How to buy a new Tesla and their options

Last updated 12-Jul-2025

This guide talks you through the choices when buying a new Tesla. Like this whole site, it tries to give an unbiased view rather than just repeat what Tesla’s own website publishes. We also have a guide to buying a used Tesla which may be preferable if that is what you are planning to do.

It's important to know that Tesla rarely build to order. They build batches of cars and match customer orders to what they have built. As a result, you can be waiting for a particular specification for some time while other buyers can order and take delivery fairly quickly of a similar car, the only differing being colour, wheel choice or even towbar which can be fitted later for the same cost. We would advocate always looking at inventory first to see if the car you want is already available, especially if you can be flexible on spec. Using our inventory listings will also reveal more information about the car than Tesla would ordinarily show you. The reason we suggest this is because Tesla will match you to an inventory car anyway, and occassionally they have offers on new inventory. If you buy from inventory you can also be more assured of the spec.

Of course, we'd also recommend you book a Tesla Test Drive before purchase to ensure you like the car, Tesla even often these without actually meeting a person. This is great for Tesla owners who are familiar with the controls, but we'd suggest avoiding if you're completely new as there are a few quirks sich as how to select drive, and indicator controls can be buttons on the steering wheel.

• Model 3

  This is the much-anticipated low-cost Tesla and while not quite as cheap as originally planned, it is still the most affordable new Tesla in RWD form (ignoring issues linked to tariff wars).

  The Model 3 is the smallest model although still a 5-seater, it is a saloon/sedan and while the boot/trunk is fairly large, it misses out on the practicality of the hatch found in the Model S and Model Y. It is also the first Tesla to be made with the CCS power connector for Europe as standard, this is backward compatible with the Type 2 AC charging sockets also in wide use outside North America.

  The Performance model is the best enthusiastic driver's car across the entire range especially with the introduction of the track pack 2. While the Plaid Model S can accelerate more quickly, it is the balance of handling and acceleration that make it more suitable for the enthusiast. With the launch of the Model Y, many buyers looking for a more practical car are switching to that in the markets where it is available as the increase in price is relatively small.

  The early cars showed a few indications of cost cutting, the build quality ws poor, although things have improved with the 2021 updates including such things as the heat pumps, and the 2024 Highland refresh bringing more refinement. The 'Highland' model adopts the steering wheel buttons first seen in the updated Model S and X for the indicators and this is something that is now generally accepted as being a compromise and on other models such as the Model Y, an indicator stalk has been retaned. We feel it is important to satisfy yourself that all likely drivers of a Highland Model 3 can adapt to the indicators before buying.

• Model Y

  The Model Y is larger than the Model 3 while still narrower than the Model S and Model X. It's extra height and hatch give it more practicality and it is available in 7 seat configuration in some countries. Unlike the Model X, the Model Y does not have additional HVAC for 3rd row passengers. For owners not interested in the Model 3 Performance we suspect this will be the value for money model.

  The Model Y is the car Tesla make most of with production in the China, US (Fremont and Austin) and Germany (Berlin).

  The primary concerns over the Model Y are however the suspension. For many, especially those that drive over uneven or rutted roads, the suspension can be too firm and not compliant enough. Others find it acceptable. While there appears some evidence that Tesla has tweaked the suspension, we think the changes over time is pretty marginal. The good news is that the Junioper update in 2025 has softened the suspension and added some additional enhancements, the softer suspension does however come at the price of a less composed drive.

• Model S

  The Model S is the car that started it all in terms of volume production. It was first face-lifted in 2016 and has had incremental changes each year since, however in 2021 it had a second major update which has changed the interior considerably and includes uplifts in performance but not range.

  The car is large, seats 5 easily, the previous 7 seat option has now been dropped, has good storage and unless you need the space of the Model X satisfies most owner’s needs. It has a couple of potential downsides like the inability to tow, but these only matter to a small number of potential owners.

  The down side is that some aspects of the car have been carried over from the previous generation. Its exterior is very similar, the battery cells are the same (although packaged differently), and the suspension is the same raven suspension which came out in the old model. There has been a further update in 2025 adding updates to the interior lighting, but essentially there doesn't appear to have been any fundemental changes to the chassis and structure of the car which dates back nearly 10 years.

• Model X

  This is the beast. The Model X is the largest, and while more recent than the Model S, much of the underpinnings are identical.

  5, 6 or 7 seat configuration, folding seats, high driving position all make it the most practical car, although certain models are only available in 6 seat configuration which does limit the praticality a little. For 5 occupants, the interior space is very similar to the Model Y, however the space for luggage in this configuration is much bigger. It's also the least efficient of the 4 cars as you would expect from the size which makes the smallest battery size a stretch for some, especially in winter.

  Like the Model S, in 2022 it went through a major update, and in 2025 a minor one, and whilst things have steadily improved, the underpinning are still getting quite aged.

• Cybertruck

  If you're interested int he cybertruck then there is probably little we can say that you don't already know. Its a head turning car but ended up more expensive than hoped and has not been a sales success. We feel the car is bought more for show than for the practicality it offers in general, but that said it does have some neat tricks.

Selecting options for your car

Because Tesla rarely build to order they have reduced the number of models and options considerably. The choices today largely boil down to interior and exterior colour and choice of wheels, other options are typically software enabled.

Exterior

The exterior looks have remained pretty much unchanged since 2016 when the MS was face-lifted and the MX launched. The Model 3 adopts many of the brand design features and its fairly clear they all come from the same family.

Colour and wheels are the only options now and it's certainly an area where the look of a car can change considerably depending on the chosen options. Dark large wheels can make it look menacing, smaller silver wheels can almost make the cars look like a toy. The previous options of sunroof on the Model S have gone, so there's now little in the way of options to select when buying new after you've picked the colour. We'd advise against the coloured wheel options as you can buy the standard wheels and get them repainted for much less money.

The paint colours have not changed much over the years, although Tesla appear to be bringng out a couple of new colours for MY cars built in Berlin. These do comne at a hefty price supplement.

Interior

The interior has changed on all models since their repscitve launches. The build quality has also improved although the material choice is now all vegan.

The choice for the cabin really boils down to seat colour as the rest of the trim is dictated by this. While the white seats may not look practical, they do lift the cabin colour and are relatively easy to clean.

Technology

The only real technology choice is whether to buy Full Self Driving or FSD, or in some countries the half-way house, EAP. This is one of the most debated topics amongst owners as the capabilities of FSD are still fairly limited compared to the promises.

The benefits to buying FSD varies from country to country. EAP offers some incremental beenfits over Autopilot such as Navigate on Autopilot, automated lane changing, summon and parking, but the price feels expensive for the benefits offered. Full self driving outside North America offers even less of an upgrade over EAP, however in North America FSD is showing some promise and is a credible option, although we'd recommend opting for the monthly lease of the option rather than outright purchase.

Battery and Drive choices

The battery choice is now largely a question of range. The shortest range is the M3 Rear Wheel Drive (formerly SR+). Given the increases in range of this model coupled with its willingness to charge to 100%, and the car does not really missing out on any features, and is a good starting point. It's only real downside is the performance is relatively poor compared to the AWD models, and a few interior features are downgraded like a slightly inferior sound system, but still acceptable. The Model Y has an equivalent choice. If range is the ultimate goal, the Long Range Rear Wheel drive options are available.

The All Wheel drive variants offer more performance at the cost of slightly shorter range. They often have slightly better materials and sound systems, usually just in something like the door linings.

The Model S and Model X have the same battery, the only real choice is the Plaid model or simply the long range model. We would suggest the Plaid model is probably the way to go with the Model S, and the Long Range with the Model X.

Towing

The towing package has been standard on the Model X for some time. The Model Y and now Model 3 have an option which can either be ordered with the car or fitted ant a Tesla service centre. The cost and finished product appear to the be same either way so there is no specific advantage over which route you go, although if buying from inventory look for both if you are interested as either with or without may be quicker, and if you are financing the car it may have an impact on the finances.

The cybertruck has always had towing capabilities

The general rule of thumb is towing can halve your range. Like driving in general, conditions such as weather and speed can have influence the range, as can the size of what you are towing.

Buying well and depreciation

It used to be said that Tesla are slow to depreciate. Sadly thats not been strictly true since mid 2022 and depreciation is now a real cost to ownership. Availability however is also much improved which has resulted in Tesla discounting cars to help sell them. Tesla also run periodic incenties allowing the transfer of optins such as FSD to new cars, free supercharging, either for a period of time or a number of miles, and a referral scheme, the details of which change all the time but can result in a cash reduction, a free upgrade or some free supercharging miles, we apply a referral code automatically to our listing to ensure you do not miss out. We believe our inventory listings are the most up to date and cover the widest geography.

When buying, there are ways to get better deals if you are flexible. Our Guide to saving money when buying a Tesla talks about the best time of year to buy and how to find the best prices.

If you want more information on depreciation, or how much to pay for a used model, you can find Tesla Depreciation Charts for most models and countries here. Of course, past depreciation is no guarantee of what the future holds.

The top tip is however, the best deals are geenrally at the end of a quarter, and especially at the end of the year in December.

Which to buy?

Our brief thoughts on the cars to buy and why:

• The Model 3 RWD where the lowest price is most important
• The Model 3 Performance if you want the best driving enthusiast's car
• The Model Y LR AWD for the best value for money car mixing practicality, performance and price
• The MS LR for the best long distance executive intercontinental drive
• The MS Plaid if you like the idea of the fastest exec saloon money can buy.
• The MX Long Range in 6 or 7 seat trim for the best people and load carrying super taxi option

Tesla buying process

When you buy a Tesla you will do so online. At the time of ordering, each model, wheel, colour combination has an expected date. Tesla however seem to use these expected dates as a means to manipulate demand, paradoxically they may extend the date to drive short term demand by giving the impression that there is a long lead time, and then offer earlier delivery to anyone who has placed an order. If you find yourself in this situation, Tesla will allow you to put a not before date on your order, so long as that is not beyond the expected date.

When you're waiting, the first sign that you have a car is to see whether you have a VIN assigned. This is not initially obvious on your MyTesla account, but once you've logged in to MyTesla, visit https://www.tesla.com/teslaaccount/oxp-bff-api/user-orders where you'll see some easy to read computer data which will include your VIN if one has been allocated, together with the spec sheet for your car which can be decoded in our Tesla option decoder. If you see "Missing token", it means you've not logged into MyTesla first.