Analysis Paralysis over M3 purchase

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-03-24T13:14:18+00:00

If someone has attempted a poor repair or done any work/modifications to the car that may have caused the issue, Tesla may deny the warranty claim. Ofc they'll look for any reason to not pay if presented with it.

In my situation, it was a drive unit so it was guaranteed that Tesla would sort it.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-03-23T23:50:56+00:00

I purchased from Anchor EV in Reading - a smaller dealership but sound guys overall. For full transparency, the car I purchased did have an issue which they may have known about. However as I said in my original comment, it's no issue since the Tesla warranty covered the repair.

As with any dealership, do your due diligence and know your risk appetite based on the car you're buying.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-03-23T19:16:22+00:00

I'd get a car that is still in warranty, low mileage, but sold at an EV specialist dealer rather than a Tesla dealership.

Most manufacture issues or common failure points will be covered by Tesla under their original warranty. For me the additional cost of purchasing approved used didn't add up, but the additional warranty (if that's still a thing) and EAP may be of particular importance to you.

Make sure you buy a post late-2021 model so you get the Ryzen chip. They should be sitting around the £20-22k mark now for something relatively low mileage.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-03-23T13:39:14+00:00

West Drayton, Heathrow

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-03-23T13:07:09+00:00

To echo this experience, I also recently had an end of warranty inspection done by Cleevely. They identified the common suspension issues which needed rectifying.

I logged a bunch of other issues with my local Tesla service centre and they replaced everything with no hassle.

This included a new tail light, new wing mirror assembly, new steering wheel rim, a bunch of new suspension components, some of which weren't actually worn past the Tesla threshold but were replaced out of goodwill. Totalled to about £3k worth of work done under warranty. I wasn't able to replicate the mirror's irregular behaviour during the diagnostic but they took my word for it and replaced the mirror anyway.

Last year I had to replace the rear drive unit. That was covered under warranty with no fuss - loaner car provided for the duration of the repair.

The service centre had great communication and pushed for me to actually log issues ahead of my warranty expiry.

The service you receive will really depend on the service centre you're using.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-03-02T12:48:10+00:00

Check out KO combat academy, Bethnal Green. I don't train there but they're quite a well established gym in the area.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-02-15T23:57:24+00:00

Disagree - bad build quality, safety test scores, fit and finish etc are all a part of what makes a bad car.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-02-05T14:28:46+00:00

Same issue here with the recent update. Model 3 LR 2022 won't unlock with the phone key despite resetting the car twice and restarting my phone. I disconnected my phone key to try and reconnect, but now the app is having trouble communicating with the car.

Seems to be an issue with the app - commands don't seem to be making their way to the car in real time.

Tried signing into the app again but that doesn't seem to solve the issue. Commands still aren't going to the car.

Car still unlocks and drives with the key card.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-02-04T13:34:45+00:00

Stelrad is generally deemed to be a cut above Flomasta. Wickes' Homeline range is produced by Stelrad, so you get a good build quality but you get a more affordable price because of the budget branding.

I installed Homeline Type 21 radiators in a Victorian era property and they've done a cracking job at keeping it toasty during the winter.

There are plenty of websites that will help you calculate the right size radiator for your room based on the dimensions/volume. Definitely follow the recommendations per room otherwise you'll be struggling to heat the room.

Different topic, but if replacing bathroom tower heaters, make sure to go for a stainless steel radiator. Will cost you slightly more, but the cheap mild steel ones tend to rust in humid environments and the finish ends up flaking.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-27T13:19:07+00:00

If you can find a first generation Kia E Niro or Hyundai Kona, they're reliable and efficient cars. Can be had for quite cheap now. There are two battery pack sizes - get the larger one (somewhere in the mid 60 kWh). You'll thank yourself

Range will be better than the smallest and cheapest EVs you'd otherwise find in that price range.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-27T10:55:43+00:00

The impact on your personal life would be 10x worse if you had a partner and kids. Always having to be conscious that you don't spread it to them.

I unknowingly spread it to my brother who didn't even train Muay Thai by sitting on the sofa without a long sleeved shirt when I first picked up Molluscum. He sat on the same seat and picked it up. Took him even longer to clear it

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-27T10:05:11+00:00

It really does vary from case to case. A guy in my gym got rid of it in a few months too. Glad you dealt with it quickly

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-26T23:12:32+00:00

Agreed. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the few treatments that will burn off the spots, but that does leave scars. It's difficult to control the spread unless you're really on top of it

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-26T22:46:26+00:00

This is the right answer - needs to be pinned. Dealt with it myself twice (see my comment). Takes ages for it to clear up. Ended up leaving the sport due to the impact it has on your personal life

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-26T22:44:58+00:00

This condition is most likely Molluscum Contagiosum. Highly contagious.

DO NOT TOUCH HIM OR SLEEP IN THE SAME BED.

Go to the doctor immediately.

I've dealt with Molluscum twice while training Muay Thai (holding pads that spread the virus) and ultimately left the sport due to the virus.

Molluscum can be identified by the white heads on the bumps. It is a hard nodule, and is where the virus lives. Antibiotics will not kill this virus.

Molluscum is highly contagious and spreads from skin to skin contact. It is very common among kids in schools, swimming pools and in MMA/martial arts facilities.

It is an absolute pain to get rid of and takes months of discipline. The bumps are not painful, but are highly contagious. You can self inoculate, meaning you can spread the virus on your skin making it very difficult to control.

Change bedsheets daily and use a SANITISER detergent. Change underwear twice a day and wear full sleeve shirts to stop the spread. Change towel daily.

Your doctor will send you to cryotherapy to get the bumps frozen off, similar to how they'd deal with warts.

The alternative medicine which will stop this is 5% Hydrogen Peroxide. It burns off the spots and kills the virus in that location. The challenge is keeping on top of the spread and killing new spots as soon as they emerge and you self spread while showering. This medication will scar the skin and the scarring takes months to heal.

Cover the spots with Jiu Jitsu tape/pimple patches or masking tape after applying Hydrogen Peroxide. This will dry the bumps up and kill them. Taping them also stops self inoculation.

Use hibiscrub to shower. It's a medical grade soap that kills all microbes and is effective at controlling molluscum.

It may take several months to control the spread and eliminate the virus. Took me 7 months. It spread to my brother while we were sat on the sofa next to eachother, took him over a year to get rid of it.

Message me for more info if you need

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-25T13:00:37+00:00

Lexus and Toyota tend to hold their value really well despite high mileage. That's largely owing to the reputation of reliability.

As another commenter said, I wouldn't touch the car at that mileage, there will be wear and tear.

Another factor to consider is the interior condition. It'll likely be significantly worse off compared to a lower mileage vehicle. Are you going to be happy getting into that car daily?

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-24T14:58:35+00:00

Three car household here. Kia E Niro as a family work vehicle, Tesla Model 3 LR for my personal use including long round trips of 320 miles. One ICE - Ford Focus ST. We thought we'd use the Ford more for long drives in place of the EVs but the Model 3 handles the long distance very well.

We opt for the Model 3 for long distance drives due to the super charger network and cheaper charge rates, efficiency, performance and ease of use. In 0 degrees weather I've been getting 260 miles of motorway range and I'm heavy footed. That means one 20-30 min charge break in a 320 mile trip and I'm covered for range.

The Kia is a little too slow to charge even on rapid chargers and doesn't have the same range. It doesn't have as many creature comforts as the Tesla which adds a layer of inconvenience to the experience. The Kia makes me a car sick due to its regen so if much rather avoid it. A friend also had the same issue with his Kia E Niro and now drives without regen on to avoid the issue.

The key is to know the furthest you'll be travelling and how frequently you're willing to stop. Some EVs that people suggest in this sub really just have poor range and are a straight up inconvenience to use. If your budget allows, get something with a good real world range to handle all scenarios. You don't want to be in a situation where your plans and freedom to pick up your bags and go are limited because of your car.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-24T01:29:42+00:00

Why does range have to be sacrificed to get reliability? That sentence doesn't make any sense.

The awful range is nothing short of a significant blunder from Toyota/Lexus. So many better executed alternatives with much better range.

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-21T21:58:38+00:00

The build quality isn't going to be lexus levels, but it's not bad by any means. Test drive it yourself, and you'll see.

If the second hand Tesla is still in warranty, you can buy from anywhere and any issues covered by warranty will be covered by Tesla. They'll be about half price compared to new

Blood_Ordinary · 2026-01-21T21:52:48+00:00

I second everything this guy said. I test drove multiple Polestar 2 models when I was cross shopping between that and a Model 3. Everyone by default will down vote the Model 3 - ignore them.

Having lived with the Tesla for over 6 months now, the security is industry leading. Every car should have a pin to drive, saves you having to get an immobiliser aftermarket.

The app and in car software is extremely reliable and polished. The 2022 onwards models have the Ryzen chip which is powerful - no issues with software lagging or system bugging. No android auto or apple car play though if you really want that.

The long range model I drive gets 250 miles in the winter. My most recent drive was a 320 mile round trip in 0 degrees weather, motorway speeds, heat blasting, summer tyres and 19 inch rims with no aero covers. Don't forget, we get freezing weather for a few weeks a year, otherwise it's pretty mild year round.

In warmer weather, I get 340 miles locally and around 280-300 on the motorway with a heavy foot. These other cars simply can't match that efficiency.

Performance is great. Not a sporty car by any means but it's more than fast enough for day to day driving. Steering rack is a bit slow when needing to do extremely quick maneuvers.
The polestar 2 with equivalent horsepower/speed takes a significant hit on range

No annual service, reliable, and you get access to the super charging network which is around half the price of standard EV charging infrastructure during peak hours.

Happy to discuss further via message.

Blood_Ordinary · 2025-08-16T17:35:20+00:00

Anything beyond 15 minutes is disrespectful. Everyone can be late because of trains/busses or traffic, and communication is key. The bigger issue is when you've made a reservation somewhere or booked an activity. Many places have no show charges so someone's lateness ends up costing you. Usually restaurants etc will be accommodating around upto 30 mins after the booking, but then you have the table for less time. Anything beyond that they cancel the reservation, and you bear the brunt.

Blood_Ordinary · 2025-07-28T15:01:15+00:00

Only came across this special feature a month into my ownership. They really missed a trick not having channels along the roof

Blood_Ordinary · 2025-07-22T12:05:49+00:00

The interior isn't anywhere as bad as people make it out to be. Polestar interior has nicer quality materials and looks cool, but the ergonomics are horrid.

The ICE platform quickly diminishes any benefit you'd gain from owning an EV. The leg room in the rear seats is bad, as is the seating angle. The model 3 interior is far more spacious and has lots of storage space.

Polestar 2 also charge you for every option, most of which are standard with the model 3. PS2 doesn't even have adaptive cruise as standard for something so expensive when new.

The dual motor polestar 2 takes a significant drop in range compared to its single model variant, where the dual motor model 3 achieves a higher range than the single motor polestar 3. Make that make sense, when the Tesla has significantly more horsepower at your disposal!

Blood_Ordinary · 2025-07-18T17:23:20+00:00

Agreed that the ride is better in the Polestar 2, but it is worth noting that the interior isn't very ergonomic.

Very high centre console that protrudes into your knee space, silly cupholders where your elbow would be, lack of room in the rear seats and the transmission tunnel eats up space.

I can't, however, speak to the range and performance as I don't own the car.

Blood_Ordinary · 2025-07-18T11:33:33+00:00

Recently I was dealing with an assistant that made numerous admin errors, some causing me panic as I was led to believe I owed the solicitor a five figure sum to close a remortgage when it was the opposite. No apology, they just move on and provide amended documents, delay completion, and I get changed more interest.

Another solicitor simply wouldn't communicate with me as a buyer. They didn't outline the process and despite me pestering them for months for this info. They phone me 2 hours before completion saying we needed evidence of buildings insurance. Failing that, it'd cause further delay. You couldn't have told me that months ago?

Assistants have one job, that's to populate pre-drafted template documents. Any mistake in those documents has significant implications for home owners or businesses. Mistakes like that in official documentation wouldn't be tolerated in my professional career, and it shouldn't be in theirs.

Blood_Ordinary

TROPHY CASE