Teslas are dangerous AF

People have literally died in otherwise perfectly survivable car crashes when driving a Tesla, because when a Tesla's 12V battery isn't working (died, got damaged, etc.), the doors will not open, and the manual release mechanisms are super hidden and hard to find, are different for the front doors and the back doors, and the locations differ by model. Anyone who doesn't already know exactly where the manual release is (first responders, any passengers that don't also own that exact same model of Tesla, owners who never bothered to check the manual for where they are) is gonna have a hell of a time finding it, time that can mean the difference between life and death. Combined with the reinforced glass that is extra hard to break, it's a great recipe for dying in a fire.

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MayorOfCrushtown · M

Screw Ecars. I'll stick with my Pontiac.

Zeuro · 26-30, F

@MayorOfCrushtown hybrids are the great middle ground. No charging, functions roughly the same as a regular gas car but gets you way better gas mileage

MayorOfCrushtown · M

@Zeuro i would be way more inclined to drive a hybrid over an ecar.

StygianKohlrabi · 46-50, M

@Zeuro I heard from someone here they had to replace the battery in a Prius and it was $4k??? I can buy a decent used car for that.

Zeuro · 26-30, F

@StygianKohlrabi $4k for a decent used car?? Sure, if you consider a 15-20 year old car with 180k-200k+ miles that will likely need repairs costing $3k+ in the near future decent lol. At least with replacing the battery of a newer hybrid Toyota, like a Prius, or a Corolla Hybrid (which is what I have), you get a battery that’s typically gonna last you 10-15 years and that comes with a 10-year/150k-mile warranty anyway, so if it fails in that window you likely won’t have to pay anything to replace the battery.
Wouldn’t you rather keep a modern car that you know is otherwise functional and has a long ass battery warranty than take your chances on an old piece of junk that can give out any moment? Not to mention how much better gas mileage you’ll get in your hybrid.
I honestly can’t think of a scenario where getting the used car is the more economical decision, but I’m open to hearing suggestions lol

StygianKohlrabi · 46-50, M

@Zeuro I found a Ford Fiesta with 90k miles for $3500 on FB, RN.

I recommend that you do a comparison. Cost of repairs of both vehicles including battery replacement and chances of needing a battery. ✔. subtract that from the potential savings from gas mileage. that will show which is the better value.

I'm not an eager adopter of new technology I guess I view it with a little suspicion considering how long we've been driving gas cars. But if I need to buy a car I'mma weigh all the positives and negatives. E-cars have some benefits in easier maintenance I heard. The main issue I have is you'll never be able to pump in some fuel and go. charging takes time. Full battery power is for small consumer electronics, not cars IMHO.

MayorOfCrushtown · M

@StygianKohlrabi yep. My dad bought a used Toyota truck with 200k miles for 3k then put 200k more miles on it and then sold it for the same thing he bought it for. Toyotas will last forever.

Zeuro · 26-30, F

@StygianKohlrabi how long ago did you find that ford? And what year was it?

StygianKohlrabi · 46-50, M

@Zeuro A few days ago on FB and its 2011.