Sell my Tesla to buy a Honda and a Jeep? Have I lost my mind?

So, I want to start this off with: I've lost my damn mind. I get bored with cars. Frequently. This leads to lots of asinine ideas. I think I've come to the right place. My latest idea:

Potentially sell my Tesla Model 3 Performance (Stealth) and replace it with 2 vehicles: a Civic Type R and maybe an old TJ Jeep Wrangler. I don't need this. There's nothing wrong with the Tesla, it's a great car. Between my wife and I, we already have 5 cars (Tesla Model 3 Performance, AP2 Honda S2000, ND Miata Club, NA Miata and a Dodge Journey to haul kids around). We really don't need 6 cars. But that's never stopped me in the past.

This is [mostly] not a logical decision. It's rooted in emotion and probably a bit of an addiction if I'm being honest. My rationale (grab a Snickers, this is going to be long-winded and potentially painful):

-The Tesla frequently makes my wife nauseous, even when I'm not accelerating hard. This is the only car we own with that problem. Maybe it's just the smoothness and lack of shifting? Or the regen braking? No idea. She doesn't hardly complain, but I can tell and feel bad for the little lady. It leads to me avoiding driving it, unless I'm alone. I probably need to play with the driver (set it to "Chill") and regen modes to see if this helps (this was only recently brought to my attention after scouring Tesla forums).

-I think with the Civic Type R (CTR) being 1000 lbs lighter, it'll be a more fun car, but reviews still say it's an easy daily driver to live with.

-I've previously owned a current -gen Civic Si. It was a great little car. Comfortable. Sporty. Practical. Fun. Great clutch and shifter. Great seats/seating position (I'm 6'2", 210 lbs, YMMV). I regretted selling it almost immediately (which is rare for me). I feel like I might have similar feelings about the CTR, as I really enjoyed the platform.

-CTR pulls 1.02g on a skidpad. Stock. I'm a cornering junky and have a plethora of twisty roads close to me and of course the Rocky Mountains... The Tesla is phenomenal for it's weight (~4100 lbs), but you can still feel the extra heft. Yes, we have 3 lightweight cars, but I can't always drive them. No, neither the Tesla, nor the CTR would see track time (maybe some autocross from time to time), but the roadsters (mostly the NA Miata) are relegated to track duty. The CTR and Tesla would essentially be daily drivers. 

-I feel like the CTR is likely a more "special" car. The Tesla is fast and feels like you're driving the future, but it also seems like long-term it will be more disposable. Kind of like a last-gen iPhone.

-The CTR has identical passenger volume, but substantially more cargo space due to being a hatchback. I prefer hatchbacks. If the Tesla would have offered a hatch, I would have bought it.

-The Tesla is unbelievably fast. And usable. The throttle response is addicting. The lack of a transmission also makes it instantaneous in all situations. It truly is supercar fast in all situations.

-The Tesla is AWD. It snows here (Denver, CO). On the stock all-season tires, it is not a very good snow-mobile. I recently bought a set of slightly used winter wheels and tires, I'm hoping they'll be much better. I don't know why, but compared to several of my former AWD/4WD vehicles, the Tesla has been subpar. Maybe the new winter tires will cure that.

-The CTR is FWD. Even with snow tires I'm sure the Tesla will be better from a stop on a hill. I wouldn't even bother. I would just go buy a winter beater. Likely an old Jeep Wrangler.

-If I get a Wrangler to go along with it, I can do fun off-road things and have another toy in the garage. I also won't give a damn if it gets hit or I bang it up in the winter or on a rocky trail.

-The cost of a CTR and a TJ Wrangler combined is roughly similar to the Tesla. So, cost wise, it's about a wash. All of them have very strong resale value, so, again, about a wash. Arguably the Tesla has already taken it's biggest resale value hit, but the CTR doesn't appear to be depreciating at all due to limited production.

-I've already installed a 220/240 outlet in the new garage. That would be money lost unfortunately.

-The Tesla is very comfortable. It's seriously dummy-proof to drive. You might assume that with all that power/acceleration, it would be scary... nothing could be further from the truth. It's far more tame than our 3 roadsters and downright easy to drive at all speeds.

-Yes, charging on a road trip would be an issue. Frankly, more of a pain in the neck than I would want to deal with. But of the 3 trips we've made this year, we've flown to all of them... So, it's essentially a not much of an issue.

-Never having to go to a gas station is nice. Just drive home, pull into the garage, plug it in and viola, magic. It helps that we have 4 other cars, just in case, although 3 of them are no-go's in the snow (RWD convertibles with summer tires).

-The Tesla has almost no maintenance to perform. Long-term, this would be a cost benefit to say the least. The CTR is a Honda, so maintenance is minimal... an old TJ Wrangler, well, I'm sure I'll have to spend some time wrenching on it.

-The Tesla's warranty on the powertrain is ridiculously long. Like 120,000 miles or so, IIRC. Not a huge concern, but a factor nonetheless.

-The Tesla doesn't have to warm up for the heater to start blowing hot. But it does drain the battery at a much higher rate.

-The windshield wipers in the Tesla are horrible. Of all the many cars I've owned, I've never uttered such words. It might sound petty (maybe it is?), but I didn't know windshield wipers could suck so bad. Not a problem for most of the year, but when it starts snowing, they're ridiculously bad. And the controls to change their speed are on the damn display- not where they should be when you're trying to keep your hands on the wheel.

-Fuel costs would certainly go up. Electricity is cheap. Premium gas on a CTR would not be.

-If I got into an accident with the Tesla, I understand that parts are painfully difficult to source. We have full coverage on all of our cars, but it's my understanding that companies like CarMax stopped selling Tesla's because of their parts supplier issues. Conversely, the CTR is a Honda, built on a popular economy car platform, with a huge aftermarket...

-The elephant in the room: the CTR is childish. It looks childish, or like your favorite anime character. Some might use the word Ridiculous. Pro and a con. I kind of dig the outlandish looks, but I can see why people think it's ugly, or far too Fast and Furious-esque. The Tesla is much more understated and grown-up looking. Although it's also a bit on the bland side.

I think I've ranted long enough. Truly, I'm actually on the fence with this one. What thinks the hive-mind? I'm ready to hear the nay-sayers and the enablers alike. 

With the Tesla being naueseating, have you tried riding shotgun with someone else driving?  I have trouble riding in a lot of mid/late 2000s Toyotas on the highway.  I finally traced it down to the steering.  It's very light, over-assisted and hyper-sensitive around the center point.  So without applying a lot of effort, it's really hard to make the thing go perfectly straight.  Most people end up jiggling side to side ever so slightly.  Not enough to really notice from the driver's seat unless you're looking for it, but enough to be nauseating as a passenger. 

As for the wife's car sickness, does she still get car sick if she drives the Tesla? 

Old sailboat (and car driving trick) , if someone is getting sea sick, have that person drive.  Many people get car sick because they are a victim to the vehicles unpredicted movements.  When they become the driver, they are in charge of the movements. 

We have a Model 3 dual motor, which replaced a WJ Grand Cherokee. Janel is the primary driver of the Tesla and recently spent some time driving the Jeep again. She loved that thing, but she now considers it all squishy and noisy. It also doesn't have heated seats and she has to put gas in it. She would fight me pretty badly if I tried to switch her back.

According to my local Tesla service tech, the replacement part difficulties are in the past, at least for the 3. If you get into an accident, you're far more likely to survive in the Tesla than you will be in the Jeep. Is that more important than parts availability? I guess it depends on how big an accident you're planning on having.

Since you're at altitude, remember that the CTR's performance will be blunted. Obviously you're not going to the CTR specifically for speed, but there will be a bigger gap between the Honda and the Tesla at altitude.

But the big difference I see here is capability. The offroading. If you will actually use that capability, then you need a Jeep. If you're not going to use it, then the Jeep is just fashion. So if you don't want to go play in the dirt, this is a matter of boredom more than anything else. Only you can answer that question.

I can only speak from a guy that rented a a CTR for 24 hours from Turo.  

Being 6'4" it's not like my wife and I are sliding onto the old Delta 88 bench seats of our childhood.  The higher bolsters on the seats took getting used to climbing in. The guy had the plastic wind visors on the windows that annoyed me to see out of as I had to bend my head down to see out the side.  

My wife drove it a bit and although we drove like banshees we realized if we owned it we would scale back the redline shifts.   The acceleration is crazy - I'd have to watch my speeding tickets.     

Given all the craziness of the car I could daily drive the car but my wife would prefer to ride in comfort in her Honda Pilot.   She liked the experience but not every week.   
 

I drove my nephews Tesla Model 3 base and I thought it was pretty cool.  You could definitely feel the weight in cornering.  Stupid fast acceleration.  I liked it.  But it did not elicit an emotional response.

My CTR is just stupid fun.  It goes nicely, corners great, easy to drive.  It gets my heart racing every time I look at it.  Side note:  My CTR is primarily for autocross.  I do not daily it. 

You already have a pair of Miata's for fun.  Not sure how much more fun you would have with the CTR.  It does offer lots of room and practicality.  Is a CTR fun enough to also keep a beater for when it's snowing?  Sounds like more cost and more effort.  That is something you will have to figure out.

Drone footage of CTR at autocross

John Welsh said:

As for the wife's car sickness, does she still get car sick if she drives the Tesla? 

Old sailboat (and car driving trick) , if someone is getting sea sick, have that person drive.  Many people get car sick because they are a victim to the vehicles unpredicted movements.  When they become the driver, they are in charge of the movements. 

It depends. If she uses Autopilot in the Tesla, she still gets sick. If she drives it herself and we hold a conversation, she's okay. Although she doesn't like driving the Tesla and will protest if I try to get her to drive. 

She says she has had that problem in some other cars as well, but out of our 4 vehicles, the only one that causes this issue is the Tesla (excluding track time). Oddly enough, she can ride shotgun in the more stiffly sprung/harsher riding S2000 and NA Miata all day without complaint. 

Keith Tanner said:

According to my local Tesla service tech, the replacement part difficulties are in the past, at least for the 3. If you get into an accident, you're far more likely to survive in the Tesla than you will be in the Jeep. Is that more important than parts availability? I guess it depends on how big an accident you're planning on having.

Since you're at altitude, remember that the CTR's performance will be blunted. Obviously you're not going to the CTR specifically for speed, but there will be a bigger gap between the Honda and the Tesla at altitude.

But the big difference I see here is capability. The offroading. If you will actually use that capability, then you need a Jeep. If you're not going to use it, then the Jeep is just fashion. So if you don't want to go play in the dirt, this is a matter of boredom more than anything else. Only you can answer that question.

Solid points, thanks Keith. Good to know about Model 3 parts availability. Not a huge concern, but another of many factors. 

At our altitude, I agree, the CTR wouldn't compare to the Tesla's acceleration. Nothing really does up here. I still find our S2000 and ND Miata to be quick enough to be playful in the metro area. The boost helps up here, but it won't compare to the essentially zero elevation power loss of the Tesla. 

I'm on the fence with the Jeep. The last time I owned a Jeep, I went offroading about 3-4 times a year. I had a good time, but avoided some more difficult trails to avoid breaking things on an expensive machine. I always told myself that if I ever picked up another one, it would be older, so I didn't care if I broke/scraped things on it. Similar rationale behind my NA Miata essentially being more of a dedicated track car. 

Oddly enough, she can ride shotgun in the more stiffly sprung/harsher riding S2000 and NA Miata all day without complaint. 

Solution: coilovers for the Tesla.

I think the childless element can be addressed by color choice. Grey is sort of subtle on CTR. 

Just do it. Teslas are boring and mundane. CTRs and TJs aren't

Buy the CTR. Drive it, enjoy it, and make $$$$ on BAT when done 

I had a CTR for a week and really liked it. The looks are totally ridiculous but that's part of the appeal, too. I would put it on a smaller wheel with more sidewall as the factory tires have a 35-series sidewall. 

Seats were great, driving experience was great, sound system was fine, plenty of room if you drop the seats as it's a hatch and not a sedan. I had some issues with grinding into second gear, which is apparently semi-common. Mine was also a press loaner that had been driven in anger by a lot of media so... who knows.

https://outmotorsports.com/2020/11/2020-honda-civic-type-r-review-old-honda-is-alive-and-well/

I also had a Civic Si earlier in the year, which I found really disappointing. Totally numb steering, shifter and clutch. The Civic Type-R is so good that it made me a little upset that the Si isn't better. 

As for winter traction in the CTR, it has a limited-slip diff. Get a set of snow tires and go.

Can't help you on the Jeep, I am not a Wrangler fan but understand the appeal.

I get the allure of the Tesla but I think it would get a little numb driving everyday.  CTR and the Jeep would give relief to that, especially in the summer when you can top off the Jeep. 

Thanks for the feedback, gentlemen. 

I think I'll try and find a CTR on Turo and rent it for a few days. Drive it back to back repeatedly with my Tesla. If I like it better, I'll buy one. 

I'll probably wait until the snowy season is over. I already bought snow tires for the Tesla- might as well use them. That way if I decide to sell, I can sell the Tesla private party and take my time shopping nationwide for a CTR. Hopefully by then this world-is-closed-for-business nonsense will be over and our local DMV's will open back up. The most recent car purchase we made was a pain in the neck with everything being done remotely. 

I've never driven a Tesla and I've never driven a CTR on the street but I had an HPDE student who had one and this former hater of FWD Japanese cars was really impressed.  I even like the looks.

YOLO. The Tesla doesn't seem to be working for you. Get what you want. I'd be driving a CTR if Honda dealers weren't playing above MSRP games.

I love your conundrum.   Sounds like my brain talking.  Tell me as i am curious, with 3 two seat roadsters in thr garage, which gets driven and why?  In my mind most of the time, each car needs to fill a purpose.   

I like your wrangler idea - it can be a cheap beater that gsts driven on that perfect day.  And i agree with the others, if the Tesla isn't satisfying your itch anymore, then it's on the chopping block.  

Caprigrip said:

I love your conundrum.   Sounds like my brain talking.  Tell me as i am curious, with 3 two seat roadsters in thr garage, which gets driven and why?  In my mind most of the time, each car needs to fill a purpose.   

I like your wrangler idea - it can be a cheap beater that gsts driven on that perfect day.  And i agree with the others, if the Tesla isn't satisfying your itch anymore, then it's on the chopping block.  

Technically we drive all 3 of the roadsters.
 

The ND is actually my wife's car, she takes it to work and to run errands occasionally. I rarely drive it. It's actually the tightest fit for me, but it's a fun little thing! 
 

I drive the S2000 whenever the weather is nice, sometimes to work, on canyon carving cruises and just for fun. I love that damn car. She's a mint 2008 AP2 (more desirable year) with relatively low miles in laguna blue (my favorite color). She's bone stock and will likely stay that way. There's a solid chance I might never sell that car, it's just too good to drive. It keeps appreciating in value. If I was smart, I would leave it in the garage and sell it years from now for a profit, but I'm not that kind of guy. 
 

The NA is my track playtoy. It has a roll bar/harness bar, wide sticky wheels/tires, suspension, brakes, etc. It's also got a couple rare things: namely it's a 1994 with ABS and a manual. Eventually I plan on swapping a K24 into it. Currently it makes for a dirt cheap track toy, as the consumables are inexpensive. I pitch it around on the street occasionally, mostly just to keep it from sitting there for too long. Or if I have to go to a rougher part of town and want a bring a more disposable car, I bring the NA, haha. Or if I think it's going to hail, the NA is my go-to. 

roninsoldier83 said: ... oddly enough, she can ride shotgun in the more stiffly sprung/harsher riding S2000 and NA Miata all day without complaint." 

I think it's much like seasickness.  A softly-sprung car doesn't just go over a bump and that's the end of it; it has a slowly-damped sinusoidal settling-out period after the event, much like a boat rocking back and forth.

This thread reminds me a bit an old Peter Egan column explaining that for the cost of a new sports car, he would much rather use the same money to get a used aircraft and car for less money. Okay, maybe that's not like this thread, never mind.

I wouldn't characterize a Model 3's ride as softly sprung. If that's the factor, I'd expect the Dodge Journey to be worse. It's an interesting effect, I'd love to know what it is that's bothering her.

My wife used to have trouble with carsickness but it kinda went away. She's still not great at riding shotgun on track - but if she's busy and reading pace notes, she's fine. Motion sickness is an odd thing.

Keith Tanner said:

I wouldn't characterize a Model 3's ride as softly sprung. If that's the factor, I'd expect the Dodge Journey to be worse. It's an interesting effect, I'd love to know what it is that's bothering her.

My wife used to have trouble with carsickness but it kinda went away. She's still not great at riding shotgun on track - but if she's busy and reading pace notes, she's fine. Motion sickness is an odd thing.

Me and you both, brother. The Tesla isn't terribly soft, certainly softer than the S2000 and my NA Miata, but it's significantly flatter than the Dodge. She's mentioned minor motion sickness in the Dodge, but it's pretty rare; whereas the Tesla induces it pretty much every time she rides in it. I dare say the Tesla stays flatter than her ND in the corners; yet she can ride in the ND all day without an issue. 
 

My guesses have been: the way it accelerates, the lack of engine noise, the lack of a transmission/shifting, maybe the low/quiet hum of the electric motors, or the specific damping of the suspension... the regenerative braking probably doesn't help either. We noticed that if she is driving and uses autopilot she gets sick, but if she stays in control she's fine. 

To update, I've been driving the wife around for the past 2 days with the Tesla in "Chill" mode with the regenerative braking turned off... she reports that it almost completely resolved her nauseousness while driving! 
 

I suspect the regenerative braking was likely the culprit. 

How about a Civic Sport?

Well, I did it. 2 months ago, I sold my Tesla. I replaced it with 2 cars: a 2003 TJ Wrangler Sport (4.0L manual) and a 2021 Civic Type R! I actually sold my Tesla a couple months ago, for about $2000 more than I paid for it brand new! (including tax incentives of course)

Zero regrets. The Tesla is a great car, but for a daily, I prefer the CTR. 

Buying the CTR was a nightmare. They only had 1 for sale in my state (Colorado) and they were asking $14,000 over MSRP... I called all over the country... similar story... Most are marked up between $7000 to $20,000. I found a couple in Ohio that were only $2500 over MSRP... but the one I bought was in Massachusetts- and I didn't pay a dime over MSRP! The caveat: Massachusetts is the only state in the US that doesn't give out temp tags. Translation: registering the thing (especially here during Covid) was like pulling teeth- a painfully long, tedious process. But it's over now. I just got done driving her 2000 miles from the Boston area to Denver! 

I cannot believe how good the CTR is. In comfort mode, it was extremely comfortable across the country. The seats look like race car seats, but didn't wear me down in the least. Everything is just so easy in this car! It's fast, has the perfect suspension and brakes, perfect clutch and shifter, and literally does everything I could ever want in a daily! The infotainment left something to be desired, but I'm absolutely in love with this thing! 

I ordered a set of 18" Enkei wheels and Pirelli winter tires to the dealership and had them mounted to the car before I flew out to pick the car up. Being a hatchback, I just threw the OEM wheels/tires in the back and had tons of space left over! Even through a snow storm and -10 degree temps, the CTR was an absolute tank across 2000 miles of northeast and midwest in the winter time! 

I bought the TJ Wrangler about 2 months ago when I sold the Tesla. She's got some miles on her (156k) and a couple of leaks I should probably take care of, but she runs like a top! Took her out on a snow covered trail with a couple buddies of mine a few weeks ago and had a blast! She's a Jeep- not built for comfort or luxury, but there's a certain charm to an old TJ that I do enjoy. And when it snows, I won't care if she gets beat up, lol. 

Unfortunately, we only have a 3 car garage, so 3 of our ladies are going to have to sleep outside. Alas, it is what it is. 

I really enjoyed the Tesla for what it was- Blindingly fast and comfortable. But it lacked the driver involvement to really make me fall in love with it. I would recommend the Model 3 Performance to anyone, without hesitation... even if I do prefer my new CTR. I think the CTR might fit into the same boat as my S2000: she's a keeper.