Very fair and balanced analysis. I've owned 3 over the past seven years and enjoyed each one. Out of the bunch I still think the model S is the best car for me. I usually put my bike inside the car and never worry about aero dynamics or theft. Latest version of FSD is very different from when you tried it out in April. I suggest going to showroom and getting an overnight test drive to see it's full ability. I just need the model X to complete my SEXY lineup.
I bought my my Tesla MYP in 12/23. The best part is that it's paid for and I only have about 11 days until I retire at 61 years old. Im on a 2000 mile road trip and supercharging at this moment. I have no complaints at all, I love the car, no regrets
I put my bike on a typical trunk mounted rack on my 2023 Model 3. Works great. No damage at all to the trunk or bumper. A Tesla service person said it was perfectly fine. Saved a lot of money over buying a hitch and Tesla rack.
We have had our Tesla Model Y long range with 19 in wheels for 2+ years and LOVE it. We have FSD supervised and use it everyday. We do have a home charger and Tesla solar and batteries so power is not an issue. We drive 600+ road trips several times a year and charge at superchargers. Best car we have ever owned period
“Unbiased” is a fallacy. It doesn’t exist. Everyone has biases. The challenge is to recognize them and to TRY to avoid letting them dictate our decisions. But they are still there, lurking around in the vast emptiness of the human brain.
I got a model y for retirement. Love it so much I’m going to buy another when it refreshes next year silver color. Spend it before I die. I really want a roadster.
We got a Model Y LR almost 2 years ago and I agree the best car overall that I have ever owned, I would say my '83 RX-7, or '87 Fiero GT were more fun to drive but no comparison overall. I will be buying a Model 3 next year (Y is my wife's car). Home solar and charger in garage so only thing I have ever paid for is windshield fluid.
2y Model Y owner here - over 50K miles clocked already! Tons of fun and glad I have lived long enough to get away from all the downsides of a conventional ICE car. So simple, so reliable, a full battery every morning, the SuperCharger network makes long trips a breeze. Considering our second Tesla now!
I leased a M3 years ago. So impressed I bought a new M3 and a MY within the last two years. Last cars I'll ever buy unless something tragic happens. Best cars I've ever owned...period. Elon is inmaterial to me and the product. I wasn't a fan of Steve Jobs and currently not a fan of Bill Gates. Didn't stop me from using their products . Tesla makes an incredible product. Great video Geoff.
People are weird, they get all up in arms about Elon because of his politics or exercising his free speech...but then they'll load up on cheap Chinese junk made by actual slavers beholden to a dictator.
Great summary-thanks. Wife and I just took an approximately 1,000 mile road trip last weekend and enjoyed every aspect of our 2023 model Y. Must say that the need to stop at a charger for 25 minutes every 2 hours or so made the overall trip less fatiguing and more enjoyable. I am retired (69) and this is the best car I have ever owned.
Almost all my stops are between 2.5 to closer to 3 hours. At 2 hours or about 140 miles, the car doesn’t take 25 minutes (as that is literally only half the 100% range) to charge unless you are on a V2 charger. Normally I can hit the short 2 hr. stops in 18-22 minutes. Put it this way, you can’t walk to the restroom, then get in line for your food, and eat. Car is ready to go as I sit down normally and start eating. Stops where you are eating are exactly the same length as a gas car stop. Another detail people don’t understand is that for intermediate range trips, usually the stop is a splash and go stop usually under 5 to 10 minutes. When I go to my cousins 300 miles away, I need basically a 50 mile splash and go stop to make it to his house, which charges before I can walk to the bathrooms and back. For road tripping, you need to get much more comfortable operating at the low end of the battery where the initial charging rate will be about 230 kW and absolutely almost never charge above 80% which is where the overall charge slows down dramatically. 80-100% actually takes as long as 15-80%
I retired about 3+ years ago from a 40 year career as a software engineer and in February of 2024 and when I needed to replace my last car purchased a dual motor, long range Model Y, taking one out of inventory, after doing my research opted for the 19" wheels, to get the smoother ride and longer range. We've taken only one trip, no problem charging, 95% of the time charging in my garage. I love the car!
I bought my mY performance last April , I am absolutely impressed , just the thought of NO engine or transmission to give me trouble makes me smile. I charge at home for 1/4 the cost of gas, more smiles.I"m a retired pilot/mechanic and I appreciate all the thing's this car does so well. Great stereo more smiles. I tried insurance through my Farmer's insurance at 170.00 so I tried Tesla insurance @ about 110.00 mo. so far so good, I only drive my TESLA twice a week. My TESLA stock let me pay cash for my car, here in Colorado I got federal and state subsidies and another 5K from excel energy I was so pleased.
I bought my retirement MY three years ago this month on my son's recommendation. You explained everything, the good and the bad, very well and in detail. Since I have no daily commute, I just charge the Tesla in the garage using the granny charger every couple days. Regen mode will actually bring the car to a complete stop without needing the brake at all if you let off the pedal a little sooner. And yes, the insurance is a killer, but the car is worth it.
I purchased a Model Y for exactly this reason, to have a low-maintainance, fun-to-drive, car in retirement, one that's AWD, I can camp out of, and uses no gas. The Model Y checked a LOT of boxes for me. My goal is to pay it off prior to actual retirement, about 2 yrs from now. I had no idea this was considered a "retirement" car by anyone else and in fact more than a few people thought this a strange decision on my part. I'm glad I'm not alone.
I am semi-retired and currently work from home so my driving miles/ month are under 4000. I bought an older Model S (2015) with unlimited free supercharging as I currently do not have a home charger at my condo. Mercury Ins wanted to double my rates from my previous Mazda 6 and I considered not buying the car. Then put my info into the Insurance rate quote in the Tesla app. Wow! It came back with a rate LESS than my Mazda. I'm sure it's entirely due to the recorded miles on the app for my driving history. Do yourself a favor and try the Tesla Auto Insurance for a rate quote. You might be very surprised. BTW, I don't work for Tesla or their insurance division. 🙂
I bought a model 3 in retirement and at first regretted it as an extravagance.. I now believe that it has saved my life, or at least prevented accidents as my reaction time has slowed. It is worth every penny I paid for it.
There are aftermarket plastic parts that you can put on the wheel to hide scrapes already there, and keep the wheels from being scraped again. They are sectional and easy to replace when you break one.
I also have my model y long range for 12 months. I took it to Vancouver from California and back. No issues with super charges. FSD worked very well on I-5, which made the trips much easier. I had previously done the same trips twice in a van. As for the model y, I like it even though it's not flawless. I intend to perhaps lease another model y and pass the current one to my kids.
We have a Model Y and it’s a blast. Gas savings have already paid for the multiple chargers that we have installed in a year, my insurance is higher but the car is high end, we road trip it with no problems and it’s a blast to drive. I couldn’t care less about the resale value because I will keep it for 12 plus years and battery technology continues to improve. It’s awesome and I don’t really care what the haters say. It’s fun to drive and I’m not going back to ICE. And I drive 14 miles to my office for less than $.44. That four miles per kilowatt and I use less than four kilowatts. Plus I also charge off my solar panel system. Great review and my model y will save me when I retire soon. Thanks! Great review. BTW - I don’t have FSD. No thanks to the cost and the creepiness😂 And USAA is awesome!
Love my Model 3 Tesla. I've had it for 5 1/2 years. It's my daily driver. Never been in the shop. I haven't done ANY maintenance except tire replacements. Best car I ever owned in nearly 40 years of driving.
I am 53 and retired at 50. 1 thing I did do to retire early was to get out of the 401K and IRA programs. Bought rental real-estate and I am now a Limited Partner in about 3500+ units. I do not work.
I only contribute 5% to get full company match, that’s it. The 401K plan is designed for you to work until you are about dead. Also, the government does not have their hands on it yet either.
Opting for an inves-tment advisr is currently the optimal approach for navigating the stock market, particularly for those nearing retirement. I've been consulting with a coach for a while, and my portfolio has surged by 85% since 2023
The decision on when to pick an Adviser is a very personal one. I take guidance from ‘Jennifer Mackimm Wesley‘ to meet my growth goals and avoid mistakes, she's well-qualified and her page can be easily found on the net.
We bought a 2023 BMW i4 e40 that been fantastic and flawless for the first 34,000 miles. The hatch makes it a suitable replacement for nearly all the loads we used to carry in the SUV we traded in. The i4 has used achieved an average of 3.9 mi/kWh despite New England winters. A Honda CRV would have needed 4 oil changes by now and would be approaching the time when brake rotors might need replacement. Thanks to regen, we barely use the brakes in the i4. Added to this, we built an energy efficient retirement house that has been net-positive since in the first 3 years we have lived here and all charging for the i4 has been done at home so far. EVs won’t be a good choice for everyone until the charging infrastructure gets built out and battery technology matures, but for some they make perfect sense right now. Our typical drives are 80 to 150 miles which we can do without recharging even in winter and while limiting max state of charge to 80%. Our AWD ICE sedan has seen little use since we bought the i4 but comes in handy for the worst winter days and trips over 240 miles.
Great review, Geoff. I got my fun car 3 years ago, taking a chance on the Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug in hybrid as my one-time brand new fun car. Three years in and I love it. I’ve had no issues. I’ve been on road trips not needing to worry about recharging. I would strongly consider a full EV for a second car in the household, though probably not a Tesla, but I would test one out! I’m not a big fan of Elon Musk, but Tesla did mostly lead the way in the EV development. Once again, thanks for the video and a very informative, and even entertaining channel. (Yes, you do make me chuckle sometimes!)
I bought a 6 year old Toyota Prius V in 2018 for $14 K. After 100 K of driving it is worth 80% of what I paid for it. The better news is that it is on track to be at least a 250K car, & most likely more. Insurance (Liability only), cost per mile (42MPG), maintenance (I do my own oil changes), are cheap so much so I consider driving it as almost free.
Toyotas are great cars, truly. Will there ever be a 26 year old Tesla Y on the road having caused minimal expense over this time period? Highly unlikely.
We drive Teslas and I agree with most of you comments. We have an X and a 3 and I miss the drive side display when driving the 3. One thing we never complain about is performance and the Supercharger network. Both are great even with Long Range versus Performance models. 0 to 60 in 4 seconds is fast enough.
We bought our Model Y November 2021 as our only vehicle. After mom moved in with us needed more flexibility so we bought a model 3 in 2024. Love both of them. Just spent the first maintenance on tires for the Y
Bought a model 3 last year and love it so much we bought a 2024 model Y in August. Been retired for 10 years and love both these automobiles. Agree with everything you sad in this video.
Not sure if this channel has ever had Zach and Ray from CarEdge on before, but it is is a father and son that started a great resource for buyers that is free and they have a buying service for those who do not want to deal with the dealership mess. I am not tied in with these guys at all, but have been watching their channel for about six months and find they give straight forward advice. It is a good way to get a feel for what is going on in the US market and the free tools are useful. Also, because they are not mega corporation, they do not sell your info. Worth the time to check them out and I bet this channel could have a good episode exploring the idea of leasing over ownership and all the fees to watch for. Dealers get very creative with the fees they add, hoping buyers will just sign off and pay for whatever they add. Question every fee and do not be afraid to walk away from a deal. That will save most people many headaches and regrets.
Geoff, Great real-life evaluation of the Tesla model Y from your ownership experience. If you read the U.S. News & World Report from earlier this year, it compares the 2024 Model Y to Polestar 2. The winner was Polestar 2, winning in 5 categories: Interior features, interior quality, seat comfort, range, and ride/handling. Tesla model Y won in 4 categories: Price, acceleration, cargo space, and reliability. And 2 other things I dislike, Geoff, is no Apple car play and no spare tire or run flats. Tesla’s answer to a flat is get a tow to a service shop to get it fixed?! This doesn’t seem like a good solution if it’s late night and you’re miles from home. They suggest trying out both cars first, of course, before buying. Thanks again, Geoff. I wish you a good Tesla ownership experience.
I enjoy your videos since I'm about to retire. I also bought a Y in Dec 23. I really love to drive this car everywhere. I would recommend repairing your rims and try to trade them for the 19s. Two reasons, the best ride quality and they are not staggered so you can really rotate them. I put on some rimetrix medusa wheel covers and they look great.
I've had my Y Long Range/AWD for a bit over a year and love it. One other negative--don't get white exterior (no cost option last year). That flat front is a bug magnet and looks really gross on a long trip. BTW...a big problem with FSD is that it doesn't read those yellow speed recommendations for upcoming turns (nor school hours reduced speed limits), so it barrels ahead until it 'sees' the turn is sharp and hits the brakes hard. Its okay on a really windy road where it can't get up to speed or if following a human driver who slows down properly ahead of time.
The key is having a home charger. I cant even contemplate owning one of those cars without one. Who wants to deal with looking for chargers. Nice report on the car.
Agree on the wheels and self-driving. My right front wheel is scraped all to hell. I used self-driving on the interstate. I found it would not return to the right lane after passing a car. It's also unnerving not driving the car.
Good Review. You may want to re-evaluate Full Self Driving on a friend's car that has it (or rent it for a month). It is vastly improved now--albeit not absolutely perfect and certainly still needs to be monitored.
Because Tesla make so many changes it’s good to include the version of FSD that’s being tested. For instance, the latest version is 12.5 and some say it’s very impressive. You can also rent FSD by the month for $99.
Let’s add almost zero maintenance. When you are retired the last thing you need to do is drink bad coffee for hours while they service your car. After 6 months ownership of a model Y long range my biggest expense is a bottle of windshield wiper fluid.
Please do a search for Tesla’s webpage on maintenance. In the first 100k miles, it has all the same maintenance items, except annual quick oil changes, and has an expensive requirement for changing the AC desiccant that almost no ICE cars have. Tires need changing more often and so does the cabin filter due to poor design. In the end, it’s more maintenance. If you aren’t doing the maintenance, then you are a fool.
@@JetFire9 You are wrong. ICE cars require desiccant filter changes, as well as engine oil filters, transmission filters, fuel filters etc. To imply that is the Tesla HVAC is poorly designed is ridiculous. as the "Bio-defense" HEPA filters as installed in the Tesla is considered "state of art" by the people who know.
Thanks, Geoff, for clarifying why insurance rates are so high! I had heard it was because they’re easy to total, but I wasn’t clear _why_ they’re easy to total. I personally would not recommend getting a plug-in car (EV or plug-in hybrid) unless you have access to cheap slow-charging at home or at work (or both!). If you do though, then yes, I would recommend them whole-heartedly! 12:05 - I too would not recommend getting the Performance version. The Performance version is more expensive, gets considerably shorter range, has an even-bumpier ride, its tires are more prone to damage since they’re rubber band thin, and as with Geoff, I found its acceleration to be a BYOBB (bring your own barf bag) experience! The AWD version (5-second 0-60) is already dang powerful, thank you very much! Even the RWD version - about 6.5 seconds 0-60 - is pretty respectable. Also, I personally am not clear why people, apparently, find big wheels attractive; I personally would prefer to see more side-wall (I’d happily replace the 19” wheels that came with ours for 17”)! 14:55 - Regarding FSD (full self-driving), we got a one-month free trial with our Model Y long-range, and I was actually pretty darn impressed with how well it drove! Now, granted, the roads around here are generally pretty well-marked and predictable (although there is quite a bit of construction) Specifically that was the month of August 2024, software version 12.5. As with when you yourself drive, you have to pay attention and be ready to correct it as needed. For us, it was rarely, but occasionally, needed. Even still, it’s more relaxing to scrutinize FSD’s driving decisions than to make those decisions in hard real-time driving myself.
I drove 300 miles on A/P yesterday and it was acceptable, FSD wouldn't be a big win other than if the A/P situational bugs are fixed. My LR AWD is indeed more than fast enough and agree with your other points.
It’s my fourth or fifth retirement car and I’m still loving it after 3.5 years. I’m getting another one next March (first time I’ve ever bought a second car of the same make) My insurance costs me no more than any other car of similar price
Just bought ours! 😂 All in all, I’m pretty pleased with it, except for its bumpy ride. The best part is all of its driver-assistance systems: Autopilot and FSD make the driving experience more confidence-inspiring and more relaxing. I do enjoy driving, but it’s not quite the “sport” it was when I was 30! However, you have to view these systems as the proverbial “extra pair of eyes,” and _never_ as an excuse to take _your eyes_ off the road!
@@tachikaze222, absolutely. Ultimately, you are still driving. With FSD, two analogy I like to use: - You’re driving like a ship’s captain, rather than a helmsman. - You’re behaving like a driving instructor: You have a “fair”-capability student driving at the wheel, so you have to scrutinize its every move.
In order to escape the threats of the nursing home. You need a FSD Tesla van. You live your remaining life in the van. The van will take you to see the doctor. Go through the drive-in for meals. Build an automatic full shower bed. Go for a long Sunday drive. The Full Self Driving car will do all that for you without putting burden on to your kids
One of my coworkers bought a Model Y. But he isn’t retired 😊 So far, he loves it. *Edit: my plan is to not have a car in retirement. But we’ll see how that goes.
I too had a Model S but without FSD. I bought my MYP last April and I agree FSD was not good. I received 3 free months for buying the Y and the free month everyone received for a total of 4 months. The updates on the 4th month were night and day better than what I had in April. I was able to take the side roads with no issues all the way home and on that path were school buses, mailmen and construction. It got thru it all without me making a correction.
Good assessment of the Tesla Model Y, although I will say, you can easily curb the wheels on any vehicle that has large diameter wheels with low profile tires... did it on our Mazda CX-5 as well. Love the Tesla. We have found road trips to be easy with a little planning and don't mind the stretch breaks. It's no wonder it's one of the best selling cars in the world. You've got to have a real need for speed to buy a performance model!
I have the Audi eTron…it’s the best commuter car! I never have to stop to get gas. I get home and plug it in for an overnight top off to 80%. No oil changes, no tune ups…the only fluids I have to check is my windshield wiper fluid. For long trips to FL, we take our Volvo XC90 with three row seating…
Had one for three years and I like it except for one thing, service center support, I’m about 100 miles away and have to drive through a major city (which I hate to drive in) to get there. I know there are some that have to drive farther. I like the service center to do the necessary maintenance items such as brakes cleaning and lubricating .
I have (3) round trips over 3K miles in my model Y LR and am about to do a 4K roundtrip later this month and will never be going back. Since this is a financial channel, one thing I never put in my financial TCO model was how much free charging and money I make in IRS mileage rebates which was designed on gas car operational costs and maintenance. Most of this is pure profit when I am making $612 from a 912 mile trip but spending only $62 in fuel and literally nothing so far in maintenance. A much larger part of our cost savings is actually from both of those contributions and neither was in my original calculations. One of my 3K trips I got 900 miles of free charging and I will have over 400 miles on my trip later this month.
The white interior is no problem I have a 3 year old M3 P I have had for 4 months and gave the driver's seat its first clean a few minutes and the seats don't burn you like black I was sceptical but now am a convert.
My "one time fun car" was a beautiful brand new 1993 Buick Regal GS (ah, so sweet!) - took it to Germany, England, Scotland, France, Switzerland, etc. - she finally gave out 16 years (and 320,000 miles) later - drive a Honda Fit Sport now, not as much fun, but a solid, reliable vehicle and serves the purpose quite well! A bit too soon for EVs for me (though the Chevy Bolt looks interesting...). First vehicle was a used 1972 Ford Pinto station wagon (brown with fake wood panel vinyl siding) - at least it was super easy to work on!
For my retirement, I went 180 degrees from an EV. I got a 1970 Cutlass. No tech, no tracking, no self driving (except for my knee on the wheel), 0-60 in 6 seconds, about the same mileage as the Model Y (but I can fill up anywhere in 5 minutes), and something a Model Y won't get you - lot's of thumbs up, smiles and "nice car" comments.😁
Have similar experience with my 2024 Y that I picked up at the factory in Fremont. Got zero orientation…..basically told “get in and go”. Outside of that there are more rattles than I wish there were, and no, it’s not because the car is just quieter and I’m hearing more…..it just has rattles! It definitely is not for the technology limited individual…..as there’s a lot to learn about the many features. And agree, after a few months you’re go to go. I have the long range and find driving in “chill mode” keeps me from over accelerating beyond the speed limits in most situations. However, using “normal” drive mode on freeways is just fine. I’d recommend buying one.
When I purchased mine, Tesla send links to videos on orientation. I found that it was great to be oriented, before I took delivery and a quick follow-up rewatch and I had most functionality understood. I drive in chill and after almost a year have home charged 12,000 km, costing me less than $300. in energy costs. Zero issues, except for shopping cart rash to the ppf, which will cost $220 to replace. Would buy again in a heartbeat
We are past two years with our Model Y Performance and are still very happy with it. I bought FSD which was probably a mistake as I agree with you that it is not great despite many software updates. I actually still like the Performance model as I like the better tires and better handling, although the overall handling is pretty marginal compared to a real sports car. No problems after two years. Just charge and drive. I can't think of a better around town car. Not a fan of Elon Musk so I try to make myself feel less bad by thinking how I am supporting the workers who build Teslas and not just Musk. Yes it is a reach....!
The best deal out there right now is the M3 RWD long range. Gets the $7500 tax credit so it is cheaper than the lowest trim, SR RWD. I liked not having to go through a dealership. It was strange buying a car via an app, but it worked seamlessly much to my surprise. It took me about a week to get used to the user interface (UI). I'm not convinced FSD is worth it and you can always buy it later if you want. My car is EPA rated at 25kW/100 miles (a better judge than that MPGe thing) and I'm getting 22 kW/100 miles now (lower is better). Very happy so far. Mine is the 3rd "slowest" trim yet it's quick to the point of near making your passenger toss their cookies. My insurance went up $200/year, but I traded in an 8 year old car.
Number 1 for retirees and everyone else is Full Self-Driving. I just bought a Cybertruck and love it. BUT, if it doesn't get FSD I'll give it back to Tesla. I've been using FSD on a Model S for several years, and it is the very best feature available on any automobile. It's not perfect but it is still great and getting better. I had to drive back to New Mexico from Colorado in my new CT without FSD and almost had 3 accidents. FSD is just so much easier and safer than normal driving that I'll never, ever go back. The stats show that it is 10 times safer and that is really incredible, especially for an elderly person like me.
It only takes 20 minutes on a level 2 charger…level 3 charger is 15 minutes for 250 miles. As far as the wheels you can get curb wheels covers that go around the perimeter of the wheel and in black you can’t even notice. There are other color’s available. I just got free full self driving and it’s absolutely amazing. I’ve been taken around roundabouts and through construction zones without issue.
I know I shouldn't be surprised but the amount of FUD on these comments is astounding. We purchased our Model Y on Labor Day weekend last year, about the same time you did. 400 miles on it and a guy from Columbia saw the left turn lane light change and hit the gas. He ran into the back of our Model Y. It was back on the road in two weeks with a new back door and works fine. The reputation of Tesla service being bad is mostly from years ago and it is much better these days. BTW, none of this work cost us anything except the annoyance of our new car being hit by an idiot. The battery doesn't go bad in a year or two. Now that the Model 3 has been out for 1/2 dozen years there are many reports of 200K to 300K miles on the original battery. The warranty is for 100K miles so even if you do need one the replacement in the first 100k years is free of charge. As for degradation, I have 85K miles on my 2018 Model 3 and I have gone from an EPA rated range of 320 miles to 305 miles. It has been at 305 miles for the last couple of years. I don't expect to have any problems with the battery. But should it need to be replaced by me it is no more expensive than if I were to replace a BMW engine from BMW. I had this discussion with a BMW owner and he showed me his estimate to have the engine replace and it was about $10K. A model 3 battery is $14K. When I looked over his quote I commented that this isn't a new engine, it has been remanufactured. I can get remanufactured batteries for the Model 3 as well and they are about $8K so cheaper than the engine. Oh, a new engine was $28K form BMW. We insure our cars through State Farm and get good rates. Nothing exorbitant or out of the range of my wife's prior Acura. I have looked at a lot of videos where people claim the insurance was waay more expensive than with their ICE car. Then they compare the Tesla to a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. It also helps that we have our auto, motorcycle, home and umbrella policies with the same company. We have driven across country with both the Model 3 and the Model Y. We went to Texas to watch the eclipse and visit family in the Model Y. You are right about the storage. My wife usually packs the kitchen sink and bathroom shower and we still had extra room. Very nice. Now, for those that refuse to consider a Tesla because of Musk. I really don't have a reply. There have been more than a few times over the last couple of years that I wanted to sell my TSLA and my Tesla cars to dissociate myself from him. But after thinking it through to me that would be like cutting off your nose to spite your face. BEV cars are very inexpensive to drive. We have an 8.5kW solar array on the house and charge during the day from solar. My wife's office has solar there and free charging as well. So our cost of ownership is really low and I have never missed going to a gas station. My last comment(I promise) I don't have FSD. I have and use Autopilot which is their cruise control with lane keeping. The two names are often used interchangeably but they are very different. I worked in the High Tech industry for 40 years. There is no way I would pay for software that was "beta". They call it beta but by the standard in the high tech world it is more like alpha software. Beta software is production ready just in consumer testing. FSD is no where near consumer testing ready, not when the consumer is paying for it. I would never pay for beta software and would certainly never pay for alpha software. Plus, paying $8K for a piece of software? Nope it would have to come with "hot and cold running blondes" as my dad used to say. FSD doesn't.
@@bryanwhitton1784 Thanks for the honest review. I don't own a Tesla, and the one thing holding me back in Canada is mistrust of Elon and the "risk" associated with a "single" bad cell - and yes, I know that risk is LOW but I am very risk-averse. Are you sure you could get a new battery that easily? Are remanufactured batteries ACTUALLY available? Buying used FROM Tesla is low-risk, but they don't HAVE ANY (or they are almost the price of new). There are used ones from regular dealers - and who in their right mind trusts a used car dealer?
@@capnkirk5528 The batteries are readily available as they are removed from totaled cars and tested/repaired and sold as refurbished. I am in the USA and don't see the available cars in Canada but here in the States there are a lot of cars available from Tesla. Model 3s are from about $25K USD and Model Ys from about $30K. One complaint about Tesla cars is the drop in value of a new car. Personally, I don't buy used cars a new Model 3 is about $35K and a new Model Y is from about $42K. For an extra few $1000 I get new warranty and the privilege of wearing out my own car. I do agree that for me the Performance variants are a waste of money. Get the stock wheels and with them the stock/cheaper tires. The ride is better and the mileage is better. BTW, the tire wear issue is mostly urban legend. The problem with tire wear is related more to the weight of the right foot than the weight of the car. For the Model 3 there is less than 200 pounds difference between the BMW 300 series and the Model 3. No where near enough to affect the tire wear. However, the thrill of that BEV instant acceleration is ever present. For me, the RWD versions are fine. My Model 3 is a long range RWD version. The Model Y is AWD only because they didn't have a long range RWD version at the time. Being in Canada if you were to get a Tesla in most areas you would probably want the AWD versions.
@@maryjanewesterlund9958 The biggest question to answer is, Do you have a place to charge at home?. If you do then the Tesla is a good choice. Almost no maintenance and very reliable. Mine are paid off and are expected to live a good long life without a lot of cost. We also have a large PV array so they can be powered for almost nothing. Good luck in making your decision.
drove 300 miles r/t to Santa Cruz for $3 in home charging cost. Gotta love it. A/P was generally great but had 3 incidents where I had to correct it or bad things would have happened (par for the course still). insurance is $50 more than the 2018 LEAF I traded in so something of a cash drag. Only owe $22K after 6 months of payments thanks to $10,000 in gov't cash and my $9000 trade-in, and a $6000 Tesla inventory discount.
As a retired Y owner, I’d like to tell Tesla to stop changing my car! I just get used to where all the screen controls for my heater controls, windshield wipers, etc, then after the next download every things is changed. It seems to me the tech department is more interested in games and flashing lights than to make my car better.
I agree with peanut gallery screaming the best retirement car is a paid off one. With that said, we all get to a point where we need a vehicle and then the question becomes how many headaches are you willing to deal with, which includes possibly higher insurance rates, more expensive tires, etc. Then you need to be realistic with the budget. Used versus new is not like it once was, as in back before 2020. Way back when, it was the classic buy a three year old vehicle with under 40,000 miles and you will likely have avoided the big dip in value that new buyers deal with, get something that still had warranty life on it and would likely give no issues for many years to come. When my nearly 80 years old father-in-law was considering an EV last year, he said he was offered a good lease, he had never leased before, but understood the details. It was a Kia Niro EV and he lives in the upper North East of the US, where it get very cold for a few months. He would have considered a Tesla, but in his region, the nearest Tesla center was across the border in Canada, about a two hours away. There was a Kia dealer fifteen minutes away from him, so it was hard to argue with the convenience of being able to test drive with Kia. In recent months a Tesla center opened up about thirty minutes away from him, so when his lease is up, he will likely give Tesla a chance at earning his business. Point is, he leased his Niro EV and has enjoyed the experience. No issues and he loves just being able to plug-in at home, no oil changes, no gas station trips, and it is quiet. Kia got the over-the-air updates working at a good level, not great, but good. This is an aspect of EV ownership many never think about until you have one. Tesla has lead the way on doing these OTA updates and it can add features and improve performance. Getting back to new versus used, I do favor the idea of lease if you want new and used if you know what you are looking for. Do your research and get many sources. There is tons of bad info out there, classic internet issue. In 2024, it seems like used vehicles are all over the place. One month the prices go up, the next they drop like a rock. The EV segments has some big price drops, but that is more due to the super inflated prices of the EVs when demand seemed to be ten fold of what was being built. If you shop used EVs, get to know the model you thinking about very well. Nissan Leaf does not use battery cooling or temp management and that has been very bad for the life of their batteries. Tesla has an always improving system, which means they do not wait for a model year end before making changes. For a couple of years, it was crazy to see all the under the skin changes made every couple of months. The looks of Tesla is a tough way to figure out exactly what you have, so take the time to go through the tons of info out there from Tesla owners/clubs to help figure out what makes sense for you. Just remember, the EV space is evolving at a pace that has not been seen in a long-time and that means improvements are coming very fast. This means what you buy today, might feel inferior to something that comes out next year. My Camry of 11 years finally needed an engine replacement, so I replaced the Camry with 2023 Model RWD and it has been great, but if it would have died seven months later, I would have the newest version of the Model 3 which has body changes, interior changes, in addition to many others. I have comfort suspension, which was big upgrade few know about who do not follow Tesla. I like the interior upgrades on the new Model 3, such as lighting and rear screen for the backseat passengers. With that said, nearly 20,000 miles into my ownership of the Model 3 and all is good. Tires are not wearing fast, which some of on the web claim all EVs chew through tires fast. The reality is how you drive is a big factor in wear on tires. Back to the point I was trying to make, if you buy something today, just know there will some major improvements over the next few years. Does that really make the current EVs bad, nope. It just means you might feel envy of some of the features you will not have, but for me, it is not a big deal. I look at how much better my ownership experience has been with my Model 3 over the Camry I had.
Thanks for your comments! I've been toying with buying a Tesla Model Y, after driving my 97 year old uncle's (yes he is 97 and still drives!) and I've generally have been quite impressed. The adaptive cruise control, which I use all the time on my Subaru, however has an annoying feature of beeping before every traffic light, green or otherwise and if I don't tap the accelerator, the car quickly slows down to a stop. In Colorado there is 6,000 dollars cash on the hood and with the 7,500 dollar discount and a 6,000 dollar additional rebate for trading in a gas or diesel car from the state, I could save nearly 20,000 dollars off the price of a Tesla. But, the insurance and the question of repairs from employee-strapped Tesla service centers has given me pause on my decision... and my 7 year old Subaru Forester is paid for.
I found the insurance from Statefarm in FL, the most expensive market, is competitive with most midrange new cars. In Colorado you can get insurance from Tesla direct and it will be probably half what it is from others. At 7 years old you will fond if you have an accident they will total the car out and you get just enough for a good downpayment on a new car. Consider selling your Subaru while it is running good and take advantage of all your rebates! New model 3 is a great deal but costs close to the Y until the new model arrives. You may find it lasting monger than you if you’re already retired.
$7500 federal is also cash on the hood now. Tesla was offering 2% rates which were pretty good deal; I got my MY for $6000 off list price, plus $3000 state rebate check so owe $22K on it after 7 months of payments. It's a fabulous experience, especially if you have home solar or otherwise cheap electricity at home.
@@tachikaze222 I will consider what you have said, thanks for the comment. I am closing up my dad's estate and hopefully in five or six months will be in a better position to buy a car.
@@Matenai My chief motivation for getting a Y sooner than later is that the current model still has a few useful controls left such as turn signal lever and a direction/cruise control stalk. I am also moving to the Oregon coast where I would have to make sure I have access to a level 2 charger. I don't want to have to be dependent upon using a DC fast charger for long runs to the beach.
No need to tap on the accelerator just ease off as much as you need to slow down at the rate you need, I rarely use the brake pedal. you have 3 settings on the regen. regen to a stop, coast and creep like an auto. The beep is after the lights go green it is less annoying than the driver behind leaning on the horn get home then go to sleep not at traffic lights.
I see a fiscally conservative retirement car as one I’ll have for 10 to 20 years. Thus long- term battery life and depreciation are factors. I don’t yet know whether electric cars meet the need. Perhaps hybrids are the safer option for now.
hybrids introduce two systems to maintain. ICE is not necessary. I traded in my 2018 LEAF in July at 88% battery heath at 50K miles. Tesla has fleet numbers showing 80% pack health out to 200,000 miles, 10 years of driving for me. Since Model Ys are the most popular EV right now I'm hoping we'll see affordable pack replacement options next decade.
I've had my Model Y LR for 2 years now and it is my ideal retirement vehicle. I'm considering retiring my 2019 4Runner and going all electric, but I still enjoy going offroad occasionally. I have FSD and I agree with the points you made. FSD doesn't seem to recognize construction zones so I have to be proactive in moving over. Also, it has an annoying habit of choosing the wrong lane at an intersection when going straight or turning. Other than that, I'm happy with FSD and use it on almost every drive. Gone 30,000 miles and have replaced the tires once due to an alignment issue and a unrepairable tire. Get your wheels aligned every 6 months or so.
I was never an EV hater but I was skeptical. Rented a Model X...while it has quite a bit of build quality issues I think I was bitten by the EV bug. They're fun cars to drive and the idea of nearly zero maintenance is really a HUGE selling point. I plan to keep the truck I have for another 6-8 years but I'd be willing to jump EV if Tesla can iron out these quirks or another manufacturer makes a more reliable and better built EV.
I have had my Tesla Model 3 since 2018, and it now has 102k miles. Best car I ever owned...virtually no maintenance, the brakes are still at over 90% and loving no oil changes (or anything else for that matter). Third set of tires on it now, that's all I can think of for expenses. It's lost about 20 miles in range. I'm figuring that my highest end car I've ever bought cost is now down to about what I would have paid for a Honda Civic...and still dropping. Waiting to see where I'm at by 200k miles.
@@arlisskowski All used cars are cheep I bought a 10 year old Leaf and charged with solar and ran the house and sold it for the same price so no depreciation or running costs, and now have a 3 year old Tesla M3 P for 1/2 price. The most expencive cars I have ever bought ( over $5,000 ) but free to run on solar and no repairs and fuel while I do other stuff like my phone.
My little 2024 Honda Civic has walk-away locking and unlocking. Plus, it *won't* lock, and in fact will beep at me, if the car is still running. More important, I was able to get it in Smokey Mauve.
With the exception of everything else going on with Elon Musk (if you can look past that), the model Y is probably the best compact SUV out there and if you get the full tax credit, it's a sweet deal. For all the reasons you've explained, including wide range of aftermarket accessories, I upgraded it from my 3 and see myself keeping it for a long time since 2022. My Camry went from 2002 to 2018.
My wife and I recently, about a month ago, drove a loaner EV from a dealer. We both drove and sat as a passenger. We both felt car sick which neither of us normally do, neither of us gets air or sea sick. When we asked the manager at the dealership, we were told that happens a lot in an EV and it's "something that needs to be gotten used to". Needlesss to note, if we are going to spend that kind of money on an EV, we sure as heck to not want to "get used to it".
I get the other problem in an EV with no smells bad mistake carrying mower fuel I use my wife's petrol car or better yet get her to get the mower fuel she has to go to the petrol station anyway. TRY ECO OR CHILL MODE TO GET THAT SLUGGISH ACCLERATION YOU ARE USE TO.
My wife and I own two Model 3s, purchased in late 2018 and late 2019. I retired in Jan. 2023. I will never go back to driving ICE cars - so, overall, that means I'm sold on owning EVs. That said, the criticisms and here are dead-on accurate. For us, the build quality complaints are overblown (small panel gap issues are WAY down my priority list). I bought FSD for $6K on the second Model 3 and while it's nice for long trips on "uncomplicated" highways, it's not "full self-driving" even after all these years - it's improved, but not enough, IMO, to justify what I paid for it. I do go through tires quickly, but as pointed out, that's my fault (I have the standard long-range model, and I still love to accelerate it at times. It's great to enter highways and have instant rapid acceleration for merging. I still enjoy being first at a red light in any lane and outpace other cars - except other Teslas - to get into any lane I want when the red light changes to green.) It's far cheaper to operate, and except for road trips, I charge at home ... and, of course, I never go to gas stations anymore. For me, that more than compensates for longer charging time on road trips, since at least half of the stops would have been extended rest stops or meal stops had I been in an ICE car anyway. The cost of body work IS exorbitant, however. Even if your fender-benders don't total the car, it'll will be expensive to repair accident damage.
Not sure why anyone would buy a Performance model, then complain it was too quick. I little research before buying would have solved this and the 21" rim issue. Yes retirees should look for the long range AWD model.
I have enough solar to charge the car and run the house no fuel or power bills power is 30 cents a KW and petrol is $2 a liter $8 a gallon I spend $80 a year for the chain saw, mower and trimmer
7:05 so one of your “complaints” is that a Tesla feature is so good it made you forget things on your gas car? That’s not very fair to hold that against the Tesla.
A great car I'm sure. However, I am a retired person who doesn't drive very far, and the additional insurance cost per month far exceeds any saving I'd see from not buying gasoline. My USAA insurance would triple in cost over what I currently pay for my ICE vehicle. I checked Tesla insurance and my cost would be over $300 a month.
Get a 10 year old Nissan leaf and solar panels no maintenance and free fuel and no power bills I had one for a year and got a 3 year old M3 P not really needed but nice hassle-free car.
Just a correction, you state that the Tesla model Y perf goes from 0 to 60 and under three seconds, that is incorrect. The factory published figures for the performance model are 3.5 seconds, however in reality it’s about 3.7 seconds.
Good video, and a fair assessment. We own a 13-year-old Model S, 208,000+ miles and the original battery, and also own 1-year-old Model Y. We love them both. They work for us, they are comfortable, reliable, we have driven across the country, and Superchargers are abundant. Charging in our garage at night in "super-off-peak" time of use is nearly free, and if you go solar, well, even better. Soon, I'd rather have my 82-year-old mom in a full-self-driving Tesla than her driving herself in her Honda.
I have leased a new model 3 RWD @ the 'special' lease price of $299 month. Naturally, it is almost $100 more all in with taxes, fees, etc. but still a low monthly for a new car. However, I have a dedicated brokerage account for this purchase with the $40K purchase price. I do all the payments (autopay) from this account. In a bull market the account is going strong. I use FSD because I expect to need it in retirement at some point. The smallest engine is still faster than a previously Porsche Boxster. 20,mph to 50mph seems almost instantaneous. In three years I anticipate a reasonable chance I will have $40,000 or more in the investment account. Worst case, I will lease until I run out of money. Or retirement.
I was hoping for the granular data. As a %, how much more is the insurance? Have you run a savings analysis on how much you save? Any information you relate is another step toward less fossil fuel use. I can tell you from past experience that the maintenance costs are much less. I had a Nissan Leaf that only cost me 0.05¢ a mile to operate, including depreciation. My current car was in for a recall, and the dealership rented me a Model 3 from Hertz. I had it for a week. The only negative from my prospective was the lack of a dashboard binnicle. My car is an A3 Audi eTron PHEV. I have a small battery, and a turbo 4 cylinder gas engine. Range is about 330 miles, then I recharge it, gas it up, and eat. Over the last 1000 miles, about 300 miles have been in EV mode. When using the gas, I am getting 44 mpg. Hybrid cars could be a step for those who travel in local service, but also take trips to granny’s house in a neighboring state.
Best retirement car is a paid up retirement car.
If you don't own your vehicle at retirement then something is seriously wrong with your retirement plans.
Pretty sure this dude ain't financing cars lol.
I think I’ll stick with my Chevy Equinox.
Paid up and under warranty
@@susandavenport9257 Which Equinox version do you have; the gas or EV version? I have the EV version and I think it's great.
Very fair and balanced analysis. I've owned 3 over the past seven years and enjoyed each one. Out of the bunch I still think the model S is the best car for me. I usually put my bike inside the car and never worry about aero dynamics or theft. Latest version of FSD is very different from when you tried it out in April. I suggest going to showroom and getting an overnight test drive to see it's full ability. I just need the model X to complete my SEXY lineup.
I bought my my Tesla MYP in 12/23. The best part is that it's paid for and I only have about 11 days until I retire at 61 years old. Im on a 2000 mile road trip and supercharging at this moment. I have no complaints at all, I love the car, no regrets
I put my bike on a typical trunk mounted rack on my 2023 Model 3. Works great. No damage at all to the trunk or bumper. A Tesla service person said it was perfectly fine. Saved a lot of money over buying a hitch and Tesla rack.
We have had our Tesla Model Y long range with 19 in wheels for 2+ years and LOVE it. We have FSD supervised and use it everyday. We do have a home charger and Tesla solar and batteries so power is not an issue. We drive 600+ road trips several times a year and charge at superchargers. Best car we have ever owned period
Thanks Amy
Thank you for your honest and unbiased evaluation of your experience with a EV without all the smoke and mirrors
You are welcome!
“Unbiased” is a fallacy. It doesn’t exist. Everyone has biases. The challenge is to recognize them and to TRY to avoid letting them dictate our decisions. But they are still there, lurking around in the vast emptiness of the human brain.
I got a model y for retirement. Love it so much I’m going to buy another when it refreshes next year silver color.
Spend it before I die. I really want a roadster.
We want a Cybertruck 👍🏼
I’ve had my Model Y for just over a year, easily the best car I have ever owned.
We got a Model Y LR almost 2 years ago and I agree the best car overall that I have ever owned, I would say my '83 RX-7, or '87 Fiero GT were more fun to drive but no comparison overall. I will be buying a Model 3 next year (Y is my wife's car). Home solar and charger in garage so only thing I have ever paid for is windshield fluid.
Same here. But I've only had my car since February. Best car I've ever owned. Loving it in retirement.
2y Model Y owner here - over 50K miles clocked already!
Tons of fun and glad I have lived long enough to get away from all the downsides of a conventional ICE car.
So simple, so reliable, a full battery every morning, the SuperCharger network makes long trips a breeze.
Considering our second Tesla now!
Now, go try to sell it with a dent or puncture in the battery pack.
All the Tesla clown battery cars are junk. A complete waste of natural resources and people's time!
I leased a M3 years ago. So impressed I bought a new M3 and a MY within the last two years. Last cars I'll ever buy unless something tragic happens. Best cars I've ever owned...period. Elon is inmaterial to me and the product. I wasn't a fan of Steve Jobs and currently not a fan of Bill Gates. Didn't stop me from using their products . Tesla makes an incredible product. Great video Geoff.
People are weird, they get all up in arms about Elon because of his politics or exercising his free speech...but then they'll load up on cheap Chinese junk made by actual slavers beholden to a dictator.
Great summary-thanks. Wife and I just took an approximately 1,000 mile road trip last weekend and enjoyed every aspect of our 2023 model Y. Must say that the need to stop at a charger for 25 minutes every 2 hours or so made the overall trip less fatiguing and more enjoyable. I am retired (69) and this is the best car I have ever owned.
25 minutes every 2 hours. That's a deal breaker for me. I go 3 - 6 hours before any pit stops.
Almost all my stops are between 2.5 to closer to 3 hours. At 2 hours or about 140 miles, the car doesn’t take 25 minutes (as that is literally only half the 100% range) to charge unless you are on a V2 charger. Normally I can hit the short 2 hr. stops in 18-22 minutes. Put it this way, you can’t walk to the restroom, then get in line for your food, and eat. Car is ready to go as I sit down normally and start eating. Stops where you are eating are exactly the same length as a gas car stop. Another detail people don’t understand is that for intermediate range trips, usually the stop is a splash and go stop usually under 5 to 10 minutes. When I go to my cousins 300 miles away, I need basically a 50 mile splash and go stop to make it to his house, which charges before I can walk to the bathrooms and back. For road tripping, you need to get much more comfortable operating at the low end of the battery where the initial charging rate will be about 230 kW and absolutely almost never charge above 80% which is where the overall charge slows down dramatically. 80-100% actually takes as long as 15-80%
@@SurfCityBill You are not 69.
@@wilfredvanvalkenburgh2874 Correct, 65.
I retired about 3+ years ago from a 40 year career as a software engineer and in February of 2024 and when I needed to replace my last car purchased a dual motor, long range Model Y, taking one out of inventory, after doing my research opted for the 19" wheels, to get the smoother ride and longer range. We've taken only one trip, no problem charging, 95% of the time charging in my garage. I love the car!
Fantastic
I bought my mY performance last April , I am absolutely impressed , just the thought of NO engine or transmission to give me trouble makes me smile.
I charge at home for 1/4 the cost of gas, more smiles.I"m a retired pilot/mechanic and I appreciate all the thing's this car does so well. Great stereo more smiles.
I tried insurance through my Farmer's insurance at 170.00 so I tried Tesla insurance @ about 110.00 mo. so far so good, I only drive my TESLA twice a week.
My TESLA stock let me pay cash for my car, here in Colorado I got federal and state subsidies and another 5K from excel energy I was so pleased.
I bought my retirement MY three years ago this month on my son's recommendation. You explained everything, the good and the bad, very well and in detail. Since I have no daily commute, I just charge the Tesla in the garage using the granny charger every couple days. Regen mode will actually bring the car to a complete stop without needing the brake at all if you let off the pedal a little sooner. And yes, the insurance is a killer, but the car is worth it.
My ultimate retirement car is the one I already have, paid for and in great condition. Hopefully the last one I will need.
I purchased a Model Y for exactly this reason, to have a low-maintainance, fun-to-drive, car in retirement, one that's AWD, I can camp out of, and uses no gas. The Model Y checked a LOT of boxes for me. My goal is to pay it off prior to actual retirement, about 2 yrs from now.
I had no idea this was considered a "retirement" car by anyone else and in fact more than a few people thought this a strange decision on my part. I'm glad I'm not alone.
I am semi-retired and currently work from home so my driving miles/ month are under 4000. I bought an older Model S (2015) with unlimited free supercharging as I currently do not have a home charger at my condo. Mercury Ins wanted to double my rates from my previous Mazda 6 and I considered not buying the car. Then put my info into the Insurance rate quote in the Tesla app. Wow! It came back with a rate LESS than my Mazda. I'm sure it's entirely due to the recorded miles on the app for my driving history. Do yourself a favor and try the Tesla Auto Insurance for a rate quote. You might be very surprised. BTW, I don't work for Tesla or their insurance division. 🙂
I bought a model 3 in retirement and at first regretted it as an extravagance.. I now believe that it has saved my life, or at least prevented accidents as my reaction time has slowed. It is worth every penny I paid for it.
Thanks for the comment
There are aftermarket plastic parts that you can put on the wheel to hide scrapes already there, and keep the wheels from being scraped again. They are sectional and easy to replace when you break one.
I also have my model y long range for 12 months. I took it to Vancouver from California and back. No issues with super charges. FSD worked very well on I-5, which made the trips much easier. I had previously done the same trips twice in a van. As for the model y, I like it even though it's not flawless. I intend to perhaps lease another model y and pass the current one to my kids.
We have a Model Y and it’s a blast. Gas savings have already paid for the multiple chargers that we have installed in a year, my insurance is higher but the car is high end, we road trip it with no problems and it’s a blast to drive. I couldn’t care less about the resale value because I will keep it for 12 plus years and battery technology continues to improve. It’s awesome and I don’t really care what the haters say. It’s fun to drive and I’m not going back to ICE.
And I drive 14 miles to my office for less than $.44. That four miles per kilowatt and I use less than four kilowatts. Plus I also charge off my solar panel system.
Great review and my model y will save me when I retire soon. Thanks! Great review.
BTW - I don’t have FSD. No thanks to the cost and the creepiness😂
And USAA is awesome!
Just try fsd we are retired and use fsd everyday. Its not perfect yet but will be soon 👍🏼
Love my Model 3 Tesla. I've had it for 5 1/2 years. It's my daily driver. Never been in the shop. I haven't done ANY maintenance except tire replacements. Best car I ever owned in nearly 40 years of driving.
I am 53 and retired at 50. 1 thing I did do to retire early was to get out of the 401K and IRA programs. Bought rental real-estate and I am now a Limited Partner in about 3500+ units. I do not work.
I only contribute 5% to get full company match, that’s it. The 401K plan is designed for you to work until you are about dead. Also, the government does not have their hands on it yet either.
If I may ask, as in withdrew all of the money from the 401K and IRA programs? If so, what was your strategy behind that decision? Thank you.
Opting for an inves-tment advisr is currently the optimal approach for navigating the stock market, particularly for those nearing retirement. I've been consulting with a coach for a while, and my portfolio has surged by 85% since 2023
I've been looking to get one, but have been kind of relaxed about it. Could you recommend your advis0r? I'll be happy to use some help
The decision on when to pick an Adviser is a very personal one. I take guidance from ‘Jennifer Mackimm Wesley‘ to meet my growth goals and avoid mistakes, she's well-qualified and her page can be easily found on the net.
USAA? Me too, 50 years with them. Home, umbrella, cars. Nice talk on the Tesla.
We bought a 2023 BMW i4 e40 that been fantastic and flawless for the first 34,000 miles. The hatch makes it a suitable replacement for nearly all the loads we used to carry in the SUV we traded in. The i4 has used achieved an average of 3.9 mi/kWh despite New England winters. A Honda CRV would have needed 4 oil changes by now and would be approaching the time when brake rotors might need replacement. Thanks to regen, we barely use the brakes in the i4. Added to this, we built an energy efficient retirement house that has been net-positive since in the first 3 years we have lived here and all charging for the i4 has been done at home so far. EVs won’t be a good choice for everyone until the charging infrastructure gets built out and battery technology matures, but for some they make perfect sense right now. Our typical drives are 80 to 150 miles which we can do without recharging even in winter and while limiting max state of charge to 80%. Our AWD ICE sedan has seen little use since we bought the i4 but comes in handy for the worst winter days and trips over 240 miles.
Love the candid assessment including personal excitement for the “project”
Great review, Geoff. I got my fun car 3 years ago, taking a chance on the Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug in hybrid as my one-time brand new fun car. Three years in and I love it. I’ve had no issues. I’ve been on road trips not needing to worry about recharging. I would strongly consider a full EV for a second car in the household, though probably not a Tesla, but I would test one out! I’m not a big fan of Elon Musk, but Tesla did mostly lead the way in the EV development. Once again, thanks for the video and a very informative, and even entertaining channel. (Yes, you do make me chuckle sometimes!)
I bought a 6 year old Toyota Prius V in 2018 for $14 K. After 100 K of driving it is worth 80% of what I paid for it. The better news is that it is on track to be at least a 250K car, & most likely more. Insurance (Liability only), cost per mile (42MPG), maintenance (I do my own oil changes), are cheap so much so I consider driving it as almost free.
Toyotas are great cars, truly. Will there ever be a 26 year old Tesla Y on the road having caused minimal expense over this time period? Highly unlikely.
We drive Teslas and I agree with most of you comments. We have an X and a 3 and I miss the drive side display when driving the 3. One thing we never complain about is performance and the Supercharger network. Both are great even with Long Range versus Performance models. 0 to 60 in 4 seconds is fast enough.
Great review, I have a Model Y long range and it is fast enough for me,
We bought our Model Y November 2021 as our only vehicle. After mom moved in with us needed more flexibility so we bought a model 3 in 2024. Love both of them. Just spent the first maintenance on tires for the Y
We bought a 2006 Buick Rendezvous and a 2012 Acura MDX sh, cash. Both are very nice. The Buick rides like an old style caddie. Very quiet and smooth.
Bought a model 3 last year and love it so much we bought a 2024 model Y in August. Been retired for 10 years and love both these automobiles. Agree with everything you sad in this video.
Loving my Model 3. The full service driving just gets better with each update.
Not sure if this channel has ever had Zach and Ray from CarEdge on before, but it is is a father and son that started a great resource for buyers that is free and they have a buying service for those who do not want to deal with the dealership mess. I am not tied in with these guys at all, but have been watching their channel for about six months and find they give straight forward advice. It is a good way to get a feel for what is going on in the US market and the free tools are useful. Also, because they are not mega corporation, they do not sell your info. Worth the time to check them out and I bet this channel could have a good episode exploring the idea of leasing over ownership and all the fees to watch for. Dealers get very creative with the fees they add, hoping buyers will just sign off and pay for whatever they add. Question every fee and do not be afraid to walk away from a deal. That will save most people many headaches and regrets.
Stay away from the dealerships. Just get a Tesla.
Considered the model Y. Good car, good deal. But, I went for the C8 instead. Very happy.
Geoff,
Great real-life evaluation of the Tesla model Y from your ownership experience. If you read the U.S. News & World Report from earlier this year, it compares the 2024 Model Y to Polestar 2. The winner was Polestar 2, winning in 5 categories: Interior features, interior quality, seat comfort, range, and ride/handling. Tesla model Y won in 4 categories: Price, acceleration, cargo space, and reliability. And 2 other things I dislike, Geoff, is no Apple car play and no spare tire or run flats. Tesla’s answer to a flat is get a tow to a service shop to get it fixed?! This doesn’t seem like a good solution if it’s late night and you’re miles from home.
They suggest trying out both cars first, of course, before buying.
Thanks again, Geoff. I wish you a good Tesla ownership experience.
I enjoy your videos since I'm about to retire. I also bought a Y in Dec 23. I really love to drive this car everywhere. I would recommend repairing your rims and try to trade them for the 19s. Two reasons, the best ride quality and they are not staggered so you can really rotate them. I put on some rimetrix medusa wheel covers and they look great.
I've had my Y Long Range/AWD for a bit over a year and love it. One other negative--don't get white exterior (no cost option last year). That flat front is a bug magnet and looks really gross on a long trip. BTW...a big problem with FSD is that it doesn't read those yellow speed recommendations for upcoming turns (nor school hours reduced speed limits), so it barrels ahead until it 'sees' the turn is sharp and hits the brakes hard. Its okay on a really windy road where it can't get up to speed or if following a human driver who slows down properly ahead of time.
I’ve had my MYP form3 years. Love it. Have solar. Paid $71 for the year to heat, cool my house and charge the car.
Really good review. Very honest. Bought my Model Y a year ago this month also.
The key is having a home charger.
I cant even contemplate owning one of those cars without one.
Who wants to deal with looking for chargers.
Nice report on the car.
Agree on the wheels and self-driving. My right front wheel is scraped all to hell. I used self-driving on the interstate. I found it would not return to the right lane after passing a car. It's also unnerving not driving the car.
Good Review. You may want to re-evaluate Full Self Driving on a friend's car that has it (or rent it for a month). It is vastly improved now--albeit not absolutely perfect and certainly still needs to be monitored.
Because Tesla make so many changes it’s good to include the version of FSD that’s being tested. For instance, the latest version is 12.5 and some say it’s very impressive.
You can also rent FSD by the month for $99.
Everything is good, I agree with it all. But FSD is even better now than when you had in April. It's fun to see it always improving.
Let’s add almost zero maintenance. When you are retired the last thing you need to do is drink bad coffee for hours while they service your car. After 6 months ownership of a model Y long range my biggest expense is a bottle of windshield wiper fluid.
Please do a search for Tesla’s webpage on maintenance. In the first 100k miles, it has all the same maintenance items, except annual quick oil changes, and has an expensive requirement for changing the AC desiccant that almost no ICE cars have. Tires need changing more often and so does the cabin filter due to poor design. In the end, it’s more maintenance. If you aren’t doing the maintenance, then you are a fool.
@@JetFire9 You are wrong. ICE cars require desiccant filter changes, as well as engine oil filters, transmission filters, fuel filters etc. To imply that is the Tesla HVAC is poorly designed is ridiculous. as the "Bio-defense" HEPA filters as installed in the Tesla is considered "state of art" by the people who know.
I own the same car in every detail. Frickin awesome.
Thanks, Geoff, for clarifying why insurance rates are so high! I had heard it was because they’re easy to total, but I wasn’t clear _why_ they’re easy to total.
I personally would not recommend getting a plug-in car (EV or plug-in hybrid) unless you have access to cheap slow-charging at home or at work (or both!). If you do though, then yes, I would recommend them whole-heartedly!
12:05 - I too would not recommend getting the Performance version. The Performance version is more expensive, gets considerably shorter range, has an even-bumpier ride, its tires are more prone to damage since they’re rubber band thin, and as with Geoff, I found its acceleration to be a BYOBB (bring your own barf bag) experience! The AWD version (5-second 0-60) is already dang powerful, thank you very much! Even the RWD version - about 6.5 seconds 0-60 - is pretty respectable. Also, I personally am not clear why people, apparently, find big wheels attractive; I personally would prefer to see more side-wall (I’d happily replace the 19” wheels that came with ours for 17”)!
14:55 - Regarding FSD (full self-driving), we got a one-month free trial with our Model Y long-range, and I was actually pretty darn impressed with how well it drove! Now, granted, the roads around here are generally pretty well-marked and predictable (although there is quite a bit of construction) Specifically that was the month of August 2024, software version 12.5. As with when you yourself drive, you have to pay attention and be ready to correct it as needed. For us, it was rarely, but occasionally, needed. Even still, it’s more relaxing to scrutinize FSD’s driving decisions than to make those decisions in hard real-time driving myself.
I drove 300 miles on A/P yesterday and it was acceptable, FSD wouldn't be a big win other than if the A/P situational bugs are fixed. My LR AWD is indeed more than fast enough and agree with your other points.
It’s my fourth or fifth retirement car and I’m still loving it after 3.5 years. I’m getting another one next March (first time I’ve ever bought a second car of the same make) My insurance costs me no more than any other car of similar price
Just bought ours! 😂 All in all, I’m pretty pleased with it, except for its bumpy ride.
The best part is all of its driver-assistance systems: Autopilot and FSD make the driving experience more confidence-inspiring and more relaxing. I do enjoy driving, but it’s not quite the “sport” it was when I was 30! However, you have to view these systems as the proverbial “extra pair of eyes,” and _never_ as an excuse to take _your eyes_ off the road!
yeah A/P is deceptively competent but can still make bad mistakes if you're not awake etc. to take over.
@@tachikaze222, absolutely. Ultimately, you are still driving. With FSD, two analogy I like to use:
- You’re driving like a ship’s captain, rather than a helmsman.
- You’re behaving like a driving instructor: You have a “fair”-capability student driving at the wheel, so you have to scrutinize its every move.
In order to escape the threats of the nursing home. You need a FSD Tesla van. You live your remaining life in the van. The van will take you to see the doctor. Go through the drive-in for meals.
Build an automatic full shower bed.
Go for a long Sunday drive.
The Full Self Driving car will do all that for you without putting burden on to your kids
this is my thesis, too. Next decade I'll be in my 70s so just might need to be driven around.
One of my coworkers bought a Model Y. But he isn’t retired 😊 So far, he loves it. *Edit: my plan is to not have a car in retirement. But we’ll see how that goes.
I too had a Model S but without FSD.
I bought my MYP last April and I agree FSD was not good.
I received 3 free months for buying the Y and the free month everyone received for a total of 4 months. The updates on the 4th month were night and day better than what I had in April.
I was able to take the side roads with no issues all the way home and on that path were school buses, mailmen and construction. It got thru it all without me making a correction.
Good assessment of the Tesla Model Y, although I will say, you can easily curb the wheels on any vehicle that has large diameter wheels with low profile tires... did it on our Mazda CX-5 as well. Love the Tesla. We have found road trips to be easy with a little planning and don't mind the stretch breaks. It's no wonder it's one of the best selling cars in the world. You've got to have a real need for speed to buy a performance model!
I have the Audi eTron…it’s the best commuter car! I never have to stop to get gas. I get home and plug it in for an overnight top off to 80%. No oil changes, no tune ups…the only fluids I have to check is my windshield wiper fluid. For long trips to FL, we take our Volvo XC90 with three row seating…
fluid checks. how much shiraz is in the fridge.
Had one for three years and I like it except for one thing, service center support, I’m about 100 miles away and have to drive through a major city (which I hate to drive in) to get there. I know there are some that have to drive farther. I like the service center to do the necessary maintenance items such as brakes cleaning and lubricating .
I have (3) round trips over 3K miles in my model Y LR and am about to do a 4K roundtrip later this month and will never be going back. Since this is a financial channel, one thing I never put in my financial TCO model was how much free charging and money I make in IRS mileage rebates which was designed on gas car operational costs and maintenance. Most of this is pure profit when I am making $612 from a 912 mile trip but spending only $62 in fuel and literally nothing so far in maintenance. A much larger part of our cost savings is actually from both of those contributions and neither was in my original calculations. One of my 3K trips I got 900 miles of free charging and I will have over 400 miles on my trip later this month.
Potholes and curbs eat low profile rims. The white interior looks great on video. You can record the next video in your Tesla.
The white interior is no problem I have a 3 year old M3 P I have had for 4 months and gave the driver's seat its first clean a few minutes and the seats don't burn you like black I was sceptical but now am a convert.
My "one time fun car" was a beautiful brand new 1993 Buick Regal GS (ah, so sweet!) - took it to Germany, England, Scotland, France, Switzerland, etc. - she finally gave out 16 years (and 320,000 miles) later - drive a Honda Fit Sport now, not as much fun, but a solid, reliable vehicle and serves the purpose quite well! A bit too soon for EVs for me (though the Chevy Bolt looks interesting...). First vehicle was a used 1972 Ford Pinto station wagon (brown with fake wood panel vinyl siding) - at least it was super easy to work on!
For my retirement, I went 180 degrees from an EV. I got a 1970 Cutlass. No tech, no tracking, no self driving (except for my knee on the wheel), 0-60 in 6 seconds, about the same mileage as the Model Y (but I can fill up anywhere in 5 minutes), and something a Model Y won't get you - lot's of thumbs up, smiles and "nice car" comments.😁
Have similar experience with my 2024 Y that I picked up at the factory in Fremont. Got zero orientation…..basically told “get in and go”. Outside of that there are more rattles than I wish there were, and no, it’s not because the car is just quieter and I’m hearing more…..it just has rattles! It definitely is not for the technology limited individual…..as there’s a lot to learn about the many features. And agree, after a few months you’re go to go. I have the long range and find driving in “chill mode” keeps me from over accelerating beyond the speed limits in most situations. However, using “normal” drive mode on freeways is just fine. I’d recommend buying one.
When I purchased mine, Tesla send links to videos on orientation. I found that it was great to be oriented, before I took delivery and a quick follow-up rewatch and I had most functionality understood. I drive in chill and after almost a year have home charged 12,000 km, costing me less than $300. in energy costs. Zero issues, except for shopping cart rash to the ppf, which will cost $220 to replace. Would buy again in a heartbeat
We are past two years with our Model Y Performance and are still very happy with it. I bought FSD which was probably a mistake as I agree with you that it is not great despite many software updates. I actually still like the Performance model as I like the better tires and better handling, although the overall handling is pretty marginal compared to a real sports car. No problems after two years. Just charge and drive. I can't think of a better around town car. Not a fan of Elon Musk so I try to make myself feel less bad by thinking how I am supporting the workers who build Teslas and not just Musk. Yes it is a reach....!
The best deal out there right now is the M3 RWD long range. Gets the $7500 tax credit so it is cheaper than the lowest trim, SR RWD. I liked not having to go through a dealership. It was strange buying a car via an app, but it worked seamlessly much to my surprise. It took me about a week to get used to the user interface (UI). I'm not convinced FSD is worth it and you can always buy it later if you want. My car is EPA rated at 25kW/100 miles (a better judge than that MPGe thing) and I'm getting 22 kW/100 miles now (lower is better). Very happy so far. Mine is the 3rd "slowest" trim yet it's quick to the point of near making your passenger toss their cookies.
My insurance went up $200/year, but I traded in an 8 year old car.
miles/kWh is also a way to look at it; coming from a LEAF that's how we calculated things.
Number 1 for retirees and everyone else is Full Self-Driving. I just bought a Cybertruck and love it. BUT, if it doesn't get FSD I'll give it back to Tesla. I've been using FSD on a Model S for several years, and it is the very best feature available on any automobile. It's not perfect but it is still great and getting better. I had to drive back to New Mexico from Colorado in my new CT without FSD and almost had 3 accidents. FSD is just so much easier and safer than normal driving that I'll never, ever go back. The stats show that it is 10 times safer and that is really incredible, especially for an elderly person like me.
It only takes 20 minutes on a level 2 charger…level 3 charger is 15 minutes for 250 miles. As far as the wheels you can get curb wheels covers that go around the perimeter of the wheel and in black you can’t even notice. There are other color’s available. I just got free full self driving and it’s absolutely amazing. I’ve been taken around roundabouts and through construction zones without issue.
I know I shouldn't be surprised but the amount of FUD on these comments is astounding. We purchased our Model Y on Labor Day weekend last year, about the same time you did. 400 miles on it and a guy from Columbia saw the left turn lane light change and hit the gas. He ran into the back of our Model Y. It was back on the road in two weeks with a new back door and works fine. The reputation of Tesla service being bad is mostly from years ago and it is much better these days. BTW, none of this work cost us anything except the annoyance of our new car being hit by an idiot.
The battery doesn't go bad in a year or two. Now that the Model 3 has been out for 1/2 dozen years there are many reports of 200K to 300K miles on the original battery. The warranty is for 100K miles so even if you do need one the replacement in the first 100k years is free of charge. As for degradation, I have 85K miles on my 2018 Model 3 and I have gone from an EPA rated range of 320 miles to 305 miles. It has been at 305 miles for the last couple of years. I don't expect to have any problems with the battery. But should it need to be replaced by me it is no more expensive than if I were to replace a BMW engine from BMW. I had this discussion with a BMW owner and he showed me his estimate to have the engine replace and it was about $10K. A model 3 battery is $14K. When I looked over his quote I commented that this isn't a new engine, it has been remanufactured. I can get remanufactured batteries for the Model 3 as well and they are about $8K so cheaper than the engine. Oh, a new engine was $28K form BMW.
We insure our cars through State Farm and get good rates. Nothing exorbitant or out of the range of my wife's prior Acura. I have looked at a lot of videos where people claim the insurance was waay more expensive than with their ICE car. Then they compare the Tesla to a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. It also helps that we have our auto, motorcycle, home and umbrella policies with the same company.
We have driven across country with both the Model 3 and the Model Y. We went to Texas to watch the eclipse and visit family in the Model Y. You are right about the storage. My wife usually packs the kitchen sink and bathroom shower and we still had extra room. Very nice.
Now, for those that refuse to consider a Tesla because of Musk. I really don't have a reply. There have been more than a few times over the last couple of years that I wanted to sell my TSLA and my Tesla cars to dissociate myself from him. But after thinking it through to me that would be like cutting off your nose to spite your face. BEV cars are very inexpensive to drive. We have an 8.5kW solar array on the house and charge during the day from solar. My wife's office has solar there and free charging as well. So our cost of ownership is really low and I have never missed going to a gas station.
My last comment(I promise) I don't have FSD. I have and use Autopilot which is their cruise control with lane keeping. The two names are often used interchangeably but they are very different. I worked in the High Tech industry for 40 years. There is no way I would pay for software that was "beta". They call it beta but by the standard in the high tech world it is more like alpha software. Beta software is production ready just in consumer testing. FSD is no where near consumer testing ready, not when the consumer is paying for it. I would never pay for beta software and would certainly never pay for alpha software. Plus, paying $8K for a piece of software? Nope it would have to come with "hot and cold running blondes" as my dad used to say. FSD doesn't.
Oh, final comment, honestly, Both cars are paid for.
@@bryanwhitton1784 Thanks for the honest review. I don't own a Tesla, and the one thing holding me back in Canada is mistrust of Elon and the "risk" associated with a "single" bad cell - and yes, I know that risk is LOW but I am very risk-averse. Are you sure you could get a new battery that easily? Are remanufactured batteries ACTUALLY available?
Buying used FROM Tesla is low-risk, but they don't HAVE ANY (or they are almost the price of new). There are used ones from regular dealers - and who in their right mind trusts a used car dealer?
@@capnkirk5528 The batteries are readily available as they are removed from totaled cars and tested/repaired and sold as refurbished. I am in the USA and don't see the available cars in Canada but here in the States there are a lot of cars available from Tesla. Model 3s are from about $25K USD and Model Ys from about $30K. One complaint about Tesla cars is the drop in value of a new car. Personally, I don't buy used cars a new Model 3 is about $35K and a new Model Y is from about $42K. For an extra few $1000 I get new warranty and the privilege of wearing out my own car.
I do agree that for me the Performance variants are a waste of money. Get the stock wheels and with them the stock/cheaper tires. The ride is better and the mileage is better. BTW, the tire wear issue is mostly urban legend. The problem with tire wear is related more to the weight of the right foot than the weight of the car. For the Model 3 there is less than 200 pounds difference between the BMW 300 series and the Model 3. No where near enough to affect the tire wear. However, the thrill of that BEV instant acceleration is ever present.
For me, the RWD versions are fine. My Model 3 is a long range RWD version. The Model Y is AWD only because they didn't have a long range RWD version at the time. Being in Canada if you were to get a Tesla in most areas you would probably want the AWD versions.
Thanks for your comments. I’m trying to decide about a Tesla as a “retirement” car.
@@maryjanewesterlund9958 The biggest question to answer is, Do you have a place to charge at home?. If you do then the Tesla is a good choice. Almost no maintenance and very reliable. Mine are paid off and are expected to live a good long life without a lot of cost. We also have a large PV array so they can be powered for almost nothing.
Good luck in making your decision.
drove 300 miles r/t to Santa Cruz for $3 in home charging cost. Gotta love it. A/P was generally great but had 3 incidents where I had to correct it or bad things would have happened (par for the course still).
insurance is $50 more than the 2018 LEAF I traded in so something of a cash drag. Only owe $22K after 6 months of payments thanks to $10,000 in gov't cash and my $9000 trade-in, and a $6000 Tesla inventory discount.
As a retired Y owner, I’d like to tell Tesla to stop changing my car! I just get used to where all the screen controls for my heater controls, windshield wipers, etc, then after the next download every things is changed. It seems to me the tech department is more interested in games and flashing lights than to make my car better.
Did you lease? Fiance? You created a video on should a retire pay cash, fiance, or lease a car.
TFS, great honest review, this helps me with the same decision to get a Tesla M-Y
I agree with peanut gallery screaming the best retirement car is a paid off one. With that said, we all get to a point where we need a vehicle and then the question becomes how many headaches are you willing to deal with, which includes possibly higher insurance rates, more expensive tires, etc. Then you need to be realistic with the budget. Used versus new is not like it once was, as in back before 2020. Way back when, it was the classic buy a three year old vehicle with under 40,000 miles and you will likely have avoided the big dip in value that new buyers deal with, get something that still had warranty life on it and would likely give no issues for many years to come.
When my nearly 80 years old father-in-law was considering an EV last year, he said he was offered a good lease, he had never leased before, but understood the details. It was a Kia Niro EV and he lives in the upper North East of the US, where it get very cold for a few months. He would have considered a Tesla, but in his region, the nearest Tesla center was across the border in Canada, about a two hours away. There was a Kia dealer fifteen minutes away from him, so it was hard to argue with the convenience of being able to test drive with Kia. In recent months a Tesla center opened up about thirty minutes away from him, so when his lease is up, he will likely give Tesla a chance at earning his business. Point is, he leased his Niro EV and has enjoyed the experience. No issues and he loves just being able to plug-in at home, no oil changes, no gas station trips, and it is quiet. Kia got the over-the-air updates working at a good level, not great, but good. This is an aspect of EV ownership many never think about until you have one. Tesla has lead the way on doing these OTA updates and it can add features and improve performance.
Getting back to new versus used, I do favor the idea of lease if you want new and used if you know what you are looking for. Do your research and get many sources. There is tons of bad info out there, classic internet issue. In 2024, it seems like used vehicles are all over the place. One month the prices go up, the next they drop like a rock. The EV segments has some big price drops, but that is more due to the super inflated prices of the EVs when demand seemed to be ten fold of what was being built. If you shop used EVs, get to know the model you thinking about very well. Nissan Leaf does not use battery cooling or temp management and that has been very bad for the life of their batteries. Tesla has an always improving system, which means they do not wait for a model year end before making changes. For a couple of years, it was crazy to see all the under the skin changes made every couple of months. The looks of Tesla is a tough way to figure out exactly what you have, so take the time to go through the tons of info out there from Tesla owners/clubs to help figure out what makes sense for you.
Just remember, the EV space is evolving at a pace that has not been seen in a long-time and that means improvements are coming very fast. This means what you buy today, might feel inferior to something that comes out next year. My Camry of 11 years finally needed an engine replacement, so I replaced the Camry with 2023 Model RWD and it has been great, but if it would have died seven months later, I would have the newest version of the Model 3 which has body changes, interior changes, in addition to many others. I have comfort suspension, which was big upgrade few know about who do not follow Tesla. I like the interior upgrades on the new Model 3, such as lighting and rear screen for the backseat passengers. With that said, nearly 20,000 miles into my ownership of the Model 3 and all is good. Tires are not wearing fast, which some of on the web claim all EVs chew through tires fast. The reality is how you drive is a big factor in wear on tires. Back to the point I was trying to make, if you buy something today, just know there will some major improvements over the next few years. Does that really make the current EVs bad, nope. It just means you might feel envy of some of the features you will not have, but for me, it is not a big deal. I look at how much better my ownership experience has been with my Model 3 over the Camry I had.
Thanks for your comments! I've been toying with buying a Tesla Model Y, after driving my 97 year old uncle's (yes he is 97 and still drives!) and I've generally have been quite impressed. The adaptive cruise control, which I use all the time on my Subaru, however has an annoying feature of beeping before every traffic light, green or otherwise and if I don't tap the accelerator, the car quickly slows down to a stop. In Colorado there is 6,000 dollars cash on the hood and with the 7,500 dollar discount and a 6,000 dollar additional rebate for trading in a gas or diesel car from the state, I could save nearly 20,000 dollars off the price of a Tesla. But, the insurance and the question of repairs from employee-strapped Tesla service centers has given me pause on my decision... and my 7 year old Subaru Forester is paid for.
I found the insurance from Statefarm in FL, the most expensive market, is competitive with most midrange new cars. In Colorado you can get insurance from Tesla direct and it will be probably half what it is from others. At 7 years old you will fond if you have an accident they will total the car out and you get just enough for a good downpayment on a new car. Consider selling your Subaru while it is running good and take advantage of all your rebates! New model 3 is a great deal but costs close to the Y until the new model arrives. You may find it lasting monger than you if you’re already retired.
$7500 federal is also cash on the hood now. Tesla was offering 2% rates which were pretty good deal; I got my MY for $6000 off list price, plus $3000 state rebate check so owe $22K on it after 7 months of payments. It's a fabulous experience, especially if you have home solar or otherwise cheap electricity at home.
@@tachikaze222 I will consider what you have said, thanks for the comment. I am closing up my dad's estate and hopefully in five or six months will be in a better position to buy a car.
@@Matenai My chief motivation for getting a Y sooner than later is that the current model still has a few useful controls left such as turn signal lever and a direction/cruise control stalk. I am also moving to the Oregon coast where I would have to make sure I have access to a level 2 charger. I don't want to have to be dependent upon using a DC fast charger for long runs to the beach.
No need to tap on the accelerator just ease off as much as you need to slow down at the rate you need, I rarely use the brake pedal. you have 3 settings on the regen. regen to a stop, coast and creep like an auto. The beep is after the lights go green it is less annoying than the driver behind leaning on the horn get home then go to sleep not at traffic lights.
Write off since using for research?
I see a fiscally conservative retirement car as one I’ll have for 10 to 20 years. Thus long- term battery life and depreciation are factors. I don’t yet know whether electric cars meet the need. Perhaps hybrids are the safer option for now.
hybrids introduce two systems to maintain. ICE is not necessary.
I traded in my 2018 LEAF in July at 88% battery heath at 50K miles. Tesla has fleet numbers showing 80% pack health out to 200,000 miles, 10 years of driving for me. Since Model Ys are the most popular EV right now I'm hoping we'll see affordable pack replacement options next decade.
I bought an inventory 2023 Model 3. It was available the next day and saved $2k by buying an inventory (new) car.
I've had my Model Y LR for 2 years now and it is my ideal retirement vehicle. I'm considering retiring my 2019 4Runner and going all electric, but I still enjoy going offroad occasionally.
I have FSD and I agree with the points you made. FSD doesn't seem to recognize construction zones so I have to be proactive in moving over. Also, it has an annoying habit of choosing the wrong lane at an intersection when going straight or turning. Other than that, I'm happy with FSD and use it on almost every drive. Gone 30,000 miles and have replaced the tires once due to an alignment issue and a unrepairable tire. Get your wheels aligned every 6 months or so.
I was never an EV hater but I was skeptical. Rented a Model X...while it has quite a bit of build quality issues I think I was bitten by the EV bug. They're fun cars to drive and the idea of nearly zero maintenance is really a HUGE selling point. I plan to keep the truck I have for another 6-8 years but I'd be willing to jump EV if Tesla can iron out these quirks or another manufacturer makes a more reliable and better built EV.
I have had my Tesla Model 3 since 2018, and it now has 102k miles. Best car I ever owned...virtually no maintenance, the brakes are still at over 90% and loving no oil changes (or anything else for that matter). Third set of tires on it now, that's all I can think of for expenses. It's lost about 20 miles in range. I'm figuring that my highest end car I've ever bought cost is now down to about what I would have paid for a Honda Civic...and still dropping. Waiting to see where I'm at by 200k miles.
And used EVs are cheap
@@arlisskowski All used cars are cheep I bought a 10 year old Leaf and charged with solar and ran the house and sold it for the same price so no depreciation or running costs, and now have a 3 year old Tesla M3 P for 1/2 price. The most expencive cars I have ever bought ( over $5,000 ) but free to run on solar and no repairs and fuel while I do other stuff like my phone.
My little 2024 Honda Civic has walk-away locking and unlocking. Plus, it *won't* lock, and in fact will beep at me, if the car is still running. More important, I was able to get it in Smokey Mauve.
With the exception of everything else going on with Elon Musk (if you can look past that), the model Y is probably the best compact SUV out there and if you get the full tax credit, it's a sweet deal. For all the reasons you've explained, including wide range of aftermarket accessories, I upgraded it from my 3 and see myself keeping it for a long time since 2022. My Camry went from 2002 to 2018.
My wife and I recently, about a month ago, drove a loaner EV from a dealer. We both drove and sat as a passenger. We both felt car sick which neither of us normally do, neither of us gets air or sea sick. When we asked the manager at the dealership, we were told that happens a lot in an EV and it's "something that needs to be gotten used to". Needlesss to note, if we are going to spend that kind of money on an EV, we sure as heck to not want to "get used to it".
I get the other problem in an EV with no smells bad mistake carrying mower fuel I use my wife's petrol car or better yet get her to get the mower fuel she has to go to the petrol station anyway. TRY ECO OR CHILL MODE TO GET THAT SLUGGISH ACCLERATION YOU ARE USE TO.
I have a MYP Tesla also. It's 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds, not under 3. Also, best car I have ever owned. You won't like the long range
My wife and I own two Model 3s, purchased in late 2018 and late 2019. I retired in Jan. 2023. I will never go back to driving ICE cars - so, overall, that means I'm sold on owning EVs. That said, the criticisms and here are dead-on accurate. For us, the build quality complaints are overblown (small panel gap issues are WAY down my priority list). I bought FSD for $6K on the second Model 3 and while it's nice for long trips on "uncomplicated" highways, it's not "full self-driving" even after all these years - it's improved, but not enough, IMO, to justify what I paid for it.
I do go through tires quickly, but as pointed out, that's my fault (I have the standard long-range model, and I still love to accelerate it at times. It's great to enter highways and have instant rapid acceleration for merging. I still enjoy being first at a red light in any lane and outpace other cars - except other Teslas - to get into any lane I want when the red light changes to green.)
It's far cheaper to operate, and except for road trips, I charge at home ... and, of course, I never go to gas stations anymore. For me, that more than compensates for longer charging time on road trips, since at least half of the stops would have been extended rest stops or meal stops had I been in an ICE car anyway.
The cost of body work IS exorbitant, however. Even if your fender-benders don't total the car, it'll will be expensive to repair accident damage.
Not sure why anyone would buy a Performance model, then complain it was too quick. I little research before buying would have solved this and the 21" rim issue. Yes retirees should look for the long range AWD model.
Not against EVs as long as we have freedom of choice all cars will be better, cleaner and better values.
Great observations.
Base Camry.
In CA, home electricity is 43 ¢/kWh so hybrids cost somewhat less to operate.
I have enough solar to charge the car and run the house no fuel or power bills power is 30 cents a KW and petrol is $2 a liter $8 a gallon I spend $80 a year for the chain saw, mower and trimmer
I have a Toyota Corolla budget so that is what I drive.
Love the 0-60 mph in
Contrary to what this TH-camr stated, the 0-60 mph time for a Tesla Model Y Performance is 3.5 seconds, as can be seen on the Tesla official website.
7:05 so one of your “complaints” is that a Tesla feature is so good it made you forget things on your gas car? That’s not very fair to hold that against the Tesla.
Since you said you bought this to review it for TH-cam, did you get to write off the expense?
A great car I'm sure. However, I am a retired person who doesn't drive very far, and the additional insurance cost per month far exceeds any saving I'd see from not buying gasoline. My USAA insurance would triple in cost over what I currently pay for my ICE vehicle. I checked Tesla insurance and my cost would be over $300 a month.
Get a 10 year old Nissan leaf and solar panels no maintenance and free fuel and no power bills I had one for a year and got a 3 year old M3 P not really needed but nice hassle-free car.
Just a correction, you state that the Tesla model Y perf goes from 0 to 60 and under three seconds, that is incorrect. The factory published figures for the performance model are 3.5 seconds, however in reality it’s about 3.7 seconds.
Good video, and a fair assessment. We own a 13-year-old Model S, 208,000+ miles and the original battery, and also own 1-year-old Model Y. We love them both. They work for us, they are comfortable, reliable, we have driven across the country, and Superchargers are abundant. Charging in our garage at night in "super-off-peak" time of use is nearly free, and if you go solar, well, even better.
Soon, I'd rather have my 82-year-old mom in a full-self-driving Tesla than her driving herself in her Honda.
I have leased a new model 3 RWD @ the 'special' lease price of $299 month. Naturally, it is almost $100 more all in with taxes, fees, etc. but still a low monthly for a new car. However, I have a dedicated brokerage account for this purchase with the $40K purchase price. I do all the payments (autopay) from this account. In a bull market the account is going strong.
I use FSD because I expect to need it in retirement at some point. The smallest engine is still faster than a previously Porsche Boxster. 20,mph to 50mph seems almost instantaneous. In three years I anticipate a reasonable chance I will have $40,000 or more in the investment account. Worst case, I will lease until I run out of money. Or retirement.
Where do you get it serviced if there's no dealer near you?
Can you see FSD working 100% of the time in the next few years? I want a model Y, just not sure if I need FSD.
I like my 2023 Bolt EV 2LT but each to their own.
Where do you live that milage same winter/summer?
Question/ regarding your videos about ss and earning additional income and taxation rates.. are all the same rules applicable past FRA?
I was hoping for the granular data. As a %, how much more is the insurance? Have you run a savings analysis on how much you save?
Any information you relate is another step toward less fossil fuel use. I can tell you from past experience that the maintenance costs are much less. I had a Nissan Leaf that only cost me 0.05¢ a mile to operate, including depreciation.
My current car was in for a recall, and the dealership rented me a Model 3 from Hertz. I had it for a week.
The only negative from my prospective was the lack of a dashboard binnicle.
My car is an A3 Audi eTron PHEV. I have a small battery, and a turbo 4 cylinder gas engine. Range is about 330 miles, then I recharge it, gas it up, and eat. Over the last 1000 miles, about 300 miles have been in EV mode. When using the gas, I am getting 44 mpg. Hybrid cars could be a step for those who travel in local service, but also take trips to granny’s house in a neighboring state.
Hertz got rid of all the EV’s. Took a huge financial loss.