[UK]Advice on buying a Model S built 2016-2018

[karl4455]

Hi

1st time poster here, currently at looking at a switch over to a model S - This will be my first Tesla and EV
Currently driving a 2015 RR Sport HSE 3.0 - Ive had an array of different cars over the years now looking at a Tesla.

My budget is around £22k , I'm just wondering is there a difference in the models 2015-2018 or was the facelift from later?
I also have a few questions as Ive seen some on AT that are advertised with the super charge option and some are not.
I presume the supercharge option is for the free charging at retail units like Starbucks etc,

Ive seen some with replaced Drivetrains and Batteries also Tesla - are these a better option with the newer replacement parts.
Obviously my main worry would be purchasing a 5+ yr old Tesla with most probably 60k+ on the clock and the high voltage battery going and having to buy a new battery at £15k+ from Tesla.

Just looking for some general advice and guidance for a newbie, anything will be appreciated.

 

[Lee Davis]

This is worth a watch for you. Richard Symons a well-known EV dealer down south, did a Model S Buyers Guide.

 

[12Pack]

Lots of info here:Tesla Model S history of changes by year

But even before you dive into the details you should NOT get any EV unless you have the ability to charge at home or work when the car is sitting idle. Not a good idea to count on public charging exclusively - it’s expensive and inconvenient.

 

[karl4455]

This is worth a watch for you. Richard Symons a well-known EV dealer down south, did a Model S Buyers Guide.

Thanks

 

[Adopado]

I also have a few questions as Ive seen some on AT that are advertised with the super charge option and some are not.
I presume the supercharge option is for the free charging at retail units like Starbucks etc,

Not quite... Supercharging is the fastest type of charging that most people only ever do when on a long trip that is beyond the normal range of the car. This is different to everyday charging, whether public or at home. When Tesla first released the Model s in the UK (2013/14?) they also started building dedicated Tesla charging stations at key locations around the country. We are talking 20 times faster than a supposedly "fast" charger installed at your house! This meant that EV drivers were no longer just limited by their battery capacity because they could top up relatively quicky en-route.

All Teslas can Supercharge but some earlier Model S were sold with included "lifetime" free charging at Tesla chargers, including superchargers. This bonus did not continue for more recent vehicles though they are often sold new with a certain number of "free miles". Another technical aspect that affects earlier cars is that they may need a so called CCS adapter for use with other brands of ultra rapid chargers. More recent cars don't need this.

 

[Jason71]

. Another technical aspect that affects earlier cars is that they may need a so called CCS adapter for use with other brands of ultra rapid chargers. More recent cars don't need this.

Probably also need to mention that the early MS without the CCS adaptor are only compatible with the older V2 Tesla super chargers. so 25% of the current Tesla superchargers and growing i.e. all new ones are not compatible with an MS unless it has the adaptor which is not just a thing you plug in it requires a mod to the car as well so if buying one either get one with the modification or allow for the cost of it or you will be severely limited on rapid charger options if you plan to do many long journeys.
price is a not unreasonable £211 for the adaptor itself and the service visit to physically upgrade the car to use it.

 

[karl4455]

Probably also need to mention that the early MS without the CCS adaptor are only compatible with the older V2 Tesla super chargers. so 25% of the current Tesla superchargers and growing i.e. all new ones are not compatible with an MS unless it has the adaptor which is not just a thing you plug in it requires a mod to the car as well so if buying one either get one with the modification or allow for the cost of it or you will be severely limited on rapid charger options if you plan to do many long journeys.
price is a not unreasonable £211 for the adaptor itself and the service visit to physically upgrade the car to use it.

That was going to be another one of my questions the CCS upgrade as seen some on Autotrader with this added already. So CCS and supercharge compatible are a must by the looks of it.

 

[karl4455]

I wont ask when you should change the oil and air filter yearly or every 10,000 mls

 

[Jason71]

That was going to be another one of my questions the CCS upgrade as seen some on Autotrader with this added already. So CCS and supercharge compatible are a must by the looks of it.

The fact that there are cars out still there without it I guess means it's not a "must". Depends how you are going to use it I suppose. If you don't do many long journeys and the ones you do want to do are all on routes with V2 superchargers then no problem but realistically for £211 it is probably worth doing if not already done.
without it here is a map of the rapid ( 50kw+) chargers you will have access to:

with the adaptor the map looks like this:

 

[karl4455]

The fact that there are cars out still there without it I guess means it's not a "must". Depends how you are going to use it I suppose. If you don't do many long journeys and the ones you do want to do are all on routes with V2 superchargers then no problem but realistically for £211 it is probably worth doing if not already done.
without it here is a map of the rapid ( 50kw+) chargers you will have access to:
View attachment 962954

with the adaptor the map looks like this:
View attachment 962955

Ah great thanks defiantely worth an upgrade as Im based east yorkshire and travel the M62 corridor. So the CCS upgrade isnt a must on the purchase as its only a £200 add on - thanks Jason.

Just worried with the battery/drive train issues buying a out of warranty vehicle...

 

[Jason71]

Just worried with the battery/drive train issues buying a out of warranty vehicle...

It's a gamble no question. The early model S were Teslas first mainstream cars and thus, not surprisingly, they were the least reliable.
The battery and motors COULD last 300K but they might not and there are not yet a lot of independent garages that work on these so if you need a new drivetrain or battery it you might have to go to Tesla and that won't be cheap £17k for an HV battery I believe .
Wouldn't fancy it myself. i'll be honest.

Edit
I assume it has to be an MS does it? you could probably get a 2019 M3 with 70,000ish miles for around that and then you would have 4 years 30K miles of drivetrain warranty remaining and less chance of other faults.

Edit2
actually you said 2016-2018 MS so that would still have some warranty left on the battery and drivetrain anyway depending on the millage. It was 8 years and either unlimited miles or 150K miles back then wasn't it?

 

[WannabeOwner]

So CCS and supercharge compatible are a must by the looks of it.

I think you've come to the same conculsion, but not a "must" but if not included then most likely would be worth buying (unless all your journeys are short and you will never going to go out-of-range in the car)

wont ask when you should change the oil and air filter yearly or every 10,000 mls

Well ... there is an air fliter for the cabin. Can't remember about MS, I don't think it had the Bio-defence filter (whereas that was available in MX) but if it does have that well worth having the filter "clean" so you are not breathing smog when driving in town (or driving for your life through a forest fire ...)

You might like to try ABetterRoutePlanner - choose your make / model ... and vintage ... and then try your likely long journeys and wee where you would have to charge (I think ABRP gives you the option for whether you have "CSS Adaptor" - so you could try without too

Just worried with the battery/drive train issues buying a out of warranty vehicle...

Maybe depends a bit on which battery?

I think I would rate the 85 and 100 and avoid the 90 chemistry ...

 

[Adopado]

I wont ask when you should change the oil and air filter yearly or every 10,000 mls

Guess what … Teslas do have oil, an oil pump and a screw on oil filter that looks identical to most ICE cars. However, the system has a very easy time in comparison to an ICE so you are correct… it’s not part of a routine replacement schedule.

 

[init6]

And the air filters should be changed every two years

 

[12Pack]

And the air filters should be changed every two years

Every 3 years for Model S, though I get the feeling this is arbitrary ("Your vehicle should generally be serviced on an as-needed basis."). Never actually bothered with it on my MS.

Model S Owner's Manual | Tesla

Determine when you should bring your car to service and learn how to perform daily and monthly checks to ensure optimal performance.

www.tesla.com

 

[Fat Wolfie]

Interestingly I’m in a similar boat to the OP re potential purchase of a Model S. I.e a 2016-2019 (so post nose cone) OR a similarly priced Model 3.

the current model Y will be staying (really it’s SWMBOs car), so this is to replace my ICE that I’ve just sold.

as part of my research I came across this video which is put together by James of Cleevely’s wife showing you what needs to be serviced on a model S. I found it quite interesting, especially the transmission fluid change..

 

[karl4455]

It's a gamble no question. The early model S were Teslas first mainstream cars and thus, not surprisingly, they were the least reliable.
The battery and motors COULD last 300K but they might not and there are not yet a lot of independent garages that work on these so if you need a new drivetrain or battery it you might have to go to Tesla and that won't be cheap £17k for an HV battery I believe .
Wouldn't fancy it myself. i'll be honest.

Edit
I assume it has to be an MS does it? you could probably get a 2019 M3 with 70,000ish miles for around that and then you would have 4 years 30K miles of drivetrain warranty remaining and less chance of other faults.

Edit2
actually you said 2016-2018 MS so that would still have some warranty left on the battery and drivetrain anyway depending on the millage. It was 8 years and either unlimited miles or 150K miles back then wasn't it?

Thanks Jason - Yes I was wondering about the warranty on the earlier 16-18 Models

 

[12Pack]

as part of my research I came across this video which is put together by James of Cleevely’s wife showing you what needs to be serviced on a model S. I found it quite interesting, especially the transmission fluid change..

With all due respect - this is like the myth of the 3,000 mile oil change in the US. The Pentosin ATF 9 synthetic fluid in the transmission/differential doesn't break down. Tesla specifically removed this from the maintenance requirements.

 

[karl4455]

So ive expanded my search for 2015+ models that have already had the battery replaced - Im thinking if out of warranty then look for a car thats already had a replacement battery/drive train...

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

 

[hooky]

I have a 2015 Model S with 140k on the clock that I've owned since 16k miles on the clock - battery/drivetrain warranty finishing in September. I'm sort of coming at it from the opposite direction - should I sell before something big goes wrong?

I'm sticking with - I did raise a request on the Tesla app a few months ago to get a quote for a new battery. It was something like £16k for a brand new battery fitted or £11k for a refurbished battery (not sure if that would be an upgrade to a 90kWh or if they still make 85s). If the worst happens, I'd buy a new battery over refurb. It's something to be aware of if buying a used Tesla with a replaced battery - the broken battery will not have been replaced with a new battery, it would be replaced with a refurbished battery. As I understand it, they take a broken battery, test which cells within the battery are broken, take those out, and either replace with new cells, or cannibalise another broken battery. I don't really see that as a massive improvement as the majority of the cells in the replacement battery will also have some level of degradation and be that bit closer to dying than a new battery.

Aside from battery, the drive-train is the other big cost - but for whatever reason I feel reasonably confident about that. Electric engines are generally known to last a long time, and whilst I've read of them breaking and being replaced, my observation is complaints about the battery failing are far higher so that's my main concern.

CCS upgrade - as has already been said, this can be done by Tesla for just over £200, so just use it as a bartering point if not done.

Free Supercharging - really depends on your usage. I have a SC 5 mins from my house but even then barely use it even though it's free - overnight charging costs me something like £6 for a full refuel, and I'd have to sit at the SC for over an hour to get 80% of that so it's just not worth it. It's nice when we go abroad and I can sit there smugly knowing I'm not paying the €0.30/unit or whatever it is, but really free SC was a marketing gimmick - it's probably not worth more than £100-£200 a year for most people who do 10k miles a year. If you're frequently doing 200+ mile round trips then probably worth looking out for.