In this guide, I will be telling you everything you need to know about what you should look out for when you intend to buy a Tesla. One thing about a Tesla is that once you get into it, you immediately contemplate ditching your petrol and diesel cars in order to have this incredible experience for a lifetime.
This is the car of the future, and the only thing that should hold you back is probably the expensive nature of the vehicle. Well, there’s some good news as you can now buy used Teslas with as much as 50% discounts. So, if you’re looking to buy a used Tesla, this is a guide that is made for you.
But wait… Is a used Tesla what you really need right now? This is one question that is worth asking but what you should really consider is if you can easily afford a brand new Tesla as an alternative. For around $35,000, you can be able to access a new Tesla Model 3, a Model S at $73,000 or a Model X at $78, 000. This means that you will be getting the basic Tesla battery for that model that comes with next to no options. However, whether or not you’re going for a Tesla with options, it is simply a more preferable option than getting to purchase a Tesla that is used already. With the new Tesla vehicles, you will find upgraded hardware, as well as, small fixes which make them more superior to previously released Teslas.
Buying a used Tesla
One statement that you always hear with respect to Teslas is that they never get old. This is due to the fact that they are always updated over the air. Yes, your car can receive brand new features from time to time with an internet connection. Also, with respect to the hardware, there are some changes too. For example, the autopilot update which was released is only functional on vehicles that were produced towards the end of 2014 or later.
Changes that are made to Tesla hardware are totally different when compared to most cars which just come with standard elements for every car produced during that period. In order to know what to expect from the used Tesla car that intends to buy, you need to check out its VIN which usually ends with P#####. You will get to see 5 digits which simply tell you in what order your vehicle was manufactured. For example, the number 25,612 means that it is the 25,612th Model produced.
As a rule of thumb, the higher that the digits are, the better for you. For example, the Model s happens to be a new vehicle which began to be produced in 2012. Being the first of its kind, some glitches had to be improved on. Since then, fixes have been made, but the cars that we see now from Tesla are inherently more improved. This implies that the cars that we have now are more optional and have a higher standard. As a way of letting you understand the period when a car was produced, digits that fall between 28000 to 29000 are the intersection between Models produced in 2013 and Models produced in 2014.
With respect to hardware changes, some considerations you should make are highlighted below.
- Parking sensors
Unlike many SUVs, the Model s is quite big. So, you require some help with parking. The car comes with a backup camera on its screen that measures 17 inches; however, one other important feature is the parking sensors. Prior to early 2015, the parking sensors were totally optional but have since become a standard feature.
- Autopilot
It wasn’t until late 2014 in that we got to see the autopilot hardware. For a fee, original buyers can have their car equipped with the autopilot option.
- AWD
For people that reside in cold regions, you’ll love this option which wasn’t available until 2014.
Certified Pre-Owned (CPO)
Beginning in 2015, the Certified Pre-owned program of Tesla was launched which gave interested buyers a place on the Tesla website where they could source for used Teslas that have premium quality. Since then, it has been a success as millions of dollars worth of used Tesla’s have been sold. The experiences of the CPO buyers have been inconsistent so far as the program happens to be in its early stages. You can simply go to EV-CPO.com to take a look at some of the used Teslas. EV-CPO.com pulls data from the Tesla website used inventory so it should be up to date.
According to the website, the purpose of EV-CPO.com is simple — to consolidate in one easy place all the New and Used Inventory cars listed on the Tesla.com Used Inventory or Tesla.com New Inventorywebsites. Clicking in the “VIN” of any car listed on EV-CPO takes you directly to the Tesla.com website to review and/or purchase the car directly from Tesla. EV-CPO.com is only a listing service. Alternatively you can just go directly to the Tesla website and search the pre-owned inventory there.
If you’re really serious about buying a used Tesla, you can follow the steps outlined below:
- Come up with a comprehensive list of every feature that you feel is important for the car you intend to buy such as color, sound system, and air suspension.
- Buy an EV-CPO sub and go through the historical data to search for cars that match. With this, you’ll be able to figure out how much is expected of you.
- Next, activate email alerts to inform you of matching cars as soon as the market is supplied with a car that matches your criteria.
- Keep in mind that the best deals do not stay on the database for long. So, and idea is to connect with a Tesla dealership personnel in order to receive first-hand info.
- You probably are considering whether location matters in this case. Well, in the event that you have a Tesla dealer that lives in your area, you’ll get the opportunity to drive the car. However, if you stay at a different area, you’ll need to take the risk but keep in mind that Tesla set specific criteria and standards which CPO vehicles must meet. This means that you’ll be getting a car that is very sound.
This is not to say that everything that has occurred through the Tesla CPO program has always been perfect. During its beginning stages, there were customers that expressed dissatisfaction with respect to what they got. In the event that you find something that you take an interest in but happens to be at an area that is far form you, all you have to do is contact a Tesla representative to supply you with pictures of the vehicle. Then again, another idea is to ring the location requesting for more details with regards to the condition of the car.
By the way if you like this post and you are in the market for a new Tesla, Tesla has an amazing referral program that offers you 1000 free supercharging miles if you use a referral code when you make your purchase. As a two-time Tesla owner, having owned a model S and model X, I can assure you that purchasing a Tesla will be the best automotive decision you’ve ever made and will ever make in your life. So why not make use of my referral code below and we can both continue to enjoy the wonderful Tesla life.
1 comment