Had both $TSLA and $TSLAQ experience with my wife's Model Y.

Have food for thought for both tribes. I own Model 3. Love it. The best toy/car I'e ever owned. Wrote a book about it http://teslaanalysis.com/ 

Wife bought Model Y. Dec 31, 2020 to celebrate the end of awful 2020

A day later I noticed the car is making a "thump" noise when we go over small potholes on the road. Subwoofer type noise hurt my ears. Also the car was a bit too loud. Louder than my Model 3

Did not tell wife about it.

A day later she complained to me about the same thing

Requested service on Tesla app (easy!)

Technician came out a few days later. Could not really find anything wrong with it. Ordered and then replaced a part that fixed absolutely nothing

Contacted Tesla again. They suggested we bring the car to the service center.

We did

They used their noise measuring device and found that a door gasket (the rubber on the side of the door) was not installed properly. They said that outside noise should decline once fixed

It did. But...

That "thump" noise that was hurting our ears did not go away. Tesla suggested that it may not be a bug of our car but a feature of all Model Ys. Drove two other Model Ys, they all have that noise.

My wife really liked Model Y but could not stand the noise.

Now we are in February 2021.

I asked service guy at Tesla if they would not mind taking Model Y back and I'll buy Model X instead.

Two week later he gets back to me ...

He says - sure. Here is a wrinkle - while I was waiting for his response which I thought would be no, we sold my son's car. He took my wife's SUV.

I asked Tesla if we could return the car once Model X comes out in April...

... To my surprise he said - sure.

We'd have to pay for miles we drive. Last week returned Model Y. Tesla returned me the money a few days later less $600 for 2,000 miles we've driven.

We put $100 deposit for new Model X.

This time I am going to test drive myself very carefully once it is available (my wife and my son test drove Model Y).

Model S & X update inside seems to be significant. Electronics, design and batteries were not updated in years. My Model 3 had better tech despite these cars being 2x the price or so.

There must be a lot of pent up demand for updated S & X. Tesla took a minimalist approach to them - very different design from traditional ICE cars.

S & X should bring much higher margin.

As you read this you are thinking - this guy had a bad experience and still he is buying another Tesla.

This story is about me - I am just a very average Tesla customer.

The dichotomy of this - despite negative experience with Model Y,

Service was great throughout this ordeal. Treated me fairly.

Model Y is a great car - EXCEPT it hurts your ears.

I am still in the honeymoon phase with my Model 3 (2 years later)

This shows the complexity of the Tesla story.

It has some real issues but at the same time it has a huge and growing fanatical user base.

ICE makers have pushy salespeople, spend billions on advertisers - Tesla has millions of fanatics like me - Tesla's largest asset

On many levels Tesla has become the Apple of cars.

Its service is Apple-like (at least the service I've experienced).

It is innovative. Software interface looks like it has been designed by Apple. It is not designed by boring adults of Detroit.

It has some real issues (per my experience with Model Y). I think this "thump" noise is coming from a combination of stiff suspension, weak insulation and a lot of glass inside the car.

Oddly enough don't see people complain about this. My wife and I must have super hearing.

Could not find other complaints on internet.

But at the same time. Models S, X, and 3 of many years ago are superior products to any other electric car in production that you can buy today.

Just to be clear, I am strictly talking about the product and the company, NOT about valuation. My thoughts on valuation are here https://contrarianedge.com/teslas-stock-price-discounts-temporal-wormhole-into-the-future/

I am also not endorsing its autopilot - it is a drive assist at best. It works great on a highway when lanes are perfectly painted, there is no construction, it is not raining, clear dividers between lanes.

As you can see from this thread Tesla is a complex story.

Despite having a bad experience with Model Y. I am probably going to be buying Teslas for a long time.

Unless...

Apple comes out with a better car. German and Detroit guys are too mature for my taste.

ICE guys are still making flip phones and Blackberries (at best) when Tesla is on iPhone 12.