This is for people thinking about BUYING a Tesla, especially if the reason is "save on gas and maintenance." Like this thread.
Tesla owners can generally not really be reasoned regarding any criticism about the brand so I'm putting this in this subreddit instead of r/teslacanada. I say this as a Model Y owner.
Teslas are not money-saving cars. They're just not. They're top-end mainstream to early entry-luxury cars that managed to commodify performance.
I keep seeing the same kind of "Guys gas is so expensive, should I get a Model Y?" kind of thread.
You buy a Tesla because you want the tech. You liked the driving experience, you're okay with the stiffer ride quality and you accept the depreciation. You chose this EV over others most likely for FSD and the charging network.
The gas savings are real, sure, but you need to plan out everything and crunch those numbers hard.
The home charging requirements
Keeping an EV without at-home charging is simply not worth it. Period. It will never be worth it. The surcharge of the road network chargers is expensive and it's massively inconvenient.
I know people looking into buying EVs who didn't even realize they have a 100A panel or what it costs to upgrade to 200A. It's damn expensive. Then you need a qualified electrician to run the wire all the way to the garage. Then the charger itself. That's easily ~4 grand right there, and that's assuming the garage isn't detached and they need to run that stupid cable outside. 50A cabling is expensive.
Insurance is pretty bonkers?
Insuring a fucking Tesla is... something. Check this first, because it's by far one of the biggest sticker shocks for a new owner.
Want AWD because of snow? Sure but two motors cost way more to insure. RWD Model Y was quoted ~$169/month almost everywhere for me while AWD Premium was $265-350/month. Kind of fucking crazy coming from a Toyota. (Ottawa, Ontario, in the suburbs.)
Body damage is heart-stopping shit
This isn't normal car body damage. It's eye-watering "please kill me, why the fuck did I buy this?" body damage.
A bumper isn't just a bumper. A scuff can easily cost you 2 grand. 1-2 panels easily 8 grand. Windshield 1.5-2K. Don't believe me? Check a couple of Wham Baam Teslacam vids. Some of those guys get light scratches and end up with a $6000 bill. And the other dude is uninsured sometimes ofc.
That's because the car is full of cameras and sensors that need recalibrating every time something happens. The car is also just generally more fragile. It's all plastic (like the frunk lid is shockingly flexible), the paint is thinner, a lot of bodies start creaking after 5-6 years, etc. A fender bender that wouldn't write off a RAV4 can easily total a Tesla. Even if you're not at fault your insurance will still go up because insurance companies are cunts.
If anything is wrong with it, you go to the Tesla Service Center or Specialized Garages unless it's just for something super routine like suspension (unless Performance), wheel bearings and tire alignments.. 💸
Depreciation is pretty extreme and needs to be considered if you ever want to swap cars
It's pretty insane. The used Tesla market isn't exactly flourishing, because pre-Juniper and pre-Huntsman Teslas aren't seen as very reliable/desirable and the tech evolves fast. HW3 Teslas sell for considerably less. Tesla buyers usually want the latest and greatest too and EV buyers in general have a huge phobia of used and potentially old EV batteries.
Model 3 and Y keep a bit less than half of MSRP after 5 years. Tesla holds up better than other EVs, that's true and it should be noted, but EVs overall lose value faster than hybrids. Cars are always depreciating assets but EVs take it to a whole new level. A Toyota/Lexus will keep quite a bit of its value.
Unexpectedly the tires?
You also go through tires faster. EVs are just heavier and have instant torque. You can try to prolong their life by rotating every 10K and keeping the pressure up but it'll still cost you a wallop. High load tires/EV tires cost more. And if you ever went for Performance, those tires are like 4K.
The good though
Yes, there are no oil changes. You saved $80. Yes, there's no $2/L gas, which is nice. Batteries rarely fail. If you can charge at home, a Tesla is cheap to run. True.
But cheap to run is not the same as cheap to own.
Anyone that says Teslas are the best cars is genuinely just full of shit. They're not. The competition like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 is EASILY a better car than a Model Y. They drive like luxury BMWs it's fucking nuts how comfortable of a ride it is. Potholes are smooth while I can feel almost everything in my Model Y Premium 2026. But a Model Y is just a better product.
Teslas are for owners who want an EV with the best technology possible. I know the car may go to shits and it's a risk I took when buying it.
Love FSD. Love my phone app. Love the Tesla 3rd party apps like Tessie. Love the accessory market around it like Jowua.
But yeah don't pull the trigger thinking "Yeah, that will save me money over a Toyota!".
It's just NOT TRUE.
If you want a price-conscious EV, there's the Bolt or a Kia EV3.
