Does a Tesla Actually Make Sense for Us?

kevinwuklife
May 23
4 min read

A Real-World Evaluation Before Buying

Quick Take

✔ FSD is far more impressive than we expected

✔ Home charging would be almost free for us

✔ Could dramatically improve long-distance travel

✔ Technology is genuinely compelling

✘ Costs substantially more than our Maverick

✘ Possible depreciation concerns

✘ Biggest risk may be driver complacency, not the car itself

👉 Bottom line:

This is not a financially logical replacement for our Maverick.

It’s a technology-driven decision that may also bring meaningful real-world advantages.

At a Glance

Current Vehicle

2024 Ford Maverick Hybrid XL

Potential Replacement

2026 Tesla Model Y “Juniper”

RWD
19" wheels

Reality Check

There is nothing wrong with our Maverick.

In fact:

👉 it has been excellent.

Reliable.

Economical.

Useful.

Easy to own.

Which creates the real question:

👉 Why spend roughly twice as much money replacing something that already works extremely well?

That’s the heart of this evaluation.

What Problem Are We Actually Solving?

Honestly?

Mostly:

👉 none.

This is important to admit.

The Maverick already does almost everything we need.

So Why Are We Considering a Tesla?

Several reasons.

1. The Technology Is Fascinating

Tesla’s Full Self Driving system is unlike anything we’ve experienced.

The demo drives completely changed our expectations.

What started as:

👉 “probably overhyped”

became:

👉 “this may genuinely change transportation.”

And that’s hard to ignore.

2. Safety

Statistically, Tesla’s supervised FSD appears to be significantly safer than normal human driving.

That matters to us.

Especially after:

watching it handle traffic
lane changes
intersections
heavy driving environments smoothly

3. The Long-Term Possibility

This is the big one.

If Tesla eventually reaches:

👉 true unsupervised autonomy

that changes everything.

Travel.

Productivity.

Convenience.

Mobility as people age.

That’s an entirely different world.

And even supervised FSD already hints at that future.

The Financial Reality

This is not a slam-dunk financial decision.

Compared to the Maverick:

Insurance increases about $480/year
FSD subscription adds about $1,200/year
Purchase price is roughly double

Even with:

👉 near-free charging from our solar system

the Tesla still costs more overall.

Fuel Savings Are Not the Main Story

The Maverick already costs very little to operate.

We currently spend roughly:

~$1,000/year on gas
~$400/year on maintenance

That’s already excellent.

So switching to a Tesla is NOT primarily about saving fuel money.

What Makes the Tesla Potentially Worth It?

Long-Distance Travel

This is where things become interesting.

We currently do not use the Maverick for major cross-country travel.

But with the Model Y:

👉 we likely would.

Our idea is simple:

One person supervises FSD
The other rests in the back
Continue rotating

That changes road trips dramatically.

Trips that normally require:

hotels
multiple days

could potentially become:

👉 long continuous drives with far less fatigue.

That’s a meaningful quality-of-life improvement.

Charging Concerns

Surprisingly, this has become one of our smaller concerns.

Why?

Because:

we already have a 240V / 50A outlet
our solar system offsets most charging costs
Tesla’s Supercharger network appears extremely mature

The charging issue feels far less intimidating after researching it heavily.

What Still Concerns Us

1. Depreciation

The Maverick has been extremely solid financially.

A Tesla:

👉 may depreciate much harder.

2. Reliability & Repairs

The Maverick has been:

✔ almost completely trouble-free

A Tesla introduces:

more software dependency
more electronics
more unknowns long-term

3. Complacency

This is probably the biggest concern of all.

FSD is impressive enough that:

👉 it may encourage overconfidence.

The danger may not be:

the system itself

but:

👉 drivers paying less attention than they should.

That’s something we take seriously.

The Emotional vs Practical Split

If we’re being honest:

60% = fascination with the technology
30% = practical advantages
10% = future possibilities

This is NOT a purely rational spreadsheet decision.

And pretending otherwise would be dishonest.

Mary’s Perspective

Mary started more hesitant than I was.

But after doing an FSD demo drive herself:

👉 she became comfortable with it.

She’s supportive & moderately enthusiastic—though probably still more cautious than I am.

Which is probably healthy.

What Success Would Look Like

If we buy one and look back two years later saying:

👉 “That was worth it”

then several things need to happen:

✔ Few repairs or recalls

✔ Comfortable long-distance travel

✔ FSD genuinely reducing fatigue and stress

✔ Ownership experience staying smooth and simple

What Would Make It a Mistake?

Several things:

✘ Frequent repairs

✘ Poor long-trip experience

✘ Charging becoming annoying

✘ FSD not delivering meaningful real-world benefit

Tesla vs Maverick (Realistically)

What the Tesla Would Likely Do Better

✔ FSD / driving assistance

✔ Long-distance travel

✔ Technology experience

✔ Quietness

✔ Overall driving experience

What the Maverick Still Does Better

✔ Lower overall cost

✔ Simplicity

✔ Truck bed utility

✔ Proven reliability (so far)

And occasionally:

👉 a truck bed is simply more useful than an SUV hatch.

The Bigger Question

Vehicles are changing.

The shift no longer feels like:

👉 gas vs electric

It feels more like:

👉 traditional vehicles vs intelligent transportation systems

That’s the part that has our attention.

Where We Are Right Now

At this point:

👉 I’m probably 98% there.