Tesla is unlike buying any other car. You can order it on your phone in a few minutes. However, there are some things you need to know beforehand to save you confusion and save you money. I’ve bought two Tesla vehicles (2018 Model 3 and 2022 Model Y) with a third Tesla on order (Cybertruck) that I haven’t bought yet but possibly soon. Use a referral link from a Tesla owner. Right now the reward for using a referral is 3 months of free full self driving FSD capability ($600 value) + 1 year of free premium connectivity ($99 value). Keep in mind these referral rewards change so check the referral link to see what the latest perks are. Check if you’re eligible for the full federal tax credit of $7,500. Tesla’s website has some really info and explains it pretty well. But don’t forget about local incentives. Tesla also has a page on this but you can also check the Department of Energy website for your state. If you are not eligible for the full $7,500 tax credit when purchasing the car don’t worry – there may be a way for you to take advantage of it by using the “leasing loophole”. Tesla currently passes the $7,500 savings to the customer when leasing. The only downsides are you’re capped at 15,000 annual miles and you can’t buy the vehicle at the end of your term. On the Tesla design page there’s an option for probable savings and purchase price. Tesla defaults to the probable savings but you want to change it to purchase price for the most accurate pricing. However the purchase price doesn’t include the additional $1,600+ for the required destination fee & order fee. Instead of designing a Tesla, you can choose from existing inventory. But if you order a custom Tesla, get the cheapest base wheels. Don’t waste money on upgrading wheels. Standard/smaller wheels give more versatility, are cheaper, and have more range. The standard wheels have aero caps so you can keep those on for better range or pop those off for a nice looking rim underneath. Don’t waste money on enhanced autopilot or full self driving capability (FS
