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Should my son buy the Tesla Model Y

He wants advice whether buying this car makes sense and considerations that would influence the decision.

BHPian earthian recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am posting this on behalf of my son who stays and works in New Jersey. He has a Wrangler and is looking for buying another car for his daily commute of about 50 miles and has been looking at the Tesla Model Y.

He wants advice whether buying this car makes sense and considerations that would influence the decision. The car would cost US$ 60,000/- on road. The second point he would like advice is whether he should buy it on lease or pay for the full amount upfront.

Thank you in advance for your advice and help.

Here's what BHPian Mclaren Rulz had to say on the matter:

Without more context on what he wants, it's a bit hard to say.

Any vehicle will do a 50 mile commute, even the most basic electric cars have enough range for that.

Here's what BHPian carthick1000 had to say on the matter:

For his use case of 50 mile commute (and occasional long trips if needed), he is well served by a Tesla model 3 which starts from 45,000USD on road for standard range. If he needs better range he can choose a long range model 3 at 51,000USD. A premium of 7,000USD for model Y according to me is absolutely not necessary, unless your son wants a tall boy design with hatch opening for loading big things. Model Y (LR) will be inherently less efficient than model 3 (LR) due to a bit increased air drag.

New Jersey has adequate amount of superchargers and if he has a home with driveway, it would be even more comfortable as he can daily charge at home. If he lives in an apartment which does not promote EV charging or any place where he could not have a home charger, I would sincerely recommend him to stick to his current ride or buy an ICE car.

Btw, why does he want to change and what are his requirements? A bit more input means a lot of BHPians living in USA can provide suggestions on the thread.

Regarding purchasing/leasing, it might be worth checking out Ford mach E or polestar 2 as options as they qualify for Federal tax credits (Unfortunately Tesla is discriminated by US politics due to lobbying I guess). But still when it comes to charging infrastructure, technology on offer and the battery longevity, Tesla is much ahead of Ford or polestar. In this day and age in USA, an EV is the way to go unless he is living in a certain states where the charging infrastructure still did not catch up.

Here's what BHPian landcruiser123 had to say on the matter:

If it is only commute (with a predictable route) with some luggage, why not the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt? Californians use these two or an e-Golf.


Folding the backseat can open up a lot of room (unless he carries humongous gear).

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

 
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