Is the Tesla discrete enough?

[jerry33]

I can't see where anyone would get upset about it. If anything they'll respect you for it. You're a professional and you drive a professional car. End of story.

And if you get silver, it draws very little attention. Red draws a lot more.

 

[William13]

I believe that this is the wrong way to look at the issue.

People may be envious or jealous of people with expensive cars etc. This is common. They may be concerned that you are highly paid. This is NOT your concern. Your concern is "will the client believe they are getting value by using your services?".

People tend towards allying with successful people. Beautiful people make more money. A flash of success in a consultant tells the person paying the consultant that others value your opinion. This leads to more not less work. People may say one thing and do something else. In this case they will value you more whatever they say. Your boss, if you have one, may feel threatened or that you are over paid. This is very different from a client's opinion.

Realtors know this well and tend to drive new model flashy clean cars. Would you go out to buy a house from a realtor who drives a 1999 LTD? No way. You would not trust that person.

My situation is different. I am a physician. We have fixed prices for everything we do. Patients actually feel better knowing that I am successful.

If there are two restaurants next to each other you will go to the one withmorepeople.

 

[Mr X]

The thing about this car is thats its not outlandish looking, but it stands out from every other car. It looks normal yet eye catching.


It has the cleanest design out of any car, and thats what makes it stand out, its clean simple design that has a little edge. You should really take a look at the car closely just to see what im talking about. It has no excess anything and the things that shouldn't be visible are hidden, which again makes it stand out.


A Red Tesla really stands out, like 10000% head turner everywhere you go. Pearl White also stands out but not in a "all eyes on me" like red, and the other colors.... not as much, they are kind of bland.


Don't know why the car would be a problem. You aren't showing up in some expensive overpriced flashy gas guzzler.


I'd be excited as hell if you showed up in a Tesla. Any other car... not so much. Don't have any worries, i don't even know how anyone could feel some type of "negative" way when they see your car. That would be strange...

 

[igotzzoom]

I think it would definitely be a conversation-starter. I think people are naturally inclined to be either skeptical and cynical about Tesla and EVs in general, or fans of the technology. And I think a lot of the "haters" just have that opinion from parroting the talking points of Fox Business. I would think professionals with knowledge of the industry would appreciate your choice of vehicle. Also, while the Model S isn't the cheapest car out there, it's not the most expensive, either. I would think if you rolled up in a Bentley or a Mercedes S-Class, a lot more people would think of you as "showing off."

 

[Denarius]

LOL no kidding! Do they all end up with the Tesla grin? And I am sure you only display the Tesla's prowess before lunch... not after. :smile:

PS I bolded the words in the quote.

Many grins enjoyed on the way to lunch, I definitely take it easy on the way back!

 

[donv]

I have actually used the excuse of showing someone the car to get a few meetings. It's a bit of a conversation piece, and a pretty good one at that. However, you do need to be mindful of the people you're meeting with. In my case, it was mostly with people who could afford a Tesla, if they wanted one.

 

[DITB]

This might sound like a weird question, so here is some background information to understand why I'm asking this.

I work as a consultant in mechanical engineering within the automotive industry. I'll probably order a Tesla this month, but I'm having some doubts about how it will be perceived by my customers. Where I work people generally don't have particularly expensive cars. The average would probably be a car that is 1/4th of the cost of the Tesla. My main concern is that it could annoy some people that a consultant shows up with a too expensive car. Has any of you ever gotten any remarks by customers etc or gotten the feeling that it's too flashy?

The model S have simple lines.

It doesn't make a lot of noise, almost none actually.

There are no flashy stickers of turbo, deLuxe, GTI etc on the back.

Yes, it's a very discreet discrete car. Did you mean discrete or discreet?

In any case, if they are worried you are blowing your money, tell them about how little maintenance it requires (ooops, are you selling auto spare parts?).

Tell them how flexible it is in energy use, not dependant on tar sand or imported oils. Cheap to run, cheap to keep, good for everyone, the propulsion of the future.

People often confuse sticker price and total cost. Like buying a $30 ink printer. Sure it's cheap to buy up front, but before you print your first 100 pages or so, a $100 laser printer is on par, later on it's even cheaper.

So if they don't get it, compare your car to a laser printer, where an ICE car is an inkjet printer.

 

[Electric700]

It's not discreet driving a Tesla. In fact, you should put a sticker on your Model S (or Roadster) that states: "Yes this is a Tesla, and it's 100% electric. Go buy one today!"

 

[wts13]

People often confuse sticker price and total cost. Like buying a $30 ink printer. Sure it's cheap to buy up front, but before you print your first 100 pages or so, a $100 laser printer is on par, later on it's even cheaper.

So if they don't get it, compare your car to a laser printer, where an ICE car is an inkjet printer.

This is actually a great (if overly simplified) analogy. Might use this sometime...

 

[karmamule]

Most of us have had to work hard for our success, so to then turn around and worry that you might actually look successful? Life's too short to not enjoy the possibilities provided by your hard work. Your attitude is far more important than the car itself. If you're strutting around and bragging *that* will make the bad impression. It doesn't sound like you'd ever be the type to do that, so I wouldn't worry.

No doubt there will be some people (I hope only a few) who will resent your success, but we can't let those few prevent us from enjoying our lives. Get the tesla you want and be happy about it!

 

[Canuck]

This might sound like a weird question...

That's not a weird question at all. I had the same concern, although not from a client perspective but from a moral and ethical perspective. I find that many people who buy expensive cars do so that people will take notice of them. That bothers me. Like others here, I have worked hard for every dime I have earned and nothing came easy. But at the same time, I don't have an automatic admiration for people who are financially successful. To me, a successful person is someone who works on their family, and fosters good family relations, regardless of what they have in the bank. I admire a good family much more than a wealthy family. When I was young, I heard the saying "you can judge a man by how he greets his wife". There's a lot of truth in that saying. To be blunt, I find that people who drive expensive cars to be, in general, not great family people. Of course, that's a sweeping generalization and there are many exceptions. But usually the man who drives a $100k plus car is viewed as a player who cheats on his wife and doesn't spend enough time with his kids (okay, bash me for saying this -- I can take it) but that is my initial impression of man who pulls up in a $100k plus car and that's not me and I hate to be viewed like that. If you're honest, you'll agree they are viewed as that by most people. Having said that, the Tesla is different -- it not a car but a movement. I see it as a moral obligation to buy one if you have the means.... at least that's how I justify it to myself...

 

[David_Cary]

I have similar concerns to the OP.

The fact is that every area of the world is different (and even vast differences in the US) on how they view these things. I can't begin to imagine what driving a Tesla is like in the OPs location and situation.

If I lived in Berkeley, I would really really hesitate to buy a Tesla. Palo Alto, not so much. Don't see many people from Michigan on this forum.

There will be less flashy Tesla's and EV's in the next few years.

The fact is that Tesla's look fairly expensive and in areas where people know about them, they are known to be expensive. A very large proportion of people with means don't want to share that with the general public. Some of the wealthiest people I know would never drive a MB, BMW, Lexus or of course Tesla. I suppose people in the OC might find this notion crazy.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Not washing the car often does wonders for making it look more ordinary!

 

[GinoG]

I agree 100% with William13. I am a consultant in the HVAC industry and deal with contractors, builders, homeowners, engineers, and distributors, and have NEVER received a negative comment on my MS. It is Pearl White, grey 21" wheels. spoiler, Tech, Pano, Expel Ultimate, lighting. I am frequently asked about the car, and when I explain some of features, they are truly amazed. The most frequent question is "where's the battery"? IMHO, by driving the most technologically advanced family car on the planet implies I am forward thinking, innovative and the best at what I do. Dummying down the car by not washing it or not getting the features that make it fun and exciting, only hurts the ownership experience. If you want ugly, then buy ugly. On another note, my wife and I were at dinner the other night and were parked next to a new white Corvette. We had a window facing the cars and it was amazing the number of people that would stop and check out the MS and very few even looked at the Vette.

 

[artsci]

This is a fascinating question and has generated an equally interesting discussion. I would never have spent this kind of money on any other car but the Model S. In my view that it's all electric and provides numerous environmental benefits justified the expense. The car is most certainly a statement, but it's much more about things that matter beyond money. I'm hoping people conclude that Tesla owners represent people who spend their money responsibly and wisely. But in the end, as I know my own values and motivations, I don't give a damn what others think.

 

[cpa]

On a slightly different perspective:

Many years ago I worked in the home office for a company that generally employed low-paying, semi-skilled workers at 35 or so different (discrete LOL) locations. Their work was hard and frequently unrewarding extrinsically. The owner of the company would visit these locations a couple of times a year for group meetings and feedback from the local manager and the rank-and-file.

The first couple of times he drove up in a $50,000 Mercedes (this was in the '80s). This was more money than his employees made in 4-5 years! After one particularly unpleasant meeting at one of the locations about wages and benefits, he decided to make his future visits in a rented Chevy.

Was he indiscreet in flaunting his wealth (at least perceived as such by the common workers he employed?)

Maybe the lesson in this and many other similar situations has more to do with the perception of those who will be most affected by seeing someone drive an expensive automobile while they have to rely on the bus or the kindness of others just to make it to work because they cannot afford even a used Camry.

As said above, location and culture also play into the equation, so this is not an easy subject to solve!

 

[Velo1]

I, too, am a mechanical engineering consultant. I showed up at a client's plant site in my Model S and the first thing I hear from my point of contact is "we're paying you too much". We laughed, then I said with all the gas savings, I am actually able to charge less than others :smile:. Then they insist I drive when going out for lunch.

Seriously, I don't think it is a problem. Just tell them as a ME you recognized Tesla is for real and you bought the stock at 35 and sold it at 290 to buy the car. They'll expect magic from you on their job now.

 

[bigsmooth125]

This might sound like a weird question, so here is some background information to understand why I'm asking this.

I work as a consultant in mechanical engineering within the automotive industry. I'll probably order a Tesla this month, but I'm having some doubts about how it will be perceived by my customers. Where I work people generally don't have particularly expensive cars. The average would probably be a car that is 1/4th of the cost of the Tesla. My main concern is that it could annoy some people that a consultant shows up with a too expensive car. Has any of you ever gotten any remarks by customers etc or gotten the feeling that it's too flashy?

This is a very valid but tough question to answer. When I first bought my grey Model S (wanted the red but it was too flashy), I would park it far away in a different parking lot than my colleagues because I didn't want to attract any unwanted attention. Then I got tired of parking so far away and parked where my colleagues parked, and of course came the unwanted attention. Most people admired the beauty of the car and asked about its technology but almost everyone overtly or subtly noticed its cost. In some situations, I know, owning a status symbol can benefit you. In others it works to your disadvantage and can create a negative image. I disagree with those who say it doesn't matter what other people think of you. A negative image, e.g., people thinking you're too flashy or materialistic, can harm you financially, even in ways you might not see. Some people see a Model S and think positive things about its owner. Others only see a crazy expensive car. I'm glad I got my Model S and overall the benefits have outweighed the negatives. Only you can determine the cost-benefit ratio in your situation.

 

[green1]

On a slightly different perspective:

Many years ago I worked in the home office for a company that generally employed low-paying, semi-skilled workers at 35 or so different (discrete LOL) locations. Their work was hard and frequently unrewarding extrinsically. The owner of the company would visit these locations a couple of times a year for group meetings and feedback from the local manager and the rank-and-file.

The first couple of times he drove up in a $50,000 Mercedes (this was in the '80s). This was more money than his employees made in 4-5 years! After one particularly unpleasant meeting at one of the locations about wages and benefits, he decided to make his future visits in a rented Chevy.

Was he indiscreet in flaunting his wealth (at least perceived as such by the common workers he employed?)

Maybe the lesson in this and many other similar situations has more to do with the perception of those who will be most affected by seeing someone drive an expensive automobile while they have to rely on the bus or the kindness of others just to make it to work because they cannot afford even a used Camry.

As said above, location and culture also play into the equation, so this is not an easy subject to solve!

Interesting perspective. I once worked for a company where the owner drove a very fancy car (high end Porche at the start, but then he graduated to a Ferrari). The interesting thing was though that nobody begrudged him the car, but I think it's because of how he behaved otherwise, we all knew he had worked very hard, and with a lot of personal risk, to get to where he was. Beyond that though it was in how he treated the staff, there wasn't a lot of money being thrown around at the company, and we weren't really paid all that well, but as a simple example, we all had crummy, cheap office furniture, but when you looked in his office he was using the same garbage he specd for everyone else. Touches like that went a long way to making people like him.

As for perceptions... people will believe whatever they want. Sure many people will know that a Tesla is expensive, but a lot of them won't know anything about it and won't know that it costs a lot (looking at it it doesn't scream out "I'm a $100,000 car!") I used to drive a Mercedes S class, people saw it and told me that I must be doing very well for myself indeed! (many comments about how I was overpaid, etc) Thing is, I bought the car used, for $7,000. It was 17 years old when I bought it, but people didn't know it. I had a famous chat with my boss one day when he told me I was making too much money if I was driving a Benz, I asked him what he drove, and he said "Geo-Metro", I asked him what he paid, he said "10k", I told him I paid less for the Benz.

In the end, drive what YOU want, not what you want other people to want you to drive.

 

[Merrill]

The one thing I will talk about if the topic of cost comes up is to relate the 10 year cost of ownership. Take gas savings, lower registration cost, lower repair bills and rebates and figure it for 10 years then you can say it really costs more like $50,000.