Dear Slate - you need to show these things before I'll buy

[RetiredOnPaper]

$$$ It's all about the $$$. Price out the door with std and extended battery. Price of accessories. None of which will be known until production starts. (I believe that is what is known as a fact of life.) Exact specs of the dash mounts so that 3D printed mounts for radios, speakers, etc. can be to +/- 1mm or less. So after market installs look pro and not hacks. Also might need to wait to production.
The hard part will be waiting a year to see where we are.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Not that difficult, apparently.
I did not test drive the last 4 trucks I bought new over last 25 years , but I did sit in 2 of them.
My wife did test drive her new Subaru, but being honest, that was a ploy on my part to get her more involved in the decision updating from her 9 yo 2016 Pilot bought new sight unseen.
Normally, I wouldn’t buy a used vehicle without test drive and close inspection, but I did last year as it was a low mileage vehicle from my neighbor. Sold it to a guy that didn’t test drive either.
Otherwise, I’m currently awaiting delivery of my new $60k tractor. Dealer had no models in stock locally, a factory order. Come to think on it, never drove or saw any of my previous new tractors, but they were significantly cheaper too. I did test drive the used one I bought.
I don’t expect to even see a real Slate live before getting mine.

I buy 1-2 vehicles every year (I have 6 drivers), and I don't test drive any of them. They arrive at my house and I do a "confirmation drive" and that's that.

I don't miss the nonsense at the stealerships. In fact, the last 2 vehicles I never even spoke with the sales folks on the phone. All text!

(Admittedly, I usually buy CPO or still in warranty used vehicles that are very well tested elsewhere, so I know what I should be getting).

Amazon has ruined me.

 

[Zorba]

Yea, I'd just as soon buy via email rather than having to talk to some stealership idiot. I've walked out of more dealerships in disgust than I can remember. Most of them I had notified in advance that I would walk out if they started their games. I could tell they didn't believe me and were shocked when I actually did! Then there was the sales manager who started telling me about his problems. That didn't end well for him...

 

[Imhotep]

I don’t know where, but somewhere on this forum it’s posted that Slate plans to let all reservation holders take a test drive once they’re ready.

 

[Daemoch]

If I could, Id skip most the warranty. Would be nice if it could be legal bare minimum and then they sell an additional warranty for people that want one. I'm probably just going to void most of it right away anyways.

As far as shops/Service centers..... It's a DIY vehicle, so DIY, right? Just tell me there's a huge catalogue of parts online, blazing fast shipping when needed, and its never out of stock.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

If I could, Id skip most the warranty. Would be nice if it could be legal bare minimum and then they sell an additional warranty for people that want one. I'm probably just going to void most of it right away anyways.

As far as shops/Service centers..... It's a DIY vehicle, so DIY, right? Just tell me there's a huge catalogue of parts online, blazing fast shipping when needed, and its never out of stock.

So, like Amazon, but cooler?

 

[Daemoch]

So, like Amazon, but cooler?

But cheaper. Last I checked, Amazon was almost a 50% markup for a lot of things over $100 vs what the actual manufacturer was charging me direct. Sometimes 400-500% (or more!) for things under $10.

I also had several really bad experiences where things were 'fulfilled by Amazon' but had to be returned (damaged) directly to the seller and then it took another month to get the replacement since it was all outside Amazons ecosystem and control. If thats a car part and its a car I need to get to work, thats gonna be a problem. And Ive got clients that are auto shops....they use the same systems to buy things we do a lot of the time. Youre not gonna like it when something is 'on back order' for a month plus. :/