Thread Drift

[smilingcat]

I've been following Tesla, the EV vehicle company and its cars. Model 3 is touted as a car for the masses while both model S and X are classed as a luxury cars.

So I got an e-mail "RSVP and schedule a drive". Why not? A gal from Tesla calls and we chat. I say, "I'm not interested in Model S or X but definitely interested in Model 3. And I've already visited a Tesla store a while back". And on...

Today, we showed up. I reiterated, "not interested in Model S or X but only in 3..." No model 3 in sight. no ride in S or X even though I had asked for a driver to take us for a spin so I can get an idea of model 3's ride and interior noise. No ride... No new information on Model 3 except to tell me that options have been bundled so that if I want an upgraded battery to get 300+mile on a charge, it is now bundled with premium interior package with glass roof. cost balloons from $35,000 to $50,000. no brochure on Model 3.

So they wasted 2-1/2 hour of my time because they had no new information they could give me and they already knew that I was well informed on model 3. What was new was the bundling of options.

I'm thinking... $50,000 car is a car for the masses???

Am I missing something here? or has car prices jumped that much? I think when the 1/2 million people who have made reservation finds out that the car they want with the option they want is going to cost $$$, I think many will cancel. Too much hype on "cars for the masses" me think.

[Pax]

Our latest truck, a Nissan Frontier 4x4, isn't top of the line and is considered very old tech. And it still cost almost $30,000, which I think is insane, but that's is still a VERY far cry from 50k.

[rebeccaC]

The base 3 does 220 miles on a full charge, which works well for what our needs would be. With our states growing fast charging network it could even be useful for some longer trips. One of the advantages of giving an early deposit for the model 3 was getting a 7500 federal rebate (which goes away after Tesla (or any car manufacture) has sold 200,000 pure EV cars) and here there’s a state EV rebate of at least 2500 and up to 5000 depending on income. Being the first state to get model 3 production runs helps too.

A 5000 state rebate for fuel cell cars like the Honda Clarity, which gets 300+ mileage, is another choice we’ve been thinking about since there are an increasing number of fueling stations in California now including three 24/7 ones within just a short drive from us.
California is about to add 3 billion to its rebate program. An additional 500 million will be added for rebates for disadvantaged communities, school and transit buses.

The average transaction price for a new car this year is 30,000+ according to a quick net search.
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[Crankin]

I was also going to say that it feels like the average price of a new car is 30k. It does seems higher than it should be, but that's what it is.

[ny biker]

As my 10-year-old Prius nears 140,000 miles on its odometer, I am not happy to think about having to pay $30k for a new car when the time comes. I'm hoping it will be another couple of years before it needs to be replaced, but still. It took long enough to pay off this car, and it cost < $25k. (It is a great car and I'm very happy with it. It's nice to feel like a major purchase decision was a good one.)

[emily_in_nc]

NY, I bet that Prius will last awhile longer. Great cars!

Our last car, a Honda CR-V, cost around $27K. This was for the "middle" trim line in 2013. The economy line was $2K less, but I had to have an armrest. I always joked that it was my "two thousand dollar armrest", as that was the only thing I just had to have from the next trim line up!

If we were to buy a car now, we'd go with a late model used car from Carmax. If you're willing to buy a car just 1-2 model years old, you can save some $$ off brand new.

[ny biker]

If I needed a new car now, I would want another Prius (they really are great cars). Last I heard there are not many used ones available, though that was a few years ago so maybe it's changed. I understand what you mean about the $2000 arm rest. I chose a more expensive option package on my car because I wanted the HID headlights. The other things that were part of that package didn't interest me so much. But it turned out that the auto-dimming rear view mirror that also came with that package is the best nighttime rear view mirror I've ever used -- it cuts glare amazingly well. I think when I eventually need a new car I will sorely miss that mirror. Also I will miss the stereo with the 6-CD changer, because yes I still prefer CDs!

What I really need for a new car is to bring my sister along to negotiate for me. She's way better at it than I am.

On another topic -- this morning I read about discounted prices at Whole Foods now that Amazon has bought them. I don't care. I still hate Amazon for putting good small companies out of business. In fact I may end up shopping less at Whole Foods in the future because of them.