tesla App regularly to see the delivery date which unfortunately keeps changing as there is a huge waiting period for most Tesla’s.

Typical wait period of Long Range is 5-6 months which is what 90% of customers order and minority like us who order the performance model get their cars little bit sooner (2-3 months).

As you can see from below screenshots, In last two weeks since I booked the car, I have seen 3 different delivery dates.

Initially it was between August’22 to Sep’22.

With a few weeks, it changed to November’22-December’22

Thankfully it recently got updated to Sep 11th-Oct 16th, 2022 and keeping fingers crossed it should be delivered by end of September’2022.





Since I have lot of time on hand waiting for the M3P to arrive. I decided to test drive the car and it impressed me lot more than the Tesla Model Y and it gave me a satisfaction that my blind leap of faith was not entirely in the wrong direction. Here is the report of my M3P Test Drive experience.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/elect...ml#post5371857 (Test Drive : A day with the 2022 Tesla Model Y Performance)

I am excited and counting the days to start my EV journey with our new Tesla Model 3 Performance.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the EV section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

[Axe77]

Congratulations Mobike008. Lovely choice and a color that spells F-A-S-T even when standing still.

Look forward to the detailed updates on this thread once you get your new ride. Awesome garage there - a stupendous petrol SUV and a fantastic EV to complement it.

Can’t wait for the Indian EV space to also gradually mature over the next 3 - 5 years with similar offerings percolating down to the domestic market, across the price and product spectrum. Wheels are already in motion.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by GTO

Going to our homepage today

Thanks Rush.

Originally Posted by Axe77

Congratulations Mobike008. Lovely choice and a color that spells F-A-S-T even when standing still.

Hi Axe77,

Many thanks for your lovely wishes. Yes, the red color indeed spells fast and I have another problem of dealing of going under the radar from cops as "red" color comes up in their watchlist and also the insurance costs also marginally goes up.

I had to convince my wife to get this color as she was tilting more towards Metallic Grey (which was my 2nd preferred color) and White (Evergreen color)

Love the blue as well but, can't do two blues. Unfortunately, colors offered by Tesla is so limited that its almost miserly.

But, Red especially in performance looks gorgeous. Here is quick snap I took when at the showroom. It's a regular model 3.

Originally Posted by Axe77

Look forward to the detailed updates on this thread once you get your new ride. Awesome garage there - a stupendous petrol SUV and a fantastic EV to complement it.

Thank you. Yes, this is a dream garage for me.

I think, I am sorted now for next 5 years. I can scratch both itches (ICE and EV) and both are rock solid performance autos.

Originally Posted by Axe77

Can’t wait for the Indian EV space to also gradually mature over the next 3 - 5 years with similar offerings percolating down to the domestic market, across the price and product spectrum. Wheels are already in motion.

Indian consumers have lot of disposable income and these automakers are losing out on golden opportunity to fire up their sales charts in India.

Wish our government was more receptive to these foreign brands and make them invest in India that can create jobs, healthy competition and most importantly a choice to buyers to buy what they want.

Hopefully in the next 5-10 years we as consumers will have a plethora of EV choices which are world-class.

[navin]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Unfortunately, the colours offered by Tesla are so limited that it's almost miserly.

Try telling that to Henry Ford.

[Harshal.Bhosale]

Congratulations on your order! M3P is indeed the sharpest handling Tesla you can get, and it will no doubt delight you over the years.

Looks like the 3 will miss out on the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (new $7500 tax credit). But it's a moot point above a certain income level / vehicle base price anyway.

[maddy42]

Congrats Mobike as thats a super sweet looking car you ordered!!! Did you have range anxiety hit your decision process?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by navin

Try telling that to Henry Ford.

"You can have any color as long as it's black".

Some of the premium and luxury brands have really opened up their color palette.

If you visit any BMW, Audi, Porsche etc showrooms here in the US, you will be surprised as now they offer their cars in some explosive colors like Tangerine (Orange), Purple (Jamun Color), Lime or Seafoam green.

Tesla needs to pick a page out of their color palette at the minimum.

Having said that, I see tons of people wrap their Tesla in some amazing colors. Now that brings me to a question to knowledgeable folks and owners of Tesla on forum. How much does a wrap cost?

Originally Posted by Harshal.Bhosale

Congratulations on your order! M3P is indeed the sharpest handling Tesla you can get, and it will no doubt delight you over the years.

Looks like the 3 will miss out on the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (new $7500 tax credit). But it's a moot point above a certain income level / vehicle base price anyway.

Thank you so much Harshal. I was not even aware about your Tesla Model 3 ownership until last week and I did give a brief read. It is a fabulous and most detailed review of Tesla probably on the internet. Will go through the technical details when I get some time in future but, that's a gem of a thread.

We should connect and look forward to some tech inputs on M3P.

Yup, tax rebate is just an illusion and is not designed for poor folks like me.

Btw, I see you are also ex-Michigan, tons of memories from that beautiful state to exchange.

Originally Posted by maddy42

Congrats Mobike as thats a super sweet looking car you ordered!!! Did you have range anxiety hit your decision process?

Haha! Thanks for your wishes. That word (Range Anxiety) was not there in my dictionary but, now I hear it a lot.

I am lucky because Tesla's Supercharger network is the strongest in the west coast so if I am travelling from Seattle to San Diego (Which I have done last December), I don't have to worry about charging as there are plenty of Superchargers as well as regular chargers on this route.

For local, I have a NEMA charging outlet in my garage so I reckon my home is "Tesla Ready"

[maddy42]

Please do a proper PDI before the cars delivered. Have seen many comments on off colored panels and panel gaps.

Also has anyone test driven the Yoke style steering?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Please do a proper PDI before the cars delivered. Have seen many comments on off colored panels and panel gaps.

I follow this guy and he makes some nice videos as he goes about doing "Surprise Quality Checks" and as per his findings Tesla Model 3 has sorted most of the quality issues as on August 2022.

People make all sorts of videos on YT. It's now equivalent to google search. Haha!

However, he still sees some minor issues with Model Y (Probably because Tesla is churning out more of them than the 3 as it's current market favorite).

https://youtu.be/dww4JrFmrdk

That said, I intend to do a detailed PDI before accepting mine.

[carthick1000]

Congratulations, officially , on your M3P booking. Glad that you chose for an M3P instead of MYP as it is the fastest 4 door sedan south of 100kUSD with a wonderful chassis tuned for driving pleasure. The acceleration can even rival some supercars. Red+white is indeed a sweet combination. I recommend you check out this video about various aspects to consider pre-,during and post purchase of your M3P.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95PnFRjh-IE

Originally Posted by mobike008

How much does a wrap cost?

IIRC, it costs somewhere between 2000~4000USD depending on colour, material used and if any special coating needed after that. If you are serious about wrapping the car, also do consider, there are costs involved in removing the wrap when you don't need it anymore or want to sell the car. This can go from 500~1500USD depending on complexity. Moreover before wrapping, the paint coat has to be perfect without any highway chip damages, otherwise the wrap exposes the chip damages even more. So decide on wrapping right after delivery instead of waiting too long.

Originally Posted by mobike008

This is probably the simplest & best experience of buying a car as there are no middle men and there is no haggling (If you ever bought auto in US, you would know the car salesmen are the most notorious for fooling customers in paying a higher price)

Never bought a car in US. But heard stories from online forums and friends, how annoying car purchase process is. Luckily in NL, it is much smoother. But, Tesla indeed takes it a step further in terms of ease of use. From online purchase to touchless or home delivery, you can even get the car without ever meeting Tesla personnel. This does not stop there. Even your service visits too can be completely booked via Tesla app and drop in the car at the appointment time.

I am very curious to know how frequent you will be taking your M3P out instead of the X3M in the coming year. Wish you a lot of safe and fun miles!

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by carthick1000

Congratulations, officially , on your M3P booking. Glad that you chose for an M3P instead of MYP as it is the fastest 4 door sedan south of 100kUSD with a wonderful chassis tuned for driving pleasure.

The acceleration can even rival some supercars. Red+white is indeed a sweet combination. I recommend you check out this video about various aspects to consider pre-,during and post purchase of your M3P.

Hi Karthik- You are responsible for this big hole in my pocket.

Jokes aside, based on your inputs I accelerated my decision to place the order.

I appreciate your detailed and unbiased feedback. Also, Thank you so much for your lovely wishes.

I haven’t seen anyone with similar passion on EV’s and your knowledge and experience was invaluable for my decision making.

Hope to enjoy this “EV Beast” for a long time in future.

Originally Posted by carthick1000

IIRC, it costs somewhere between 2000~4000USD depending on colour, material used and if any special coating needed after that. If you are serious about wrapping the car, also do consider, there are costs involved in removing the wrap when you don't need it anymore or want to sell the car. This can go from 500~1500USD depending on complexity. Moreover before wrapping, the paint coat has to be perfect without any highway chip damages, otherwise the wrap exposes the chip damages even more. So decide on wrapping right after delivery instead of waiting too long.

Thanks for that info. Not that I intend to wrap the car.

The red color that I ordered is gorgeous and it really pops out a lot.

Btw, that brings me to one question. Has Tesla changed the red color shade?

I saw one red Tesla on road yesterday which looked old (probably a few years old) and base version. It looked pretty dull red. Almost maroon shade.

However, the one that I saw in showroom (picture in my previous post), the red is gorgeous and popping to the eyes. It’s similar to the “Ferrari Red”

Also, do you recommend anything to be done to protect the shade once the car arrives?

Originally Posted by carthick1000

Never bought a car in US. But heard stories from online forums and friends, how annoying car purchase process is. Luckily in NL, it is much smoother. But, Tesla indeed takes it a step further in terms of ease of use. From online purchase to touchless or home delivery, you can even get the car without ever meeting Tesla personnel. This does not stop there. Even your service visits too can be completely booked via Tesla app and drop in the car at the appointment time.

Awesome to know about the service booking feature via. App.

I bought 3 cars in USA and none of them have been a great experience till now. I’m a sales guy and I know how to negotiate. But, these car salesmen are a different level (They go to any extend to squeeze more money out of you and almost go to borders of deicing you. You know. Touch the fine line)

Compared to that, this booking experience has been flawless. I still feel like I just ordered something from “Amazon” and delivery is going to happen soon at my front door. It was so simple and seamless. LOL!

Originally Posted by carthick1000

I am very curious to know how frequent you will be taking your M3P out instead of the X3M in the coming year. Wish you a lot of safe and fun miles!

This is my biggest worry.

I hope the M3P won’t make me forget my beloved BMW.

[lexusES350]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Also, do you recommend anything to be done to protect the shade once the car arrives?

Get clear PPF like XPEL or something along with Ceramic coating to keep car in as good as we practically can condition. Do not take the car through the drive through car washes as it messes up the paint with swirls/scratches nor budget full service washes as they use non-microfiber towels for drying which again messes up the paint. Tesla paint is very finicky.

I personally have done Ceramic coating on my MYP and use ONR to do a hand wash using simple bucket with grid guard method. Uses less than 2 gallons of water and once done, car looks as if it's just been professionally detailed.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by lexusES350

Get clear PPF like XPEL or something along with Ceramic coating to keep car in as good as we practically can condition. Do not take the car through the drive through car washes as it messes up the paint with swirls/scratches nor budget full service washes as they use non-microfiber towels for drying which again messes up the paint. Tesla paint is very finicky.

How much does a PPF from XPEL cost? Did you do that from any vendor outside?

I did read about not using car washes for Teslas so I plan to wash the car myself at home.

Originally Posted by lexusES350

I personally have done Ceramic coating on my MYP and use ONR to do a hand wash using simple bucket with grid guard method. Uses less than 2 gallons of water and once done, car looks as if it's just been professionally detailed.

What is ONR and a grid guard method? New terms for me its been really long that I washed car on my own (Except for first time recently for my BMW at home).

Also, can cermamic coat done at home on its own? Any products you recommend?

Found another picture in my phone of the Red Tesla that I clicked at the showroom. This color looks much brighter than the one that I saw on road.



A question for Tesla owners on forum. I have this outlet in my home garage. Does this mean that I just buy the 14-50 NEMA Plug from Tesla Website for $45 and I am good to charge the car at home?

Some basic questions

1. 14-50 NEMA Plug Adapter seems to be a short one so will I need to buy a longer cord?

2. What is the charging speeds in miles per hour? Would be awesome if someone can explain the kWh per hour vs. miles per hour difference in a simple manner.

3. I read somewhere charging at home is safer on battery than at Tesla Supercharger as its AC vs DC (this puts a lot of pressure on battery). Is this true?

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I did read about not using car washes for Teslas so I plan to wash the car myself at home.

A Technical university of Munich study found that automatic car washes with cloth brushes are far better than washing by hand. Washing by hand damages the most. Also changing washing methods between hand washing and automatic washing is also too bad for the paint. I have always used automatic car washes with cloth brushes and I am in and out in 5 minutes. Can't beat that.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Any products you recommend?

Personally I don't use any form of these after market products, as I think that's the job of the paint But for sake of overcaring owners here it goes: The last time after washing the car, I noticed 3 small chip damages on the front bumper and few on the side runner (below doors). So a paint protection film covering the high incidence areas (hood, bumper,front fenders, ORVM, head/fog lamps & side runners) would be a sensible and cost effective option, if you would like to get some form of protection. I heard 3M's clear PPF is good. If you are getting it done, do it immediately after delivery and not wait too long.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Found another picture in my phone of the Red Tesla that I clicked at the showroom. This color looks much brighter than the one that I saw on road.

Earlier year red looked different than what I see now-a-days. It is now more of a crimson red and it has never been Ferrari red IMO. Having said that, I find the latest iteration of red to be visually different in shade and in sun. Here is one taken in sun below. Also extra coatings and films might give a slightly different feel to the colour.

Originally Posted by mobike008

1. 14-50 NEMA Plug Adapter seems to be a short one so will I need to buy a longer cord?

2. What is the charging speeds in miles per hour? Would be awesome if someone can explain the kWh per hour vs. miles per hour difference in a simple manner.

3. I read somewhere charging at home is safer on battery than at Tesla Supercharger as its AC vs DC (this puts a lot of pressure on battery). Is this true?

1. I see that now-a-days Tesla is not delivering the car with mobile connector and you also seem to have not selected while ordering. I would suggest ordering this either on their store or add it to your booking if possible. You don't have to purchase 14-50 adapter as it is shipped along with the mobile connector set. No you don't need an extension cable, I think.





2. Charging speed is measured in kW and Energy is measured in kWh. So at home, if you charge with 14-50, you get about 7.7kW (240V * 32A output from mobile connector) charging speed. With this speed, if your battery pack is 77kWh (M3P has a bit more I think), it takes 10 (77/7.7) hours to fully charge. So miles per hours is a strange number as it depends on how efficient the car is driven. Say if you charge for one hour, you get 7.7kWh and if your efficiency is 4 miles/kWh (same as 250Wh/mile which is shown in the car), then you get 4 * 7.7 = 30.8 miles per hour. If you drive less efficiently, then for the same 7.7kWh you get less miles per hours, effectively.



3. AC home charging is safer as the charging speeds are low (7.7kW as mentioned before) and at a supercharger the charging speeds can go upto 250kW DC. It is not because of AC or DC, but because of higher charging speed induces more thermal stress on the cells and too much of anything is not good, right