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Model S Body Refresh Coming in Sept/Oct?

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Buy now or wait for 2016 model?

We are moving back to the U.S. in July. We had an opportunity to drive 2 Model S' in Switzerland and really like the car. We placed an order for a 70D earlier this month for US delivery in August, but then canceled as we thought we might be staying in Europe for a while longer. Now we are headed back to the U.S. for sure. I'm getting ready to pull the trigger again, but recently read that a MS refresh is rumored to come out in Q4 or Q1 2016 with rumors of an upgraded battery. This will be our 2nd car. Would you still pull the trigger or wait a few months for the 2016 MS?
 
We are moving back to the U.S. in July. We had an opportunity to drive 2 Model S' in Switzerland and really like the car. We placed an order for a 70D earlier this month for US delivery in August, but then canceled as we thought we might be staying in Europe for a while longer. Now we are headed back to the U.S. for sure. I'm getting ready to pull the trigger again, but recently read that a MS refresh is rumored to come out in Q4 or Q1 2016 with rumors of an upgraded battery. This will be our 2nd car. Would you still pull the trigger or wait a few months for the 2016 MS?

This might be expecting too much but since 60 owners were able to upgrade to 85 I don't see why 85 wouldn't be able to upgrade to the largest battrry when it's released. Having said that the supercharger network is expanding very fast. I'm not sure the bigger battery would do much good really ( at least for us anyhow ).
 
Thanks wcfinvader and Michael for the feedback. I don't think I would purchase the 85 and would stay with the 70D. My experience with a refresh is that the car company incorporates key redesigns for past warranty issues and also modernizes the fascias and lights.
 
Just bear in mind that there really isn't any "2016" model. Upgrades, sometimes significant, can show up at any time. So purchase it if you need it. The main differences between the 85D and the 70D are that the battery will have adequate range for more years, and charging at an SC is probably a bit faster in an 85D because there are more cells to distribute the load.
 
I don't think it's much to gain by waiting for the next "big" revision this time, since we already got 4wd and autopilot hardware. I doubt there will be any very big changes other than battery. And I think most people agree that a minor battery upgrade isn't really that important.

I would buy a used one though, to save a little money.
 
The "get it if you want it and it meets your needs" mantra is the correct one, primarily because Tesla is in a continuous update mode. Just like you don't want to keep waiting for the newest computer to come out, you don't want to want for the newest Tesla revision. Improvements come out all the time--and no matter how long you wait, within a few months something else will come out that you will miss out on.

With this car, you kinda have to carpe the diem :).
 
Thanks everyone for your outstanding advice. I'm sold to make the purchase... Just have to decide between the 70D and the 85D

Hey, it's always easy to spend someone else's money :)

Dont underestimate the difference in performance between the 70D and 85D.
5.4 ->4.4 0-60 doesnt seem much, but I suspect the difference is more noticeable >30mph ie passing power (as these cars are all exceptional 0-30mph).

Only you can place a value on that of course, but I have seen a few here apparently making a decision primarily on the range difference.
Test drive both at your TD if you can.
 
It doesn't matter when you buy a Tesla. It will be obsolete in a year anyway. :)

I think in the US, it really depends on where you live and your intended use if you're deciding between the 70D or the 85D. I have an S85D and in California where SCs are plentiful, but I also drive to obscure places for work. So having the 270-mile full charge has enabled me to do the trip a couple times, reaching my destination at < 25 miles of RM remaining. The S70D is only a good deal if you're willing to strip out all of the cool options. Otherwise, if you're willing to spend money on things I consider standard, like leather seats in a luxury car, then the delta isn't that big. Good luck!

- K
 
It doesn't matter when you buy a Tesla. It will be obsolete in a year anyway. :)

I think in the US, it really depends on where you live and your intended use if you're deciding between the 70D or the 85D. I have an S85D and in California where SCs are plentiful, but I also drive to obscure places for work. So having the 270-mile full charge has enabled me to do the trip a couple times, reaching my destination at < 25 miles of RM remaining. The S70D is only a good deal if you're willing to strip out all of the cool options. Otherwise, if you're willing to spend money on things I consider standard, like leather seats in a luxury car, then the delta isn't that big. Good luck!

- K

Even when your cutting edge Tesla this year becomes obsolete next year, it will still be a generation or two ahead of any other car available to buy for a few more years :)

My biggest concern buying now is missing out on a larger capacity battery as I really need about 350 miles of range or as close to that as possible based on where we like to visit on the weekends. I wish they'd announce some program for some set well known pre-established price you have the option, let's say in 4 years, "upgrading" to a larger capacity battery available by then for a reasonable cost. You can then keep your car pretty much as is and then just upgrade the battery in it, sort of like what they announced for the Roadster. Did they ever announce what the fee would be for that 400 mile Roadster battery upgrade?
 
Even when your cutting edge Tesla this year becomes obsolete next year, it will still be a generation or two ahead of any other car available to buy for a few more years :)

My biggest concern buying now is missing out on a larger capacity battery as I really need about 350 miles of range or as close to that as possible based on where we like to visit on the weekends. I wish they'd announce some program for some set well known pre-established price you have the option, let's say in 4 years, "upgrading" to a larger capacity battery available by then for a reasonable cost. You can then keep your car pretty much as is and then just upgrade the battery in it, sort of like what they announced for the Roadster. Did they ever announce what the fee would be for that 400 mile Roadster battery upgrade?

I personally would not hold out if your main rationale is a bigger battery. As recently as December, Elon said it "is not coming soon for Model S." What the timeline is exactly is anyone's guess, but given the scale of Tesla's product roadmap I'd wager it's on the order of years, not months.

(The tweet was later deleted along with many others, but you can see discussion of it at the link below).

Elon Musk on Twitter: : teslamotors
 
I wish they'd announce some program for some set well known pre-established price you have the option, let's say in 4 years, "upgrading" to a larger capacity battery available by then for a reasonable cost. You can then keep your car pretty much as is and then just upgrade the battery in it, sort of like what they announced for the Roadster.

It's a valid point but 1) Tesla have an 8 year warranty on battery anyway, and 2)they simply dont know what will be available in 4 years time, so only predictions for now.

What they have shown is that in the case of the Roadster they will offer battery upgrades to existing models.
So, no guarantees but a precedent has been set.
Affordability is another matter altogether.
 
Four years from now, the gigafactory is up and running, the costs/watt should be significantly down and a lot of people hope for an exchange program.

Tesla itself could sell the rebuyed batteries in their (0-down) home storages and make double profit, so why not doing this?
 
The advice has been remarkable - thanks everyone! I just priced a 70D and 85D... With all the options I want, the 85D with tax climbs over the 6 figure mark. The last car I bought was 50k, so paying 6 figures is quite a leap for someone who hasn't paid this much before. It's not that I can't afford it, it's more psychological.

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The advice has been remarkable - thanks everyone! I just priced a 70D and 85D... With all the options I want, the 85D with tax climbs over the 6 figure mark. The last car I bought was 50k, so paying 6 figures is quite a leap for someone who hasn't paid this much before. It's not that I can't afford it, it's more psychological.
 
I wish they'd announce some program for some set well known pre-established price you have the option, let's say in 4 years, "upgrading" to a larger capacity battery available by then for a reasonable cost. You can then keep your car pretty much as is and then just upgrade the battery in it, sort of like what they announced for the Roadster. Did they ever announce what the fee would be for that 400 mile Roadster battery upgrade?
No pricing has been announced for the Roadster battery upgrade.

Because EV technology is evolving so rapidly I don't see how it would be feasible for Tesla to have a policy like you describe.

To the OP: yes there will always be rumors of exciting new changes to Tesla vehicles, but they are just that: rumors. A small percentage turn out to be true. Don't wait, if you feel the car can currently meet your needs, then place your order.