For those who have been with me, I have crossed the three year mark of driving the Model Y. I will now give an update on how things are going, and will follow the same format as last year to ensure a clean comparison. I want to point out again that my driving habits may not be the same as the average passenger. Let’s take a look at how things look three years later.
Before we get into the review, here are some statistics:
Total mileage: 19,808
Important features: Great range, full self-learning module, 19-inch Gemini wheels.
Driving habits: Half the time city trips to local attractions, the other half mini trips to the mountains.
Settings: Steering – standard, regenerative braking – hold (max), acceleration – normal
Modifications: Floor mats, matte console covers, screen cover, tow package and ski rack.
Maintenance.
Regular readers know that maintenance has been the bane of my automotive experience. It was also the primary reason for my decision to purchase a Tesla. It’s been three years and it still continues to pay dividends. I love not having to worry about maintenance and potential problems. No dreaded Check Engine lights to mar my parade.
Here is what I have encountered in the 3 years I have owned the vehicle:
– 2 windshield wiper fluid refills.
– Lots of software updates, including a camera update that I really like. I have them installed overnight while I sleep and the car is charging.
– 1 trip to the store to update a faulty part affecting my heater. (It was really scary).
– Car wash and interior cleaning about once a month.
– 2 tire changes.
I always try to be as honest as possible in these reviews. My goal is not to get you to buy a Tesla or promote the cult of Elon, but simply to provide you with an informed opinion. So here’s what I can say after three years. I haven’t changed my oil, I haven’t changed my brakes, my tires are working properly, and after a year I even lost my only complaint, which was helplessness to change the software. I had a major problem with a factory recalled part and a few minor annoying software bugs, but honestly they seem to have been fixed. Personally, I haven’t had any problems or bugs in the last year. The only thing I can report is that after leaving the garage, the car sometimes takes a few minutes to switch from Wi-Fi to data and reconnect.
Charging.
I continue to be completely satisfied with the charging status. Even more so than at the time of last year’s review, as the number of chargers continues to increase dramatically and other major manufacturers are adopting Tesla’s charging technology.
Once again, having a home charger is an absolute game changer and a must.
Software.
This year has brought some great updates. We continue to improve the self-driving car program, which in my opinion is still in its infancy. More interesting to me has been the improvements to the camera. I feel like the image is clearer and more stable than in the past. Finally, an update that I wasn’t aware of but really like is the addition of an audible beep when shifting gears. A few people have complained that shifting gears is difficult, but the addition of this soft sound has made the moment of shifting more obvious. It never ceases to amaze me how much feedback from drivers goes into the software updates. It’s incredible how much of your driving experience can be changed by an over-the-air update while you’re napping.
Interior.
There have been a lot of videos recently about the interior quality of these cars. I’ll just say that this is not my experience. My car has held up surprisingly well, but I will add that I’ve always driven mid-range cars, so I’m not comparing the Model Y to luxury cars costing 200k or more. My seats still look like new, there are no rips, creases, stains, or fading, which is what I want from a car of this class.
Overall, I am very happy with the interior and how it has been maintained. I wish it had a heated steering wheel and cooled seats, especially at this price of the car, but it’s not crucial to me.
Flex.
Teslas are everywhere now, at least here in SLC and other major cities in the US. It doesn’t feel like a Flex anymore, instead it has come to seem completely ordinary. One new thing I see here that will add to your flexibility is the wrap. The matte finish is more popular than ever, and it’s especially common on Teslas. If you’re still looking for that flexibility factor, I recommend doing a matte wrap with colored calipers and maybe some accents. That said, keep the styling in mind. You can see some very well done work online.
Final thoughts.
Inflation. We all face it. The last few years have been crazy, and I’m sure it will have a place in future economics textbooks. The used car market has had its heyday and now, if you own a Tesla, you’re probably seeing prices plummet. I thought I would feel worse about my car selling for much cheaper today, but no, I feel like it was worth what I paid for it, and that’s even more true now that the price has come down. Unfortunately, this also means that the value at exchange has dropped. My trade-in value is half of what I purchased the car for. That’s in line with traditional offers, but compared to what I was offered even a year ago, it’s a tough pill to swallow. I’ll probably keep it if I do decide to buy a cybertruck.
Thank you for being a reader! As always, if you have any questions, ask them in the comments and I’d be happy to chat with you via email as well. I’d love to hear your story of building Tesla and talk about the challenges and successes you’ve faced. And please, please support me!
Read more / Original news source: https://manipurhub.com/model-y-3-year-old-time-to-trade-107/