Which car to buy? - New to the forum - need some opinions!

I went through this dilemma, ended up getting the P85D, if you are already paying 100k or nearly that, then for another 15k-20k you can get the acceleration of a super car that's eating Ferraris for breakfast, Lambos for lunch and perhaps a HellCat for dinner. Not to mention that you get the NextGen seats and a car that will have better resale value than the discontinued RWD P.

what kind of a deal are you getting on the demo P85?

Hi Mel911:

Well the P85 with all the hardware for autopilot is a rather rare bird and appears to be an S variant that will no longer be
offered for sale any more. Tesla could easily change that stance in the future however.... who knows.

It really gets down to your desire for the pano roof... vs the extra performance.

Mel911 said:

Hi everyone

I've been reading this forum for a few months now, and it's been a fantastic resource with helpful members. I have a question of my own now, as I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on my order and really can't decide.

here are the options:

theres a demo p85 that's like new ~ 1700 miles- has autopilot which is a must for me and somehow makes it feel a bit more future-proofed. It doesn't have pano which I kind of care about but has the black headliner which just looks great. I don't need, nor do I want to spend for the the p85d but do like the extra performance of the p85. I don't know how to rationalize the 1700 miles on it and that they don't make the p85 anymore.

2nd option is to order the 85 - it would include pano, because I like the exterior look and think it might help with resale (not that I'm thinking of getting rid of a car I haven't even gotten yet, but still).


what to do?


thanks!

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That's a really tough call. I would absolutely love to have a RWD P85, especially since they aren't being built anymore, and the fact that you found one with the newest sensor package is great. OTOH, for me the lack of the pano roof would be a deal-killer; the roof gives useful extra headroom for rear passengers and makes the interior of the car feel much more spacious. I test drove a non-pano car and it felt like driving a cave. I can only imagine that the black headliner would increase the claustrophobia of the interior.

Not sure that helps.

Actually, if it were me, I'd look for a used P85 with a pano roof, even if it meant missing out on the autopilot sensors. Those features don't interest me at all, and if you broadened your search to include older P85s, you might find exactly the car you're looking for.

I chose a car without the Pano roof because I drive high miles and will be out of warranty in 15 months (30 months if I buy the extra 50k warranty). If I drove normal miles, I'd probably go pano, but my experience has been that roofs of that type tend to develop problems which seem to be more time related than mileage related. Add to that the fact that my previous cars have all had sunroofs but I never drove with them open... I also thought about spending a little more and getting a "P", but every time I get on the freeway or accelerate to pass someone I honestly ask myself "why would I need more power than this?"

Look at the used market - you could get a loaded P85+ for around $85K. Just be patient - lots of folks are dropping one year old cars to go buy the P85D... if you don't like their asking price - make an offer - P85 is all you need in Atlanta. Once the P175D comes out you can then pick a year old P85D for $85K (tongue in cheek).

That is what I am doing - I even saw a loaded P85 for under $80K! that is a serious steal!

I would get the brand new 2015 85, the way you like it. The pano adds more to the interior spatially, especially for rear seat passengers. If you ever want to put a roof rack on the car, you'll you need the pano as well since it has the bolt holes. You'll be less tempted to do acceleration bursts than in a P85, meaning you'll get better range. 85's are plenty fast. You'll also have newer style seats and better fit/finish as cars are always improving.

Order the 85 now, which would most likely mean an end of March delivery. During that time check in with your OA every couple of weeks to see what cars have entered inventory. An OA will be diligent since their commission is tied to when a car is delivered, not ordered, so they want you to get the car you want asap. There is a big inventory push at the end of each fiscal quarter to help numbers, so something is likely to turn up in March. If not, then you get the brand new 85 you wanted. Godspeed!

I wouldn't consider a car WITHOUT the pano roof. And I believe that it is a must for most buyers. There are NO problems with it and it is almost like a convertible when the weather is nice. You will own this car for a LONG time, do yourself a favor, order it the way you want it with the features that are important to you.

BTW, if you are a real value buyer take advantage of some of the people trading up. There are some AMAZING deals from people who are willing to sell their almost new fully warrantied cars. I got a tremendous price on a used P85 with only 15k miles and all the toys for almost the same price I paid for my NEW MS60.

Mnlevin is right - don't get the car without PANO. It opens up the car and gives you tremendous resale value down the road. Buying used or new you are going to get the greatest car you have ever owned. I would restrain from being a beta tester on the P85D and S85D for a year or so. I originally ordered my car in Feb 2013 and reordered in late Sept 2013, by doing so I gained parking sensors and folding mirrors and Subzero Weather Package. Let someone else be the guinea pig on the new cars and pick up one after the bugs get worked out in a year - or better yet - get one that has already been "corrected" / used.
Good news on those is people who own Teslas are usually OCD/Tech/Professionals who add cool things like Opticoat Pro, Paint correction, eco hitches, Blackvue Security Cameras, Lighted "T", upgraded Reus Audio, nicer rims/tires - upgraded floor mats, Tinting, radar detectors, center consoles, etc. etc. This will save you ~$10K in upgrade costs over the original owner. I would love to have an extra $10K to buy more toys.... you obviously have done a lot of research or you wouldn't be on this forum and looking specifically at a Tesla - get one - and don't look back, except at every stop light - as you blow by 99% of the daily drivers on the road and have a smile from ear to ear! This car never stops amazing me and its multitude of passengers.

It all comes down to the financials. The $5K discount is nothing. If you don't get the P85D you'll be kicking yourself. If you don't get the pano, your passengers in the back seat will be kicking you. If you can afford it, go all in!

+1. Check out the Marketplace, Tesla for Sale, and you'll a lot of good deals. :wink:

Xenoilphobe said:

Look at the used market - you could get a loaded P85+ for around $85K. Just be patient - lots of folks are dropping one year old cars to go buy the P85D... if you don't like their asking price - make an offer - P85 is all you need in Atlanta. Once the P175D comes out you can then pick a year old P85D for $85K (tongue in cheek).

That is what I am doing - I even saw a loaded P85 for under $80K! that is a serious steal!

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MarkR said:

It all comes down to the financials. The $5K discount is nothing. If you don't get the P85D you'll be kicking yourself. If you don't get the pano, your passengers in the back seat will be kicking you. If you can afford it, go all in!

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Most people DONT NEED a D model. It is just the hype and latest thing. Any of the models, 60 85 or P85 are more than satisfying and the OP stated in the beginning he didn't want or need the D model he lives in Atlanta. But everyone is entitled to their opinion, some just don't make sense to me. The P85 I just purchased used is more than fast enough. And BTW, how often are you going to drive the car to its maximum or even close to max performance? It is just a toy once in a while to punch it. In fact, I find the P85 to be much less efficient than my MS60. But most of all I cant get over the previous owner of my P85 is spending $55k from what I paid him to UPGRADE to the D model. %55K! for the exact same car with the same equipment but a D model with Auto Pilot possibilities. And we don't even have snow in S Fla. Crazy.

I would agree that upgrading is a very tough call, however, if buying for 100k, it's very tough to skip the D at just 15-20k more. I'f buying used for 75k, that's another story completely but then again, it all depends how long you plan to keep the car.

good for you - you are going to love it!!!

Mnlevin said:

I wouldn't consider a car WITHOUT the pano roof. And I believe that it is a must for most buyers. There are NO problems with it and it is almost like a convertible when the weather is nice.

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I know that the original poster has already ordered, but for what it's worth: the panoramic roof might be popular, but I wouldn't say it's a "must". I test drove a P85 with the pano roof - I did not fit in the back, and did not feel like I had a lot more room in the front. Actually, it was worse than the "non-pano" roof in the back, in that I would hit my head on the "bar" by the headrest, IIRC. I ended up getting an inventory car, which happened to not have a panoramic roof. I don't miss the pano roof.

As for "NO problems with it" - well, I'll believe that when you tell me the same thing a decade from now. I've owned cars with sunroofs and they were always a maintenance issue. Proclaiming that somehow Tesla's sunroof isn't going to ever have problems is a bit naive.

My second post on here, been lurking for a week since my first Tesla experience of a test drive on Sunday.

Been through this whole process 85 vs 85D vs P85D, and in the end went for the P85D, as I wanted 4WD, and once that was added, P85D seemed to make sense. That and I always thought if spending this much, then might as well go the whole hog.

Didn't go for the pano though, just tech kit and next gen seats. My wife clinched it on the final test drive today in a P85+ when I mentioned the roof (it had a pano). She hadn't even noticed it!

So excited, just 6 months to wait now for delivery here in the UK!