I’m thinking of trading in a mk8 GTI for a model 3 LR.
My reasons to switch are
- price. The price of the model3 has just come down too much since I got the mk8, and it doesn’t feel like a barrier for switching to EV anymore.
- making life easier in rush hour traffic. I currently drive stick and the stop and go back from work in the evening is not very fun
- reduction in long term costs. I suspect maintenance will be close to nil on the Tesla compared to the GTI which needs oil every 10k and will definitely need a new clutch after what I’ve done to it in hilly western Washington.
Since it’s mk8, infotainment is just a screen and I’m not worried about the transition to teslas software which im sure is better than VW (lol).
My main hesitations are insurance and charging — I’ll figure out charging on my own. in my current apartment, I believe charging is not permitted in the garage, but have yet to confirm. Id be able to charge at work regardless so I won’t consider it a hard blocker if I can’t.
the one remaining big question I do have about switching to a Tesla is about insurance:
quoting out my current plan for a model 3, I’ll see my 6month premium more than double, from $844/6mo to $1870/6mo with my current provider. I can get it down to about $1300/6mo with an increased collision deductible, but it’s still a hefty upcharge from what I was paying with a GTI. This surprised me as the GTI is “sporty” and I am in a pretty bad group for insurance already (24M). Is this what everyone is paying for insurance? I’m in Washington state, so no Tesla insurance plan just yet, and I’m not sure I would want to have my driving statistics factored into insurance from a stress and “enjoyment of the car” perspective.
Id be shocked to hear people are paying 3500+ a year for insurance, seems to me like that price would offset the savings from gas + tax credit after just a few years. I currently fill up about 20 times a year so maybe 1.5k in gas a year.
My reasons to switch are
- price. The price of the model3 has just come down too much since I got the mk8, and it doesn’t feel like a barrier for switching to EV anymore.
- making life easier in rush hour traffic. I currently drive stick and the stop and go back from work in the evening is not very fun
- reduction in long term costs. I suspect maintenance will be close to nil on the Tesla compared to the GTI which needs oil every 10k and will definitely need a new clutch after what I’ve done to it in hilly western Washington.
Since it’s mk8, infotainment is just a screen and I’m not worried about the transition to teslas software which im sure is better than VW (lol).
My main hesitations are insurance and charging — I’ll figure out charging on my own. in my current apartment, I believe charging is not permitted in the garage, but have yet to confirm. Id be able to charge at work regardless so I won’t consider it a hard blocker if I can’t.
the one remaining big question I do have about switching to a Tesla is about insurance:
quoting out my current plan for a model 3, I’ll see my 6month premium more than double, from $844/6mo to $1870/6mo with my current provider. I can get it down to about $1300/6mo with an increased collision deductible, but it’s still a hefty upcharge from what I was paying with a GTI. This surprised me as the GTI is “sporty” and I am in a pretty bad group for insurance already (24M). Is this what everyone is paying for insurance? I’m in Washington state, so no Tesla insurance plan just yet, and I’m not sure I would want to have my driving statistics factored into insurance from a stress and “enjoyment of the car” perspective.
Id be shocked to hear people are paying 3500+ a year for insurance, seems to me like that price would offset the savings from gas + tax credit after just a few years. I currently fill up about 20 times a year so maybe 1.5k in gas a year.