'Mission creep' and an unexpected choice...
Discussion
Currently we have 3 cars between mrs DG & I
- 2020 SLC
- 2019 Challenger
- 2017 Superb
As in a previous thread the idea is/was to lose the Skoda in the next month or 2 and keep the Challenger. The SLC is due back in a year but, given long lead times (& about 6k 'equity' in the SLC) it seemed sensible to start looking researching now...
The initial thoughts I had were some mid-sized but decent luggage capacity when needed whereupon the Skoda Karoq seemed to fit the bill (just under £40k so no silliness from the tax man over the next 5 years) but Mrs DG baulked at (nearasdammit) £40 for the Skoda. When to Merc to see their offerings, she loved her old GLC, but the prices were gulp-inducing for a decent spec.
En-route to merc there's a Tesla dealer so we stopped there for a natter - and came away hugely impressed with the model Y. The problem is it's £60k which is a LOT of ££, that said there are savings to be made on fuel and tax (probably do 8k per year across the SLC & Superb) and what seem to be good residuals on Teslas - though that doesn't help on the purchasing side! The, potentially, more interesting option would be the model 3 basic at 12k less even though the Y seems to be a better choice as a car that is a substantial chunk saved!
Has anyone else looked to choose between the 'basic' version of the Y & 3? What did you end up with? What tipped the balance for you?
- 2020 SLC
- 2019 Challenger
- 2017 Superb
As in a previous thread the idea is/was to lose the Skoda in the next month or 2 and keep the Challenger. The SLC is due back in a year but, given long lead times (& about 6k 'equity' in the SLC) it seemed sensible to start looking researching now...
The initial thoughts I had were some mid-sized but decent luggage capacity when needed whereupon the Skoda Karoq seemed to fit the bill (just under £40k so no silliness from the tax man over the next 5 years) but Mrs DG baulked at (nearasdammit) £40 for the Skoda. When to Merc to see their offerings, she loved her old GLC, but the prices were gulp-inducing for a decent spec.
En-route to merc there's a Tesla dealer so we stopped there for a natter - and came away hugely impressed with the model Y. The problem is it's £60k which is a LOT of ££, that said there are savings to be made on fuel and tax (probably do 8k per year across the SLC & Superb) and what seem to be good residuals on Teslas - though that doesn't help on the purchasing side! The, potentially, more interesting option would be the model 3 basic at 12k less even though the Y seems to be a better choice as a car that is a substantial chunk saved!
Has anyone else looked to choose between the 'basic' version of the Y & 3? What did you end up with? What tipped the balance for you?
DodgyGeezer said:
Currently we have 3 cars between mrs DG & I
- 2020 SLC
- 2019 Challenger
- 2017 Superb
As in a previous thread the idea is/was to lose the Skoda in the next month or 2 and keep the Challenger. The SLC is due back in a year but, given long lead times (& about 6k 'equity' in the SLC) it seemed sensible to start looking researching now...
The initial thoughts I had were some mid-sized but decent luggage capacity when needed whereupon the Skoda Karoq seemed to fit the bill (just under £40k so no silliness from the tax man over the next 5 years) but Mrs DG baulked at (nearasdammit) £40 for the Skoda. When to Merc to see their offerings, she loved her old GLC, but the prices were gulp-inducing for a decent spec.
En-route to merc there's a Tesla dealer so we stopped there for a natter - and came away hugely impressed with the model Y. The problem is it's £60k which is a LOT of ££, that said there are savings to be made on fuel and tax (probably do 8k per year across the SLC & Superb) and what seem to be good residuals on Teslas - though that doesn't help on the purchasing side! The, potentially, more interesting option would be the model 3 basic at 12k less even though the Y seems to be a better choice as a car that is a substantial chunk saved!
Has anyone else looked to choose between the 'basic' version of the Y & 3? What did you end up with? What tipped the balance for you?
I understand the question is about Telsa, but have you taken a look at the Polestar 2? Similarly strong residuals, though that could be due to a lack of supply. - 2020 SLC
- 2019 Challenger
- 2017 Superb
As in a previous thread the idea is/was to lose the Skoda in the next month or 2 and keep the Challenger. The SLC is due back in a year but, given long lead times (& about 6k 'equity' in the SLC) it seemed sensible to start looking researching now...
The initial thoughts I had were some mid-sized but decent luggage capacity when needed whereupon the Skoda Karoq seemed to fit the bill (just under £40k so no silliness from the tax man over the next 5 years) but Mrs DG baulked at (nearasdammit) £40 for the Skoda. When to Merc to see their offerings, she loved her old GLC, but the prices were gulp-inducing for a decent spec.
En-route to merc there's a Tesla dealer so we stopped there for a natter - and came away hugely impressed with the model Y. The problem is it's £60k which is a LOT of ££, that said there are savings to be made on fuel and tax (probably do 8k per year across the SLC & Superb) and what seem to be good residuals on Teslas - though that doesn't help on the purchasing side! The, potentially, more interesting option would be the model 3 basic at 12k less even though the Y seems to be a better choice as a car that is a substantial chunk saved!
Has anyone else looked to choose between the 'basic' version of the Y & 3? What did you end up with? What tipped the balance for you?
codenamecueball said:
I understand the question is about Telsa, but have you taken a look at the Polestar 2? Similarly strong residuals, though that could be due to a lack of supply.
I think that the issue would be persuading mrs DG to go for something not Tesla - she's not a Tesla fan, far from it, however the supercharger network (and pricing TBF) seems to be the USP that has tipped us to the point where we're considering an EV....DodgyGeezer said:
I think that the issue would be persuading mrs DG to go for something not Tesla - she's not a Tesla fan, far from it, however the supercharger network (and pricing TBF) seems to be the USP that has tipped us to the point where we're considering an EV....
This again. You do know that the supercharger network will very soon be open to everyone, and hence the USP is gone?ajap1979 said:
DodgyGeezer said:
I think that the issue would be persuading mrs DG to go for something not Tesla - she's not a Tesla fan, far from it, however the supercharger network (and pricing TBF) seems to be the USP that has tipped us to the point where we're considering an EV....
This again. You do know that the supercharger network will very soon be open to everyone, and hence the USP is gone?all that being said it's VERY early doors for us at the moment (that's not to say that minds won't be made up today
) so the more information the better 
DodgyGeezer said:
I sort of did. I thought it was a limited thing and only available to certain manufacturers - my (probably lacking!) understanding however is that other manufacturer's cars using the Tesla network will face (possibly) punitive rates to charge their vehicles?
It's limited to a small number of sites at the moment, but where it has been trialled in other countries it has very quickly been opened up completely. The rates for non-Teslas is around 60p/kWh, so really not much more than you'd pay on an InstaVolt, or other similar rapid charger. I guess all I'm saying is don't use that as the only reason to choose one.ajap1979 said:
It's limited to a small number of sites at the moment, but where it has been trialled in other countries it has very quickly been opened up completely. The rates for non-Teslas is around 60p/kWh, so really not much more than you'd pay on an InstaVolt, or other similar rapid charger. I guess all I'm saying is don't use that as the only reason to choose one.
appreciatedDodgyGeezer said:
I think that the issue would be persuading mrs DG to go for something not Tesla - she's not a Tesla fan, far from it, however the supercharger network (and pricing TBF) seems to be the USP that has tipped us to the point where we're considering an EV....
If you're considering an EV, it's worth getting a home charger, and in that case it will probably be rare that you need to use the public charging network unless you regularly do journeys of over 300 miles.gmaz said:
If you're considering an EV, it's worth getting a home charger, and in that case it will probably be rare that you need to use the public charging network unless you regularly do journeys of over 300 miles.
this is one of the issues I've had up until now. Don't regularly do over 300 miles but we have so the freedom to do so worry-free is something. There's also the issue (maybe overplayed, maybe not) of noticeable range degradation due to A/C or heating being used (all of which are, in all honesty, being assuaged by reading into things further). I'm not really a 'sporty' driver (and mrs DG certainly isn't!!) so razor-sharp handling isn't really an issue (I drive a muscle-car for God's sake!!) - cruising comfort is as is being relaxed.
DodgyGeezer said:
gmaz said:
If you're considering an EV, it's worth getting a home charger, and in that case it will probably be rare that you need to use the public charging network unless you regularly do journeys of over 300 miles.
this is one of the issues I've had up until now. Don't regularly do over 300 miles but we have so the freedom to do so worry-free is something. There's also the issue (maybe overplayed, maybe not) of noticeable range degradation due to A/C or heating being used (all of which are, in all honesty, being assuaged by reading into things further). I'm not really a 'sporty' driver (and mrs DG certainly isn't!!) so razor-sharp handling isn't really an issue (I drive a muscle-car for God's sake!!) - cruising comfort is as is being relaxed.
One of the reasons I went for my Model 3 Performance was the supercharger network… that I’ve used twice. Most of the time I charge from home, and the one time I needed to stop on a motorway, Ionity made more sense for a stop.
As for choosing 3 over Y, well 3 looks nicer (simply due to not being a vertically stretched car), and the luggage capacity/cabin is cavernous enough for our family of four. The wife would like a Y as she prefers sitting higher, so may be a contender for her Passat GTE replacement, but unless you are putting dogs or bikes in the boot, I find the 3 easily large enough, and is more efficient to boot.
Lots of people saying the Model 3 RWD is the pick of the bunch, and in the real world not much difference in the performance either, Carwow videos show this well.
As for choosing 3 over Y, well 3 looks nicer (simply due to not being a vertically stretched car), and the luggage capacity/cabin is cavernous enough for our family of four. The wife would like a Y as she prefers sitting higher, so may be a contender for her Passat GTE replacement, but unless you are putting dogs or bikes in the boot, I find the 3 easily large enough, and is more efficient to boot.
Lots of people saying the Model 3 RWD is the pick of the bunch, and in the real world not much difference in the performance either, Carwow videos show this well.
To answer your question (ish), I have a Model 3 long range, which is the same spec as the Model Y. With hindsight I would have been perfectly happy with the range, performance and kit of the base model. In terms of the 3 vs Y, the 3 is spacious with a big boot and frunk, so unless you have a dog or want to carry washing machines it’s fine for most purposes. It also rides and handles much better than the Y, being lower to the ground. I’d save the £12k personally, but give them both a try and see what you think.
I should have added to my original post that we've actually already had a test drive of the Y a couple of days ago and this has prompted the new direction of thought. Being used to a succession of (relatively) firmly sprung US 'muscle(ish)' cars and the current SLC (as well as 2 previous ones and a couple of Crossfires) the Model Y seemed to be very nice - that said a drive up some rough/potholed roads may change our thoughts...
The other thing we need to try is to get a test of the base Model 3 to see how different it feels.
The other thing we need to try is to get a test of the base Model 3 to see how different it feels.
AFAIA, the Model 3 and Model Y share exactly the same platform (or at least a very similar platform). The big difference, as I'm sure you know, is that the Model 3 is a saloon and the Model Y a hatchback so if need the extra space/versatility of a hatch, choose the Y. If you're happy with a boot (which is huge BTW), choose the 3. You do get split-fold rear seats in the 3 which fold flat and offer that extra space should the need arise. I'm sure you can also spec a Model 3 with a towbar should you need to carry bikes or tow a small trailer. You'll need to double-check this and check the towing weight restrictions.
The basic spec Model 3 offers more than enough performance in the real world. If you need extra range and 4WD, go for the Long Range variant. Yes, the Performance version is unbelievably quick off the line but you need to ask yourself how often you'll actually use all the performance on offer and whether you can justify the price premium over the basic model. Try them all before you part with your money.
Looks are subjective of course but I think the Model 3 is much better looking than the Model Y.
The basic spec Model 3 offers more than enough performance in the real world. If you need extra range and 4WD, go for the Long Range variant. Yes, the Performance version is unbelievably quick off the line but you need to ask yourself how often you'll actually use all the performance on offer and whether you can justify the price premium over the basic model. Try them all before you part with your money.
Looks are subjective of course but I think the Model 3 is much better looking than the Model Y.
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