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Downgraded Audio? Might want to let buyers know [rwd vs awd]
- Thread starter Wally26
- Start date
I'm a fan of the predictability of RWD, and the car was more than what I need anyway. I do all city driving, so getting up to 60 quicker was not a factor in my decision. The get up and go single motor is still PLENTY satisfying for me, while also saving my passengers more trips to a chiropractor. I put almost no miles on my vehicles, so couldn't care less about range. If "base" mean't no fog lights, or parcel shelf, for me, it was a no brainer. A "base" Tesla, is HARDLY a "base" Jeep. Tesla should do EVERYTHING they can to inform prospective buyers. Period. Especially when making significant downgrades..who would think an auto maker would decide to tear out half the speakers, from one year to the other, in the same "base" offering? Hey, I love a LOT about my new toy, but next time around, I'll have to be more careful..but I shouldn't have to be.
I’m sure you can buy a parcel shelf it does make it quieter, I wasn’t aware they removed that too.
Keep I mind they dropped the price by around 5k
I’m in Canada when I purchased it, it was $59900 CAD
Wend as low as $53900 CAD
Now $54900 CAD
If it makes you feel good you saved as much as 6k
Also before my purchase the RWD in Canada was 60k plus !
Where did you find this screen? I’ve looked all over the website for a description of the differences in audio between RWD and LR and can’t find it anywhere.
elambo
Member
Minimalism is Tesla's thing. In most cases I appreciate the brief and concise info shown on their site and promotional materials, but I fully agree with you on your point. This data should be available somewhere, perhaps not on the main page, but not too far off.
No, they do not. RWD have worse traction, worse cornering, worse driving dynamics across the board. It’s a cheaper model for cost savings, that’s it.
On the ordering page you scroll down to the seating/interior options, click on the "Feature Details" button, and then scroll right to get to the "Interior Features" card.
Ah, under seating layout. Jeez, I never would have thought to look for a description of the sound system there. Tesla really needs to make this easier to find. They need a detailed comparison of the different trim levels. They used to have this at least on the Model 3 page years ago.
It’s an interesting discussion and I’m honestly still trying to understand from the perspective of the RWD owners why they made that choice. Once you are spending $34K for a Model Y, an extra $3K gives you a bigger battery, second motor for AWD, faster acceleration, and better sound. On resale you would likely get at least half of that $3K back. So what is the logic here on saving the $3K and giving up that much?
I understand that the RWD batteries can be charged to 100%, but so can the LR batteries when you need them. I use 80% for my daily driving but I’ve never hesitated to charge up to 100% when I’m taking longer trips and it benefits me. I’m also concerned about battery degradation down the road, which will be more meaningful on the RWD since you are already starting off with quite a bit less range.
On the Highland M3 the spread between RWD and LR is $8,750, which makes for a very solid argument why RWD makes sense for some people But $3K? Seems like pennies once you are already spending that much.
I understand that the RWD batteries can be charged to 100%, but so can the LR batteries when you need them. I use 80% for my daily driving but I’ve never hesitated to charge up to 100% when I’m taking longer trips and it benefits me. I’m also concerned about battery degradation down the road, which will be more meaningful on the RWD since you are already starting off with quite a bit less range.
On the Highland M3 the spread between RWD and LR is $8,750, which makes for a very solid argument why RWD makes sense for some people But $3K? Seems like pennies once you are already spending that much.
I bought a 2023 RWD in January 2024 when Tesla lowered the price down to $38k (they did that because the 2023s weren’t eligible for the fed tax rebate once the calendar flipped to 2024). After all taxes and fees, my out the door cost was $44,800 (I just went and checked the transaction in my Wells Fargo account). The cheapest LR Y at that time (IIRC) was $44k (that was a 2023 that also wasn’t eligible for the fed tax rebate); $6,600 more (out the door). For that $6,600, I didn’t think AWD, fog lights, and being able to access the top 10% of the battery pack were worth it (the sound systems for both variants were the same for 2023 so that wasn’t a factor). Having owned that car for (exactly today) 3 months, I’d make the same choice again. I’ve never once charged beyond 70% and the car handles great even in the atmospheric river we had early this year. IME, the ride for the RWD is also considerably less harsh than the AWD (as some other RWD owners can also attest).
I don’t think I’ve ever seen any new Model Y ever listed for $34k…$36.9k is the cheapest I’ve seen (which was during the last week of March, 2024 for a 2023 RWD).
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I’m referring to the price after the Federal Tax credit, but the spread wouldn’t change. It was $44K end of quarter for the LR AWD and $41K for RWD.
I don't know if you have been keeping up with the discussion on the RWD, but it is essentially the exact same car as the AWD minus the front motor. In 2023, it even had the same premium audio and the battery is the "LR" battery, but it is software capped so when you charge it to 100% it is physically at about 90% thus life/degradation is the same or better. The 2024 RWD is a bit more limited with the downgraded audio and the battery is capped further where 100% is about 80%.
Why one would not choose to spend $3k more is the same as any option. Should everyone purchase the hitch, roof rails, 3rd row seating, 21" wheels, white interior, etc because it is just a little more or because the options have value for them? Personally the extra acceleration and AWD did not have much value to me.
Note: this is applicable for the US sold MY RWD, other regions do have a smaller battery, so the cost/benefit calculation is different.
And in January the spread between RWD 2023s and LR 2023s (which were the lowest priced variants, which is all that matters to people who are not eligible for the fed tax rebate) was $38k vs $44k (+= 10% sales tax) so it wasn’t such a small sum of $. If you are eligible for the rebate then the 2024s and their pricing comes into play and the calculus changes but I was looking for the lowest price Tesla could offer since that’s what I’d be paying.
The spread seems to have narrowed significantly from when you bought to when I bought. Just looking at LR AWD vs MYP now and the spread between the two is only $210. When I bought it was $3K.
Yes, you are right. The discounts on leftover 2023s once the calendar flipped to 2024 became really steep. I wonder if we don’t see the same thing when Juniper is released on remaining “legacy” stock; there might be some really good deals at that time.
FWIIW, and I know I’m in the minority here, I’d prefer the LR to the P. I don’t want the larger wheels or the reduced range of the P. All things being equal, I’d also take the LR over the RWD…but at $38k I thought the 2023 RWD was an incredible value (basically the LR car w/o the front drive unit).
So, back to the original gripe...Painfully quiet downgrades, lack of obvious info, and really, kinda feeling duped. I'm sure Tesla finds that it's not worth a web redesign for a single year as the 2025 Y will be rolling out soon, hopefully with a better comparison tool, and better in store/service center communication. While it's tempting..do not let the customer be surprised by downgrades, leaving them to wonder what other items may have been trimmed that they weren't informed about. Upgrades? Well that's another story. There are smarter ways to cut costs, than "cheapening" the brand!
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