Life with a Tesla Model 3
I've had the privilege of owning a Tesla Model 3 for four years now and here's how my experience has been.
I've always loved having the latest tech and it's no question that Tesla makes some of the most advanced cars on the market when it comes to technology.
But there's a lot other reasons why I think this is one of the best sedans money can buy.
I chose to go with the 2021 Rear-Wheel Drive, 18" Aero Wheels, White Interior
White on white because it looks like a spaceship!
Charging
The biggest question I always get asked is, "How long does it take to charge?"
The truth is, 99% of the time I'm not waiting for the car to charge, it's charging while I sleep at home, and I wake up to a full charge.
The only times I've had to wait for the car to charge was on long road trips. I've driven between Melbourne to Sydney a few times, and one trip from Melbourne to Gold Coast.
Honestly by the time we got out and stretched our legs, went to the bathroom, grabbed some food, the car was charged enough to get to the next charger.
Range
Another popular question I get is, "How far can you go on a full charge?"
When I picked up the car the estimated range was 427km. Today after almost 4 years and 74,377km later, the estimated range is 411km. That's about a 3.8% battery degradation.
For myself and I think majority of people, it would be very rare to do more than 400km in one day so I've never really had range anxiety.
And at the time of buying the car there weren't many chargers, but looking at the map now, it seems like they are everywhere, you just don't see them like you do petrol stations.
Driving
The driving experience has been extremely simple and convenient. I always carry my iPhone everywhere so the car key is always with me. I just open the door, put my seatbelt on, and shift to drive.
Things like air-conditioning, lights, wipers, music, seating position, mirrors, are all automatic and exactly how I like it. Even if my wife has just driven it and she has almost the opposite of all my settings!
One pedal driving makes it incredibly comfortable and smooth to drive. The indicators automatically turn off once you've changed lanes.
Autopilot makes long drives so much easier, and you get to look around and see your surroundings, as if you're 'almost' a passenger.
Everything is designed to make the driving experience so easy and comfortable.
Last but not least, the acceleration, it's fast and instant. And it still drives exactly as it was when I picked up the car, putting your foot down pushes you back into your seat, and you're always confident you can make it through a busy roundabout.
Convenience
Once you've gone through the first few days of getting all the settings just how you like it, you realise just how convenient everything is.
From driving, to finding chargers, to plugging in, to servicing, everything is so incredibly simple, you wonder why we've been doing things the old way for so long.
My wife agrees, it makes zero sense to ever go back to a regular car again. We were driving this along with a Honda CRV for a while and every time we used it, it felt like going back to the Stone Age. The smell of exhaust fumes, the clunky gearbox, the slow air-conditioning, constantly adjusting the seats and mirrors.
The app gives you so much control and visibility of the car, being able to put the AC on before you get in, remotely locking and unlocking, flashing the lights to find it in a car park.
All of the little things really add up to make life so much easier, I guess that's what technology is supposed to do.
Design
I've always liked a minimalistic and clean aesthetic, and this car is exactly that. There isn't 10 different buttons and knobs cluttering the dash, just a single screen and a steering wheel.
With plenty of hidden storage the cabin is functional and clean, all the time.
Being fully electric you have storage in the front trunk (frunk), heaps of trunk storage, and plenty of foot room in the back seat.
Costs
The drive-away price at the time was $66,368. The Victorian government were giving a $3000 rebate so the final price was $63,368.
At the time of writing, the market value is about $35,000 Making the yearly cost $7,842, and the monthly cost ~$163.
In my opinion this car was worth far more than $163 a month.
Of-course there are other costs to consider, but every car has its running costs. But being electric the running costs are actually cheaper than a regular car.
After 4 years I spent a total of $1488.53 on servicing. Which I'm confident is far less than what a regular car would be to service.
When it comes to charging, at home I was getting a full charge for $5-$10.
To summarise, going electric was one of the best decisions I ever made, and although the upfront cost is daunting, the true cost of ownership is very reasonable, and the value you are getting is the reason why I think its one of the best cars you can buy.
And today the Model 3 has gotten even better and cheaper.
If you made it this far, maybe you're thinking of buying a Tesla, feel free to use my referral link for a small discount š
There's so much more I could say about Tesla's, but I might save some things for my next post on what it's been like owning the Model Y which I recently took delivery of, stay tuned!