First time buyer looking for advice: Used M3P

[Cashmere]

I have been looking to purchase a Model 3 from the time they were launched and specifically looking at a used M3P now that prices are a bit more attainable.

I have 2 options available:

Option 1: (Local car in AB)

2019 Model 3 Perf (Stealth)
- No FSD
- comes with 18" aero covers
- 82,000 KM
- Multi coat Red
$ 42,500 CAD (for sale locally by 3rd party dealership)

Likes:
Colour, local to me, well looked after vehicle and clean carafax.

Dislikes:
Performance car with base wheels (understand these are better for winter, but I would like to have a nice set of wheels for summer)
Price is slightly higher and dealer won't budge.

====================================================
Option 2: Buy car in Ontario and drive ~44 hours back to AB

2019 Model 3 Performance
- FSD computer
- 2 sets of wheels
- 60,000 KM
- White exterior (Private Sale)

Likes
- 2 sets of wheels including the original perf wheels. Has 19" winter wheels installed at the moment. FSD computer. Lower mileage

Dislikes
Clean carfax but had $7k in body parts replaced because of paint splatter.
44 hour drive back

$39,900 CAD (potential wiggle room on price)
=======================================================
Concerns
1) On paper, option 2 seems better to me but I have not seen it and won't be able to inspect it until I fly down to Ontario and take a look.
I have never owned an EV before. Am I being naive to think it will be manageable to fly down to a different province and purchase an EV and drive back 44 hours in the middle of winter?
2) Warranty is expired on both cars. This will be my most expensive vehicle purchase. I am a bit concerned that I may spend all this money and and sometihing on the car may fail out of warranty that would leave a foul taste (e.g. heater failure, lead acid battery, etc) leaving me stranded in winter.
3) Any recommendations on what you would do to get the car checked from 4,000KM away? I understand that I can give the VIN number to Tesla and they can run a diagnostic report on the car remotely but I find the report to be lacking detail.

Anyone been in a similar situation and any advice / recommendations? Do's and Dont's?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bpjod]

Welcome to the forums here Cashmere. I can appreciate your dilemma, you've explained it well. I'll offer up some things to consider, but ultimately the choice is yours.

With respect to the FSD, they both have the hardware for FSD. Sounds like Option 1 does not have the subscription for the FSD software whereas Option 2 does. Is that correct? You make it sound like Option 1 is missing the hardware, but I assure you it does. If FSD is important to you then Option 2 is a much better deal as currently that's a $16,000 upgrade (making Option 1 $58,500!), but do know it can be enabled at any time on Option 1. There will also likely be the option for monthly subsciption to FSD software available (has been in the past, not sure if it's available at this time) but as with anything Tesla does, these options are likely to change and so will the pricing (usually upwards for FSD as it becomes more capable).

As for the wheels, the 18" wheels offer greater range, a more comfortable ride and are less prone to damage with bad potholes or curb rash. What's not to like? The looks? Well I can't see them when I'm driving the car, so who cares? If they bother you that much, get a second set of rims to mount the summers on and leave the winters on the 18" rims. Of course, that's more money to throw at Option 1...

For Option 2 there's the additional cost of a flight (and possibly a flight home if you're disappointed in the condition of the vehicle) and accommodations unless you've got family/friends' places to crash at. Also time off work if applicable. I've done the ON-AB road trip too many times to count so would have zero hesitation flying out there, buying a car and driving home, even in winter. That said, I do realize many people aren't as comfortable with long road trips &/or winter driving as I am so everyone must assess their own comfort zone and act accordingly.

I have flown to a different province to buy a used vehicle before. It turned out great but the pressure to overlook flaws and just buy the vehicle because you've invested the time and money to fly out there is real. If you choose to explore Option 2, realize that the Sunken Cost Fallacy is real. Don't talk yourself into buying in spite of some concerns just because you've gone to all that effort to get there to take a look at it.

If you've not road tripped in a Tesla before, my advice would be to add about 20% more charge than what the car tells you you need to get to the next charger to have a buffer for headwinds, snowy/wet roads, possible detours, etc. that you can't predict since much of your drive would be through some pretty sparsely populated areas. If you're prone to a lead foot, force yourself to drive the speed limit in Creep mode until you get close enough to the next charger that there's absolutely no doubt in the world that you can make it with considerable charge to spare before picking up the speed at all. It gets easier with experience but I suspect this would be your first road trip in a Tesla and running out of charge north of Superior in the middle of winter would not be my idea of a good first experience in a Tesla. Trust me, the Tesla performance will put such a large grin on your face that it will be very hard to resist the temptation to have a little fun from time to time. Just be smart about it.

As for the warranty, both cars are equal in this regard. There's a lot less to go wrong on a Tesla so the odds of needing out of warranty work is much less than with other vehicles. But when things do go wrong they can be more expensive than other vehicles. Bit of a roll of the dice anytime you're buying used past warranty. Just know that the warranty for the drive units and the battery is 8 years/192K km so you're still covered for the most expensive components for awhile yet.

For myself, Option 1 sounds like my perfect car, but I like my FSD and two sets of wheels mounted on rims so the much better value represented by Option 2 is likely what I'd spring for unless money wasn't a concern at all for me. Good luck on deciding, neither one sounds like a poor choice, and enjoy whichever one you ultimately decide to buy.

 

[Braumin]

Not sure how it works in Alberta but if you bring a car from out of province I imagine you would also have to pay for a safety inspection, so that's added cost on top of the travel and the drive home and the time off etc. A local dealer also has a reputation to protect whereas a private sale does not, so there's always a bit more trust there in my experience.

Also I think you would need to clarify the FSD thing. If it says FSD Computer, as @bpjod said they both have the same hardware, it's really just whether or not the original owner paid for FSD when they bought the car. I believe you would need to check the Software page on the display to know for sure.

You can buy some wheels if you don't like the stock ones. The aero wheels I think look pretty good with the aero caps off, but being in Alberta it would be a good idea to have a second set of wheels for winter/summer anyway.

I also really like the red. White was the free colour for so long that it seems like 90% of Teslas are white.

 

[popgodazipa]

Neither...go with the new highland. Forget about the FSD for now. Subscribe to the FSD for a few months or better yet get 1 referral and use it for 3. Then and only then consider if the FSD is worth it. And you'll have the full warranty and lower interest rate...thank me later OP.

 

[cdswm3]

"$7k in body parts replaced because of paint splatter" I call BS. No reason to replace parts for paint issues. Looks like accident damage and the body shop was creative in description to avoid CarFax accicent report. Both seem overpriced in the current market.

 

[Cashmere]

I have flown to a different province to buy a used vehicle before. It turned out great but the pressure to overlook flaws and just buy the vehicle because you've invested the time and money to fly out there is real. If you choose to explore Option 2, realize that the Sunken Cost Fallacy is real. Don't talk yourself into buying in spite of some concerns just because you've gone to all that effort to get there to take a look at it.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. This was something that I had not considered as a possible outcome but you're bang on.

Also I think you would need to clarify the FSD thing. If it says FSD Computer, as @bpjod said they both have the same hardware, it's really just whether or not the original owner paid for FSD when they bought the car. I believe you would need to check the Software page on the display to know for sure.

Sorry, yes, I meant option 2 has the FSD software while option 1 does not.

Neither...go with the new highland.

I did test drive the highland and other than the lack of stalks, I really liked everything. Unfortunately it is still about 10K-15K more than I am looking to spend.

Both seem overpriced in the current market.

Are you able to share some listings of M3P's at lower prices? Almost everything else I've looked at nation wide is either more expensive or has significantly higher mileage.

 

[604_Dialect]

Why not get a newer (2021+) long-range for about the same price and just buy acceleration boost. I don't think buying a $44k car with no warranty is a great idea, and you miss out on a lot of the newer model year features (CPU, double pane glass, newer interior, better fit/finish). If you buy used from Tesla in Canada, you also get FSD included.

 

[cdswm3]

Why not get a newer (2021+) long-range for about the same price and just buy acceleration boost. I don't think buying a $44k car with no warranty is a great idea, and you miss out on a lot of the newer model year features (CPU, double pane glass, newer interior, better fit/finish). If you buy used from Tesla in Canada, you also get FSD included.

Both those models are pre heat pump versions also. That makes a big difference in winter range.

 

[Smytty]

For the $2500 difference in price (- flight, - hotels, food, supercharging) and a car you haven’t seen, I’d go with option 1. Buy an extra set of wheels and use the 18s for winter.

Personally, I went the LR + acceleration boost route. It wasn’t worth the extra $10k (at the time) for track mode and upgraded brakes for me. The only that’s ever beat me off the line at a stoplight is a Taycan turbo S.

 

[MOE J]

Road trips on highways are made for FSD