cx876

that sounds in line with our B service just without an oil change.
I still think it's way over price for $600, you can probably count the number of indy shop that can work on Tesla in the entire US with your fingers,
so 99% of the people are stuck with factory owned service store, good luck getting a service coupon

JTK44

The B service at my Mercedes Benz dealer with the coupon is $229. Others have posted that their dealers have specials for $199. Take out the oil change and you are under $100.

Telsa charges $600: They put people in jail for less!

ua549

You probably don't stress you AC since you are in New York. In hot climates where AC runs at the highest output 10 months of the year. The AC often needs to be "topped up" annually to keep it running at peak performance. At a minimum it needs to be tested annually for proper operation.

My E300 is 2½ years old. I just got the fob battery replaced. That is a bit longer than usual.

You may be able to service a car yourself, but I have to pay someone to perform those maintenance tasks such as lubrication, topping up fluid levels, washing and vacuuming.

I do not consider $50 per month outrageous for vehicle maintenance. I actually spend much more than that if I include things such as quarterly detailing (wax burns off in 2 or 3 months in Florida), reserve for tire replacement . . .

JTK44

Dear UA549:

Sorry: I have never had to "top off" AC or heard of anyone ever doing that. If there is something wrong with the AC it is a warranty item for the first 50,000 miles/4 years.

Never had to replace battery in key fob either at 2 1/2 years. Again a warranty item.

Living up north I do replace my windshield washer fluid - something I do myself, not something I go to the dealer to do. I also check my tire pressure, pump my own gas and vacuum my car!

Consider yourself lucky to be able to pay $600 - $50 a month (or foolish) to change wiper blades and air filters!

But each of us spends our money as we see fit. I just do not like to be ripped off!

ua549

Many of us are not physically able to perform those seemingly simple tasks.

cx876

yes the AC part sounds strange to me, AC system in modern car is literally service free,
you only ever need to top it off if there's a leak in the system,
in that case you have a bigger fish to fry

JTK44

Sorry to hear about that. I am past 75 and have no trouble topping off windshield fluid, pumping my own gas and occasionally vacuuming my car.

In any event there is no way I would ever pay Tesla or anyone $600 to change the wiper blades and air filter!

JTK44

Sometimes it pays to go to the source:




"Unlike gasoline cars, Tesla cars require no traditional oil changes, fuel filters, spark plug replacements or emission checks. As electric cars, even brake pad replacements are rare because regenerative braking returns energy to the battery, significantly reducing wear on brakes."

• Air Conditioning Service
  An air conditioning service replaces the desiccant to help the longevity and efficiency of the air conditioning system. Tesla recommends an air conditioning service every 2 years for Model S, every 4 years for Model X and every 6 years for Model 3.
• Brake Fluid Test
  Tesla recommends testing brake fluid for contamination every 2 years and replacing as needed.
• Cabin Air Filter
  Your Tesla is equipped with an air filter that prevents pollen, industrial fallout, road dust and other particles from entering through the vents. Tesla recommends replacing your cabin air filter every 2 years.
• Tire Rotation, Balance and Wheel Alignment
  Tesla recommends checking your tires every 10,000-12,000 miles for rotating, balancing and aligning needs. Aggressive driving can lead to premature tire wear and may require more frequent tire service. Unbalanced and misaligned wheels affect handling, tire life and steering components. Refer to tire manufacturer's owner manuals and warranty documentation for additional details.
• High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter
  If your Tesla is equipped with a HEPA filter, Tesla recommends replacing it every 3 years.
• Winter Care
  Tesla recommends cleaning and lubricating all brake calipers every 12 months or 12,500 mi for cars in cold weather regions.
• Does my car require an annual maintenance service?
  Your Tesla does not require annual maintenance and regular fluid changes. Please check your Owner’s Manual for latest maintenance recommendations for your Tesla.
• If I choose not to service my Tesla car, will this void my warranty?
  Your New Vehicle Limited Warranty or Used Vehicle Limited Warranty will not be affected if recommended service is not performed. However, coverage under your Extended Service Agreement may be affected if the recommended service is not performed. See the Tesla Extended Service Plan Terms and Conditions for further details.

As I said, the guy who paid $600 was ripped off!


see:https://www.tesla.com/support/car-maintenance

wagonsrock

Your comparison was 100% spot on regarding the strengths and weaknesses of both vehicles - nice to read a balanced review for once.
As someone who routinely drives both cars on a regular basis, I can comment on autonomous driving:

In my 2018 E400S drive pilot works great on the highway, and its really useful for long distance trips, but on country roads its frequently useless/dangerous. It drops in and out without warning (steering wheel icon changes from green to white or yellow with no warning, which is 'OK' if you accept MBs stipulation that you should have hands on wheel and be prepared to take over at any time. I've heard that the 2019 MY implementation is better, but I've no experience with that.

The '2018' Tesla system, really 2020 because we have had numerous free over the air software updates, on average every 2 weeks since purchasing the M3, is way better than MB for multiple reasons. First it works surprisingly well on almost all country roads: i.e. the car keeps in lane without drifting while on the same roads the E400 just gives up. This seems to be because the Tesla system does a better job of predicting where the road ahead lies, even when lane marking drop out, and it also can do this for curves with a tighter turn radius than the E400. When the M3 'gives up' it lets you know with robust visible and audible warnings, something MB should have implemented. Finally, I have no idea what the E400 is sensing, other than a distance indicator to the car ahead, while in the M3 I have a pictorial representation of traffic behind me, on both sides, and in front (including multiple cars in front of me in my lane of travel, achieved by bouncing radar under car that's immediately in front). This gives me a much better sense of what the car is doing.

The current M3 system is not true autonomous driving yet. With V3 hardware it now recognizes stop signs, traffic lights (including when they change color), and road hazards like traffic cones, bins in the road etc, but currently it does not use this information to brake or to steer the car. My guess is as the system learns and gets better, these will be implemented in software to control the car.

Because my experience is with 2018 drive pilot, I'd love to hear how 2019/2020 implementations behave, especially on local roads. I'd like even more to get a software update, but that's not in MB's business model

cx876

so sounds like they updated their requirement last year, although Tesla no longer require a annual service, tire rotation, balance, and wheel alignment are still required every 10 to 12K

https://www.thedrive.com/news/27109/...t-too-reliable

ua549

The MB system requires that there are delineated lanes. It there are no markings on one side of the lane, drive pilot will "drop out".

JTK44

Sorry no as to wheel alignment, balancing and tire rotation.

Read above: If needed is the key: So if your car does not pull to either side and the tire wear is even then you do not need an alignment: Ditto for wheel balancing and tire rotation: if you car is riding smoothly, shows no tire wear and no steering wheel vibration then no tire balancing is needed: If tire wear is even on all four tires, then no rotation is needed.

I realize that not everyone has a tire gauge - cost less than $10, and can bend down to measure tire depth, but those of us who can, we save a bundle.

On the other hand everyone can tell if their car is pulling to one side or the other and needs an alignment and hopefully everyone can feel vibration in the steering wheel indicating a need for tire balancing.

Note also no lubrication except in cold climates.

So what is left: wiper blades and air filters!

Music_Lover

Hehe!