Model S (2019) vs Model 3 (2021)

[globetrotter77]

Hi

I’m looking to buy a Tesla as my first electric car. Am thinking Model 3 or Model S.

Browsing adverts, I see that a decent 2021 M3LR with about 30-40k miles on the clock can be had for £24-6k now and a reasonable Raven Model S 2019 with 50-60k thousand miles can be had for just shy of 30 thousand pounds.

I am tempted by the Model S for larger boot space, hatchback and, in my personal opinion, better looks.But I worry about reliability.

Are there any good reasons to have a Model 3 over a Model S (other than the price)? Super Charging speed seems to not be that much different – a matter of minutes, if A Better Route Planner is accurate. Are repair costs and reliability a big difference between the two given higher mileage of Model S?

Any thoughts/preferences/experiences to share?

Many thanks!

 

[boombap]

The 3 is a go-kart, super fun to drive but has a stiff ride.

The S is a boat, floaty air suspension but a big car with a bit more body roll, so lacks some of the dynamic driving characteristics.

The boot on the 3 is actually pretty big, but the opening does restrict your ability to put larger items in there, a 3 sized car with hatchback would be the perfect car IMO.

The S needs an adaptor for most superchargers these days as it used the modified Type2 connector rather than CCS, not a dealbreaker but worth being aware of the extra step. The S will be more costly for body repair due to aluminium panels and the interior feels outdated by comparison - it also will miss out on more software updates over time being older.

Personally I’d go for a 3 (and did after test driving both) a friend went for the S and both of us were happy with our decisions, he has 2 kids so the bigger car suited him - he had a lot more maintenance cost being out of warranty, but the 3 is tight for a family car so was worth it for his use case.

 

[Jason71]

I assume the M3 is a MiC one in which case Mic M3 vs Fremont MS I would imagine is going to go heavily in favour of the M3 on the reliability and cost to maintain front.

Spoiler alert only one of them appears on this list. You can guess which one.

 

[as400]

Loving my 2021 3LR, 30K mileage from Cinch for £26K

Popped proper tyres on the 18" wheels and find the ride absolutely fine and I came from an E class Benz.

So I'd say go 3.

 

[andyorkney]

“3 sized car with hatchback would be the perfect car IMO” - this exactly.
Assuming a budget, in the mean time enjoy driving an M3 with grins and buzzes with minimalist neat cabin or chose a transitional vehicle with buttons and switches but acceleration and comfort and hatchback storage with older tech in the MS that might have issues emerging?

 

[globetrotter77]

Thanks @boombap, @Jason71, @as400 and @andyorkney

Does seem like the Raven is an amazing car but am also afraid of spiralling costs if things go wrong. Guess I need to do research on warranties and see if i can find some examples to drive - decisions decisions. In a way, head says Model 3 but heart says Model S.

Is charging with the CCS adapter a major pain? Noticeably a lot slower?

 

[as400]

I did watch one of Richard's videos where he had stopped to charge and met two S owners, one had 300K the other 400K on them!..the cars looked great and were used for chauffeuring duties.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

I’ve own a late but pre-raven MS and a M3. The first thing that struck me was how much faster the M3 added miles at a supercharger. The gap has closed a bit, but a combination of the higher charge speeds and better efficiency meant adding 150 miles of range was a lot quicker. I believe they’ve sped up MS supercharging speeds (I used to max out at 110kw where was the M3 could peak at 240kw+), but if you don’t supercharge a lot it might not make a big difference

I think the comparison is like saying buy an older generation E class merc or a newer generation C class, they do feel a generation apart, but that’s not to say you wouldn’t appreciate the older car. I think I’d give it to the M3 but it’s close.

 

[Fat Wolfie]

About a year ago I was on the horns of exactly this dilemma - albeit a late pre Raven S vs an M3 LR or P.

Before we got the current Y, we had a 3 LR (MiC) and loved it. But found the Y more practical hence the change. The S or 3 was to be my car to replace my ICE and so additional to the Y

But what this meant is that we already had a 3 but had never owned an S. And you could no longer get a new S with RHD so over time the existing S pool would become older and more of a gamble, whereas the 3 in some guise was likely to continue for some time and it would be much easier at some future date to pick up a 3 still within warranty.

So it seemed a case of “now or never” to scratch the S itch, and I ended up with a December 18 P100D with about 25,000 miles on the clock. Purchased from RSEV in Bournemouth who were great and I’d highly recommend.

I am still extremely happy with the decision, particularly now the Highlander is out and had I bought the 3 I’d have Highlander envy.

The S is a big barge to drive around but the overall ride and cabin quietness is in a different league to the 3 and definitely the Y.

It’s not all rosy though, as a recent pair of rear tyres (one was damaged by a road cut) was £550, I would think a couple of hundred more than a pair of 3 tyres.

There are no door bins or seat back pockets in the S and this is a bit of a pain - although there is plenty of space in the centre console. There is no centre are rest in the back. Although there are only 2 of us, and it can be months between odd back seat passengers, when I’m on a road trip and stop to eat sarnies or have coffee I always sit in the back of the car and would normally use the arm rest as a table.

Warranty wise, the battery and drive train are still under Tesla warranty but nothing else is. I took the decision that although something MIGHT go wrong, it probably won’t, and if it does it’s likely to be wear and tear related and not covered anyway.

The bigger downside to the 3 though is the efficiency. My car lives outside and in the winter, short trips (5-6 miles each way in suburban running) can see less than 2 miles per kWh which means a range of less than 200, from a 100 kWh battery. The 3 (heat pump model) was getting 3 + miles per kWh under the same conditions (as does the Y).

On a run however the efficiency is much better, even in winter and a round trip of 400 miles in a day in January mostly on motorways saw me getting 3.5 miles per kWh which for such a big car was great. I would think the 3 would have hit 4.25 miles per kWh on that trip.

Charging wise, the CCS adaptor that comes with the car is easy enough to use, just don’t leave it behind. Being pre raven, the charging speed is a bit slow at 120 but I can live with that. I’m not sure what a Raven charge speed is.

Overall, both the 3 and S are great cars, but if like me you had to scratch the S itch, now is probably as good a time to do it as any as it won’t get any easier going forward.

Hope theses ramblings help and good luck with your decision!

 

[srichards]

The S is a land yacht. You don't notice how big it is on larger roads but if you do a lot of nipping down country lanes and pottering around town centres the 3 is going to be less bother.

I prefer the ergonomics of the S as you have the dual screens. My other car is quite firm suspension wise so the lollopy S is more what I want as the daily. Drive both.

The S are largely older so I'd assume when the 3 get to similar ages and mileages they'll have things go wrong. Suspension is expensive. I've had the coolant valve changed as it was leaking (common issue not too expensive). Other issues like boot leaks are common.

Cleevely EV look after a lot of older S. They are mostly doing well but there's always the lemon cars that have everything go wrong.

There's a good recent video on what issues the all have from James and Kate. It's on the 3/Y but there are bits n bobs on the S & X.

 

[MrTT]

Personal perspective:

Model 3 -- my favourite Tesla -- slightly impractical for a family
Model Y -- the most sensible Tesla choice for the Uk -- but gives me a headache from constant boom
Model S -- the best Tesla -- great refinement and space -- flip side is its a wide car but not unmanageable

Either one is fab -- but you get trapped in the cycle of hideous depreciation/insurance/parts/labour rate--and maybe declining supercharger availability/exclusivity

So my vote goes to a Toyota or KIA PHEV

 

[globetrotter77]

Really great answers and insights here! Thanks to all!
Have decided this week to visit a dealer that has S and 3 and drive them and see. But right now erring towards a newer 3 but we will see.