Tesla Model 3 Performance NI Road Test

Cooper

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See the blog feature on this - We review the £60k Tesla Model 3 Performance, and bring along Mark McCall from the EV Association NI (EVANI). Dual motor all wheel drive, producing around 450bhp and sprinting to 60 in 3.1s in silence.

The review turns to long form conversation as Mark and Andy wax lyrical on EV Ownership in general in NI, and the Tesla Model 3 in particular, Mark being a prior Model 3 owner.

Want to know more about EV ownership in Northern Ireland? Listen to Andy's interview with Mark on the Sold as Seen Podcast. Read the Full Article Here

 

EVANI

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Thanks Andy, great to chat and enjoyed the drive around Co Down in the Performance Model 3.

M.
 

Nigelo

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I'm seriously considering one for my next car, but it's kind of off-putting as a private customer rather than a business owner due to the differences in tax allowances etc. What's the best way as a private customer to buy one? Am I missing any tricks?
 

gary1365

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Great news
I'm seriously considering one for my next car, but it's kind of off-putting as a private customer rather than a business owner due to the differences in tax allowances etc. What's the best way as a private customer to buy one? Am I missing any tricks?
@Rocko
 

Cooper

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I'm seriously considering one for my next car, but it's kind of off-putting as a private customer rather than a business owner due to the differences in tax allowances etc. What's the best way as a private customer to buy one? Am I missing any tricks?
Your options are - buy/PCP direct from tesla, or try and find a decent lease from the usual PCH suppliers. Price also seems to be 'the price'.

That being said they do come fully loaded and residuals are good, as I said in the vid, if you were planning to keep long term, perhaps buying out right isn't the worst.

But with any EV at the moment don't be expecting to save piles of cash, they are expensive up front!
 

Rocko

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I'm seriously considering one for my next car, but it's kind of off-putting as a private customer rather than a business owner due to the differences in tax allowances etc. What's the best way as a private customer to buy one? Am I missing any tricks?

Bend over. Especially for a Performance.

If you want to go the lease route, give Paddy @ Carmercial in Bangor a call. He sorted mine out.

 
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Nigelo

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Your options are - buy/PCP direct from tesla, or try and find a decent lease from the usual PCH suppliers. Price also seems to be 'the price'.

That being said they do come fully loaded and residuals are good, as I said in the vid, if you were planning to keep long term, perhaps buying out right isn't the worst.

But with any EV at the moment don't be expecting to save piles of cash, they are expensive up front!

Bend over. Especially for a Performance.

If you want to go the lease route, give Paddy @ Carmercial in Bangor a call. He sorted mine out.


usually I would like to purchase (as you said, residuals are good, and I like to modify), although the pace of technology might mean it's been rendered 'old hat' in 4 years. M4 is due it's 'pay up or return' time in November, which will end up being me buying and selling to make the most of the lowish final payment. That coupled with the selling up of parts and some car saving up should mean I've a chunky deposit.

Maybe a 2/3 year lease is the safe option, what ball park figure are we talking for 8K miles a year @Rocko ? Can keep it general to protect your privacy. :-D
 

Rocko

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Maybe a 2/3 year lease is the safe option, what ball park figure are we talking for 8K miles a year @Rocko ? Can keep it general to protect your privacy. :-D

Give or take a few quid...
Screenshot_20220203-140520_Samsung Internet.jpg
 

Nigelo

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Hmmmm, will have to do some man-maths. My M4 was £10k down, £500 a month (plus near £50 tax, £80 warranty and fuel per month.) so it wouldnt be about savings, more about whether I liked the car more than the M4.... that might not work out in the teslas favour.....
 

Cooper

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Hmmmm, will have to do some man-maths. My M4 was £10k down, £500 a month (plus near £50 tax, £80 warranty and fuel per month.) so it wouldnt be about savings, more about whether I liked the car more than the M4.... that might not work out in the teslas favour.....
Drive an M3P first and come back to us!
 

Rocko

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Oh aye, if you could buy outright you'd be on the right side of it. I can't afford to do it though, more's the pity. I man mathsed the sh*t out of this lease, cleared a load of debt and will still be out of pocket every month but it was very much a YOLO moment.

If I sell my house I'm getting the acceleration boost as a wee present to myself.
 

Nigelo

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Drive an M3P first and come back to us!

Managed to get out for a hour and a half in October there - performance and balance impressed me, and so did the space. The range was also largely accurate. It was wet and i think I was being cautious as i wasnt sure what the front end would do if pushed in the wet (you only have to worry about the rear in a M4). The interior quality was good in some areas (screen/centre console/door handles), and poor in others (main dash, lower door card, pillars and around the roof, and i like me some suprise-and-delight features, ambient lighting etc :joy:).

Will definitely rock up to tesla again for another drive, now that I'm a bit more educated about the car.
 

Rocko

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If you were going to modify it anyway, a Long Range with the £1500 Acceleration Boost would save you £8500 over a Performance, for 0.5s slower 0-60.

The Uberturbines are pretty class though, and the Performance is kinda the pinnacle.

I'd have loved to be able to afford a Performance, but the numbers are just too brutal for 15k miles.
 
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big_pete

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I took mine on HP. The monthlies are absolutely eye watering but because I was using such a ridiculous amount of fuel it really offsets it. That and residuals are so strong and I think the M3P will do better then the LR or SR in that regard too.

Depends how much driving you do how much it will work for you.

I’ve went from a £600 a month fuel bill to an extra £15 in electric at home lol that in itself massively offset the monthlies especially when you compare it to what you would pay on a 340i for example.

I probably would have went long range with acceleration boost too in hindsight as I changed the wheels, suspension and spoiler anyway lol

The big brakes are nice on the performance
 

Nigelo

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I took mine on HP. The monthlies are absolutely eye watering but because I was using such a ridiculous amount of fuel it really offsets it. That and residuals are so strong and I think the M3P will do better then the LR or SR in that regard too.

Depends how much driving you do how much it will work for you.

I’ve went from a £600 a month fuel bill to an extra £15 in electric at home lol that in itself massively offset the monthlies especially when you compare it to what you would pay on a 340i for example.

I probably would have went long range with acceleration boost too in hindsight as I changed the wheels, suspension and spoiler anyway lol

The big brakes are nice on the performance

I'm putting in about £200-250 a month in fuel, so I can see where you've made savings that can totally justify the cost. I'm doing on average about 15 mile a day.... possibly for me, rather than a EV, I'd be better off buying a massively-depreciated Supercharged V8 gas-guzzling behemoth :joy:
 

Cooper

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Had a poke round this tonight. Enormous boot. Great space inside. Still the marmite looks but what a family car.

8017F8AF-69D7-4046-8393-FE5D42FD5BCA.jpeg
 

big_pete

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I couldn’t believe how big the boot was for something that in essence is just a taller model 3.

A Y Performance is some daddy cool bus 😎
 
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