Should I buy a Tesla?

New
dinosole

New

dinosole
Jul 6, 2019 81 Comments

I am thinking of buying a Tesla Model 3 ($52K, need an AWD since it snows here) and would like to know what you think given the scenario.

Overview
• I am in my early 30s and I have been still driving almost 2 decades old car. I need to get a new one before this one stops running.
• I have been cautious about spending since last 10 years. I invested in 401K and maxed out for the last 7 years.
• I do not have any debt right now and I have saved about 50K for emergency, down payment for house, etc.
• A decent car I liked after test driving is around $30K (sedan) and $35K(SUV) plus taxes, fees etc.
• I have a small business I started few years ago. I have earned about 100K (revenue) so far. This is in additional to my existing salary. But recently I have gotten lazy and the revenue has been dwindling.

Things I am worried about.
• Should I buy a house before buying a car? What if my car breaks down sooner and I have to decide in a hurry.
• A Tesla needs charging and I don’t have a garage to house and charge it. I would have to go to the charging station to charge it up.
• Am I spending too much in car, almost $20K more than what is required?
• How much would a Tesla last as compared to a traditional car? Also the nearest Tesla dealer is about 2 hours drive from where I live.

My reasoning
• I test drove several cars and I found Tesla features are far superior than any other cars out there.
• This is going to be my first brand new car. 10 years ago, I decided to wait until 30s to buy a new one opted for a used car then.
• A part of the reason why I got lazy in my small business is that I got too comfortable with my income and having no debt. If I had healthy level of debt, it would push me to work harder.

Your suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

This is me posting on this community for the first time. Let me know if I didn’t follow any guidelines. I will make amendments as necessary.

comments

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TOP 81 Comments
  • EA / Eng
    dietPepsi

    Go to company page EA Eng

    dietPepsi
    Buy the car bro.
    Jul 6, 2019 3
    • Exactly, this guy must be some data science nugget. It’s a frikkin car, you are not getting married
      Jul 7, 2019
    • New
      dinosole

      New

      dinosole
      OP
      got your point, I realize I am overthinking.
      Jul 7, 2019
  • Oracle
    mnP7$a

    Go to company page Oracle

    mnP7$a
    Another show off trying to flex
    Jul 6, 2019 3
    • OP, welcome to Blind. You’ll find a lot of jerks like Oracle here who won’t read the complete post but be quick to judge with template responses. Ignore them. I think you should go for the Tesla. Charging shouldn’t be a problem as there is a good number of super chargers mapped out. Also, did you try searching for any charging stations nearby?
      Jul 6, 2019
    • New
      dinosole

      New

      dinosole
      OP
      Thank you for your suggestion. There is one out there within 10 mins drive.
      Jul 6, 2019
  • Amazon / Eng
    ayyyyyyyy

    Go to company page Amazon Eng

    ayyyyyyyy
    Buy it.

    EDIT: wait, you don’t have a way to charge it?? This is stupid talk.
    Jul 6, 2019 4
    • New
      dinosole

      New

      dinosole
      OP
      Well, I did talk to several dealers about a used car, and if the decision was only me, I would buy an entry level car or used premium car. However, I haven’t be able to convince my wife as she desires a luxury sedan and they cost about over $40K. She is short term thinker. So I am thinking of spending additional $10K and get the dream car especially once I buy a $40k luxury car, I won’t be able to buy a Tesla.
      Jul 6, 2019
    • Amazon / Eng
      ayyyyyyyy

      Go to company page Amazon Eng

      ayyyyyyyy
      🤦🏻‍♂️
      Jul 6, 2019
  • Airbnb
    NotAnAlly

    Go to company page Airbnb

    NotAnAlly
    Did you max out after tax 401k? I doubt it. Don't flex unless you max out 55k mega back door every year.
    Jul 6, 2019 10
    • Also i would recommend buying a tesla. It's expected battery life is 300k miles and maintenance is minimal so it pays for itself. Also battery swap will cost like 5-7k so you can get additional life to it. It feels like a great sum in the beginning but over the long term the investment pays for itself if you see the ROI as minimizing cost of ownership.
      Jul 8, 2019
    • Let me know if you have questions, I have owned for past few months and if you need referral code for free miles I got you!
      Jul 8, 2019
  • Intel
    Spikiera

    Go to company page Intel

    Spikiera
    I guarantee you, once you buy it, you would feel that this is the best decision you've ever made. You step on the accelerator, you know it's different from any other car out there.
    Jul 13, 2019 3