Used model Y good deal or not?

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Fri 1 Aug 2025 18:31
Used model Y good deal or not? - bazza

My neighbour has purchased a used model Y. Its a 22 reg, it's done over 100,000 miles and it's ex fleet one owner, full history .It was about £18k, from an independent outlet. I've driven it. Its immaculate inside and out, drives like a brand new car, no rattles, no whines, knocks, nothing. Performance is incredible, obviously it's an acquired taste and it is not for me but here's the thing: it's a long range and he was expecting maybe naively high 200s range. He's lucky to get 200 so far. By my reckoning, it will have lost about 10 % battery through degradation, giving about 68 kWh useable (down from 75) internet says average consumption about 3.3 miles per kWh, giving him about 220 miles. He's a fast motorway man, so I'm guessing his range is about right. I can't help thinking this purchase is a bit of a gamble and for not much more he could have had something with equivalent range and a long warranty.

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Fri 1 Aug 2025 19:17
Used model Y good deal or not? - gordonbennet

Like almost all expensive cars depreciation is high, and like all other expensive cars if it goes wrong the cost to fix it is going to be high, arguably higher than a typical Merc/BMW because there won't be the indy specialists, hopefully the fuel savings assuming your neighbour has cheap home charging will go some way to offset the possible future costs.

I think for something like this i'd want to buy an approved used with the maker's warranty just in case.

Regarding the range, whatever the propulsion system the faster you go increasingly more wind and friction drag needs to be overcome, if he throttled back a bit shifting less air range would improve.

Not for me either, for this car type already having covered over 100k i'd have been looking for a Lexus hybrid.

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Fri 1 Aug 2025 20:34
Used model Y good deal or not? - Ethan Edwards

Your totally right the Model Y owner being a newbe to EVs is making huge errors. Enjoying the rapid starts , hooning about at high speed. Then wondering why they get poor consumption figures.

It's no secret...smooooooth.. that's how you drive an EV.

Keep the speed down, try 65mph not 75+mph. It'll make next to no difference to your travel time but you'll get great consumption. My Mokka-e typically a newbe gets 3.5m per kwh. It's supposed to get 4.4 to get the claimed range. The other day I got 5.8 with a little effort. Today a decent 4.6

At 100k miles there's an awful lot of life left in that car, they'll easily go to 250 or more. It's nothing like the situation with a petrol car so drop those assumptions.

Edited by Ethan Edwards on 01/08/2025 at 20:34

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Fri 1 Aug 2025 20:55
Used model Y good deal or not? - pd

I got 290 miles in one go out of a Model 3 LR with 151k on the clock last weekend and I'm not exactly Miss Daisy so I'd suggest he's "enjoying" it.

A Model Y is slightly less economical but you should be able to get 4.5m/kWh at 70ish this time of year. Teslas are remarkably efficient.

As for reliability I'd take a punt on one of these out of warranty in a flash over a BMW or Merc. Better built, more reliable, cheaper parts, better manufacturer support for 3rd party repairers. The battery and drivetrain are still under manufacturer warranty anyway.

I'd also agree it's probably less than a 3rd through its life. We are in a new era. I bet all it has ever had is tyres and maybe a £11 pollen filter. Will almost certainly be on all original brakes.

Edited by pd on 01/08/2025 at 20:58

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Fri 1 Aug 2025 23:18
Used model Y good deal or not? - Big John

A good friend of mine bought a model 3 (lower spec 2wd etc) new back in 2021 - he loves it and it's been faultless.

We went on a retired day trip out and he added me to the insurance for the day. Impressive sums it up. It told us with the round trip we would need one stop (Yorkshire to Gaydon and back) and Rugby services was selected. Parked, pulled charge lead out and flap opened on the car, plugged in and comfort break followed by coffee saw charge level go from 40% to about 90%.

If I needed a company car to pound the country (as I used to do) I'd have one tomorrow.

Edited by Big John on 01/08/2025 at 23:19

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 08:07
Used model Y good deal or not? - badbusdriver

Good deal?, yes for sure. However I'm not sure I'd buy a 100k+ mile example If I then planned to do high miles with it.

Battery degradation will be a factor at that miles with the number of charging cycles being one of the biggest contributing factors. But according to the results of a US survey (using info provided by owners) a Tesla with 100-125k miles will still have an average of about 93% its original usable capacity. Even a 200k mile example will have more than 80%.

This seems to be an oh-so-typical example of someone making a purchase without doing some proper research. If this had been done, he would have been under no illusions as to what he'd get with a car of that mileage combined with the way he drives.

Having said that, these complaints about how few miles an EV can get always has me coming back to the drivers bladder!. 200 miles in the UK on motorways/dual carriageways is going to take circa 3 hours. For me, managing 3 hours between toilet stops would be a best case scenario, with 2-2.5 hours being more realistic. And how much charge can be put in a Tesla on a supercharger in 15 mins?. Up to 200 miles apparently!.

Edited by badbusdriver on 02/08/2025 at 08:08

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 09:46
Used model Y good deal or not? - bathtub tom

I read somewhere that battery life is dependent on how often it's supercharged and frequency of full power acceleration.

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 09:46
Used model Y good deal or not? - Big John

These days I like to stop every 1 1/2 hours at least just to stretch my legs. I wouldn't dream of filling my car up at service stations as they generally cost a fortune.. I'm not sure if electric charging costs are inflated at well?

I miss the days of when I owned a mkI Superb 1.9pd that had an amazing tank range of about 750 miles.

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 09:59
Used model Y good deal or not? - Orb>>.

If someone has bought a Tesla and they are happy with it good enough.

Not for me to criticise their choice.

If that's what they want.

Fine with me.

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 10:08
Used model Y good deal or not? - pd

These days I like to stop every 1 1/2 hours at least just to stretch my legs. I wouldn't dream of filling my car up at service stations as they generally cost a fortune.. I'm not sure if electric charging costs are inflated at well?

I miss the days of when I owned a mkI Superb 1.9pd that had an amazing tank range of about 750 miles.

Tesla chargers are vastly cheaper. The Rugby ones are 37p peak and 26p off peak for example (price as of 5 minutes ago)

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 10:00
Used model Y good deal or not? - mcb100
I absolutely get why people buy used Teslas. Longevity doesn’t seem to be an issue for motor or battery, they’re efficient and drive well and the Tesla Supercharger network is perceived to be s bonus.
I struggle a little with the high seating position in a Model Y - it always feels like I’m sitting on the car rather than in it and I’m not necessarily a fan of the infotainment operating system that precludes Apple CarPlay.

The OP’s neighbour will almost certainly find that efficiency will improve as he adapts his driving style to suit - lots of ‘lift and coast’ to traffic lights pays dividends and cruise control on motorways.
Yes, bringing an average speed down will also improve efficiency. A 100 mile trip is only 10 minutes slower at an average of 70mph that it is at 80mph.
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Sat 2 Aug 2025 12:06
Used model Y good deal or not? - Adampr

I don't think I'd ever pay £18k for a car with more than 100k miles.

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 12:11
Used model Y good deal or not? - pd

I don't think I'd ever pay £18k for a car with more than 100k miles.

It's a £50k car new so if you want that sort of car for that sort of price you have to accept the miles and why not? They're the bargains. I bet it's pretty much indistinguishable from a new one in most respects.

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 12:24
Used model Y good deal or not? - Terry W

100k in 3 years is ~35k pa.

Almost certainly motorway miles where the car is operating on relatively smooth road, limited brake use, so far below the below designed performance levels that little/no wear to any component.

Probably spent about as much time "in motion" as a 30k car driven mainly in towns. Even things like door locks have had less use as average journeys may be 50-100 miles, not 2 miles on a shopping run!

It is nothing like the average car at 100k which will be 10-12 years old with brakes, clutch (ICE), suspension, steering all showing evidence of wear.

Would I buy such a car - probably not unless I could emotionally accept the low risk of a (worst case??) £10k repair bill. The flip side is several years very cheap luxury motoring - spread £18k over 5 years and the cost is about the same as a small hatch lease.

Edited by Terry W on 02/08/2025 at 12:26

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 14:17
Used model Y good deal or not? - Adampr

I don't think I'd ever pay £18k for a car with more than 100k miles.

It's a £50k car new so if you want that sort of car for that sort of price you have to accept the miles and why not? They're the bargains. I bet it's pretty much indistinguishable from a new one in most respects.

£18,000 is a lot to pay for a second hand car regardless of how much it was originally. In some ways, the fact it cost so much to start with indicates that it's not as good as new at all.

I just think it's a lot to hand over for a high mileage car regardless. You could buy something nearly new, a bit more modest, with a decent warranty for the same.

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 12:57
Used model Y good deal or not? - Andrew-T
A 100 mile trip is only 10 minutes slower at an average of 70mph that it is at 80mph.

I'd like to know where you could average 80mph for 100 miles ? Abroad, I presume ?

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 13:14
Used model Y good deal or not? - Orb>>.
A 100 mile trip is only 10 minutes slower at an average of 70mph that it is at 80mph.

I'd like to know where you could average 80mph for 100 miles ? Abroad, I presume ?

I'd quite like to know where I could average 70mph in the UK for a full hour !

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 13:45
Used model Y good deal or not? - bazza

The car is indeed indistinguishable from a new one, there is nothing about it at all suggesting the mileage. No interior wear, nothing "baggy" about it, no slop, knocks, whines, rattles, just very very impressive. Yes, it would take some learning to adapt and it's not my type of car but I can certainly see why people rave about them. It sounds like the range issue can be improved with restraint. What is the warranty situation and spares back up like regarding the rest of the car excluding the power train like I wonder. I agree I think worst case bill would be about £10k? Too much for me but I'm possible out of date with my thinking

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 17:18
Used model Y good deal or not? - RT
A 100 mile trip is only 10 minutes slower at an average of 70mph that it is at 80mph.

I'd like to know where you could average 80mph for 100 miles ? Abroad, I presume ?

I'd quite like to know where I could average 70mph in the UK for a full hour !

Most of the motorway network if you travel off-peak

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 17:42
Used model Y good deal or not? - Andrew-T
A 100 mile trip is only 10 minutes slower at an average of 70mph that it is at 80mph.

I'd like to know where you could average 80mph for 100 miles ? Abroad, I presume ?

I'd quite like to know where I could average 70mph in the UK for a full hour !

Most of the motorway network if you travel off-peak

Possibly, if you use the speeds from your dashboard, or if you don't mind going over the limit. Perhaps not if you are talking actual road speed.

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 18:20
Used model Y good deal or not? - pd

As an aside Tesla speedos are very accurate (something I've often noticed on American cars). If it says you're doing 70 you're probably doing 69.5 true where as in a lot of cars you will be doing 64.

They're certainly not a make I'd risk doing an indicated 35 assuming I was probably just over the limit in!

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Sat 2 Aug 2025 18:30
Used model Y good deal or not? - RT
A 100 mile trip is only 10 minutes slower at an average of 70mph that it is at 80mph.

I'd like to know where you could average 80mph for 100 miles ? Abroad, I presume ?

I'd quite like to know where I could average 70mph in the UK for a full hour !

Most of the motorway network if you travel off-peak

Possibly, if you use the speeds from your dashboard, or if you don't mind going over the limit. Perhaps not if you are talking actual road speed.

My speedo is accurate to GPS on my phone - as I have over-sized tyres fitted.

I make a point of avoiding peak days/hours, being retired I do have that flexibility.

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