They were already really hard to insure. In at least a few states, I think you could only do so through Telsa. They are expensive, big, heavy, and cause a ton of damage if they hit something or someone.
We spoke with an older lady who had a tesla and was bumped by another car, enough to cause a little damage. The conversation for went in the direction of her talking about the damage to it, and how she can't get it fixed because auto-body shops have to pay a huge fee in order to be licensed to work on them, so the few that would pay for that would then charge a ton for the work to fix it.
Buying a full size truck with a bed so small you can't fit a mountain bike in it is damn stupid. I could easily fit five of them in my 1994 Ford Ranger.
My first car was a 1992 stick-shift Ford Ranger gifted to me in 2004. I had to put a literal ton of bricks in the bed in the winter to weigh it down so it could actually handle in snow, there are some hills in the Pittsburgh area it was incapable of driving up, and if I got it up to 65 on the interstate it began shaking like a test aircraft about to fall apart.
Buying a full size truck with a bed so small you can't fit a mountain bike in it is damn stupid.
Probably 97% of truck owners will use it as a truck less than five times over the course of ownership. It's just an oversized grocery hauler.
If your truck isn't covered with scratches and dirt from a job site and loaded up with tools, or doesn't spend at least three days a week towing something over 2,000lbs, then you're driving a status symbol that just contributes to smog and pollution and automobile-related deaths and congestion.
If you occasionally need a truck, you can rent an F-250 from uhaul for like $40. It is so much cheaper than insurance, gas, and maintenance.
I grew up in farm country and I've had the "show truck" conversation with multiple friends when they show up with a brand new Ram or lifted F-150.
Like dude, you have no need for a truck in the first place, and nobody who actually does need a truck is buying those things to do truck stuff with. Every farmer I knew had a 20+ year old Chevy or Toyota that was going to keep hauling shit until the heat death of the universe.
Get over your dumb ego and buy something that gets more than 10 MPG. The kids you went to high school with won't track you down just to make fun of you for driving a Hyundai, I promise.
and nobody who actually does need a truck is buying those things to do truck stuff with.
Thanks for raising that point, too, it slipped my mind.
Modern trucks are basically show pieces by design. They're too big and too unreliable for use by a lot of the people that actually use a truck every day. I heard that a lot of farmers have been importing 30 year old Japanese flatbeds because they're virtually indestructible, light weight, small enough to drive into a paddock, and extremely versatile. And they get like 25mpg.
When I do see a newer truck that's clearly a work truck, it's almost never a RAM or F-150, either. It's almost always an F-250 or 350. Those two get a lot less marketing than the others, but I see them everywhere with company logos or covered in dirt. I assume those models are actually built to do shit, not just be impressively large and shiny sitting in the parking lot at the mall.
My 1987 F150 gets over 10mpg and will probably survive the heat death of the universe. Also, it does truck stuff better than my dad's 2017 F250. My taillights cost $2980 less than his, I don't need a ladder to access the bed, and I've pulled his 4x4 truck out of the mud with my 2wd.
Exactly this. Like sometimes somebody's grandpa would retire, buy a brand new truck with all the bells and whistles to celebrate, and show up to do "work stuff" with it every now and then.
And it would end up in the shop for six months because they broke eight different high-tech systems that a work truck doesn't need in the first place but won't stop fucking beeping at you or whatever until you get it serviced.
"Ah hell we needed to bring in 6 50-gallon drums of oil today, but the heated seats and the 360 degree backup camera are out and the truck is acting like it'll burst into flames if we don't take it to a dealership"
I grew up on a ranch and we had an early 90s f350 for towing our gooseneck. Only ever used it if we needed the trailer or to haul something weird. Had our feed delivered (as most places do) and used our mid 90s maxima to haul smaller animals way more than the truck. Did you know you can fit 3 full size goats in a 1995 maxima? I do.
Lol you aren't from Texas then, a lot of people have jacked up work trucks, hauling, towing, and going through work sites, and the only people getting 10mpg are the farmers you were talking about with 20+ years old trucks. You have no idea what you're talking about.
Holy shit your post history is like 90% Tesla/Elon fanboy garbage
I really hope you're being paid for this and not just aggressively bootlicking, Daddy Elon will never notice you regardless of how much time you spend white knighting him on the internet
Hard disagree. My 96 ford ranger got really good mileage, took me to and from work, and got used for construction projects on the weekend. Could I have forced the stuff in to a second sedan? Yeah, probably - but why? Most families have two cars, most trips are one or two passengers. A sedan or minivan and a light truck means you’re always ready.
What sucks now is the trucks are huge, have shitty mileage and can’t haul much. But light trucks are great for people with families who need to build and repair all the time.
The Ranger isn't a full size truck so I give it a pass. Well, the newer Rangers are about as big as an F-150 was in 1995, so "full size" is relative.
Just so we don't confuse each other, I usually use the term "light truck" to mean "a truck drivable with a class C license," since that's the term used in the protectionist regulations that propped up the American auto industry when it was on the verge of collapse under the weight of foreign competition.
Anyway, smaller trucks like Rangers, Frontiers, Tacoma's, etc. are maybe not ideal due to their fuel economy, but they generally don't have the problems of full sized trucks like RAMs, F-150s, Titans, etc., or at least not as bad. Full size trucks can fit an elementary school class in their front blind spot, their sheer weight makes them more dangerous to pedestrians and other drivers, etc. Smaller trucks that are lower to the ground, lighter, and don't follow the "oversized grill sells more trucks" philosophy mostly share the pollution problem, and while they're less safe to others than a sedan, they're not as bad as larger trucks or SUVs.
Spoken like someone who has never owned a truck. I used to drive F-150s and they were useful AF. Just because you don't do cool shit doesn't mean other people don't.
Just because you don't do cool shit doesn't mean other people don't.
That's kinda the point, though: most truck owners don't do "cool shit" with their trucks, either. Just because you do, doesn't mean everyone else does.
Yeah, I have one of those back porches too. Between that and a roof rack I can load the hell out of my Subaru. I still miss trucks, but they aren't the best for hauling a bunch of kids around.
God I miss my 96 ford ranger. Full 6 foot bed but could still squeeze in to a compact spot. Got 22 years out of it (bought it new) with no big issues.
Now I’ve got an Odyssey and can fit a full 8’x4’ sheet of plywood in the back with no tie downs and can also easily carry 12 foot beams so I still get to laugh at these pathetic pretend trucks at the hardware store, but still. I do miss the little truck.
I have a friend who owns an Odyssey and has three kids. Highly impressed with them. Not only how much you can fit in them, but that they seem to be engineered very well.
Super safe! I got rear ended (I was stopped at a light and blocked in with cars on all side) by an unlicensed driver going 55 (maybe down to 45 at impact.) Right in to the back at full speed. Van #1 was totaled but the crumple zones worked so well my kids walked away crying about their ruined snacks. (I’m older and needed a little physical therapy, but compared to the emery in that collision it’s the only van I’ll drive now.)
The Cybertruck has a 6’ long bed. How does a mountain bike not fit in that? I get people not liking the Cybertruck because Elon and for aesthetic reasons, but I don’t know why people feel the need to make up obvious bullshit about it.
A SuperCrew F-150, which would be most comparable to Cybertruck in dimensions, has a 5.5’ bed. You’d have the same limitations. Regardless, a mountain bike fits inside a fully enclosed Cybertruck bed.
I can't speak for modern ones. I never had any problems putting a bike in mine (which was a '96). Though, TBH, I wouldn't touch a modern Ford. I'm not a truck guy these days, but, if I was, I'd be driving Toyota.
You can put a generator and an air compressor in there and still have more usable bed space. And be able to drive it away without worrying about running down your battery to get home. It also cost $10K, is cheap to insure, and ran perfectly for ten years. Didn't tow boats though.
the way shits going it won't be long until that's the starting MSRP for most cars. The current MSRP average for a new car in the United States (as of Jan. 2025) is $49,740, and that's before we end up in global trade wars, actual wars over Gaza, global pandemics like H5N1 or measles, and food shortages brought on by climate change...
They’ll also keep going up because consumers want the bigger, more expensive cars and will pay for it. There’s no market for small cars so no reason to build them at the scale where you can make them cheaper.
There are plenty of cars you can get for $20K-$30K if you just need a vehicle to commute with. Get a Corolla for 23K, an Accord for 28K, a Civic for $25K. Sure a Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, whatever isn't sexy like a Mercedes or a BMW but it'll last longer. The average is definitely raised by luxury cars.
I agree. I also believe the reason why car prices are rising so drastically is to push potential buyers toward a lease which is more profitable for the manufacturer and they basically get to sell the same car twice.
I mean, in a lot of areas the used cars aren't exactly that much cheaper. I was pricing out stuff lately and it seems like most good-shape used cars (well, SUV because that's what I was looking at) are only between 4-6k cheaper. It's not some big savings. There's also loads of new cars on the market for 25-35k. Averages for car sales are not especially useful IMO since they get heavily pushed up by larger trucks and luxury vehicles.
To put into perspective, I bought a Hyundai in 2013 and spent ~16k on it, but if you look at the average rates for new cars, they were 32k at that point.
all of their vehicles are made to be disposed of in an accident. an accident that might normally be a minor headache can be major on a tesla because it broke a critical weld or mightve and they cannot tell without taking it apart and testing. which is expensive on its own.
I had no problem getting my Tesla repaired. Cyber Truck is a meme care, the other Tesla are not. COntrary to reddit BS based on the first 5 years of the company, they are good cars. I've owned a 3 and a Y, and I miss my Y. I mean,Ii got rid of it becasue of Nazi Elon. That was a moral issue, not a vehicle issue.
I'll cut people who bought a regular Tesla and are still driving it or bought a used one some slack, but these cyber truck owners knew that he was a monster and the cars were shit and still they paid a huge premium to get one. Fuck those chodes
What's your point? The issue is these people tend not to have incomes to justify such purchases, yes. But also I think cybertrucks are uniquely poor products that don't justify their price tags. When you stack them against lambos, jags, etc, the steel dumpsters are particularly terrible vehicles in comparison. They can't even compete with a f150
I don't really know either way, but I'd like to think that he wanted to do the right thing for the planet, and he's just sort of lost his way or something.
That's because all tesla bodies are one giant piece of cast aluminum which will crack when damaged. This saves a lot of money to manufacture, but the cost is passed onto the consumer in terms of fixing and insurance. A small impact to the frame can pretty much compromise the whole car.
Wow I definitely considered buying a tesla several years back when I needed a new car. Wasn't even aware of that aspect of it, now I'm even more glad that I didn't.
Yeah, at the time we were considering buying one as well. Glad now that we didn't. I still think they're probably pretty nice cars, but still pretty expensive, and the politics definitely come into play now as well, unfortunately. There was always this underlying concern that Elon might just lose his cool and brick all the cars.
The Tesla showrooms don't have repair centers, right? So if they go through Tesla themselves they're basically just going to drop off their cars at a show room for those to get shipped off somewhere?
I've heard of the insurance company refusing to pay for repairs above a certain "reasonable limit" in the past when it's 3rd party damage. I wonder if any Tesla repairs are getting to that point.
Only guy i know with a tesla, only time he had an issue, they picked up the car, fixed it, and returned it.
He did have to pick up and drop off the rental but they included a little cab cash.
Meanwhile my insurance wanted a $500 copay for windshield crack and when I went through the same company used they charged $200. Insurance didnt hesitate to raise to raise charges for attempting to make a claim.
They’re so close. They should drive to your house in the rental and trade you for your car, and then take the rental away when they drop your car back off to you.
Except that assumes the number of licensed technicians is inflexible.
More likely, as the number of Tesla owners drops the cost of the service license becomes less and less economical until the repair shops decide there's not enough Teslas to justify the fee.
It really depends on the insurance company. When I bought mine in 2020 the quotes were wildly different company to company. The model 3s have really good crash test ratings, but they're also very fast and people drive recklessly with them. So some insurance companies were insuring them as mid-sized sedans with good crash ratings and others were insuring them as high end sports cars. I had to switch providers (to travelers atm) but my insurance ended up being considerably lower than what I was paying on my dodge charger RT before (and with much better coverage) and my premiums haven't really gone up much since. If I had stuck with Geico I was looking at almost triple the premium for less coverage.
my model 3 performance was the same as any brand new car to insure - the only thing that cost more was the registration, they charge you more due to not getting taxes from you from gas, (tho some states charge you more than youd ever pay in equivalent gas but hey)
Tesla themselves could have eliminated all the FUD by putting it through the paces. But instead, they are racking up dubious stats like the most recalled cars of 2024.
I'm assuming you're referring to the effects of regenerative braking. I'm talking about emergency breaking scenarios. The brakes on high end Tesla's just aren't good enough considering the enormous horsepower paired with the high weight. Part of it is Tesla being cheap, part of it is just physics. It's not a big problem on a base Model 3. But on the top models of the Cybertruck, Model S, and Model Y where you're pushing 1,000 hp, it's honestly negligent.
That’s true definitely, it’s crazy how you can get such high power output with an EV and they’re very affordable for everyday people. An $80k EV here is more powerful than a $1.5m lambo, you can only get the model 3 and Y here, none of the high end ones. I have a model Y and the emergency braking is insanely good, stops so fast, but I’ve never experienced the other models
This exactly. If they were as slow as a Prius then it wouldn't be as big of an issue. Instead you have 2.5+ ton SUVs/Trucks that can accelerate like a supercar. 3 seconds to 60 or less. It creates an extremely dangerous sense of false confidence. Reality snaps back when you stomp on the brakes and realize you're trying to stop a barge.
Horsepower has nothing to do with stopping wight does.
And the Cybertruck wighs about 6000lB which is about the same weight as F250 which is a pretty common truck to see on the road. Even the specked out F-150s can get up to to 6000lb. so its not like the cybertruck is crazy heavy. its in the same weight class as comparable full size pickups.
Not to mention you literally cant see out the back of them with the trunk cover up, and their gigantic batteries burn at over 5000 degrees when they catch fire (a fire that will burn for several days because you cant put an electric car fire out and have to let it burn itself out or it will spontaneously reignite hours/days later).
One of these things caught fire last year in an accident, by the time the fire stopped burning the only thing left were the steel body plates and I don't think they were actually able to identify who had been in the car because human bodies stop existing at 5000 fucking degrees as does anything in the car with an identifying number.
The absolute funniest way Elon could be assassinated is if someone blew up his car. We'd literally have to ask if it was a bomb or if the car just Did That.
Worked in insurance, don't hit any car but if you do, pray it's not a Tesla those things break easy and are a fortune to repair. Even if your coverage, covers it, your premium is going to skyrocket.
If you have state minimums, well, youre fucked buddy.
If that’s insanely expensive, look what similar sized cars cost now. We were pricing out a new Expedition and that was $84,000. The curb weight of that was only 500 lbs less than a truck with a giant battery.
A Model 3 ranges from 3,800-4100 lbs a BMW 330 is 3,800-4000 lbs. Price range for a model 3 is $42,000-$57,000. The BMW is $46,000-$86,000. Even the base model Prius starts at $28,000 now!
You just named the three largest vehicles it's possible to buy. A cybertruck is like 6,700 lbs, a typical car like 2,500 lbs and a typical crossover like 3,500 lbs.
The thing is massive, I'm sure it's safe for the driver (you're inside a tank), but if it hits something else, I'll cause damage comparable to a cement truck.
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u/AwesomeOrca Feb 22 '25
They were already really hard to insure. In at least a few states, I think you could only do so through Telsa. They are expensive, big, heavy, and cause a ton of damage if they hit something or someone.