carmudgeons.com - View Single Post - Considering a used Model S as our next car

JST · 02-18-2019, 08:00 AM

There’s a lot of stuff that Tesla hssmtt figures out yet, or is in the process of figuring out.

I actually had a really positive experience with my CPO Model S; the car was in as-new condition and they delivered it with the same attention to detail as either of my new ones. That was a couple of years ago, though, so I don’t know what changes they’ve made to the program since.

As you know, Tesla has over the past six years grown from essentially hand-delivering cars by truck (see ZBBs first) to mass producing a mid-range luxury car. There are a lot of growing pains associated with that. Plus, they’ve been kind of playing around with the CPO program, so that part has been especially variable.

I haven’t taken my Model 3 in for service yet, so I don’t know how they’re coping with a 10-20X increase in volume. My guess is...it’s a challenge.

The good news is that none of my Tesla’s have needed that much in the way of service; the first (from 2013) was the worst, but even that was a better car than the 535 that preceded it, reliability-wise. The other two have been very solid.

I can’t tell you whether to do it or not. I will encourage you, if you decide to do it, to go in with a more open mind than you would with other cars. The car itself will require you to do some things differently, and the sales and service will be enthusiastic but will also have lumps and bumps. If that sounds like something you’d rather not deal with, I get it.

But I can also tell you that the car is amazing, and there’s nothing at all like it on the road. The idea that the A7 is a competitor is kind of laughable; after driving a Tesla all of those cars feel like clanking throwbacks. Like driving a Stanley Steamer. I’ve thought sort of generally about what I might replace mine with if I needed to, and aside from something much sportier (like a Giulia or a 911) I draw a blank.

If you’re going to buy a Stinger, though, I’d get a used one. The drop in value I’ve read is precipitous.

02-18-2019, 08:00 AM	#4
JST 195 Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 24,611	There’s a lot of stuff that Tesla hssmtt figures out yet, or is in the process of figuring out. I actually had a really positive experience with my CPO Model S; the car was in as-new condition and they delivered it with the same attention to detail as either of my new ones. That was a couple of years ago, though, so I don’t know what changes they’ve made to the program since. As you know, Tesla has over the past six years grown from essentially hand-delivering cars by truck (see ZBBs first) to mass producing a mid-range luxury car. There are a lot of growing pains associated with that. Plus, they’ve been kind of playing around with the CPO program, so that part has been especially variable. I haven’t taken my Model 3 in for service yet, so I don’t know how they’re coping with a 10-20X increase in volume. My guess is...it’s a challenge. The good news is that none of my Tesla’s have needed that much in the way of service; the first (from 2013) was the worst, but even that was a better car than the 535 that preceded it, reliability-wise. The other two have been very solid. I can’t tell you whether to do it or not. I will encourage you, if you decide to do it, to go in with a more open mind than you would with other cars. The car itself will require you to do some things differently, and the sales and service will be enthusiastic but will also have lumps and bumps. If that sounds like something you’d rather not deal with, I get it. But I can also tell you that the car is amazing, and there’s nothing at all like it on the road. The idea that the A7 is a competitor is kind of laughable; after driving a Tesla all of those cars feel like clanking throwbacks. Like driving a Stanley Steamer. I’ve thought sort of generally about what I might replace mine with if I needed to, and aside from something much sportier (like a Giulia or a 911) I draw a blank. If you’re going to buy a Stinger, though, I’d get a used one. The drop in value I’ve read is precipitous.