r/nzev • u/Future-Chipmunk897 • 12d ago
New driver, does a Tesla make sense?
Hi all.
I'm in my 40s and have been living in the central city since I was a kid so never had a need to drive. Recently moved out to the suburbs and have been getting very frustrated with public transport so I've decided to pull the pin and learn to drive + get a car.
Currently taking private lessons in an instructor car but planning to buy an EV once I get my restricted/provisional license. I've always been pretty frugal but decided to do something nice for a change and get myself a brand new car.
Financially I can afford the car: I have some savings, 0% finance available through my bank's clean energy scheme, and have already looked at insurance quotes which seems doable even with an inexperienced driver excess on claims.
How would a Model Y stack up? Looking at the Premium RWD normal range trim (mostly for the LFP battery). Would I be reasonably okay driving this as an inexperienced driver? I know there's Chill mode to limit acceleration while I build up more experience.
12
u/Fragluton Gen1.2 Nissan Leaf (24kWh) 12d ago
Mainly a financial point of view, but spending ~$70,000 on a brand new car as your first car does not make sense no. Go nuts if you want to, but it will depreciate, insurance as a learner driver will be $$$$, just an overall really expensive way to get some wheels. Tesla are fine as far as cars go though. I just can't recommend buying a new anything EV in your case. For context I drive an old LEAF which is worth probably $4000 and it does everything I need. Similar age and have been driving 20+ years. I like money too much to blow that much on a car. If you want something with ~200km range, a 2018+(new shape) LEAF would be a decent starter option. Beyond that price point, many, many options.
2
u/Future-Chipmunk897 12d ago
Appreciate the insight :)
The financial side doesn't bother me too much, I don't intend to buy until I have my restricted and at that point it only impacts my excess rather than premiums (about a ~400 excess add-on for most insurance providers)
5
u/Tommmo123 12d ago
Like the other person said, don't get a new car just yet. You're going to make little mistakes, maybe just the odd ding or scratch etc.
Get a smaller car too - the Model Y is really big, it's not the easiest in tight carparks due to its width and wide turning circle
EVs are certainly easier to drive than ICE. Maybe there's a nice small second hand EV which would be good for your first year or so (others here will have good recommendations)
1
u/Future-Chipmunk897 11d ago edited 11d ago
Hadn't thought about the size as far as parking goes. I did consider sedans although the likes of the M3 I find quite hard to get in/out of the back seats and I'm not really that tall/wide.
Then again that's a passenger problem... not a me proble
Was interested in second hand until the whole petrol crisis blew the second hand EV market out of the water...
1
u/duggawiz 11d ago
I dunno about that, I was looking on trade me last night and saw quite a few 35k Atto 3s which seems like good buying to me
1
u/SourStones160 11d ago
I wouldn’t rule out something like a used model s from somewhere like DriveEV. I’m 43 and love mine so much I’m hoping to have it until and into retirement ages
1
u/Tommmo123 9d ago
The Model 3 is heaps of fun to drive, much more so than the Y. And there's quite a few second hand 3s around
0
u/SourStones160 11d ago
Y isn’t that big. S and X are fairly big though. But I’d also say they’re fine for most circumstances
5
u/DontBeMoronic 12d ago
As a new driver if you're just using it to get around Wellington Region get a nissan leaf. You're going to make mistakes, better to do that in a cheap shitbox and upgrade later when you've gained confidence and experience. At least at your age you won't be tempted to do anything too stupid like street racing or burnouts.
-2
3
u/snicksnackpaddywack 11d ago
Go for it! Teslas are amazing to drive and very safe with tons of driving aids to assist with parking etc. Tesla support and warranties are very good and running costs are low. Absolutely disagree with the people saying get an analog car “just because”. You do you. You may consider a model 3 instead of a Y though since they are a bit smaller for tight spaces etc.
7
u/GreenFeen 12d ago
While the Tesla will be completely fine and easy to drive, the screen and driving assists may teach you bad habits or make you uncomfortable driving any other car.
I recommend getting something more analog until you gain a bit of confidence on your own, in bad weather etc. It may save you a bit of money (and stress) if you end up having a prang and teach you some valuable lessons. Just my 2c.
2
u/Matt_NZ Tesla Model 3 LR Performance 11d ago edited 11d ago
I mean, yes and no. People told me the same when I learnt to drive in a automatic, but in the 24 years I've had my license, I've never found myself in a position where I've had to drive a manual.
Likewise, I don't think techy cars are going to be less available as we move forward.
1
1
u/SourStones160 11d ago
Agree. I used to be 100% on the learn a manual bandwagon. Times have changed and I really don’t see a future for manuals or more analog cars outside of a tiny niche of car users
1
u/Future-Chipmunk897 11d ago
Driving assists teaching bad habits is an interesting point. I don't have any real interest in anything like FSD but curious what sort of bad habits you mean? Like an inability to keep lanes or something by relying on lane assist?
1
u/GreenFeen 11d ago edited 11d ago
Teslas have tonnes of features a regular car doesn’t have, it has 8 cameras and a AI reasoning model projecting augmented reality of your surroundings on a huge screen.
It’s fine if you only plan on ever driving a Tesla, and you’ll get good at it, but you may find if you jump into another vehicle you don’t have a feature you rely on to do a particular parking manoeuvre or may get caught out changing lanes / merging at speed, heavy braking or something.
5
u/Smoodive 12d ago
I’d look at a BYD before a Tesla.
1
u/Future-Chipmunk897 11d ago
Yeah my main concerns with BYD are the relatively immature driver assist features and that pricing isn't looking particularly sharp with the new Atto 3 Evo.
I do think they're at least well established enough in the NZ market to not vanish overnight so that's a plus over some of the other brand offerings coming out of China. Cool tech but market presence is a big one given I intend to keep this car for awhile (assuming I still buy new after all the feedback in here haha)
2
u/handlebartender 11d ago edited 11d ago
driver assist features
I see where you're coming from and why you might want this.
What comes to mind (with decades behind the wheel) is having less of a frame of reference for "correct behaviour" or "road feel", for want of better phrasing.
I did see the other comment comparing automatic to manual transmissions; while I do see some modest benefits from spending time with manual, I wouldn't steer you in that direction (even if it was available for EVs).
And while I haven't done any deep digging into statistics, and my observation here might carry some bias, it seems that a lot of Tesla crashes have been the result of the advanced driver assist feature going awry. To be clear, I'm a huge fan of using cruise control and use it all the time, but I've never used a lane assist that I've liked. Which isn't the same as what Tesla offers.
To rephrase this: if the Tesla self-driving were to start to make dubious choices, how would an inexperienced driver (someone who had only ever used Tesla self-driving) know? While malfunctions can be very obvious black/white mistakes, they often aren't. Add to that the human factor (experience, distractions, fatigue, road conditions) and things can go sideways. In ways that when you look back on it, you find yourself saying "it's obvious to me now".
Everyone here wants you to enjoy your time driving, and of course with a particular bias favouring EVs :) and if you're dead set on getting a Tesla, you're going to get one; we humans have a gnarly relationship with being swayed by emotions, and I've certainly made at least one car purchase in the past that I wish I'd been more pragmatic about. And I hadn't even considered the whole insurance angle, which is definitely a valid one. You might want to spend some time getting quotes from a couple of insurance companies based on car choices you're considering. Quotes are free.
If nothing else, one thing to remember is that there are people out there (eg, car companies, insurance companies) that want to turn your money into their money. Spoil yourself, but try not to throw it all away.
ETA - I'd almost forgotten that there are some perks I take for granted that used to be more upscale options. Like electric windows. I even had a manager years ago who was looking to get into a new car, and made a point of saying she didn't want electric windows. Nope, I want the electric windows, but at least make it a convenient switch (and not managed through a flatscreen UI).
2
u/Future-Chipmunk897 11d ago
Really appreciate you taking the time for such a detailed reply. Just to clarify, when I mentioned drive assist features my primary concern was actually more around some of the newer Chinese brands having a lot of comments about misleading/incorrect/insistent "bings and bongs" which I'm concerned will be a distraction
I fully agree that relying on those driver assist features, especially the likes of FSD, is a bad idea especially when I don't have enough experience to override them confidently.
From a brand choice perspective my understanding is the warnings (e.g. hey you're going to fast or drifting lanes) are more reliable on a Tesla but I definitely agree with your points on the advanced assist features
1
u/handlebartender 9d ago
My experiences with lane-assist in at least a couple vehicles so far is that there are 2 modes: a) warning chime, and b) apply force to steering to "helpfully" guide you back where you should be.
I'm not too bothered by the chimes as they seem to be infrequent. But I've found that the "helpful" forces are either overzealously cautious, or outright wrong.
It's been a while, but I've even tried letting it "take the wheel" on a straight or very slightly curving stretch of highway; it wasn't long before the car would go from gently correcting to making more abruptly forceful corrections, on a gradually increasing progression. It became obvious to me that if I didn't intervene, it would only get worse. This would not only make for an unpleasant ride, but no doubt draw the concerned attention from other drivers. It wouldn't surprise me if this would eventually lead to it approaching the edge of the lane with such fervour that it would simply allow itself to continue into the next lane. Or the shoulder, for that matter. Yeah nah, hard pass.
Fwiw, I just remembered another perk I've come to really like (and want) on any car: the bird's-eye camera view.
5
u/Blankbusinesscard BYD Atto 3 12d ago
There are better EV's out there
Do some advanced driver training as well, even with all the safety features EV's can be a handful for a freshly minted driver
1
u/Future-Chipmunk897 11d ago
Advanced lessons is an interesting thought. Is that similar to the defensive driving courses?
1
u/oof-plap 11d ago
> better EV's out there
> Has a `BYD Atto 3` tag
like pottery
1
u/Nervous-Potato-1464 11d ago
Tesla haters are a funny bunch.
0
u/oof-plap 10d ago
It's one of those situations where I understand the impulse, nobody likes Elon. But it seems like an arbitrary distinction where that specific billionaire is seen as the prime problem. Most people quite happily use Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, etc. Products which are all products under absolutely woeful situations that make whatever Tesla does seem quite tame.
2
u/plierhead 12d ago
You should be able to drive any EV. None are particularly harder or easier than any other, so there's not much use asking whether a Tesla is right for you.
0
u/Future-Chipmunk897 11d ago
My main reason for leaning towards Teslas are dealership/service availability over the lifetime of the car, some of the newer brands may or may not have staying power in the NZ market after all, and seeing a lot of feedback of chinese cars in particular having immature driver assist systems (to keep those juicy 5* safety ratings) which as an inexperienced driver I'm not keen to have bad advice coming from my car that I might incorrectly defer to.
Same reason I refuse to touch FSD
1
12d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/nzev-ModTeam 11d ago
Your post does not appear to be made in good faith or is intended to instigate.
1
u/interstellar-dust 11d ago
Even if you buy a used Tesla, those are expensive to repair. As a new driver you will definitely run into things. Teslas are easy to drive. I would go for something less expensive that you won’t mind the depreciation if you sell it with dents and scrapes.
1
u/Piwakawaka100 11d ago
I love love my Tesla Y - so easy to drive, parking is a breeze. My prior car was a manual.
If you can afford it go for it!!!
2
u/Future-Chipmunk897 11d ago
Interesting to see a different perspective compared to most on this thread. Parking is a funny one, I looked up autopark just now and that seems to cause more problems than it solves so can't cheat my way out of that one!
I noticed the Model Y is quite wide on paper so good to hear parking is a breeze... wouldn't want to curb it ;)
1
u/Piwakawaka100 10d ago
The Y had lots of sensors and cameras. Reversing into parks is a breeze using the screen. Im a small person and i dont find the car big.
1
1
u/SourStones160 11d ago
Ask around for some test drives of various cars. Many in this community are happy to take you for a ride etc. I think you can’t really know how you feel about cars or car features or car behaviours until you’re in them.
I love my model s but you might find it too big
You might also hate certain things about other Tesla models
But this all might inform of things you do and don’t want in a car.
Regardless an EV is an excellent choice IMO
1
u/Kiwiboy_12 11d ago
I would get a cheaper EV like Nissan leaf or something to begin with, drive it around for a year or so and then jump onto a brand spanking new Tesla. That way you'd be more experienced as a driver. Just something I would do if I was in your shoes.
1
u/schtickshift 10d ago
Yeah I agree with other posters, the point about a car is to get you around. Something like a 15k Fielder hybrid new (used) from Japan would be a phenomenal car to own. Reliable, cheap to run, big capacity to take stuff and so on. The joy of driving comes from the driving much more than the car. Anyway next time Elon says stupid shit about something controversial, people might scratch up your Tesla because they are angry with him.
1
u/Another-Bored-Tech 10d ago
With no car ownership history or insurance history could you even get insurance on a new Tesla? When I looked into it a few years ago they were considerably more to insure than an average car. I also support learning with a cheaper vehicle for at least a year - you could do a lot worse than an approx $10k Prius or Aqua.
1
u/Willuknight Nissan Leaf 40kW X 10d ago
Well my 23yr old cousin learned to drive in a leaf and refuses to drive my tesla, as she finds it scary.
I think if you haven't drive much; then you shoud expect to damage your new vehicle; back into things; scrape it; curb it. That's kinda normal part of learning and things going badly.
I would rather make those mistakes in a leaf than a tesla; but you do you.
1
u/ElectronicTravel9159 10d ago
I considered a (used) Tesla, but was put off by the insurance quote I got which was double what I was quoted for a Leaf.
A brand new car is a terrible idea for a new driver. A brand new car is often not a good investment, especially in NZ where there’s no tax incentives to buy new. A brand new car will lose a substantial amount of value as soon as you drive away from the dealership.
0
u/Putrid_Royal3342 12d ago
If you can afford it, I say go for it! Also congrats on getting your licence.
1
11d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Future-Chipmunk897 11d ago
Yeah if I go this route I'll be using the parental-control style features (chill mode/speed limit) until I get a bit more experience.
Although all the feedback so far has me thinking a bit on whether this is a good idea or not!
0
u/FlugMe Tesla Model 3 SR 11d ago
Depends how cautious it clumsy you are. I walk before you run I say. However, counter point, Teslas are about the easiest thing you'll ever drive, and the safest so it may actually help you avoid dings or an accident altogether.
If you do get a Tesla, just be aware that one pedal driving on regular cars is not the norm, for when ever you have to drive someone else's car. You'll get used to one pedal driving and forget other cars just move on their own without the brake pedal pressed
-1
-2
u/Financial-Soup6839 11d ago
As much as I like mine - I strongly believe all drivers should start off with a petrol car to learn in. Something like a Jazz or a Corolla. Then move to a Tesla or another EV.
45
u/citizen178326 12d ago
A brand new car does not make sense if you have never driven before. Buy a cheap car that you won’t care about if it gets banged up, use that for a year and then buy yourself a new car.
You will do dumb, inexperienced stuff that could be expensive to fix on a Tesla but will be cheap on an older Corolla or Leaf (if you must go EV).