Tips On Selecting The Right Used Car For You
1. Decide on the type of car you want
There are thousands of used cars listed on the Motors.co.uk website, but narrowing down the search couldnt be simpler. Make a list of the features that are most important to you number of seats, fuel efficiency or even whether its an automatic car or manual and we simply help you filter down to a target selection thanks to our innovative search options.
2. Search smarter for a used car
Smart Search is the way to find exactly what youre looking for by the features you want in your next car, even if you dont have a specific make and model in mind. Smart Search allows you to narrow your search by requirements such as budget, fuel economy, vehicle tax and even a specific insurance group along with luxuries, colour and the number of seats you need for regular passengers and well bring you a comprehensive list of results.
If youre keen to browse local sellers and cars, our ‘Classic Search’ can help you find whats available in your area. Just enter your location, desired make and model, plus your price range and door-to-door search radius, and well show you whats on offer. Search results are automatically displayed by your local region to show you the closest cars first, but you can also sort by price, biggest reductions and most recently added cars.
3. History Check
4. Sell your car
Used Tesla Cars Overview
Teslas first car was the Roadster in 2008 an early electric convertible that was based on the Lotus Elise, and even partly assembled at the firms Norfolk factory. Bringing strong performance and a decent range, limited production means its a very rare sight.
But the breakthrough came in 2012 with the Model S, which was Tesla’s first bespoke EV. It was a stylish, advanced, practical and fast electric saloon and helped to get this manufacturer recognised. The line-up expanded in 2016 with the Model X SUV. Based on the S, this was a larger and more practical choice with up to seven seats.
In 2019, UK buyers got their hands on the first Model 3s an instrumental car in the growth of Tesla. This compact saloon offered the same tech and performance from larger Teslas, but at a far more affordable price. The latest addition is the Model Y a smaller SUV based on the 3, but still comes with seven seats. Launched at the end of 2021, its expected to become a big hit.
A Used Tesla Model S Can Be The Electric Car Of Your Dreams Just Avoid The 2013 Model
Even though it is a considerably new vehicle, the Tesla Model S has taken the market by storm and built a reputation for having very few reported problems and complaints. This car can last you a lifetime of trouble-free driving so long as you avoid the 2013 model and maintain your vehicle regularly.
A battery change can make your car brand new and provide you with many more years of reliable service. This liftback EV can be a wise investment, not to mention your first step towards a more modernized and clean future.
Recommended Reading: How Long Does Tesla Take To Deliver
Practicality And Running Costs
With a 744-litre boot and further 150-litre front boot the Tesla Model S offers capacious practicality that beats the likes of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate and Porsche Taycan .
There is plenty of cabin space in a Model S too, with most passengers having plenty of head and legroom, along with ample space for belongings as well.
With a large network of Tesla Superchargers dotted all over the country, fully-charging a Model S can take as little as 30 minutes. Some examples even came with free supercharging for life as part of a discontinued promotion, which can still be transferred to new owners when selling used.
Even if you have to pay for charging, it’s still much more affordable than petrol or diesel alternatives, with a full-charge costing around £15, in which you will be able to cover between 300 and 400 miles on average. Charging times via a home set-up take around 8 hours.
Servicing costs should be less than a comparable premium saloon because there’s no engine needing to be serviced, but brakes, tyres and other consumables will still require attention and cost.
Used Tesla Model S For Sale Near You Finding The Best Deals
Now that you have an idea of what it costs to buy a used Model S, that raises an important questionwhere is the best place to find a deal?! Were glad you asked
In our opinion, Find My Electric is hands down, the best place to buy a used Model S. We bring together private sellers, Tesla enthusiasts, and dealers in a single marketplace that allows you to search/sort/filter down to the nerdiest, most specific Tesla options in order to find exactly what youre looking for!
Don’t Miss: Tesla Charging Stations For Home
History Of The Tesla Model S
Despite launching in 2012, the Tesla Model S was actually announced way back in 2008, just five years after the company was founded. The announcement of the Model S signaled a new beginning for the electric car company.
Teslas first car, the Roadster, was heavily based on the Lotus Elise and was in many ways a taste of what was to come in the future. It was the first all-electric production car to travel more than 320 km on a single charge and it showed the world that electric vehicles could not only be practical, but also stylish.
While the Roadster was an excellent first attempt at a proper all-electric production sports car, Elon Musk and other key members of the Tesla team had a different intention for the future of the company. They didnt want to just be another sports car company, they wanted to bring electric cars to the masses and knew they needed a more practical car to do so.
The four-door Model S would be their first real step to achieving this goal. The first official announcement of the development of the car would come in a press release on the 30 June 2008, and the first prototype was displayed at a press conference on March 26 the next year.
From the outset it was clear that the young American car manufacturer meant business. The Model Ss clean smooth lines were styled by a team led by Franz von Holzhausen, who previously worked for Mazdas North American team.
Tesla Model S Specifications & Versions
Below you can find the specifications of the Model S and all the different versions sold to date. Note: models with a D indicate that the car features Teslas Dual Drive all-wheel drive system, while models with a P indicate that the model is a performance one and it will be capable of entering ludicrous mode.
Don’t Miss: Tesla Self-driving Car Price
Looking For A Used Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S . With the largest selection of cars from dealers and private sellers, Autotrader can help find the perfect Model S for you.
Autotrader has 1,591 Used Tesla Model Ss for sale, including a 2013 Tesla Model S, a 2014 Tesla Model S, and a 2016 Tesla Model S ranging in price from $29,999 to $190,900.
Used Tesla Model S For Sale
Looking for a used Tesla Model S? Youre in luck there are plenty of them for sale these days, as more and more people are trading in their old cars for new Teslas. The best place to find a used Tesla Model S is Teslas.forsale and online through sites like Tesla Motors Club or Tesla Classifieds. When shopping for a used Tesla Model S, its important to keep in mind that these cars are still relatively new, so you wont find any bargains. In fact, you should expect to pay around a little less for a used Model S as you would for a new one. But, of course, the price will vary depending on the cars condition, mileage, and other factors.
Also Check: How Much Does Tesla Model S Cost
Reason To Avoid: Risk Factor
Ultimately, when it comes to buying any used car, there is always going to be an element of risk, as you are having to place all your trust in the fact that the person selling the car is telling the exact truth about the car.
When documents are handed over in a deal such as this, it is expected that everything is exactly the truth, with the cars history and any problems all being openly discussed before any purchases are made.
However, many people have been caught naively trusting a seller in this situation in the past, and therefore, this is something that people have to be wary of when choosing this method of purchase.
Reason To Buy: It’s Cheaper
The main purpose of buying any used vehicle is down to finance. After all, if you can buy a brand new car for the same price, why would you ever want to purchase a car that already has miles in the tank?
Any used vehicle should be available at a much cheaper cost, so, for those who are desperate to get behind the wheel of a Tesla but don’t have the finances to do so at full price, this could be a perfect loophole.
It is important to actually shop around, though, as there will be more expensive and cheaper versions around dependent on what price the seller is looking for.
RELATED: 10 Cars That Are Surprisingly Cheap To Maintain
Don’t Miss: 2020 Tesla Model S Price
A Tesla Model S Can Provide You With Over 400000 Miles Of Service With Proper Maintenance
A well-taken-care-of Tesla Model S can last between 200,000 and 400,000 miles before needing a battery replacement. Based on an average of 15,000 miles per year, this car can provide you with 13 to 27 years of reliable service. The Model S comes with an 8-year/150,000-mile drive unit and battery warranty.
The Model S can easily go above 100,000 miles with unnoticeable battery degradation. After about 300,000 miles, your battery will likely have around 70% to 80% of its original capacity. The Model S can reportedly reach 400,000 miles however, it will probably need a battery replacement.
Following the manufacturers suggested maintenance schedule is crucial in order to keep your Tesla Model S in mint condition.
- Every two tears: replace the cabin air filter, rotate tires, and have your brake fluid tested.
- Every three years: replace the A/C desiccant bag
Tesla also recommends yearly cleaning and lubricating of all brake calipers for cars in cold-weather regions.
According to the RrpairPal website, the annual cost of ownership for a Tesla Model S is $832 on average, greatly depending on age, mileage, and location.
Reason To Buy: It’s Likely To Be Well Looked After
When buying any used car, the risk is always the unknown factor of how the previous owner has treated the car during their ownership, with some people ragging their vehicle around, producing wear and tear.
However, when it comes to more expensive vehicles, that element of risk instantly lowers, as it is highly unlikely that someone would spend lots of cash on a Tesla only to treat it poorly. If anything, the car is likely to have been looked after even more than usual, with extra care being taken. As a result, there should be a lower risk of problems at a later date.
Recommended Reading: How Long To Recharge Electric Car
Used Model S Vs Cpo Model S Whats The Difference
Whenever the words used Model S are thrown around, undoubtedly the term CPO Model S is tossed in alongside it somewhere. What does that mean, exactly? Well, it refers to Teslas factory Certified Pre-Owned program.
Technically, Tesla doesnt certify pre-owned vehicles anymore , but people still refer to them as CPO cars in the Tesla community. Essentially, youre buying a used car directly from Tesla that theyve taken back on a trade, lease, or in some other way and then they check the car over and issue either a 2-year or 4-year warranty on the vehicle depending upon the year and mileage . The 2-year warranty goes up to 100k miles, and the 4-year warranty typically goes an additional 50k miles above the current mileage on the vehicle, and is similar to the initial factory warranty.
The fact that you get a warranty is definitely a benefit to buying directly from Tesla, but the problem is that this comes at a higher cost, and you can often add an extended warranty to a used Model S as long as there is some remaining balance of the factory warranty. In addition to that, many used Model S vehicles for sale still have a balance of the factory warranty too. So, you might be able to get a better deal from a private party and then just add your own extended warranty direct from Tesla.
In the next few sections, well look directly at some of the pros and cons related to buying a used Model S vs. a CPO Model S.
Reason To Buy: They Are Built To Last
One of the big selling points of a Tesla is its durability, the cars are built with long-term goals. After all, scrapping cars constantly doesn’t scream good for the environment, which is why they are built to last.
While a used Tesla is obviously going to have plenty of miles on the clock, that should not affect the performance of the vehicle in any way, meaning that buying one that has already been used should be a safe spend.
It has been claimed that Tesla’s are built for a lifetime, so there is no reason to believe that the car should have issues outside of needing to replace things such as the wheels, which isn’t a major surprise.
Recommended Reading: Radio Flyer Tesla Model Y
Is It Okay To Purchase A Model S Without Physically Inspecting It
We always recommend that you or a reliable third party physically inspects any vehicle before purchase. Buying a Model S based on the sellers photos and descriptions opens you up to massive risk and the possibility of some extremely expensive bills when you get the car.
The only exception to this rule is if you are buying the used Model S from a trusted Tesla dealer who has rated the car highly.
Reason To Avoid: You May Miss Out On Certain Features
Tesla is always innovating, and, because of that, the newer models of the cars often bost many cool features that previous versions didn’t have in order to try and make people interested in upgrading.
However, when you purchase a used Tesla, you are getting whatever model that car was, meaning that there is a good chance that some of the newest features will be missing as the car is going to be older.
That means things such as the popular Autopilot mode, one of Tesla’s biggest selling points, could be unavailable, which could put some people off buying one.
Also Check: How Are Tesla Batteries Made
Find A Usedtesla Model Snear You
TrueCar has 1,053used Tesla Model Smodels for salenationwide, including a Tesla Model S 60 RWD and a Tesla Model S P100D. Prices for a used Tesla Model S currently range from$29,999 to $190,900, with vehicle mileage ranging from11 to188,098.Find used Tesla Model S inventory at a TrueCar Certified Dealership near you by entering your zip code and seeing the best matches in your area.If you wish to buy your used Tesla Model S online, TrueCar has 51models available to buy from home, allowing you to purchase your Tesla Model S remotely and have it delivered directly to your residence in thecontinental United States.
The Tesla Model 3 Still Isn’t Cheap On The Used Market A Used Model S May Be Cheaper Than A New Model 3
First of all, Kudos to YouTube channel Red Rocket for covering this outstanding topic. This is something we’ve mentioned many times, mostly because people ask us how they can buy a used Tesla. The cheapest used Tesla is a Model S, not a Model 3. However, the Model 3 is well-priced new, and it’s much more popular.
It’s a very tough decision. Pick up Tesla’s high-end flagship model for a steal on the used market, or get the cheaper Model 3 brand-new? This is a question that people may not have to ask themselves related to many other brands. A flagship model that costs $80,000 to $100,000 new should probably cost more on the used market than an entry-level car that starts at less than half the price .
There are a few important factors to point out here, and while they may seem obvious to some, there are plenty of people out there in the market for a used Tesla who just don’t have all the information, or simply don’t understand.
The Model S has been on the market for years, and, like most expensive luxury vehicles, it can tend to depreciate quickly, so you can pick up an older used model for less than $30,000. In the meantime, the Model 3 is just going into its fourth year, though it’s actually only been about three years since Tesla started delivering it in volume. This means there are fewer copies on the used market, and there’s high demand.
See These Related Tesla Articles For More Information:
Also Check: Was The First Car Electric
How To Get The Best Deal On A Model S
This information applies to both dealers and private sealers. Knowledge is power and it can save you a lot of money when purchasing a vehicle.
