Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Who has or is planning to get an electric car / EV Talk
- Thread starter PracticalMac
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Cheap things often outsell premium things. The best-selling TV on Amazon is a cheapo Insignia. Does that mean it is premium?
So was Tesla just 5 years ago. Geely and Volvo aren't going to let Polestar fail. Regardless, the used market clearly values used Polestar 2s higher than used Tesla 3s of the same age, mileage, and condition.
It has a 0-60 similar to an M3, but every other aspect of performance is worse
. The M3 does a Nuremberg lap around 50 seconds faster than a Tesla 3 Performance, or about 11% faster. Indeed, the closest time of any modern era car to Tesla 3's time is a Renault Megane RS, the performance version of a small hatchback similar in price and quality to a ... you guessed it ... Camry.All of this is irrelevant though. 99% of car buyers don't give one ounce of ducks about the high-speed performance aspect of low-cost sedans.
That might explain it if there were so few as to be rare. But there are used Polestars for sale all day long, in all mileages and conditions. Lack of supply is not inflating the price here.
I think it's because the Polestar has a very nice European interior, comfortable seats, betters soundproofing, etc.
Premium, luxury et all set aside, what the market in the US would benefit from is more competition and offerings in the “more affordable” segment…
The Japanese aren’t playing, the Chinese are effectively banned, Chrysler has nothing and Ford/GM have been focused on trucks/SUVs and then the handful of luxury offerings incl like Rivian, Lucid etc…. and all in the $40/50k+ starting price range… the only one that seems to start a little lower is the Equinox, yet another SUV. And Tesla Midel 2, who knows…
The Japanese aren’t playing, the Chinese are effectively banned, Chrysler has nothing and Ford/GM have been focused on trucks/SUVs and then the handful of luxury offerings incl like Rivian, Lucid etc…. and all in the $40/50k+ starting price range… the only one that seems to start a little lower is the Equinox, yet another SUV. And Tesla Midel 2, who knows…
Are Lucid high end? I’ve only seen a few Lucid from a distance and like their appearance. Any pro/cons with them?
Lucid's price range is $70-250k, not sure if that is high end anymore since I saw a Rolls Royce Phantom pulling out of a parking spot in front of a Starbucks a couple days ago
Agreed 100%. I think Hyundai/Kia is filling that spot right now, but the price is still a tad high. Lease incentives had the price down to below $400/month with $0 down (if you were lucky enough to find a base model on a dealer lot of a dealer participating in the incentive). At peak, this was actually cheaper than the lease on a Nissan Versa with no incentives. But that is a rarity, and still not low enough imo.
I wish there were better around-town options for EVs. I don't need high range, I don't need a ton of storage. I just want a fun and efficient EV for short trips. I would absolutely buy an EV Miata with only 100 miles of range if it started at ~$25k.
I do like the new EV Spectre from Messrs Rolls and Royce. Two door, charging port on the right rear, creature comforts you didn’t know you needed, definitely luxury by anyone’s standard, colors galore inside and out, and available to order (ooh, sorry, I mean commissioned) for the low, low price of just a soupçon under $423k. Grey Poupon not included, but of course available as required.Lucid's price range is $70-250k, not sure if that is high end anymore since I saw a Rolls Royce Phantom pulling out of a parking spot in front of a Starbucks a couple days ago
With our kitchen reno we installed two normal size dishwashers, one on either side of the clean-up sink; for daily loads I alternate from one to the other. However, having two is amazingly handy for almost every time we have any one or more people over, which we do 2-3 times a month. Would love to have a commercial dishwasher that can wash, rinse, sterilize, and dry a huge load in under 120 seconds. Major objections though are the counter space required, noise, steam source required, and oh yeah, the 5-figure price.
yep on Hyundai/Kia, just about 3 weeks ago traded my Bolt EUV for an Ioniq 5 on a great deal
.Kia though still has the "cheap" image to overcome ...
This is not relevant to comparing vehicles in market segments.
We are ongoing to agree, the Tesla interiors are premium .
I meant fisker. Regardless Tesla is outselling everybody combined with the model y being a barometer of what Tesla is capable of.
Yep, the m3 is a street queen and will smash most other cars. I’m good with that.It has a 0-60 similar to an M3, but every other aspect of performance is worse
Sure the model 3 is a street queen and will humiliate the m3 on a drag street.
The m3 performance is a street queen . You want to run a Camry around nurburing, be my guest.
This is really a nonsensical conversation. A tm3 has a premium interior and even the lr dual motor can embarrass most cars. Don’t believe the interior of the tm3 is premium , the universe thinks you’re incorrect.
In addition tracking the car is not relevant to this conversation. You want to track the car go ahead, your insurance won’t cover it and has little bearing on the livability on a street.
Last edited:
Tesla make decent cars and I’d not rule out one of the newer Model 3’s, but they don’t feel premium to my interpretation of premium. The interiors are nice, the lack of basic physical controls puts me off a bit, and the materials have improved, but I’d not say they are more premium than say a Volkswagen for example. I drove one not so long ago and had a real good look over it in detail and I’d say it’s probably in line with Honda from my experience of owning CR-V’s. That’s a good thing, it’s just not on par with German materials and refinement in my opinion. I think that day will come though as Tesla continue to improve.
I’ve seen several apartments advertising that they have charging outlets. Not sure if that means EVSEs or just sockets but that shows that it is considered an amenity that they are using to attract renters.And requirements for providing EV charge options (for apartments) might exist (at least in CA), I do not know but I’m guessing that unless the builder of apartments/flats are forced to do so, they won’t as it costs them money.
In CA for all I know, every new single family home has to have solar and I think that is in place for several years already, there should also be a requirement to put a 240 circuit/outlet in to prep for EVs (and let’s not start another 110/240V here
I'm starting to think you've never actually been in a premium car...
That’s correct but I’ve been in a few luxury and ultra luxury cars. It is apparent what one considers premium is subjective to fit their narrative. But good off topic ad-hom.
Why does it take so long to drive to the supermarket? I am not aware of the reasons why, thus my asking.And as good as all EV's have this built in
Four hour roundtrip to go to the supermarket? Pff that is nothing, come to London. That is like a 3 mile journey 🤣
In reference to the US rural areas, what I meant to say by 1-2 hours to drive to the supermarket is not because of congested roads, but because of distance. Alaska is an exception, Northern Canada too, and probably some places in AU, where very long driving distances are quite common compared to US States that are close to each other, or Canadian provinces near each other. But pre-acclimatizing a car, winter or summer, can also be done with an ICE vehicle as long as one parks it outdoors.
Yes I would say, but it’s not just about the material of the seats. Tesla seats are nice. The whole interior of a BMW or an Audi feels a more premium environment than a Tesla IMO. Mercedes are an exception, I was really disappointed with them recently and I owned a 2016 C-Class a few years ago which was much better than current Mercedes EV’s. It’s about the feel of the rubbers, plastics, solidity of the build, feel of the steering wheel and general cabin feel that gives us our impressions.
Not trying to say Tesla’s are not now good quality, they just don’t have the same premium feel for me. But they aren’t priced in the same category either. A Tesla Model 3 is nearly £20k less than the Q4 we drive, so the savings have to be made somewhere. After all the infotainment system is better in the Tesla and that is what the main experience for that brand is based around.
I always heard that if you need to ask a Royce price then you can't afford it
It might be a difference between what we get in the US and the rest of the world. But the 3-series, A4, C-Class and under vehicles are no more premium than the TM3/TMY. I have had each of those, and now own both a TM3 AND a TMY (TM3 with gen 1 piano interior, and TMY with gen 2 interior). I actually traded in my A4 for my TMY. The only differences is the volume of buttons. The Teslas have way more comfortable seats. Now, if you get different interiors than we do in the US (which is a distinct possibility) then you may be right.
When it comes to 5-series, A6, E-Class, I will agree, Teslas do not have as good of an interior. But for us in the US, these are 2x+ the cost of the TM3/TMY, and are not competing in the same market. The TMS/X are in the same price range but also do not hit the same mark.
When it comes to 5-series, A6, E-Class, I will agree, Teslas do not have as good of an interior. But for us in the US, these are 2x+ the cost of the TM3/TMY, and are not competing in the same market. The TMS/X are in the same price range but also do not hit the same mark.
I drove a 2022 BMW 330e recently and to me it feels a lot more premium inside than the 2024 TM3 (UK Version). I know we have additional specs on ours like fog lights and full adpative headlights but I'd be shocked if the seats and interiors were different on European models. You guys do seem to pay a lot more for BMW's than we do as they are like Fords here in regards to popularity, especially the 3 and 5 Series.
They feel the same to me for what we get here. Nothing that screams I would be giving up comfort if I don't get a 3-series. What I am talking about are the finishes on the doors, the window buttons, the trim. The volume of buttons in the 3-series makes it appear more premium, but the quality of the actual buttons are no different to me than Tesla's buttons.
I now prefer less buttons, after having tons and tons of buttons over the years that I never use.
To me, the way Tesla manages drivers settings makes them feel way more premium than BMW/MB/Audi. Having cloud profiles, when I make a change in my TMY it applies to my TM3 (except seating, which are cloud based and unique to model). When my wife get in, her settings are applied to either. My recent locations in GPS show up across vehicles.
I now feel like BMW/MB/Audi have buttons because they can't figure out how to manage my profile...
Having 2 Tesla's really shows how well these cloud profiles function. This is something that a single vehicle family wont even know.
"Double negative. It's tricky." Scott Pilgram