[Quattro44]

I'm curious to get a sense of how many people on the forum have previously owned a Tesla and how many haven't.

If I were a betting man I'd say there's going to be more non Tesla owners than former owners.

 

[omegafiler]

I'm going to say "no" and exclude the refused delivery, even though the bank might disagree. Hah. Fortunately, I did enough research and test drives to save myself future ownership trouble.

 

[taminatorv]

A former 2013 Tesla Model S 85 owner here. The only thing I will miss is the Supercharger network and how it's integrated with their navigation. Besides that, the e-tron charges so much faster on an EA station than the S85 on a Supercharger, even before Tesla slowed down the charging to prevent battery fires and warranty claims. I won't miss being QA for Tesla's software or rebooting it just to get climate control to work.

 

[Quattro44]

Looks like my prediction is coming true so far. 8-3 for non Tesla owners.

 

[omegafiler]

Some more fun questions might be, how many test drove a Tesla and ran away before even considering buying one? Hah.

And then how many Tesla owners looked at anything other than Tesla before ordering one? I know for this one, based on years following the forum, it's a lot.

 

[ShortFinSoup]

We looked at a Tesla, and we weren’t impressed. The interior reminded me of our 2014 Toyota Sienna LE with cloth interior...we didn’t even want to test drive one.

 

[taminatorv]

Some more fun questions might be, how many test drove a Tesla and ran away before even considering buying one? Hah.

And then how many Tesla owners looked at anything other than Tesla before ordering one? I know for this one, based on years following the forum, it's a lot.

I was all over the place when looking to replace my Model S. I test drove a Chevy Bolt, a Kia Niro EV, and both Model 3 Long Range and Performance. There weren't any Toyota RAV4 Primes available or I would have considered that. Even the Niro EV had a better quality interior than the Model S and 3, not to mention superior fit and finish. Then I found out about the crazy discounts on e-trons and it was a done deal.

 

[Ambergold]

I had a MS75D, never had any issues with it other than a faulty headlight replaced under warranty. I prefer the look & drive quality of the Tron although its thirsty.
For me its down to the type of driving you do and the availability of charging infrastructure. 97% of the time I'm good with the Tron 50.

 

[Esstron716]

I purchased a 2016 Model X, then another one in 2017 for reasons I can't discuss, not kidding. However, the 2nd one had more problems than the original.

In 4+ years I have tolerated Tesla's significant quality and customer care issues despite truly enjoying the features of an EV.

After an accident claimed my 2017 MX in Feb, I just couldn't take the risk on another Tesla, and now have a 2021 e-tron sportsback prestige.

Despite the remarkable improvement in quality, I really miss many of the features in my MX.

 

[HarleyBeamerGuy1413]

My wife wants a MX, and we may be able to get a 2019 with under 4K miles from a private owner who wants a 2021. I’ve been perusing MX forums and Tesla forums on Reddit. Subtracting the fanboys, I have a feeling about the trustworthiness of tesla and their ability to improve customer service, and all the other issues people complain about. The e-tron has captured my attention, and I’m really split. What say you since you’ve had both?

 

[lloydyboy]

After speaking to the obnoxious salesman at my local Tesla dealer to discuss a test drive. I decided I didn’t want to give them my business. I had e-tron & polestar 2 extended test drives. For my family and my commute distance, the E-tron works perfect. Polestar was a close 2nd tbh.

 

[ScottM]

I had a M3 reserved before test driving and finding out how noisy it was at speed. I was within inches of buying a Polestar 2 (had VIN, insurance, etc.) and may still regret not buying it. But without any service in Florida and their early problems I saw the E-Tron as the best option for me. Bought a 2019 with 3k miles for less than the P*2 and am very happy with the decision - HUD, messaging seats, more room, quieter, soft close doors, etc.

 

[Murray Orange]

I drove a 2015 Tesla Model S 85D for 6 years.
Positives: Good build quality, 3 repairs in 6 years, all under warranty. Good service levels (One was a ranger, who did the repair in my driveway). The repair techs KNOW the vehicles - not a lot of guesswork to fix small issues. Great acceleration. Supercharger network is outstanding - free charging. Over-the-air updates made the car better than when I bought it. Easy, workable App. Minimal battery range degradation (4% in 6 years). Great range - period
Negatives: Noisy ride. No storage areas in the cabin. Rear seats are uncomfortable, and difficult to enter/exit.
Meh: Autopilot worked okay - didn't use it much (I like to drive). Elon Musk is brilliant, and a visionary, but he should get off Twitter, and fix his quality and service issues, instead of gambling with Bitcoin.

Overall, it is a great car, and I love driving it. I'm giving it to my son, to get him out of an ICE car and into an EV. It's not the horrible vehicle, commonly slagged, on social media and forums.

So, why did I switch to Audi?

Tesla is obsessed with minimalism in the interiors of their cars. The 3 and Y have a shelf for a dashboard, with a tablet glued in the middle. They drive nicely, but are just too bare-boned for me. The S and X "refresh" is a disaster. The fanbois love it - barebones looks, yoke steering wheel, and that ugly, protruding monitor (oh, but it does play video games and Netflix). The old vertical monitor fit the dashboard nicely. The seats are "okay". The ride is too stiff, and cabin noise is still too loud. I still love the acceleration and range......but I just couldn't do it again with this package.

The Audi feels like a luxury ride, and the interior is spectacular. Good acceleration, fantastic handling, and great technology. Nice exterior as well. I'll miss the range and the Supercharger network, as there are still navigation holes in HVDC charging, even in some of the well travelled Canadian and American roadways.

.......but I won't speak of Tesla in a negative fashion

 

[Esstron716]

After speaking to the obnoxious salesman at my local Tesla dealer to discuss a test drive. I decided I didn’t want to give them my business. I had e-tron & polestar 2 extended test drives. For my family and my commute distance, the E-tron works perfect. Polestar was a close 2nd tbh.

My wife wants a MX, and we may be able to get a 2019 with under 4K miles from a private owner who wants a 2021. I’ve been perusing MX forums and Tesla forums on Reddit. Subtracting the fanboys, I have a feeling about the trustworthiness of tesla and their ability to improve customer service, and all the other issues people complain about. The e-tron has captured my attention, and I’m really split. What say you since you’ve had both?

I greatly apologize for not responding earlier.

I once was a "Tesla junkie", thrilled with the drive experience, high-tech, OTA updates, the whole EV concept, anxiously waiting 2 yrs until arrival of my 2016 MX 90D, then after an unresolvable issue, it was bought back. That's the type of Cust Care you expect with a $100k vehicle, which IMO ended once the M3 rolled out.
But I gave them a 2nd chance, then with a 2017, upgraded computer, upgraded internal charger, multi-cameras, etc... within 3 weeks cargo door won't close... The attempt to repair was a "Comedy or Errors", lasting over a month, 5 Svc Ctr admissions, finally the only Tesla-approved Body repair shop resolved in 3 hrs.
Lesson learned when the source for parts and service is restricted and controlled by the manufacturer.
The cabin noise was significant, mostly road & tire, but also windshield over 60 MPH, had to really raise voice level.
Decided to buy quieter tires, Michelins, only available from tesla for weight rating, over $2K,
minimal improvement, realized complete lack of any sound proofing and crappy door and window seals, meanwhile 3K miles later after a 1500 miles trip, all 4 tires ruined. It was not known that the auto-lowering of the suspension at highway speeds for better range increased the camber angle, so the interior of tires wear unevenly, and since staggered wheels, unable to do proper rotation.
Since it was the vehicle that caused the damage, tire not warranty covered. Tesla not gonna cover it, so just a "Sorry" was all I got.
Then after an incident with a tree and power pole on a muddy off-road location, it performed nicely with safety features, air bags and crumple zones, but the extraction process was so damaging, it was "totaled".

So my 4 yrs with Tesla was filled with +/-s, but at that point, I was so disappointed with Tesla, lacking in quality of build, customer service, could not buy another.

So e-tron provides much better quality and drive, better interface, but lacks range and tech features.
If only Tesla could be as good as they think they are, but many still "drink the kool-aid", and are lucky if they get a good one.

 

[rlcutter]

Some more fun questions might be, how many test drove a Tesla and ran away before even considering buying one? Hah.

And then how many Tesla owners looked at anything other than Tesla before ordering one? I know for this one, based on years following the forum, it's a lot.

I looked at two Teslas. The the S and the X model. Wasn’t impressed with the interior and cheap materials. The car , to me, actually seemed a bit flimsy.

I finally went for it and got the e-Tron 2021 Prestige Glacier White ,black interior, so far I’m loving it. It’s like an agile tank 🙂

 

[JNealCox]

It’s like an agile tank 🙂

Well put!

 

[Gandhi]

Say in S and X pre-COVID at their mall location. Cheap interior and huge monitor in dash was enough to convince my wife to never get one. Never bothered with a test drive.

The e-tron in the other hand. We did the initial paperwork same day we test drove. Actually we just went to the Audi dealership on a whim as we were casually shopping to replace wife’s car that was ~10 years old. Did test drives of various SUVs over 6 months but nothing caught her attention. Until the e tron.

 

[mmmzon]

I personally love the way eTron surrounds you when you get inside. I had my neighbor drive with me (he owns a Tesla) and the first impression was "comfy and quiet". Yes, Tesla is stupid fast on acceleration but as pointed out before - it is a ticket trap if you use that outside of a race track. eTron has plenty of oomph for what I do on daily basis, and it is unquestioningly more comfortable for longer trips compared to any Tesla. So no, never owned a Telsla, and likely never will.

 

[Shen]

Some more fun questions might be, how many test drove a Tesla and ran away before even considering buying one? Hah.

And then how many Tesla owners looked at anything other than Tesla before ordering one? I know for this one, based on years following the forum, it's a lot.

This is why I opened his thread.

We bought our e-tron for my wife, but my son and I test drove about 11 cars (both PHEV and BEV) before we narrowed it down to the 3 she drove. Two different test drives in two different Ys and one in a 3, and the Tesla’s where simply the most poorly assembled, lowest quality cars I am sat in since the 80s. I was embarrassed for the people who worked at the Tesla place because they knowingly put people in these cars.

And when we returned to the Tesla place, they looked at us like “wasn’t that amazing?!?” And all I was thinking was “what a piece of ****!”

I honestly don’t know how they sell cars.

 

[rlcutter]

This is why I opened his thread.

We bought our e-tron for my wife, but my son and I test drove about 11 cars (both PHEV and BEV) before we narrowed it down to the 3 she drove. Two different test drives in two different Ys and one in a 3, and the Tesla’s where simply the most poorly assembled, lowest quality cars I am sat in since the 80s. I was embarrassed for the people who worked at the Tesla place because they knowingly put people in these cars.

And when we returned to the Tesla place, they looked at us like “wasn’t that amazing?!?” And all I was thinking was “what a piece of ****!”

I honestly don’t know how they sell cars.

It’s a Cult