Whether you like it or not, Tesla has created visual branding. You know its a Tesla, even if its a Model X and youve only seen a Y, etc. While I dislike Tesla, I applaud them for succeeding in that.

 

Yes, they all look pretty much the same. Flatter, taller or more bloated... the same. WAIT! Did I use the word "pretty " here?? OOPS! Tesla's are NOT pretty!

 

Acura did the same thing. All the same lines. Style is personal. Maybe Tesla isnt for you, but it is a good branding move.

 

Agreed on the branding but the Tesla's are boring inside and out. The S is better looking than all of them but it hasn't changed much for many years. They kind of remind me of an appliance now.

 

Agree, and what I think of Teslas looks is of course irrelevant. Mr. Musk is clearly a super intelligent and inventive person and has opened the door to major change in the automotive world.....and others. Yes, Tesla has a 'look' that you recognize across models...until the pickup comes out. So does Lexus, BMW and others. I happen to like the look of Lexus (and Genesis), while I know others don't, but that just the way it goes. Anyway.....

 

Other than the exterior look of the Tesla S, the rest of the lineup (in my opinion) looks goofy and ill-proportioned and the interiors look (again, just my opinion) bland, sterile and chintzy. I cannot understand people paying so much for a Tesla when they rank at the very bottom for initial quality by both Consumers Report and JD Power. "Drinking the Kool-Aid"
This whole Musk adventure is kind of weird.

 

The few people I know that have teslas...dont really care about how they look, quality of the material...they just enjoy not paying high gas prices and avoiding gas pumps.....

 

most of my friends who own Tesla are in the 7 figure income bracket and don't care about cost. They own Tesla for the tech and the hellacious performance. Literally none complain of quality issues.

My detailer on the other hand complains of all the nibs, paint thickness disparity panel to panel, horrific body panel alignment, and so on.

The internet complains of home depot materials being substituted forncritical components due to poor supply chain management by Tesla.

 

Still............you don't have to be stuck with ugly and poor quality. There are EV's out there that are much better looking and of higher quality.

 

Just as a follow up, the software update is already out to the dealerships, with the OTA available by mid July. Much faster than Acura, when they knew there was an infotainment issue but yet waited over a year to fix it. In less than two weeks, the stop sale has been lifted. Even the Toyota Rav4 Prime could not do this with their software recall due to VSC shutting off.

Say what you want about Ford, but I like their transparency and quick fix to issues. I haven't had any issues with my Mach E GT and already put 3700 miles on it.

 

Sure but those Acura infotainment issues didn’t lead to a power train shutdown. A real safety issue would prompt a faster response.

 

The infotainment system issues led to the middle of my gauges screen blacking out, which was finally resolved in a future update, and not being able to select certain drivetrain modes as well. While not a powertrain issue, it is a safety issue as it gets distracting to the driver when suddenly the screens black out.

 

Safety issues like the NHTSA investigation of the Honda/Acura start/stop failures, or the 2.0T limp mode issue? To say nothing of the Takata scandal.

 

Sure but not an infotainment screen.

 

Just pointing out that Honda/Acura doesn't have a great track record when it comes to real safety issues either. Nothing from their past indicates they would handle an infotainment-related powertrain issue well. We'll see what happens once the Honda-I-mean-GM EVs start coming out en masse.

 

IMO, pretty much everyone not using 800V architecture is going to get left behind as more 350kW stations pop up. Range is becoming less important than charging speed.

 

Not that anyone cares really, but my EV6 order seems to have stalled out. I was told car in 30-60 days, vin in about 30 days. It is now stretching on to 80 days, and no vin, no car, and sales rep has stopped responding to texts. So I guess maybe I'll have it arrive? Whatever. I ordered a Volvo C40, put $1K down, and was rewarded with a 3-4 week ETA and an actual VIN number, and I am paying sticker with no haggling required.

How's the MME doing?

 

My MME GT still has no issues, using it as my daily driver. I got a VIN from a dealer selling the RAV4 prime which is coming in September before the $7500 tax credit expires. Pretty excited about that. I waited 5 months and am getting it at MSRP.

C40 is a great choice! I’m reserving the Polestar 3 in October and probably trading the Mach E GT in for once I get my tax credits. The new tax credit bill might change things for a lot of people looking for EVs though.

 

I refuse to really pay much if any over MSRP and got my Prime for sticker, as well as the C40 for sticker. The RDX I think I paid $999 over, but that at least included the ASPEC mats and splash guards. I think I am probably done swapping stuff around after the C40, because the tax credit is getting complex/may not apply to me anymore, and because the interest rates are getting stupid and I finance cars so as to make the bank assume liability vs. myself. This C40 I have locked in at 3.74% for up to 75mo if I choose, and that kindof sucks. My Acura is 2.24% for comparison.

 

I am curious what you mean by this. Thanks for clarifying.

 

Well, lets presume I buy at a few thou less than MSRP, say 47k on a 50k car. Normal times and all. Then I drove it for 2 years. A deer runs out. Car is totalled. Fair market value is going to be less than the amount owed on the car, had it been financed. The insurance company would pay me FMV, and move on. And Id be out that money. If I finance it, GAP handles it, and the only one out is the bank, minus my maybe $800 or so paid over those 2Y in interest. Since I drive a lot, the value loss is even quicker. The bank with GAP is assuming the risk, moreso than I.

Times now? Who can say.

 

Ah, so it is the optional GAP insurance you are referring to. Thanks for clarifying this.

 

Another factor is when a car loan interest rate is low enough you could invest the money you would have paid out upfront instead and make out on the deal. This isn't easy right now, though, since everything is out of whack.

 

3.74% for 75 months isn't bad by any means. It's not as nice as before, but still pretty great. For comparison, my Mach E GT was 1.4% financed, and my MDX is 1.9% financed as well. My guess is that the Rav4 Prime will be around 3.75% as well if I finance through DCU for 65 months.

 

DCU used to be pretty good, but now my CU beats them. Also on their page I read "Rates may change after consummation. " in fine print. What does this mean, functionally?

 

If you are financing an energy efficient vehicle with DCU they knock down another 0.25%. Therefore, it will be 3.74% for 65 months.

 

My CU will do 3.74% out to 75mo. Plus I have a relationship with them spanning from when I bought the first car I ever financed (in 2011, at a whopping 5.0% for 72mo!)

 

It means if you have intercourse with the vehicle they may change the rate.

 

What if it's just the tip? I'm told that doesn't count ...

 

As an update, Toyota is actually having difficulty fixing the recall for the Bz4x and actually asked customers to buy back its vehicles. So much for just loose hub bolts. Must be pretty bad if they’re offering buyback.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/driv...tric-suv-from/

 

Right now just seems to be a terrible time to buy a car. Everyone appears to be having quality issues, and a lot of times due to third-party vendors that these manufacturers are getting their parts from. So, you're paying sticker or higher for a car that's potentially of worse quality.

 

Not just cars....we ordered some living room furniture back in late-January which just got delivered this past Friday, August 5th. Watched delivery guys remove the pieces from the packing boxes. Two of the four pieces were damaged including torn seams, rubbed corners, and an upholstered chair that wobbles.

Bought from this higher-end manufacturer as product is "Made in America"....quality is worse than the 20-year old Harden pieces that it's replacing.

Very sad state of US manufacturing.............

 

I suppose at least Toyota is offering a buyback as a last resort. They’re still offering $5000, free loaners, free charging, and an extended warranty for those holding on to them.

Can’t say I have much faith in Honda corporate doing the same…

That said though I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t actually something else and Toyota is covering for it by saying it’s an issue with wheels falling off. It’s mind boggling how a company of Toyota’s stature would even have this problem, and then not have a fix for something that seems so relatively simple.

 

I tend to agree, on all you points. I think there is something we are not hearing about this issue on the (Stupid Name) Toyota EV.

 

"According to Toyota, the meaning of the "bZ4X" nameplate breaks down into two meanings: "bZ", representing the nature of a battery-electric vehicle by going "beyond Zero" emissions; and "4X" describing it as a compact crossover SUV, where its numerical digit is sourced from the equivalent-sized RAV4."

And no, it doesn't come standard with AWD (4X wheels driven, like you'd think). Really, you could have done better if you spent 30mins with a class of 5th graders coming up with a name.

 

The absurb naming convention is how you know this car is made by a Japanese company.

I take it a 3 row version is going to be called the bZHighlanderX?

 

Toyota has their hands full these days. In addition to the bZ4X recall, he Tundra has proven problematic, they're getting heavily criticized for the Sequoia redesign, and the BRZ/86 is suffering from lubrication problems. And just wait until those BMW Toyota Supras come off warranty. Don't expect Toyota to be ruling reliability or customer satisfaction ratings for a while.

 

Just making you aware, once Biden signs that new law into effect possibly this weekend, if you don’t have the car by then, the tax credit will be gone. No $7500 tax credit for most EVs moving forward.

You would need to wait until at least 2023 to get even some of the $7500 tax credit.

 

Yeah they had to make a compromise with Senator Manchin who opposed all EV credits. The compromise for tax credit is now based on % of battery sourced from USA. 40% has to be sourced from USA. The % increases to 80% in 2027. There are also MSRP thresholds. Trucks or SUVs over $80k are not eligible. Neither are cars over $55K. There are other requirements but those are the main details.

 

I have a binding contract with VIN and have made downpayment. This satisfies the transition rule and will allow me to treat it as though it was placed in service, prior.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/cleantechnica.com/2022/08/09/rivian-plans-to-game-the-system-get-buyers-tax-credit/amp/