Comment by jacurtis | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jacurtis | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

The quality of Tesla vehicles are objectively terrible. I had looked at purchasing one 4-5 years ago when they were all the hype and I walked away from the test drive dissapointed.

Yes you push the pedal and it go fast. Everyone with a Tesla loves to show that off that and I can't dispute it. But the actual ride quality is (or at least was) truly horrible. Terrible road noise and suspension that bottoms out and rebounds aggressively. This doesn't even address the countless concerns people have raised of build quality (like badly placed body panels, weatherstripping coming loose, bad locks, etc..

It really shocks me that people were buying Mercedes level prices for a car that was built worse than budget brands. Yes you got a sexy big screen (before that was common) and it had all the cool 360 cameras (before those were common), and it had the promise (more like an "IoU") for self-driving.

It is funny because I bought a new BMW and saved money. The beamer was a budget choice by comparison (by tens of thousands of dollars). Really happy I went that route after watching the next 5 years play out.

If the global auto market outcome doesn’t send strong signal, I don’t know what does. Consumers are willing to overlook what you mention for status and experience. This should be no surprise, as a vehicle purchase is highly emotional. If you build a sexy brand, people will buy your brand. “S3XY”. Tesla spent two decades ramping manufacturing, a global fast DC charge networks, and the mentioned brand. It’s simply paying dividends now.

Disclosure: Early TSLA investor, no current exposure

I agree with you. That's why my comment talked about objective quality, not subjective value. You are debating subjective value to my argument about objective quality.

If we are talking subjective value, then yes Tesla definitely wins. They have built so much subjective value that it overcomes their numerous faults.

That status only lasts until many people have one. Then the more subtle experience dynamics start weighing heavier on consumer decisions.

I also think being environmentally conscious and the desire for durability is a much stronger incentive than the points mentioned.

Your logic is sound.

Tesla pundits predict big sales of Cybertruck wraps and accessories as customers seek the status of customization for an truck that many, many will end up having.

And my E46 M3 had interior door trim with glue that melted in the sun and fell off. Oh and the crankshaft bearings ate themselves and grenaded the engine at highway speed (the dealer charged BMW $14k just for the engine on that warranty repair).

Or my wife's Audi where the black coating on all the interior plastic scrunched up and peeled off. And that same car had a CVT transmission with so many failures Audi actually paid off repairs via a class action lawsuit (I got a check for around $4k! first and only time a class action actually benefitted me and not the lawyers). Oh and the defective Bosch ignition coils that caused misfires.

For what it is worth my Model Y (Dec 21) doesn't have odd panel gaps or other problems. It has extremely minimal maintenance requirements. I don't care about the price of gas or even electricity because my solar panels charge it for free. And it is fun to drive.

Not everyone will like the ride, the features, or whatever else... but they are selling every single one that rolls off the fully-booked production line.

It's a big seller and it's impossible to argue with that. But I also fail to see their niche. You're a big spender and you want everyone to know it? Lucid. You want the ultimate in efficiency? Hyundai Ioniq is as good as the Y. Don't have much money? Fiat 500e.

Just picked up our Model Y yesterday. For us, it was the only EV with these properties:

  1. Small enough to reasonable park in a dense city
  2. Has 7 seats, so we can drive with 2 kids, Grandma, and some of the kids friends
  3. Has 300+ miles per charge

The many extra charging locations were also a huge plus.

If you cross shop the Model Y with any other EV right now spec for spec, price for price, it's the clear winner. That's not to mention it takes a click online and a few weeks to get one in comparison to having to deal with a vipers nest of scammers and upsellers.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com