@BunsenBurner when you say the store do you mean the showroom or the repair center? Most of the folks on the showroom didn’t have much to offer because they don’t sell the 3.
Jym - both in the showroom and at the service center (but there are some dim bulbs who work at the showroom, definitely). The gal at the showroom who helped us had access to the parts of our account we could not access.
Finding more booboos with the car 
Will work through them.
What kind of booboos?
I’m about to place my order, unless anyone can tell me why I should spend more…
$35k base + $9k long range battery + $5k premium interior + $1k deep blue metallic color = $50k.
That means I’m passing on the following:
$4k awd or $15k awd high performance
$1.5k sport wheels
$5k enhanced autopilot
$3k full self-driving capability
As others have mentioned, the $14k battery and interior upgrades are mandatory to order now. Also, Tesla is including an “expected” $7.5k federal tax credit, but I’m not sure if that might be halved by the time I take delivery.
Thoughts?
I got the enhanced autopilot. And they are releasing the “summon” update that will allow you to summon the car. I think it only comes with the enhanced autopilot
I have to admit I never use the summon feature on my car. I also haven’t found the auto park feature particularly useful. The long range upgrade is definitely worth the money, particularly if you’ll use the car to drive long distances. I was surprised at how easy it was to claim the tax credit.
The full federal credit is for the year in which the maker sells fewer than N number of EV cars. If you take delivery in year 2018, you will get the full credit apparently as Tesla is not projected to sell that number until sometime in early 2019.
We bought an X. We passed: Ludicrous acceleration (regular is fast enough to feel being pressed into the seat), sports wheels (why?), upgraded sound (why?), and that promise of full self driving (again, why - the erratically driving rednecks in their junks don’t have it, so that would not give us any advantage).
I’m thinking I’ll pass on the enhanced autopilot. I believe I can add it for $6k later if I decide it’s worth it. There’s something justifiable in not exceeding $50k, especially with our twins starting college in less than 2 months.
@BunsenBurner Thanks for the tax credit info. I was thinking Tesla was nearing a limit that would halve the credit in the next couple months.
I stand corrected. Not Year, Quarter in which it reaches 200,000 EVs sold.
How could they quote base is 35K and then say 14K battery + upgrades are mandatory? The car is 49K.
the extended battery and premier interior (upgrades) are the only available build at present.
If you want the $35k priced model, you keep your spot in line letting others who are OK with the upgraded model to jump in front of you you. Then, when the base model is released, the line resumes. If we were number 100,000, and 50,000 of those ahead of us bought an extended battery 3, it means we are number 50,000 in line for the base model.
I was “reluctantly” prepared to pony up the additional money for the extended mileage battery and upgraded interior so as not to have others jump in front of me, even though I did NOT agree with this business practice. Personally, I feel the delivery order should be determined by WHEN you pay your deposit, regardless of options. I really think that Tesla is making the entry level customers wait it out in hopes that Tesla will not have to deliver as many of these loss leader vehicles. THIS WAS THE PRIMARY REASON WHY I CANCELED MY ORDER.
I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this pricing model and why people would pay 15K extra for a 35K car.
Maybe I shouldn’t be on this thread. 
It’s really no different than the other vehicles that come with trim packages on them that you cannot avoid that have features on them you don’t want
Re: #155
Teslas are not the only cars where adding options greatly increases the price. Take a look at pickup trucks and Mini Coopers.
But at 1/3 of total price?
@oldfort, I don’t own a Tesla but when I was driving my old SUV, the one thing I was adamant about getting in my replacement SUV was the auto open/close lift gate. As a family of six, I buy a lot of groceries, and not having to put my groceries down in order to open my trunk was something I coveted. Alas, when purchasing my current SUV, in order to have that particular feature, it meant upgrading to an option package that was $10K more. Sure, that meant I’d also get rear seats that fold up and down with push of a button, automatic open/close side view mirrors, etc. Nice to have, but in my mind, that was just more electronic stuff to break and I didn’t really care whether I had those features (um, ask me how I know about the expensive repairs of auto/electric features- I just paid a woman $1200 to replace her side view mirror after my son barely tapped it while driving down a narrow street).
In the end, I couldn’t justify essentially spending $10K on an auto lift gate. Pisses me off that I couldn’t add just that feature as an option but that’s how they upsell cars.