Why We Ordered This Tesla

And Why We Didn't Choose the Other Options

I think this report will be one of the most-read pieces in the entire Tesla series because it's where readers get to see the actual decision process.

Quick Take

✔ Chose the Model Y for space and practicality

✔ Chose RWD for lower cost and better range

✔ Chose new because used prices made little sense

✔ Ordered primarily because of FSD

✘ Costs significantly more than our Maverick

✘ Reliability remains an unknown

✘ There is always risk when replacing a proven vehicle

👉 Bottom line:

We didn't order a Tesla because we needed a new vehicle. We ordered one because we believe Full Self Driving may fundamentally change how people travel.

At a Glance

Vehicle Ordered

2026 Tesla Model Y Juniper

• Rear-Wheel Drive

• Stealth Grey

• Black Interior

• 19" Wheels

• Full Self Driving

Order Details

• Factory Order

• $250 Deposit

• Estimated Delivery: 2–3 Weeks

• Financing: 0.99%

Reality Check

The hardest part of this decision wasn't choosing a Tesla.

It was choosing to give up a vehicle we already knew was excellent.

Our Maverick Hybrid had been:

• Reliable

• Practical

• Economical

• Comfortable

There was nothing wrong with it.

That made this decision harder—not easier.

Why a Model Y?

The Model Y simply checked more boxes than anything else Tesla offered.

Why Not a Model 3?

The Model 3 is smaller.

For us:

• harder to get in and out of

• less cargo room

• less flexibility

The Model Y felt like a better fit for how we actually travel.

Why Not a Model S or Model X?

Cost.

Both are impressive vehicles.

Neither offered enough additional value for us to justify spending substantially more money.

Why Not a Cybertruck?

Again:

Cost.

And while the utility is appealing, we were primarily interested in:

• FSD

• travel

• everyday driving

The Model Y fit those goals better.

Why New Instead of Used?

This surprised us!

We were completely open to buying a used Model Y with Hardware 4.

But after weeks of searching, we discovered something unexpected:

The used HW4 Model Y Premiums (Juniper) were selling for prices very close to new ones.

Sometimes higher.

When we factored in:

• warranty

• latest hardware

• 0.99% financing

the new vehicle became the better value.

Why Rear-Wheel Drive?

This was one of the easier decisions.

We live in Mississippi.

We don't deal with:

• snow

• mountain passes

• severe winter conditions

AWD would cost thousands more while providing:

• slightly less range

• benefits we'd rarely use

For us, RWD simply made more sense.

Why Not the Performance Model?

The Performance version is impressive.

But it solves a problem we don't have.

The standard RWD Model Y already reaches:

👉 0–60 mph in approximately 5.4 seconds

That's already faster than anything we need.

The Performance version costs more and sacrifices some range.

Easy decision.

Why Stealth Grey?

This took more thought than you might expect.

White

Too common.

There are Teslas everywhere in white.

Red

My wife doesn't enjoy driving red vehicles.

Silver

We both liked it.

Just not enough to justify another $2,000.

Black or Blue

Both were contenders.

But in the end:

👉 Stealth Grey was our favorite.

Why Black Interior?

Simple.

We don't think we'd keep white seats looking the way we'd want them to look.

The black interior felt like the practical choice.

How Much Research Went Into This?

A lot!

Over roughly two months:

• More than 200 videos watched

• Countless articles read

• Three separate demo drives

We also rode in:

• AWD models

• Performance models

The more we researched, the more confident we became that the RWD Model Y was the right fit.

What Almost Stopped Us?

Multiple times we nearly decided to keep the Maverick.

The reasons were always the same:

• additional cost

• unknown reliability

• fear of replacing a proven vehicle

That's the challenge with any major purchase.

Known good versus unknown possibility.

What We're Most Excited About

One answer.

FSD.

Nothing else comes close.

It's the reason this entire process started.

It's the reason we sold the Maverick.

And it's the reason we ordered this vehicle.

What Concerns Us Most

Reliability.

Not range.

Not charging.

Not performance.

Reliability.

The Maverick was nearly flawless during our ownership.

The Tesla has not yet earned that trust.

Time will tell.

What Success Looks Like

Two years from now, we'll consider this purchase a success if:

• FSD meaningfully changes how we travel

• Long trips become easier and less tiring

• Ownership remains largely trouble-free

And if Tesla achieves unsupervised autonomy?

That would be a game-changer.

What Would Make It a Mistake?

Several things:

• Frequent repairs

• Frequent recalls

• Poor ownership experience

• FSD failing to deliver meaningful value

Those are the risks.

The Bigger Picture

This purchase isn't really about electric vehicles.

It's about where transportation appears to be heading.

The shift no longer feels like:

👉 Gas vs Electric

It feels more like:

👉 Traditional Driving vs Intelligent Transportation

And we believe FSD is a glimpse of that future.

Final Answer

Why did we order this Tesla?

Because we believe FSD is the future of driving.

Whether we're right or wrong remains to be seen.

That's exactly what we intend to find out.

What's Next

The order is placed.

The Maverick is gone.

Now comes the waiting.