Almost one year ago I took delivery of my Tesla Model 3 and since then I’ve driven it over 26,000 miles.
So is it still the best car I’ve ever driven or was it a $50,000 mistake? When I first got my Model 3, I was a little skeptical on how reliable it would be because it was the first generation of its kind, and there were a couple horror stories online from early adopters who were experiencing software or hardware issues, and my Model 3 was one of the first 15,000 or so that were produced, so I was a little nervous not to mention the big lifestyle change from going gasoline to a fully electric vehicle. Well, I can honestly say that my Model 3 has been 100 % reliable so far and yes, even though that should be expected from a brand new car, it’s still a nice surprise just because the fact that Tesla is still relatively so young compared to all the Other car manufacturers right now and since the Tesla Model 3, is still just a very unique car. In itself I have never been stranded valois battery, I think I’ve ever had was 12 miles of range left when I returned home from a road trip.
So, yes, range anxiety does exist, but the model threes energy graph is extremely accurate and predicting the estimated range left when driving. So as long as you pay attention to that and plan ahead, you’ll be fine and should never have to worry about running out of battery I’ve never had any major software or hardware failures. I think the worst things that I probably experience so far are minor things that are related to software. Somehow so, for example, one time my sound system was completely frozen, it was muted everything you know you couldn’t hear, sounds from music playing from Bluetooth or streaming or even the sound effects.
From things like the turn signal, I was long, muted and frozen. Luckily, things like that minor software bugs can easily be fixed with just a soft reboot of the screen which takes about a minute to do. I’ve never had any major reliability issues. It’s pretty much been perfect so far for how heavily integrated the Model 3 with software.
I’m actually surprised it’s worked this well so far. I was expecting a little bit more issues because it’s so software focused, but luckily you know I haven’t run into any major issues over the first twenty six thousand miles and there have been two repairs done on my model. Three, sparse hardware goes both of those times the Tesla mobile Ranger came out to my location and fix the issue on the spot within an hour or so, and the first repair was a my my driver door handle wasn’t closing just wasn’t closing fast enough. It took a little bit too much time, so he fixed that and then the Oh time it was just a click in my windshield wiper was making a clicking noise, so those were both very minor.
Those were fixed, like said, for free covered under the warranty, which brings me into the next category, which is cost, and surprisingly, this is one of my favorite things about the Model 3. Now, my biggest and really only complaint about the cost of a Model 3 is the upfront price. Yes, there is a thirty five thousand dollar base model. Now that is finally released and yes, it’s the cheapest out of all the Tesla models.
However, with all the desired add-ons that you’d want in a Tesla, the Model 3 is still too expensive for most people. However, if you can afford it and it fits your budget, I honestly believe the model threes high upfront cost is totally worth it. In a long run, my Model 3 is a long range or rear-wheel drive with Aero wheels, and it was around $ 50,000. However, if you compare it to a similarly priced gasoline vehicle, the Model 3 is one of the cheapest cars to own.
Now, since getting my Model 3, here’s how much I’ve spent on gasoline oil changes, repairs and maintenance and tire rotations. Now, out of all of those things during the first twenty five thousand miles in a Model 3, you really only need to do one, which is tire rotations. Now. The reason I haven’t spent anything on tire rotations is because I got lucky there’s a local tire shop that gives free rotations to Tesla owners, just another perk for owning a an electric car.
So your situation might be different, but that’s the reason why I haven’t spent anything on any of those things, so no more buying gas or paying for oil changes or anything that pertains to an internal combustion engine vehicle. My insurance went up by about five hundred dollars. A year, however, I believe that my insurance would have went up by that much anyways with any brand-new car in a similar price range. Really, the only thing that has cost me money to drive.
My Model 3 has been the electricity to charge the car and that electricity comes from two sources: either my home electricity or Tesla supercharger. Now, where I live, my charging cost is cheap at 6.8 cents per kilowatt hour and my model threes average watt hour per mile is 248, which is really impressive because I live in Louisville Kentucky where we experience all four seasons. It gets below. Zero in the winter gets above 100 in the summer and with an average of 248 watt hours per mile over all four seasons.
It just goes to prove that the long range Model 3 is one of, if not the best and the most efficient electric car out right now. The Model 3 gets about 80 % energy efficiency, so it actually took about eight thousand seventy one kilowatt hours and at my current electricity rate of six point, eight cents per kilowatt hour that comes to five hundred and forty nine dollars that are spent on electricity to Drive my model three over 26,000 miles. However, some of that electricity was obtained at superchargers, where I spent a total of fifty four dollars, also keep in mind that I’ve charged basically for free at certain charging spots like parking garages and hotels and even at family members houses when I visit them. So my total cost to drive my Model 3 over 26,000 miles has been less than $ 600, and my electricity bill has only gone up by an average of 36 dollars per month.
That is absolutely incredible. To put it in perspective, a car that gets thirty miles a gallon at an average gas cost of two dollars and seventy five cents, a gallon would cost two thousand three hundred and eighty three dollars to drive twenty six thousand miles. And if you add a fifty dollar oil change, every four thousand miles, that would be an additional three hundred twenty-five dollars. So that’s a total of two thousand dollars of savings in less than a year.
Of course, these numbers are personal to my situation. It’s different for everybody, however. This is still a real-life example of how much a person can save by going all electric, especially going to a Tesla Model 3. Now we’re entering the last category, which is enjoyment – and this is also one – my favorite categories of the Model 3.
I can have two favorites right. It’s no surprise that the Model 3 is an absolute joy to drive, but I’m going to quickly go over some things that I don’t like, because after all, nothing is perfect. First off the windshield and window was fog up more than any other car. I’ve ever driven – and I don’t know if that’s just me – I don’t know if it’s just the area I live in.
If it’s my car, I don’t know what it is. If you have a model three, let me know if you view if you experience this, but luckily I just got some like cheap fog, reducer on Amazon that I put on the windshield inside the windshield, which helps a little bit, but it’s still kind of annoying. How easily it fogs up? I also wish the Franck had a different closing mechanism.
I used the Franck a lot, it’s a perfect size for a gimp bag and some shoes and a basketball. So whenever I close it, I have to put my hand on it or maybe sometimes both hands, and it leaves some handprints on the hood. So I wish I could like close automatically or just had a different closing mechanism and also the lumbar setting does not get saved to a driver profile. So I don’t understand that either, like every other seat, setting and steering wheel and mirror setting gets saved to a driver profile except the lumbar setting, which I don’t understand.
It’s kind of strange. However, luckily that is able to be fixed through a software update, which leads me into the plethora of things that I absolutely love about: the Tesla Model – 3, one of them being the premium sound system now listening to music is an awesome experience. But do you know what I truly love to listen to in my Model 3, which I was all the time audiobooks and today’s sponsor is my favorite audio book service. Audible audible has the largest selection of audiobooks on the planet, and now they have audible originals, which are exclusive audio titles created by celebrated storytellers from many different genres.
Now, as an audible member each month, you get one credit that can be used for any audio book of your choice, plus two audible originals, that you cannot get anywhere else. Of course, audible does have the Elon Musk biography, and if you want to learn more about Elon Musk and his story of how he became the leader of Tesla and SpaceX, you can get that or any other audio book for free. So, if you’re like me and you enjoy listening to books more than reading them, audible is the best for that. I love being able to be entertained or learn.
Something while I do one of my favorite things in this world and that is Drive, my Model 3 get your first audio book for free by trying audible free for 30 days by going to audible.com/smarter in minimal lists, yet packs. So much power and torque is something I’ll always be impressed with the instant torque and quickness makes driving, especially things like merging and passing effortless and fun. It handles as well, if not better than other sporty cars in its price range because of the better traction control from it being in evey and the low center of gravity and balanced weight distribution due to the battery being underneath the entire length of the car. But there’s one thing that turns a lot of people off and it’s actually one of my favorite things about the Model. 3.
It’s the clean, minimalist design of the entire car driving a Model 3 makes you realize how useless and unnecessary most other cars buttons and dials are autopilot is an absolute lifesaver like literally yes, there are times when it will phantom brake, but if you’re using it as It’s designed and you will always have a hand on the wheel ready to take over, and I love knowing that each time I use it it’s getting better through the neural network. It just removes the burden of having to endlessly stare out of the window. At the same spot, and allows me to be more aware of my other surroundings, which has honestly made me feel safer and when it comes to it, the Model 3 is just smarter than any other car. I’ve ever had the experience of driving or interacting with it.
Just automates basic things which allows me to worry less. My phone is my key. So ever since I got a smart lock at home, I stopped carrying keys altogether. All I carry is my phone and wallet my Model 3 automatically unlocks as I approach and it locks as I walk away, it’s always on and ready to drive and it’s utterly quiet when driving.
If it’s raining, the wipers turn on automatically. If it recognizes a car ahead, it automatically turns off. My brights, then turns them back on after it charges overnight. While I sleep it stops charging when it reaches whatever lemon I have set, and I wake up to an 80 percent charge every day or a hundred percent charge.
If I’m about to take a road trip, no more stopping at gas stations, I can press a button. Tell it to play a song and it plays it, I can tell it to drive somewhere and it gives me real-time, step-by-step directions on a beautiful response of 15 inch touchscreen, which is the best screen in any vehicle right now. In my opinion, the Model 3 gets better over time through free software updates that it automatically downloads and installs itself. When I got my Model 3 almost a year ago, it had a maximum rated range of 310 miles on a full charge.
Now, after a free software update and even after any battery degradation from driving 26,000 miles, my Model 3 gets 320 radio miles on a full charge. It actually got better over time and Tesla is constantly releasing these software updates, with new features like recently had mode and sentry mode and a 5 % power boost. So no other car is doing this right now. It’s absolutely amazing.
It’s really comfortable, even for a tall guy. Like me, the front seats are some of the most comfortable. I’ve ever sat in the back seats a little bit firmer, not as comfortable. However, Tesla has to fix this with updated seating.
I’m six foot four and I can sit in the back fairly comfortably without my head hitting the roof. Oh in the roof, it’s pure glass and it’s seriously one of the things that impresses riders the most, I’m so glad that Tesla has included that glass roof on all the models. Even the base model and the manual door handles are a little funky for new riders. However, as an owner they’re fine, I love having two trunks and, of course, the ability to control my car from my smartphone like summon it or preheat it in the winter.
It really satisfies my inner geek. So after all that was the Model 3 a $ 50,000 mistake? My biggest mistake, was probably not buying one for my wife before the model Y was announced. Bottom line the Model 3 is a beautiful car full of the latest technology, and it’s much better for the environment than any other brand new gasoline car would ever be. Yes, the Model 3 is still the best car I’ve ever driven and it’s ruined all other cars for me, except maybe the future Tesla Roadster, so what do you think? Do you own a Model 3? Are you looking to get one? What’s your favorite thing about it, do you think it’s worth it?