For those who purchased or upgraded to a 2023, are you happy with your decision, knowing what you now know about your vehicle?

[kemyyc]

I have a deposit down on a '23 MYLR, and feel I probably yolo'd this vs doing better homework. That being said I'm still in a place where I can cancel my order but I'd like to get opinions from actual '23 owners and their thoughts if knowing what you know now, would you have waited or are you happy with your purchase.

Reading other posts and forums about some of the changes like removal of USS, and upcoming tech changes like 4680 batter and HW4 has me really re-thinking things.

Not to mention common tech like blind spot monitoring, 360 camera & front camera, carplay are not available

For additional context, used Tesla's where I live are actually more expensive than new, and don't qualify for federal incentives because, well, used, so actually cost even more than new. I'm in Canada if that matters at all

 

[kemyyc]

Thanks everyone, I decided to go through with my purchase, pick up is tomorrow

 

[kemyyc]

I'm making this post to help inform other buyers, if you don't agree with it or think it's dramatic, feel free to pass on this post. If I came across this posting, I would have put some deeper thoughts into the purchase before placing a deposit.

Like many others in the Tesla space, I've wanted a Tesla for a long time, but the price has always been out of reach, with the recent price reductions and now the LR qualifying in Canada for the government incentive, it became something that fit within my budget, so I acted. I watched videos, read articles but I for some reason never came across the issues that owners are experiencing in my searches, maybe I didn't know what to look for, or simply didn't think of these as I've never thought a vehicle in this price range or for what it is, would have limitations that it does.

Here's my list of reasons, and this isn't a 'you'll always be waiting for the next improvement' mindset

1. Removal or missing of technology features
- No Radar or USS, which if Tesla Vision (TV) was properly functional could potentially be ok, but Tesla removed these without a clear indication that TV would ever be able to function as good or better than these products. TV has some big blind spots that USS helped mitigate. I also find the MY has some big blind spots that USS helps.
- No front bumper camera which seem key to replacing the USS system, and enhancing parking abilities with reduced blind spots and enabling 360 camera
- Removing features with no indication of when or if it will return, example would be along the lines of USS, a lot of people lost parking abilities until Tesla decided that TV was good enough, even now reports are saying that owners cannot use things like summon because TV isn't where it needs to be or if it will ever be up to task

2. Existing QA challenges that Tesla seems to not (publicly) acknowledge
- Lots of quality issues are experienced across the board, from panel gaps to rattling, I somewhat expected this but at the same time, it shouldn't be accepted for the price point
- Issues with resonance (booming) and air pressure (buffeting) which is not consistent across all vehicles but there's no indication if you will be impacted or not, coupled with the fact Tesla will not let you test the vehicle before accepting delivery, this is a major issue in my mind. You could be forever at the mercy of these, could have a simple fix with tubing or hatch adjustments, or simply have no issues at all. But is that a risk that's worth accepting? I'm not sure.. if you hate your car then what?
-Phantom braking? Is this due to removal of features on this model year?

3. Model Refresh
- lots of articles and reports of a refresh being released Q3/Q4, exact date is all speculation but ideas that new hardware will accompany the units that address shortcomings detailed above.
- Yes if you always wait for the newest tech, with Tesla, you would never buy it due to the constant evolution, however if physical hardware is changing that supports a better experience, why not wait to obtain it if it makes sense and there's no immediate requirement for a new vehicle
- Will vehicles manufactured for the '23 segment be able to use EAP, FSD? Or will this be a model year that becomes the one to avoid, not so much on QA issues, but due to removal of features that limit the functionality that other vehicles can obtain (EAP, FSD)

Less important but consideration

4. Range vs cost
- Raising costs of utilities and use of public charging has increased in some areas quite substantially, in some areas the cost to charge is more expensive on a per km basis than a comparable ICE


The goods which unfortunately for me are overshadowed by the above
1. Maintenance costs are typically less in an EV, however if out of warranty can quick add up
2. Always being ready to go if charging at home
3. New technology that Tesla continues to deploy vs typical ICE that you don't get any updates without buying a whole new vehicle


The considerations that need to be thought about (but wouldn't be a deal breaker for me)
1. Winter range in cold climates is about 50-60% of warm weather range
2. Need an ability to reliably charge in a low cost area (eg home or work)
3. Availability of charging depending on where you live, not everyone is in the US with a super charger near by
4. Overcoming range anxiety, see #3

 

[nate704]

1. Removal or missing of technology features - No issue and it is way cheaper because of that, so that's a plus.
2. Existing QA challenges that Tesla seems to not (publicly) acknowledge - No issue and not 100% true.
3. Model Refresh - HW4 is mostly beneficial for those who buy FSD. Most changes will benefit Tesla to reduce the cost, not the buyer or owners.
4. Range vs cost - Most people charge at home, and it is still way cheaper to own and operate.
5 Winter/summer range depends on how fast you are driving, especially on highways. AC/Heater has way less impact. definitely not 50-60% range reduction.

 

[kemyyc]

1. Removal or missing of technology features - No issue and it is way cheaper because of that, so that's a plus.
2. Existing QA challenges that Tesla seems to not (publicly) acknowledge - No issue and not 100% true.
3. Model Refresh - HW4 is mostly beneficial for those who buy FSD. Most changes will benefit Tesla to reduce the cost, not the buyer or owners.
4. Range vs cost - Most people charge at home, and it is still way cheaper to own and operate.
5 Winter/summer range depends on how fast you are driving, especially on highways. AC/Heater has way less impact. definitely not 50-60% range reduction.

1. What’s the cost of Uss to Tesla, a couple hundred? I test drove a car with and without Uss, and it was night and day difference on the accuracy of the vehicle with Uss.

2. Ask all the people battling buffeting and booming where Tesla techs keep saying there’s no issue, or the fact that people keep having to book appointments on delivery to fix qa issues from the factory. The fact people are taking a part their vehicle to try and address buffeting or booming is something that needs more attention.


Perhaps if Tesla would let me test drive the vehicle before accepting delivery I could have confidence but they refuse.

 

[Watts_Up]

I'm making this post to help inform other buyers, if you don't agree with it or think it's dramatic, feel free to pass on this post. If I came across this posting, I would have put some deeper thoughts into the purchase before placing a deposit.

Like many others in the Tesla space, I've wanted a Tesla for a long time, but the price has always been out of reach, with the recent price reductions and now the LR qualifying in Canada for the government incentive, it became something that fit within my budget, so I acted. I watched videos, read articles but I for some reason never came across the issues that owners are experiencing in my searches, maybe I didn't know what to look for, or simply didn't think of these as I've never thought a vehicle in this price range or for what it is, would have limitations that it does.

Here's my list of reasons, and this isn't a 'you'll always be waiting for the next improvement' mindset

1. Removal or missing of technology features
- No Radar or USS, which if Tesla Vision (TV) was properly functional could potentially be ok, but Tesla removed these without a clear indication that TV would ever be able to function as good or better than these products. TV has some big blind spots that USS helped mitigate. I also find the MY has some big blind spots that USS helps.
- No front bumper camera which seem key to replacing the USS system, and enhancing parking abilities with reduced blind spots and enabling 360 camera
- Removing features with no indication of when or if it will return, example would be along the lines of USS, a lot of people lost parking abilities until Tesla decided that TV was good enough, even now reports are saying that owners cannot use things like summon because TV isn't where it needs to be or if it will ever be up to task

2. Existing QA challenges that Tesla seems to not (publicly) acknowledge
- Lots of quality issues are experienced across the board, from panel gaps to rattling, I somewhat expected this but at the same time, it shouldn't be accepted for the price point
- Issues with resonance (booming) and air pressure (buffeting) which is not consistent across all vehicles but there's no indication if you will be impacted or not, coupled with the fact Tesla will not let you test the vehicle before accepting delivery, this is a major issue in my mind. You could be forever at the mercy of these, could have a simple fix with tubing or hatch adjustments, or simply have no issues at all. But is that a risk that's worth accepting? I'm not sure.. if you hate your car then what?
-Phantom braking? Is this due to removal of features on this model year?

3. Model Refresh
- lots of articles and reports of a refresh being released Q3/Q4, exact date is all speculation but ideas that new hardware will accompany the units that address shortcomings detailed above.
- Yes if you always wait for the newest tech, with Tesla, you would never buy it due to the constant evolution, however if physical hardware is changing that supports a better experience, why not wait to obtain it if it makes sense and there's no immediate requirement for a new vehicle
- Will vehicles manufactured for the '23 segment be able to use EAP, FSD? Or will this be a model year that becomes the one to avoid, not so much on QA issues, but due to removal of features that limit the functionality that other vehicles can obtain (EAP, FSD)

Less important but consideration

4. Range vs cost
- Raising costs of utilities and use of public charging has increased in some areas quite substantially, in some areas the cost to charge is more expensive on a per km basis than a comparable ICE


The goods which unfortunately for me are overshadowed by the above
1. Maintenance costs are typically less in an EV, however if out of warranty can quick add up
2. Always being ready to go if charging at home
3. New technology that Tesla continues to deploy vs typical ICE that you don't get any updates without buying a whole new vehicle


The considerations that need to be thought about (but wouldn't be a deal breaker for me)
1. Winter range in cold climates is about 50-60% of warm weather range
2. Need an ability to reliably charge in a low cost area (eg home or work)
3. Availability of charging depending on where you live, not everyone is in the US with a super charger near by
4. Overcoming range anxiety, see #3

Hi, looking at your comments I was not about what issues you may have.
It could have been "I don't like Elon..." or I prefer the Mach-EV, KIA, VW..."
But seems more like "EV is not for me"....

Since you are not under pressure to get a new car, why don't you rent an EV for your next vacation.
Be carefull, after trying an EV, it might be difficult to go back to an ICE vehicule.

The only issues I think are the daily or weekly charging and winter range.
May be hybrid is still a good compromise in your case.
Or keep you old car if you can park it, and use for longer winter trip, it will only cost car insurrance.

About charging, did you use phone App such as Chargepoint, Plugshare, EvGo, SmartCharge....
There might be some public L2 chargers not too far from your home or work.
Maybe you could find someone with an EV who would let you charge and use a wattmeter to pay for it.

Anyway, since you can, it seems wise to wait for HW4, bigger battery range, or new charging improvement, and so on.

 

[kemyyc]

Hi, looking at your comments I was not about what issues you may have.
It could have been "I don't like Elon..." or I prefer the Mach-EV, KIA, VW..."
But seems more like "EV is not for me"....

Since you are not under pressure to get a new car, why don't you rent an EV for your next vacation.
Be carefull, after trying an EV, it might be difficult to go back to an ICE vehicule.

The only issues I think are the daily or weekly charging and winter range.
May be hybrid is still a good compromise in your case.
Or keep you old car if you can park it, and use for longer winter trip, it will only cost car insurrance.

About charging, did you use phone App such as Chargepoint, Plugshare, EvGo, SmartCharge....
There might be some public L2 chargers not too far from your home or work.
Maybe you could find someone with an EV who would let you charge and use a wattmeter to pay for it.

Anyway, since you can, it seems wise to wait for HW4, bigger battery range, or new charging improvement, and so on.

Really what it comes down to is I don't know what quality I will get, will it be amazing and have no issues, or will it be a headache that I have to dump to keep my sanity, and yes I know any car can be like that

Imagine buying a house but you can only look through the windows and the person selling it to you states any issues you can create a service request for and maybe we'll fix it if we determine it's an issue

---

To add, in post #21 in this thread I was set to pick up the vehicle on April 29, but Tesla cancelled and rescheduled stating the vehicle had yet to arrive, this gave me additional time to interestingly enough look for more good things about the vehicle, accessories, what things to do, etc. but instead more issue posts popped up that I hadn't seen before.

 

[jjrandorin]

Really what it comes down to is I don't know what quality I will get, will it be amazing and have no issues, or will it be a headache that I have to dump to keep my sanity, and yes I know any car can be like that

Imagine buying a house but you can only look through the windows and the person selling it to you states any issues you can create a service request for and maybe we'll fix it if we determine it's an issue

---

To add, in post #21 in this thread I was set to pick up the vehicle on April 29, but Tesla cancelled and rescheduled stating the vehicle had yet to arrive, this gave me additional time to interestingly enough look for more good things about the vehicle, accessories, what things to do, etc. but instead more issue posts popped up that I hadn't seen before.

I am an empty nester, but I remember when my wife and I were expecting our childs birth (29 years ago). There was this popular book that everyone recommended for new prospective parents to read, called "What to expect when you are expecting". I remember eagerly buying that book because I was excited about our journey, and I was totally into gathering as much data as I could (no public internet then).

By the time I had finished reading that book, I was TERRIFIED. It was "12% chance of this deformity" and "14 % chance of this issue" and make sure you dont do X, and Y or Z. "Make sure she doesnt sleep on her side / back, make sure the baby is sleeping on the side / back, etc etc etc etc etc etc".

By the time I finished reading it, I was depressed, and CONVINCED that there was going to be some issue with our baby, because by the time you added up all the percentages of X and Y and Z being wrong, they added up to like 70-80% it felt like

My wife asked me "ok you are done with that book ,can I read it now? I said HECK NO! all it will do is make you convinced like I am that we are going to have a problem.".

Our child was fine when she was born, but man I was CONVINCED that we were doomed.

I have seen a number of people go through this same thing here. The difference is, once they get themselves all spun up, I actually recommend they not go through the purchase. They are so convinced that something will be wrong, they will hunt for something to be wrong, whether it is or not (and nothing is perfect).

So, @kemyyc you are correct, you should not go through with this purchase, because based on what you have posted here, you wont be happy. You have already convinced yourself you wont be, so you wont be. You should move in another direction. Im not trying to be harsh, just a realist. By the time someone has themselves all spun up like this, any little thing is going to be "See I KNEW IT!!!" and they are going to be majorly depressed, so you should bail now before you get to that point.

 

[Vawlkus]

The 360 view on our Santa Fe was brilliant for parking, I wish Tesla would at least give us the door pillar cams for a 270 view.

Even my 2017 has the side cams available. Typically, I have the repeaters and rear cam up at all times because it gives me a better view of what’s going on around me.

 

[KevinT3141]

Even my 2017 has the side cams available. Typically, I have the repeaters and rear cam up at all times because it gives me a better view of what’s going on around me.

Ours also displays the side cameras that face backwards (the ones in the little bump-outs on the front fenders), but not the cameras in the door pillars that point downwards. What I'm saying is, their software could probably stitch the views from the five cameras into a top down view to show 270 degrees around the car, instead of giving you three separate views that all face the rear. It would be nice to directly see what's on the ground from a top-down view like so many other cars out there give you. There's no front bumper cam to give you a full 360 like the competition, but there's enough cameras to cover both sides and the rear with a top down view which would be great for parking lots.