Are Teslas any good?

ainarssems · #1 2nd March 2019, 05:56 PM

If those price cuts are coming to UK it makes model 3 much more appealing @£26.5k, it's actually sometihng I may consider.

tintin · #2 22nd January 2020, 10:20 PM

Tesla is now worth more than VAG

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51214824

Plus they're more reliable than any VAG - or for that matter any German or European - brand.

https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-wh...-brands/n20069

So...to answer Jim's original thread question: probably.

paulrstaylor · #3 23rd January 2020, 08:39 AM

I'm not convinced their crash structures are quite there yet, if a datsun can do this.....

https://www.grandtournation.com/cars...ssan-gt-r/amp/

Joking aside, assuming the Tesla wasn't a cut and shut, and that the speed involved was less than a million mph, that level of damage is scary and if not be happy putting my kids in thr back row!

tintin · #4 23rd January 2020, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulrstaylor

I'm not convinced their crash structures are quite there yet, if a datsun can do this.....

https://www.grandtournation.com/cars...ssan-gt-r/amp/

Joking aside, assuming the Tesla wasn't a cut and shut, and that the speed involved was less than a million mph, that level of damage is scary and if not be happy putting my kids in thr back row!

Seriously? A 30 second scan of that link makes it clear the Nissan GT-R (hardly a "Datsun"...) "flew" through the lights, its driver was hospitalised, and the Tesla occupants were unharmed, unsurprisingly.

This is more relevant and accurate: https://www.businessinsider.com/tesl...19-2?r=US&IR=T

paulrstaylor · #5 23rd January 2020, 08:58 PM

Yes seriously. Clearly the gtr was being driven by a loon, was smashed up, front end destroyed and injuries sustained. Pretty much what you'd expect.

But I think the fact that the driver of the Tesla wasn't hurt was down to their position in the front seat, and a side impact (yes a big impact maybe) ripped the car in half.... I don't think anyone unfortunate enough to have been seated in the back would have walked away, 5 star crash rated or not.

steamship · #6 23rd January 2020, 09:45 PM

I think it's safe to say that each of the cars involved saved lives. Just because a car has a 5-star NCAP rating does not mean it will withstand everything thrown (driven) at it. A quick Google will show instances of the aftermath of S8s, RS6s, Q7s and R8s being split in two, although I think the latter is designed that way to detach from the safety cell, and the RS6 had a fight with mother nature (a tree) and lost!

IT · #7 23rd January 2020, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulrstaylor

Yes seriously. Clearly the gtr was being driven by a loon, was smashed up, front end destroyed and injuries sustained. Pretty much what you'd expect.

But I think the fact that the driver of the Tesla wasn't hurt was down to their position in the front seat, and a side impact (yes a big impact maybe) ripped the car in half.... I don't think anyone unfortunate enough to have been seated in the back would have walked away, 5 star crash rated or not.

Rear floor is a weak spot in most cars - I've seen quite a few, Audis included, where they've torn at that point in a high speed side impact.

Its the weakest link, there is nothing there other than a metal floor and roof. Prop shaft, exhaust, fuel tank - nothing structural holding the two halves together.

Hit a car side on at the B pillar, and yes, it will take it very well. Hit it in the rear quarter hard, and it will tear away from the front of the car....

The GTR has a buckled roof. That thing hit with some serious force to push the bulkhead back. I'm not sure I'd expect any manufacturer to survive that.

I swapped my Tesla this week for a car with a traditional engine so someone could have an extended test drive. It proved two things: I made the right choice, as I hated literally every second of driving the Audi for so many reasons I'd forgotten, and secondly, lend someone a Tesla to show them that it actually works, and they will want one immediately.....

briang9 · #8 23rd January 2020, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tintin

Plus they're more reliable than any VAG - or for that matter any German or European - brand.

https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-wh...-brands/n20069

So...to answer Jim's original thread question: probably.

That's because they spend half their life sitting in a charging bay, whilst those of us with proper cars are driving them

IT · #9 23rd January 2020, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by briang9

That's because they spend half their life sitting in a charging bay, whilst those of us with proper cars are driving them

I don't normally bite at comments like this, but to not do, would suggest I agree, and it couldn't be further from the truth. Given that this is a thread specifically about whether Tesla's are any good, I have no choice but to respond.

Supercharging, on a long journey, is a 15/20 minute affair depending on a bunch of factors. These days, the car will drive far longer in one go than I want to. A natural break and a leg stretch every few hours is welcomed.

But, personally, I very rarely visit a charger as my car is more than capable of doing my daily drive with ease.

I plug it in at home, it charges overnight, and every single morning, I wake up to a full 'tank'.

I don't have to go to a petrol station. Ever. Which is good, as there genuinely isn't one on my commute to work. Going out of my way to fill up, was a grind.

If I need to suddenly travel further afield, my car is always sat almost full every time I arrive at work.

Range Anxiety ? That's for people who actually have to keep going to specialised shops to fill their cars up, and can't just charge it up using mains electricity which is available, well, like everywhere.

The best bit - The cost. I worked out my first 4000 miles cost me 5.01 pence per mile, in a car that does 60 in under 3 seconds.

Or, to put it in more perspective, 'fuel' cost me a whisker over £200 for 4000 miles. Show me something that runs on dinosaurs that can match that......

steamship · #10 24th January 2020, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IT

I plug it in at home, it charges overnight, and every single morning, I wake up to a full 'tank'.
...
The best bit - The cost. I worked out my first 4000 miles cost me 5.01 pence per mile, in a car that does 60 in under 3 seconds.

Or, to put it in more perspective, 'fuel' cost me a whisker over £200 for 4000 miles.

Not that I will be looking at buying an EV any day soon, but this is the answer to the real world question I've wanted to know, and has never really been mentioned in any of the YouTube videos I've watched. Ignoring other running costs (insurance and wear and terms items like tyres and wipers), are there any other costs with ownership? I believe there is no VED since there are no emissions, but there is a 'premium supplement' for the first five years.