First EV, 2020 M3P, good idea?
Discussion
We have 3 cars in our family, one of those is girlfriend’s city / schoolrun car which generally doesn’t get used outside M25 ever.
I always tried to steer her towards something with a bit of performance, she is happy to as long as she likes the car otherwise, mostly based on looks. So we’ve had an MX5 and now Audi S1.
We’ll now (finally) have access to our own charger at home so I thought one of the 3 cars could be an EV. i3s seemed perfect as (1) good reviews (2) small footprint similar to MX5 and S1 (3) 4 doors needed to get kids in and out.
But it “looks ugly” (I disagree). Honda e - same. Id.3 she liked but reviews and feedback on here aren’t great. Ideally we’d buy an electric hothatch but those things don’t exist yet.
Model 3 Performance is what we can settle on. She likes it, I like the reviews. Not the same small footprint as S1 or i3 but she’s fine with it.
I can buy a 2020 car for £32,000 or so which looks a decent deal.
I’ve read the buying guide on here and numerous reviews.
Anything to look out for?
Can I have full peace of mind Tesla warranty with it? Do they do extended warranties at all?
I bought a 2020 M3P, a month ago, so I guess I could help!
I moved from an MG ZS, I couldn't overlook the amount of extra car, for what amounted to an extra £4k over the MG. I paid £33500 for it. I dont know where they're at now and quite frankly don't care, I bought it knowing it was going to depreciate further.
Build wise mines OK, it's an October 2020 car with 21,000 miles on it, I had a spoiler and rear light replaced by Tesla, due to delaminating and water ingress. Fairly common and I did buy it in this state knowing they'd mend it (I bought from a 3rd party, rather than Tesla). I would also make sure you fit the front mud flaps, otherwise the sills take a battering.
Practicality wise, as long as you can live with it being a saloon it's great. I've got two kids and have no problem with all their kit. I also have to carry a reasonable amount of work PPE and spares, the underboot compartment and froot is great for this.
Warranty wise mines covered until October next year (or 50,000 miles, but I won't hit that) . I believe you can extend this by up to another 4 years for around £600 a year. Cars bought from Tesla have a 12 month extended warranty (and enhanced autopilot) but I dont believe you can then extend this. Battery and drive train is until October 2028 or 120,000 miles.
Looks wise, I think colour and wheels are key. I specifically wanted a red one for that reason..
Performance wise, yeah it's quick. I can't say I've pushed mine in the corners yet, but I'm lining up a track day to try that.
I'd also suggest booking a test drive in with Tesla before committing too, to check you get on with the interface etc. You can do that online. I drove a facelift sr+, but it gave me a good idea. Definitely worth it.
I moved from an MG ZS, I couldn't overlook the amount of extra car, for what amounted to an extra £4k over the MG. I paid £33500 for it. I dont know where they're at now and quite frankly don't care, I bought it knowing it was going to depreciate further.
Build wise mines OK, it's an October 2020 car with 21,000 miles on it, I had a spoiler and rear light replaced by Tesla, due to delaminating and water ingress. Fairly common and I did buy it in this state knowing they'd mend it (I bought from a 3rd party, rather than Tesla). I would also make sure you fit the front mud flaps, otherwise the sills take a battering.
Practicality wise, as long as you can live with it being a saloon it's great. I've got two kids and have no problem with all their kit. I also have to carry a reasonable amount of work PPE and spares, the underboot compartment and froot is great for this.
Warranty wise mines covered until October next year (or 50,000 miles, but I won't hit that) . I believe you can extend this by up to another 4 years for around £600 a year. Cars bought from Tesla have a 12 month extended warranty (and enhanced autopilot) but I dont believe you can then extend this. Battery and drive train is until October 2028 or 120,000 miles.
Looks wise, I think colour and wheels are key. I specifically wanted a red one for that reason..
Performance wise, yeah it's quick. I can't say I've pushed mine in the corners yet, but I'm lining up a track day to try that.
I'd also suggest booking a test drive in with Tesla before committing too, to check you get on with the interface etc. You can do that online. I drove a facelift sr+, but it gave me a good idea. Definitely worth it.
Edited by Merry on Sunday 28th May 10:31
Had a 2019 M3P for 2 years and 20k miles. My advice, for a daily car, would be buy a 2021 LR instead. With the performance boost it's every bit as quick, will ride better, be more efficient and also have the 2021MY improvements (new centre console, heated steering wheel, heat pump, auto boot opening etc.)
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305097...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305097...
Edited by SWoll on Sunday 28th May 12:42
The performance is more than just an LR+ with Acceleration Boost though. The wheels, brakes, suspension and spoiler all add to make a subtly different car. I certainly don’t regret going M3P, my brother has an LR+ and he’s spent a chunk buying different wheels, a carbon spoiler and acceleration boost, he’d have been better off getting the M3P.
Also, red is best.
Also, red is best.
SWoll said:
Had a 2019 M3P for 2 years and 20k miles. My advice, for a daily car, would be buy a 2021 LR instead. With the performance boost it's every bit as quick, will ride better, be more efficient and also have the 2021MY improvements (new centre console, heated steering wheel, heat pump, auto boot opening etc.)
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305097...
Tough call between LR and M3P. If I get 2021 M3P will I have the improvements you mention?https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305097...
Edited by SWoll on Sunday 28th May 12:42
Merry said:
ldn_mx5 said:
Tough call between LR and M3P. If I get 2021 M3P will I have the improvements you mention?
Yes. You'll be paying around £5k more though. At least. When we had ours the price difference was negligible so I thought "why not?" For the £7k they're asking new today (or £5k on used cars) it's just not worth it.
SWoll said:
This. The extras you get on the P just aren't worth the extra cash IME. The 20" wheels are easily damaged and affect efficiency, the suspension is harsh, the performance isn't all that much more, the brakes make no difference at road speeds due to regen doing most of the work etc.
When we had ours the price difference was negligible so I thought "why not?" For the £7k they're asking new today (or £5k on used cars) it's just not worth it.
I'd say the £5k is more of a difference between a pre and post facelift, regardless of whether it's a P or not to be honest.When we had ours the price difference was negligible so I thought "why not?" For the £7k they're asking new today (or £5k on used cars) it's just not worth it.
For what it's worth I'm quite happy I took a P over an LR at this price range, it just a bit more special. It's a pretty poncy excuse for spending more money on not a great deal more, but it's how I'm justifying it!
I'm just coming up to 4 yeras on mine so the extended warrenty is on my mind. I don't have much clue of the kinds of things that tend to go wrong after 4 years on a model 3, and no idea if 600 a year is good value or not.
But I'll probably end up buying the warranty, as so far i've been impressed by the warranty service in general, a few mild attempts to avoid fixing minor stuff on 1st report, but it's been basically good in the end , mobile service, in particular, is good.
I'd very interested from others what kind of stuff goes wrong just out of warranty on a model 3, but might struggle for answers given the whole time travel not invented yet aspect. I know XS have some horror stories but not convinced the cars are comparable.
But I'll probably end up buying the warranty, as so far i've been impressed by the warranty service in general, a few mild attempts to avoid fixing minor stuff on 1st report, but it's been basically good in the end , mobile service, in particular, is good.
I'd very interested from others what kind of stuff goes wrong just out of warranty on a model 3, but might struggle for answers given the whole time travel not invented yet aspect. I know XS have some horror stories but not convinced the cars are comparable.
Have a look at some insurance quotes on the P before you commit, can be pretty punchy depending on your circumstances.
I'd also listen to Swoll, the facelift LR is a much nicer car than an early P. Prices reflect this though and the facelift cars in good condition have risen to £35k+ for even early ones now although there are some very scrappy ones nearer £30k.
The P seems unloved, prices are suppressed and they sit on the used market for long periods.
You can always stick on an aftermarket spoiler and some wheels to a LR.
I'd also listen to Swoll, the facelift LR is a much nicer car than an early P. Prices reflect this though and the facelift cars in good condition have risen to £35k+ for even early ones now although there are some very scrappy ones nearer £30k.
The P seems unloved, prices are suppressed and they sit on the used market for long periods.
You can always stick on an aftermarket spoiler and some wheels to a LR.
I didn't notice the P vs LR stuff.
I assume you actually want the 3.1s
You might be able to pick up a 2019 P still in warranty for quite a bit less than 32k. Something to consider if you can find one in similar condition to the 2020, as I don't think the cars changed much in this first year.
Otherwise the facelift is much nicer car yes, double glazing, boot lift, more solid feeling.
But I'll just say this, 4 years in and I'm still not bored of the 3.1! But you need to live near the right roads for it.
I assume you actually want the 3.1s
You might be able to pick up a 2019 P still in warranty for quite a bit less than 32k. Something to consider if you can find one in similar condition to the 2020, as I don't think the cars changed much in this first year.
Otherwise the facelift is much nicer car yes, double glazing, boot lift, more solid feeling.
But I'll just say this, 4 years in and I'm still not bored of the 3.1! But you need to live near the right roads for it.
ldn_mx5 said:
Thanks all,
isn‘t P 3.1 0-60 and LR 4.2? I know you‘ll say „irrelevant in daily use“ and for my gf it will probably be true, but for the occassional spirited drive the difference in performance seems substantial?
As mentioned above, the real world performance is much closer especially on a car with the boost upgrade.isn‘t P 3.1 0-60 and LR 4.2? I know you‘ll say „irrelevant in daily use“ and for my gf it will probably be true, but for the occassional spirited drive the difference in performance seems substantial?
After 2 years and 20k miles in a P I can confirm that the primary takeaway was frustration. It's so fast that opportunities to use it at it's fullest for more than a couple of seconds are very rare IME and you're left with a car that has a harsh ride, chocolate alloy wheels and a rear spoiler that's determined to detach itself the rest of the time.
I get why you'd go for the P, I did, but just make sure you are happy with the additional costs and compromises that it involves. When we had ours the cost difference was bugger all and as it was mid 2019 there weren't any owners out there who had lived with one who could give advice as it was brand new to the market.
FWIW said:
If you’re only interested in traffic light Grand Prix, sure, but I believe that for real world, (50-70 etc) acceleration the LR+AB is actually faster.
This is true, the main difference is felt 0-30. That’s where I want the boost, personally. I would be wary of letting other people dictate to you what kind of driving you find fun to drive.
lizardbrain said:
This is true, the main difference is felt 0-30. That’s where I want the boost, personally.
I would be wary of letting other people dictate to you what kind of driving you find fun to drive.
You‘re saying 0-30 LR + boost wins over P?I would be wary of letting other people dictate to you what kind of driving you find fun to drive.
And can I purchase the boost for a used car which doesn’t have it at the moment? Only 1/5th of the cars on AT have the boost advertised
Edited by ldn_mx5 on Monday 29th May 09:42
ldn_mx5 said:
You‘re saying 0-30 LR + boost wins over P?
And can I purchase the boost for a used car which doesn’t have it at the moment? Only 1/5th of the cars on AT have the boost advertised
Yeah you can buy it used. You might find the car quick enough without the boost so it’s a sensible path if your unsure. And can I purchase the boost for a used car which doesn’t have it at the moment? Only 1/5th of the cars on AT have the boost advertised
Edited by ldn_mx5 on Monday 29th May 09:42
Gassing Station | Tesla | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff