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Tesla Model 3 Performance: 24,000 Mile / 2 Year Ownership Report
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Tesla Model 3 Performance: 24,000 Mile / 2 Year Ownership Report

I have never been to a service center till date and had no problem with any aspect of the electric vehicle.

BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

October 21, 2024 marked 2 years of completion of Rosso Diablo.

24,000 miles (39,000 km) in 24 months was pretty quick. Partly because it has now become the main car for getting around town and also for getting to work, from time to time.

So far, the longest drive our Tesla has taken is north to Whistler in Canada and south to Portland, which is 150 miles north and 200 miles south in one go.

I never felt like using it for longer trips and also in the mountains because my other car does this duty.

Just to refresh, here is the message for my detailed review after driving 10,000 miles.

I will likely use the same settings to provide feedback after driving 24,000 miles.

Acceleration/Performance

Well, nothing has changed. Pure and simple acceleration remains its main selling point. I love watching other cars become little dots or disappear as I accelerate through each red light. Old habits die hard. But hey, these cars are meant to be enjoyed that way.

Stop, accelerate to over 70 mph in just over 3 seconds, then take your foot off the accelerator (er…throttle) to slow down. I’m telling you all, it’s pretty lonely at this point because the rest of the traffic is nowhere to be found.

This part will never get old. To like !!

Steering and handling

The steering wheel weighs well with the 3 options we have. I love the sport setting where the steering is tight and it takes effort to turn the wheel (it almost feels like hydraulics).

The handling is precise and I love throwing the car around corners and roundabouts.

Approach a bend or roundabout quickly and simply lift the pedal (REGEN works wonderfully) and halfway through the corner give it a light tap to rush you through the corner.

It’s an exciting maneuver that I enjoy every day and makes me want to drive a real sports car.

Build quality

The build quality is very good. Nothing to complain about. Except for a creak here and there every now and then, probably due to my weight on the seat.

My only problem at this mileage is tire noise. I still use the OEM tires because I plan to burn them to the ground before getting my favorite (Michelin Pilot Sports All Seasons). I hope these tires last until January/February next year.

Autopilot

I’m a fan of Autopilot and an even bigger fan of FSD (Full Self Driving).

Tesla offered a free trial of FSD a few months ago (I think it was July) and now they’ve offered it again.

I am currently using FSD which expires on November 30th. Oh boy! FSD is truly a marvel and I have tested it thoroughly and have yet to find any faults. Last time the only problem was that it was “phantom braking”, but so far I don’t see that problem at all. This works best when I come home from work and the highway is congested and I pop it into FSD and sit back and relax. He will drive me home without doing anything (literally nothing except touching the steering wheel every 2 minutes to say I’m paying attention).

Tesla updated the software and there’s a super cool feature called ASS – Shh, not the one you’re thinking… lol (Actual Smart Summon) – With a single press of a button on the phone, the car can park by itself and if you have to retrieve it remotely, it will unroll itself and come to you from afar. Pretty cool… huh?

The best part about the Tesla is the regular software updates that happen literally once every few weeks, making the car feel as fresh as new.

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In my entire ownership experience, I have only charged my Tesla 4 times with Superchargers. Three times in Vancouver, Canada and once in Portland, OR.

Superchargers – The car is charged from 20% to 80% in about 30 to 40 minutes, even with the most basic Tesla Supercharger (V2) which charges about 150 kW.

I have yet to charge a V3 (250 kW), which is supposed to be extremely fast and can reduce charging speed by almost 40%.

20-80% will probably take around 15-20 minutes.

Now comes the best part. The cost is always between $7 and $11 for this billing amount.

I love the savings too!

Tires

My current set went to the dogs. I put up with noisy tires because they cost a bomb. Since I’m having an amazing experience with Michelin Pilot Sports All Seasons on the Bimmer, I’m strongly leaning toward getting them for the Tesla as well.

4 tires will cost me $1800++.

Touchwood – Zero punctures or any type of issues with OEM tires till date.

Service and maintenance costs

Nothing. Nada. $0 (Actually, that’s $7 spent till date, but it feels good to call it NADA). Haha!

I have never been to a service center till date. No issues with any aspect of the car. Touch wood again!

In the last 2 years I have changed the wiper fluid twice (total cost is $7). It’s raining a lot here and this baby has to work overtime.

Perception

People automatically assume that you are Indian and that driving a Tesla means you work in information technology. There are a lot of funny stories behind this, but the reality is that it is accurate. The West Coast is littered with Teslas. Whether in California or Washington, one in three or four cars is a Tesla and is mainly driven by Indians or Asians. Damn, I hate this perception but what can we do, it’s a reality. LOL!

Inconvenience

Running a Tesla is cheap, but the biggest drawback is that insurance costs are high, because insurance companies think Tesla repairs are expensive and so their premiums are very expensive compared to a car with essence. It’s between $150 and $175 per month.

Summary

Even after owning this fast-performing electric sedan with 24,000 clicks on the odometer for 2 years, it feels like I drove the car out of the showroom yesterday. No change in performance and everything works wonderfully.

Knowing that I can drive this car for another 300,000 miles without changing anything except tires and other basic consumables makes me feel good about the decision to buy and own this car. I can say with certainty that anyone who drives a Tesla will never go back to a regular gas car (performance gas cars are not included in this assumption).

Well done to Tesla and I hope to continue enjoying this magnificent machine for many years to come!

I hit 24km last week.

Even after 2 years, it shines like the first day.

Microsoft Campus – All photos with yellow leaves are from campus. My favorite place to visit every year to see the spectacular fall colors. This year we arrived late so it’s not as nice as some previous years.

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