So maybe the first entry of my Tesla Model Y series caught your attention and you are starting to think more seriously about a Tesla—or for that matter, any Electric Vehicle (EV)? To help you consider the next steps, I’ll take you through the entire process: the test drive, the purchase, the waiting period, the pick-up, and beyond! Keep reading for The Ultimate Tesla Buyer’s Guide: Everything You Need To Know And More!

P.S. If you use my specific link HERE, you’ll receive 1000 FREE Super Charger Miles
and I’ll receive 1000 Free Super Charger Miles as well. 🙂

The Tesla Test Drive

First, let’s start with the test drive.  Unlike your typical test drive, the Tesla test drive is truly an event.  I first test drove a Tesla Model 3 back in January 2020 at the Westchester Mall in White Plains, New York.  Now keep in mind, this was pre-pandemic.  And while I have only positive things to say about the Tesla Advisor (that’s what they are called!) who accompanied me, I have to admit that trialing a Tesla on the busy streets of White Plains proved to be far too stressful. The Sales Associate navigated the parking garage (both exit and entry) and rode shotgun while I drove for about 10 minutes. But instead of focusing on the car and its technology, I had to worry about the traffic, pedestrians, and merging cars. Lesson learned!

My Test Drive In Mt. Kisco, New York

So when I went back in March 2021 to test a Model Y, I made the appointment in Mt. Kisco (one of only 5 Tesla sales centers in New York State). The center is located just off of the Saw Mill Parkway and I knew this would allow me to experience the open road and beautiful scenery. Whether you are in New England, New York, or anywhere else in the world, I highly recommend doing your test drive in proximity to open roads so that you can soak in the experience without worrying too much about the distractions.  

More about the test drive process. From start to finish, it was entirely contactless.  I made my appointment on the Tesla website, selected a time slot that worked for me, and received a confirmation call the morning of my visit.  Once on site, I let the Tesla Advisor know I was there and he immediately showed me to the vehicle (even though I was 30 minutes early!).  Although I’m sure he would have been happy to give me more instructions, I had prepared ahead of time by watching countless YouTube videos and I knew my way around the car.

And I’m Off!

Within minutes, I was off on my test drive.  He suggested I return in 20 minutes or so, which kind of seemed like a short amount of time. With all my research, I knew that there was a 100 mile limit on test drives (or something like that!), so I headed out to enjoy the ride and didn’t worry too much about timing.

Immediately, I was in awe.  My first merger onto the parkway was exhilarating (0-60 speed is 4.8 seconds in a long-range Model Y and 3.5 seconds in the Performance model). I had heard some complaints about the stiffness of the drive, but I was really pleased with the smoothness and luxury feeling.   After doing about 10 miles on the parkway, I hit some country roads and even found myself onto a dirt road.  The car was definitely up to the task!

I was a little nervous to test some of the iconic features like Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (traditional cruise control + a setting that automatically keeps your car a certain number of vehicle lengths behind the car in front of you) and Autosteer (as the name implies, the car steers itself so long as the driver keeps a little bit of pressure on the wheel). And if my test car had Full Self Driving, I didn’t know it because I definitely wasn’t ready to try that.  

Anyway, the drive itself couldn’t have gone better.  When I returned to the Tesla Center 35 minutes later, I turned in my card (no keys, no key fob, just a credit-card shaped card) and was sold. Keep in mind, I had done months of research and was 100% hoping that the test drive would make me feel ready to make the purchase! 

The Purchase

Because Tesla uses the “direct to consumer” approach and therefore doesn’t have “dealerships,” there is no negotiation or haggling. If you are someone who likes the process of squeezing the lowest price and greatest number of perks from a franchised dealer, then you might be disappointed.  But if you like a streamlined shopping process, you’ll be in heaven. The price is the price, and unlike most other EVs that I considered, there are few options to weigh or choices to make once you’ve chosen your model.  Here’s how it went down for me:

After finishing my drive, I met with a Tesla Advisor for a few minutes.  He offered to complete the sales process for me on his computer. He was also straightforward about the fact that there is no sales commission. There was absolutely no pushing me or pressure—just a sincere desire to help me if I wanted the help.  Since I wanted to think things over and also felt quite comfortable that I could navigate the online purchasing process at home, I opted to do it myself.  Once home, it took me less than 5 minutes to log on to the Tesla website and build my Model Y…

Building My 2021 Tesla Model Y

-Model: Y

-Type: Long Range. (The Performance option hits a top speed of 155mph. However, it has a reduced range of 303 miles and costs $10k more.)

-Paint Color: Pearl White. (The other colors all cost either $1k or $2k, but I loved the white that comes at no additional cost!)  

-Wheels (19-inch Gemini rather than the 20-inch black induction wheels that cost an extra $2k. The smaller wheels are a little more efficient and make for a slightly smoother ride. And since I’m not a huge fan of the black wheels, this was an easy decision. But the 20-inch black induction wheels are definitely a popular option! )

-No Tow Hitch 

-Interior color (White rather than black…while it costs an extra $1k and might prove to be a little tougher to keep clean, the white interior has that “wow factor” and I know that Ranger and I are up to the challenge of keeping it clean)

-Seating Layout: 5 Seats (I definitely don’t need 7 seats!)

-No Full Self-Driving Capability (currently an additional $10k)

The Deposit

Once I had made those selections, I continued to the Payment page where I was asked to make a $100 deposit and select my method of financing (purchase, loan, or lease). There is a case to be made for leasing a Tesla since it’s entirely possible that battery technology and other features will advance significantly within three years. But I was ready to commit to the purchase and felt that the cost of this particular lease (approximately $25k over three years) made it less attractive than purchasing the car outright for approximately $50k.

After entering my credit card information and then completing my profile (pro tip: this is a step that sometimes people forget to take and therefore they don’t get their vehicle as quickly as they should), I was done.  From start to finish, it took far less time than it just took me to write this paragraph! Estimated delivery time was 1-10 weeks (kind of a funny range) and now it was just time to wait.

The Wait For My Tesla

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t check my Tesla account every day for updates.  For the first couple weeks, absolutely nothing happened.  The page looked the same each day, the estimated deliver time remained 1-10 weeks, and I continued to count the days…8, 13, 18 days in.  Then, one day about 3 weeks into the wait I noticed a huge update.  Instead of listing the estimated delivery time as 1-10 weeks, the page showed an estimated delivery date of April 23-May 6.  Wow, that was fast! As it turned out, that window would change daily, sometimes even reverting back to the initial 1-10 weeks!

Finally, on Earth Day the wait was over! Only 27 days after taking my test drive and putting down my deposit, I received an email from Tesla with the subject line, “2021 Model Y Cash Final Payment Ready.” I gathered that Tesla was ready to collect some money from me and probably had a car that was ready to be delivered.  And sure enough, my Tesla Account now listed my VIN # and I received a call from a Tesla Advisor to schedule delivery.

We scheduled the delivery for 16 days later (I guess the journey from the Fremont factory to the East Coast takes a while). I then paid the outstanding balance via ACH (pro tip: some people suggest paying via check and not giving in the check until you are satisfied with the final inspection), called my Insurance company with the Vin # and date of pick-up, and spent the next two weeks watching some more videos!

Picking Up My Tesla Model Y

I approached the pick-up process with the same attention to detail that I would bring to any photoshoot! A lot of online reviews and videos talk about Teslas having suspect build quality. And I admit I was a little worried that my new Model Y would come with some defects.  So I made a list of all the things I wanted to check (door alignment, integrity of the paint job, cleanliness of the white seats, etc…) and brought that with me!

When I arrived at the Mount Kisco location for my contactless designated pick-up time, I started by scanning a code that was posted on a sign in the new car lot (pro-tip: even though I wanted to go in the morning, I knew the sales center would be less busy in the late afternoon so I opted for a 3pm pick-up). This alerted the sales team that I was there, and my phone then received a checklist—the first item was to walk around the lot and find the car with my name in the window.  It took me a few tries since I guess white Model Y’s are a hot item these days!

Inspecting My Tesla

Once I found my car, a Tesla Advisor met with me for a few minutes. I signed pre-printed papers that were waiting on my front seat, and I took about 20 minutes to inspect every aspect of the car.  The good news is that I only found a few easy to fix things: some grease on the interior headliner, some dirt on the white seats, and some red writing on the back of the car.  My Tesla Advisor—Dylan– took care of each of those things within minutes!

He then helped program my phone so that it could serve as the key, adjusted some settings on the 15-inch center screen, helped me connect my Bluetooth, and offered to give me as many or as few instructions as needed.  He couldn’t have been nicer or more passionate about Tesla, and this only helped me confirm that I had made an amazing decision! In case you were wondering, the car came charged to about 82% and I was ready to head home! 

So I Own a Tesla, Now What?

The test drive, purchase, wait, and pick-up were all huge life moments for me, but of course the truly fun part is the adventure that now awaits.  527 miles later, I couldn’t be happier.  In future posts, I’ll share with you many of the nuances that make owning a Tesla—or really any Electric Vehicle—so cool. We’ll cover accessories, charging, one-pedal driving (pro-tip: it’s amazing), and lots of other fun topics.  I’ll be taking my Model Y on a series of road trips in the coming month, including a girls’ adventure to Huttopia in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and a pair of trips to Maine—one for an amazing partnership with Spruce Point Inn and the other for some family time. 

P.S. If you use my specific link HERE, you’ll receive 1000 FREE Super Charger Miles
and I’ll receive 1000 Free Super Charger Miles as well. 🙂

Is there anything else you want to learn about? Any specific questions you have? Let me know and I’ll be sure to address them in future posts!

   

tags: The Ultimate Tesla Buyer’s Guide // Tesla Model Y // White Tesla Model Y // 2021 Tesla // Greenwich, CT // Kizik Sneakers