As a senior citizen Tesla Model 3 owner who's driven it coast to coast twice, I can tell you the 250+ mile range on road trips is not the limiting factor, it's the 150 mile bladder range😂
My goodness and wow. That is the first time I have ever heard an electric car owner present a case for ownership that is complete, … a regular, American- English, speaking person, talking in regular terms that were fully explanatory. Thank you very much.
Dirty copper and how environmental toxic it is just look at Ontario and the mess copper made mining it it took 50 years for Ontario to start repairing itself
This summer my husband and I did a road trip with our Model Y. We drove 5550 miles in fifteen days in FSD. Never had a charging problem. Love our Y. We had a three but I had trouble getting in and out as it is lower. Gave the three to our granddaughter. We now own two model Ys. We were in Tucumcari NM and when leaving our hotel there at the Tesla hotel charger was another identical modelY and from our state. Amazing coincidence. I love dog mode as my dog is almost always with me. Love my Tesla. Thank you Elon!
We picked the Y for the extra room...... wife and I are both tall....... and the higher seat, easier to get in and, especially, out. Let's also acknowledge that there are many shopping malls and centers of town where the premier parking spaces are reserved for electric cars, too! We drive into the town center, park right in front of a specialty grocery store and a restaurant we like, charge for free, then go a block to pick up the regular groceries we ordered the day before. We get home after an enjoyable day of errands and dining with more charge than we left with and it was free, plus no parking fees.
i bought a model 3 last december, and it is the most fun ever! It's the best and well worth the initial outlay. I paid cash as i was able to, so no problems for me... i am 68 and drive my little heart out on windy, lonely mountain roads... the handling, the acceleration, and anything else you can mention is superb!
No doubt being financially free and not having to worry much about health care and other luxury expenses cannot be overemphasized, making smart plans and setting up diversified investment portfolios is quite essential.
I'll have to be financially stable in every sense before purchasing my first supercar. The best thing to do with your money is to invest right and plan meticulously for retirement
I started out last summer and it's been a series of losses for me. I'm finding it very difficult to make profits and at this point I'm getting extremely frustrated.
You need to get a financial planner or expert on investments to aid diversify your portfolio to commodities index funds, digital assets etc, to provide illumination and guidance in the financial markets.
Bought a brand new Tesla Model 3 for cash in 2019. Got a $3500 tax credit handed back to me that year. Have over 52000 miles on it and it has NEVER been in the shop. No oil changes necessary. I have only replaced the tires. The service team came to my house to do that. The only time I visit a gas station is to buy a pack of gum and to put air in my tires. I charge my battery every week at my house for a couple of dollars a day. I look at it as an annuity considering all the cash I save each month vs. a gasoline powered car. Probably will be my last car because the electric motors and battery are warrantied for 120,000 miles. Teslas are one of the few automobiles made with American materials, by Americans, in America. Love love my Tesla.
Good point. Geoff forget to mention the at home service available in metro areas. They even came and replaced a tire in my garage. Same price as going to their service center. I tipped the guy nicely since I could continue to work and bill while the tire was changed.
I find it odd that you did not mention the purchasing experience. No salesman, no finance office, nobody trying to sell you window etching, upholstery treatment, gap insurance, etc, etc. Far and away the best purchasing experience I have had.
Purchased a Bolt EV in 2021 with no haggling, and no extras pushed on me. I bet those 2022 Tesla buyers wished they were offered gap insurance after Elon stopped price gouging, and lowered Model 3/Y prices back down in Jan. 2023.
Good analysis. I have a Long range model Y and a home with solar. I purchased both a couple years before I retired. Now I pay little for electricity, gas or maintenance. Charging access at home or work is a must. Road trips are not a problem with Tesla’s charging network. I appreciate that EVs are not for everyone but it is perfect for me. Once you drive an EV you won’t likely want to go back to a gas powered vehicle.
@@Dkrpan59sorry, can you explain the issues? All cars have copper, we have plenty of copper sources. I'm guessing you heard somewhere that EV batteries are made of rare and hard to get minerals. All cars are made of minerals of course, they came from a mine. We also have a lot of negative environmental impacts from getting gasoline and oil comes from a lot of countries with terrible human rights. The most concerning component of EV batteries is many contain some cobalt. The good news is increasing numbers of EVs are made without cobalt, including the Tesla red car - it uses lifepo4 batteries. We keep improving the quality of energy sources over time, but a gas car never gets more environmentally improved.
As a retired senior who has owned a MY for 3 years I have to say this is one of the best and accurate reviews. 4 points I would add. This is the most fun car I have driven ever. This is what sold me on it. 2nd is that the 3rd row does not face backwards. It is very small and only comfortable for small children or pets. 3rd this is the safest car you can buy according to the insurance institute. 4th is you don’t have to buy from a dealer. You buy it from home on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. Easy Peasy
Great practical explanation. We have owned 2 Teslas, a Model 3 & Model Y. Now in my upper 70s, Driving to Oregon or Minn from Phoenix several times during the year is so much easier with Auto Pilot and FSD, and we sometimes will sleep in it. It is fun to drive, and the over-the-air updates can make it feel like a new car. Yes, it is the perfect retirement vehicle for us.
I hope i get one of the 3rd gen Cybertrucks sometimes before 2030 in Europe. That will be the last vehicle i will have bought to drive in my life. And i hope it will be delivered with FSD. Until then my employees and me all drive Teslas.
How is the out-of-warranty repair service and cost of getting that service? Nothing scares me than getting a single nut fastened out of warranty on a Tesla. I hear you'll be out thousands. I'd have moved to EVs but most ordinary shops can't handle fixes.
@@rohitnijhawan5281 I have owned two different Tesla vehicles. The first was a model 3, and there were no repairs needed in the approx. 18 months of ownership. We sold the model 3 because my wife wanted a vehicle that sat higher off the ground, and was easier for her to enter and exit. Our next and current Tesla is a model Y, which sits about 4 or 5 inches higher and is more ergonomically freindly for those of us in our late 70's. But both Teslas handle better than a corvette owned in earlier years, and on par with a more recent mid-engined Porche Cayman. But to answer your question about out of waranty repairs, there have been None. We did recently have the 12 volt battery replaced (under warranty) that powers the electronics, and this battery was the typical type found in all gas vehicles. We currently have about 39,000 miles on the model Y. Basic warranty is 50,000 miles, Battery (Main Drive) is 8 years or 120,000 miles and Drive train is 120,000 miles. Many people have asked "how long will the main battery last?" I have not heard of any bad news in this area. A freind in real estate has 90,000 + miles on his model 3, drives like a teenager, and has very little battery degredation. I have heard of many in the 300,000 to 400,000 mile range with batteries still going strong. New battery technology will only inhance both driving range and longevity. I will continue to drive Teslas' as they are the most troublle free vehicle available.
@@miltgluppe If you mean recognize and avoid objects on the road then yes. At least everything as large as a duck. Why is sleeping in the car not a good idea?
I am retired. I got a Model Y about a year ago, and your comments are spot on. I got the Long Range, and even then, I run it in chill mode for the same reason you stated. an interesting thing happened the other day. My wife has a gas car and was complaining about a steering wheel too hot to touch when she got in. The next day she complained about having to stand in the 105F heat to fill the gas tank. I too charge mine in my garage. I have solar and am retired, so I typically charge for free when the sun is out. Much lower operating costs. So far I have only paid to have the tires rotated once (in my driveway) and 1 gallon of bug washer fluid. This is over a 12,700 mile period. One last thing, my daughter has a Model 3. It is much easier to get in and out of my Model Y. I have the seven seater. The seats face the front, not the back. The seats are small, and leg room is tight. It is only good for short people and we rarely use them.
Excellent breakdown of Tesla Model Y/3 owner experience. I’m probably 3-5 years away from retirement and we bought our Y two years ago with the idea that someday we’d have the time for road trips/traveling. Turns out that we found the time to do some pretty amazing road trips ahead of schedule! And these cars - both the Y and the 3 are awesome road trippers and dog mode - even camp mode are incredible features we use all the time. Good electric cars with an excellent charging network makes it possible to transition from ICE cars to fully electric. I should share this video with my brother. He’s certainly been intrigued with our purchase.
I’m not retired. Full time employment. I drive about 22,000 miles a year. I live in California. About a year ago I put solar on my roof and bought a Tesla model 3. The amount of money I save every month not having an electric bill at home and not paying for gasoline and maintenance of a gas car is significant. On average as of right now I save about $700 a month. As gas and electricity prices go up those savings will rise significantly. People make fun of me and call me stupid but I have no idea why. I guess they like going to gas stations and spending $100 to fill their tanks. Seeing all these comments in here filled with people that also did what I did makes me feel better about my decisions. Enjoy your Tesla guys. Side note, my friend at work has a 2018 model 3 with 120,000 miles, never had a problem. Batteries have lost about 10% of their efficiency but that’s not bad. Car is still going strong. No maintenance in 120,000 miles. Amazing.
I actually have growing faith in the FSD package but not in some senior loved ones driving. When ready it may give a great deal of flexibility and freedom to elderly drivers.
I hope it works out that way. As a young man I remember how my grandfather became depressed when his children made him give up his car keys. He lost a lot of freedom to do things when and how he wanted. I am hoping technology lets me push this time down the road.
I purchased a Model 3 in late 2018 with the enhanced Autopilot that I upgraded to FSD when they offered it again. My hope was that by the time I would need it to drive me around it would be able to do so. I’ve seen it getting much better with fits and starts throughout the development process, and find that for most drives it will get me from my driveway to the parking lot of the place I am going to. I see the light at the end of the tunnel now.
I'm 82 and own a Y with FSD (full self driving). It's a godsend. I had had to give up driving at twilight and at night. Now it's a breeze. The only thing the driver is required to make decisions for is emergency type conditions that I would not trust FSD to handle well; so I simply disengage FSD for a few seconds by taking over the steering of the car. This requires very little extra effor to disengage FSD, similar to the Volvo when you try to change lanes without signalling. Just a slight tug for a fraction of a second. The smart cruise control continues as usual while I manually steer out of the perceived difficulty. I must note that I am an excellent driver with an equally excellent driving record. Only now, I'm much more confident driving in less that perfect conditions. Leave the driver to Lady, my Tesla Model Y. Much more refreshed at the end of any trip than ever. A side note: "one pedal driving" is a great feature. The regenerative braking allows you to drive by simply putting pressure on the accelerator to speed up just as on a GV and holding it steady for constant speed and then letting up either quickly or sowlsy to slow down in a controlled manner...never applying the brakes except in emergency fast stops. Kinda like driving the electrin bumper cars that were at the arcades when I was a kid. You never have to change the brakes as they are so seldome used with one pedal driving. Regenerative braking is what slows you down.
For a flat tire, the roadside assistance can offer to bring you a replacement wheel with tire on it so you can get underway. You'll have to go back later for your wheel and replaced tire, of course. But, your car doesn't usually need to be towed away.
Great, highly comprehensive discussion of much of what a BEV buyer can expect from their first EV, especially for a Tesla. Thanks for taking the time to prepare and post this.
Yep - bought a model Y in December when they were giving the $7500 discount up front and free super charging for 10,000 miles - I am now 13,000 miles in this wonderful machine and have paid almost $0 to charge it (cuz I also have solar panels) - handling and performance; definitely the hands down best automobile that I have ever driven - I use the advanced autopilot on the highway a lot , it is not perfect but pretty darn close
This leads me to add a note about fuel costs. I just turned 9300 miles on my Y, including 2300 using supercharges (which I had to pay for, as the free deal is no longer available" and my total cost has been $483.
We are retired and bought a 2022 Model Y LR. We have Tesla solar panels and batteries and the home charger. I will never buy anything else, it’s that good we love it. We travel frequently and charge at super chargers along our way with no problem. I highly recommend Tesla. Thanks for your videos
I really appreciated this review, because it was very thorough without a lot a bunch of unnecessary nonsense. I liked the comments from seniors too. I’m 69 and my wife and I have been retired for several years. I follow EV’s through reviews all the time, but have not yet purchased one. It’s my dream to install solar panels on our house, buy an EV and run it in sunshine! And I see from comments that other seniors haven’t just dreamed about it, but are doing it. Right now, we have his and hers 2022 Toyota Priuses. I’ve been a Toyota economy car man for years. One of our daughters is still driving a 2009 Corolla that we bought new for $15K out the door! The Priuses were about $30K OTD. If Toyota had been faster with EV development, I probably would have bought one. I’ve worried about reliability for Teslas, don’t like the computer screen for everything, don’t like the looks of the model Y, don’t like having no spare and no back wiper. But sooner or later, I may very well replace one of our Toyotas with a Tesla,depending on how long we live.
I have a Model Y and solar panels with a Powerwall battery. So not only do I have power for the house and car, I have a backup if we lose power. It is a pretty compelling investment if you add in the battery backup and don't need a generator. Whole house generators cost in excess of $10K after installation. While a backup battery cannot run everything, it is enough to keep the essentials running.
i got my Y for 39,900 and 2750 rebate from Cali. So far I have saved 7500 in Cali gas costs. The Y has been the best car I have ever owned and its so much fun to drive. Half my neighborhood drives Tesla since I purchased mine in 21!
Just came back from a 1000 mile road trip, on the supercharger stops the car was ALWAYS ready to go before I was, potty breaks, food... Loved the acceleration and the FSD made the trip enjoyable on the interstate.
I've been driving a Model Y LR for about 2 years. It was/is my mid-life crisis car (which my wife approved). It is by far the nicest car I have ever owned because I have always bought used A-B cars with a history of low maintenance like Corollas. The problem is that utilitarian cars aren't fun to drive. We test drove several cars at the Tesla showroom near us before making a decision. Like you, the performance variant made my wife car sick but she was fine with the Long Range in chill mode. It is also more expensive to change the tires on the Performance model since they are staggered. Adjusting to an EV takes a bit of time and rewiring how you think about fueling your vehicle - but once adjusted - most vow never to go back. For example, one-pedal driving/regen braking is so nice. Hold at stops is so nice. Instant torque is so nice. Waking up everyday with a nearly full "tank" is so nice. Buying online without dealership nonsense is so nice. Sentry mode/built-in 4-camera dashcam is so nice. Having access to a very reliable and well covered charging network is very nice. I've convinced a number of once anti-EV folks by simply letting them borrow the car and try it for themselves. Even if they still prefer their gas cars, most aren't dogmatic haters anymore. Are there still gotchas with EVs and Teslas? Sure. If I needed a vehicle to tow a camper across the country - EV's aren't there yet. But for me, I'd rather drive my Model Y most of the time and rent another vehicle when I needed other capabilities. Also, it might not be the best fit for those living in an apartment or condo. Although I know of folks that managed to get an EVSE installed in their parking garage at their condo. Autopilot is great for long trips but it is an optional feature like a really nice cruise control. It isn't perfect. I often find myself not using it unless on long trips. I totally agree that FSD isn't ready for prime time and it will likely take years until it is and perhaps a decade (or more) until it is fully hands free. Everyone is working on this feature but it is a hard computer science problem. Range, especially with Tesla, are a bit optimistic because of the methodology used for EPA rating, just deduct about 10% for a more realistic average range. It also depends on many factors, just like a gas car - speed being one of the biggest. Tesla's navigation system is generally conservative when planning charging stops, so if you get stuck - that means you ignored its recommended charging stops for some reason. When I lived in Florida, I did have to very occasionally reboot the car if it had been sitting out in the extreme heat all day. I haven't had to reboot since I moved to Colorado. And, yes, the Model Y can climb mountains - easily. Scaled Mt Evens, in June, in a snowstorm, no issues and never used my breaks on the way down (regen breaking FTW). Just my experience of using a Tesla for 2 years, driving about 25,000 miles in that time, including several long road trips. The 7-seat option faces forward like the rest of the seats but they are really small "jump seats" only suitable for kids and small adults (about 5").
Ok, great detailed checklist, thanks Mr. H. Schmidt. One negative you left out is that in Autopilot, you have to be aware of what is scarily called "Phantom Braking". It's like there's a mean invisible passenger in your car who may at any moment decide to slam on the brakes. Now this is normally thought of as a safety feature - you wouldn't want to hit that fallen boulder on the road, right? But when driving down a clear open freeway on a nice day that ghost sitting next to you may decide that something it sees or maybe hallucinates in front on the road is a real object and it hits the brakes bringing you down from 70MPH to 20! The fellow behind you may be alert enough to hit the brakes too but maybe not and then whoops, accident! So these days, I sometimes use Autopilot with my foot poised to nudge the accelerator, reminding the ghost that it was just dreaming and there is nothing on the road ahead. But mostly I just don't use AP and its Friendly Ghost.
Thank you for your honest opinion about Model Y. I am a retiree. I drove Model 3 and Y for a week in each model. What computers do is mind-blowing innovation and very convenient; no other vehicles cannot. It is very roomier inside, and I admit it is an adorable, stylish design. What I disliked, compared to other EVs I test-drove, was ride quality, cabin noise, and built quality. The ride reminded me of a Golf-Curt in which I felt stiffness and every bump. I hear noise from tires, wind, and outside surroundings. And built quality looks discounted and felt low grade. Other than that, the price is affordable and attractive. If a monitor size is more significant, 20 or 24 inches, I would lease Model Y for 3 years. Why not😉
Excellent summary. I do have two things to mention. 1. To restart the car, you don’t need to hold the brakes. Holding the he two steering wheel buttons are enough 2. The rear seats in the Model Y are tiny but they are front facing. Only the older Model S had rear facing seats
Good analysis, what i find interesting is practically nobody is talking about the upcoming point of sale credit starting January 1. No issues utilizing a tax credit, its direct cash at the point of sale in USA, 7500 bucks for new, 4000 for used. These things are going to start flying out of the factories very soon, and the cost of ownership equation will be awesome, especially for the lower priced models.
I am approaching retirement and bought my Model X in 2020. I love the features and some of the over the air updates that are released from time to time. I bought full self driving and it is the one thing I think was a waste of money. Autopilot is enough for me. Using full self driving on city streets is scary. Like sitting in the passenger seat while teaching your 15 year old how to drive. On the freeway it is great, but auto lane changes are tough in rush hour traffic so I don't use it. When I bought mine I received free supercharging as long as I own the car. Things I like: one pedal driving (great in rush hour traffic), autopilot, acceleration, charge at home (I have solar), can watch streaming media on the screen while charging, dog mode, never need to take key fob out of pocket, tap the brake and driver door closes, no oil changes, if not for free supercharging I would charge at home which is nice to wake up to charged battery Things I don't like: phantom braking, had to have warranty work and other repairs (never happened with my Tacoma), tires wear out and are expensive, my model year didn't have much for interior storage areas, the sun visors are pretty worthless, worrying about the state of charge when fly back and left your car at airport. I had left We have only done a few road trips, and stopping is ok and fairly quick. Usually good to stretch the legs go get something to eat. Lately, and in some cities such as Las Vegas and Sacramento (weekends) the superchargers where I need them have a wait time. To find one available could mean driving across town, with no guarantee that they will not also have a wait by the time you get there. I hope they build a lot more and not just near the interstates. When we retire we plan to road trip all over the country with the free supercharging. Expensive tires or repair costs are more than made up for by the free supercharging so far. Autopilot will be nice for the long drives too. Stopping to charge will sometimes be a pain, but we are used to it.
I really enjoyed this...excellent review of the Tesla and its practical and financial reality. I’m an engineer who’s designed for the legacy car manufacturers as well as DOE/DOD and honestly wasn’t expecting much with “money pit” in the title but honestly I enjoyed this and really appreciate your thorough and balanced presentation. There’s not a word I would disagree with (rare for me LOL). One thing you alluded to but didn’t quite emphasize (or feel free to outright claim) is that the likely service life of these cars (3 and Y) is between 2x and 3x that Camry mentioned a few times. Even early 3s in fleet service routinely exceeded half a million million miles including in most cases, their batteries. Battery tech has of course improved dramatically since those early days and continues to do so. Tesla techs I’ve spoken to are seeing brake pads lasting more than 150,000 miles as well due to one pedal driving. There’s really no upper bound on motor life if the bearings are designed properly (witness industrial turbine generators). There’s no downside at all that I’m aware of except that it can be expensive to get into an accident with them in these early years. LOL. That will change once Tesla is done building out capacity to effectively supply the world with vehicles. Right now every part is a premium commodity that should ideally be routed to building a new car not repairing a damaged one. One other minor issue to point out is that insurance is still a bit pricey, although better with Connect (Costco). That will change as Tesla expands its insurance arm cross-country over the next few years. Anyway, thanks for an excellent presentation...well done!!
Since 1993 I've only purchased low mileage Toyotas, my last one is my 2013 Prius. I've owned it for 6.5 years and have saved well over $5,000 in Gas, so as of this date, my Prius only cost me $11,000 in 2016...with only the present 92,000 miles on it, it's got YEARS to go. The only maintenance cost in 6.5 years has been a total break job - that's the ONLY expense. I LOVE it!!!
THOSE along with tires, wiper blades etc are all basic costs...everyone has to pay. I'm talking about engine timing belts etc. also because of regen. braking brakes last MUCH longer on hybrids.@@skepticalmechanic
I have a 2011 Prius with 220K miles and it hasn't needed a brake job yet. Sounds like a dealer said, you have X miles, therefore you need a brake job. Most dealer mechanics don't drive hybrids.
@@reebeeable Careful quoting that mileage if your taking from the car's computer. We're on our third Prius an I log all fuel-ups, and when I do the math (miles drive/gallons purchased) the car consistently overestimated the actual mileage by 5-6%. If it's reporting 55mpg, my experience tells me it's more likely 52mpg; still great, it's still padding the resume.
I absolutely love my 2022 Model Y LR! I have the white interior and the aftermarket add-ons you can get allow you to customize your Tesla to your heart's content. I didn't like the fact that there was no instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, so I bought a display and installed it. Works great. I also installed a white leather yoke steering wheel which gives me better visibility through the windshield and a more comfortable hand position. Also, you should have mentioned that if you have solar panels, the operating cost is even less! I'll never go back to an ICE vehicle!
Congrats on getting a Y. We are on our 4th Tesla. I drive Xs, and my wife drives a 3. I like to cruise along upright; she likes to recline and zip in and out. When we replaced the first X I test drove the Y and liked it. But the higher noise level and harsher rise since it does not have air suspension, felt like a step down. So, I went with another X. But as we move into retirement, I may replace the X with a Y!
I am a car guy, I love gears and all that . I bought a Model Y, I'll never go back to a gas car. I never go to a supercharger unless I'm going cross country.
We purchased one of the first model 3's five years ago. we have changed two front windshields and tires. we now have 130,ooo. thousand miles. still very happy. we charge at night and during the day with our solar if we are home. we took off one summer with no destination, we drove threw 5 states in 6 days, it was a great trip. thanks Mr. Schmidt we watch all your shows. Dave and Shelly
Thanks for a great review on owning a Tesla in retirement. I recently retired and ordered a Model 3 Highland. Can't wait. Your Model Y will be safer in a front side impact due to the front giga castings - should be more repairable. A low centre of gravity means these cars are less likely to roll-over in an accident. Great as roll-overs often result in head injuries.
The Model Y is the safest car ever tested by NTHSA. They have never flipped any Tesla during testing. Also Teslas have low polar inertia, due to battery placement, meaning even safer in a collision.
I absolutely love this! I heard there was no dealership to worry about and its true. Took a test drive of a base 3 model and WOW. This video showed me so many things I didn't know. Ford lost me after 40 years of driving them, and my Tesla arrives in 2 weeks! Thanks for sending me that way!
I think you'll find that it is extremely easy to total any modern vehicle. A not all that large branch fell on the roof of my truck, it wasn't a total, but it was ~$12,000 just for that.
Autopilot is great on freeways as long as the white lines are present. In most night driving situations, the car sees better than I do. On two-lane country roads it's better to just use adaptive cruise in order to choose the best path on a sometimes questionable road surface. Presently FSD and Autopilot don't avoid potholes. As far as wheels are concerned, if efficiency and comfort are important to you, smaller wheels and larger tires are the way to go. Aero wheels are not as good looking as other wheels, but they will increase your range. Thanks for such a comprehensive and well-thought-out presentation.
Great video idea. I, too, am 70 and bought a 2023 Model Y Performance. Love it. I bought this as my last new car while still working. I wanted a car that is somewhat future-proof. I don't think gas will be widely available 10 years from now. And as Full Self Driving improves, I have a chance of letting the car drive better than I will be able to 10 years from now. 😊
I really appreciate your perspective and experiences. I drove a EV for a few years and moved back to a Gas SUV because at the time it was too new in the evolution of EVs, but after this honest review I believe I will look into a Tesla for our secoend car as we plan its replacement in a couple fo years. Thanks!
At 59 years old, after driving pick ups all my life, I bought a 2018 DMM3 brand new and then bought a new DMLRY in May 2022 and love it. The larger model Y is the way to go for older, larger, or people setting in a very low position. Love EV'S and will NEVER go back to ICE vehicles.
I don’t usually post to your website but it’s interesting that you came to the same conclusions I did when I decided to purchase my Model 3. For your viewers, they wish to check with their electric company and join the time of use programs if available. The cost of my electricity to charge my tesla has dropped from $.14 per kilowatt hour to eight cents per kilowatt hour if I select to charge it between the hours of 10 PM and 8 AM. I normally charge these hours. Anyway, additionally, the time of use has restrictions in the highest electricity usage time frames that, if you can avoid them, allows you to have cheap electricity, when others are paying upwards of $.30 or more per kilowatt hour. I just received my power bill. I was expecting it to be much higher since I purchased my Tesla a little over a month ago. It was actually lower. Just an FYI.
As a car enthusiast that watches a lot of car review videos, this was great! All good points. For future buyers, be on the lookout for lightly used Teslas with FSD already purchased, sometimes you can find a hot deal from an unsuspecting dealer who doesn't know what they have. I found my 2-month-old Tesla with under 1k miles for significantly under MSRP, AND FSD included. FSD is amazing on the highway compared to the basic Autopilot and will be really interesting when the new Version 12 releases.
I spilled curry on my back seat of my Model S which is cream colored. I was frantic! We wiped it off and the curry did not even stain the stitches! You could not tell it ever happened. I was amazed and having dogs, it holds up to them too.
My brother in law loves it because he is hard of hearing and the Tesla is so quiet it allows him to hear better in the car whether it's the radio or other people.
I purchased a model Y in October 2021. I have thirteen grandkids so I purchased the third row of seats. These two seats face forward - not backward as you stated in your video. The two rear seats are only suitable for children. There is not enough room for me. My model Y is the long range version but I later purchased the accelerator booster for $ 2000. The accelerator booster gave me exactly the same acceleration as the performance version and I routinely use it to enter VERY busy streets where I can zoom out without risking getting hit. I then put is back in chill mode. I believe that the sport mode is an important safety feature.
Excellent Tesla video! I’ve been wanting a model Y LR for a while. I’m still driving my 2002 Lexus RX 300 that I bought new almost 22 years ago! She’s at 212,000 miles & still going. I don’t drive as much so it’s in my garage . If I get a Tesla I think I’d drive more often .
Nice job! You have done a good job of lowering your environmental impact by keeping an older car on the road. Beside the burning of approximately $31,000 worth of gasoline, which we nearly all have done, at least you didn't run out and buy a new car every 2-3 years like a lot of people. If you do decide to get a new car, Just Get a Tesla! and you will drive more. Most Tesla drivers report driving more, not less.
Having to wait for road side assistance for a flat tire is a NO GO for me. I carry a spare, plugging kit, compressor, and jack in all of my cars. When my wife picked out a Q60 which came with run flats, I had the dealership order the trunk foam panels for a spare, a spare, and a jack. In addition, I had them replace the run flats with Conti DWS tires. If I have a flat, I can either plug it or quickly or put on a spare and be on my way. Just my .02 on the dependency on road side assistance for a flat.
I'm a Tesla owner and bought an after market spare after the fact. Depends on if I'm on a road trip or just driving locally if I decide to put it in or not since it does take up some trunk space. Jacking the car is no issue at all if one uses these third party "pucks" for about $25 and places them in the jacking point holes on the bottom of the car. The torque on the wheels is substantial so I also take a "breaking bar" along with me. So if one is handy enough to change a tire, changing a tire on a Tesla is no big deal with simple understanding.
I had a 2017 Model X, then replaced it with a '22 Model Y, then another Model X that sits next to the Y in the garage. Amazing cars. Best I've ever owned. I don't miss the gas station visits or the oil changes at all.
Ok. After watching the entire video I have to admit - I subscribed. I think you are concise, neutral in the for/against stuff which is great, and you are eloquent in how you speak. No fancy frills. Instead you give the brass tacks version. Also, you don't try to talk over most people's head and instead give a down to earth version. I also like that you are able to take what could be a very hard to understand subject and give good reasons for what you are saying. I can't wait to see your next video.
Completely agree with your choice, I have been driving EVs since 2017 and there is no comparison to the convenience and value of home charging. I charge daily off my home solar. There is no way to make your own gas and you are totally dependent upon whatever whim some foreign dictator decides you will pay for gas as its price is driven by global market forces. Having just retired my solar investment is paying monthly dividends in the Texas heat and gas costs savings of around $400.00 per month. I own a 2023 Model X I paid off prior to retirement.
I have owned my MODEL X since 2016. Best car I have ever owned. I have never had it serviced in almost 8 years and 80k miles. I have never owned a car this long and have no plans of selling it either. Ever. So damn good. I don’t drive my BMW X5 M, AUDI, Mercedes, Maserati or Aston Martin. The over the jar updates made my X faster. It’s a better car today than when I bought it.
I'll admit I was one of those anti-EV people, however would never flip the bird to someone. I just went to Tesla's site and could get one (Model 3) for under 30K, before taxes and destination. That is very compelling.
As a recent retiree, turned in the company car (Ford Fusion), sold the wife's car (Chevy Cruze), and bought ourselves a Tesla Model 3 (Performance also). Its our only vehicle - other than our golf cart we use in our retirement community and we enjoy snow-birding with it back and forth between Ohio and Florida. We charge at home and get off-peak rates from the local utilities and pay as low as 8-9 cents/kwh which is a tremendous fuel cost savings. We conveniently use superchargers (at Buc-ees!) all along Interstate 75 on our trips back and forth. We have spent a total of $50 for a nail in one of the tires since we've had the Tesla, so maintenance savings are real. We belong to the local Tesla club here in Florida and get great tips from the community. We have good resources here in Central Florida as well - Electrified Garage in nearby Ocala and a great body shop specializing in Tesla repair here also make owning the Tesla less daunting. Great Retirement decision. Thanks for the video.
Yep regenerative braking is real. Drive up a mountain and you expend energy, but driving back down you recoup most of it back without braking. With an ICE vehicle you expend energy driving both up and down, plus you put wear on the brakes. I also like the fact I can watch a movie or UA-cam while my wife is shopping.
What about a HYBRID, I got a Lexus ES 300 H 2023 and it’s range is 500 miles combined. No comparison regarding interior LEXUS far nicer. Also my auto agent said car insurance is higher. Battery warranty is 10 years 150,000 miles
BEV is not right for everyone. I would not get one of home charging is not practical. Look into a phev. We have a Model Y & a phev, I get 3.2 mi/kwh while the Y get 4.1. Last time I fill the gas tank was 3 months ago.
I find after retirement I drive a lot less and I can charge once a week while I am grocery shopping. My VW has free 30 minute charging for 3 years, so it is cheaper to charge at the store than the $40 per month to charge if I plug in at home. It just means I have to finish shopping in 30 minutes which isn’t a problem for me
True that EVs are not for everyone. You can manage though, my wife and I have a Model 3 and Y. We live in a house with double garage so charging not a problem. My daughter has a standard range Model 3 (smaller battery so less range) she lives in an apartment in a large city and she loves her car and charging at public chargers or Tesla Superchargers is not a problem.
For people like you we have public transport in Europe and the US has many superchargers all over town. That is no excuse to stop polluting your environment.
I'm glad that you mentioned that you would not buy the Performance version of the Model Y again. I just bought a Model Y and bought the long range version. I first test drove the performance version and found that it rode horribly. The Performance version has 21" wheels and a lowered, stiffer suspension. You feel every crack and pebble in the road, and bumps literally toss you around in the car. The wheels are wider and the tires offer no protection to the rims which get damaged very easily. As you mentioned, you can upgrade the lower-spec cars to similar wheels, but it is very costly ($2000), and those are 20" wheels which means replacement tires will be more costly. There are many affordable (about $200 for four) hubcap options available for the 19" wheels that take a trained eye to tell you that they aren't the upgraded wheels. The hubcaps also increase your range.
As a retired Model Y owner, it is a good investment. Test drive it, but I would suggest the standard wheels because the ride is so much smoother. No gas worries anymore and I don't drive far or put many miles on per year, so I try to keep it near 50% charged most of the time because that is best for the battery. I have taken it on trips and it will estimate where you may need to recharge if your map destination input is farther than it will be able to go on the charge. Also, rare to use the brakes and a need of a brake job because of the regenerative braking, but rotate tires in a timely manner because that is where your expenses will be because of the weight of the vehicle.
@@edhcb9359 No range worries at all because the car will always estimate how far you can go and map you to a Supercharger and I am not beholden to OPEC pricing.
@@bonwatcher LOL! One more thing to keep charged? No thanks! Plus they aren’t great cars. We have them as a choice in our company provided cars and barely anyone picks them over the other choice(Toyota Highlander).
@@HablaCarnage63 Of you wake up in the morning and realize you forgot to charge your car last night then you are screwed. If you wake up and realize you forgot to get gas then you take a minute and get gas. Not at all the same thing.
I bought my model Y EXACTLY for retirement! I won't need to change oil ever. And later when FSD is approved, I will drop the $12,000 so I will have my own chaffeur! Night driving is still cool.
I have to agree with many of the comments; this was a very well done explanation of the Tesla experience and what to expect. You will likely convert more than a few people and should post your referral code for those that you've swayed; I think they're still giving buyers $500 off when ordering with a referral code; they might as well use yours.
I have the same car, a Y Performance model. We needed something reliable to drive 150 miles to weekly/monthly medical appointments. Our dog loves Dog Mode. It saves me money on doggy daycare. Waiting for the CyberTruck to come out. Ours will have Full Self Driving (@ $7,000). 60% fill ups cost me under $5 at home at 10¢ a kilowatt and about $12 when on the road. Really, I haven’t noticed a change in our power bill. Update: It is now a month later. I love this car even more. A few weeks ago a raccoon ran in front of me @50+ mph. The car detected it. The car took evasive action, applying the brakes and steering to avoid hitting the little rascal and damage to the car.
Geoff, you're such a closet fan boiee! 🤣 It's ok, they're great cars IMHO. I leased a M3 almost 4 years ago (range anxiety = dumb decision). Had it 3.5 years and the only maintenance in all that time was adding windshield washer fluid and air to the tires. One perk you didn't mention was the buying experience. NO DEALER! Buy it online in minutes with no hassle or haggle. Genius. I've since purchased a MY and another M3 and intend on them being my last cars period. We took the MY on a road trip this last week. Absolutely no trouble finding superchargers on our route and bonus - there were free destination chargers at our hotel so we could charge up overnight. Love virtually everything about these cars including the software that is totally integrated. Nice video! Oh, and clearly I'm a fellow fan boiee...🤣
I retired in 2021 and my wife had a 2010 Honda CRV. The car never got great gas mileage from the time we got the car new in 2010 (about 25 mpg around town). It was costing us about $45 dollars to fill up every week or so depending on how much she drove the car. We bought the Tesla Model Y LR, AWD in June 2023 and it has been great. It cost me $174 dollars so far to charge at home and we have traveled 4,607 miles. If we had bought gas it would have cost us about $650 dollars to go that far. Buying a car at the Tesla store was the best car buying experience I have had. They don’t pressure you and they will get you a test drive without any hassle whatsoever. By the time it is all said and done I will have about $42 K in the car after my trade in and the $7,500 tax credit. Wife was looking at a Toyota Highland that was $46 K and only averaged about 35 mpg. Am sold on the car and we are very happy with our purchase.
This is the best review of Tesla or any EV that I have come across. Being a Corvette enthusiast, I never thought I would think about an EV. I’m getting close to retirement…maybe a Hummer EV Pickup in my future? 😉
Been a Tesla owner since 2015. Overall VERY good video and balanced. Rear seats in Model S face backwards. Rear seats in Model Y face forward. You did forget OTA's, over the air updates, which make the vehicle even better over time. Thanks !!!!
Where can you find a Camry for $38,600? With “dealer adjustment” or “dealer admins” of between $4000 and &12,000 here in FL we are between $42k and north of $50k.
As a mechanic I can tell you that if your car (any make) gets hit you wont be straightening any frame rails, they are made of high strength steel nowadays. So they will have to be replaced, and, if they do happen to be bent youve taken quite a hit. Another thing is, its not the fender bender that totals cars nowadays, its the ruined interior from all the passenger protection exploding. Otherwise this was a great video and thanks for sharing. I myself drive a 2014 Model S, just for the fun of it, and its great.
Interesting topic. I read the comments before I decided to make my comment. I have to say your video was more complete and accurate than I expected. On your accident, any accident hard enough to deform the aluminum frame on a Model S is going to deform a steel frame as well. In both cases the likelihood that the car will be totaled is about the same. Your Model Y Performance has a steel/aluminum hybrid frame and the battery weighs a little less than 900 pounds. I have researched it and have seen results showing 1700 pounds as you reported. When the Model 3 first came out it was taken out of the car and it weighed about 900 pounds. I wonder if the LFP battery in the Standard range variant weighs more. LFP batteries are significantly heavier than LNMC or NCA batteries. It costs about $14K to replace and has an expected life of 200 - 300K miles. Some have commented that you didn't factor in the cost of replacing a battery. Well, I don't know many people that replace the engine in an ICE car at 300K miles. They get rid of the car instead. With that many miles if it still runs it needs more than an engine. It would have already replaced or will need to replace the engine and transmission. If you look at the BMW 300 series cars the new engine is between $28 - $45K to replace depending on the engine and the configuration. That doesn't include the transmission. In the event of a pending natural disaster Tesla historically has turned on the full capacity of the battery for cars located in the area of the impact. This means that capacity that is normally hidden is now useful. If you decide not to leave and it floods water and Lithium batteries are not compatible. But Tesla has taken extreme measures to protect the battery from external access by water. In either event if your ICE car is flooded it is now worthless as well. It may not catch fire but it will be totaled and replaced. As far as driving across country in a Tesla it is typically very easy but will take a little longer than an ICE car. We have driven from San Jose to DFW several times and it takes about 90 minutes longer driving time for the trip. We used to drive in my wife's Acura as compared to my Model 3. Next year we will be using my wife's Model Y. I don't expect it will take any more or less time for the trip but will be more comfortable for the dogs. The car calculates your next stop on the route you have chosen and tells you how much charge you need to get to your next stop. It navigates to the supercharger and tells you how many chargers are available. It will update its estimate of the SOC you will have when you arrive and even tell you if you are consuming more than expected and advise you to adjust your speed or change your charger location to keep you safe. As far as Full Self Driving or FSD goes, I don't pay for beta software. I don't recommend that anyone spend $12K for it. However, I am glad a lot of people have. It has greatly accelerated the development of FSD. I use Auto Pilot all the time on the freeway especially in rush hour stop and go traffic. As far as maintaining a constant radius around a turn, it is a bit different but as I don't drink coffee I have never had anything spill as a result. Lastly, I can and have put PV on my roof to pay for the electricity. That was paid for before I got the electric cars. We started with a Leaf then replaced it with the Model 3 then replaced the Acura with a Leaf when the Acura was totaled then replaced the Leaf with the Model Y. I don't pay for gas or electricity I installed the PV before I got the cars and the AC for the house and the heat pump water heater. As a result the household cost for utilities is extremely low. As a result we are far less susceptible to fluctuations in the price of energy. I purchased the Model 3 before I retired and had it paid off before I retired. We paid cash for the Model Y as I am now retired and I don't want to have a car loan. From my personal point of view the Tesla Model Y or 3 is an excellent car for retirement. Most retirees aren't going to be putting 200K miles on their cars while in retirement and as there is almost no maintenance the total cost of operation for me is very low. YMMV.
@@markcummings6856 You put a car underwater and you can drive it afterwards. You sink below the engine and fill the cases with water. It is of little value after that. Fill the interior with sandy salt water and see how long it lasts. No telling what it would do to the transmission. By definition they cannot be made airtight. You can make them drive in high water, case i point the Humvee. But your typical sedan is toast. Simply blow a head gasket or crack a head and the engine needs to be replaced. Yeah, I know you can weld up heads and such. Insurance companies aren't going to go that route typically.
This was a great information. I’m looking to buy a Tesla Y in the spring, and will be retiring in a few years after that. The Tesla will help me keep cost low and to better control my budget during retirement.
Excellent, fair review. My wife owns a Model Y performance and I own a Model X. We needed the X for the space, and it is basically a station wagon sized car. I have hauled some pretty amazing things in it. Both have been basically trouble free and we also love home charging. I can't imagine going back to a stinky, clumsy, maintenance hog of a gas car. If you have seen the Tesla Robot video I think you will probably conclude wit me that Full Self Driving will eventually be a reality, and at 78 years I bought it for both cars because we intend to keep them as long as we can. (though we don't use it much yet, we do use TACC, the cruise control with extras) Legacy auto company auto companies are in big trouble...
I am in my late 60's and remember having to take away our parents cars. It was painful and they lost their sense of independence. Self driving cars solve both problems. No pain for my kids trying to take my car away, and I will still have my sense of independence.
Just took our granddaughter to Yellowstone National Park from eastern Minnesota. Charging was no issue-car was “texting “ us it was ready to get going before we were ready. Plus with electric, my granddaughter plugged it in and we were on our way to eat or restroom break as no need to stand and watch electrons flow.
I saw a post about tires. I’ve been through quite a few sets of Continentals. Go with Hankook ion EVO AS / sound absorber foam in tire. Great wear/stability and more efficient I’ve found giving 5 to 10% more range over Continentals. And a little bit cheaper too!
@@ronaldnevels7474 I just priced them out for my farther-in-law's Model Y, they were $315/tire at Tire Rack; I assume that's competitive, but I also don't know what the Continentals cost. I think the Hankooks had a longer mileage rating so, in theory, they should last longer. He's not purchased them yet, but probably will before too long.
@@toddwright662 thanks. I guess mine weren't too bad. $395 per front tire & $310 per rear at the Berkeley, CA Tesla Service Center, back in August 2021.
Good for you Geoff. I love the concept of an EV especially for the majority of my drives, short distances and could probably go a week without charging. Keep up the good work, love the videos.
Dirty ev I see the so-called green movement in delusiondirtycopper mining leaving a toxic stew in the streams and rivers down stream look at Ontario 50 years it took to start recovering but toxic heavy metals left behind like lithium ore that has to be boiled in a acidic radioactive stew
The seven seat option the rear passengers sit forward. You are thinking of the old 7 seat model S. The model y has all forward facing seats. The rear seats in model y are really only for smaller people.
I have been leasing a model Y for two years and very happy with it. I have been thinking of buying my next one and happy to hear you think it's a good buy. My favorite thing about the car is it's self driving and as I get older it takes a lot of the stress out of long rides.
Informative video. You need to remember that a large number of new buyers will have to pay 10k to 20k to add level 2 charging to their homes. As a Tesla 3 owner, I dislike having to wait at a supercharging station. You are extremely fortunate to pay only .16 per KWH. Take care.
My Model S is now 10 year old. My annual costs are literally insurance/registration (same as any car), Fuel (electricity) at about 25% the cost of gasoline - that is every 100 miles is about $4.00 of electricity. And maintenance...which for the last few years has been only tires and wiper blades. On an ongoing basis, it would be hard to think of anything costing less.
@@Trust_but_Verify Oddly enough, my brand new 2023 Model 3 lowered my insurance $50/6 months as compared with the 2018 Model 3 it replaced; no idea why.
@@Trust_but_Verify about 90k miles, insurance cost is about the same (roughly $130/month full coverage) as I imagine that's more of a function of potential repair cost or liability cost should I damage someone else's vehicle or property, and yes, I have free supercharging for life, but I only take maybe 1-2 long trips in the car a year. Since I now work from home mostly, my annual miles are now pretty low (about 6-8k miles a year).
Just watching your transition from S to GAS to Y. Just came back from the Acura Dealer dropping of my 2019 MDX, 92,000 miles and service code A13. They wanted $1500 for the service. $700 to change the fluids in the transmission!! I had a Standard Range Y w/4680 Structural Battery Pack Austin Build on order until Tesla notified me last week that they no longer MAKE the Standard Range Model Y and I would have to modify my order or they would cancel my order and return my $250. Now waiting for the Model Y Refresh. Phil in San Jose, CA
As a senior citizen Tesla Model 3 owner who's driven it coast to coast twice, I can tell you the 250+ mile range on road trips is not the limiting factor, it's the 150 mile bladder range😂
Amen
Couldn't agree more.
Lol it takes ~30 min or so to charge at Tesla super station. Cheaper than GAS
You should see a doctor. 😁
That’s what I say to everyone. And then there are the kids too! And feeding time…😊
My goodness and wow. That is the first time I have ever heard an electric car owner present a case for ownership that is complete, … a regular, American- English, speaking person, talking in regular terms that were fully explanatory. Thank you very much.
You bet.
Dirty copper and how environmental toxic it is just look at Ontario and the mess copper made mining it it took 50 years for Ontario to start repairing itself
This summer my husband and I did a road trip with our Model Y. We drove 5550 miles in fifteen days in FSD. Never had a charging problem. Love our Y. We had a three but I had trouble getting in and out as it is lower. Gave the three to our granddaughter. We now own two model Ys. We were in Tucumcari NM and when leaving our hotel there at the Tesla hotel charger was another identical modelY and from our state. Amazing coincidence. I love dog mode as my dog is almost always with me. Love my Tesla. Thank you Elon!
We picked the Y for the extra room...... wife and I are both tall....... and the higher seat, easier to get in and, especially, out. Let's also acknowledge that there are many shopping malls and centers of town where the premier parking spaces are reserved for electric cars, too! We drive into the town center, park right in front of a specialty grocery store and a restaurant we like, charge for free, then go a block to pick up the regular groceries we ordered the day before. We get home after an enjoyable day of errands and dining with more charge than we left with and it was free, plus no parking fees.
i bought a model 3 last december, and it is the most fun ever! It's the best and well worth the initial outlay. I paid cash as i was able to, so no problems for me... i am 68 and drive my little heart out on windy, lonely mountain roads... the handling, the acceleration, and anything else you can mention is superb!
Bought my Y in 2020, still raving about it, love the low maintenance
No doubt being financially free and not having to worry much about health care and other luxury expenses cannot be overemphasized, making smart plans and setting up diversified investment portfolios is quite essential.
I'll have to be financially stable in every sense before purchasing my first supercar. The best thing to do with your money is to invest right and plan meticulously for retirement
I started out last summer and it's been a series of losses for me. I'm finding it very difficult to make profits and at this point I'm getting extremely frustrated.
You need to get a financial planner or expert on investments to aid diversify your portfolio to commodities index funds, digital assets etc, to provide illumination and guidance in the financial markets.
Bought a brand new Tesla Model 3 for cash in 2019. Got a $3500 tax credit handed back to me that year. Have over 52000 miles on it and it has NEVER been in the shop. No oil changes necessary. I have only replaced the tires. The service team came to my house to do that. The only time I visit a gas station is to buy a pack of gum and to put air in my tires. I charge my battery every week at my house for a couple of dollars a day. I look at it as an annuity considering all the cash I save each month vs. a gasoline powered car. Probably will be my last car because the electric motors and battery are warrantied for 120,000 miles. Teslas are one of the few automobiles made with American materials, by Americans, in America. Love love my Tesla.
👍
Governments are losing tax revenue from the sale of gas. When will the government tax the milage in EVs to make up there losses?
Good point. Geoff forget to mention the at home service available in metro areas. They even came and replaced a tire in my garage. Same price as going to their service center. I tipped the guy nicely since I could continue to work and bill while the tire was changed.
@@whitburn60 most states have an EV fee to compensate for lost gas tax revenue. We pay it as part of the total annual registration fee.
That’s it I’m getting a model Y 😮
I find it odd that you did not mention the purchasing experience. No salesman, no finance office, nobody trying to sell you window etching, upholstery treatment, gap insurance, etc, etc. Far and away the best purchasing experience I have had.
What! No paint protection treatment for $2K?
@@JBoy340anope. Of course you can always buy that stuff via a third party.
City cars screw range think of the people that need to go work electric is good for stop and go regen braking
No nitrogen for $500? What am I going to do with that 3/4 of the air I'm breathing?
Purchased a Bolt EV in 2021 with no haggling, and no extras pushed on me. I bet those 2022 Tesla buyers wished they were offered gap insurance after Elon stopped price gouging, and lowered Model 3/Y prices back down in Jan. 2023.
Good analysis. I have a Long range model Y and a home with solar. I purchased both a couple years before I retired. Now I pay little for electricity, gas or maintenance. Charging access at home or work is a must. Road trips are not a problem with Tesla’s charging network. I appreciate that EVs are not for everyone but it is perfect for me. Once you drive an EV you won’t likely want to go back to a gas powered vehicle.
You should watch aboutdirty copper and the bad for the air and use up all the water and turn it into toxic stew
Excellant
A perfect analysis sir! 🙏🙏🙏🙏
@@Dkrpan59sorry, can you explain the issues? All cars have copper, we have plenty of copper sources. I'm guessing you heard somewhere that EV batteries are made of rare and hard to get minerals. All cars are made of minerals of course, they came from a mine. We also have a lot of negative environmental impacts from getting gasoline and oil comes from a lot of countries with terrible human rights. The most concerning component of EV batteries is many contain some cobalt. The good news is increasing numbers of EVs are made without cobalt, including the Tesla red car - it uses lifepo4 batteries. We keep improving the quality of energy sources over time, but a gas car never gets more environmentally improved.
@@lattelandlatteland not like electric
As a retired senior who has owned a MY for 3 years I have to say this is one of the best and accurate reviews. 4 points I would add. This is the most fun car I have driven ever. This is what sold me on it. 2nd is that the 3rd row does not face backwards. It is very small and only comfortable for small children or pets. 3rd this is the safest car you can buy according to the insurance institute. 4th is you don’t have to buy from a dealer. You buy it from home on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. Easy Peasy
Or Android, or Windows PC.
I love your video which is honest and practical. I am 81 and I have about 60,000 miles on my 2020 Model Y. I think the model Y is great for seniors.
Great practical explanation. We have owned 2 Teslas, a Model 3 & Model Y. Now in my upper 70s, Driving to Oregon or Minn from Phoenix several times during the year is so much easier with Auto Pilot and FSD, and we sometimes will sleep in it. It is fun to drive, and the over-the-air updates can make it feel like a new car. Yes, it is the perfect retirement vehicle for us.
I hope i get one of the 3rd gen Cybertrucks sometimes before 2030 in Europe. That will be the last vehicle i will have bought to drive in my life. And i hope it will be delivered with FSD. Until then my employees and me all drive Teslas.
How is the out-of-warranty repair service and cost of getting that service?
Nothing scares me than getting a single nut fastened out of warranty on a Tesla. I hear you'll be out thousands. I'd have moved to EVs but most ordinary shops can't handle fixes.
@@rohitnijhawan5281 I have owned two different Tesla vehicles. The first was a model 3, and there were no repairs needed in the approx. 18 months of ownership. We sold the model 3 because my wife wanted a vehicle that sat higher off the ground, and was easier for her to enter and exit. Our next and current Tesla is a model Y, which sits about 4 or 5 inches higher and is more ergonomically freindly for those of us in our late 70's. But both Teslas handle better than a corvette owned in earlier years, and on par with a more recent mid-engined Porche Cayman. But to answer your question about out of waranty repairs, there have been None. We did recently have the 12 volt battery replaced (under warranty) that powers the electronics, and this battery was the typical type found in all gas vehicles. We currently have about 39,000 miles on the model Y. Basic warranty is 50,000 miles, Battery (Main Drive) is 8 years or 120,000 miles and Drive train is 120,000 miles. Many people have asked "how long will the main battery last?" I have not heard of any bad news in this area. A freind in real estate has 90,000 + miles on his model 3, drives like a teenager, and has very little battery degredation. I have heard of many in the 300,000 to 400,000 mile range with batteries still going strong. New battery technology will only inhance both driving range and longevity. I will continue to drive Teslas' as they are the most troublle free vehicle available.
Sleeping in it is not a good idea. Does FSD pickup objects on the road?
@@miltgluppe If you mean recognize and avoid objects on the road then yes. At least everything as large as a duck.
Why is sleeping in the car not a good idea?
Gotta say this is the best advertisement of a Tesla Model Y I've seen.
To me, the self-driving car will be a game-changer. As I get older, having a glorified cab will become highly beneficial.
2027supply will be passed by demand of lithium
@@Dkrpan59 Projections are only as good as their assumptions.
Yeah, I’ll get FSD if and when I really can’t drive anymore, but how will licensing work when FSD reaches level 4 or even 5.
Earth has copious amounts of lithium.
Where did you get your misinformation?
I’ll make sure not to ride my bicycle
I am retired. I got a Model Y about a year ago, and your comments are spot on. I got the Long Range, and even then, I run it in chill mode for the same reason you stated. an interesting thing happened the other day. My wife has a gas car and was complaining about a steering wheel too hot to touch when she got in. The next day she complained about having to stand in the 105F heat to fill the gas tank. I too charge mine in my garage. I have solar and am retired, so I typically charge for free when the sun is out. Much lower operating costs. So far I have only paid to have the tires rotated once (in my driveway) and 1 gallon of bug washer fluid. This is over a 12,700 mile period. One last thing, my daughter has a Model 3. It is much easier to get in and out of my Model Y. I have the seven seater. The seats face the front, not the back. The seats are small, and leg room is tight. It is only good for short people and we rarely use them.
They would be superb for someone who is driving children around
Home solar + EV is a match made in heaven!
Excellent breakdown of Tesla Model Y/3 owner experience. I’m probably 3-5 years away from retirement and we bought our Y two years ago with the idea that someday we’d have the time for road trips/traveling. Turns out that we found the time to do some pretty amazing road trips ahead of schedule! And these cars - both the Y and the 3 are awesome road trippers and dog mode - even camp mode are incredible features we use all the time. Good electric cars with an excellent charging network makes it possible to transition from ICE cars to fully electric. I should share this video with my brother. He’s certainly been intrigued with our purchase.
I’m not retired. Full time employment. I drive about 22,000 miles a year. I live in California. About a year ago I put solar on my roof and bought a Tesla model 3. The amount of money I save every month not having an electric bill at home and not paying for gasoline and maintenance of a gas car is significant. On average as of right now I save about $700 a month. As gas and electricity prices go up those savings will rise significantly. People make fun of me and call me stupid but I have no idea why. I guess they like going to gas stations and spending $100 to fill their tanks. Seeing all these comments in here filled with people that also did what I did makes me feel better about my decisions. Enjoy your Tesla guys. Side note, my friend at work has a 2018 model 3 with 120,000 miles, never had a problem. Batteries have lost about 10% of their efficiency but that’s not bad. Car is still going strong. No maintenance in 120,000 miles. Amazing.
I actually have growing faith in the FSD package but not in some senior loved ones driving. When ready it may give a great deal of flexibility and freedom to elderly drivers.
FSD lowers insurance costs significantly, pays for itself, great in stop and go traffic as well as on long drives
I hope it works out that way. As a young man I remember how my grandfather became depressed when his children made him give up his car keys. He lost a lot of freedom to do things when and how he wanted. I am hoping technology lets me push this time down the road.
@@JBoy340a
I‘m very confident it will turn out that way
I purchased a Model 3 in late 2018 with the enhanced Autopilot that I upgraded to FSD when they offered it again. My hope was that by the time I would need it to drive me around it would be able to do so. I’ve seen it getting much better with fits and starts throughout the development process, and find that for most drives it will get me from my driveway to the parking lot of the place I am going to. I see the light at the end of the tunnel now.
I'm 82 and own a Y with FSD (full self driving). It's a godsend. I had had to give up driving at twilight and at night. Now it's a breeze. The only thing the driver is required to make decisions for is emergency type conditions that I would not trust FSD to handle well; so I simply disengage FSD for a few seconds by taking over the steering of the car. This requires very little extra effor to disengage FSD, similar to the Volvo when you try to change lanes without signalling. Just a slight tug for a fraction of a second. The smart cruise control continues as usual while I manually steer out of the perceived difficulty. I must note that I am an excellent driver with an equally excellent driving record. Only now, I'm much more confident driving in less that perfect conditions. Leave the driver to Lady, my Tesla Model Y. Much more refreshed at the end of any trip than ever. A side note: "one pedal driving" is a great feature. The regenerative braking allows you to drive by simply putting pressure on the accelerator to speed up just as on a GV and holding it steady for constant speed and then letting up either quickly or sowlsy to slow down in a controlled manner...never applying the brakes except in emergency fast stops. Kinda like driving the electrin bumper cars that were at the arcades when I was a kid. You never have to change the brakes as they are so seldome used with one pedal driving. Regenerative braking is what slows you down.
For a flat tire, the roadside assistance can offer to bring you a replacement wheel with tire on it so you can get underway. You'll have to go back later for your wheel and replaced tire, of course. But, your car doesn't usually need to be towed away.
Great, highly comprehensive discussion of much of what a BEV buyer can expect from their first EV, especially for a Tesla. Thanks for taking the time to prepare and post this.
Yep - bought a model Y in December when they were giving the $7500 discount up front and free super charging for 10,000 miles - I am now 13,000 miles in this wonderful machine and have paid almost $0 to charge it (cuz I also have solar panels) - handling and performance; definitely the hands down best automobile that I have ever driven - I use the advanced autopilot on the highway a lot , it is not perfect but pretty darn close
This leads me to add a note about fuel costs. I just turned 9300 miles on my Y, including 2300 using supercharges (which I had to pay for, as the free deal is no longer available" and my total cost has been $483.
We are retired and bought a 2022 Model Y LR. We have Tesla solar panels and batteries and the home charger. I will never buy anything else, it’s that good we love it. We travel frequently and charge at super chargers along our way with no problem. I highly recommend Tesla. Thanks for your videos
I really appreciated this review, because it was very thorough without a lot a bunch of unnecessary nonsense. I liked the comments from seniors too. I’m 69 and my wife and I have been retired for several years. I follow EV’s through reviews all the time, but have not yet purchased one. It’s my dream to install solar panels on our house, buy an EV and run it in sunshine! And I see from comments that other seniors haven’t just dreamed about it, but are doing it. Right now, we have his and hers 2022 Toyota Priuses. I’ve been a Toyota economy car man for years. One of our daughters is still driving a 2009 Corolla that we bought new for $15K out the door! The Priuses were about $30K OTD. If Toyota had been faster with EV development, I probably would have bought one. I’ve worried about reliability for Teslas, don’t like the computer screen for everything, don’t like the looks of the model Y, don’t like having no spare and no back wiper. But sooner or later, I may very well replace one of our Toyotas with a Tesla,depending on how long we live.
I hear you. Not for everyone. Perhaps take one for a test drive to check it out?
I have a Model Y and solar panels with a Powerwall battery. So not only do I have power for the house and car, I have a backup if we lose power. It is a pretty compelling investment if you add in the battery backup and don't need a generator. Whole house generators cost in excess of $10K after installation. While a backup battery cannot run everything, it is enough to keep the essentials running.
Got a model y long range a few months back. Love it. I’m able to charge in the garage.
i got my Y for 39,900 and 2750 rebate from Cali. So far I have saved 7500 in Cali gas costs. The Y has been the best car I have ever owned and its so much fun to drive. Half my neighborhood drives Tesla since I purchased mine in 21!
Just came back from a 1000 mile road trip, on the supercharger stops the car was ALWAYS ready to go before I was, potty breaks, food... Loved the acceleration and the FSD made the trip enjoyable on the interstate.
I've been driving a Model Y LR for about 2 years. It was/is my mid-life crisis car (which my wife approved). It is by far the nicest car I have ever owned because I have always bought used A-B cars with a history of low maintenance like Corollas. The problem is that utilitarian cars aren't fun to drive. We test drove several cars at the Tesla showroom near us before making a decision. Like you, the performance variant made my wife car sick but she was fine with the Long Range in chill mode. It is also more expensive to change the tires on the Performance model since they are staggered.
Adjusting to an EV takes a bit of time and rewiring how you think about fueling your vehicle - but once adjusted - most vow never to go back. For example, one-pedal driving/regen braking is so nice. Hold at stops is so nice. Instant torque is so nice. Waking up everyday with a nearly full "tank" is so nice. Buying online without dealership nonsense is so nice. Sentry mode/built-in 4-camera dashcam is so nice. Having access to a very reliable and well covered charging network is very nice.
I've convinced a number of once anti-EV folks by simply letting them borrow the car and try it for themselves. Even if they still prefer their gas cars, most aren't dogmatic haters anymore. Are there still gotchas with EVs and Teslas? Sure. If I needed a vehicle to tow a camper across the country - EV's aren't there yet. But for me, I'd rather drive my Model Y most of the time and rent another vehicle when I needed other capabilities. Also, it might not be the best fit for those living in an apartment or condo. Although I know of folks that managed to get an EVSE installed in their parking garage at their condo.
Autopilot is great for long trips but it is an optional feature like a really nice cruise control. It isn't perfect. I often find myself not using it unless on long trips. I totally agree that FSD isn't ready for prime time and it will likely take years until it is and perhaps a decade (or more) until it is fully hands free. Everyone is working on this feature but it is a hard computer science problem. Range, especially with Tesla, are a bit optimistic because of the methodology used for EPA rating, just deduct about 10% for a more realistic average range. It also depends on many factors, just like a gas car - speed being one of the biggest. Tesla's navigation system is generally conservative when planning charging stops, so if you get stuck - that means you ignored its recommended charging stops for some reason.
When I lived in Florida, I did have to very occasionally reboot the car if it had been sitting out in the extreme heat all day. I haven't had to reboot since I moved to Colorado. And, yes, the Model Y can climb mountains - easily. Scaled Mt Evens, in June, in a snowstorm, no issues and never used my breaks on the way down (regen breaking FTW).
Just my experience of using a Tesla for 2 years, driving about 25,000 miles in that time, including several long road trips. The 7-seat option faces forward like the rest of the seats but they are really small "jump seats" only suitable for kids and small adults (about 5").
Ok, great detailed checklist, thanks Mr. H. Schmidt. One negative you left out is that in Autopilot, you have to be aware of what is scarily called "Phantom Braking". It's like there's a mean invisible passenger in your car who may at any moment decide to slam on the brakes. Now this is normally thought of as a safety feature - you wouldn't want to hit that fallen boulder on the road, right? But when driving down a clear open freeway on a nice day that ghost sitting next to you may decide that something it sees or maybe hallucinates in front on the road is a real object and it hits the brakes bringing you down from 70MPH to 20! The fellow behind you may be alert enough to hit the brakes too but maybe not and then whoops, accident! So these days, I sometimes use Autopilot with my foot poised to nudge the accelerator, reminding the ghost that it was just dreaming and there is nothing on the road ahead. But mostly I just don't use AP and its Friendly Ghost.
Thank you for your honest opinion about Model Y. I am a retiree. I drove Model 3 and Y for a week in each model. What computers do is mind-blowing innovation and very convenient; no other vehicles cannot. It is very roomier inside, and I admit it is an adorable, stylish design. What I disliked, compared to other EVs I test-drove, was ride quality, cabin noise, and built quality. The ride reminded me of a Golf-Curt in which I felt stiffness and every bump. I hear noise from tires, wind, and outside surroundings. And built quality looks discounted and felt low grade. Other than that, the price is affordable and attractive. If a monitor size is more significant, 20 or 24 inches, I would lease Model Y for 3 years. Why not😉
Excellent summary. I do have two things to mention.
1. To restart the car, you don’t need to hold the brakes. Holding the he two steering wheel buttons are enough
2. The rear seats in the Model Y are tiny but they are front facing. Only the older Model S had rear facing seats
Good analysis, what i find interesting is practically nobody is talking about the upcoming point of sale credit starting January 1. No issues utilizing a tax credit, its direct cash at the point of sale in USA, 7500 bucks for new, 4000 for used. These things are going to start flying out of the factories very soon, and the cost of ownership equation will be awesome, especially for the lower priced models.
Troubling that a CPA doesn't know the difference between a Rebate and a tax credit.
I am approaching retirement and bought my Model X in 2020. I love the features and some of the over the air updates that are released from time to time. I bought full self driving and it is the one thing I think was a waste of money. Autopilot is enough for me. Using full self driving on city streets is scary. Like sitting in the passenger seat while teaching your 15 year old how to drive. On the freeway it is great, but auto lane changes are tough in rush hour traffic so I don't use it. When I bought mine I received free supercharging as long as I own the car.
Things I like: one pedal driving (great in rush hour traffic), autopilot, acceleration, charge at home (I have solar), can watch streaming media on the screen while charging, dog mode, never need to take key fob out of pocket, tap the brake and driver door closes, no oil changes, if not for free supercharging I would charge at home which is nice to wake up to charged battery
Things I don't like: phantom braking, had to have warranty work and other repairs (never happened with my Tacoma), tires wear out and are expensive, my model year didn't have much for interior storage areas, the sun visors are pretty worthless, worrying about the state of charge when fly back and left your car at airport. I had left
We have only done a few road trips, and stopping is ok and fairly quick. Usually good to stretch the legs go get something to eat. Lately, and in some cities such as Las Vegas and Sacramento (weekends) the superchargers where I need them have a wait time. To find one available could mean driving across town, with no guarantee that they will not also have a wait by the time you get there. I hope they build a lot more and not just near the interstates.
When we retire we plan to road trip all over the country with the free supercharging. Expensive tires or repair costs are more than made up for by the free supercharging so far. Autopilot will be nice for the long drives too. Stopping to charge will sometimes be a pain, but we are used to it.
Best car I ever owned hands down
I really enjoyed this...excellent review of the Tesla and its practical and financial reality. I’m an engineer who’s designed for the legacy car manufacturers as well as DOE/DOD and honestly wasn’t expecting much with “money pit” in the title but honestly I enjoyed this and really appreciate your thorough and balanced presentation. There’s not a word I would disagree with (rare for me LOL). One thing you alluded to but didn’t quite emphasize (or feel free to outright claim) is that the likely service life of these cars (3 and Y) is between 2x and 3x that Camry mentioned a few times. Even early 3s in fleet service routinely exceeded half a million million miles including in most cases, their batteries. Battery tech has of course improved dramatically since those early days and continues to do so. Tesla techs I’ve spoken to are seeing brake pads lasting more than 150,000 miles as well due to one pedal driving. There’s really no upper bound on motor life if the bearings are designed properly (witness industrial turbine generators). There’s no downside at all that I’m aware of except that it can be expensive to get into an accident with them in these early years. LOL. That will change once Tesla is done building out capacity to effectively supply the world with vehicles. Right now every part is a premium commodity that should ideally be routed to building a new car not repairing a damaged one. One other minor issue to point out is that insurance is still a bit pricey, although better with Connect (Costco). That will change as Tesla expands its insurance arm cross-country over the next few years. Anyway, thanks for an excellent presentation...well done!!
Since 1993 I've only purchased low mileage Toyotas, my last one is my 2013 Prius. I've owned it for 6.5 years and have saved well over $5,000 in Gas, so as of this date, my Prius only cost me $11,000 in 2016...with only the present 92,000 miles on it, it's got YEARS to go. The only maintenance cost in 6.5 years has been a total break job - that's the ONLY expense. I LOVE it!!!
I guess your not changing your oil filter and oil, air filter… it won’t last long…
THOSE along with tires, wiper blades etc are all basic costs...everyone has to pay. I'm talking about engine timing belts etc. also because of regen. braking brakes last MUCH longer on hybrids.@@skepticalmechanic
I have a 2011 Prius with 220K miles and it hasn't needed a brake job yet. Sounds like a dealer said, you have X miles, therefore you need a brake job. Most dealer mechanics don't drive hybrids.
I got 110,000 miles before my 2013 prius brakes had to be done. Prius’ are super cheap to own. 55 miles to the gallon. I love it.
@@reebeeable Careful quoting that mileage if your taking from the car's computer. We're on our third Prius an I log all fuel-ups, and when I do the math (miles drive/gallons purchased) the car consistently overestimated the actual mileage by 5-6%. If it's reporting 55mpg, my experience tells me it's more likely 52mpg; still great, it's still padding the resume.
what a wonderfully calm and clear demeanor.
I absolutely love my 2022 Model Y LR! I have the white interior and the aftermarket add-ons you can get allow you to customize your Tesla to your heart's content. I didn't like the fact that there was no instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, so I bought a display and installed it. Works great. I also installed a white leather yoke steering wheel which gives me better visibility through the windshield and a more comfortable hand position. Also, you should have mentioned that if you have solar panels, the operating cost is even less! I'll never go back to an ICE vehicle!
Congrats on getting a Y.
We are on our 4th Tesla. I drive Xs, and my wife drives a 3. I like to cruise along upright; she likes to recline and zip in and out.
When we replaced the first X I test drove the Y and liked it. But the higher noise level and harsher rise since it does not have air suspension, felt like a step down. So, I went with another X.
But as we move into retirement, I may replace the X with a Y!
Is the softer newer version suspension on MY's standard or an upgrade?
Standard. They offer only one version of the suspension. @@donaldparry5157
I am a car guy, I love gears and all that . I bought a Model Y, I'll never go back to a gas car. I never go to a supercharger unless I'm going cross country.
We purchased one of the first model 3's five years ago. we have changed two front windshields and tires. we now have 130,ooo. thousand miles. still very happy. we charge at night and during the day with our solar if we are home. we took off one summer with no destination, we drove threw 5 states in 6 days, it was a great trip. thanks Mr. Schmidt we watch all your shows. Dave and Shelly
You haven't needed to change the 12v battery?
Thanks for a great review on owning a Tesla in retirement. I recently retired and ordered a Model 3 Highland. Can't wait.
Your Model Y will be safer in a front side impact due to the front giga castings - should be more repairable. A low centre of gravity means these cars are less likely to roll-over in an accident. Great as roll-overs often result in head injuries.
The Model Y is the safest car ever tested by NTHSA. They have never flipped any Tesla during testing. Also Teslas have low polar inertia, due to battery placement, meaning even safer in a collision.
I absolutely love this! I heard there was no dealership to worry about and its true. Took a test drive of a base 3 model and WOW. This video showed me so many things I didn't know. Ford lost me after 40 years of driving them, and my Tesla arrives in 2 weeks! Thanks for sending me that way!
I think you'll find that it is extremely easy to total any modern vehicle. A not all that large branch fell on the roof of my truck, it wasn't a total, but it was ~$12,000 just for that.
Great video and we LOVE our Model Y! Inexpensive to operate, FUN to drive, and super safe, safest car ever tested!
Autopilot is great on freeways as long as the white lines are present. In most night driving situations, the car sees better than I do. On two-lane country roads it's better to just use adaptive cruise in order to choose the best path on a sometimes questionable road surface. Presently FSD and Autopilot don't avoid potholes. As far as wheels are concerned, if efficiency and comfort are important to you, smaller wheels and larger tires are the way to go. Aero wheels are not as good looking as other wheels, but they will increase your range. Thanks for such a comprehensive and well-thought-out presentation.
No need to change the muffler cracked me up a bit. Lots of good info. Thanks for the time and work.
Great video idea. I, too, am 70 and bought a 2023 Model Y Performance. Love it. I bought this as my last new car while still working. I wanted a car that is somewhat future-proof. I don't think gas will be widely available 10 years from now. And as Full Self Driving improves, I have a chance of letting the car drive better than I will be able to 10 years from now. 😊
Purchased mine 2 years ago in anticipation of getting it paid off before retirement. I’ve loved every minute of owning my Model Y LR!
I really appreciate your perspective and experiences. I drove a EV for a few years and moved back to a Gas SUV because at the time it was too new in the evolution of EVs, but after this honest review I believe I will look into a Tesla for our secoend car as we plan its replacement in a couple fo years. Thanks!
At 59 years old, after driving pick ups all my life, I bought a 2018 DMM3 brand new and then bought a new DMLRY in May 2022 and love it. The larger model Y is the way to go for older, larger, or people setting in a very low position. Love EV'S and will NEVER go back to ICE vehicles.
Excellent video, i'm on my 7th Tesla Model S and currently drive a 2023 Plaid.
Teslas paint and build quality is much improved and equal or better than others. Zero maintenance too.
I don’t usually post to your website but it’s interesting that you came to the same conclusions I did when I decided to purchase my Model 3. For your viewers, they wish to check with their electric company and join the time of use programs if available. The cost of my electricity to charge my tesla has dropped from $.14 per kilowatt hour to eight cents per kilowatt hour if I select to charge it between the hours of 10 PM and 8 AM. I normally charge these hours. Anyway, additionally, the time of use has restrictions in the highest electricity usage time frames that, if you can avoid them, allows you to have cheap electricity, when others are paying upwards of $.30 or more per kilowatt hour. I just received my power bill. I was expecting it to be much higher since I purchased my Tesla a little over a month ago. It was actually lower. Just an FYI.
I have a Tesla Model S, free super charging for life. Gotta keep it forever. 7 years old, $1500 in maintenance in that entire time. Love it.
As a car enthusiast that watches a lot of car review videos, this was great! All good points. For future buyers, be on the lookout for lightly used Teslas with FSD already purchased, sometimes you can find a hot deal from an unsuspecting dealer who doesn't know what they have. I found my 2-month-old Tesla with under 1k miles for significantly under MSRP, AND FSD included. FSD is amazing on the highway compared to the basic Autopilot and will be really interesting when the new Version 12 releases.
In my best Napolean Dynamite voice, “Luuuckyyy!”.
I spilled curry on my back seat of my Model S which is cream colored. I was frantic! We wiped it off and the curry did not even stain the stitches! You could not tell it ever happened. I was amazed and having dogs, it holds up to them too.
One small correction, in the 7 passenger option those 2 extra seats face forward not backward. Excellent review.
And are only good for children/ small adults
Model S had rear-facing third row seats as an option
@lemongavine yes, but he's talking about Model Y which has 2 small front facing rear seats
My brother in law loves it because he is hard of hearing and the Tesla is so quiet it allows him to hear better in the car whether it's the radio or other people.
Jeff - no mention of its incredible safety record!
No bias, no bullshit, just straight facts. Impressive!
4 years in my Model 3 and over 60k miles I love it and plan on keeping it for the rest of my life.
I purchased a model Y in October 2021. I have thirteen grandkids so I purchased the third row of seats. These two seats face forward - not backward as you stated in your video. The two rear seats are only suitable for children. There is not enough room for me. My model Y is the long range version but I later purchased the accelerator booster for $ 2000. The accelerator booster gave me exactly the same acceleration as the performance version and I routinely use it to enter VERY busy streets where I can zoom out without risking getting hit. I then put is back in chill mode. I believe that the sport mode is an important safety feature.
Excellent Tesla video! I’ve been wanting a model Y LR for a while. I’m still driving my 2002 Lexus RX 300 that I bought new almost 22 years ago! She’s at 212,000 miles & still going. I don’t drive as much so it’s in my garage . If I get a Tesla I think I’d drive more often .
Nice job! You have done a good job of lowering your environmental impact by keeping an older car on the road. Beside the burning of approximately $31,000 worth of gasoline, which we nearly all have done, at least you didn't run out and buy a new car every 2-3 years like a lot of people. If you do decide to get a new car, Just Get a Tesla! and you will drive more. Most Tesla drivers report driving more, not less.
Having to wait for road side assistance for a flat tire is a NO GO for me. I carry a spare, plugging kit, compressor, and jack in all of my cars. When my wife picked out a Q60 which came with run flats, I had the dealership order the trunk foam panels for a spare, a spare, and a jack. In addition, I had them replace the run flats with Conti DWS tires. If I have a flat, I can either plug it or quickly or put on a spare and be on my way. Just my .02 on the dependency on road side assistance for a flat.
I'm a Tesla owner and bought an after market spare after the fact. Depends on if I'm on a road trip or just driving locally if I decide to put it in or not since it does take up some trunk space. Jacking the car is no issue at all if one uses these third party "pucks" for about $25 and places them in the jacking point holes on the bottom of the car. The torque on the wheels is substantial so I also take a "breaking bar" along with me. So if one is handy enough to change a tire, changing a tire on a Tesla is no big deal with simple understanding.
I had a 2017 Model X, then replaced it with a '22 Model Y, then another Model X that sits next to the Y in the garage. Amazing cars. Best I've ever owned. I don't miss the gas station visits or the oil changes at all.
Ok. After watching the entire video I have to admit - I subscribed. I think you are concise, neutral in the for/against stuff which is great, and you are eloquent in how you speak. No fancy frills. Instead you give the brass tacks version. Also, you don't try to talk over most people's head and instead give a down to earth version. I also like that you are able to take what could be a very hard to understand subject and give good reasons for what you are saying. I can't wait to see your next video.
Completely agree with your choice, I have been driving EVs since 2017 and there is no comparison to the convenience and value of home charging. I charge daily off my home solar. There is no way to make your own gas and you are totally dependent upon whatever whim some foreign dictator decides you will pay for gas as its price is driven by global market forces. Having just retired my solar investment is paying monthly dividends in the Texas heat and gas costs savings of around $400.00 per month. I own a 2023 Model X I paid off prior to retirement.
We love solar, batteries, and having EVs. A great combination for always having power and transportation and paying very little for electricity.
I have owned my MODEL X since 2016. Best car I have ever owned. I have never had it serviced in almost 8 years and 80k miles. I have never owned a car this long and have no plans of selling it either. Ever. So damn good.
I don’t drive my BMW X5 M, AUDI, Mercedes, Maserati or Aston Martin. The over the jar updates made my X faster. It’s a better car today than when I bought it.
Have done the same in MA with the exact same results and thoughts you have. 🎯👍😎
Very comprehensive. Please note - No stealership middle-man pushing sales or bad finance options.
I'll admit I was one of those anti-EV people, however would never flip the bird to someone. I just went to Tesla's site and could get one (Model 3) for under 30K, before taxes and destination. That is very compelling.
As a recent retiree, turned in the company car (Ford Fusion), sold the wife's car (Chevy Cruze), and bought ourselves a Tesla Model 3 (Performance also). Its our only vehicle - other than our golf cart we use in our retirement community and we enjoy snow-birding with it back and forth between Ohio and Florida. We charge at home and get off-peak rates from the local utilities and pay as low as 8-9 cents/kwh which is a tremendous fuel cost savings. We conveniently use superchargers (at Buc-ees!) all along Interstate 75 on our trips back and forth. We have spent a total of $50 for a nail in one of the tires since we've had the Tesla, so maintenance savings are real. We belong to the local Tesla club here in Florida and get great tips from the community. We have good resources here in Central Florida as well - Electrified Garage in nearby Ocala and a great body shop specializing in Tesla repair here also make owning the Tesla less daunting. Great Retirement decision. Thanks for the video.
Yep regenerative braking is real. Drive up a mountain and you expend energy, but driving back down you recoup most of it back without braking. With an ICE vehicle you expend energy driving both up and down, plus you put wear on the brakes. I also like the fact I can watch a movie or UA-cam while my wife is shopping.
What about a HYBRID, I got a Lexus ES 300 H 2023 and it’s range is 500 miles combined. No comparison regarding interior LEXUS far nicer. Also my auto agent said car insurance is higher. Battery warranty is 10 years 150,000 miles
One more thing MPG IS 45-50 miles
Ok thanks...great accounting of the costs- Thanks
You bet.
Also, it is really a tough sell for someone who lives in a townhouse or apartment where there isn’t charging from your home.
I hear you
BEV is not right for everyone. I would not get one of home charging is not practical. Look into a phev. We have a Model Y & a phev, I get 3.2 mi/kwh while the Y get 4.1. Last time I fill the gas tank was 3 months ago.
I find after retirement I drive a lot less and I can charge once a week while I am grocery shopping. My VW has free 30 minute charging for 3 years, so it is cheaper to charge at the store than the $40 per month to charge if I plug in at home. It just means I have to finish shopping in 30 minutes which isn’t a problem for me
True that EVs are not for everyone. You can manage though, my wife and I have a Model 3 and Y. We live in a house with double garage so charging not a problem. My daughter has a standard range Model 3 (smaller battery so less range) she lives in an apartment in a large city and she loves her car and charging at public chargers or Tesla Superchargers is not a problem.
For people like you we have public transport in Europe and the US has many superchargers all over town. That is no excuse to stop polluting your environment.
I randomly came across this video. I own a 2022 Tesla Model Y Performance and this is a spot on example and information. Very well done.
I'm glad that you mentioned that you would not buy the Performance version of the Model Y again. I just bought a Model Y and bought the long range version. I first test drove the performance version and found that it rode horribly. The Performance version has 21" wheels and a lowered, stiffer suspension. You feel every crack and pebble in the road, and bumps literally toss you around in the car. The wheels are wider and the tires offer no protection to the rims which get damaged very easily. As you mentioned, you can upgrade the lower-spec cars to similar wheels, but it is very costly ($2000), and those are 20" wheels which means replacement tires will be more costly. There are many affordable (about $200 for four) hubcap options available for the 19" wheels that take a trained eye to tell you that they aren't the upgraded wheels. The hubcaps also increase your range.
Great comment thank you!
Great Tesla review... That most financial channels NEVER would have thought of. Well Done!
As a retired Model Y owner, it is a good investment. Test drive it, but I would suggest the standard wheels because the ride is so much smoother. No gas worries anymore and I don't drive far or put many miles on per year, so I try to keep it near 50% charged most of the time because that is best for the battery. I have taken it on trips and it will estimate where you may need to recharge if your map destination input is farther than it will be able to go on the charge. Also, rare to use the brakes and a need of a brake job because of the regenerative braking, but rotate tires in a timely manner because that is where your expenses will be because of the weight of the vehicle.
You had the money to buy a Tesla but you had “gas worries?”. 😂 And it was worth overpaying for small station wagon with range worries? 🤷🏻♂️
@@edhcb9359 No range worries at all because the car will always estimate how far you can go and map you to a Supercharger and I am not beholden to OPEC pricing.
@@bonwatcher LOL! One more thing to keep charged? No thanks! Plus they aren’t great cars. We have them as a choice in our company provided cars and barely anyone picks them over the other choice(Toyota Highlander).
@@edhcb9359As opposed to one more thing to keep fueled?
@@HablaCarnage63 Of you wake up in the morning and realize you forgot to charge your car last night then you are screwed. If you wake up and realize you forgot to get gas then you take a minute and get gas. Not at all the same thing.
I bought my model Y EXACTLY for retirement! I won't need to change oil ever. And later when FSD is approved, I will drop the $12,000 so I will have my own chaffeur! Night driving is still cool.
I have to agree with many of the comments; this was a very well done explanation of the Tesla experience and what to expect. You will likely convert more than a few people and should post your referral code for those that you've swayed; I think they're still giving buyers $500 off when ordering with a referral code; they might as well use yours.
I have the same car, a Y Performance model. We needed something reliable to drive 150 miles to weekly/monthly medical appointments. Our dog loves Dog Mode. It saves me money on doggy daycare. Waiting for the CyberTruck to come out. Ours will have Full Self Driving (@ $7,000). 60% fill ups cost me under $5 at home at 10¢ a kilowatt and about $12 when on the road. Really, I haven’t noticed a change in our power bill.
Update: It is now a month later. I love this car even more. A few weeks ago a raccoon ran in front of me @50+ mph. The car detected it. The car took evasive action, applying the brakes and steering to avoid hitting the little rascal and damage to the car.
Geoff, you're such a closet fan boiee! 🤣 It's ok, they're great cars IMHO. I leased a M3 almost 4 years ago (range anxiety = dumb decision). Had it 3.5 years and the only maintenance in all that time was adding windshield washer fluid and air to the tires. One perk you didn't mention was the buying experience. NO DEALER! Buy it online in minutes with no hassle or haggle. Genius. I've since purchased a MY and another M3 and intend on them being my last cars period. We took the MY on a road trip this last week. Absolutely no trouble finding superchargers on our route and bonus - there were free destination chargers at our hotel so we could charge up overnight. Love virtually everything about these cars including the software that is totally integrated. Nice video! Oh, and clearly I'm a fellow fan boiee...🤣
I retired in 2021 and my wife had a 2010 Honda CRV. The car never got great gas mileage from the time we got the car new in 2010 (about 25 mpg around town). It was costing us about $45 dollars to fill up every week or so depending on how much she drove the car. We bought the Tesla Model Y LR, AWD in June 2023 and it has been great. It cost me $174 dollars so far to charge at home and we have traveled 4,607 miles. If we had bought gas it would have cost us about $650 dollars to go that far. Buying a car at the Tesla store was the best car buying experience I have had. They don’t pressure you and they will get you a test drive without any hassle whatsoever. By the time it is all said and done I will have about $42 K in the car after my trade in and the $7,500 tax credit. Wife was looking at a Toyota Highland that was $46 K and only averaged about 35 mpg. Am sold on the car and we are very happy with our purchase.
Buying a Tesla is worth it just for the buying experience alone! I absolutely hate dealing with car salesmen!
This is the best review of Tesla or any EV that I have come across. Being a Corvette enthusiast, I never thought I would think about an EV. I’m getting close to retirement…maybe a Hummer EV Pickup in my future? 😉
Been a Tesla owner since 2015. Overall VERY good video and balanced. Rear seats in Model S face backwards. Rear seats in Model Y face forward. You did forget OTA's, over the air updates, which make the vehicle even better over time. Thanks !!!!
Where can you find a Camry for $38,600? With “dealer adjustment” or “dealer admins” of between $4000 and &12,000 here in FL we are between $42k and north of $50k.
As a mechanic I can tell you that if your car (any make) gets hit you wont be straightening any frame rails, they are made of high strength steel nowadays. So they will have to be replaced, and, if they do happen to be bent youve taken quite a hit. Another thing is, its not the fender bender that totals cars nowadays, its the ruined interior from all the passenger protection exploding.
Otherwise this was a great video and thanks for sharing. I myself drive a 2014 Model S, just for the fun of it, and its great.
Interesting topic. I read the comments before I decided to make my comment.
I have to say your video was more complete and accurate than I expected. On your accident, any accident hard enough to deform the aluminum frame on a Model S is going to deform a steel frame as well. In both cases the likelihood that the car will be totaled is about the same. Your Model Y Performance has a steel/aluminum hybrid frame and the battery weighs a little less than 900 pounds. I have researched it and have seen results showing 1700 pounds as you reported. When the Model 3 first came out it was taken out of the car and it weighed about 900 pounds. I wonder if the LFP battery in the Standard range variant weighs more. LFP batteries are significantly heavier than LNMC or NCA batteries. It costs about $14K to replace and has an expected life of 200 - 300K miles. Some have commented that you didn't factor in the cost of replacing a battery. Well, I don't know many people that replace the engine in an ICE car at 300K miles. They get rid of the car instead. With that many miles if it still runs it needs more than an engine. It would have already replaced or will need to replace the engine and transmission. If you look at the BMW 300 series cars the new engine is between $28 - $45K to replace depending on the engine and the configuration. That doesn't include the transmission.
In the event of a pending natural disaster Tesla historically has turned on the full capacity of the battery for cars located in the area of the impact. This means that capacity that is normally hidden is now useful. If you decide not to leave and it floods water and Lithium batteries are not compatible. But Tesla has taken extreme measures to protect the battery from external access by water. In either event if your ICE car is flooded it is now worthless as well. It may not catch fire but it will be totaled and replaced.
As far as driving across country in a Tesla it is typically very easy but will take a little longer than an ICE car. We have driven from San Jose to DFW several times and it takes about 90 minutes longer driving time for the trip. We used to drive in my wife's Acura as compared to my Model 3. Next year we will be using my wife's Model Y. I don't expect it will take any more or less time for the trip but will be more comfortable for the dogs. The car calculates your next stop on the route you have chosen and tells you how much charge you need to get to your next stop. It navigates to the supercharger and tells you how many chargers are available. It will update its estimate of the SOC you will have when you arrive and even tell you if you are consuming more than expected and advise you to adjust your speed or change your charger location to keep you safe.
As far as Full Self Driving or FSD goes, I don't pay for beta software. I don't recommend that anyone spend $12K for it. However, I am glad a lot of people have. It has greatly accelerated the development of FSD. I use Auto Pilot all the time on the freeway especially in rush hour stop and go traffic. As far as maintaining a constant radius around a turn, it is a bit different but as I don't drink coffee I have never had anything spill as a result.
Lastly, I can and have put PV on my roof to pay for the electricity. That was paid for before I got the electric cars. We started with a Leaf then replaced it with the Model 3 then replaced the Acura with a Leaf when the Acura was totaled then replaced the Leaf with the Model Y. I don't pay for gas or electricity I installed the PV before I got the cars and the AC for the house and the heat pump water heater. As a result the household cost for utilities is extremely low. As a result we are far less susceptible to fluctuations in the price of energy.
I purchased the Model 3 before I retired and had it paid off before I retired. We paid cash for the Model Y as I am now retired and I don't want to have a car loan.
From my personal point of view the Tesla Model Y or 3 is an excellent car for retirement. Most retirees aren't going to be putting 200K miles on their cars while in retirement and as there is almost no maintenance the total cost of operation for me is very low. YMMV.
An ICE car is not useless if flooded. Absolutely incorrect.
@@markcummings6856 You put a car underwater and you can drive it afterwards. You sink below the engine and fill the cases with water. It is of little value after that. Fill the interior with sandy salt water and see how long it lasts. No telling what it would do to the transmission. By definition they cannot be made airtight. You can make them drive in high water, case i point the Humvee. But your typical sedan is toast. Simply blow a head gasket or crack a head and the engine needs to be replaced. Yeah, I know you can weld up heads and such. Insurance companies aren't going to go that route typically.
This was a great information. I’m looking to buy a Tesla Y in the spring, and will be retiring in a few years after that. The Tesla will help me keep cost low and to better control my budget during retirement.
Excellent, fair review. My wife owns a Model Y performance and I own a Model X. We needed the X for the space, and it is basically a station wagon sized car. I have hauled some pretty amazing things in it. Both have been basically trouble free and we also love home charging. I can't imagine going back to a stinky, clumsy, maintenance hog of a gas car. If you have seen the Tesla Robot video I think you will probably conclude wit me that Full Self Driving will eventually be a reality, and at 78 years I bought it for both cars because we intend to keep them as long as we can. (though we don't use it much yet, we do use TACC, the cruise control with extras) Legacy auto company auto companies are in big trouble...
I am in my late 60's and remember having to take away our parents cars. It was painful and they lost their sense of independence. Self driving cars solve both problems. No pain for my kids trying to take my car away, and I will still have my sense of independence.
Just took our granddaughter to Yellowstone National Park from eastern Minnesota. Charging was no issue-car was “texting “ us it was ready to get going before we were ready. Plus with electric, my granddaughter plugged it in and we were on our way to eat or restroom break as no need to stand and watch electrons flow.
I saw a post about tires. I’ve been through quite a few sets of Continentals. Go with Hankook ion EVO AS / sound absorber foam in tire. Great wear/stability and more efficient I’ve found giving 5 to 10% more range over Continentals. And a little bit cheaper too!
Are the Hankooks less expensive?
@@ronaldnevels7474 I just priced them out for my farther-in-law's Model Y, they were $315/tire at Tire Rack; I assume that's competitive, but I also don't know what the Continentals cost. I think the Hankooks had a longer mileage rating so, in theory, they should last longer. He's not purchased them yet, but probably will before too long.
@@toddwright662 thanks. I guess mine weren't too bad. $395 per front tire & $310 per rear at the Berkeley, CA Tesla Service Center, back in August 2021.
@@ronaldnevels7474 That was also for the 19" wheels. I'm sure the tires for the 20" wheels are a bit more.
@@ronaldnevels7474 Yes, a couple hundred compared to Continentals. Also you get more mileage out of the Hankook.
Thank you! This was probably the best description / review of the Tesla I have seen - and I have seen a lot.
Thanks v much
Good for you Geoff. I love the concept of an EV especially for the majority of my drives, short distances and could probably go a week without charging. Keep up the good work, love the videos.
Dirty ev I see the so-called green movement in delusiondirtycopper mining leaving a toxic stew in the streams and rivers down stream look at Ontario 50 years it took to start recovering but toxic heavy metals left behind like lithium ore that has to be boiled in a acidic radioactive stew
I guess you know, but you should charge in every night to about 80 percent. Takes about 15 seconds to plug it in.
The seven seat option the rear passengers sit forward. You are thinking of the old 7 seat model S. The model y has all forward facing seats. The rear seats in model y are really only for smaller people.
I have been leasing a model Y for two years and very happy with it. I have been thinking of buying my next one and happy to hear you think it's a good buy. My favorite thing about the car is it's self driving and as I get older it takes a lot of the stress out of long rides.
I Ordered a 3 engine cyber Truck and will Love it!!!!
Let us know what you think - dying to see one on the road!
I just got a model 3 as
My retirement gift!
Congrats!! Much luck!
Nice!!! Congrats on the car and the retirement.
This video was extremely detailed and thorough. Thank you...I found it interesting even though I had not originally thought I would.
Been driving our Tesla MX since 2016. Love it and will always have an EV.
Informative video. You need to remember that a large number of new buyers will have to pay 10k to 20k to add level 2 charging to their homes. As a Tesla 3 owner, I dislike having to wait at a supercharging station. You are extremely fortunate to pay only .16 per KWH. Take care.
My Model S is now 10 year old. My annual costs are literally insurance/registration (same as any car), Fuel (electricity) at about 25% the cost of gasoline - that is every 100 miles is about $4.00 of electricity. And maintenance...which for the last few years has been only tires and wiper blades.
On an ongoing basis, it would be hard to think of anything costing less.
How many miles on model S, and has the insurance cost come down as car ages? Doesn't this car also come with free supercharging for life?
@@Trust_but_Verify Oddly enough, my brand new 2023 Model 3 lowered my insurance $50/6 months as compared with the 2018 Model 3 it replaced; no idea why.
@@Trust_but_Verify about 90k miles, insurance cost is about the same (roughly $130/month full coverage) as I imagine that's more of a function of potential repair cost or liability cost should I damage someone else's vehicle or property, and yes, I have free supercharging for life, but I only take maybe 1-2 long trips in the car a year.
Since I now work from home mostly, my annual miles are now pretty low (about 6-8k miles a year).
@@andrewdiamond2697 Your car would worth more to an Uber driver!
@@Trust_but_Verify Maybe, but I made the last payment nearly 4 years ago...so...
Just watching your transition from S to GAS to Y. Just came back from the Acura Dealer dropping of my 2019 MDX, 92,000 miles and service code A13. They wanted $1500 for the service. $700 to change the fluids in the transmission!! I had a Standard Range Y w/4680 Structural Battery Pack Austin Build on order until Tesla notified me last week that they no longer MAKE the Standard Range Model Y and I would have to modify my order or they would cancel my order and return my $250. Now waiting for the Model Y Refresh.
Phil in San Jose, CA