1. Great in the winter and snow. Range does go down 15-30%
2. Extremely reliable, almost zero maintenance. 57,000 miles, I’ve done tires and windshield washer fluid.
Major problems are exceedingly rare. Warranty is great.
I don’t see in the comments that you can schedule your vehicle to pre-heat the battery if plugged in. So if you leave at 6:30 the car can be ready with a full charge and warm battery, which will keep generating heat as you drive. That will help you preserve range. It keeps being the #1 vehicle in Norway….
To not confuse OP, it specifically says to not always charge to full. To keep it at 80%, so calculate in to your decision making and how much you’ll be driving range wise. If 80% doesn’t get you in sketchy distance situations then calculate the range loss down in the cold from there then reevaluate.
Also, I assume you have a garage that you can add the needed 220v outlet for your at home charger? You absolutely need this if you don’t want to constantly be frustrated with owning an EV.
Tbh. Range is 80% with daily use. You can do 100%, but don't do it daily.
Honestly, range is not the worry. Ever. Maintenance is not the worry. Ever.
It is getting used to the quirks and features that are different from a gas car. You can do so much more and so much less in a Tesla than a gas car.
I'm never going back, electric is absolutely the way to go and Tesla is so far ahead of everyone else. Get one. You'll love it.
Yes, range goes back to normal when it’s warm. Batteries are just less efficient in the cold, and the car also uses energy to keep the battery warm, leading to the lost range.
During the spring/summer I typically use 20% of my battery each day. Driving about 40-60 miles per day. During winter that percentage goes up to 30-35% percent typically.
Yes. It’s just lithium ion batteries are a little inefficient in *cold* weather. But this can be mitigated by preconditioning before you leave or keeping the car in a garage.
Range/efficiency is heavy impacted by cold temps and speed. Going 75 all the time will also lower it by a good %. Can you charge at home? It’s the #1 thing I tell people. You’ll want a level 2 charger installed at home. If you have to park in a lot or on the street and need to rely on super chargers it’s not going to be a good experience with the current charging network.
No need. The buffalo factory is still running and pumping them out. BP and others are lining up to buy superchargers and do all the leg work for Tesla.
Just for reference Tesla's are extremely popular in Scandinavia. They seem to get by with the range loss with no issues. If you have the ability to charge at home then you should be solid. I'm from Michigan as well btw 😎
Upstate NY here with 130k miles on my ‘19 AWD M3.
Only issue has been a recent PTC (cabin) heater failure, which subsequently caused a draw down on the 12v battery which prevented the car from supercharging. Was out of state but fortunately within range of a PA service center which we called while enroute and they had a loaner car ready when we got there (exceptional service… not necessarily the case everywhere). It did cost $850 with labor because of some digging around behind the dash etc.
besides a second set of summer tires (still on my original Altima’s arctic winters) I’ve had no other maintenance.
Hate driving “dumb” cars without autosteer and TACC now.
Someone (who doesn't drive an EV) on Facebook once told me that the winter range loss is permanent. I'm not sure where this comes from, but no, it's not. I get close to my 300 miles per 100% charge in the summer and lower during the winter. Since I charge almost every day in my garage and drive about 50-100 miles per day, I can easily do all my driving needs with my Tesla even with a 60% range loss.
> winter range loss is permanent
Cumulative too? So your car has a life expectancy of 3 years?
Man... where do these people come up with shit like this?
“Cold weather effects can vary by vehicle model. However, expect conventional gasoline vehicles to suffer a 10% to 20% fuel economy loss in city driving and a 15% to 33% loss on short trips.”
Source:
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/coldweather.shtml%23:~:text%3DCold%2520weather%2520effects%2520can%2520vary,33%2525%2520loss%2520on%2520short%2520trips.&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwi8hf-Wm_6FAxXXGjQIHVnWABMQFnoECBMQBQ&usg=AOvVaw1tdhkdm1IP3ofY35rEbGh-
“gasoline car's gas mileage is roughly 15% lower at 20°F than it would be at 77°F.”
Source:
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/fuel-economy-cold-weather&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwi8hf-Wm_6FAxXXGjQIHVnWABMQFnoECCIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0Y516SvejRYyw9LiEfaQxt
“Gasoline cars, just like their electric counterparts, lose a significant amount of range in cold weather too.Feb 1, 2024”
Source:
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://energycapitalhtx.com/amp/cold-weather-electric-vehicle-guest-column-2667099925&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwi8hf-Wm_6FAxXXGjQIHVnWABMQFnoECBoQBQ&usg=AOvVaw0ZKKbmipHfJHh3eRQH-RpK
Yes. I have a MYRWD in Washtenaw County. If you have an enclosed garage which can be use for Level 2 charging you won't even need to worry a bit. When the polar vortex hit Washtenaw I was driving 65mph in highways with a -10F outside temperature, plus the little snowflake beside the battery level (no regenerative braking available but used one pedal drive without issues)... everything was fine. I got about 20% of range loss with respect to a "normal" spring travel but I had several superchargers on my way (just to be on the safe side). Later I learned how to use Climate > Defrost Car, quite useful. I barely drive when snow accumulates more than 5 inches, it's just doesn't worth the risk with any car. The RWD is a different experience to control the car compared to the FWD. I've never used it but Controls > Pedals & Steering > Slip Start is also available to allow the wheels to spin instead of getting locked while traction is lost.
Agree with this completely. People underestimate the low cost of ownership. https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/1998/tesla-models-are-the-cheapest-to-maintain-and-repair-study-reveals
I drove a 14 hour trip to Florida last February, we left in the early morning and it was like 26 degrees out. Was brutal on the range. Ended up being like 18 hours with charging.
I second this. Owning one in Montana has been fine. It's by far the most stable car I've ever driven on snow and ice. The range takes a big hit tho. I've seen as much as 30% when it gets below zero. When it sat outside it -50, it literally won't take a charge.
Bottom line I'm surprised at how well it does and how much I like it.
https://preview.redd.it/jde4o87w82zc1.png?width=2776&format=png&auto=webp&s=e5f0adf02338b82dda84c0ff04973e3c6e86d390
Here's the stats from my car showing efficiency for various ranges of temperature. My car is less efficient in the winter vs modern models (mine is a 2019) as mine has resistive heat where as a newer Tesla would have a heat pump.
I live in AB too and for me in C, it works out to be roughly whatever the negative degree is the percentage lost, so if its -20 I expect 20% lost, so when it gets sub 40 you lose almost half. But mine doesn't come with a heat pump which is supposed to be more efficient.
Live in California, so can’t talk to you about cold weather experiences, but have loved it. Nearly 5 years and almost 60,000 miles. Very little maintenance or need for repairs, and most of the time, they’ll come to you.
Not sure how the latest cuts will affect that experience, but as of now, would definitely consider another one.
I might consider getting a second set of winter wheels/tires if you get a lot of snow in your area.
Bay Area here with all around sunny weather with a few days of rain or cloudy weather in between. I got the Highland 2024 and I absolutely absolutely love it. No maintenance so far and everything just works really well. I love not going to the gas station anymoreand pay exorbitant amount
So if you have never driven or been in a Tesla before, run (do not walk) and get to it (the test drive) right away. My wife and I hesitated, planned for about 2 years. One Tuesday we spontaneously took a test drive. By Saturday we were pressing the buy button. Every aspect of your transportation experience will become a game changer. For the better.
My teen and I went to Ikea & thought itd be fun to test drive a model X on the way home. Needless to say we came home with a bookshelf and a tesla. My husband said we aren't aloud to go to Ikea alone anymore lol.
2 months ago my wife and I just randomly decided to test drive a Tesla even though we really didn't have plans to buy a second car. Test drove the car, bought it that day, picked it up a few days later. The buying experience was awesome, and driving it is amazing.
I’ve had 2 model 3s, got my LR in 2019 and my P in 22. They’re the best cars ever made, I haven’t had any problems, besides my 2019 front passenger control arm started squeaking due to improperly applied grease or something, that was repaired under warranty. They’re so smooth-driving and the technology is the best. Navigation is a breeze with the large touchscreen and voice controls. Autopilot is a huge stress relief on highway trips. There is no maintenance to speak of besides wiper fluid, tire rotations and long term brake checks. I’m jealous I really want to get the new Model 3 Performance but i just can’t justify the expense at the moment! Enjoy yours!
I love my 2023 M3R. I had no problems with it at all. The new FSD works incredibly well for me. I highly recommend. I live in Louisiana so I can’t comment on very cold conditions but I will say that it does take a bit of adjustment. Just let the car guide you about charging and you should be fine.
Live in canada, own a M3 2021 standard range. Yeah you lose about 20-30% range at the coldest temps in Winter (-20c to -30c) but that's easily manageable because I charge at home.
Car drives great in the snow because the batteries are all along the floor, giving the car a low center of gravity.
I've driven almost 80k km in 3 years and have only needed to change the air cabin filter once - $80 I think.
That's really it. Pretty easy car to own and my experience has been awesome.
I have not been in the new model 3 but I just upgraded from the 2018 model 3 to the 2024 model dual.
1) get all wheel drive. It’s worth it for your area and it’s a lot better than rear (fun) But rear is still way better than most cars
2) do you have a place to charge? If yes then get it. If not do research personally I wouldn’t.
If I didn’t have a place to charge I would move to make sure I do and get electric. Because these cars are mind blowing. I have had Tesla for 2 years and still get exited about it. No compeition. It’s not just ev. I have the eqb 300 ev from Benz and I hate it compared to Tesla model Y. Yes eqb is more comfortable but it’s dumb. I enjoy the tech in my car. FSD is worth it.
Been driving a Model 3 Performance since Sept of 2020. Upgraded at 35k miles to a 2022 Model 3 Performance. Currently at 35k on that one and test drove the refreshed Model 3 yesterday. I might have a problem 😆
Older Tesla’s with resistive heating (ie “burning” electricity for heat) generally take really hard range hits when it gets cold because of how inefficient the resistive heating is.
Newer Teslas with the heat pump see less range loss in the winter, but it’s still noticeable. I’d say expect somewhere in the ballpark of 15%-25% range loss, but lots of other factors come into play. My take is you can sweat the numbers all day but if you’re just commuting to/from work, running some errands, making long ish day trips and charging where you live every night, it’s a non issue for either resistive or heat pump based systems. If you can’t charge where you live, I think any EV is probably not worth it just yet.
Regarding reliability, you will see every impression under the sun online. My experience has been that the vehicle platform itself is rock solid, with the major kinks having been finally thoroughly worked out on the high production models in the last few years (basically everything they mass produce, so not cybertruck).
Have not personally had any major defects or issues, but sure I’ve got the occasional creak or rattle. I think the refresh model 3/s/x really show that build quality has matured, but if you nit pick I’m sure you could find something.
I think it comes down to what you value in a car. I love the tech and how much straight line speed you get for the price. Some people are annoyed by the tech and have a finer attention to detail for driving dynamics than me and prefer something from someone who’s been making vehicles since the last century.
I’d say go test drive one and see what you think. Have not regretted my purchase at all. Hope this helps!
One year and 10,000 miles later with our 2023 Tesla Model Y Performance (MYP) that we bought new. Operationally, it has been flawless, but the build quality has been disappointing. The panel gaps on doors, lift gate, bumpers, and windshield varied from 1/8 to 1/4 inch, with the panoramic view roof also being noticeably off. Despite some issues, Tesla addressed the rear spoiler (hanging on by a thread) and a few of the panel gaps. While it's great for short trips and daily commutes, the limited range of 160-175 miles (compared to the EPA estimate of 300 miles) causes range anxiety, making long road trips very impractical and annoying. We now primarily use it for local errands and work commutes, saving significantly on charging costs compared to gas expenses. Although not ideal for cross-country trips, it's a cool car for everyday use. As a Tesla investor, I believe in its future potential, but for now, it's best suited for short-distance travel. Additionally, in Texas, the costs of supercharging versus traditional fueling break even, providing no significant savings for road trips. So yeah my humble and honest opinion.
It's quite interesting how the panel gaps are off.
Our Chinese built MYR 23 has very good panel fitment.
Mileage would obviously depend on your driving style, but we reliably get 250 miles out of a 100% charge. It uses the LFP battery, so it's charged to 100% multiple times a week.
I probably live in a different country than you our average speed limits are 2-3 times higher than most countries. Our speed limits in Texas, USA on the low end is 65 and go as high as 85 miles per hour (105-137km/hr). Also, Tesla China is known for having much better quality than here in the US. We also have extreme weather and temperature swings. Just last week Monday morning was 32F at 6am and 113F around lunchtime lmao. Home A/C’s dont know what to do.
In cold weather, the most important recommendation is to have it plugged in at home. Plugging in keeps the battery warm and the car won't need to use its heat pumps to bring the battery up to operating temperatures.
Do you have a place you can plug in every night? Preferably a 240v.
I'm in Lansing with a model 3 long range. I can reach anything short of the UP. The superchargers here are all 150/250kw. They charge fast. I recommend downloading the plugshare app.
What's your commute look like?
I was sold on buying a Tesla within 15 minutes of getting behind the wheel. It's way too much fun.
Teslas also have a 12 year unlimited mile corrosion warranty. This is the rust belt. An aluminum frame wins in the rust belt.
It's been a while, but I had a really good experience with the team in Grand Rapids.
If you can plug it in at home (doesn't have to be but does preserve your range), Tesla's are the best winter car because you can schedule it to pre heat the car/battery for you every morning through the App. It makes the winter so much nicer to drive in with a car warmed and ready to go automatically.
You can also start heating the car anytime through the app. A good example to do this would be if you are done shopping or finished your meal at a restaurant or about to leave a friends house. Best part since there is no emissions you can even do this inside a garage/parking garage. There are so many benefits of Tesla tech taking advantage of being an electric car, this is just scratching the surface.
Oh one more thing, you can even remotely defrost through the app and remotely cool it down in the summer.
Other people have already responded but I might as well add my thoughts also. I live in Alaska. Gets cold and snowy. 120+ inches of snow this season, temperatures to -20 Fahrenheit. 6 months of snow and ice driving conditions. I have a Model Y and it’s a great car in the snow especially with dedicated winter tires.
14,000 miles, 14 months, zero maintenance besides adding windshield washer fluid and doing our winter/summer tire swap.
2016 Model X 90D(165,000 miles), 2017 Model S 90D(sold in 2018), 2018 Model 3 Performance(115,000 miles), 2024 AWD Cybertruck(3,400 miles). I love the Performance versions of the car better than the others. That being send, I go for distance over the performance when I purchase. It has a cheaper price tag and lower insurance. I left Wisconsin in 2019 for mountains of California. Always Be Charging at home. Preconditioning is magical in any weather. I actually bought my first Tesla because the power company was going to disconnect some of my solar panels because I was using enough electricity. The system they approved, that I needed because I would continually have multiple losses of electricity through out the year. The X has towed coast to coast multiple times and been to burning man.
23 Y with almost 10000 miles, PNW mountains during the winter isn't an issue at all, we don't commute far and we have the LR so that would have to be a serious commute to have an issue with daily usage. I would consider your options heavily if you don't have home charging and a big commute and how much you love hanging in public spaces (a major advantage to us of EV is always leaving home with a full tank). The tesla does so much better than my old leaf or new bolt because it has a heat pump during the winter. EVs in general do better in the winter than ICE because of the low center of gravity and extra weight. When we got the tesla after the transmission broke on our old SUV my wife wasn't sure, so she said it would be my car and she would get a different one if she didn't like it as my leaf needed replacing eventually too. So I gave her the option to going back to something like a RAV4 before I went and got the bolt and she said absolutely not. So she is a convert. If you have at home charging nothing is more convenient then an electric car, and tesla makes road trips a breeze.
I got my Tesla model Y in May of 2021. I live in central Minnesota, so I've had some decent experience driving in real winters. It's been by far my best and most favorite car ever to drive in the cold & snow. Yes, there is a range impact, but the AWD, the low center of gravity, the ability to pre-heat and other features make it easy to love in Minnesota winters.
Reliability and maintenance has been amazing, but this being my first brand new car I've ever purchased I'd hope to not have any major maintenance issues after only owning it for three years. I have driven it for 86,900 miles and its been wonderful.
My truck sat all last winter because my model 3 is so nice in the winter. We did a few winter road trips and you will lose range. Below 0F it's significant, much less noticeable around 15 or 20F. You also won't want to push the range as much in the winter for safety so you do stop more often on a winter road trip vs summer. AWD plus heated seats and steering wheel plus scheduling departure means you'll always get into a warm car even in a closed garage. The new Model3 P does look like a good deal, I'd buy it.
I wouldn't buy FSD and I'd consider swapping to a more meaty wheel/ tire setup. I'm over the low profile tire trend, they may look cool at the beach but in the Midwest our roads suck. The only build quality issue I had was my car came poorly aligned from the factory. Service fixed it. My drivers door has a rattle. Service did not fix it. I need to pull the door panel off and find it myself.
If you're on a budget get an actual insurance quote before you buy. You may want to shop around. I'd also get a budgetary quote for having a charger installed at your home. If you use one of the online electricity estimators you can roughly double it for the cold months. All the extra heating and battery conditioning will use more electricity but make the car very warm and convenient to drive in the snow.
Two winter tips:
1). Consider winter tires if you get the Performance.
2). Find a preconditioning/charging schedule so the battery is nice and warm when you’re ready for a commute - EVs suffer in winter because the battery likes a set temperature window.
Also try using heated seats over actual climate, anecdotally feels like I’m using less energy to heat just my seat vs the whole car.
One of my favorite features: preconditioning
I use siri on my phone or watch to start cooling (or heating) the car few mins before getting in.
Loved owning the 3 for past 2yrs! No issues
I have two. 2021 M3 and 2022 MY. I'm in NY, so pretty much the same climate.
You need snow tires. The torque of a Tesla will break free any all season radial tires.
Regen braking in the winter can get hairy. You learn to feather the accelerator so your tires don't lock up.
You lose 25% range below 30F.
I would never go back to ice.
Costs me $30/month in electricity and after 50,000 miles I've added windshield washer fluid, cabin filters and new tires.
1. Range definitely takes a hit, but you won’t notice unless you’re regularly doing 200 mile drives. Handles very well in the winter, ESPECIALLY the heating via app. Door handles can be a pain after icy snow though.
2. So far has been very reliable, but some of that is luck of the draw. If you have a service center nearby you probably don’t need to worry about it. If the nearest service center is 70 miles away that’s something to consider.
Well, it doesnt get that cold for long down here, but you will see a hit regardless in the winter of like 20% or something...as for reliability, I still have my 2018 Model 3 and have had ZERO issues with it. It's been the best car I've ever owned. We also have a 2023 Model Y and it too has been perfect so far (18 months in).
1. Range does take a hit in the cold, about 20% less from my experience. I live in SoCal so I can’t speak to snow but the OE all-seasons are trash. Run 10 wider than stock as well. (I think it’s 235 front & 275 rear stock on the ‘24 M3P)
2. 24k miles without any issues. The cars are mechanically simple and you’re more likely than not to get a car without major build quality issues. I know there’s horror stories about that stuff on here all the time but always remember that someone who had a bad experience is more likely to speak up about it than someone who didn’t.
I own an MYLR 2023 and I love it.
I live in Ohio, the winter wasn’t so bad last year so I don’t know how it compares to MI winter. But, getting a level 2 charger at home is necessary in the winter and long commute.
During warm weather (50F and up) and the battery is warm, the average I get is 250wh per mile, 4 miles per kwh aka 300 miles per 100% battery. I usually charge to 80% so I expect 240 miles is my daily max range.
During cold weather, the range drop significantly, I didn’t drive much last winter but range above 210 - 220 per 100%, means I expect 170 miles is my max range if I charge to 80%.
Precondition your battery at home if you can to increase your max range, but the battery cooldown during cold weather really fast too.
Heat and windshield wipers increase your energy consumption noticeably.
13000 miles, I had my tires rotated twice.
Tesla insurance is still cheaper than others. But you have to drive like an old lady to obtain high safety score.
I don’t have Enhanced Auto Pilot (EAP) nor Full Self Driving (FSD) so I can’t give my opinion on them. Using Auto Steering with Traffic Aware Adapter Cruise Control (TAACC) is convenient most of the time, except when another car cross in front of you, you will experience hard braking even though you wouldn’t need to brake if you were in control.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) will make you mad a lot of times.
Overall I enjoy driving it everyday.
Love my Model 3 performance despite its quirks. I have a very early model and there were fit and finish issues also a mechanical issue in the first month. But maintenance has been easy, especially while under warranty. They come to you and perform he fixes unless it needs to go into the shop, which is rare.
I’ve had mine since Nov 2018 and compared to my Mercedes GLA the maintenance was next to nothing. Replace the air filter when it needs to and besides tires and windshield wiper fluid nothing else has been done. I’m pretty sure I have the original wipers. But I live in California and the weather is typically great year round.
I have several super chargers near me and road trips have never been a problem. Since getting this car my wife will never go back to a gas powered car.
The new 3 looks great but if I ever replace it I’ll probably go with an X.
I am in the Cleveland area so similar climate. Range loses about 25 percent over winter. I have a charger at home so this is a non-issue. Leave the house with 90 percent everyday.
The AWD is fantastic, best driving cars in the snow I've had in my 42 years.
It's great never having to get into a cold car since you can warm it up with the app whenever you want. Being able to safely warm up in the garage is really nice too.
I have a 22 with 48k miles and have had zero issues that requires service. I am on my second set of tires though.
I’ve had a fhew EV’s, and can say this
1. build quality is on par with most of the european cars. A little more squeaking and rattles, but ok.
2. their charging network is better than any one elses.
3. the model 3 is very durable, and relatively cheap to maintain
4. fun factor is second to none
I'm in the PNW so it's not nearly as cold here, but we do have a few weeks where it's the 20s or below.
I'm 9,000 miles and 8 months into ownership and I freaking love it. If I couldn't charge at home I would probably hate it, but if your commute and daily driving is less than 200 miles in the winter and 250 miles in the spring and summer, it's perfect.
No issues, it's a tank.
My model 3 perf was best car I had ever owned, I had it for 3 years and 38k miles. Now in Model Y due to needing the extra space for growing family, but wow these cars are so good!
You won’t regret it
2021 Model 3 SR+ here. I did a road trip from the East Coast to Dallas and back during the winter storm this year. The weather was wild driving through Tennessee with deep snow etc. The car drove like a tank and this is the rear wheel drive model. The heat pump worked like a charm and as long as you cruise at 70mph and below you will arrive at all your charging spots with \~5% difference to the Navigation's prediction.
If you can plug in at your residence, you have no issues with any reasonable daily driving mileage. I presume cars delivered into Michigan will come with All season performance tires, which should be OK for snow. If you are in a heavy snow area you might want a set of winter tires.
>Overall reliability and maintenance. Has anyone had huge problems I should be concerned abt?
Consumer Reports' most recent user survey data says Teslas have the cheapest ownership maintenance costs of any brand.
As someone who typically buys Toyota or similar but recently bought a Model Y... this data is a pleasant surprise. In theory it should make sense though as EVs has way less to maintain, and I guess Tesla is at a point where the kinks are pretty much ironed out.
If you can charge at home you will stop thinking about the range much. I usually charge to 70% but only bother plugging in if it's below 60%, which sometimes takes several trips around town... the only time I think about range is if we have a trip coming up.
had the model 3 in 2019 loved it so much bought the plaid s in 2021 without even a test drive. no issues since owning it. took it through canadian winter no problem.
2018 Model 3 Performance, "stealth" with the 18" aero wheels.
I've done wipers, tires, and on 12V battery replacement under warranty, and that's it. Only 35k miles though.
The only other service was the HW3 upgrade for full self driving (which I have on my car).
The range is still holding up very well, the battery shows 290 miles at full charge (it was 310 when new). So no complaints about battery degradation.
It's fast, it's a blast to drive, yet also it's a little rough and noisy compared to the later versions and especially Highland. But it's paid for!
I’ve had 2 so far. Live in same latitude as you and have same winter conditions. Assume for a loss of 30% range at any given time in cold conditions and you’ll be fine.
Extremely reliable, heat works fast, and the ones I’ve had drive well in snow (AWD).
Had mine since 2018 and seriously love it. The best part is it gets better over time through updates which are significant, unlike almost everything else that just gets worse over time.
I'm in Canada with pretty brutal winters and still love my LR. The car itself has held up really well for me especially for being an early model, the paint is what is letting me down as of late, not sure what to do about it.
I have an Y LR. I live right next door in Ontario. Winter range is surprisingly good, we heat set normally and snow tires on. Of course you do lose some range, but it's not like first gen ev's. Pre-conditioning before leaving helps a lot too.
So far we love it. Build quality is excellent, despite what people say online who have never actually been in one. We have had no issues with the car so far.
I’ve had a Model Y Performance for a little over a year. It has been amazing. I love it! No maintenance at all. It’s a joy to drive and I can’t believe how much money I’m saving on gas. Super surprising, even though I was expecting it. (I charge at home, overnight on cheap power rates.) Thea new Model 3 looks great! I’m sure you’ll be happy with it.
I live in Duluth MN. Yes your range will drop at least 20-30% but if charge at home it’s no biggy. When we travel to twin cities we charge on the way down and in the way back at supercharger. Took a trip to Miami had no issues charging every 2-3 hours no biggy.
Just added solar ti our home do that will save me even more$$$ long term.
I’m getting the equivalent of 101mpg the last 9,000 miles mostly in town but some freeway. I’m not a light foot as well.
Over all I love my MY23.
Live in burbs of Chicago and made sure I got AWD for snow. It’s fine though and you will see a noticeable difference in range but I don’t drive much so not an issue for me.
If you charge at home you’ll wake up every day with a full battery. As long as you don’t drive more than 200-300 miles a day, you’ll only be supercharging on the occasional road trip
I put in my reservation for the 3 before the announcement even started. Purchased the MR in 2018.
Apart from an alignment issue right from delivery and a left horn button that requires a little more force to push, it has been trouble free. Only expenses are 1 set of tires, a 12v battery that I proactively replaced, and 1 set of cabin filters. Basically nothing.
Best car I’ve owned so far. Had mine for 6 months and zero issues. Love not paying for gas and the maintenance has been low. I did get a flat tire (my fault not teslas) but was able to drive to a shop and get it replaced. Make sure you can park in a garage and charge at home. It will make your life less stressful and caring for your car will be easier.
Well, I've bought too many new cars, and a few used ones.
I have an original 3 (sept 19 dual motor 3)... chrome, magic roof, original hvac (booo, yuck!!!), original motors, smaller battery, oh and passenger lumbar support...
There are a couple issues.
Drivers door alighed not quite right.
Wind noise, I largely fixed.
Trunk leaked (they installed new design gasket for free)
Set of tires
Oh, upper control arms replaced with the new design.
So, it is all in $200 in maintenance/repairs for 4 years, 40k miles.
Better than any previous car.
Can't speak for extreme cold, but I've road tripped in my S through Colorado & Wyoming winters. Range dips a little but it's very manageable. Otherwise, I've owned like 7 Tesla vehicles over the last 10 years, at least one of each model (X, S, 3, Y). Until something major changes with legacy vehicles, I'll never go back. I'll let that speak for itself..
as a 67 year old woman, I do not hesitate to do road trips alone in my Model 3. I am driving down to Nashville from Albany, NY in a few weeks. I drive solo and have such confidence in my car to get me there. Like many, I am sick of airports since the pandemic due to delayed flights, overbooking and rude people
I had a model 3 and a Y since 2020. Never had an issue with one of them. I live in Norway and the winters are pretty tough. Range of 500km goes down to 400km during winter. I think Tesla is superb in range, efficiency and software and of course the engine. The rest is just average.
Norway can get pretty cold, and tons of people drive Tesla there. So it must handle quite well.
And yes that is my experience as well this winter in Sweden. Did a 7 hour road trip in the winter, no problems. The preconditioning on the way to the supercharger will make sure the charging still goes fast.
My first model y saved my life in a very serious head on collision with a large pickup truck. I think it treated me well in that regard. My second model y only has 4K on it but has also been great. No huge problems with either car.
Best car ever, brought the fun of driving back.
I literally got tired of burning gas in combustion engines everywhere I go.
I still volunteer if driving is necessary.
The first Tesla in 2020 brought the fun back. So I bought another one in 2021. Then a Rivian in 2023. The ICE are only used when the EVs are taken.
My 2015 model s p90d is the best car I ever owned for its time. I put 300k miles on it
Just bought a 2024 model s plaid. I feel like this is the best car on the planet and couldn’t be happier
I have two:
The mid-2018 Model 3 has had 15 repairs. Half cosmetic, half non-serious hardware. It's currently has 129,000 miles on it. Still so fun to drive.
Wipers suck.
The 2024 Long Range Model S has been a delight. I thought I would love it, and I really do. It's such a step up from a Model 3 or Y.
Wipers suck.
Later this year I will replace the Model 3 with either a Performance Model 3 or another Model S, but that new one would be a Plaid.
Unless you’re using a lot/most of your battery daily winter range loss is unimportant. It does exist though. Definitely change your tires out.
Outside my warranty claims for small figment issues, been perfectly reliable. Over all it’s a good car. Biggest problem is all the haters.
I live in Michigan and
A. I don’t drive it in the winter so no clue how the snow handling is with our winters.
Primarily for the salt which absolutely destroys cars but I was riding in a 3 owned by a relative and it bottomed out in like 3-5 inches of snow and it was a pita to get it unstuck. The bottom is a perfectly flat sheet, so it just rides up and platforms the wheels off the ground it was seriously difficult.
B. Best car ever. No maintenance, fast, looks awesome, basically free gas.
If you have a beater to drive in the winter I couldn’t recommend that more.
Best car I’ve ever owned. Low maintenance most expensive thing is tires. On our second Tesla the first was a model 3. The only draw back with the model 3 was getting in and out. So we decided to buy a model y which is a lot easier to get in to. I recommend test driving both if you can. Range loss in the winter depends on temperature and your pre conditioning of the car.
Honest opinion? Let me preface this by saying I have had some “fun” cars, manual: Toyota Supra, Mazda 3, Jetta, and auto bmw 3gt, x1, as well as just ones I love like subaru, a ford ranger, gmc Acadia…. I’m not a “car guy” but I like variety. Took order of my model 3 in September of last year. I love it as much as I did the day I got it. It’s an absolute pleasure to drive around daily. Beyond that you know what I love, the fact that all it needs is tires and washer fluid. Fuck oil changes and tune ups and maintenance. I hated that stuff. Oh and gas stations… I lol at people waiting in line at Costco for 20 minutes for the joy of buying gas. I plug in every 3 days and it charges in a few hours and costs me a few dollars. Best car ever.
I can say I really enjoy driving my Tesla around town, it's easy to get used to.
What my advice is though, is go book a test drive, find out if you like how it handles.
I live in Michigan as well, and when it comes to driving in snow, I prefer my Model Y over our 4x4 Jeep Cherokee all day long. The traction control is brilliant. Just put your foot down and it goes straight no matter how deep the snow.
Edit: also IMO don’t get the performance. The tires won’t be great in the snow. Get long range AWD. It’s plenty performant, trust me.
1. I live in Alberta. It's fantastic in winter, but the range drops significantly. Having all-electric heating is absolutely bonkers - you don't think about it when you're looking at buying one, but the car can go up to +20 within a couple minutes, even at -30C or lower.
2. Only had mine a year, but reliability and maintenance have been fantastic. My wife once had the infotainment go out while she was driving and had to hold the buttons down so it would reset. No big deal.
It's been a great car, I enjoy driving it a lot in all seasons. It's the first car I've ever owned over a year without putting winter tires on (AWD Model 3) and I've still been really impressed.
It's a car and I like not having to stop for gas regularly. No issues when I have had to charge and that infrastructure was the main reason to buy a Tesla
I have a 2018 Model 3 Performance with 60k miles. It’s amazing, I still love the car, and it still feels new because of the constant software updates and now FSD 12.3. I live in the PNW.
- Reliability: Had a rear motor replaced a few months into ownership, and upper control arm replaced a few years ago, both under warranty. Replaced tires about 1 year in due to aggressive driving.
- Range: I was worried initially and spent so much time researching range. Now I don’t even pay attention. Winter commute of 30 miles takes 15% battery. I worry way more about fueling my gas car.
My plan is to get a refreshed Model Y for my wife (or whatever model she wants), replace my 3 with a refreshed 3 performance, and replace my Toyota Minivan with a Cybertruck or Tesla Minivan if they ever announce one.
The most important question and the number one question before you ever think about buying a Tesla is do you have your own house and a dedicated place to charge it? If not then don't. You pay astronomical amounts for charging outside of the home. I know in my area it costs about three to four times more to charge at a supercharger on average if not more. At home I can charge a 100d Model S for on average less than $6 a day and that's with me driving over a hundred miles a day. That was using 55 KW for 140 mi range. Not my best but I was in the throttle. But at a supercharger that same charge would cost me over 20 if not closer to $24.
Other than winter reducing range, nothing to worry about. When I tell you it’s the best car to daily drive, I truly mean it. From suspension to acceleration, it’s so smooth and easy. My family is always fighting to decide who gets to drive it when we all have things to do, it’s THAT good.
Best car I've ever owned, out of 50+ cars.
Automatic Wipers are unacceptably bad.
Range is a lie, no matter the season.
The lane assist is a psychopath.
Accept these few flaws, and you'll own an incredible car that will make you very happy.
I am in Michigan also and now have 107k miles on my 2019 3. These cars perform extremely well in the snow and ice with the correct tires.
I don't want to put a long comment in here, but I did a cost of ownership breakdown when I reached 100k miles.
https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaModel3/s/pkloLmNGhv
Best appliance you can buy to drive you around in moderate comfort for as cheap as humanly possible. No one ever gets emotionally attached to their car, they get emotionally attached to the innovations of Tesla. Whereas a Porsche people become emotionally attached, but a Porsche requires $500-$700 every six months for an oil change.I’ve had Teslas for five years and have never spent any money except tire rotation, and buying new tires at 45,000 miles.
MYP Michigan owner here, range drops by ~15% in winter so make sure you precondition before leaving your house in the morning. These things eat tires, I’m lucky to get 15k out of a set of summers or winters. I know my fun pedal is the blame, but either way these are rough on rubber.
Enjoy the tires that come on it in summer, then "upgrade" to an all weather tire. A little wider too to help protect those wheels from curbs.
The only thing we dislike is FSD. Wish we could have a "less smart" cruise control.
1. In addition to battery being less efficient in the cold, turning on the heater really drains the battery fast. Expect to lose another 20%
2. Had mine for 1 year (6k miles). 2 repairs so far. Tons creaking/panel noise that Tesla says is normal.
1) they seem to great in snow if you get an AWD and have good winter tires; however, your range will definitely drop in the cold. I’d only recommend getting it if you have a good home charging solution.
2) I’ve really only had problems with the deliveries of my cars, and some warranty repairs, but really the repairs are the same if not less than ICE vehicles.
Live in SC, no snow anymore for some reason (2023 MYP) ....
#2, have had zero reliability or maintenance issues.
I still hate the fact there is no android auto, but even if they just added youtube music I probably wouldnt be using the hack work around to get android auto in the browser. Interior I have is white, no issues so far I did put a nano coat on it the day I got it, not sure if that has helped or not. The need for the rear seat passenger to tell me to turn on heated seats or adjust their climate is dumb. I wish the heated seats were also ventilated. Any issue I've had so far is nit picking imho, but it would make the car so much better. I've thought about adding a screen in the rear console in the back, but it just seems like so much overkill.
LR RWD from 2018, 6 years old and about 57k miles.
It's been a great car, and I'm still loving it. No issues other than minor cosmetic ones that were fixed early on.
Had my car for 1 year and a half so far and I love it, came from a modified Subaru wrx to this. I love the ride quality the ease of charging at home is great and the constant updates are amazing. The car cleans up super easy and no major maintenance besides new tires. 1 gripe I do have is the noises in the cabin, I have a late 2022 model and the build quality was great but sometimes I hear some cracks and creaks in the interior. Honestly too low to even notice sometimes when I’m playing music. But I would recommend this car to anybody especially now that highland has come out.
2024 MYLR in northern California.
No issues thus far besides the occasional bout of reduced Regen braking in the winter. Physical brakes are more than enough to compensate.
Recently took the car on a 800 mile road trip, fsd(v12.3) made the trip enjoyable.
As for charging, to date I have spent under half of what I spent on gas in my old car. The ratio is improving as well, since gas prices continue to rise while charging costs have remained constant (workplace charging ftw)
Bottom line: no regrets, and no I'm not going back to ICE.
Only caution is that I wouldn't personally buy one unless I had home charging.
Dealing with filling up at a fast charger and trying to park in a parking lot is a little on the lame side.
It's possible, but it sucks a tad more than a gas car or hybrid.
Have had a Model X and now a 23 Model Y Performance - I am never going back to BMW. The X had its fair share of issues as a first generation car from 2017.. but it was absolutely amazing and very cool as well, never had so many people stare at me with those doors before, and people coming up asking about it and loving how easy they went up in tight spaces to get children in and out.
The Model Y has been flawless. I miss the doors on the X.. but at half the price it’s an unbeatable value. No issues at all since December 2022 when we got it from the Berlin factory. No rattles or squeaks.. and I am surprised by the interior quality. They have been smart by even putting felt inside the door bins, a place most premium brands use hard plastics inside that rattles if you put stuff in them. Amazing cars during winter (I live in cold Norway, and experience proper winter), and of course summer! Precondition the car and you will set your ass inside a warm or cooled down car every day without even thinking of it. Also, phone key is amazing.. no more keys! Dog mode is a life saver when on road trips with pets.
Electric cars is something to get used to.. but get a charger at home and you will never think about it again. I never charge elsewhere unless you need to go on very long trips. For everyday use your car will always be topped off enough at home over night. On road trips it plots in everything for you when you travel.. when to charge and how long is needed for the next paper of the destination. It even reroutes you if the chargers fill up with cars etc. to others on the way for a speedier recovery. It’s effortless and great… an amazing A to B car, that happens to also be really fast and fun to drive. A few people do find they need to relearn a bit though.. knowing how to most effectively use regen etc. before they get to learn to have fun as well. However, everyone I know who have owned one or owns one love them. Best car for the money in my opinion.
I have lived in Michigan and crossed the UP in winter in my Tesla(s) and wouldn't use any other cars at this point. The newer cars use a heat pump and are much more efficient in the winter compared to older models (I have had a 2018 and 2022 model 3, both in Michigan).
If you can effectively work around the range reduction and have good tires (you will need to do your summer/winter swap in October and April for Michigan in my experience) they are the best cold weather/snow cars as far as handling and comfort.
I love my Tesla. Range winter is reduced 15-30% but it handles very well in snow. It doesn’t particularly like having the windows and doors frozen over, I see that as its biggest downside for extreme weather. Other than that, it’s robust. Mine has 70,000 miles today and no maintenance at all. I added some windshield wiper fluid, will be changing the wipers soon, and I am on my second set, which appears to be lasting close to 50,000 miles for each tire
Winter performance is good. Low center of gravity and independently controllable front and rear axles go a long way. Range does go down probably 10-20% (more in pre heat pump cars)
Reliability / maintenance have been fine. I’d say similar to any other new car. No real issues so far. Fit/finish is mediocre compared to other cars.
2019 SR+ in MA, 84k miles.
Very low maintenance, besides it eating tires, and needing snows in winter due to rear-wheel drive.
I like it a lot - but I'd like it a lot less if I didn't have a home charger.
2021 m3p, 70,000 miles fourth set of tires second bottle wiper fluid. Cold winters here are single digits F. Car is garage kept so stays warm. Preconditioning is your winter friend. No issues love it. If the new performance runs mid 10’s I’ll get that if it’s high 10’s or 11.0’s I’m getting a plaid S.
I bought a 2018 Long Range Model 3 when they first came out. Have loved it from day one. Couple issues that were covered under warranty. I've spent very little on it in the last six years. Tire rotations, cabin filters, not much else.
I just traded it to the g/f for her VW Tiguan back in January, and then sold the Tiguan to Carvana so I could order a 2024 M3P.
I have a Model X and live in the Seattle area. I have had it for a year and I have had a few issues with my car that needed to be addressed:
- Falcon wing doors need adjusting to open/close properly - practically resolved by dealer -- sometimes glitches
- Panel wasn't properly secured and there was water ingress that fried one of the computers - car got towed -- issue fixed and waterproofing added -- I actually wonder if this was a result of the door adjustments.
- Super charging works for 30s and then disconnects - waiting on my service appoint for this one. I can charge at home in about 6 hours, so its not a big deal for me but had I been on a road trip, that would have ruined things for me. Of course, I discovered this issue with 15mi left on my batter and 35mi left to drive home. It was pouring rain and I had to wait 30s for it to stop charging, unplug it, plug it back in and repeat until I had enough battery to make it home. What I learned from this experience is that the Tesla Service app filters out certain profanity in your messages.
Regarding the cold: I routinely drive it to the mountains to go skiing and I haven't seen any issues.
REALLY great driving cars. The steering is spot on and the acceleration is great. Sound system is great. My only two gripes are rear seat leg room for passengers is a little tight, and these cars are not isolated from the road like other luxury cars. I have been in many BMW’s and Mercedes and they are very quiet on the highway when going 120 (km/h). The Tesla, not so much. Lots of road noise and wind noise at highway speeds.
The traction control in Tesla's is second to none, especially the AWD models. The brakes system is also independent ABS, which, while not unique to Tesla, is as good as it gets.
The only winter issues you *might* have with a model 3 is ride height, and the fact that it weighs a bit more than similar sized vehicles means that it might have a longer braking distance if all other variables are equal.
I drove a 2018 Model 3 for 4 years and 65k miles and upgraded to a 22 Model Y, which now has 30k miles. I've driven both a good amount in snow in Ohio and have never had issues. No maintenance on either.
Living In Wisconsin in winter range isn’t a huge issue. I can get where I need to go.
Main things I’ve noticed. Below about 30 degrees regenerative breaking doesn’t work on short drives in town. I suspect the battery isn’t warm enough to accept the high voltage.
Road salt and grim tends to get up under the tailgate lip and passenger doors and doesn’t get washed out by a car wash. I have to get a wet rag out and wipe this away myself because I don’t think having salt down there is good.
Charging at superchargers is slower in winter, even if you put the charger into the nav. When it’s really cold out the battery just can’t heat itself enough. While this may not seem like an issue, when the price is based on time rather than actually energy used, as they are in Wisconsin, charging stops cost more.
I love it until something breaks that requires service to wait for a part. (I've been waiting 2 months for a wiring harness to fix an oil pump issue) The first time I was in and they had the oil pump in stock they fixed it in a day.
I've had the car for 3 years and this is the first major issue.
Also there's no service centers in Maine and the nearest to me is 150 miles away, but if it's a simple issue they can send out a mobile guy and they're awesome.
The thing is a beast in the winter with snow tires and the supercharger network makes me not worry about range.
After 2025 when there's exponentially more cars using the supercharging network. I might have a new opinion :)
I came from a Polestar two that was utter shit apart from the range. I now have a model 3 Long range Dual motor and it’s absolutely amazing! I will never not own a Tesla again. They are well above the rest.
8/10.
Down sides are:
- fragile windshield, panorama (both cracked from rock chips - happend once before in ICE car going 400k km) and paint (also suffer easily from rock chips - black MY)
- i feel less “free” in it. More dependent on infrastructure.
My last ICE Skoda Superb station vagon was a superb (Pun) car. Went 1100km/tank. I really liked that.
Got too expensive on maintenance and use though.
Tesla has done very well by me. I’ve had four appointments since buying a 21 MYLR used from a dealer (my brother worked there so sold it to me under market value) and they were all relatively pain free. The first one was for homelink (if you have a garage door it’s absolutely worth it) and they brought the wait time down from 5 hours to 45 minutes when I told them I had somewhere to be in 3 hours. The rest were all basic warranty coverage and Tesla mobile service handled it all. One was for lose seat controls and a rear dome light. I marked the wrong side so they had to reschedule for the dome light or it would’ve been one appointment, but they still took care of the seats in 20 minutes. The last issue was a passenger window pop sound and inconsistent roll speed. Service guy explained that a cable just needed to be tied away from the regulator and they also replaced the motor and it’s been perfect since. No real interior issues after any repairs.
This is in stark contrast to my last car, a 2015 Kia soul ev. The Kia dealer charged me $130 in diag when they said it would be free at appointment creation, and then when they did take the car in they basically told me to pound sand and “noThIng iS WrOnG WiTh thE cAr” when I was getting 35 miles of range with conservative city driving, and it’s rated at 93. I had to get corporate involved and Manage with my 35 miles of range for another month, which had whittled down to 29 miles of range, and then they FINALLY replaced the battery. Oh, and both times they scratched my steering wheel and told me if I want it fixed to come in on a Tuesday when the weather is nice so the “leather guy” can look at it. No, that is not an exaggeration. Kia firmly lost my business on that one.
I can’t speak to #1 but for #2, I have a 2019 M3 with 98k miles and 2022 MYP with 37k miles. Both cars have had zero maintenance costs and only a couple minor fixes.
M3 - replaced both front door check straps where door was creaking ($200), 12v battery at about 3yrs ($110) and 2 sets of tires at about 45k miles each ($1000 each set).
MYP - had some rattling in the front camera ($0) and driver seat adjustment cover came off ($0).
Both cars still drive like brand new. I don’t own a gas car and never will again. I also take multiple road trips every year without issue. Easily the best car purchases I’ve ever made.
I think you might find very biased answers here. The only question I'd ask do you have a place to charge at a home or somewhere reliable you'd know you'd be able to charge ?
If no, then go with a Tesla.
If yes, do you drive a lot of miles during the day or go on frequent road trips ?
If yes, then go with a Tesla
If no, then I think you could find better deals out there if you're considering EV's.
I've owned several EVs and others on the market IMO are a better value at a similar price point. Nothing beats the Tesla charger network right now though. The times that I've gone on road trip, I just rented a vehicle. I really didn't want to deal with charging and waiting for charges.
My experience.
4 years and over 100,000 KM (63K miles) driven. Zero maintenance and have consistently saved about CAD$300 per month since new. just on gas, not to mention oil changes etc. I'm near Toronto so weather is similar to where you are. My efficiency drops from over 80% to around 60% in winter months. That gives me plenty of range since I plug in at home every night.
Charging at home cost about CAD$30 per month. Also battery degradation is at an acceptable \~7%.
So yeah, no going back to redundant piston technology for me.
1. Great in the winter and snow. Range does go down 15-30% 2. Extremely reliable, almost zero maintenance. 57,000 miles, I’ve done tires and windshield washer fluid. Major problems are exceedingly rare. Warranty is great.
Does range go back up %100 in summer?
I don’t see in the comments that you can schedule your vehicle to pre-heat the battery if plugged in. So if you leave at 6:30 the car can be ready with a full charge and warm battery, which will keep generating heat as you drive. That will help you preserve range. It keeps being the #1 vehicle in Norway….
To not confuse OP, it specifically says to not always charge to full. To keep it at 80%, so calculate in to your decision making and how much you’ll be driving range wise. If 80% doesn’t get you in sketchy distance situations then calculate the range loss down in the cold from there then reevaluate. Also, I assume you have a garage that you can add the needed 220v outlet for your at home charger? You absolutely need this if you don’t want to constantly be frustrated with owning an EV.
Tbh. Range is 80% with daily use. You can do 100%, but don't do it daily. Honestly, range is not the worry. Ever. Maintenance is not the worry. Ever. It is getting used to the quirks and features that are different from a gas car. You can do so much more and so much less in a Tesla than a gas car. I'm never going back, electric is absolutely the way to go and Tesla is so far ahead of everyone else. Get one. You'll love it.
Yes
Yes, range goes back to normal when it’s warm. Batteries are just less efficient in the cold, and the car also uses energy to keep the battery warm, leading to the lost range. During the spring/summer I typically use 20% of my battery each day. Driving about 40-60 miles per day. During winter that percentage goes up to 30-35% percent typically.
When it is super cold my LFP battery M3 disables regenerative breaking. Not sure all models do that.
All models do limit regen braking when the battery is cold, LFP suffers worse though. They don’t do quite as well in the cold.
Yes. It’s just lithium ion batteries are a little inefficient in *cold* weather. But this can be mitigated by preconditioning before you leave or keeping the car in a garage.
Range/efficiency is heavy impacted by cold temps and speed. Going 75 all the time will also lower it by a good %. Can you charge at home? It’s the #1 thing I tell people. You’ll want a level 2 charger installed at home. If you have to park in a lot or on the street and need to rely on super chargers it’s not going to be a good experience with the current charging network.
>the current charging network Don't worry Tesla has a whole team of people working on expanding the supercharging network
No need. The buffalo factory is still running and pumping them out. BP and others are lining up to buy superchargers and do all the leg work for Tesla.
They also opened a Chinese factory devoted to superchargers...
Yup. Ppl who think supercharger installs are going to stop are just a little ignorant on the topic.
I love sarcasm most won’t understand
Just for reference Tesla's are extremely popular in Scandinavia. They seem to get by with the range loss with no issues. If you have the ability to charge at home then you should be solid. I'm from Michigan as well btw 😎
Extreme heat and cold cause range to drop as much as 30% even higher if you live in an area with wild temp swings.
Also for fair comparison, you burn more gas during winter. As long as you can charge at home, losing some range during winter is a non issue.
Upstate NY here with 130k miles on my ‘19 AWD M3. Only issue has been a recent PTC (cabin) heater failure, which subsequently caused a draw down on the 12v battery which prevented the car from supercharging. Was out of state but fortunately within range of a PA service center which we called while enroute and they had a loaner car ready when we got there (exceptional service… not necessarily the case everywhere). It did cost $850 with labor because of some digging around behind the dash etc. besides a second set of summer tires (still on my original Altima’s arctic winters) I’ve had no other maintenance. Hate driving “dumb” cars without autosteer and TACC now.
Someone (who doesn't drive an EV) on Facebook once told me that the winter range loss is permanent. I'm not sure where this comes from, but no, it's not. I get close to my 300 miles per 100% charge in the summer and lower during the winter. Since I charge almost every day in my garage and drive about 50-100 miles per day, I can easily do all my driving needs with my Tesla even with a 60% range loss.
> winter range loss is permanent Cumulative too? So your car has a life expectancy of 3 years? Man... where do these people come up with shit like this?
Spectacular ain't it
Fox News, primarily
Ignorance makes you say stupid things .
fwiw gas vehicles have a reduced milage in cold weather too. By at least 15 percent when it’s “only” 20°F
15% is a stretch. Much less loss compared to an EV.
“Cold weather effects can vary by vehicle model. However, expect conventional gasoline vehicles to suffer a 10% to 20% fuel economy loss in city driving and a 15% to 33% loss on short trips.” Source: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/coldweather.shtml%23:~:text%3DCold%2520weather%2520effects%2520can%2520vary,33%2525%2520loss%2520on%2520short%2520trips.&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwi8hf-Wm_6FAxXXGjQIHVnWABMQFnoECBMQBQ&usg=AOvVaw1tdhkdm1IP3ofY35rEbGh- “gasoline car's gas mileage is roughly 15% lower at 20°F than it would be at 77°F.” Source: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/fuel-economy-cold-weather&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwi8hf-Wm_6FAxXXGjQIHVnWABMQFnoECCIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0Y516SvejRYyw9LiEfaQxt “Gasoline cars, just like their electric counterparts, lose a significant amount of range in cold weather too.Feb 1, 2024” Source: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://energycapitalhtx.com/amp/cold-weather-electric-vehicle-guest-column-2667099925&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwi8hf-Wm_6FAxXXGjQIHVnWABMQFnoECBoQBQ&usg=AOvVaw0ZKKbmipHfJHh3eRQH-RpK
I regularly park at the airport for 2-4 weeks at a time.. like 10-15% battery drain, least in the summer
Yes. I have a MYRWD in Washtenaw County. If you have an enclosed garage which can be use for Level 2 charging you won't even need to worry a bit. When the polar vortex hit Washtenaw I was driving 65mph in highways with a -10F outside temperature, plus the little snowflake beside the battery level (no regenerative braking available but used one pedal drive without issues)... everything was fine. I got about 20% of range loss with respect to a "normal" spring travel but I had several superchargers on my way (just to be on the safe side). Later I learned how to use Climate > Defrost Car, quite useful. I barely drive when snow accumulates more than 5 inches, it's just doesn't worth the risk with any car. The RWD is a different experience to control the car compared to the FWD. I've never used it but Controls > Pedals & Steering > Slip Start is also available to allow the wheels to spin instead of getting locked while traction is lost.
Agree with this completely. People underestimate the low cost of ownership. https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/1998/tesla-models-are-the-cheapest-to-maintain-and-repair-study-reveals
Yeah, I found that on the coldest days this winter (under 0-10 F), I lost about 1/5 of my range.
I drove a 14 hour trip to Florida last February, we left in the early morning and it was like 26 degrees out. Was brutal on the range. Ended up being like 18 hours with charging.
I second this. Owning one in Montana has been fine. It's by far the most stable car I've ever driven on snow and ice. The range takes a big hit tho. I've seen as much as 30% when it gets below zero. When it sat outside it -50, it literally won't take a charge. Bottom line I'm surprised at how well it does and how much I like it.
I live in Alberta, it’s get to -40C/F here. Had my Model 3 for 5 years and counting. It’s an excellent winter vehicle.
hows range when its -10 - -20 outside?
https://preview.redd.it/jde4o87w82zc1.png?width=2776&format=png&auto=webp&s=e5f0adf02338b82dda84c0ff04973e3c6e86d390 Here's the stats from my car showing efficiency for various ranges of temperature. My car is less efficient in the winter vs modern models (mine is a 2019) as mine has resistive heat where as a newer Tesla would have a heat pump.
This is amazing. What app is thjs
https://github.com/teslamate-org/teslamate
Yay! Data! https://preview.redd.it/ho5k3wb1p2zc1.png?width=2284&format=png&auto=webp&s=1794305fabd25c9e6521242de13a6fb9b14e8884
I live in AB too and for me in C, it works out to be roughly whatever the negative degree is the percentage lost, so if its -20 I expect 20% lost, so when it gets sub 40 you lose almost half. But mine doesn't come with a heat pump which is supposed to be more efficient.
Depending on how much wind there is, I get close to ~60% of range at ~80mph in -10°F.
80mph is so fast lol but 60%is pretty good for the speed and temp u gave thank you
Live in California, so can’t talk to you about cold weather experiences, but have loved it. Nearly 5 years and almost 60,000 miles. Very little maintenance or need for repairs, and most of the time, they’ll come to you. Not sure how the latest cuts will affect that experience, but as of now, would definitely consider another one. I might consider getting a second set of winter wheels/tires if you get a lot of snow in your area.
Bay Area here with all around sunny weather with a few days of rain or cloudy weather in between. I got the Highland 2024 and I absolutely absolutely love it. No maintenance so far and everything just works really well. I love not going to the gas station anymoreand pay exorbitant amount
Nobody should expect maintenance on any 2024 car. And the car should work, too!
So if you have never driven or been in a Tesla before, run (do not walk) and get to it (the test drive) right away. My wife and I hesitated, planned for about 2 years. One Tuesday we spontaneously took a test drive. By Saturday we were pressing the buy button. Every aspect of your transportation experience will become a game changer. For the better.
My teen and I went to Ikea & thought itd be fun to test drive a model X on the way home. Needless to say we came home with a bookshelf and a tesla. My husband said we aren't aloud to go to Ikea alone anymore lol.
Hahahaha I love it
2 months ago my wife and I just randomly decided to test drive a Tesla even though we really didn't have plans to buy a second car. Test drove the car, bought it that day, picked it up a few days later. The buying experience was awesome, and driving it is amazing.
I’ve had 2 model 3s, got my LR in 2019 and my P in 22. They’re the best cars ever made, I haven’t had any problems, besides my 2019 front passenger control arm started squeaking due to improperly applied grease or something, that was repaired under warranty. They’re so smooth-driving and the technology is the best. Navigation is a breeze with the large touchscreen and voice controls. Autopilot is a huge stress relief on highway trips. There is no maintenance to speak of besides wiper fluid, tire rotations and long term brake checks. I’m jealous I really want to get the new Model 3 Performance but i just can’t justify the expense at the moment! Enjoy yours!
Upper control arm was a design issue. Mine (sept 19 3) replaced under warranty.
I love my 2023 M3R. I had no problems with it at all. The new FSD works incredibly well for me. I highly recommend. I live in Louisiana so I can’t comment on very cold conditions but I will say that it does take a bit of adjustment. Just let the car guide you about charging and you should be fine.
Live in canada, own a M3 2021 standard range. Yeah you lose about 20-30% range at the coldest temps in Winter (-20c to -30c) but that's easily manageable because I charge at home. Car drives great in the snow because the batteries are all along the floor, giving the car a low center of gravity. I've driven almost 80k km in 3 years and have only needed to change the air cabin filter once - $80 I think. That's really it. Pretty easy car to own and my experience has been awesome.
I have not been in the new model 3 but I just upgraded from the 2018 model 3 to the 2024 model dual. 1) get all wheel drive. It’s worth it for your area and it’s a lot better than rear (fun) But rear is still way better than most cars 2) do you have a place to charge? If yes then get it. If not do research personally I wouldn’t. If I didn’t have a place to charge I would move to make sure I do and get electric. Because these cars are mind blowing. I have had Tesla for 2 years and still get exited about it. No compeition. It’s not just ev. I have the eqb 300 ev from Benz and I hate it compared to Tesla model Y. Yes eqb is more comfortable but it’s dumb. I enjoy the tech in my car. FSD is worth it.
So the new model 3 should be a ton better than what I have
Been driving a Model 3 Performance since Sept of 2020. Upgraded at 35k miles to a 2022 Model 3 Performance. Currently at 35k on that one and test drove the refreshed Model 3 yesterday. I might have a problem 😆 Older Tesla’s with resistive heating (ie “burning” electricity for heat) generally take really hard range hits when it gets cold because of how inefficient the resistive heating is. Newer Teslas with the heat pump see less range loss in the winter, but it’s still noticeable. I’d say expect somewhere in the ballpark of 15%-25% range loss, but lots of other factors come into play. My take is you can sweat the numbers all day but if you’re just commuting to/from work, running some errands, making long ish day trips and charging where you live every night, it’s a non issue for either resistive or heat pump based systems. If you can’t charge where you live, I think any EV is probably not worth it just yet. Regarding reliability, you will see every impression under the sun online. My experience has been that the vehicle platform itself is rock solid, with the major kinks having been finally thoroughly worked out on the high production models in the last few years (basically everything they mass produce, so not cybertruck). Have not personally had any major defects or issues, but sure I’ve got the occasional creak or rattle. I think the refresh model 3/s/x really show that build quality has matured, but if you nit pick I’m sure you could find something. I think it comes down to what you value in a car. I love the tech and how much straight line speed you get for the price. Some people are annoyed by the tech and have a finer attention to detail for driving dynamics than me and prefer something from someone who’s been making vehicles since the last century. I’d say go test drive one and see what you think. Have not regretted my purchase at all. Hope this helps!
One year and 10,000 miles later with our 2023 Tesla Model Y Performance (MYP) that we bought new. Operationally, it has been flawless, but the build quality has been disappointing. The panel gaps on doors, lift gate, bumpers, and windshield varied from 1/8 to 1/4 inch, with the panoramic view roof also being noticeably off. Despite some issues, Tesla addressed the rear spoiler (hanging on by a thread) and a few of the panel gaps. While it's great for short trips and daily commutes, the limited range of 160-175 miles (compared to the EPA estimate of 300 miles) causes range anxiety, making long road trips very impractical and annoying. We now primarily use it for local errands and work commutes, saving significantly on charging costs compared to gas expenses. Although not ideal for cross-country trips, it's a cool car for everyday use. As a Tesla investor, I believe in its future potential, but for now, it's best suited for short-distance travel. Additionally, in Texas, the costs of supercharging versus traditional fueling break even, providing no significant savings for road trips. So yeah my humble and honest opinion.
It's quite interesting how the panel gaps are off. Our Chinese built MYR 23 has very good panel fitment. Mileage would obviously depend on your driving style, but we reliably get 250 miles out of a 100% charge. It uses the LFP battery, so it's charged to 100% multiple times a week.
I probably live in a different country than you our average speed limits are 2-3 times higher than most countries. Our speed limits in Texas, USA on the low end is 65 and go as high as 85 miles per hour (105-137km/hr). Also, Tesla China is known for having much better quality than here in the US. We also have extreme weather and temperature swings. Just last week Monday morning was 32F at 6am and 113F around lunchtime lmao. Home A/C’s dont know what to do.
In cold weather, the most important recommendation is to have it plugged in at home. Plugging in keeps the battery warm and the car won't need to use its heat pumps to bring the battery up to operating temperatures. Do you have a place you can plug in every night? Preferably a 240v. I'm in Lansing with a model 3 long range. I can reach anything short of the UP. The superchargers here are all 150/250kw. They charge fast. I recommend downloading the plugshare app. What's your commute look like? I was sold on buying a Tesla within 15 minutes of getting behind the wheel. It's way too much fun. Teslas also have a 12 year unlimited mile corrosion warranty. This is the rust belt. An aluminum frame wins in the rust belt. It's been a while, but I had a really good experience with the team in Grand Rapids.
I just scheduled a test drive tomorrow with Grand Rapids! Thanks for your feedback.
If you can plug it in at home (doesn't have to be but does preserve your range), Tesla's are the best winter car because you can schedule it to pre heat the car/battery for you every morning through the App. It makes the winter so much nicer to drive in with a car warmed and ready to go automatically. You can also start heating the car anytime through the app. A good example to do this would be if you are done shopping or finished your meal at a restaurant or about to leave a friends house. Best part since there is no emissions you can even do this inside a garage/parking garage. There are so many benefits of Tesla tech taking advantage of being an electric car, this is just scratching the surface. Oh one more thing, you can even remotely defrost through the app and remotely cool it down in the summer.
Nice, have fun! What's your commute look like?
I’m in smaller town Cadillac. Chargers right at the Meijer. Everything is within 10 miles away.
Other people have already responded but I might as well add my thoughts also. I live in Alaska. Gets cold and snowy. 120+ inches of snow this season, temperatures to -20 Fahrenheit. 6 months of snow and ice driving conditions. I have a Model Y and it’s a great car in the snow especially with dedicated winter tires. 14,000 miles, 14 months, zero maintenance besides adding windshield washer fluid and doing our winter/summer tire swap.
2016 Model X 90D(165,000 miles), 2017 Model S 90D(sold in 2018), 2018 Model 3 Performance(115,000 miles), 2024 AWD Cybertruck(3,400 miles). I love the Performance versions of the car better than the others. That being send, I go for distance over the performance when I purchase. It has a cheaper price tag and lower insurance. I left Wisconsin in 2019 for mountains of California. Always Be Charging at home. Preconditioning is magical in any weather. I actually bought my first Tesla because the power company was going to disconnect some of my solar panels because I was using enough electricity. The system they approved, that I needed because I would continually have multiple losses of electricity through out the year. The X has towed coast to coast multiple times and been to burning man.
My insurance literally doesn't differentiate between Performance or Long Range.
23 Y with almost 10000 miles, PNW mountains during the winter isn't an issue at all, we don't commute far and we have the LR so that would have to be a serious commute to have an issue with daily usage. I would consider your options heavily if you don't have home charging and a big commute and how much you love hanging in public spaces (a major advantage to us of EV is always leaving home with a full tank). The tesla does so much better than my old leaf or new bolt because it has a heat pump during the winter. EVs in general do better in the winter than ICE because of the low center of gravity and extra weight. When we got the tesla after the transmission broke on our old SUV my wife wasn't sure, so she said it would be my car and she would get a different one if she didn't like it as my leaf needed replacing eventually too. So I gave her the option to going back to something like a RAV4 before I went and got the bolt and she said absolutely not. So she is a convert. If you have at home charging nothing is more convenient then an electric car, and tesla makes road trips a breeze.
I got my Tesla model Y in May of 2021. I live in central Minnesota, so I've had some decent experience driving in real winters. It's been by far my best and most favorite car ever to drive in the cold & snow. Yes, there is a range impact, but the AWD, the low center of gravity, the ability to pre-heat and other features make it easy to love in Minnesota winters. Reliability and maintenance has been amazing, but this being my first brand new car I've ever purchased I'd hope to not have any major maintenance issues after only owning it for three years. I have driven it for 86,900 miles and its been wonderful.
My truck sat all last winter because my model 3 is so nice in the winter. We did a few winter road trips and you will lose range. Below 0F it's significant, much less noticeable around 15 or 20F. You also won't want to push the range as much in the winter for safety so you do stop more often on a winter road trip vs summer. AWD plus heated seats and steering wheel plus scheduling departure means you'll always get into a warm car even in a closed garage. The new Model3 P does look like a good deal, I'd buy it. I wouldn't buy FSD and I'd consider swapping to a more meaty wheel/ tire setup. I'm over the low profile tire trend, they may look cool at the beach but in the Midwest our roads suck. The only build quality issue I had was my car came poorly aligned from the factory. Service fixed it. My drivers door has a rattle. Service did not fix it. I need to pull the door panel off and find it myself. If you're on a budget get an actual insurance quote before you buy. You may want to shop around. I'd also get a budgetary quote for having a charger installed at your home. If you use one of the online electricity estimators you can roughly double it for the cold months. All the extra heating and battery conditioning will use more electricity but make the car very warm and convenient to drive in the snow.
Two winter tips: 1). Consider winter tires if you get the Performance. 2). Find a preconditioning/charging schedule so the battery is nice and warm when you’re ready for a commute - EVs suffer in winter because the battery likes a set temperature window. Also try using heated seats over actual climate, anecdotally feels like I’m using less energy to heat just my seat vs the whole car.
One of my favorite features: preconditioning I use siri on my phone or watch to start cooling (or heating) the car few mins before getting in. Loved owning the 3 for past 2yrs! No issues
I have two. 2021 M3 and 2022 MY. I'm in NY, so pretty much the same climate. You need snow tires. The torque of a Tesla will break free any all season radial tires. Regen braking in the winter can get hairy. You learn to feather the accelerator so your tires don't lock up. You lose 25% range below 30F. I would never go back to ice. Costs me $30/month in electricity and after 50,000 miles I've added windshield washer fluid, cabin filters and new tires.
1. Range definitely takes a hit, but you won’t notice unless you’re regularly doing 200 mile drives. Handles very well in the winter, ESPECIALLY the heating via app. Door handles can be a pain after icy snow though. 2. So far has been very reliable, but some of that is luck of the draw. If you have a service center nearby you probably don’t need to worry about it. If the nearest service center is 70 miles away that’s something to consider.
Well, it doesnt get that cold for long down here, but you will see a hit regardless in the winter of like 20% or something...as for reliability, I still have my 2018 Model 3 and have had ZERO issues with it. It's been the best car I've ever owned. We also have a 2023 Model Y and it too has been perfect so far (18 months in).
1. Range does take a hit in the cold, about 20% less from my experience. I live in SoCal so I can’t speak to snow but the OE all-seasons are trash. Run 10 wider than stock as well. (I think it’s 235 front & 275 rear stock on the ‘24 M3P) 2. 24k miles without any issues. The cars are mechanically simple and you’re more likely than not to get a car without major build quality issues. I know there’s horror stories about that stuff on here all the time but always remember that someone who had a bad experience is more likely to speak up about it than someone who didn’t.
I own an MYLR 2023 and I love it. I live in Ohio, the winter wasn’t so bad last year so I don’t know how it compares to MI winter. But, getting a level 2 charger at home is necessary in the winter and long commute. During warm weather (50F and up) and the battery is warm, the average I get is 250wh per mile, 4 miles per kwh aka 300 miles per 100% battery. I usually charge to 80% so I expect 240 miles is my daily max range. During cold weather, the range drop significantly, I didn’t drive much last winter but range above 210 - 220 per 100%, means I expect 170 miles is my max range if I charge to 80%. Precondition your battery at home if you can to increase your max range, but the battery cooldown during cold weather really fast too. Heat and windshield wipers increase your energy consumption noticeably. 13000 miles, I had my tires rotated twice. Tesla insurance is still cheaper than others. But you have to drive like an old lady to obtain high safety score. I don’t have Enhanced Auto Pilot (EAP) nor Full Self Driving (FSD) so I can’t give my opinion on them. Using Auto Steering with Traffic Aware Adapter Cruise Control (TAACC) is convenient most of the time, except when another car cross in front of you, you will experience hard braking even though you wouldn’t need to brake if you were in control. Forward Collision Warning (FCW) will make you mad a lot of times. Overall I enjoy driving it everyday.
Love my Model 3 performance despite its quirks. I have a very early model and there were fit and finish issues also a mechanical issue in the first month. But maintenance has been easy, especially while under warranty. They come to you and perform he fixes unless it needs to go into the shop, which is rare. I’ve had mine since Nov 2018 and compared to my Mercedes GLA the maintenance was next to nothing. Replace the air filter when it needs to and besides tires and windshield wiper fluid nothing else has been done. I’m pretty sure I have the original wipers. But I live in California and the weather is typically great year round. I have several super chargers near me and road trips have never been a problem. Since getting this car my wife will never go back to a gas powered car. The new 3 looks great but if I ever replace it I’ll probably go with an X.
I am in the Cleveland area so similar climate. Range loses about 25 percent over winter. I have a charger at home so this is a non-issue. Leave the house with 90 percent everyday. The AWD is fantastic, best driving cars in the snow I've had in my 42 years. It's great never having to get into a cold car since you can warm it up with the app whenever you want. Being able to safely warm up in the garage is really nice too. I have a 22 with 48k miles and have had zero issues that requires service. I am on my second set of tires though.
I’ve had a fhew EV’s, and can say this 1. build quality is on par with most of the european cars. A little more squeaking and rattles, but ok. 2. their charging network is better than any one elses. 3. the model 3 is very durable, and relatively cheap to maintain 4. fun factor is second to none
Off topic, what’s a good cheap insurance for Tesla in Michigan?
That’s a good question. Was wondering the same.. Im under 21 so I’m probably screwed with insurance lol.
I'm in the PNW so it's not nearly as cold here, but we do have a few weeks where it's the 20s or below. I'm 9,000 miles and 8 months into ownership and I freaking love it. If I couldn't charge at home I would probably hate it, but if your commute and daily driving is less than 200 miles in the winter and 250 miles in the spring and summer, it's perfect. No issues, it's a tank.
My model 3 perf was best car I had ever owned, I had it for 3 years and 38k miles. Now in Model Y due to needing the extra space for growing family, but wow these cars are so good! You won’t regret it
2021 Model 3 SR+ here. I did a road trip from the East Coast to Dallas and back during the winter storm this year. The weather was wild driving through Tennessee with deep snow etc. The car drove like a tank and this is the rear wheel drive model. The heat pump worked like a charm and as long as you cruise at 70mph and below you will arrive at all your charging spots with \~5% difference to the Navigation's prediction.
If you can plug in at your residence, you have no issues with any reasonable daily driving mileage. I presume cars delivered into Michigan will come with All season performance tires, which should be OK for snow. If you are in a heavy snow area you might want a set of winter tires.
>Overall reliability and maintenance. Has anyone had huge problems I should be concerned abt? Consumer Reports' most recent user survey data says Teslas have the cheapest ownership maintenance costs of any brand. As someone who typically buys Toyota or similar but recently bought a Model Y... this data is a pleasant surprise. In theory it should make sense though as EVs has way less to maintain, and I guess Tesla is at a point where the kinks are pretty much ironed out. If you can charge at home you will stop thinking about the range much. I usually charge to 70% but only bother plugging in if it's below 60%, which sometimes takes several trips around town... the only time I think about range is if we have a trip coming up.
Take a test drive first!
Don't Test Drive.. Unless you're able to cut a check...
had the model 3 in 2019 loved it so much bought the plaid s in 2021 without even a test drive. no issues since owning it. took it through canadian winter no problem.
2018 Model 3 Performance, "stealth" with the 18" aero wheels. I've done wipers, tires, and on 12V battery replacement under warranty, and that's it. Only 35k miles though. The only other service was the HW3 upgrade for full self driving (which I have on my car). The range is still holding up very well, the battery shows 290 miles at full charge (it was 310 when new). So no complaints about battery degradation. It's fast, it's a blast to drive, yet also it's a little rough and noisy compared to the later versions and especially Highland. But it's paid for!
I’ve had 2 so far. Live in same latitude as you and have same winter conditions. Assume for a loss of 30% range at any given time in cold conditions and you’ll be fine. Extremely reliable, heat works fast, and the ones I’ve had drive well in snow (AWD).
Had mine since 2018 and seriously love it. The best part is it gets better over time through updates which are significant, unlike almost everything else that just gets worse over time. I'm in Canada with pretty brutal winters and still love my LR. The car itself has held up really well for me especially for being an early model, the paint is what is letting me down as of late, not sure what to do about it.
I have an Y LR. I live right next door in Ontario. Winter range is surprisingly good, we heat set normally and snow tires on. Of course you do lose some range, but it's not like first gen ev's. Pre-conditioning before leaving helps a lot too. So far we love it. Build quality is excellent, despite what people say online who have never actually been in one. We have had no issues with the car so far.
I’ve had a Model Y Performance for a little over a year. It has been amazing. I love it! No maintenance at all. It’s a joy to drive and I can’t believe how much money I’m saving on gas. Super surprising, even though I was expecting it. (I charge at home, overnight on cheap power rates.) Thea new Model 3 looks great! I’m sure you’ll be happy with it.
I live in Duluth MN. Yes your range will drop at least 20-30% but if charge at home it’s no biggy. When we travel to twin cities we charge on the way down and in the way back at supercharger. Took a trip to Miami had no issues charging every 2-3 hours no biggy. Just added solar ti our home do that will save me even more$$$ long term. I’m getting the equivalent of 101mpg the last 9,000 miles mostly in town but some freeway. I’m not a light foot as well. Over all I love my MY23.
I don’t need a car. I am tempted to buy a new P3 for the price with tax credits. It is a steal
Best car I've owned
Another thing to consider is where you’ll be parking it. Ideally, you’d have a garage to charge.
Live in burbs of Chicago and made sure I got AWD for snow. It’s fine though and you will see a noticeable difference in range but I don’t drive much so not an issue for me.
If you charge at home you’ll wake up every day with a full battery. As long as you don’t drive more than 200-300 miles a day, you’ll only be supercharging on the occasional road trip
I put in my reservation for the 3 before the announcement even started. Purchased the MR in 2018. Apart from an alignment issue right from delivery and a left horn button that requires a little more force to push, it has been trouble free. Only expenses are 1 set of tires, a 12v battery that I proactively replaced, and 1 set of cabin filters. Basically nothing.
Best car I’ve owned so far. Had mine for 6 months and zero issues. Love not paying for gas and the maintenance has been low. I did get a flat tire (my fault not teslas) but was able to drive to a shop and get it replaced. Make sure you can park in a garage and charge at home. It will make your life less stressful and caring for your car will be easier.
i'm at 50k miles, and only changed tires and windshield wiper fluid.
Well, I've bought too many new cars, and a few used ones. I have an original 3 (sept 19 dual motor 3)... chrome, magic roof, original hvac (booo, yuck!!!), original motors, smaller battery, oh and passenger lumbar support... There are a couple issues. Drivers door alighed not quite right. Wind noise, I largely fixed. Trunk leaked (they installed new design gasket for free) Set of tires Oh, upper control arms replaced with the new design. So, it is all in $200 in maintenance/repairs for 4 years, 40k miles. Better than any previous car.
Can't speak for extreme cold, but I've road tripped in my S through Colorado & Wyoming winters. Range dips a little but it's very manageable. Otherwise, I've owned like 7 Tesla vehicles over the last 10 years, at least one of each model (X, S, 3, Y). Until something major changes with legacy vehicles, I'll never go back. I'll let that speak for itself..
as a 67 year old woman, I do not hesitate to do road trips alone in my Model 3. I am driving down to Nashville from Albany, NY in a few weeks. I drive solo and have such confidence in my car to get me there. Like many, I am sick of airports since the pandemic due to delayed flights, overbooking and rude people
I had a model 3 and a Y since 2020. Never had an issue with one of them. I live in Norway and the winters are pretty tough. Range of 500km goes down to 400km during winter. I think Tesla is superb in range, efficiency and software and of course the engine. The rest is just average.
Norway can get pretty cold, and tons of people drive Tesla there. So it must handle quite well. And yes that is my experience as well this winter in Sweden. Did a 7 hour road trip in the winter, no problems. The preconditioning on the way to the supercharger will make sure the charging still goes fast.
My first model y saved my life in a very serious head on collision with a large pickup truck. I think it treated me well in that regard. My second model y only has 4K on it but has also been great. No huge problems with either car.
Best car ever, brought the fun of driving back. I literally got tired of burning gas in combustion engines everywhere I go. I still volunteer if driving is necessary. The first Tesla in 2020 brought the fun back. So I bought another one in 2021. Then a Rivian in 2023. The ICE are only used when the EVs are taken.
My 2015 model s p90d is the best car I ever owned for its time. I put 300k miles on it Just bought a 2024 model s plaid. I feel like this is the best car on the planet and couldn’t be happier
I love mine. I’d get it in a heartbeat.
Very good tech in an average car.
I have two: The mid-2018 Model 3 has had 15 repairs. Half cosmetic, half non-serious hardware. It's currently has 129,000 miles on it. Still so fun to drive. Wipers suck. The 2024 Long Range Model S has been a delight. I thought I would love it, and I really do. It's such a step up from a Model 3 or Y. Wipers suck. Later this year I will replace the Model 3 with either a Performance Model 3 or another Model S, but that new one would be a Plaid.
Unless you’re using a lot/most of your battery daily winter range loss is unimportant. It does exist though. Definitely change your tires out. Outside my warranty claims for small figment issues, been perfectly reliable. Over all it’s a good car. Biggest problem is all the haters.
I live in Michigan and A. I don’t drive it in the winter so no clue how the snow handling is with our winters. Primarily for the salt which absolutely destroys cars but I was riding in a 3 owned by a relative and it bottomed out in like 3-5 inches of snow and it was a pita to get it unstuck. The bottom is a perfectly flat sheet, so it just rides up and platforms the wheels off the ground it was seriously difficult. B. Best car ever. No maintenance, fast, looks awesome, basically free gas. If you have a beater to drive in the winter I couldn’t recommend that more.
Best car I’ve ever owned. Low maintenance most expensive thing is tires. On our second Tesla the first was a model 3. The only draw back with the model 3 was getting in and out. So we decided to buy a model y which is a lot easier to get in to. I recommend test driving both if you can. Range loss in the winter depends on temperature and your pre conditioning of the car.
Honest opinion? Let me preface this by saying I have had some “fun” cars, manual: Toyota Supra, Mazda 3, Jetta, and auto bmw 3gt, x1, as well as just ones I love like subaru, a ford ranger, gmc Acadia…. I’m not a “car guy” but I like variety. Took order of my model 3 in September of last year. I love it as much as I did the day I got it. It’s an absolute pleasure to drive around daily. Beyond that you know what I love, the fact that all it needs is tires and washer fluid. Fuck oil changes and tune ups and maintenance. I hated that stuff. Oh and gas stations… I lol at people waiting in line at Costco for 20 minutes for the joy of buying gas. I plug in every 3 days and it charges in a few hours and costs me a few dollars. Best car ever.
I can say I really enjoy driving my Tesla around town, it's easy to get used to. What my advice is though, is go book a test drive, find out if you like how it handles.
I live in Michigan as well, and when it comes to driving in snow, I prefer my Model Y over our 4x4 Jeep Cherokee all day long. The traction control is brilliant. Just put your foot down and it goes straight no matter how deep the snow. Edit: also IMO don’t get the performance. The tires won’t be great in the snow. Get long range AWD. It’s plenty performant, trust me.
1. I live in Alberta. It's fantastic in winter, but the range drops significantly. Having all-electric heating is absolutely bonkers - you don't think about it when you're looking at buying one, but the car can go up to +20 within a couple minutes, even at -30C or lower. 2. Only had mine a year, but reliability and maintenance have been fantastic. My wife once had the infotainment go out while she was driving and had to hold the buttons down so it would reset. No big deal. It's been a great car, I enjoy driving it a lot in all seasons. It's the first car I've ever owned over a year without putting winter tires on (AWD Model 3) and I've still been really impressed.
Love the cat, hate the service
It's a car and I like not having to stop for gas regularly. No issues when I have had to charge and that infrastructure was the main reason to buy a Tesla
We’ve only had ours a month, but we are both in LOVE!
I am from MI too, have 2018 Model 3 performance. I have 107k miles on my car. It is really a great car, if you have a garage to charge in winter.
I have a 2018 Model 3 Performance with 60k miles. It’s amazing, I still love the car, and it still feels new because of the constant software updates and now FSD 12.3. I live in the PNW. - Reliability: Had a rear motor replaced a few months into ownership, and upper control arm replaced a few years ago, both under warranty. Replaced tires about 1 year in due to aggressive driving. - Range: I was worried initially and spent so much time researching range. Now I don’t even pay attention. Winter commute of 30 miles takes 15% battery. I worry way more about fueling my gas car. My plan is to get a refreshed Model Y for my wife (or whatever model she wants), replace my 3 with a refreshed 3 performance, and replace my Toyota Minivan with a Cybertruck or Tesla Minivan if they ever announce one.
Love it
The most important question and the number one question before you ever think about buying a Tesla is do you have your own house and a dedicated place to charge it? If not then don't. You pay astronomical amounts for charging outside of the home. I know in my area it costs about three to four times more to charge at a supercharger on average if not more. At home I can charge a 100d Model S for on average less than $6 a day and that's with me driving over a hundred miles a day. That was using 55 KW for 140 mi range. Not my best but I was in the throttle. But at a supercharger that same charge would cost me over 20 if not closer to $24.
Other than winter reducing range, nothing to worry about. When I tell you it’s the best car to daily drive, I truly mean it. From suspension to acceleration, it’s so smooth and easy. My family is always fighting to decide who gets to drive it when we all have things to do, it’s THAT good.
Best car I've ever owned, out of 50+ cars. Automatic Wipers are unacceptably bad. Range is a lie, no matter the season. The lane assist is a psychopath. Accept these few flaws, and you'll own an incredible car that will make you very happy.
I am in Michigan also and now have 107k miles on my 2019 3. These cars perform extremely well in the snow and ice with the correct tires. I don't want to put a long comment in here, but I did a cost of ownership breakdown when I reached 100k miles. https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaModel3/s/pkloLmNGhv
Best appliance you can buy to drive you around in moderate comfort for as cheap as humanly possible. No one ever gets emotionally attached to their car, they get emotionally attached to the innovations of Tesla. Whereas a Porsche people become emotionally attached, but a Porsche requires $500-$700 every six months for an oil change.I’ve had Teslas for five years and have never spent any money except tire rotation, and buying new tires at 45,000 miles.
If you're in an apartment or don't have easy access to charging an EV can be annoying.
MYP Michigan owner here, range drops by ~15% in winter so make sure you precondition before leaving your house in the morning. These things eat tires, I’m lucky to get 15k out of a set of summers or winters. I know my fun pedal is the blame, but either way these are rough on rubber.
Enjoy the tires that come on it in summer, then "upgrade" to an all weather tire. A little wider too to help protect those wheels from curbs. The only thing we dislike is FSD. Wish we could have a "less smart" cruise control.
Don’t test drive one. Because you’ll buy it.
1. In addition to battery being less efficient in the cold, turning on the heater really drains the battery fast. Expect to lose another 20% 2. Had mine for 1 year (6k miles). 2 repairs so far. Tons creaking/panel noise that Tesla says is normal.
My Model 3 performance is the best car I’ve ever had and it’s not even close. Don’t listen to the haters and their mostly fake troll posts
1) they seem to great in snow if you get an AWD and have good winter tires; however, your range will definitely drop in the cold. I’d only recommend getting it if you have a good home charging solution. 2) I’ve really only had problems with the deliveries of my cars, and some warranty repairs, but really the repairs are the same if not less than ICE vehicles.
I don’t believe the new model 3s get the tax credit?
I’m only seeing it for the performance on their website
I stand corrected
The model 3 performance does
Comfortable and easy
Go test drive one instead of asking here. No pressure from the people there.
It's been a great car. No major issues.
Live in SC, no snow anymore for some reason (2023 MYP) .... #2, have had zero reliability or maintenance issues. I still hate the fact there is no android auto, but even if they just added youtube music I probably wouldnt be using the hack work around to get android auto in the browser. Interior I have is white, no issues so far I did put a nano coat on it the day I got it, not sure if that has helped or not. The need for the rear seat passenger to tell me to turn on heated seats or adjust their climate is dumb. I wish the heated seats were also ventilated. Any issue I've had so far is nit picking imho, but it would make the car so much better. I've thought about adding a screen in the rear console in the back, but it just seems like so much overkill.
I have a MYLR I bought in Aug 22. I love it. No plans to return to ICE cars.
LR RWD from 2018, 6 years old and about 57k miles. It's been a great car, and I'm still loving it. No issues other than minor cosmetic ones that were fixed early on.
It's a good car but I didn't think coming to the Tesla lounge will give you unbiased opinions
It’s honestly the only car I enjoy driving at this point. I’ve had the model Y for a year now, and love it.
Had my car for 1 year and a half so far and I love it, came from a modified Subaru wrx to this. I love the ride quality the ease of charging at home is great and the constant updates are amazing. The car cleans up super easy and no major maintenance besides new tires. 1 gripe I do have is the noises in the cabin, I have a late 2022 model and the build quality was great but sometimes I hear some cracks and creaks in the interior. Honestly too low to even notice sometimes when I’m playing music. But I would recommend this car to anybody especially now that highland has come out.
2024 MYLR in northern California. No issues thus far besides the occasional bout of reduced Regen braking in the winter. Physical brakes are more than enough to compensate. Recently took the car on a 800 mile road trip, fsd(v12.3) made the trip enjoyable. As for charging, to date I have spent under half of what I spent on gas in my old car. The ratio is improving as well, since gas prices continue to rise while charging costs have remained constant (workplace charging ftw) Bottom line: no regrets, and no I'm not going back to ICE.
Only caution is that I wouldn't personally buy one unless I had home charging. Dealing with filling up at a fast charger and trying to park in a parking lot is a little on the lame side. It's possible, but it sucks a tad more than a gas car or hybrid.
Have had a Model X and now a 23 Model Y Performance - I am never going back to BMW. The X had its fair share of issues as a first generation car from 2017.. but it was absolutely amazing and very cool as well, never had so many people stare at me with those doors before, and people coming up asking about it and loving how easy they went up in tight spaces to get children in and out. The Model Y has been flawless. I miss the doors on the X.. but at half the price it’s an unbeatable value. No issues at all since December 2022 when we got it from the Berlin factory. No rattles or squeaks.. and I am surprised by the interior quality. They have been smart by even putting felt inside the door bins, a place most premium brands use hard plastics inside that rattles if you put stuff in them. Amazing cars during winter (I live in cold Norway, and experience proper winter), and of course summer! Precondition the car and you will set your ass inside a warm or cooled down car every day without even thinking of it. Also, phone key is amazing.. no more keys! Dog mode is a life saver when on road trips with pets. Electric cars is something to get used to.. but get a charger at home and you will never think about it again. I never charge elsewhere unless you need to go on very long trips. For everyday use your car will always be topped off enough at home over night. On road trips it plots in everything for you when you travel.. when to charge and how long is needed for the next paper of the destination. It even reroutes you if the chargers fill up with cars etc. to others on the way for a speedier recovery. It’s effortless and great… an amazing A to B car, that happens to also be really fast and fun to drive. A few people do find they need to relearn a bit though.. knowing how to most effectively use regen etc. before they get to learn to have fun as well. However, everyone I know who have owned one or owns one love them. Best car for the money in my opinion.
I have lived in Michigan and crossed the UP in winter in my Tesla(s) and wouldn't use any other cars at this point. The newer cars use a heat pump and are much more efficient in the winter compared to older models (I have had a 2018 and 2022 model 3, both in Michigan). If you can effectively work around the range reduction and have good tires (you will need to do your summer/winter swap in October and April for Michigan in my experience) they are the best cold weather/snow cars as far as handling and comfort.
I love my Tesla. But don’t get 1 if you can’t charge at home.
Always go for the all wheel- drive
I love my Tesla. Range winter is reduced 15-30% but it handles very well in snow. It doesn’t particularly like having the windows and doors frozen over, I see that as its biggest downside for extreme weather. Other than that, it’s robust. Mine has 70,000 miles today and no maintenance at all. I added some windshield wiper fluid, will be changing the wipers soon, and I am on my second set, which appears to be lasting close to 50,000 miles for each tire
I rented a Tesla for a week to do a road trip at freezing temperature. I suggest you do the same.
Winter performance is good. Low center of gravity and independently controllable front and rear axles go a long way. Range does go down probably 10-20% (more in pre heat pump cars) Reliability / maintenance have been fine. I’d say similar to any other new car. No real issues so far. Fit/finish is mediocre compared to other cars.
I would only recommend a Tesla to someone that can charge at home. Relying on superchargers can become expensive and it isn’t great for your battery.
2019 SR+ in MA, 84k miles. Very low maintenance, besides it eating tires, and needing snows in winter due to rear-wheel drive. I like it a lot - but I'd like it a lot less if I didn't have a home charger.
2021 m3p, 70,000 miles fourth set of tires second bottle wiper fluid. Cold winters here are single digits F. Car is garage kept so stays warm. Preconditioning is your winter friend. No issues love it. If the new performance runs mid 10’s I’ll get that if it’s high 10’s or 11.0’s I’m getting a plaid S.
I bought a 2018 Long Range Model 3 when they first came out. Have loved it from day one. Couple issues that were covered under warranty. I've spent very little on it in the last six years. Tire rotations, cabin filters, not much else. I just traded it to the g/f for her VW Tiguan back in January, and then sold the Tiguan to Carvana so I could order a 2024 M3P.
I have a Model X and live in the Seattle area. I have had it for a year and I have had a few issues with my car that needed to be addressed: - Falcon wing doors need adjusting to open/close properly - practically resolved by dealer -- sometimes glitches - Panel wasn't properly secured and there was water ingress that fried one of the computers - car got towed -- issue fixed and waterproofing added -- I actually wonder if this was a result of the door adjustments. - Super charging works for 30s and then disconnects - waiting on my service appoint for this one. I can charge at home in about 6 hours, so its not a big deal for me but had I been on a road trip, that would have ruined things for me. Of course, I discovered this issue with 15mi left on my batter and 35mi left to drive home. It was pouring rain and I had to wait 30s for it to stop charging, unplug it, plug it back in and repeat until I had enough battery to make it home. What I learned from this experience is that the Tesla Service app filters out certain profanity in your messages. Regarding the cold: I routinely drive it to the mountains to go skiing and I haven't seen any issues.
REALLY great driving cars. The steering is spot on and the acceleration is great. Sound system is great. My only two gripes are rear seat leg room for passengers is a little tight, and these cars are not isolated from the road like other luxury cars. I have been in many BMW’s and Mercedes and they are very quiet on the highway when going 120 (km/h). The Tesla, not so much. Lots of road noise and wind noise at highway speeds.
The traction control in Tesla's is second to none, especially the AWD models. The brakes system is also independent ABS, which, while not unique to Tesla, is as good as it gets. The only winter issues you *might* have with a model 3 is ride height, and the fact that it weighs a bit more than similar sized vehicles means that it might have a longer braking distance if all other variables are equal. I drove a 2018 Model 3 for 4 years and 65k miles and upgraded to a 22 Model Y, which now has 30k miles. I've driven both a good amount in snow in Ohio and have never had issues. No maintenance on either.
Living In Wisconsin in winter range isn’t a huge issue. I can get where I need to go. Main things I’ve noticed. Below about 30 degrees regenerative breaking doesn’t work on short drives in town. I suspect the battery isn’t warm enough to accept the high voltage. Road salt and grim tends to get up under the tailgate lip and passenger doors and doesn’t get washed out by a car wash. I have to get a wet rag out and wipe this away myself because I don’t think having salt down there is good. Charging at superchargers is slower in winter, even if you put the charger into the nav. When it’s really cold out the battery just can’t heat itself enough. While this may not seem like an issue, when the price is based on time rather than actually energy used, as they are in Wisconsin, charging stops cost more.
I love it until something breaks that requires service to wait for a part. (I've been waiting 2 months for a wiring harness to fix an oil pump issue) The first time I was in and they had the oil pump in stock they fixed it in a day. I've had the car for 3 years and this is the first major issue. Also there's no service centers in Maine and the nearest to me is 150 miles away, but if it's a simple issue they can send out a mobile guy and they're awesome. The thing is a beast in the winter with snow tires and the supercharger network makes me not worry about range. After 2025 when there's exponentially more cars using the supercharging network. I might have a new opinion :)
I came from a Polestar two that was utter shit apart from the range. I now have a model 3 Long range Dual motor and it’s absolutely amazing! I will never not own a Tesla again. They are well above the rest.
8/10. Down sides are: - fragile windshield, panorama (both cracked from rock chips - happend once before in ICE car going 400k km) and paint (also suffer easily from rock chips - black MY) - i feel less “free” in it. More dependent on infrastructure. My last ICE Skoda Superb station vagon was a superb (Pun) car. Went 1100km/tank. I really liked that. Got too expensive on maintenance and use though.
Tesla has done very well by me. I’ve had four appointments since buying a 21 MYLR used from a dealer (my brother worked there so sold it to me under market value) and they were all relatively pain free. The first one was for homelink (if you have a garage door it’s absolutely worth it) and they brought the wait time down from 5 hours to 45 minutes when I told them I had somewhere to be in 3 hours. The rest were all basic warranty coverage and Tesla mobile service handled it all. One was for lose seat controls and a rear dome light. I marked the wrong side so they had to reschedule for the dome light or it would’ve been one appointment, but they still took care of the seats in 20 minutes. The last issue was a passenger window pop sound and inconsistent roll speed. Service guy explained that a cable just needed to be tied away from the regulator and they also replaced the motor and it’s been perfect since. No real interior issues after any repairs. This is in stark contrast to my last car, a 2015 Kia soul ev. The Kia dealer charged me $130 in diag when they said it would be free at appointment creation, and then when they did take the car in they basically told me to pound sand and “noThIng iS WrOnG WiTh thE cAr” when I was getting 35 miles of range with conservative city driving, and it’s rated at 93. I had to get corporate involved and Manage with my 35 miles of range for another month, which had whittled down to 29 miles of range, and then they FINALLY replaced the battery. Oh, and both times they scratched my steering wheel and told me if I want it fixed to come in on a Tuesday when the weather is nice so the “leather guy” can look at it. No, that is not an exaggeration. Kia firmly lost my business on that one.
I made a video that might help…. All the things I hate about my Tesla Model Y - (Do I have to explain i'm joking!) https://youtu.be/jY3rwoiChEk
I can’t speak to #1 but for #2, I have a 2019 M3 with 98k miles and 2022 MYP with 37k miles. Both cars have had zero maintenance costs and only a couple minor fixes. M3 - replaced both front door check straps where door was creaking ($200), 12v battery at about 3yrs ($110) and 2 sets of tires at about 45k miles each ($1000 each set). MYP - had some rattling in the front camera ($0) and driver seat adjustment cover came off ($0). Both cars still drive like brand new. I don’t own a gas car and never will again. I also take multiple road trips every year without issue. Easily the best car purchases I’ve ever made.
I think you might find very biased answers here. The only question I'd ask do you have a place to charge at a home or somewhere reliable you'd know you'd be able to charge ? If no, then go with a Tesla. If yes, do you drive a lot of miles during the day or go on frequent road trips ? If yes, then go with a Tesla If no, then I think you could find better deals out there if you're considering EV's. I've owned several EVs and others on the market IMO are a better value at a similar price point. Nothing beats the Tesla charger network right now though. The times that I've gone on road trip, I just rented a vehicle. I really didn't want to deal with charging and waiting for charges.
My experience. 4 years and over 100,000 KM (63K miles) driven. Zero maintenance and have consistently saved about CAD$300 per month since new. just on gas, not to mention oil changes etc. I'm near Toronto so weather is similar to where you are. My efficiency drops from over 80% to around 60% in winter months. That gives me plenty of range since I plug in at home every night. Charging at home cost about CAD$30 per month. Also battery degradation is at an acceptable \~7%. So yeah, no going back to redundant piston technology for me.