ptruman
Active Member
Hi all,
It's been a while since I posted, for a variety of reasons - but mostly just been busy!
Today's ponderance is bought to you by "electric cars". I've wangled a bit of a pay-rise which also comes with an additional car allowance....so I've been "mentally shopping" (so far without actually physically shopping...)...and the "object of current desire" appears to be a Tesla Model 3 (I'd love a Model S but they are "silly money").
Why? My 2010 E350 is running perfectly well, albeit at 98K now - I've had it for 2.5 years now, I'm chewing £400 of fuel a month (solid motorway commute mileage) and Brum (where I live) is about to bring in emissions charges next year (along with other places) - so I've been looking at hybrids and electric cars. The main office has installed chargers and thus charging can happen at work and be 'free'. It cost me (or rather work, as I expensed it) £23 to drive the E350 into London the other week for the day....(I had to pick up a load of large/heavy items from central London)
The Model 3 has finally been group assessed, and Direct Line have finally starting doing quotes on it, and when I checked this morning, it was £2 more pcm than the E350, to insure the Model 3 "Long Range" model. I've built a spreadsheet that lists the costs of the E350 before and after being repaid - including direct debit tax, insurance, fuel etc - the only thing missing is service costs & MOT.
If I add up my (now paid) repayment costs and additional pay/allowance, I'm quite a bit better off a month - in fact it goes most of the way to paying the monthlies on a Model 3 (assuming £10K down and 60 months HP). For the sake of dreams, if I pretend I'm still still paying off the Merc, and swap to a Model 3 (recharge, not fuel), and I'd still be £100 a month left over, compared to the E350 "pre pay-rise". Servicing is less frequent/should be lower, there is no oil, I could charge at work (to further increase saving) and it looks promising. The Model 3 is also much quicker then the 231BHP E350 - but it's not as nice inside (the Model S is better, but as mentioned, mondo expensive).
Autotrader thinks I should get about £7K for the Merc, although it's not taking into account the fact it has all the toys it has (Distronic Plus, Night Vision, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Integrated Child Seats etc etc) - so I'd potentially go toward £8K (to hack at the £10K down).
Most similar spec saloons with hybrid/electric options are much more expensive, and (unless fully electric) still require fuel costs - so the maths doesn't work.
Should I stay with the "dirty diesel"/save my pennies? Go nuts? (does anyone want a rather well specced E350?)
It's been a while since I posted, for a variety of reasons - but mostly just been busy!
Today's ponderance is bought to you by "electric cars". I've wangled a bit of a pay-rise which also comes with an additional car allowance....so I've been "mentally shopping" (so far without actually physically shopping...)...and the "object of current desire" appears to be a Tesla Model 3 (I'd love a Model S but they are "silly money").
Why? My 2010 E350 is running perfectly well, albeit at 98K now - I've had it for 2.5 years now, I'm chewing £400 of fuel a month (solid motorway commute mileage) and Brum (where I live) is about to bring in emissions charges next year (along with other places) - so I've been looking at hybrids and electric cars. The main office has installed chargers and thus charging can happen at work and be 'free'. It cost me (or rather work, as I expensed it) £23 to drive the E350 into London the other week for the day....(I had to pick up a load of large/heavy items from central London)
The Model 3 has finally been group assessed, and Direct Line have finally starting doing quotes on it, and when I checked this morning, it was £2 more pcm than the E350, to insure the Model 3 "Long Range" model. I've built a spreadsheet that lists the costs of the E350 before and after being repaid - including direct debit tax, insurance, fuel etc - the only thing missing is service costs & MOT.
If I add up my (now paid) repayment costs and additional pay/allowance, I'm quite a bit better off a month - in fact it goes most of the way to paying the monthlies on a Model 3 (assuming £10K down and 60 months HP). For the sake of dreams, if I pretend I'm still still paying off the Merc, and swap to a Model 3 (recharge, not fuel), and I'd still be £100 a month left over, compared to the E350 "pre pay-rise". Servicing is less frequent/should be lower, there is no oil, I could charge at work (to further increase saving) and it looks promising. The Model 3 is also much quicker then the 231BHP E350 - but it's not as nice inside (the Model S is better, but as mentioned, mondo expensive).
Autotrader thinks I should get about £7K for the Merc, although it's not taking into account the fact it has all the toys it has (Distronic Plus, Night Vision, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Integrated Child Seats etc etc) - so I'd potentially go toward £8K (to hack at the £10K down).
Most similar spec saloons with hybrid/electric options are much more expensive, and (unless fully electric) still require fuel costs - so the maths doesn't work.
Should I stay with the "dirty diesel"/save my pennies? Go nuts? (does anyone want a rather well specced E350?)
