Should I go with a Tesla Model 3 LR or a Camry XSE?

Trying to decide between a Tesla Model 3 LR RWD and a Camry XSE. What do you all think? What’s your experience with either of these cars? Here’s a comparison pic I found online.


If you can’t charge at home, I probably wouldn’t go with an EV.

Mason said:
If you can’t charge at home, I probably wouldn’t go with an EV.

Totally agree. Having home charging makes a huge difference.

Mason said:
If you can’t charge at home, I probably wouldn’t go with an EV.

True, but I know a coworker who charges their EV for free at work a few times a week. Some places now have charging stations for employees, which can be a huge savings if you don’t have to charge at home.

@Fintan
Yeah, but like the first commenter said, not having cheap home charging can really increase the cost of driving the EV. And getting a home setup isn’t cheap either.

Mason said:
If you can’t charge at home, I probably wouldn’t go with an EV.

You should cross-post this on a Tesla-focused forum too.

Mason said:
If you can’t charge at home, I probably wouldn’t go with an EV.

I pay about 2.3 cents per kWh at home. Costs me around $2 to fully charge the battery.

I’ve seen some threads where Model 3 owners say they only get 15-20K miles out of their tires, which could make up for the lack of oil changes. Teslas still need air filter replacements though.

Noel said:
I’ve seen some threads where Model 3 owners say they only get 15-20K miles out of their tires, which could make up for the lack of oil changes. Teslas still need air filter replacements though.

It really depends on the tire type. My RAV4 and Model 3 both get about 45K miles on their tires. The Model 3 isn’t that heavy compared to the RAV4. I’ve got Michelin Pilot Sport 4AS on the 3 and Crossclimates on the RAV4, but maybe I’m just lucky.

@Ariya
That sounds about right for those tire models. I had similar results with my Audi too.

Noel said:
I’ve seen some threads where Model 3 owners say they only get 15-20K miles out of their tires, which could make up for the lack of oil changes. Teslas still need air filter replacements though.

15-20K miles is more common for aggressive drivers. Most people can get 40-50K miles out of a set. But the upside is that the brakes last a lot longer—sometimes 2-3 times longer.

Noel said:
I’ve seen some threads where Model 3 owners say they only get 15-20K miles out of their tires, which could make up for the lack of oil changes. Teslas still need air filter replacements though.

True, but keep in mind that brakes can still develop issues if you rely too much on regenerative braking and don’t use them often.

Noel said:
I’ve seen some threads where Model 3 owners say they only get 15-20K miles out of their tires, which could make up for the lack of oil changes. Teslas still need air filter replacements though.

And don’t forget about the battery!

@Mika
For most owners, the battery will last longer than the car itself. Average battery degradation over 200K miles is about 12%.

Poe said:
@Mika
For most owners, the battery will last longer than the car itself. Average battery degradation over 200K miles is about 12%.

I have a 2018 Model 3 AWD with 92K miles, and it’s showing 18% degradation based on Tesla’s in-car battery health check.

@Ariya
That’s a bit on the low end, but still within the range. The older Tesla models had some issues with battery longevity, so it’ll be interesting to see how these newer ones hold up.

Noel said:
I’ve seen some threads where Model 3 owners say they only get 15-20K miles out of their tires, which could make up for the lack of oil changes. Teslas still need air filter replacements though.

The comment here was deleted, but it seemed like they were saying that heavier cars like Teslas wear out tires faster.

@Amory
That’s true—Teslas have extra weight because of the batteries.

GuyBolding said:
@Amory
That’s true—Teslas have extra weight because of the batteries.

But have you actually checked the weight difference? The Model 3 RWD weighs about 3,565 lbs, and the LR RWD is around 3,922 lbs. What’s a Camry weigh?

@Marlowe
Google says about 3,500 lbs.