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wilhelmspencer
Model 3 Reserved 3/31/16 In Store 10:20 PST
I got a dealer car with 12,000 km on it and it now has 185,000 Km [115,000 miles]. The last 5 or 6 years I've only been driving about 5000 km/year. My commute is only 10 km/day to the train. It should hopefully last me another 2 years.
Amateur. Currently bombing around in a 1998 Camry with 160k miles. Not actually that much, but I am so done with this car.
Nice dent in the rear bumper courtesy of the streets of Hartford and a 6" rear fender relocation thanks to a monster blowout on the highway. Funny story about that actually: I noticed an egg on one of my tires, so I put the spare on and was on my way to get new tires when a different tire blew out. Had to put the egged tire back on and literally hobbled to the nearest shop. Whole car was rocking side-to-side from the imbalanced spare and misshapen tire, both on the same side of the car.
Currently have an obnoxious exhaust leak I'm debating not fixing since it really isn't affecting performance of the car. Might get under there and slap a beer can on there if I get the time. Gives it a nice throaty growl that will undoubtedly be very strange to see vanish entirely with a Tesla! Recently did a partial engine reseal (and timing belt) due to leaking oil. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be completely rid of oil! This thing burns that *sugar* like crazy when it's not leaking - at least a quart once a month. I guess that means oil changes are less important since it changes itself?
Pretty sure I have a serious power steering leak, although I'm not losing fluid. Sometimes shakes and is hard to turn when it's cold. Usually gets better once the car warms up. I think I can ride that repair out.
Starter is toast because apparently that's a common problem in Gen4 Camrys. So that means I'm out there a few times a year banging on the starter with my handy dandy "starter starter" - a block of wood. $100 part and easy replacement. I should really do this, but if all it takes is some TLC to get the engine going, I may as well save the money and put it toward 1/10 of painting my Model 3 a pretty color.
I may have a coolant issue. This is new. The cold reservoir is empty all the time, but the car isn't overheating. That's also assuming the temperature sensor isn't malfunctioning!
And this isn't even counting all the money I've sunk into it over the past few years!
Ideally, I'd like to simply drive this thing into the ground. Engine/transmission is still okay, which means I've got quite a few more miles, but everything else is breaking down around it and I'm putting in the bare minimum to keep it running. Forecast is good though. I got a good feeling that I can make this bad boy last a few more years and will be able to sell it to the shop for parts. Nobody's gonna want to buy this mess.
A new car means inherently fewer problems, and an EV means even fewer maintenance issues, and I am so ready for that. I might not be as thrilled with the growing pains of a brand new vehicle, but I am prepared to deal with that because it's going to be a goddamn Tesla!
My worst fear is if the Model 3 is a bust for some reason. I don't know what I would do. I'm 100% sold on EVs and have no other choice... at least nothing I would want to drive.
I feel your pain. My car also has starter issues. It refuses to start once in a while. The worst is in winter when that happens. Sometimes my car door doesn't work properly too so I've had to on a few occasions slide in from the passenger door. There's no sun visors working either. Overall though this car has been pretty easy with maintenance. For 16 years it hasn't cost me much.
Trev Page
Member
2015 Lincoln Mkc. Leased in April last year for 36 months to hold us over until Model 3 is in production. Hope the timing works out....
I really want a Model S but the prices in Canada are just too damn high now. I hope Model 3 comes in round $55-60K well-optioned (half the cost of a Model S here). We're blessed with up to $14,000 in after tax rebates in Ontario for EVs.
I really want a Model S but the prices in Canada are just too damn high now. I hope Model 3 comes in round $55-60K well-optioned (half the cost of a Model S here). We're blessed with up to $14,000 in after tax rebates in Ontario for EVs.
McHoffa
CyberOwners
2009 Honda Fit. Not my favorite car, but it's sure been useful to carry stuff. Just hauled a 7.5 foot piece of wood I bought for a new bar top in the car this morning.
MTL_HABS1909
Active Member
I'll be coming from a Model S. I never wanted a car that big (my car before that was an Audi A3), but I knew there was no way I could wait for the Model 3 to come out. Now I have a pre-autopilot S, but that's fine until I can trade it in for an autopilot 3.
I picked mine up cheap used a couple years ago to fill a gap, and I guess you get what you pay for. It's a damn hardy car though, I will give Toyota that. Pieces and parts may be falling off, but the thing keeps running and gives me plenty of warning when it's going to die so I have a few months to put some band-aids on.
Toyota is reliable and their cars typically don't catastrophically fail; it's more of a slow, gradual, painful decline. I'm hoping to time the end of that decline with the delivery of a Model 3!
frozenpenguin
Member
2004 Acura TL. Still runs great, but I've been looking forward to the Model 3 ever since it was a twinkle in Elon's eye.
gigglehertz
Member
2013 Nissan Leaf. I leased almost the exact same model 3 years ago but couldn't see paying $21k for the residual with the 3 coming out. I biked/bused/walked for a year and rented out a room in my condo and was able to save quite a bit of money. I managed to scrape together 500 shares of SCTY which will pay for a nicely options ≡ when it gets to $100. I realize it may take several years for that to happen but can't really save up that much on what I make especially since I knew I was about to lose my job. New job possibly being further than I can bike/bus, along with new girlfriend who also doesn't own a car forced me to buy a used 2013 Leaf. Price was $13k but ended up quite a bit more after tax, fees, and other BS they slip in to the mountain of paperwork they rush you through in the little finance room 
but still ended up saving thousands by waiting a year. Plan is to give the Leaf to the girlfriend when I get my ≡. I had to get a 6 year loan in order to afford the payments, so I don't mind if the ≡ is late or SCTY takes years to take off, but I will still put down a deposit on it to give me something to look forward to. Like a lot of people my girlfriend was hesitant with an 80 mile EV but I explained how she has a very short commute and everything else we like to do is close by as well and the ≡ could get us to virtually anywhere else we wanted to go, so now she's on board. She actually loves the Leaf after driving it since it's far better than the beaters she was driving before.
but still ended up saving thousands by waiting a year. Plan is to give the Leaf to the girlfriend when I get my ≡. I had to get a 6 year loan in order to afford the payments, so I don't mind if the ≡ is late or SCTY takes years to take off, but I will still put down a deposit on it to give me something to look forward to. Like a lot of people my girlfriend was hesitant with an 80 mile EV but I explained how she has a very short commute and everything else we like to do is close by as well and the ≡ could get us to virtually anywhere else we wanted to go, so now she's on board. She actually loves the Leaf after driving it since it's far better than the beaters she was driving before.
2014 Chevy Sonic Hatchback
I've been a huge Tesla fan for over 5 years now and have dreamed of getting the Model 3 (only because I cant afford the Model S) since Elon Musk first mentioned it. Although I really do like my car, the only reason I got is because my s10 kept breaking down. easily spent about 2-3x what it was worth and it was still leaking oil when I traded it in.
I've been a huge Tesla fan for over 5 years now and have dreamed of getting the Model 3 (only because I cant afford the Model S) since Elon Musk first mentioned it. Although I really do like my car, the only reason I got is because my s10 kept breaking down. easily spent about 2-3x what it was worth and it was still leaking oil when I traded it in.
As a New York resident...subways and bus are easily accessible..and no car are needed and I don't have a car..
Model 3 is going to be my first car!!
Model 3 is going to be my first car!!
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