Some say that the most expensive car one can buy is a cheap used luxury car, especially one with loads of miles on the clock. While opinions are split on whether Tesla is a premium brand or not, the Model S has a lot going for it. It’s quick, spacious, practical, and loaded with technology. While the materials used inside are not top notch, the cabin isn’t exactly spartan either.
Purchased at an auction for just $7,800, this 2013 Model S is a P85 that runs and drives, although the air conditioning is not working. Despite racking up precisely 269,221 miles (433,269 kilometers), it doesn’t look half bad given its age and mileage. The electric tailgate is functional, as are all four windows, sunroof, instrument cluster, and the touchscreen.
Interestingly, the driver’s display shows 133 miles (214 kilometers) of range left on roughly half a battery. We’ll remind you this version of the Model had an 85-kWh pack, which was rated by EPA back in the day at 265 miles (426 kilometers). While there’s no documentation of the battery being replaced at one point, it’s hard to believe that there’s virtually no degradation after over a decade of use.
As you may recall, there’s a Model S P85 out there that has gone through three battery packs and 13 motors after covering 1,181,268 miles (1,901,067 kilometers). How much would it cost to replace the battery packs? J.D. Power, Insurify, and Reccurent Auto say you could be looking at spending as much as $20,000, if not even more after factoring in labor.
This one too is a simple P85 model, without the D at the end of its name. It’s a single-motor model with rear-wheel drive and an output of 373 hp and 325 lb-ft (441 Nm). There are no apparent red flags when the car is out on the road as the air suspension works as advertised and the acceleration is swift. It’s seemingly not making any weird noises, so unless there are some hidden faults, this Model S was one heck of a deal.
