Hi everyone,
First time poster on this board, so I apologize if i'm starting this thread in the wrong place.
In 2014, I bought a brand new Camaro 2SS 1LE from the dealership, and I would be lying if I said I didn't love this beast. However I've also been an avid Tesla supporter and follower and now that the Model 3 is out, I can comfortably say that i'd love to have one. The reason why i'm starting this thread is to ask if I should actually get one, or maybe wait a few more years until the Camaro has ran it's course and the Model 3 has been improved upon.
Below i've compiled a list of notes regarding my current car and my perception of it:
Camaro:
-The LS3 has that amazing V8 noise - I have a retro chambered exhaust setup. I will probably miss this.
-Dropping a gear to pass someone is so satisfying - it's a 6 speed manual
-The MPG is awful, as are the maintenance costs. 4 new tires cost me 1500 a few years ago. I use premium gasoline. New brake pads may be in the near future and the quotes i'm getting for that are stupid pricey.
-Interior is clean and has an overall nice feel, but it's nothing special. I do have a microfiber suede steering wheel & shifter
-It's been an overall solid DD, minus one or two minor things. I get looks and compliments all the time. If you don't know what a Camaro 1LE is, they're pretty unique cars. Not ZL1 unique, but definitely attention grabbing nonetheless. I don't care too much for the attention at this point in my life.
Tesla & Miscellaneous:
What a beautiful car this is. I love the features and selling points, the all-touch display - almost everything about it. If I could i'd get a Model X or S I would, but it's way out of my price range.
I've heard that the Tesla is quiet, smooth, brilliant, but there are still some quality control issues. That shouldn't be a problem however since the warranty is fantastic. The interior looks plain to the extreme, but that too isn't too much of a bother for me. It's oddly satisfying - but I don't know if it's comfortable. I only drive a total of 3 miles per day (to/from work), and some more on the weekend, but once I start going back to the gym it'll probably climb back up to 10 or 11 a day. FOR NOW I wouldn't do the installed wall charger, because i'm going to be selling my condo probably in the next year or two - which makes me think I should wait until the move before selling the Camaro.
Here's the real dilemma I face: I still owe 6k on the Camaro. MSRP was 45 and I got it for 39. I could probably sell it today for maybe 20k (it has 40k miles). The Tesla i'm looking at would have blue paint (1500), Long Range premium Interior (33,950), and i'm still undecided on the wheels. The purchase price ends up being 47,500 "before savings" (whatever that means) which is a bit out of my line - But I really don't want to compromise on performance compared to what I have now. I could probably use some pointers here. I live in AZ so I don't get as many tax breaks as say someone in California.
Any input would be greatly appreciated. I think the fun factor, responsiveness of steering / acceleration, and the price are my biggest points. Thanks all.
BONUS:
What my car looks like now:
My possible future car:
View attachment 389238
So, you’ll have to get an app for engine noise, lol. Cars are a personal choice and I traded cars about every two years so I’ve had a lot of them: Jeep, Hummer H2, ‘66 Mustang, Porsche Panamera, Jaguar XF, BMW X6. Here’s my two cents...
I originally was going to get an X. My test drive was meh. I saw the two sedans in the gallery not initially realizing they were different. The S was nice until I saw the interior of the 3. Clean lines without the clutter of buttons and gauges. My minimalist heart soared. It feels peaceful and serene to me. But others might view it as plain..this is all personal choice. I like not having the presenting doors...the engineer in me views that as an unnecessary problem. If I had mobility issues I’d think differently. The hatch is nice on the S but my bike still fits in the back of the 3 so it wasn’t worth $40K to me.
I thought I’d miss the engine noise but I don’t. I definitely don’t miss the smell or having to go to the gas station in the rain and use Premium grade fuel. There will be a little more road noise, not bad, from not having the white noise of the engine. I bought plush leather mats to negate this.
Quality is tricky. There’s definitely more complaints posted than perfection. I had a July delivery and she’s perfect. While folks have legitimate issues there’s 100,000+ with perfection. My Panamera center console button dropped through to never never land and it peed on my feet. It is what it is. Inspect your car at delivery, you’ll be fine.
Technology works great but it’s not perfect. Read owners manual to understand limitations and practice.
The glass roof scared me here in Texas. Riding around in an easy bake oven doesn’t appeal. I was pleasantly surprised to have zero issues. I’ve never taken the roof sunshade out of its bag. I did tint the windows though.
With so little driving you can get by with wall plug and occasional supercharging. If you have a dryer outlet available even better.
Get the biggest battery you can afford and, if making a choice, get EAP rather than premium wheels. Autopilot is fantastic. Folks like changing wheels out so you can pick those up later. I like my premium wheels but the stock wheels without the aero covers look really good on the blue cars.