Tesla's cars utterly dominate the sales charts for every segment they are in. If they're only being bought as a niche car, then I guess every other luxury automaker's cars are even more niche.
As an owner of a Model 3, I will say that it isn't just a really great car, it's the best car I've ever owned or driven. There are SO MANY different elements of the car-owning experience Tesla redesigned to make dramatically better for the user, not to mention the incredible performance of the car.
I've had a Model 3 for 2 years now. Best effing car ever (I owned 3 prior to it). Haven't had a single issue that wasn't my fault. Service is super convenient, informative and fast. The lack of clutter, instant and sustained torque in addition to unreal handling, makes every other car, in its class or above (test driven cars twice the price), feel like a toy and pure junk.
So abso-lutely buy a Tesla if you've been on the fence.
I hate Tesla fanboyism as much as the next person, but I bought a Model 3 as a midlife crisis car (joking, I think?) and it’s the best car I’ve ever driven. Probably most of this is the improved acceleration and handling of an electric car in general, meaning that it isn’t Tesla-specific — except that when I tried to buy another brand there was nothing comparable. But elements of the Tesla experience really are light years beyond and other car, electric or not: the supercharger network is ubiquitous and it “just works”. I can’t imagine buying another electric car and having to worry about where I’ll charge on longer trips. The UI and navigation makes other cars (including my friend’s newish BMW) look like a 2009-era Blackberry. Last week I scheduled a computer upgrade, and Tesla showed up at my house yesterday and did it in my driveway. Yes: the interior is more basic and probably it doesn’t have the excellent build quality of a BMW. But I wouldn’t trade back. In fact, I’m never buying another ICE car again, which means other brands had better get their act together and start shipping something that competes.
The TL;DR here is: people who rave about finish are like people who complained about the iPod based on storage capacity. Tesla really is doing something very right, and ignoring that based on the (very real) perception of fanboyism is cutting off your own nose.
I don't agree with this analysis. The Model 3 is a superior mass market electric car to almost all competitors (only the Chevy Bolt is comparable on cost and range).
Autonomous driving will be a game changer, but it's also vitally important for Tesla to capture the electric vehicle mass market.
It is truly strange how much hate Tesla seems to get from people. I recently bought a model Y. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is the best car I have ever driven, or even been inside of.
1) It's fast (very fast).
2) It looks great.
3) The in vehicle display looks fantastic, and is extremely responsive. It feels like the difference between using an iPad or using a cheap ($50) android tablet from aliexpress.
4) The in vehicle speech commands are excellent.
5) The autopilot is excellent.
6) The mobile app is excellent.
If you are seriously confused as to why Tesla owners are so fanatical about their cars: go drive one.
It shouldn't surprise people that these vehicles are sold out for the near future. They're actually just that good.
Do you have any first hand experience with a Tesla? I have a theory that people who say things like this don’t.
I used to drive a more expensive BMW than the Model 3 I have now. To say that the Model 3 is the toy, it’s absurd at best. It is so much better in terms of technology, handling, efficiency, maintenance, cost of ownership, performance, etc. that it makes comments like yours really sound completely uninformed.
Model 3 is still the best electric car for most people. Its just too expensive now but so are others. No one else has a battery thats as efficient, the charging network, convenience features like key card, integrated navigation (although CarPlay/Android Auto are good too), the handling is much sportier, they hold their resale value, and no dealerships.
Multiple commenters have observed that Tesla faces increasing competition from Ford, Porsche, and others. But I don't think it's obvious at all that competitors can catch up:
* Autopilot. Safe or not, autopilot is very convenient and super permissive, and owners seem to love it.
* Superchargers. Third party charger maintenance is an unsolved problem, and CCS DC fast chargers are often broken, where they exist at all. It's truly awful. Maybe the federal government will bail out Ford here with a charging infrastructure program... or maybe not.
* Status symbol. There's a reason Tesla has replaced Cadillac as a symbol of luxury in pop culture.
* The Model 3/Y itself is a smooth, luxurious and fast ride. Don't discount the car's ability to compete on the traditional merits.
The demand is there and as long as it remains, Tesla will thrive.
The company is victim of its own success. It can't produce enough vehicles to supply the demand. At the same time, its trying to make it more accessible. Tesla is reinventing the car industry with their product, sales and service.
Of course this is risky and creates a lot of unknowns.
The Model 3 is basically an upscale take on a page out of the FCA playbook. It's a straight line rocket with a middle of the road interior crowned by a massive touchscreen.
Don't get me wrong, there's definitively something to be said for that but Tesla does not make good all around vehicles.
Tesla make vehicles that excel at a few things and are mediocre in most other regards. If they were great all around vehicles upper class suburbanites would be buying them as general daily drivers instead of task specific cars (commuting in this case), a market segment currently filled by the station wagon/crossover/small suv spectrum. For reasons that are outside the scope of this comment, I think Tesla is wise to build sedans for upscale buyers rather than enter the crossover and compact car free-for all.
Here in Belgium you also see a lot of Tesla's. 4 colleagues own a model 3 and 2 friends own a model S... I live in a quiet neighbourhood, where most people have at least 2 cars, and you see quite a few driveways with the model3/S + luxury SUV combo (BMW/Merc/Audi/...). Very few model X's though...
You have to take into account that Tesla's are relatively expensive cars, and you see them mostly where there's quite a bit of money and you see a lot of luxury vehicles in general. Cars with a 100k+ price tag are pretty damn common here (Porsches and high-end BMW/Audi/Merc SUV's), and cars in the 50-60k range are even more common. The Model S was for a long time competing in the latter segment due to fiscal benefits, which are now disappearing, but now Tesla has the Model 3 to compete in this segment...
All my objections to Tesla melted away after I took one for a test drive. They outclass the competition in every way. It's not just the software, it's the driving experience. The Model 3 is a rocket ship and handles like a 911 for half the price.
Plus Tesla serves customers who don't want a silly crossover -- most other brands are only making EV crossovers. If you want a smaller car you don't have very many choices, and most of them cost more (e.g. Porsche Taycan, the Audi version of the Taycan).
No, I do not see Teslas everywhere in the US. In fact, I see the same brands I've seen forever: Fords, Chevys, Hondas, Toyotas, etc. etc. Tesla makes a niche product for a dedicated few. How is this debatable?
I think this really comes down to expectations. Imo, Tesla is a luxury brand. I get that some people feel like the Model 3 is a Tesla for the common man but the common man is either buying used or they're buying something that can be reliably fueled. That being said, and the reason for saying it, in the world of luxury brands idea matters too. The idea that an electric vehicle can compete on most of the spec sheet with a combustion/hybrid engine is sexy to people with futurist enthusiasms because electric things are being pushed as the sexy eco-friendly future right now. Obviously that's all just my own opinions, but I've yet to see much else to explain Tesla's balance sheets (plain incompetence isn't something I'm willing to buy into from the CEO that's working at innovating the astro services market as we speak).
On the other hand, despite minor quality things, my wife loves our Model 3. For the price and what it achieves it is a great vehicle. I always tell people Tesla is a software company that happens to make cars. In that regard they are a decade ahead of traditional manufacturers in my estimation. Look at how low quality the software ecosystems of most traditional manufacturers are.
It wasn't until last year that Tesla Model 3 surpassed the Nissan Leaf to be the best selling electric car. I know the Leaf is not as competitive in some ways, but it's sold in the US for years with plenty of success.
They're really fun to drive. I own one and don't regret it. Obviously no car will appeal to everyone but clearly Tesla has a market despite the nay-sayers.
edit: The purchase experience beats traditional car makers hands down. No high pressure sales tactics or scams like rust preventer.
Nay-sayers also under-rate Tesla's mobile service. Go into the app, create a ticket, attach pictures. Get an estimate within hours (sometimes minutes). Accept, schedule. Tech comes to your house with all the parts and tools. Super easy.
Not much to maintain... motor coolant (ATF), coolant system, etc are lifetime sealed. Brakes last forever thanks to regen. Basically replace air filters every 3-4 years and tires per normal... which can also be done by mobile service.
I think tesla makes great mid level cars. Their high end offerings don’t feel high end enough, but the cheaper model 3s have a comparable fit and finish to other similarly priced vehicles and have some good tech.
I own a Tesla. It is by far the best car I have ever owned. This is the only car which actually gets better over time. My Tesla now is actually 10x better than the one I bought.
Tesla builds honestly really great cars. I don't have a car, but if I were to buy one it would no question be a Tesla.
Did you ever drive one? I did a Model 3 test drive the other day. Acceleration is out of this world, but everything else... meh. Interior looks and feels like it lasts for about 2-3 years. Brakes feel like stepping into a pile of mud. Huge central screen for everything is more distracting than useful. I was happy to get back into my 2007 BMW when the test drive was over. Still feels solid after 14 years.
As an owner of a Model 3, I will say that it isn't just a really great car, it's the best car I've ever owned or driven. There are SO MANY different elements of the car-owning experience Tesla redesigned to make dramatically better for the user, not to mention the incredible performance of the car.
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