So I was doing some car searching, and the thread about dealers made me realize something. I could lease a new Tesla Model S AND buy my S560 and it would be cheaper than leasing a new S580, in the very least no more costly.

That’s compelling!

 

Would you be as happy with a Model S as with the S560 or 580? I can't judge that for you, but I would have some doubts....it's hard to beat the S-class's ride comfort. M-B products also have a reputation for safety that is unmatched by any other brand except (possibly) for Volvo.

 

lol, glad not in style then!



wow, that was hard to believe so i did a bit of digging. a long range model y with no down payment that's $828/mo. to lease! just looked at no option model s and it's $1209/mo. with $7500 down.

your s560 at lease end is what, $70-80k? that's another $2K/mo. financed probably?

so combo $3200/mo. + $7500 down.

s580 lease near me is $2900-3700/mo. with $14K due at signing (truecar)!!!

so yeah, i can see your point! then you have the garage problem though.

 

I have my doubts too, which is why being able to keep both is compelling. I could try the Model S and see if I like it without getting rid of a car I do love.

He has his moments! lol

Pretty crazy! A Model S LR optioned like I would want is $1,450 a month. Thats also an order, I'm sure I could find an in stock unit and get a better deal. Buyout on my S560 at the end of the lease is $44,456.40. I have a year to go to get there, so the buyout right now is probably around $63k. With the rates bad I would run that all the way to the end, I wouldn't buy it out early. So even the lease payments for both would equal $2,950 or so, and a new S580 optioned like I would want (which is not very optioned, like mine) would be probablty$2,300-$2,400 a month.

Thats what I've been saying about getting a new S580, the cost is dramatically more than my S560.

Garaging would be an issue. My wife would be very unhappy having to park on the street so I would have to put the S560 on the street, Tesla would have to be garaged so it could be charged...but a very surprising financial exercise lol

 

It's July 4 weekend and I'm headed to Dandridge...do you all think I should even try to stop in the Buckees? I do need gas.

 

The cost to lease these days is too much IMO so I will probably buy out my lease since I got it for a good price and I custom ordered it the way I wanted.

As for the Tesla, I keep mine outside and just rind the cable under the garage door no problem. I would do that vs leaving the S class outside.

 

Oh please do and report back. I was so bummed I didn’t stop on my road trip the Florida earlier this year but it was past 1am and I didn’t feel like stopping.

 

That is compelling and but the thing is will the S/S560 combo experience be the same as having a newS580? You'll also be paying insurance for two and one has to go out on the street too.

We plan on going on a trip and the first thing we agreed on is... we'll skip Buccee. Gas is not even cheaper. I don't need to go through the crowd to just pee.

 

Okayyyyy. So. To get into this place is almost the same thing as driving into an amusement park, not exaggerating. F’n insanity. We decided not to get gas and just drove around it all. Didn’t get any pics of the actual place, next time lol.






Happy 4th from the lake from Dandridge. My in-law just built this house, I never want to leave. We are a very close family so I can just come here literally whenever.

 

LOL that looked insane!

Will they let you buy out Tesla leases now?

Even if the payment was the same for tax reasons I would have to lease.

I don't particularly want a new S580, thats the thing. I like a lot of things about my car better. I was telling my wife today, if it were something that I really wanted I would just go pay the money, but to pay $1,000 more a month for the new version of the same car when I don't love it is kinda insane.

Its somethin you just gotta see lol

 

We were able to go drive a Carnival and a Telluride today. Salesman told me pretty much "ignore the markup"...

I actually really liked the Carnival, definitely the most compelling van out, to me. Very SUV looking and feeling, I liked the technology. Kia/Hyundai has excellent lane centering and self driving. Interior was nice, not quite as nice in terms of materials as the Pacifica, but design with the full console and the two Mercedes style 12 inch screens has a better, more SUV feel to me since thats what I am going for. Reasonably quiet, 63 dB at 65MPH, so about the same as the Pacifica, maybe a little louder. Engine/transmission combination is much better than the Pacifica. The pentastar in the Pacifica can feel and sound harsh, and that ZF 9 speed is just a mess with gearing. I think we would probably get one of these on a 3 year lease if we decide to stay in a van. Like me, she hates the name Carnival. Unfortunate there is no AWD version.

She also really liked the Telluride, this was a fully loaded SX Prestige trim, she really liked the suede headliner and the heads up display and the camera rearview mirror (none of which are available on the Carnival). Telluride is really a great vehicle, feels so premium and much more expensive than it is. I asked her if she thought the GLS was truly worth $45,000 more...and she hesitated before she said no lol. Space is obviously much less than in a minivan, which concerns her but she was thinking through ways around that, so thats good.

Big sticking point for her is the rear doors. She is convinced that the kids cannot be taught to not open the doors into everything around them. My kids both have ADHD and they do act before they think often, and I see where she is coming from with that. They also will leave the doors standing open and things like that and we have to close them with the key. I leap out routinely and help them with doors when I am driving them places in my car. She drives carpool and is very anxious about the doors. For me, I would just set the child locks and get out and open the door and let them out, but she's not going to want to do that in the carpool lane. That really is her only objection to getting an SUV, otherwise she would really like to be done with vans too. She turned around and looked at that Telluride several times...

I think what I will probably have to do is rent an SUV for a week or something and let her live with it and see what kind of issue all of this truly is. I think if I am able to get her out of a van, it will wind up having to be something like the GLS that really wows her though...

 

Chances are they will not insist on a mark-up, especially if you a repeat customer. Me and my brother avoided one back in May when he got his new Seltos.

My brother agrees with you on that. He likes the Kia self-centering system too.


The ZF 9-speed has a history of customer-complaints in both Stellantis and Honda products.


Carnival was also the general worldwide name of the last-generation Kia minivan. The name Sedona was used only in the U.S.


Yep, among minivans, gotta go with a Sienna for that....and the Sienna, otherwise, except for the AWD option, does not impress me.

I'm surprised she even hesitated...that seems like a foregone conclusion.

Isn't there a Parental feature that will seal the rear doors shut until you or your wife open them up from the outside and actually let them out?

 

Well I ain't paying one so if they want to sell me a car it wont have a markup lol

I'm aware, they should have used Sedona for everywhere else in the world.

Pacifica has an AWD option now too

The GLS is a much cooler/better vehicle. It has tangibles and intangibles that make it worth the price tag. Turbocharged inline 6, RWD architecture, more sophisticated chassis and suspension, more performance, better styling, more space, MB brand and service. Its more that the Telluride is one of those vehicles that really feels much more premium than it is.

I would take the GLS every time lol, but it truly is an incredible vehicle for $52,000.

Yeah they have child locks. This is not a rational stressor, its an irrational stressor that really can be worked through. Thats just how she is, she latches on one thing and you kind of have to jump through hoops to address her objection. I'm just still undecided how much relationship capital I am willing to spend on this issue lol

 

Sorry, wasn’t clear, I meant for my X7 and like you, I don’t love the newer look enough to lease a new one for much more money with less options.

The Model S I bought because the lease price was so high and the finance rate I got was 1.74% which you can’t get anymore.

 

Got it, yeah if I had a pre LCI X7 or X5 I wouldn't upgrade either.

Its not that I wouldnt be happy with the S580, I'm sure I would. if the payments were similar I would probably upgrade, but to spend an extra $1K a month for a car that doesn't wow me doesn't compute...