What to choose......

70D. Dual drive/motor is a must.

4 wheel drive makes a big difference. We went from a BMW 5 series (RWD) to the 70D. Went from slipping and sliding every time it rains to "no problems..." I'm a proponent of the dual motor.

Autopilot. Hardware comes with the car, software costs extra (2500 at purchase, 3k if activated later).


You may want the winter package as some other folks from northern california have indicated it gets cold. (1k). But if it's only for you and one other person, the car comes with heated front seats. Which I love, they extend up to the lumbar as well.

We opted for the premium package (3k?) as the my wife had problems opening and closing the hatch-back. You should try that at the store to see how it feels. Only reason we opted for the premium package, but took advantage of it to get black headliners.

We got leather seats, but no longer offered. Go check out the seats to see what you like, but the Next Gen seats add 2500.

It comes with Slacker radio which my wife and kids love. We found an old box (free!) that fit in the center console which keeps things from flying around the front seat.


You will need to install an outlet at home (240V), ran us around 600. We chose to buy a Tesla tire compressor (with sealant) for 50. These I believe you need. No spare tire.

We opted to buy an extra UMC (600?), but that is optional.


So if I were on a budget:

70D. Base color (black or white). Solid roof, standard tires, cloth seats.

Autopilot would be only other thing I would option (besides the dual motor), as it does help with commuting and it's just really cool.

Other option to consider would be CPO.

Good luck! Have fun!


One more note, the 70D performance ratings and 0-60 acceleration are on par with a Mercedes E400. So it is not a wimpy Tesla. Primary difference in my humble opinion is range.

I think it really depends on whether you want AP or not. If yes you can sacrifice everything else to get it. Especially in SF you can afford to give up the D and winter items. If you don't have to have AP then a CPO is the way to go. At under $80k you have have pretty much everything else.

It all depends on what you like. At $80K you can squeeze in to a new 70 or go with a CPO car. I'm sure folks will be willing to help more.

If it was me and I was on that budget, as a prior poster said I'd start with AP or no-AP. And after that I'd determine my timelines. If you want AP and need a car soon, your best bet at $80K is likely to talk to Tesla see if there are any CPO/inventory cars that fit the bill (probably not) and then just configure a 70 with AP and the other features you can afford. If you can wait, then I'd do so and see what comes on the market over the next few months. Bookmark the CPO consolidator and keep fingers crossed.

I would recommend a 70D with autopilot.
Textile seats, base black or white.

We bought a 70D with autopilot. I am thrilled with it and prefer driving it over our Sig RWD 85.
As others have mentioned, CPO would be the other option for you.

GoTslaGo said:

70D. Dual drive/motor is a must.
4 wheel drive makes a big difference. We went from a BMW 5 series (RWD) to the 70D. Went from slipping and sliding every time it rains to "no problems..."

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You will be very hard pressed to find any other posts on these forums that say that RWD Teslas "slip and slide every time in the rain". Seeing someone state that surprised me. If that has been @GoTslaGo's experience, then so be it, but that is certainly not the experience of the vast majority of RWD owners based on what I have been reading on TMC for the past 2 1/2 years. In fact RWD Teslas have excellent traction control. For over two years I have had an S85, obviously with RWD because Dual Motor cars did not exist before late 2014. I find the car handles very confidently in heavy rain.
Like the OP, I live in the San Francisco area. I have also taken my car up to 7000 ft in the mountains in winter with chains on the rear wheels. It performed well.
My advice to the OP with an 80K budget before taxes is to seriously consider a CPO car if there are a lot of options that he/she really wants. If the OP really wants a new car, than a 70kW RWD in black or white paint with Autopilot and Next Generation seats is $75K. To me those two things are the essential options. If paint color is important to you, then choose a metallic color.
Dual Motors is nice but hardly essential. Tens of thousands of Teslas have been built with RWD and I think it's fair to say that there owners are, with very few exceptions, quite happy with them.
Again, seriously consider a CPO 85 car for more range and being able to afford more options.

CPO P85 for 60-70K
Best value
Autopilot is neat but the car is fun to drive so enjoy doing it yourself.

I would recommend against the D. Obviously this is a pretty personal opinion and yours may vary, but I don't care about AWD, and the extra cargo space in the front with the non-D is wonderful. Saves you $5,000 too, which is significant given your budget. I never had a problem with stability. Don't floor it going around a corner in the rain, but even if you do it just jumps a bit and traction control keeps it all in line.

Autopilot is awesome if you spend much time on busy highways. Autosteer is very cool but traffic aware cruise control is the big thing. Not having to constantly adjust your speed to avoid crashing into the guy in front of you turns heavy traffic from a pain in the ass to a relaxing break. Having the car steer for you is the cherry on top.

The pano roof is a must for me. Even if you never open it, it just makes the interior feel much more spacious.

The subzero package is great just for the heated steering wheel. But that's only if it ever gets cold where you are.

A 70 in black or white with pano roof and autopilot costs $74,000. That leaves you $6,000 for whatever other options grab your attention, or for accessories, or to sit on and look at.

No options are must have IMO.
That said, I think the one you'd most likely regret omitting is autopilot.
Pano roof, color, dual motor, winter package, upgraded sound... all personal choices whether you need them or not.
As for the seats, I recently had the chance to sit in the next gen seats in a store, and I didn't like them at all. Some consider it must-have. If at all possible, get yourself into the seats before you order.

I agree that AP is a must, especially if you do a lot of highway driving. To me, It's one of those things that once you have it, you'll never want to go back. But then a majority of miles I drive are highway. Without it you will also be missing out on enhancements as they are released. Browsing CPO cars, the few that offer AP are still out of your price range, so maybe that's out.

We have a 70D, the dual being a must for us living in the NE - just for peace of mind even though from what I've read the RWD does fine in the snow. But for you it might not be necessary given your location. I also think the next gen seats are a vast improvement so would want those too, but definitely sit in both if you can, to decide. I test drove the old seats, we bought the new ones, and then drove a P85 with the old ones in a loaner car last week. I still prefer the next gen.

We also got the premium package because of the assist for the trunk. It's pretty heavy and I appreciate having it now. The Pano roof was a must for my husband. But if it came down to getting the car or not, we would have sacrificed those.

So, a RWD 70 in base black or white, with AP, Premium package, pano roof and next gen seats puts you at 79.5K. I would be happy with that config.

AWD is slightly more efficient, but at the expense of some cargo space in the frunk. In San Francisco, I don't think you *need* it.

I'd pretty much start by saying I think you need autopilot in the car unless it's just a city commuter. Everything else is negotiable, IMO, up to your budget line.

I quickly ran through the design studio. If I had that budget, I'd probably get RWD 70, autopilot, midnight silver paint (I dislike plain black/white), and obeche interior. Rather than a basic car with AWD, I'd appoint it with a very nice cockpit and a nice paint job. $78,500 before tax credit. If you are speaking of $80k *after* tax credit, then by all means add the pano roof and leather seats.

Another option is looking into inventory cars. They put demo cars on sale every now and then. They have a bit of mileage on them, but they give a bit of a discount.

KL670 said:

A new Obsidian black 70D with AP, New Gen Seats, and Pano roof which runs it up to $77,500.
Obviously it comes down to one's preference, but I certainly appreciate everyone's input because it helps to hear from other neutral perspectives. Thanks again!

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I get $82,500 when I configure it like this... I guess you might be talking about just a "70" and not "70D"?

Either way, that's along the same lines that I was thinking in my post above.

KL670 said:

Sorry, a typo, I meant a regular 70, not 70D, for my configuration before starting the thread.
And after hearing all the comments, I feel like I'm back to square one again with the CPO idea but maybe this time with a little more patience to wait for one with AP? Patience is not my strength......

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Well had we been patient we would have stuck to our original plan and waited for the Model 3...and that would have saved us a lot of money. I say start enjoying the driving experience now. :biggrin:

KL670 said:

why not spend another $10 or so (after rebate) and get a new one with autopilot?

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That's how it always starts. It just a few bucks more for ..... Next thing you know you are all in at $100K.
Ha ha.

KL670 said:

Sorry, a typo, I meant a regular 70, not 70D, for my configuration before starting the thread.
And after hearing all the comments, I feel like I'm back to square one again with the CPO idea but maybe this time with a little more patience to wait for one with AP? Patience is not my strength......

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It's up to you.

My advice: live in the moment. Make it yours. You'll kick yourself for the time you lose hunting down that elusive CPO w/ AP. They disappear within a day. Carpe diem. All that other stuff coaches say.

Another NorCal owner of a P85 weighing in.

Places to save:
- black or white paint: you can always wrap down the road if you want
- textile seats over leather
- skip the audio upgrade: there are 1 maybe 2 aftermarket options
- sub zero: c'mon its California, not Montana
- dual motor: never had problems in the rain, even on summer tires--if you are going to go to Tahoe a lot, invest in a set of wheesl and real winter tires
- coils over air suspension

Things to consider:
- Autopilot: personally I am happy with my Classic P85, but it is one of the features that defines the company right now, although, again, something you can add later
- Pano: I love mine and use it almost anytime its warm enough, would be a must-have if I bought another MS, but one of those personal choice things
- Premium interior: as things are currently bundled, the only things I value are the power liftgate and the fog lamps, but gain, personal choice

Agree with other folks that you should check out CPO and inventory cars, although this time of year is hard to get inventory cars.

KL670 said:

I think GoTslaGo was referring to the 5 series slipping rather than the 70D if I read it correctly.

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You are correct, and my apologies to to @GoTslaGo, I mis-read his/her post!
That said, I still want to emphasize that the RWD Teslas have excellent traction control and handle well in rain and snow.