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The model 3 and y is on that top 10 list as well, and they're not quite luxury goods.

woodruffw 5y ago
I know very little about cars, but a cursory search shows that both the Model 3 and Model Y are about ~60% more expensive than the top-selling sedans and SUVs in the US. They're also both in the same rough ballpark as popular "luxury" car labels (Lincoln, BMW), so I think "luxury" is a fair descriptor.
- andrepew 5y ago
  I don’t think comparing a Tesla’s price to an ICE competitor is an apples to apples comparison. Sure on the surface a Model 3 price tag looks luxury, but look at full cost of ownership and things start looking downright reasonable. No mandatory scheduled maintenance, no gas costs — charging the thing at home is laughably cheap, brake pads last in to the 100-200k kilometre range thanks to regenerative braking. Don’t forget all the subsidies too against the purchase price. If you drive a lot, the numbers start getting awfully close to non-luxury vehicles. And all of this is before you consider the non-monetary drivers of value such as how fun it is to drive, tech gadgets, etc.
  - woodruffw 5y ago
    I think you're absolutely right: amortized, driving a Tesla for a decade is probably cheaper than driving a brand new luxury sedan. But I don't think that's incompatible with Tesla being a luxury brand: many (although) not all luxury brands advertise themselves through their amortized savings or durability. Put another way: a product's longevity is frequently a selling point for a luxury label, even if longevity itself isn't a guarantee of luxury. The same is apparent in clothing: I have an expensive, recognizable jacket that I expect to last for the rest of my life. It's undeniably a luxury item, because it costs several times more than even a premium, high-quality jacket would. But it'll probably save me money over the next 60 years, since I won't buy half a dozen merely nice jackets instead.
masterof0 5y ago
In the real world, outside FAANGistan , paying 50k for a car, IS a luxury. I said that as a fellow FAANGistanian.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- 0x0nyandesu 5y ago
  50k is standard for normies in their 40s and 50s and typically financed with a down payment. Typically $600-$700 a month
  - robotresearcher 5y ago
    In case anyone else is wondering: median income for a 50 year old American is around $90K/yr before tax.
    - walrus01 5y ago
      median income for a 50 year old American at 90k is skewed high by a small number of people way above 300-400k. how many millions of americans have a gross yearly income of maybe 35k? randomly chosen Montgomery county in Kansas: The median income for a household in the county was $30,997, and the median income for a family was $38,516. Males had a median income of $29,745 versus $20,179 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,421. About 9.20% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.80% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over. randomly chosen Benton county in Washington: The median income for a household in the county was $57,354 and the median income for a family was $69,834. Males had a median income of $57,496 versus $36,575 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,161. About 9.3% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.[13]
      - belltaco 5y ago
        >median income for a 50 year old American at 90k is skewed high by a small number of people way above 300-400k Medians don't work that way. Maybe you're thinking of the average.

I know very little about cars, but a cursory search shows that both the Model 3 and Model Y are about ~60% more expensive than the top-selling sedans and SUVs in the US. They're also both in the same rough ballpark as popular "luxury" car labels (Lincoln, BMW), so I think "luxury" is a fair descriptor.

andrepew 5y ago
I don’t think comparing a Tesla’s price to an ICE competitor is an apples to apples comparison. Sure on the surface a Model 3 price tag looks luxury, but look at full cost of ownership and things start looking downright reasonable. No mandatory scheduled maintenance, no gas costs — charging the thing at home is laughably cheap, brake pads last in to the 100-200k kilometre range thanks to regenerative braking. Don’t forget all the subsidies too against the purchase price. If you drive a lot, the numbers start getting awfully close to non-luxury vehicles. And all of this is before you consider the non-monetary drivers of value such as how fun it is to drive, tech gadgets, etc.
- woodruffw 5y ago
  I think you're absolutely right: amortized, driving a Tesla for a decade is probably cheaper than driving a brand new luxury sedan. But I don't think that's incompatible with Tesla being a luxury brand: many (although) not all luxury brands advertise themselves through their amortized savings or durability. Put another way: a product's longevity is frequently a selling point for a luxury label, even if longevity itself isn't a guarantee of luxury. The same is apparent in clothing: I have an expensive, recognizable jacket that I expect to last for the rest of my life. It's undeniably a luxury item, because it costs several times more than even a premium, high-quality jacket would. But it'll probably save me money over the next 60 years, since I won't buy half a dozen merely nice jackets instead.

masterof0 5y ago

In the real world, outside FAANGistan , paying 50k for a car, IS a luxury. I said that as a fellow FAANGistanian.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
0x0nyandesu 5y ago
50k is standard for normies in their 40s and 50s and typically financed with a down payment. Typically $600-$700 a month
- robotresearcher 5y ago
  In case anyone else is wondering: median income for a 50 year old American is around $90K/yr before tax.
  - walrus01 5y ago
    median income for a 50 year old American at 90k is skewed high by a small number of people way above 300-400k. how many millions of americans have a gross yearly income of maybe 35k? randomly chosen Montgomery county in Kansas: The median income for a household in the county was $30,997, and the median income for a family was $38,516. Males had a median income of $29,745 versus $20,179 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,421. About 9.20% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.80% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over. randomly chosen Benton county in Washington: The median income for a household in the county was $57,354 and the median income for a family was $69,834. Males had a median income of $57,496 versus $36,575 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,161. About 9.3% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.[13]
    - belltaco 5y ago
      >median income for a 50 year old American at 90k is skewed high by a small number of people way above 300-400k Medians don't work that way. Maybe you're thinking of the average.