Tesla Model 3 Four Years In

[FastEddieB]

Today marks 4 years (!) since we picked up our 2022 Tesla Model 3 from the delivery center in Knoxville, TN.

To date, it’s been fun to drive and remarkably reliable - only one repair, under warranty, for an inoperative rear window defroster. Over 90,000 miles, maintenance has been 2 sets of tires, one alignment, 12v battery replacement as preventive maintenance, 1 cabin air filter and windshield washer fluid. And that’s it.

Only negatives? The road and wind noise are pretty loud, and the paint seems a bit “soft” and prone to blemishes.

Lots of highway miles, taking us from our E TN home north as far as Ottawa, south as far as Key West, and innumerable other trips up and down the eastern U.S. With the Supercharger network, range anxiety has been a non-issue.

But speaking of range…

How does one get from 358 miles of advertised range to 237 miles or even less of day-to-day range? None of this is meant as a complaint - to paraphrase Scotty, “You canna complain about the laws of physics!”. But still, that decrease in range needs some explanation.

First, in 2022 Tesla’s range estimates were known to be pretty optimistic. I hear they’re more realistic now.

Second, physics and battery chemistry dictate that your range will only go downhill from your very first drive. The decline is relatively rapid at first, but supposedly levels off a lot over time and miles.

Third, the chemistry in our model’s batteries dictate charging to no more than 80% in day-to-day driving.

Fourth, cold temps don’t help, and it’s been pretty chilly this winter in E TN.

Fifth, I decided on our most recent tire purchase to go with non-EV tires - Michelin CrossClimate 2’s. That was based on availability, price, a longer tread wear warranty, and better usability in snow. That alone accounted for more than a 10% range loss.

Bear in mind, when the car “guesses” a certain range, in my case roughly 237 miles at 80% charge, when actually driving the miles traveled since charge plus miles remaining virtually never equal the car’s estimate.

Our most recent battery test showed our battery still had 84% of its original capacity, which Tesla considers “An expected range based on the car’s age and mileage”. Charging to 100%, which we rarely do, now shows 300 miles of range. In any case the 80% is more than adequate for around town, and no real hardship on road trips, since we don’t mind stopping every 3 hours or so to charge. But the decrease in range has definitely eaten into the healthy battery reserves we like to maintain on trips.

Basic lesson? When EV shopping, go for range well beyond what you think you might need, especially if you plan on keeping the car for the long haul.

 

[Larry in TN]

Bear in mind, when the car “guesses” a certain range, in my case roughly 237 miles at 80% charge, when actually driving the miles traveled since charge plus miles remaining virtually never equal the car’s estimate.

The "guess" is just the battery state-of-charge multiplied by the EPA rated consumption rate. Back in 2021, the EPA rating averaged out to driving around 50mph. As you indicated, the current EPA ratings use a profile that is more accurate.

What wh/mi is your Energy App showing for your last 100mi on your current tires?

I'm 256.9 wh/mi lifetime on the original tires. That would be a "rated" range of 307mi with the type of driving I have done, assuming 79kWh usable, or 319mi with the gross 82kWh capacity.

As you said, in this category, the range rarely is an issue. Never even think about it for daily driving. Works fine for road trips as long as you aren't cannonballing.

 

[FastEddieB]

What wh/mi is your Energy App showing for your last 100mi on your current tires?

I started a “trip meter” shortly after mounting the CrossClimate 2’s. It’s currently, with just over 17,000 miles, at 249.5 Wh/mi. That is up appreciably from the prior Michelin Primacy EV tires.

Our use case has one scenario where range matters. Our two homes are about 100 mi apart. I’d like to be able to drive from one to the other, do some local driving, and then in an emergency be able to drive back home with a good reserve*. Not hard with 358 miles of range, just doable with 300 miles of range and iffy with 237 miles of range.

I can easily see keeping our Tesla for at least a couple more years. If and when we do replace it, I’d really like to see an honest 400 miles of range. Hopefully by then battery tech may have improved enough to make that more common.

*Our N GA home is currently in a Supercharger “desert”. Nearest convenient one is in Chattanooga. But good news: They’ve announced one coming to Blue Ridge, GA, just a few miles away. It’s much needed for Atlanta peeps headed to N GA and W NC vacations spots.

 

[Ed Haywood]

I just hit 6 years and 60K on my Model 3. I have the ER+ because we mostly use it for in and around town. I don't pay attention to the range rating so have no idea if it has decreased.

My maintenance history has been similar. One minor repair to a plastic nub in the charging port. That rendered it unchargeable, but Tesla came to my house the next morning and fixed it in 5 minutes. Other than that, a new 12v battery, a set of tires at 40K, and that's it for service.

It's been a great car for what it is. Not as great for road trips, but we don't use it for that.

 

[asicer]

Our most recent battery test showed our battery still had 84% of its original capacity, which Tesla considers “An expected range based on the car’s age and mileage”. Charging to 100%, which we rarely do, now shows 300 miles of range.

Have you tried an "Italian Tune-up"?

https://insideevs.com/news/764150/ev-battery-flooring-it-good/

 

[RalphInCA]

Would you buy another Tesla?

 

[Mahneuvers]

Have you tried an "Italian Tune-up"?

https://insideevs.com/news/764150/ev-battery-flooring-it-good/

Honest officer. I was just maintaining my battery!

I made the mistake of demonstrating the acceleration to my son when we had 24" pizza in the back. When we arrived home, the pizza was all crunched up on one side of the box!

 

[Ed Haywood]

Would you buy another Tesla?

Yes

 

[kyleb]

Over the lifetime of a Model 3 (say 150K miles), what do you expect the all-in cost per mile will be? Capital, electricity, tires, maintenance.

 

[Larry in TN]

Would you buy another Tesla?

Yes. I'm in the process of doing so right now.

Over the lifetime of a Model 3 (say 150K miles), what do you expect the all-in cost per mile will be? Capital, electricity, tires, maintenance.

I don't know the specifics but there are a number of YouTube videos that break that down.

 

[FastEddieB]

Would you buy another Tesla?

Tough call right now. If forced to make a choice , I’d probably go for a Model Y of some description - AWD with the most range. Can’t beat the user interface, but the design is getting a little long in the tooth. I don’t care at all for the new light bar front end - it screams “me too” and a gimmick. I’m not a fan of Elon’s, but I think I can divorce his shenanigans from my purchase decision.

Definitely depends on what’s available when ready to trade up in a few years, and I would definitely shop other brands before pulling the trigger.

As an aside, we have a deposit down for a Slate pickup. Would not replace our Tundra, but would be a cool in town knock around.

 

[FastEddieB]

Over the lifetime of a Model 3 (say 150K miles), what do you expect the all-in cost per mile will be? Capital, electricity, tires, maintenance.

I can be anal, but not THAT anal!

Biggest expense, no doubt, would be the eye watering depreciation. Paid $52k in 2022, with no tax incentive at the time. Probably worth not more than half that now. All the more reason to keep it for the foreseeable future.

 

[kyleb]

I can be anal, but not THAT anal!

Biggest expense, no doubt, would be the eye watering depreciation. Paid $52k in 2022, with no tax incentive at the time. Probably worth not more than half that now. All the more reason to keep it for the foreseeable future.

One of the things I look at is the lifecycle cost of a vehicle (this is why I don't own a Porsche). I identify vehicles that will do the job I need done, then make a comparison between brands and models to see which is the best long term value among roughly equivalent vehicles. I have a long drive both to the airport and to the office, so this is a real thing for me. I pile up the miles.

When I've run the numbers a Honda Accord comes out less expensive per mile than even a low end Model 3. The EV saves you a nickel a mile in fuel/electricity, but gives it all back (and a little more) in depreciation and tires. There could be a difference in insurance as well, but I don't have that data.

 

[Larry in TN]

Biggest expense, no doubt, would be the eye watering depreciation.

Might not be as bad as you think.

I did a couple of search for "average depreciation" for a car bought in September 2021, when I bought mine, and the result I found was consistent at 45%-55% for trade-in value today. I had two trade-in offers on mine at 51% and 55% depreciation so it's in the average range.

The new car, the exact same model and trim as my old one, but with a lot of hardware upgrades, is $3,500 less expansive than my old car, plus 4+ years of inflation, and another $500 loyalty discount. I expected it to be outside of the average range.

 

[RalphInCA]

As an aside, we have a deposit down for a Slate pickup. Would not replace our Tundra, but would be a cool in town knock around.

I like the Slate concept. If I had a small “gentleman’s farm“ or something similar, I would probably get one.

Don’t need one for the small lot that I have now.

 

[Ed Haywood]

Might not be as bad as you think.

I did a couple of search for "average depreciation" for a car bought in September 2021, when I bought mine, and the result I found was consistent at 45%-55% for trade-in value today. I had two trade-in offers on mine at 51% and 55% depreciation so it's in the average range.

The new car, the exact same model and trim as my old one, but with a lot of hardware upgrades, is $3,500 less expansive than my old car, plus 4+ years of inflation, and another $500 loyalty discount. I expected it to be outside of the average range.

There really isn't enough track record yet to say what the depreciation is on mass market EV's. The oldest model 3 is 8 years old, while the oldest model Y is 5 years old. A lot of people bought them 3 or 4 years ago because they were cool and hot, then discovered they weren't EV people. Over time, I suspect EV depreciation will normalize to be quite similar to ICE cars.

 

[Larry in TN]

There really isn't enough track record yet to say what the depreciation is on mass market EV's. The oldest model 3 is 8 years old, while the oldest model Y is 5 years old. A lot of people bought them 3 or 4 years ago because they were cool and hot, then discovered they weren't EV people. Over time, I suspect EV depreciation will normalize to be quite similar to ICE cars.

The 45% to 55% figure was for all cars, it wasn't specific to EVs.

My car's in the higher-half of the depreciation range but still within the expected range for all cars.

 

[MountainDude]

This whole conversation is missing the main point of owning a Tesla - super fun to drive every single time. Whether it's merging, passing, or curvy mountain roads - it's an incredible, smile-inducing experience. Even after almost 6 years, the joy and excitement has not worn off for me.
You can pass a car on a steep road with high confidence - it happens so quickly. No need to figure out what gear to select or whether the car will do it for you - when you punch the "gas" pedal, it flies.
The best part is driving curvy mountain roads early in the morning with no traffic. You can perfectly execute every curve and tremendously enjoy the experience.
There are many other aspects of ownership that induce a smile that no other car can (like maintaining the inside temp within 1 degree all night while "camping" inside), etc., but the driving excitement is by far the biggest one.

 

[Groundpounder]

After years of being bearish on EV’s, I just leased a Ford Mustang Mach E. So far, I really like it. Having a level 2 charger at home is super convenient, and a must have IMHO. It fits my driving profile, my commute is 100 miles round trip and I only do it 4 times a month or so, which very few trips that would ever need recharging. If you do long trips on a regular basis, I don’t think owning an EV is very practical, unless you truly have no time constraints. It’s been dreadfully cold in my neck of the woods lately, and it’s been awesome preheating the cabin while it’s still in my garage. The Bluecruise autopilot is awesome, yeah I’m sure the tesla crowd will chime in and say how much better their system is, but I have no desire to have it on autopilot anywhere but the highway.

We’ll see if I get another EV when this lease is up.I’m hoping Lucid comes out with their mid size SUV and they improve their financial situation, I had a chance to drive a Lucid Air a few years ago and it was very impressive. Their SUV offering (Gravity) seems to be very highly regarded aside from some software issues, but it is way bigger than I would ever need.

 

[Larry in TN]

Having a level 2 charger at home is super convenient, and a must have IMHO.

That's the one thing that you don't realize how big it is until you have it.

I haven't driven a Mach-E yet but I'd like to give one a try.

 

[Groundpounder]

That's the one thing that you don't realize how big it is until you have it.

I haven't driven a Mach-E yet but I'd like to give one a try.

Feels way less plastic than the Tesla, and doesn’t have EVERYTHING on the touch screen. It also will get tail happy when pushed which is a lot of fun.

 

[Ed Haywood]

This whole conversation is missing the main point of owning a Tesla - super fun to drive every single time.

Different strokes for different folks. I certainly enjoyed my 3P test drive, but I don't drive that way ever.

To me the main point is the practicality of a car that never needs to be serviced. That has had a measurable benefit on my lifestyle. For the 30 years prior, once or twice a year my wife would say "hey the light is on" and I would make an appointment, drive it 30 minutes to the stealership, and sit in the waiting room for a couple of hours for the privilege of paying a thousand bucks for the 49 point inspection and replacing various fluids and belts.

How many cars do you think a car company would sell if they marketed a gas engined car with the following maintenance schedule:

1. Once a year, rotate the tires and check the brake pads.
2. See #1.

 

[Groundpounder]

Different strokes for different folks. I certainly enjoyed my 3P test drive, but I don't drive that way ever.

To me the main point is the practicality of a car that never needs to be serviced. That has had a measurable benefit on my lifestyle. For the 30 years prior, once or twice a year my wife would say "hey the light is on" and I would make an appointment, drive it 30 minutes to the stealership, and sit in the waiting room for a couple of hours for the privilege of paying a thousand bucks for the 49 point inspection and replacing various fluids and belts.

How many cars do you think a car company would sell if they marketed a gas engined car with the following maintenance schedule:

1. Once a year, rotate the tires and check the brake pads.
2. See #1.

I think that is why a lot of car companies aren’t promoting EV’s like perhaps they should. So much money is made on service.

 

[Larry in TN]

Feels way less plastic than the Tesla, and doesn’t have EVERYTHING on the touch screen. It also will get tail happy when pushed which is a lot of fun.

I don't see my car as feeling plastic. I love the minimalist design and how well everything is integrated and automated. My primary attraction is the smooth power and the tech. I don't want more physical controls. I had a 2000 BMW 323i for 20 years so I've seen a high-quality German car, too.

But, it would be a boring world if everyone drove a blue Model 3 like me.

I like the styling of the Mach-E. I think they did a good job of adapting the Mustang's traditional design to the SUV form factor that is now highly preferred by people of the age who can afford cars in this class. I also think it is good that it has more physical controls because many will not appreciate the minimalism like I do. Everything I've seen looks like this is a very good alternative.

I'd love to get a close look at, and drive in, a Mach-E. Anyone coming through Nashville with one, look me up! I'll buy lunch/dinner.

 

[Larry in TN]

I think that is why a lot of car companies aren’t promoting EV’s like perhaps they should. So much money is made on service.

That, plus they (US legacy manufacturers) haven't figured out how to build an EV profitably yet. It took Tesla 17 years to go from start-up to being profitable and it didn't have to play catch up with already established brands while it was doing so. There's significantly more to it than putting a battery and electric drive unit(s) in an existing design.

 

[Larry in TN]

I just came across this (11:29) video showing the entire process of a visit to a Tesla service center for a recall that could not be done remotely. It's very consistent with the only service center visit that I had as my car approached the end of its 4yr/50,000mi full warranty.

 

[cessna182b]

This whole conversation is missing the main point of owning a Tesla - super fun to drive every single time. Whether it's merging, passing, or curvy mountain roads - it's an incredible, smile-inducing experience. Even after almost 6 years, the joy and excitement has not worn off for me.
You can pass a car on a steep road with high confidence - it happens so quickly. No need to figure out what gear to select or whether the car will do it for you - when you punch the "gas" pedal, it flies.
The best part is driving curvy mountain roads early in the morning with no traffic. You can perfectly execute every curve and tremendously enjoy the experience.
There are many other aspects of ownership that induce a smile that no other car can (like maintaining the inside temp within 1 degree all night while "camping" inside), etc., but the driving excitement is by far the biggest one.

I would agree with the above. I am three years in on my 2023 Model Y, and enjoy driving it every day. Other than replacing the tires and wheels (bought a brand new set for a great price) and
refilling the washer fluid, it has needed no maintenance at all. Best car I have ever owned, and would buy another if I had to replace it - but I plan to drive it into the ground if I last long enough.
I have done a couple trials of Full Self Driving, but am not convinced that it is yet good enough - or that i actually need it. Supposedly the latest iteration is a big improvement, but I haven't had
the opportunity to try it yet, So we'll see.

Dave

 

[Kent Wien]

I just got home from having a guy swap out my shocks and springs from the new Juniper Model Y to my 2021 MY.

The ride is much better and the whole thing can be done in 4 hours using the stock parts from Tesla for the 2026 Model Y. Parts run $985.

I learned about it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaModelY/s/1QiRMtgMQg

 

[mark.staggs]

We had a Model 3 from 2019 until 2025, so roughly 6 years. It was a stupidly fun car to drive, and we might own another one or another e-vehicle again someday. We drove it from the Nashville area to FL, AR, and NC without any real range anxiety. The only maintenance we had was the 12V battery around year 4, and a couple warranty checks for some wiring harness fixes that didn't actually cause us any problems. Oh, and tires. The first set didn't last long.

My main complaint was insurance was considerably higher than on our Subaru. We ended up trading it in and getting a second Subaru. The second complaint, while very minor, was some of the UX/UI updates and controls could be really annoying. It got better, by quite a lot, while we owned it.

The other reason we ditched it in addition to insurance was because we're renting a house right now (with a dumb corporate landlord) while building another home. Charging at 15A/120V became a bit annoying on the day-to-day. There's a super charger within a couple miles of us, but that should only be used for longer trips or "need it now" charges.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Today marks 4 years (!) since we picked up our 2022 Tesla Model 3 from the delivery center in Knoxville, TN.

I'm about 4.5 months in front of you, and similar miles too (93,860 right now). So, about 21,000/year.

To date, it’s been fun to drive and remarkably reliable - only one repair, under warranty, for an inoperative rear window defroster. Over 90,000 miles, maintenance has been 2 sets of tires, one alignment, 12v battery replacement as preventive maintenance, 1 cabin air filter and windshield washer fluid. And that’s it.

Same... Except I've only done one set of tires, it's just about getting to the point where I'll need the first alignment, and I haven't done the 12V battery yet either. I love driving it!

Only negatives? The road and wind noise are pretty loud,

This is largely dependent on your tires. The CrossClimates seem to be popular, but they aren't EV tires so they don't need to be as quiet. Noise is the main reason I didn't go with them despite their apparent popularity, and I got some EV specific tires that might even be quieter than the factory ones that had the sound-deadening foam in them. (My new tires do not have foam.)

How does one get from 358 miles of advertised range to 237 miles or even less of day-to-day range? None of this is meant as a complaint - to paraphrase Scotty, “You canna complain about the laws of physics!”. But still, that decrease in range needs some explanation.

Your real world range just isn't what the Guess-O-Meter says, and since they do change how the GOM works from time to time, it's not an accurate indicator of your actual range, or your actual range loss over time.

Third, the chemistry in our model’s batteries dictate charging to no more than 80% in day-to-day driving.

It might be worth a 100% charge so the car can re-balance the battery cells and re-calibrate the BMS. Just be sure to do this when you're about to leave to go somewhere farther away so the car doesn't sit for a long time at 100%. You do need to sit on the charger at 100% for *some* time, though, as that's when it starts rebalancing.

Fourth, cold temps don’t help, and it’s been pretty chilly this winter in E TN.

This is a huge factor. If you're going on a longer trip, it's worth preconditioning while you're still on the charger as the battery will get warmed up and the warm battery will give you much better range. Highway driving is enough to keep the battery warm when it's cold out.

Fifth, I decided on our most recent tire purchase to go with non-EV tires - Michelin CrossClimate 2’s. That was based on availability, price, a longer tread wear warranty, and better usability in snow. That alone accounted for more than a 10% range loss.

... and probably a large chunk of the noise as noted above.

Bear in mind, when the car “guesses” a certain range, in my case roughly 237 miles at 80% charge, when actually driving the miles traveled since charge plus miles remaining virtually never equal the car’s estimate.

Which is why the first thing many owners do when picking up a new Tesla is to switch from mileage to % for the battery readouts.

Our most recent battery test showed our battery still had 84% of its original capacity, which Tesla considers “An expected range based on the car’s age and mileage”.

Interesting. I've only done one battery test, in August about a month shy of the 4-year mark, and it was at 92%. That said, I've got the LFP battery that isn't supposed to get down to 80% for something like 750,000 miles.

Basic lesson? When EV shopping, go for range well beyond what you think you might need, especially if you plan on keeping the car for the long haul.

But don't let it stop you from buying one. For a long time I didn't buy a Tesla because I had convinced myself that I needed an AWD long range model. Then I realized that a standard range one would still be a heckuva lot better than the Bolt I was driving as a commuter.

In spite of not having the long range, I have still taken the Tesla on every road trip since I got it, except one - And on that one, I was meeting family in a place where we were going to be doing a lot of bike riding, so I needed a bike rack and ours is a trailer hitch mount one, and the price of getting a trailer hitch on the 3 was going to be four figures, probably to only be used once, so I took the Lexus instead.

Would I like the LR model? Sure. Is it worth not having a Tesla at all if the LR model isn't affordable? No way.

Would you buy another Tesla?

Abso-freaking-lutely. And I will hate myself for buying one 'cuz I can't stand Musk (maybe I'll buy used next time), but at this point in time I cannot imagine being happy with anything else. It's that different, and that good. And the Tesla is my 5th electrified vehicle (2 PHEV, 2 previous BEV) so it's not about it being electric - It's about it being just a really great car.

Over the lifetime of a Model 3 (say 150K miles), what do you expect the all-in cost per mile will be? Capital, electricity, tires, maintenance.

Given that I'm 2/3 of the way there and have yet to spend $1K on maintenance including tires... Let's say $2K in maintenance *including* tires.

I'm very close to (but have used less than) 250 Wh/mi or 4+ mi/kWh. If you call it 4 mi/kWh even once correcting for charging efficiency, and figure that you might do 10% of your miles on a Supercharger at a higher rate while you're on road trips >150mi from home... Assuming $0.15/kWh at home and $0.35/kWh on the road, that's $6,375 in fuel costs.

If I sold it for around 1/4 of purchase price, that's another $30K down the drain. Total cost $38,375 for 150,000 miles = $0.2558 or 25.58 cents per mile.

Given how well it's working out, I'm likely going to hang onto it for a long time. I'll give it to my older son when he learns how to drive 7 years from now and that cost per mile will likely have gone way down by then.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

When I've run the numbers a Honda Accord comes out less expensive per mile than even a low end Model 3. The EV saves you a nickel a mile in fuel/electricity, but gives it all back (and a little more) in depreciation and tires. There could be a difference in insurance as well, but I don't have that data.

Could go either way... https://cleantechnica.com/2019/09/30/tesla-model-3-vs-honda-accord-comparable-5-year-cost-to-own/

It depends on a few things, chief among them what your assumptions are regarding maintenance cost and depreciation. ICEV depreciation is a bit more of a known quantity than EV depreciation, which has varied wildly due to tax credits coming and going, pandemic supply chain weirdness, etc but should be settling down to fairly normal levels at this point.

And it doesn't sound like you've considered maintenance? 150,000 miles on an ICEV is 20-50 oil changes, several sets of brakes, maybe a couple of air cleaner elements and some spark plugs, probably a timing belt and a water pump, and who knows what else with that many moving parts. 150,000 miles in an EV, you might do the brakes once (or not). There are some other things like rotating tires that will be the same either way.

"Tires" is entirely up to you and how you choose to drive. I know people who have Model S Performance variants and punch it at every start who struggle to get even 10,000 miles out of a set of tires. Meanwhile, the factory rubber on my 3 made it around 70,000 miles.

Insurance also seems to be wildly variable on EVs. It's almost like the industry hasn't figured them out yet. My insurance on the Tesla through State Farm is very reasonable.

 

[kyleb]

Could go either way... https://cleantechnica.com/2019/09/30/tesla-model-3-vs-honda-accord-comparable-5-year-cost-to-own/

It depends on a few things, chief among them what your assumptions are regarding maintenance cost and depreciation. ICEV depreciation is a bit more of a known quantity than EV depreciation, which has varied wildly due to tax credits coming and going, pandemic supply chain weirdness, etc but should be settling down to fairly normal levels at this point.

And it doesn't sound like you've considered maintenance? 150,000 miles on an ICEV is 20-50 oil changes, several sets of brakes, maybe a couple of air cleaner elements and some spark plugs, probably a timing belt and a water pump, and who knows what else with that many moving parts. 150,000 miles in an EV, you might do the brakes once (or not). There are some other things like rotating tires that will be the same either way.

I pinky promise I considered tires and maintenance. I assumed 80K miles per set on the Honda at $800/set. That's my experience. Modern Accords don't have timing belts, so there's no belt to replace. My maintenance costs over 750K miles (3 different Accords) have been negligible. The first two did have timing belts, but other than that and a failed clutch pedal (yep, the steel arm suffered a fatigue crack), there has been no maintenance to speak of other than consumables. Brakes? I've replaced the pads once on this one. It currently has 220K miles. Original rotors, original clutch. Oil changes are a penny a mile, fuel is $0.09/mile, depreciation is $0.06/mile, and tires are a penny a mile. Add in cabin air filters, intake air filters, and other miscellaneous consumables for about $0.01/mile and a $0.02/mile fudge factor and you're at $0.20/mile. A brand new 2026 model would be a couple cents more due to higher depreciation.

Bottom line I don't see a financial advantage to the Telsa Model 3 compared to a Honda Accord. If I was replacing my wife's 17 MPG SUV with a Model Y, the story might be different. In fact, it probably would be different. Same or lower acquisition cost, lower operating cost. The only questions would be whether a Tesla is going to depreciate faster than a Highlander OR if it is going to require more maintenance over a 15 year useful life.

 

[Larry in TN]

I assumed 80K miles per set on the Honda at $800/set.

I just put two tires on a Mazda3, similar size to an Accord. $601.24 for two with balance. 30,559 miles on the car. The other two had been replaced earlier due to being damaged an unrepairable.

 

[kyleb]

I just put two tires on a Mazda3, similar size to an Accord. $601.24 for two with balance. 30,559 miles on the car. The other two had been replaced earlier due to being damaged an unrepairable.

I based the $800/set on Sunday’s online pricing where I buy tires.

 

[mark.staggs]

Which is why the first thing many owners do when picking up a new Tesla is to switch from mileage to % for the battery readouts.

This is what I did, too. One caveat is that it's tied to driver profile. So if my wife was driving it went back to miles. Made me do a double take at first.

 

[Larry in TN]

I based the $800/set on Sunday’s online pricing where I buy tires.

Then, how much installed and balanced?

 

[kyleb]

Then, how much installed and balanced?

Included. With lifetime rotate and balance.

 

[Zeldman]

If an electric car looked like these I would be all over it.!!

There is enough room for several batteries.

 

[FastEddieB]

Which is why the first thing many owners do when picking up a new Tesla is to switch from mileage to % for the battery readouts.

I’ve heard a lot of proponents of that. It seems like it would be right up my alley, but…

I’ve tried it on occasion, and don’t care for it. It seems to require me to do some “mental math” that the car could be doing for me. For instance, let’s say I show 15% projected to remain at my destination. That’s meaningful, but for me it’s more meaningful to know approximately how many miles I’ll have remaining. I’ve been assuming at best 300 miles of range, so I can do the math and see that’s roughly 45 miles. But if the car was showing miles remaining, it would be right there in front of me - no math required.

But this may be a “never the twain shall meet” scenario, like “north up” vs “track up”. It’s nice Tesla gives the driver the choice, since apparently people are wired differently. Even better would be the option to see both percentage and miles remaining.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I’ve tried it on occasion, and don’t care for it. It seems to require me to do some “mental math” that the car could be doing for me. For instance, let’s say I show 15% projected to remain at my destination. That’s meaningful, but for me it’s more meaningful to know approximately how many miles I’ll have remaining.

But here's the thing - The miles remaining *isn't* meaningful, because it's not how many miles you'll have remaining, it's a *guess* of how many miles you'll have remaining. They don't call it the guess-o-meter (GOM) for nothing.

I never do a calculation any more, though I used to when I had other EVs or early on with the Tesla. Instead, I set the Tesla to be at 10% minimum when I get where I'm going, and it's never gotten its calculation so wrong as to be off by more than 5%. If it tells me I'll need to charge, then I'll need to charge regardless of how many miles or what percentage it is. Heck, I don't even pay that much attention to the percentage any more most of the time!

If "where I'm going" does not have charging available and there's any question of whether I'll need to charge, I put in my next stop as well, and repeat until either it puts in a charging stop for me, or the stop that I put in has charging. No calculation necessary.