2021 Tesla Model 3 Reader Rental Review, Part 1: The Future Is Interesting…And A Little Complicated

Tesla clearly isn’t just a car manufacturer anymore - it’s a buzzword. For some, it’s a synonym for disruption and innovation; for others, that disruption and innovation aren’t all that welcome. And Tesla’s existence is inextricably linked to politics, the ongoing “Full Self Driving” soap opera, and the Almighty’s gift to headline writers himself, Elon Musk. All of this tends to polarize people into “Love Tesla” and “Loathe Tesla” camps, but I think both camps would agree about the brand’s impact - the company has revolutionized the way mass-market cars are designed, powered, and sold.

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  • Jeff Arthur Dailey--If you really want to see a similarity between Chevy and Cadillac look at the 71 Chevy Caprice compared to the 71 Cadillac Deville more similar in looks than the 61s. Motor Trend even had an article comparing them and stating that you could buy a comparably equipped 71 Caprice and save thousands. The 1971 Chevrolet Caprice/Impala: Value-Priced, Cadillac ... YouTube · Rare Classic Cars & Automotive History 16 minutes, 53 seconds Feb 3, 2024
  • Buickman mostly cut and paste information. where is Jack Baruth when you need him?
  • ToolGuy In a perfect world (we don't have that), and a stable world (also no), one might expect the used EV pricing curve to follow the new EV pricing curve but with a lag. Overall that might be sort of what we are seeing but I will have to noodle on it more. (I know you can't wait.)
  • ToolGuy Ok after listening to the podcast (and re-listening to the relevant part while doing a painting job in the hot sun, won't make any significant pronouncements at this point) I was curious about the methodology. ¶ Here you go: "Methodology iSeeCars analyzed over 2.2 million 1- to 5-year-old used cars sold in May 2023 and 2024. The average listing prices of each car model were compared between the two time periods, and the differences were expressed as both a percentage difference from the 2023 price as well as a dollar difference. Heavy-duty vehicles, low-volume vehicles, vehicles discontinued as of the 2023 model year, and vehicles in production for fewer than four of the last five model years for each period were excluded from further analysis." ¶ So for any specific model, you have age and mileage and condition factoring in (think of the volume curve for 'new' models over the past 5 years). ¶ The overall averages have a -lot- of model mix going on. ¶ Random question: is the 'listing price' the listing price (likely) or the actual transaction price? (It matters if the listing prices were too optimistic a year ago, i.e., some of the 'drop' would represent more realism in the listing prices.)
  • Johnny ringo VinFast? The name sounds like some kind of a sports drink to me. The early reviews of their vehicles were absolutely terrible. The last vehicle I am going to buy is from a no-name company without any kind of reputation behind it. This reminds me of the Yugo-that was certainly successful.