Why do wealthier people buy anything but Tesla cars?

qwerty1 wrote:

fdsfsdfsdfsdf wrote:

V8 and 400 HP sounds so much better than the quiet whine of an electric motor.

Not if you live next to a highway or in a big city. Can't count the number of times I've woken up because of a loud engine. It's just sound pollution.

I expect none of those loud engines were from a Mercedes S class, Audi A8, or BMW 7 series, which is the competition to Tesla we're talking about. They were probably from motorcycles with loud or no pipes, jake brakes, boy racers, etc. - not high end luxury sedans, even if they do have 400+ HP.

Pendeho wrote:

Tesla,like DeLorean 40 years ago, is a fad car, and will be bankrupt within a few years, making repairs impossible.

Completely different situations.

Tesla has sold almost 200,000 cars and is a serious and usable car for the right person. Delorean sold under 10,000 cars and was always just a niche sportscar, and not a very good one at that, except from a styling standpoint.

serious answer wrote:

Pendeho wrote:

Tesla,like DeLorean 40 years ago, is a fad car, and will be bankrupt within a few years, making repairs impossible.

Completely different situations.

Tesla has sold almost 200,000 cars and is a serious and usable car for the right person. Delorean sold under 10,000 cars and was always just a niche sportscar, and not a very good one at that, except from a styling standpoint.

Inflation of income and population as well as car ownership. Those numbers are much closer than they appear.

But your point is still valid.

Not even Irish wrote:

First off Teslas are extremely unreliable, always leaving their owners

It depends on which model you mean. Consumer Reports rates the Model S as average reliability, which is better than a Mercedes S class. High-end sedans tend to have reliability issues because they get the latest and greatest technology. The Model S would not be any more of a risk than a lot of the competition. The Model X has had teething problems as a new model.

Because there are douche bag cars for a reason...there's a steady stream of douche bags, and they buy certain cars.

Not all of them are all that expensive either, though some are.

Pontiac Trans Am and Grand Am

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Hyundai Veloster

Any Porche

Hummer

Any Lamborghini

Any modified cheaper compact cars

Any "super car"

Actually electric cars on the West Coast leave a tiny carbon footprint, but it depends on the type of power plants in the region.

https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2015/july/greenest-vehicles-by-region.html

Sounds like an iPhone!

not wealthy enough wrote:

It might make sense if you're so wealthy that you don't mind if that money disappears. But

- you have no guarantee that the thing will still work or be worth anything in 5 years

- it spies on you all the time

- you have no ownership or control. You can't repair it or modify it

- if Tesla comes out with a software update you don't like, too bad for you

- basically you're leasing a vehicle but paying full price for it

Disclaimer 1: I am nowhere near rich enough to worry about this decision.

Disclaimer 2: I am a firm believer in free and open source software (FOSS)

Test drive a Ford Raptor, then let us know if you still want to discuss this topic.

ryan foreman wrote:

Test drive a Ford Raptor, then let us know if you still want to discuss this topic.

If you drew a Venn diagram of potential Ford Raptor buyers and potential Tesla S buyers the intersection of the 2 sets couldn't fill Hayward Field.

A 5k used mini-van is a better deal than a Tesla. Don't rich people make good business deals?

Teslas have some issues with range. If you're in the Bay Area you can find charging stations easily, but if you're in the midwest or south then you might be better off with a gas powered car.

On the more trivial side, the backseat of the Model S is remarkably uncomfortable (you're sitting on top of the battery), and the Model X is one of the least aesthetically pleasing cars on the road.

All that said, I expect Teslas to dominate the northern CA markets once the Model 3 is released. If you're in an area with the infrastructure to support Teslas, then there are a ton of great reasons to get one--especially when they're available at a reasonable price point.

But they would all belong to that group that the OP calls "wealthier people". So you are helping make my point.

be serious! wrote:

ryan foreman wrote:

Test drive a Ford Raptor, then let us know if you still want to discuss this topic.

If you drew a Venn diagram of potential Ford Raptor buyers and potential Tesla S buyers the intersection of the 2 sets couldn't fill Hayward Field.

Tesla has been selling used Model S in the $30k's the last two weeks, with extended warranties and free unlimited Supercharging.

Why wouldn't a middle class person buy this?

A previous poster was incorrect about charging infrastructure. Essentially, the only remaining gap in coverage is in North Dakota, for the 48 states.

Also, S and X are aluminum. That, combined with the electric powertrain, mean that these cars could go damn near forever.

Dndjdjbbd wrote:A previous poster was incorrect about charging infrastructure. Essentially, the only remaining gap in coverage is in North Dakota, for the 48 states.

You can certainly piece together routes most places and charge in larger cities and along interstates.

The issue with cross-country travel is more whether you are prepared for the planning and delays involved. Range can vary depending on whether you are heading up or down in mountains, outside temperature, or whether you are going with or against the wind. You have to make it to a charging station every 200 to 300 miles. You then have to plan to wait for 1 - 2 hours to recharge before getting back on the road. Some people are into this kind of planning or would think it was worth it. For others it would be a dealbreaker or you would have to have a 2nd car for trips.

For local commuting, if you can charge at home or work, these aren't issues. You may also get the added advantage of HOV lanes for commuting in some place.

I think a $140K car is for wealthy people, but maybe that's just me.

That said, a used Tesla at $40K or even under is a tremendous deal. Never buy gas, never change oil, go 0-60 in 5 seconds. Duh.

Never underestimate the wisdom of the wealthy, though, I agree. Just look at million dollar houses (that's a wealthy bracket, right?) on Zillow or somewhere. Just because you have money doesn't mean you have good taste!

Flagpole wrote:

Because there are douche bag cars for a reason...there's a steady stream of douche bags, and they buy certain cars.

Not all of them are all that expensive either, though some are.

Pontiac Trans Am and Grand Am

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Hyundai Veloster

Any Porche

Hummer

Any Lamborghini

Any modified cheaper compact cars

Any "super car"

You shouldn't judge people based on the cars they buy.

Insider info wrote:

I lived on the Newport Beach peninsula for awhile and I saw tons of Tesla's down there. It seemed like every other house had one charging in the garage. This is California though. Maybe it depends on the region. There was a Lamborghini. Ferrari, and also a McLaren dealership around the corner and I didn't see nearly as many of those.

Probably the second most popular car I saw was that Mercedes jeep thing. The one with the super high roof. A lot of the trophy wives drove that.

Saw tons of Tesla's what in Newport Beach?

Not even Irish wrote:

Flagpole wrote:

Because there are douche bag cars for a reason...there's a steady stream of douche bags, and they buy certain cars.

Not all of them are all that expensive either, though some are.

Pontiac Trans Am and Grand Am

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Hyundai Veloster

Any Porche

Hummer

Any Lamborghini

Any modified cheaper compact cars

Any "super car"

You shouldn't judge people based on the cars they buy.

It's not a judgment. It's a prediction.

serious answer wrote:

The Tesla Model S is a nice car, but you are not getting as nice an interior and all of the luxury features that you get in the top competition (Mercedes S class, Audi A8, BMW 7 series). The Model X is also less luxurious than the competition, had a number of initial problems, and is significantly less functional than a luxury SUV like an Audi Q7 or Volvo XC90.

You also don't have the same range issues with the competition that you get with an EV if you expect to drive cross country. Not everyone wants to spend their time worrying about range, locating charging stations, and factoring in the extra time charging over refilling with gas.

Tesla is not a bad choice, but it's not so clearly better in all respects to the competition that someone might not prefer another high end model.

This. I don't understand why the OP thinks that the Tesla cars are actually top of the range at all.

There are tons of far more expensive cars that are far more luxurious and with as many electronic toys as the Tesla, and run on gas that can be refilled in moments Vs hours. The Tesla is not arguably the fastest car by any stretch of the imagination either. Wealthy people could and do buy lambos or Ferraris.

Tesla model S is just an ok luxury saloon in the mid to high price range that you need to charge up for hours. There are so many better luxury saloons on the market